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COMPENDIUM 



OF 



%%-t 



History 

Reminiscence 
and Biography 



OF 



WESTERN NEBRASKA 

CONTAINING A 

History of the State 
of Nebraska 

Embracing an account of Early Explorations, Early Settlement, Indian 

Occupancy, Indian History and Traditions, Territorial and State 

Organizations; a review of the Political History; and 

a concise History of the Growth and 

Development of the State. 



COMPENDIUM OF REMINISCENCE 
OF WESTERN NEBRASKA 

ContainiDg Biographical Sketches of Hundreds of Promiaent Old Settlers and Representative 

Citizens of 

•WTESTER-N NEBRASKA 

with a review of their life work ; their idenity with the growth and development of the Region ; 

Reminiscences of Personal History and Pioneer Life and other Interesting 

and Valuable Matter which should be preserved m History. 

ILLUSTRATED 

CHICAGO: 

ALDEN POBLISHING COMPANY, 

1909 







GENERAL INDEX. 



Title Page ^ 5 

Table of Contents 7 



History of Nebraska 15 

Compendium of Reminiscence and Biography of 
Western Nebraska 121 



Index to History of Nebraska 



CHAPTER I. . 

Geography, Topography, Climate, Geology, Soil, 
Natural Resources, Territory, etc 17 

CHAPTER II. 

Discovery and Early History of the Province of 
Louisiana; Early Explorations; Early Settle- 
ment; the Birth of Nebraska; Principal Events 
in the History of the State 25 

CHAPTER III. 

po:,iTiCAi.. Territorial Organization; State Organ- • 
ization; Territorial OflBcers; State Officers; 
Legislative ana Official Roster 53 



CHAPTER IV. 
State Institutions, Societies and Associations.... 95 

CHAPTER V. 

Railbo.^ds. Early Railroad Building in the State 
of Nebraska; Influence of Railroads in the 
Early Development and Growth of the State... 103 



CHAPTER VI. 

Miscellaneous Historical Matters; The Locusts or 
Grasshoppers; Public Lands; Educational; Pop- 
ulation of Nebraska; etc Ill 



iK^ 



INDEX 



Compendium of 

REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of 



WESTERN NEBRASKA 



PAGE. 
Abbott, Christopher.. 856 

Abbott, John W 1002 

Abley, Fred 515 

Adamson. Daniel 667 

Adamson. Jolm A 777 

Adkins. Riclcles N.... 871 

Ainslie, James 66S 

Akes, Joseph G 585 

Alden, William M.... 199 
Alderman, James M.. 6ij6 
Alderman. Sterling P. 813 
Alexander. Samuel D. 610 

Altord. Harry D 166 

Alford, George P 166 

Allen. Charles 1094 

Allen, Mrs. Mav C....1094 

Allen. William H 525 

Allen, wailiam J 829 

Allison, Welby B 271 

L 'Anderson, A. J 193 

Anderson, Andreas ... 317 
Anderson, Andrew ... 864 
Anderson, Andrew W.1076 
Anderson, August E.. 317 
Anderson. Charles ...1011 
Anderson, Charles S..1104 

Anderson, David 730 

Anderson, Q^JjC. 1045 

Anderson, G^. M., 

Illustration 457 

Anderson, Geo. M 455 

Anderson, Gilbert V.. 193 
UAnderson, John 

(Dawes Co.j.'r. 461 

Anderson, John (Chey- 
enne Co.) 833 

Anderson, John A 1083 

Anderson, John G 350 

Anderson, Oscar E... 889 

Anderson, Per 622 

Anderson, Samuel E.. 735 

Anderson. Swan 278 

Anderson, Hon. Victor 371 

Andresen, P. N 686 

Andrews. Dr. J. A.... 462 

Antrim, Zadok F 541 

Apolius, John H 887 

Arbogast. Dr. H. J... 1084 

"Arkansas Bob" 217 

Armstrong, John 578 

Armstrong, John, Illus- 
tration 580 

Armstrong, Joseph G. 148 

Arter, Charles 781 

Ashbaugh, Val 1047 

Ash worth. George D. 945 

Atkins, Auburn W 843 

Atkins, D. K 386 

Atkins, P. L 3S6 

Aufdengarten. Louis . 279 
Augustine, Thomas B.1088 

Austin. Franklin J 20S 

Avery, Charles 390 

Avery, Sylvenus 390 

Awrants, Nois 846 

Ayres, John 516 

Babb, David E 902 

Babb, Stephen H 908 



PAGE. 
Babcock, William W., 

Sr 209 

Bacon, William S 348 

Bahr. Peter 764 

Bairn. John A 471 

Baker, Arthur D 595 

Baker, Hollv 204 

Baker, James E 729 

Baker, Samuel 278 

Baker, Theodore 204 

Baldwin, B. J 171 

Bales, James 1 731 

Ballieu, Richard R... 818 

Banderet. Frank 986 

Banigan. Ernest T....1006 
Bannon. Michael A.. 505 
Banwell. Captain W. 

H., M. D 554 

Barber. Frank H 934 

Bare. Ira L 154 

Barker. Alonzo S 280 

Barker, James Ed- 
ward 835 

Barker, Joseph 475 

'Barker, William S.... 509 
Barkhurst. Joseph ... 712 

Barlow, L. R 960 

Barnes. C. W 181 

Barnes. Dan 563 

Barnes. Enos R 229 

Barnes. Merlin D 412 

Barnes. Moses 412 

Barr. Clinton M 251 

Barr. Elmer E 902 

Barr. L. C 249 

Barrett. Captain C. H 656 

Barry. Edward J 256 

Barry. Lawrence 256 

Bartell. John H 270 

Bartlett, Harry L 926 

Bartley, John W 1027 

Barton, Joseph 970 

Baschky, August — 446 
Baschky. Mrs. Jessie 

F 446 

Bates, Bert J 985 

Bates, Mrs. Columbia. 90S 

Bates, Frank C 1042 

Bates, Levi D 907 

Bates, Luke M 523 

Bates, Mrs. Martha. ..1117 

Bates, Seth R 1116 

Bateman. William ... 660 

Battershell. D. S 1123 

Battv. Earl S.. D. D. S. 2S8 

Bauder. E 7S3 

Bauer. Frederick G... 956 
Baumgardner. E. I^.. 216 

Beach. R. V 469 

Beal. Eugene 783 

Beamer. Geo. W 435 

Beatty, William 875 

Beck, W. W 704 

Becker, Martin 683 

Beddeo. George 913 

Beebe. Alhara D 552 

Seed. James William 533 

Beede. Arthur S 874 

Beekman. W. H 708 

Beeler, Hon. J. G 172 



PAGE. 

Beeman, John D 368 

Been, Dick, Portrait.. 837 

Beers Bros 484 

Beers. 'Abel 484 

Belden, John 1108 

Belden. W. Wallace.. 819 

Belgum. Peter 649 

Bellows, Frank J 919 

Bender. Linens E 812 

Benish. Anton 841 

Bennett. James C 734 

Benson. E. M 274 

Berg. David H 936 

Berger. Otto 955 

Bergman. Andrew ... 439 

Bergman. August 921 

Berney, John 339 

Berrv, George D 267 

Berry, H. H 396 

Berry, J. C 748 

Berry, John H 233 

Berry. L. A 186 

Betson. William H.... 963 

Bevnon. D. S 514 

Bible, Francis S 976 

Bigelow, Eugene A... 356 

Bigelow. Payson B 246 

Biggs. Robert N 1081 

Billeter. Jackson 22S 

Billings, J. B 167 

Billings. James Earl.. 167 
Billings. Oliver P., Jr. 628 
Billings. Robert F.... 167 
Billings, Samuel Spen- 
cer 710 

Bird, Robert 806 

Birdwell. James R 576 

Bisher. William B.... 526 

Bishop. John 94'i 

Bivens. Leander K... 789 

Bixler. Grant 324 

Bixler. Samuel 324 

Bixler. William S 581 

Black. Abner 931 

Black. Frank .-.■ 337 

Black. John 631 

Black. Richard S 473 

Black, Samuel 531 

Black, W. L 164 

Blackman, John C... 188 

Bliss. D. C 413 

Blomberg, John B.... Si7 
Boardman. Geo. P...43t 

Boehmer, August 421 

Bogseth, Olaus 672 

Bonner, J. N 692 

Booth. Firth 296 

Booth, Hugh 289 

Bordwell. L. H 1046 

Borgquist. Paul R.... 930 

Bork. Fred 253 

Borkv. Solomon 735 

Bostrom, Earl W 824 

Boulden. Geo. R 799 

Bowden. Ernest E 849 

Bowen. Arthur R 147 

Bowen, Daniel L 147 

Bowen. T. J 432 

Bower. Oron B 483 

Bower, Pete A 1107 



PAGE. 

Bower, W. W 989 

Bowers, Captain James 

M 145 

Bowers, Webster E... 144 

Bowlbv. John H 892 

Bowman, Dr. W. L.. 495 
Bowman. Frank M.. 495 

Bowman. Wm, R 443 

Bowring, Arthur E 1073 

Bover, Bovd K 183 

Boyer, Charles F 142 

Boyer, F. L 153 

Boyer, Hugh 504 

Bover, Hugh B 197 

Bovles, Harry J 395 

Brady, Charles T 356 

Brady, John 832 

Brandel. Henry C... 718 

Branz, Henry 899 

Brav, Israel R 452 

Bratz. Fred 1067 

Brennan, Martin ,222 

Brennan, Michael 642 

Brennan, John 222 

Bresee, Charles P 486 

Brewster, Frank 974 

Brewster, Mrs. Belle P 974 

Brill. John W 398 

Brill. John W 397 

Brinckerhoff, Alonzo M.494 

Britton, Charles H 517 

Britton. Chester H 481 

Broadhurst, Nat 773 

Bromwich, Uriah 470 

Brosius, Eliza G 509 

Brosius, Mifflin, P 509 

Brothers, B. E 229 

Brott, Lewis 851 

Brower, David N 933 

Brown, Benjamin F.. 532 

Brown, James A 601 

Brown, John 205 

Brown, J. M 681 

Brown, Joshua H 1024 

Bruce, Jeduthan 417 

Bruce, Mrs. L. H 199 

Bruce. Nelson F 417 

Bruce. William Wall- 
ace 198 

Bruer, John N 350 

Bruns, Jacob U 317 

Buchanan, Fremont T 993 

Buchanan, Ruben 667 

Buch, Z. U 837 

Buckminster. Samuel. 691 

Buhike, John 191 

BuUis, William T 623 

Bump, Albert G 517 

Burg, Arvid 207 

Burg C. Anderson 207 

Burge, Geo. W 435 

Burge, J. E 1«38 

Burge. John 435 

Burkitt, Wm. M 735 

Burns, James 1043 

Burns, James H 273 

Burr, Alexander 343 

Burt, B. J 327 

Bush, John H 614 

Bushee, Berton K.... 988 



TABLE OF CONTEXTS. 



PAGE. 

Bushnell, H. J 706 

Butler. John A 414 

Butler. Michael 1103 

Byerly. Dr. W. H 201 

Byerley, John 1061 

Byfleld. E. S 1054 

Cady. Wilson 1 1092 

CafEa. Frank, Portrait 837 

Calkins. Elisha C 125 

Callahan. Charles 151 

Calver. J. W 775 

Camm. Geo. A S69 

Campbell, James S 927 

Campbell, J. H 808 

Campbell. T. B 299 

Campbell, T. W 316 

Canaday, Hon. J. S.. 270 

Cannon, A. S 498 

Cannon, Ephraim H.. 433 

Cannon, John H 358 

Carev. Samuel W 787 

Carlile. J. A 758 

Carlson. Andrew A... S75 

Carlson. C. J 613 

Carlson. Emil 884 

Carlson. Gustav 558 

Carlson. John 884 

Carlson. Louis 693 

Carlson. Sam A 408 

Carlson. Victor C 613 

Carothers, Robert S.. 157 
Carothers. RoUo L.... 219 
Carothers, Miss Vir- 
ginia 219 

Carpenter. Ed. F 402 

Carpenter. Elhanan W.360 

Carpenter, John M 667 

Carr. Andrew 685 

Carr. Eli 685 

Carr. John F 207 

Carr. William Parker. 364 

Carrier. E. A Z^Z 

Carter. A. L 715 

Carter. Charles N 203 

Carter. E. G 862 

Case. Arthur N 212 

Case, Edwin 410 

Casselman, Clarence V. 

1065 

Castek. John 444 

Chalberg. Andrew P.. 557 

Chaloud. John R 310 

Chapman. James R 596 

Charlton. John H 469 

Chase, Enos 1068 

Chase. Murray 762 

Cheesman. Dennis D.. 185 

Cheney. Burt E 278 

Cheney. Carmel E 264 

Cheney. John 278 

Chester. Mrs. Evelyn 

T 964 

Chester. Uriah 964 

Chester, William 350 

Chester. William, Illus- 
tration 348 

Childers, James 1130 

Christensen, Hon. A. 

C 203 

Christensen. Claus ...794 
Christensen, Lars C..226 
Christensen. Martin .. 592 
Christensen, Peter K, 420 

Christopher, Geo 566 

"Chvirn Ranch," The. 597 

Cilek. Frank 367 

Cilek, Frank. Jr 367 

Clapp, Wyman S 184 

Clapper, Frank S 6.84 

Clark, Geo. D 561 

Clark. William 794 

Clarke. Georee G 1090 

Clarkson. William D.. 834 

Clary, D. B 918 

Clary. Morse P 918 

Clasen. John 637 

Clearman, J. H .549 

Cleavenger. George M 169 

Cleburne. Joseph 152 

Cllft, Geo. A 8S7 

Clopton. David A 1089 

Coble. Clarence C 985 

Coble, John M 255 

Codr, Frank B 1014 

Cody, F. D 529 



PAGE. 

Coftman. Mrs. Marin- 

tha J 521 

Coffman, William J.. 520 

Cogdill. George K l<i60 

Coie. Hon. W. G 301 

Coil, Franklin J.. Sr.. 416 

Coil. F. J., Jr 416 

Coker, William S S-JO 

Cole, Garner M 500 

Collins, Ed -303 

Colman, Mrs. Rachel 

G .■ 1021 

Colman, William 1021 

Colson, A. A 1069 

Coltrin. W. H 319 

Combs. M. J 792 

Conard, Philip 1057 

Congdon, D. C 538 

Conklin, Dr. R. E 195 

Conklin, Thomas J... 195. 
Connell, William A... 455 
Connell. William D.. 7S7 

Conner, William W 420 

Cook, Charles 204 

Cook, G. W 204 

Cook, Henry A 624 

Cook, James H 636 

Cook. James W 645 

Cook, John F 636 

Cool, Fred 418 

Cooley, Ashley B 715 

Coon, Jonathan L 995 

Coonev, William J. ...1128 
Cooper. Gerald M G..1096 

Cooper, James J 370 

Corbin. Milo 434 

Cornell, Hon. Chas. H 124 

Cotton, John M 154 

Couch, Ilus K39 

Couch, William C....1019 

Cowgill, W. H 445 

Cowley, Charles 1103 

Cox, Granville, H 166 

Cox. John H 994 

Crain. Homer M 186 

Grain. Joseph 186 

Cramblet. Perman ... 847 

Cramer. Chas. W 691 

Crane. Leslie W 014 

Crescent Live Stock 
Co., Illustration... 120-121 

Crigler, Edward 673 

Croft, C. R 995 

Cronberg. Henry 1105 

Cronk. Adolphus V... 863 

Crook. Fred 986 

Cross, Joshua 442 

Croughwell, Bernard F.956 
Croughwell, Thomas F.913 

Crowe, J. W 553 

Cruicksliank, David ..1062 

Crusen, W. J 213 

Culbertson. H. E 441 

Cullers. Amos C 865 

Curry. James 547 

Cuseaden. F. A 1100 

Cutler, Arthur 722 

Dahlesten, Peter 170 

Dailey, R. F 646 

Dalnton, Henry 1 1000 

Dake, Calvin C 208 

Dale. Horace C 213 

D'AlIemand, Prof A.. 362 

Dalton, Patrick J 892 

Dam. John C 838 

Daniels, Herbert A... 318 

Daniels. John W 663 

Danielson. Andrew W 8S4 
Danielson. Bendick ..1073 

Danley, Wm. A 178 

Darrow, William 451 

Daughertv. John 1'07 

Davenport, Geo. H 516 

Davidson, Mrs. Amelia 

D 1075 

Davidson, George J 1075 

Davies, C. K .335 

Davig, Ole A 1093 

Davis. A, L 672 

Davis, A. T 167 

Davis, Geo. W 369 

Davis, Gus- 187 

Davis, Henry J 464 

Davis. James H 313 

Davis, .John 1 231 



PAGE, 

Davis, P. H 807 

Davis, Pearl H 233 

Davis, William S 664 

Dawson, John 1 841 

Day, Robert A 815 

Dean, Henry T Sll 

Deans, Henry 387 

Deaver, Louis H 1053 

De Bock, Mrs. Antoin- 
ette 555 

De Bock, Joseph L 554 

De Cow, Dr. J. A 403 

Deets, A. J 723 

De Graft, Richard D.. 536 

De Graw, Geo 971 

De Haven, Wilber 656 

Delatour, John M 453 

Dempcy, Captain I. H 206 
Denaeyer, Bernard .. 449 

Denslow, J. H 171 

Denter, Joseph G 1072 

Dentler, Thomas 1014 

Deutler, Elmer E....1114 
Dick. Mrs. Ella A.... 218 
Dick, Dr. Frederick N 218 

Dickinson, Friend 974 

Dickinson, Geo 407 

Dieckman, John H 311 

Dill, Major A. M 197 

Dillon, E. J 803 

Ditto. Clark N 507 

Dixon, Austin F 605 

Dixon, Frank 712 

Doe, John 338 

Doing, Hiram 803 

Dolan. Rev. M. E....1129 

Dolan, William 900 

Dolen, James C 432 

Dolen & Bowen 432 

Donason, Jack 741 

Donner, G. W 804 

Donner, Robert 804 

Dorran, John 565 

Dougherty, James ... 236 

Douglas. Geo 658 

Douglas, Geo. E 658 

Dout, Leonard 669 

Dove. George H 961 

Downing, Harry V 227 

Downing, Henry A.,. 227 

Downing, S. B. F 767 

Downs, Joseph 215 

Dovle, J. M 549 

Dovle, Mrs. L. J 549 

Doyle, Thomas 568 

Dresslar, Jacob 565 

Duerfeldt, Fred 355 

Duffln. J. L 195 

Dugger. William C... 268 
Dugger. William M...1096 
Duncan. Columbus A.. 640 

Dunn. E. P 174 

Dunn. Richard M.... 592 

Dunn, S. J 284 

Dwinell, Geo. W 978 

Dve, John F 962 

Dve, Mrs. Lydia B.... 962 

Dver. John M 468 

Dyer. John W 258 

Eastman. Neil P 293 

Eckles. George A 250 

Edwards, C. A 302 

Edwards, George E... 189 
Edwards, Theodore C 736 
Edwards. William .... 189 

Egan, Michael F 681 

Ehmke. Henry 483 

Ekwawl, K. B 834 

Elder, Ora 139 

Elder, Judge W, C... 138 
Eldred. Everett M..,. 288 

Ell, Charles E 283 

Ell. John P 283 

Elliott, Frederick .... 786 
Elliott, George M..,. 922 
Elliott, Nathaniel .... 553 
Elmore. Dr. Charles G 164 
Emanuelson, Robert AlOSl 

Emig, George P 155 

F.nders. John E 845 

Engel. Geo 1008 

Engleliorn, John K...245 

Englehorn, John 1015 

Ennis. A. S 315 

Enyeart, Albert S..,. 360 

Eppler, Charles 496 

Erickson, A. S 668 



PAGE. 

Erickson, Gust 949 

Ericson, A. S 292 

Ericson, Henry E 292 

Erlewine, Charles A.. 253 

Erlewine, Isaac 253 

Errickson, William .. 539 

Estlack, James E 308 

Estler, Carl E. A 1019 

Estler, G. B. Edmund 457 
Evans, Charles H.... 340 

Evans, Geo. A 325 

Evans. John H ISO 

Evans, Thomas R 546 

Evans. Willard M.... 328 

Everist. W. F 252 

Ewbank, John 391 

Ewing, Geo. P 1012 

Fairchild, Lewis F 933 

Fairliead. Garrold O.. 611 
Fairhead, Samuel S.. 359 

Falk, A. J 1006 

Fancher, De Lafay- 
ette 237 

Farmer, James A 788 

Parr, Willie E 969 

Farrand, A 161 

Faulhaber, Charles H. 713 

Fay, Nathan E 190 

Pecht, Harm A 616 

Felch, Benjamin P... 576 

Pendrich. Geo. A 444 

Penner, Rosell 228 

Fenwick. Cornelius .. 853 
Ferguson, James A... 755 

Ferguson, John 933 

Ferguson, John N 380 

Fernau, Mrs. Caroline 

C 526 

Fernau, John H 526 

Fernau, William G... 265 

Ferrel, Jerry 465 

Field, Flovd H 129 

Field, F. W 129 

Fickel, Joseph 612 

Fickes, D. F 947 

Findley, Harry 587 

Fischer, Geo. C 346 

Fischer, John P 194 

Fisher, Allen G 286 

Fisher, Frank P 248 

Fishman, Simon 156 

Fitzgerald, Jolin 945 

Fleischman, Wm 597 

Fleming. A. W 226 

Pliniaux, Henrv 720 

Plorey, W. A 566 

Fodness, Lars E 1037 

Polkerts, George 701 

Folsom, Gardner H 1063 

Ford, E. D 1042 

Ford, Harvev 1131 

Ford, Sidney W 571 

Ford, William N 201. 

Forsling, Alfred 629 

Forsling, Clarence A,. 551 
Forsling. Frank E.... 880 

Forsling. G. A 591 

Forsling. Oscar E.... 287 

Fosket, William 295 

Foster, Frank E 720 

Foster, James C 327 

Foster, Wm. Newton. 972 

Fowler, Geo. E 332 

Fowler, Geo. W 684 

Fowler, Isaiah 344 

Fox, B. M 917 

Fox, Henrv R 917 

Fox, J. Clay 983 

Francis, Page T 3fl8 

Frank, John Henry.. 999 

Freeland, Truman 5.S0 

Freeman, George W.. 236 
Preeman, Thomas M.. 648 

Frickey, Adam 321 

Friskopp, Swan 1052 

Prohnapfel, Norbert . 319 

Fry, John W 202 

Fry, William Eli 404 

Fuller, Charles 195 

Fuller, Captain E. M. 963 

Funk, Hon. P. C 753 

Furman, Howard G,. 511 

Furrv, C. J 235 

Furry, T. R 235 

Furry, L. E. & Sons.. 235 

Gamel, O. J 261 



TABLE OF COI^TENTS. 



PAGE. 
Gamel. William B.... 261 

Ganow, Henry H 2S2 

Ganow, Henry H., 

View of Residence.. 280 
Ganow, Mallory B.... 283 

Gapen. Fred A 180 

Gapen, Henry E 103 

Gardiner, Rev. John P.1002 

Gardner, Horace E 5G5 

Garman, Adam S COS 

Garner, Isaac 482 

Garner, Jesse W 482 

Garner, Lee "24 

Gaskill, O. . C 336 

Gaston, Charles D 1074 

Gay, Charles H 413 

Gebhart, Bmil 750 

Geise, Henry 895 

Gehrt, Nick. S9d 

Geisert, John J 1123 

Geisert, Reinhard — 137 

Gentry, John 143 

Gentry, Peter Z 1010 

Genung, Bert L 4So 

Genung, Lewis T 485 

Gerdes. Altna S iSO 

Gericke, A. H 238 

Getty, Hamilton 99 1 

Gibson, Alexander ... 180 

Gibson, J. A 267 

Gibson. William 205 

Gillaspie, Robert F 217 

Oilman, Fred 836 

Gingrich, E. J 357 

Gipson, Peter C 621 

Glidewell. George H.. 857 
Glover, Mrs. Alma E. 697 

Glover, John V 696 

Goble. A. J 583 

Goodall, Henry E....1056 
Goodban. Hon. H. F.. 778 
Goold, Theodore F.... 696 
Gormley, William W.. 857 
Goucher, Samuel H.. 411 

Goudie, J. A. H 687 

Gould, Edwin R 3S9 

Gould. Garvin H 326 . 

Gould, S. C 326 

Graeff, Allison S 427 

Gragg, Henry R 9al 

Gragg, Albert J 248 

Gragg, James J 214 

Gragg, James T 249 

Graham, John 418 

GranUmd, C. L 277 

Granlund, John 277 

Grant, Charles G 827 

Grant, Mrs. M. W.... 827 
Grantham. Moses O.. 905 
Graves, Bishop Anson 

R 567 

Gray. Ernest G 225 

Gray, George 225 

Green, Edward G 664 

Green, Nelson A 1005 

Green. Theodore P 456 

Green. Thomas A 605 

Greenland. Richard . . 477 
Greenwood, James ... 573 

Greer, R. R 905 

Gregg, C. H 147 

Gregg, Edward T 991 

Gregg, George 897 

Griffith, Jesse P 343 

Griffiths, David 963 

Grosenbach, Henry .. 929 

Gross. Karl F 407 

Grout, James 701 

Grove, Arthur H 674 

Groves. Jacob W 910 

Guenin, Constant 352 

Guildner, Fred 339 

Gumaer, H. G 1123 

Gumb, John 207 

Gunderson, Adam 1001 

Gunderson, George .. 9?S 

Gunderson, Hans 749 

Gunderson. Robert .. 198 
Gunnell, Orlando M.. 999 

Gustafson, A. A 1087 

Guynn, Thomas 240 

Haas, Dominic 479 

Haas, Geo IflSfi 

Haase, Edward 451 

Haase, Gilbert 450 

Hadley, Albert 765 

Hadley. Ambrose — 746 



PAGE. 

Hagberg. Alex 543 

Hagberg. Ralph H... 543 
Hagerman, Calvin E. 304 

Hahler, J 954 

Hahn, Carl 722 

Hahn, Edward G S06 

Hahn, Otis W 679 

Haiston, Jerome B...1077 

Hale, Mel vine 805 

Hale, William 805 

Halev, Albert 634 

Halev, William E 810 

Hall.' F. M 432 

Halligan. George H... 854 

Hall. Hamilton 657 

Hall. James 246 

Hall, •■Matt" 432 

Hall, Robert G 246 

Hall, William P 159 

Halstead. J. M 351 

Halstead. William Sol 

Hamaker, David W.. 8ol 
Hamilton, Leander L.1061 

Hamilton. John 983 

Hammond. Ira A 3iL 

Hand, Frank A 925 

Haney, Benjamin 694 

Hanev, Daniel =83 

Hanna, Hon. David.. 14-- 

Hansen, Chris 46S 

Hansen, Hans S 107S 

Hansen, John A 779 

Hansen. Peter 977 

Hanson, Charles A.... 620 

Hanson, G. A 1106 

Hapeman. Dr. H 165 

Harbert, Allison C... 584 

Harbert, John D 584 

Hardin. D. S 510 

Hardin, James P S?o 

Hardin, John H 825 

Harlan, W. R 650 

Harnan. Wm. M 103o 

Harr Frederick J IKS 

Harris. F. W 357 

Harris, Henry S 820 

Harris, Octave 662 

Harris. Zachariah C. 6S) 

Harrison. D 1036' 

Harrison. James H 136 

Harrison, John T....1036 

Harrison, J. V 1036 

Harrison. Robert 1007 

Hart. Col. J. H 194 

Hart. Daniel 329 

Hart. H. E 950 

Hart. William H 328 

Hartford, James C... 824 
Hartung. Burch L....inS 

Hartzell. Solomon 1070 

Harvev, Benjamin J.. 796 
Harvey. Benjamin W.. 215 

Harvey, James H 427 

Harvey. James H., 

Illustration 426 

Harvev, John J 315 

Harvev. William H.... 669 

Hastings. B. F 150 

Hastings. Lewis E.... 421 

Hawk, Charles S 608 

Havs. John 699 

Hay ward. B. D 1066 

Heath, Elver L 953 

Heath. F. A 799 

Heath, F. Kemp 420 

Heath, George Arthur 5,51 

Heath. Horace H 415 

Hedses Samuel J 237 

Hedlund. Mathias .... 414 

Heerten. Eilert 850 

Heldman, W. R 739 

Helmbold. August ... 221 

Hemmett. T. G 882 

Henderson. Dallas ...314 
Henderson. Henrv C. 374 
Henderson. Hugh .... 535 
Henderson. John (Box 

Butte Co.1 675 

Henderson. John. 

(Deuel Co.-) 831 

Hendricks. John E.... 9?3 

Hennings. Carson 574 

Herbert. Clarence ...916 

Herring, Charles 715 

Hermsmeyer. Henry .. 749 
Tiermsmever, Mrs. 

Louisa S 749 

Hesselgesser. Milton .1'94 



PAGE. 
Hesselgesser, Samuel, 836 

Heth, Samuel J 763 

Heumier, Carl 562 

Hevner & Sons 255 

Hewett, L. H 750 

Hibbeln, John 911 

Hibberd, Richard ....1069 
Hickox, Charles W.... 399 

Hiett, W. 1 1120 

Higgin, Francis H 630 

Higgins, "Doc" 743 

Higgins, Emery H 1105 

Higgins, M. H 743 

Higgins, Philip T 877 

Hill, Eugene H 161 

Hill, Judge Edgar S.. 944 
Hill, E. S., Reminis- 
cence by 941 

Hinman, Hon. W. M. 772 

Hippie, Frank J 479 

Hoagland, A. B 158 

Hoagland. Hon. J. S. 158 

Hoagland. W. V 158 

Hobbs. Price 798 

Hobson, Benjamin P.. 593 

Hodge, Albro L 440 

Hoevet, Charles 260 

Hoevet, Louis F 260 

Hoffman. Fritz 705 

Hogeboom, Franklin R.146 

Hogle, James L 364 

Holcombe, M. N 176 

Holding Brothers .... 760 

Holding. Robert 760 

Holding. Thomas 760 

HoUenbeck. Oliver B. 751 
Hollingsworth, Louis N.46n 

Holmes. Henry B 765 

Holt. Albert G 788 

Hook, John F 9S2 

Hopken, John D 233 

Hopkins Bros 1126 

Hopkins, Bradford ..1126 

Hopkins. Earl 1126 

Hopkins, Edward A.. 487 
Hopkins, E. A., Illus- 
tration 4S6 

Hopkins, Thomas L., 

Jr 631 

Hopkins, T. L.. Sr.... 631 
Hopping. William A.. 946 

Hornby. Geo. C 585 

Hornbeck, John F 326 

Home. C. W 830 

Hougen. Edwin L 914 

Howard, Charles T.... 261 

Howard. John F 747 

Hoxie, C. W 152 

Hovt. William L 586 

Huck, L. C 19' 

Hucke, Fred W 627 

Huddle, Charles S.... 891 
Hudson, Charles W.. 640 

Hudson, James M 790 

Hudspeth, Royal 519 

Huff. Thomas 547 

Huff. William 547 

Hughes, Dan W 228 

Hughes, James 366 

Hughes, John S 716 

Hughes. Mrs. Mary L 717 

Hulinsky, Albert 322 

Hulinskv. Joseph 322 

Hull. Hon. Joel 209 

Hull. Hon. 535 

Hull J Bloomer 660 

Hull. Milton B ITS 

Hull. Thomas W 458 

Hulseman, Jerry H.... 830 
Hulshizer. Cornelius. . 6o9 

Hummel. H. L 220 

Hummel. Rev. H 22il 

Hummels. Henry 1119 

Hunt. John E 1057 

Hunt, Rev. Bazel 296 

Hunter, James A 875 

Hunnlcutt, W. P 304 

Huntington, G. W.... 967- 

Huston. David M 1121 

Hutchison, Eugene L ..998 

Hvde, Oliver J 1032 

Hyde, Valentine 1004 

laeger, Louis J. F — 130 

lodence, Wm. M 600 

Ireland, Geo. H 647 

Irwin, John K 957 

Iverson, Andrew C...886 



PAGE. 

Ivins, Cyrus 337 

Ivins, Orville R 337 

Jackson, J. W 162 

Jacobson, Charles 221 

Jacobson, Jacob H 221 

Jacobson, John H.... 192 
Jacobson, Nicholas ...1090 

Jacox, Albert M 1018 

Jacox. Oliver 991 

James, E.. Portrait.. 837 

James. Fay B 655 

James. Steven L 311 

Jamison, S. P HIS 

Jamisoij. William A.. 436 

Janssen, Geo. A 466 

Jaques, Thomas V 269 

Jardee, Justin V 982 

Jenik, John 1032 

Jenkins, Benjamin 309 

Jenkins, Floyd 294 

Jennette, Joseph 218 

Jennette, Mrs. Joseph 218 

Jensen, Christian 418 

Jensen, Jens P 389 

Jensen, Thue P 484 

Jerman, Peter 298 

Jerman. Peter, View 

of Residence 296 

Jessen, George 1082 

Jeter, J. B 811 

Jewell, Warren L.... 354 

Jochem. Gustav 1033 

Jochem, Henry 1043 

Jochem. John 990 

Johansen, Christian A 377 

Johansen. Ferd J 377 

Johansen, Frederick W.375 

Johanson, John 548 

Johanson, Magnus ... 543 

Johnson. Al 831 

Johnson. Andrew .... 931 

Johnson. A. E 299 

Johnson. A. G 299 

Johnson, Carl A 234 

Johnson, C. E 632 

Johnson. C. J 829 

Johnson. C. L 1009 

Johnson, C. W 1042 

J«hnson. Ed 632 

Johnson. Elmer 244 

Johnson, Eric 244 

Johnson, Harris 478 

Johnson, Hon. Har- 
rison 430 

Johnson, Mrs. Ida 

Hook 478 

Johnson. James A. W 5i8 

Johnson, John 925 

Johnson, John J 318 

Johnson, John P 625 

Johnson, Joseph C....199 
Johnson. Lambert ...538 

Johnson. Mons 756 

Johnson, Peter 625 

Johnson, Rasmus 768 

Johnson, R. N 709 

Johnson, Swan P 965 

Johnson, Rev. Sylva- 

nus 491 

Johnson. Theodore ...1011 
Johnson. Thomas J.. 430 
Johnson, William J.. 854 
Johnston. James G... 382 
Jones. Benjamin J... 923 

Jones. Floyd 621 

Jones. John M 273 

Jones. Robert 1099 

Jones, Rufus S 633 

Jones. Samuel P 497 

Jones. Souier 273 

Jones, "V\-illiam H.... 832 

Jones. William J 913 

Jones, Wm. T 980 

Jordan, Michael D...132 
Judv. William T. & 
Sons 740 

Kackmeister. William 291 

Kadas, William 648 

Kaiser, Gottlieb 1075 

Kaiser, William H....1012 

Kalb. Geo 527 

Kalbinger, Joseph S.. 604 

Karlstrum. Oscar 443 

Kass, Jacob 182 

Kauffman. H. B 406 

Katen. Thomas 896 



TABLE OF CONTEXTS. 



PAGE. 

Kay, Dr. J. L 171 

Ka.\, Jolin Long 534 

Kearney Military 

Academy 560 

Keiser. Elijah 233 

Kellam, Clayton 666 

Keller. Andrew 505 

Kenaston. Walton A.. 1095 

Kemp. Albert S19 

Kendall, Alfred C... 135 

Kendall. Guy R 136 

Kennedy, Albert R.... 342 
Kennedy. Hon. B. E. 

B. ..." 661 

Kennedy. William H. 661 
Kendrick. Humphrey P.740 

Kent. Walter R 140 

Kenyon. Henrj- C 1080 

Kernan. Micliael 855 

Kerns. Alexander 185 

Ketcham. William H. 302 

Kev, Ferman S 782 

Kid well, Orvil 225 

Kiester. Wm. H 733 

Kimbel, Israel 585 

Kimbel. William 802 

Kimmell. F. M 223 

King. Frank H 354 

Kinney, James J 714 

Kinney, L. C 1086 

Kirby, Col. Harry W. 138 
Kirkwood, James E.. 890 
Kittleman. Robert ... 474 
Kittleman. Robert. 

Illustration 471 

Klein. J. J 21S 

Klein. V. A 501 

Kline. Michael M 873 

Klingaman. Charles .. 188 

Knight. H. A 423 

Knight. Harvey H 1076 

Knori. Samuel 1046 

Knowles. Isaac N 1034 

Knutzen, Walter 793 

Kocher. W. H 555 

Koontz. Robert H 341 

Kreizenbeck, Herman. 241 
Krestensen. Jens Peter 446 

Kretz. George 1095 

Kreycik. Joseph P 463 

Krueger. Richard 256 

Kruger. William F... 894 

Kruse. Albert 174 

Kruse. Ernest, Jr... 174 

Kruse, John 450 

Kruse. Peter 1079 

Kruse. Rudolph 174 

Kuhns. C. H 1027 

Kurt. John 1097 

Kurth. Fred M 790 

Kurz, Otto 361 

Kyser, B. H 746 

La Bell. Clell 1S8 

Lacy. Henry H 531 

Lacy, John H 298 

Lacy. Patrick 531 

Lad wig. August F.... 866 

Ladely. Geo. W 677 

Laing. Prince C. G.. 1102 
Lamb, John E., Sr... 346 

Lance, Frank B 1130 

Lange. Charles 973 

Langer. Joseph 1013 

Langer, Mrs. Mary.. 1013 

Langer. Rudolph 1013 

Large. Isaac 957 

Larson, Hans P 540 

Larson, John M 342 

Larson, Nels 1052 

La Rue. Charles 397 

Latta. Charles L 632 

Law, Geo. H lin 

Law, John 506 

Lawler, David A 947 

Lawrence, Alfred 795 

Lawrence, C. K 382 

Lawrence, Clarence G 890 

Lawrence. John 721 

Lawson, Clarence E.. 173 

Lawson, W. J 173 

La.vton. Andrew J 727 

Leader. Joshua B 920 

Lear. Charles E 490 

Lecher. Pete 1041 

Lee. John R 347 

Lee, J. R 363 

Lee, William M 363 



PAGE. 

Leef. Peter 10:9 

Le Lacheur, John 

Ross 179 

Le Lacheur, William. 179 

Lemons. John G 692 

Lenington, Orlando V 165 

Leonard, Andrew 649 

Lessig. Frank 670 

Lessig. William 330 

Lewis. Eli E 1030 

Lewis. Ralph 352 

Lewis. Thomas C 717 

Libbv. Henry H 412 

Lichte. Henry 739 

Lif. Eric 820 

Lillv. Leonidas H.... 676 

Lindherg. Thomas 334 

Lingblom. Peter O.... 878 

Lingwall. Peter 1028 

Linn, E. Gus 1079 

Lisco. R 137 

Lisco. William 370 

Lister. John 921 

Lister. William 416 

Litz. Ben 45S 

Litz. Dave 423 

Lochmiller, WillialTi .. 6S0 

Logan. Henry W 1120 

Logan County, Rem- 
iniscence of 158 

Lovenburg, Frank V. 653 

Lovenburg. John 695 

Lovenburg. William O. 695 
Lovejov. Chalmers A. 899 

Lowe, Albert 901 

Lowe. Henry J 162 

Lowry. Alex 289 

Lucking, Henry 975 

Lucas, John R 1059 

Lurz, Karl 66, 

Lute. Henry D 671 

Lutz. Mr. & Mrs. 

Oscar C 1089 

Lux. Carl M 815 

Lydell, Luther 602 

Lyon, Christopher C. 175 
L.von. James H 448 

McAdam. Quinton R..1044 

McAdam. William 796 

McCabe. Dr. Nicholas 178 
McCandless. Thomas H.306 

AlcCarthv. J. J 1060 

McClain. James N 211 

McClain. Nathan C. 211 
McClvmont. James .. 568 

McCoraber. S. C 1097 

McConnell. Robert S. 825 

McCov. Louis M 650 

McCracken. Richard . 880 
McDaniel, Oscar W.. 502 
MoDaniel. Oscar W. 

Tlhistratioi 504 

McDermott. Francis ..1087 
McDonald. Charles .. 9(57 

McDonald. W. H 756 

McDowell. Anson B.. 637 

McDowell, C. F 641 

McDowell, Edwin C. 511 
McFadden, Frank ... 821 
McGannon, William ..850 
McGinlev. Andrew .. 335 
McGuire. Bernard J.. 262 

Mcintosh. W. J 969 

McKeown. Thomas A 994 
McKnight, Dr. Har- 
mon P 200 

McLain. Frank E 780 

McLain. F. T 778 

McLaughlin, Augus- 
tine H 719 

McLeran. John W., 

D. D. S 284 

McMichael, Alonzo 760 

McNall. Wilbur A.... 329 

McNamee. Geo. B 1I09 

McNamee. Robert H. 634 

McNare, John 717 

McParland. James F.. 478 
McQueen. William B. 431 

Macomber. Fred A 381 

Macumber, Edward A 473 

Macumber. John 473 

Macumber, John A... 322 

Maginnis. P 890 

Magnuson, C. E 590 

Magnuson. Rev. C. J. 590 
Mahaffy, Reuben W. 867 



PAGE. 
Maiden, William H.... 499 

Mailey, John H 224 

Mailev, Perry S 224 

Mairs. p. L 309 

Malov, A. F 915 

Mandeville. John J... 652 
Manion, Martin Jo- 
seph 573 

Mann. Walter P 160 

Manning. Sidney C...11312 

Marchant. Eli 859 

Marcv. Sidney S 976 

Margrave. T. E 355 

Mariaville Post Offlce. 

Illustration 234 

Markwardt. J. C. 

David 766 

Marlatt. Hon. I. W.. 771 

Marshall, J. P 809 

Marshall, Hon. Thos. 

H 822 

Martens. Wilhelm 572 

Martin. Adam 726 

Martin. Jacob 588 

Martin, Victor L 726 

Martinson. Louis 581 

Mason. Frank 629 

Mathews. George L 173 

Mattson. A. H 294 

Mattson. Per 641 

Maves, C. L 181 

Mayes. Lewis C 181 

Mayfield. Frank .501 

Meier. August 754 

Meng, Jens C 959 

Mercure, I. L 1086 

Merrill. P. J 228 

Merriam. James G 842 

Messenger. Geo. "W 43S 

Messner, J. B 227 

Metcalf. Albert 965 

Mettlen, Jackson 686 

Metzler. Louis, Jr 211 

Mevich, John 688 

Mever, Henry 910 

Mever, John H 1101 

Mevers, Frank 1 1027 

Meyers. J. G lUS 

Michaelsen. Henry .. 639 

Michaelsen. John 639 

Micheel. Henry 1008 

Micheel. Otto P 879 

MiUa. William 1127 

Miles Howard 979 

Milks. Mrs. Lydia.... 447 

Millard. Lewis L 6.52 

Millav. Harvey L 129 

Millav. Robert 130 

Miller. A. V 141 

Miller. Alvin M 282 

Miller. Beni^min H.. 441 

Miller. Charlie K 9"4 

Miller. Herman E 654 

TV'iller. Herman G.... 635 

Miller. Horace G 333 

Miller. H. G.. Illus- 
tration 334 

Miller. Thomas B.... 522 

Miller, W. H 141 

Miller, William L.... 510 

Mills. Isaac N 56t 

Minshal. William E.. 447 

Afitchell. E. J 181 

Mitchell. James 817 

Mittelstadt. Gustav F1005 

Moe. Ole J Ti' 

Moeller. Joe 780 

Moeller. Leopold 425 

Mohrman, Hon. Henry 449 
Monahan. James H... 481 
Montgnmerv. T. E.... 784 
Moodv. Capt. Strong B. 912 
Moody. Truman P.... 687 

Moon, Arthur E 362 

Moon, Eugene F 500 

Mooney, J. M 800 

Moore. B. F 709 

Moore, Chas. B 730 

Moore. Jacob 453 

Moore, Marial E 903 

Moore, Thomas 1112 

Moore. Thomas 594 

Moore, William S 904 

Moran. Frank P 461 

Moravek. John 729 

Morgan, David V 582 

Morgan, Judge Fred N.1.44 
Morgan, George E 177 



PAGE. 
Morgan, Capt. John F. 281 
Morgan, Mrs. Mary R. 281 
Morrissey, Agnes L...141 
Morrissey, Timothy, 

(deceased) 140 

Morrison, Robert M.. 982 
Morrison, Thomas C. 690 

Moss, Noah 768 

Mossberger. Isaac ... 176 

Mote. Louis K 277 

Mount, William 898 

Mowry, Fernando 191 

Moyer, Oliver 185 

Muldoon, Judge Albert 169 
Mullallv, Thomas ....211 

Munn. Dr. A. A 363 

Munn, Duncan 364 

Murphy, Capt. Ed. B. 710 
Murphy, Mrs. Lizzie 

B 710 

Murray, Henderson .. 395 

Murrav, John 271 

Myers, Ernest L 1085 

Myers, Irvin E 584 

Myers, John S 320 

Namuth. August — 1118 

Nashlund. John 545 

Neeland, J. F 243 

Nelson. Andrew 1126 

Nelson. Charles C....U15 

Nelson, James . M 1004 

Nelson, Llnd 306 

Nelson, L. K 1018 

Nelson, Nels 723 

Nelson, Peter 860 

Nelson, Phillip F 940 

Nelson, P. F.. Illustra- 
tion 938 

Nelson, Vernon A 1004 

Nesbit, Samuel H^.. 428 
Neumann. August G.. 30) 
Neumann. Henry R.. 610 
Neville Hon. William 480 

Newbefg. Peter 79i 

Newberry. Anson ...■ 431 
Newcombe. Horatio G 3=8 
Newlin. John H...... 419 

Newlin, John H., Illus- 
tration r-ii' ill 

Newman. Charles H.. 384 
Nicholson. William S. 1-8 

Nickel. Casper F 6i3 

Nickel. Valentine .... 673 

Niehus, Claus '4- 

Niehus, Frank -■« 

Niehus, Henry 8o» 

Nikont, Adolph •■••■;f» 
Nikont, Ferdinand E 8 9 

Nissen, Peter •-• '»- 

Norberg. Gus 453 

Noreisch, Gustave ...1064 
Norman. Albert A.... 529 

Norman. Nels ........1003 

Norman. William S.. 5 9 
ffi?ip,'Mrt;HelenX.r.9 
Northup. Taylor S.... 609 

Nortnass. Charles N.. SSo 

Norton, P. A 562 

Novak. John 618 

Nugent. John A 3M 

Nunn, J. W 341 

Oberfelder. Joseph ... 133 
Oberwetter. Lewis.... i91 
O'Brien. P. L. •....■•■• &" 
ODonoghue, Michael 

Oetken,'"john'D 1048 

Ogden, C. N S93 

Olbricht. Henry ...... '92 

"Old Pals on the 

Ranch" Ij' 

Oldaker. C. J. 6h5 

Oldershaw, John 5.0 

Olesen, Andrew P.--- '•^^ 
O'Linn, Dr. D. H.... 151 
O'Llnn, Mrs. Frances 

M. B 1^ 

Olson, August W 1091 

Olson Henry 454 

Olson, Hoken 429 

Olson, Nels W B71 

Olson, Ole 590 

O'Mara, John W 494 

O'Neil, John 409 

Ormesher, John 844 



TABLE Of CONTENTS. 



13 



PAGE. 1 


PAGE. 1 


PAGE. 


PAGE. 


O'Rourk, Patrick H 


. SO 


Priddv. Homer A 


638 


Rosenfelt. Mrs. Luc5 




Shaw, John E 


698 




911 


Pringle. Wesley 

Proctor, Enoch 


242 


A 


675 






Osborn, Charles J — 


559 


979 


Ross. Albert S 


762 


Shearer, John 


409 


Osborne. Samuel H.. 


1125 


Proutv, Henrv H 


141 


Ross. Cephas 


331 


Shearer, Mary D 


403 


Osburn, Richard .... 


757 


Pruden. Geo. H 


372 


Ross. Ed. T 


290 


Shepard, Geo. E 


498 




617 


Pruden. Peter W 


372 


Roth. William 


705 


Sheridan County, 




Overman, Levi H... 


617 


Pullen. J. H 


761 


Rothleutner, Hon. P. 


187 


Reminiscence 


488 






PuUen. Willis H 


761 


Rothwell. William H. 


1072 


Sherman, Delbert E. 


541 






Pultz. Peter August 


961 


Roudebush, Jacob H 


266 


Sherman, Henrv A... 


1098 


Paine, Mrs. E. F... 


1S8 


Purintun, Charles ... 


340 


Roudebush, William E 


.266 


Sherman, Theo'dore.. 


330 


Paine. Hiram O 


188 


Putnam. John H 


569 


Roush, Isaac 


1084 


Shetler. D. C 


?62 


Palmer. John C 


379 






Row, Albert 


774 


Shipley. John C 


771 


Palmer. Samuel J... 


1092 






Rowan. F. A 


1117 


Shipman. Thomas ... 


569 


Parriott. W. H 


1124 






Rowan. Wm. S.. Sr.. 


937 


Shipporeit. Fred. ... 


763 


Park. Clarence E... 


597 


Quinn. John B 


347 


Rowlan. Patrick ... 


394 


Short. Ed. M 


■>AU 


Parker, Lynn W 


797 


Quinn. Thomas 


347 


Rowley. Nelson S... 


575 


Short. Captain Henr\ 






798 
1110 






Royse. Cyrus N 

Rucker. Warren 


487 
422 


W 




Patterson. Jeff 


Shultz, David H 


10.55 


Patterson & Wingart 


698 






Rundquist. Frank L. 


661 


Shumard. Albert N.. 


867 


Pavlat. John 


394 


Radchft. Mack 


1071 


Ruppel. Lewis F.. Sr.. 


97S 


Siefer. John 


937 


Paxton. Benjamm F 


810 


Radford. John W... 


582 


Russell. Charles R.. 


448 


Sigea, William 


457 


Peacock, Frank W... 


1128 


Radford, W. H 


1048 


Russell. Geo. E 


1045 


Sillasen, Jens 


879 


Peacock. Mrs. Thomas. 544 


Randall, Henry E... 


1062 


Russell. Irvin W. ... 


908 


SiUasen. Silas 


855 


Peacock. Thomas ... 


544 


Randall. Willam A... 


754 


Russell, W. 


607 


Simon. Dr. Lincoln G 


776 


Peany. Robert 


256 


Rankin. Joseph A... 


243 


Ryan, James T 


936 


Simons. Nicholas ... 


570 


Pease, Fred. E 


894 


Rasmussen. Erik 


1054 






Sims. James 


XI 8 


Peckham. Herman K 


859 


Rasmussen, Pete 


222 






Sims, John W 


818 


Pedersen. Christian M.375 


Rasmussen. Peter ... 


881 


Saali, Lorenz 


992 


Sindt, Emil 


9-^4 


Pedrett, Jacob 


1093 


Rauer. Julius A 


644 


Sager, Elmer H 


732 


Sisler, Geo. W 


404 


Peniston, Mrs. W. S 


240 


Raum. William J. A. 


625 


Sagert, Theodore , , . 


1122 


Sisson, Augustus L.. 


476 


Peniston. Hon. W, S. 


239 


Ray, Benjamin F... 


232 


Sailor, Charles H 


265 


Skidmore, Allen W.. 


175 




344 


Rav, John S 


814 


Saltsgaber, G. F 


971 


Skinner, James H... 


651 


Percy. Jeremiah C... 


847 


Rebbeek, Charles M 


403 


Saniuelson, John M.. 


338 


Skoog. Charles A.... 


.384 


Persinger. Albert B. 


430 


Record, Willis 


1050 


Sanders, John E 


1058 


Skoog. Charles P 


384 


Perso. Otto 


1028 


Reddish, Robert R... 


827 


Sanstead, Wm. M... 


733 


Slater. John A 


139 




128 

718 


Reece. Charles S 


497 
215 




700 


Slawson. Fred. N... 
Slawson, Hugh P 


'75 








Peterson. Christian J 


240 


Reed. J. B 


961 


Sateren, Olaf 


643 


Smith, Antlionv H.. 


383 


Peterson. Erasmus . 


376 


Reed, Morris H 


759 


Satterlee, Edward ... 


992 


Smith, C. C 


15h 


Peterson. Peter S 


852 


Rees. Isaac W 


769 


Sauerwein, John 


378 


Smith, Eber A 


49:1 


Peterson. Peter. Sr. .. 


973 


Rehder. Peter 


374 


Saunders. W. S 


417 


Smith, Edwin B 


61 X 


Peterson. Swan P... 


872 


Reid. James K 


419 


Sawyer. Bathuel S... 


465 


Smith, Mrs. Eliza M. 


936 


Peters. Arnold 




Reid. Ransom W 


419 


Sawyer. C. R 


864 


Smith. Geo. A 


10(13 


Peters. Geo. S 


758 


Reinert. Charles F... 


519 


Saxton. Alvie S 


845 


Smith. Dr. Hal C 


285 


Peters. Herman A... 


1101 


Remv. Dr. George O 


183 


Scamahorn, Rev. J. A. 


333 


Smith. Jacob B 


HS.'i 


Peters. William H... 


770 


Renift. Philo 


264 


Scattergood, Arthur. 


1037 


Smith, John L 


380 


Pettit. Charles S 


207 


Rensvold. Helmer ... 


627 


Schaefer. Anna M... 


409 


Smith, Milton 


X44 


Pettit. Edmund F 


727 


Rethmeyer. Henry . 


583 


Schaefer. Peter 


. 409 


Smith, Milton E 


MX 


Pettvcrew. James E. 


666 


Reynolds. W. C 


977 


Schallenberger, Gov 




Smith. Orrin E 


10X2 




611 
202 


Rice. Elisha C 

Rice. Isaac M 


732 


A. C 


. 123 
472 


Smith. Willis D 

Snider. George W... 


4:-f4 


Phelns. Charles L... 


Schaper. William ... 


459 


Phillips. Charles N.. 


523 


Rice. Susan A 




Scherer. John N 


1000 


Snodgrass. Robert C. 


m 


Phillips. Frank E. .. 


900 


Richards. John D... 




Schill, Edward J 


1030 


Snow. George C 


Phillips. F. N 


lllC 


Richards. John D... 




Schimka. Adam 


. 290 


Snyder, C. F 


477 


Phinnev, Dr. J. E... 


345 


Richmond, Captain 




Schlasman. Adam K 


. 495 


Snyder. David R 


914 


Pliillips. S. R 

Phillips William H... 






1028 


Schmidt. Edward L. 
Schmidtt, L 


. 480 
. 379 
. 323 


Snyder, George W. . . 

Snyder, James 

Snvder, W. F 




804 
252 


Rickman. S. N 

Riege. Peter 


369 
603 


993 


Phillips, William T.. 


Schnurr, Albert L... 


477 


Phillips, Winfield S. . 


663 


Riesche. Lewis M... 




Schoenenberger, Em 




Snyder, W. J 


47V 


Pierce. Frank 

Piersall, Samuel ... 










. 932 
. 388 


Solberg. Martin P 

SoUenberger, Wm. C. 




589 


Riggs. Leonard W... 


898 


Schrack, Theodore . 


269 


Piercv. David A.. Jr. 


703 


Rihn, Frank 


1020 


Schrear, George 


. 981 


Sones. Joshua B 


392 


Piercv. Captain David 


Riley. Edward 


3S5 


Schrear, Geo. Illus 




Souther, William ... 


42b 


A Sr 


702 
833' 


Rincker. Fred. W... 
Rincker. Herman C. 


323 
555 




. 982 
. 882 


Spain, Sanford Q 

Spearman. Charles . 


ir^i 


Pike. Albert 


Schuler, William ... 


392 


Pike. Edward 


704 


Rmg, August L 


766 


Schultalbers. Herman 396 


Spearman, J. D 


393 


Pike. John 


3S7 


Ripley, Clarence A.. 


30.J 


Schumacher. F. J... 


. 527 


Speer, L. R 


997 


Pilster. Henry 


1041 


Robbinault, Andrew J 


275 


Schurman. Henry ... 


.1026 


Spencer, Fred W 


vov 


Pitts. Luther G 


1023 


Robbinault, Jeremiah 27o 


Scofield. James S... 


. 462 


Spragg, Abner M.... 


V30 


Planck. Emorv 


775 


Robbins, Fred C 


881 


Scott. George F 


. 160 


Sprague. Henry H... 


suo 


Platte Collegiate In 




Robbins. Isaac 


452 


Scott. James 


.1124 


Sprague. William H 


989 


stitute. Kearney 




Robbins. Capt. James 


Scott. Roswel P 


. 938 


Starr, Comfort. 460 & 


ii'i 




560 


S 


1063 


Scott. William C... 


. 738 


Starr, Murray S 


4TC 


Plum. Walter F 


. 890 


Roberts, Charles .... 


401 


Scott. Winfield 


. 437 


Starr, Oscar 


460 


Poland. Rollin 


. 528 


Roberts. Hon. E. W. 


524 


Scoutt. A. A 


.1132 


Stamper, Edmund .. 


,SS3 


Polard. James M 


619 


Roberts. John W.... 


154 


Scribner. A. I 


.1038 


Standt. John N 


2X6 




1065 


Roberts. S. L 


153 


Scripter. Morrison R. 


. 996 


Steele, Andrew 


Wi 


Pomerov. Edward V. S.324 


Roberts, Wm. V 


153 


Seager. George H... 


.1016 


Stephenson. A. L 


406 




. 737 


Roliertson, Merrick E 


. 545 


Searle, Edwin M., Sr. 


1066 


Stetson, Isaiah 


SS8 


Pontius. Edward F.. 


. 199 


Robinson, Fred H... 


383 


Seda. Wesley 


. 532 


Stetter,' John G 


M6 


Porter, F. H 


. 470 


Robinson. Geo. W... 


588 


Sellers, William H.. 


. 368 


Stevens, John, Jr 


1110 


Porter & Griffin 


. 205 


Robinson. John 


. 958 


Serres. John 


. 506 


Stevens. Joseph 


371 




. 325 
. 312 


Rochford, Martin ... 
Rock County— by P 


1058 




. 998 
. 823 


Stevens. William .... 
Stevenson. Frank ... 


371 


Portrev, Charles J... 


Severson. John 


. 179 


Potmesil. John, Jr.... 
Potter. Charles W... 
















. 126 


Rockefeller, Delia H. 


909 


Sexson. John G 


. 161 


Steward. John C 


950 


Powell, Samuel H... 


. 542 


Rodgers, Charles ... 


737 


Shadbolt Bros. & 


Stewart. Augustus N 




Pratt. Daniel 


. 223 


Rogers. Alfred W 


139 


Fleischman 


. 597 


Stewart. .Charles .... 
Stewart. Charles H... 




Pratt, John B 


. 223 


Rogers, W. N 


838 


Shade. Peter P 


. 464 




Pratt, Melville E.... 


. 307 


Rohwer. Claus 


. 926 


Shadie. Miss Mary . 


. 353 


Stickler. Wm. W.... 


. 6U2 


Pratt. M. B., Illustra 


- 


Romans, James R... 


. 975 


Shaffer. Frank 


. 349 


Stikker, Conrad T... 


. 923 




. 308 


Root. Edmond 


.1037 


Shanon. William 


. 915 


Stilson, Samuel E 


. 276 


Preston, Mrs. Eliza 




Rose. E. M 


. 336 


Sharp. John D 


. 486 


Stilson. William E... 


. 276 


beth S 


. 518 


Rose, Francis M 


. 337 


Sharp. Wm. C 


. 486 


Stinard. Daniel 


. 548 


Preston. Thomas W. 


. 518 


Roseberry, John L... 


. 287 


Shattuck. Wm.. Jr... 


,1115 


Stockton. A. 


. box 


Price. Benjamin P. . . 


. 321 


Rosenbaum, Emanuel 


Shaw. Captain A. G. 


. 492 


Stockwell. Clifton F. 




Price. B. F., Illustra 




M 


.1050 


Shaw. Angeloah — 


. 960 


Stone. Henry C 

ifetory, L. E 




tion 


322 


Rosenfelt, J. H 


674 


Shaw, John B 


. 960 





H 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Story. Solomon R 741 

Story, William 545 

Strandberg. John A... 1016 

Street. Irvine 63S 

Strohm, Henry 399 

Strong, John F 550 

Strotheide. William .. .596 

Stuart, Almon 557 

Stuart, John T 626 

Stuart. Solon D 045 

Sudman, August 846 

Sudman, Henrv 919 

Summers. Albert B.. 471 
Summers, Peter N....1102 
Sumner, Drs. J. B. & 

Ella 182 

Sweenev. James P 268 

Sweeney, Michael ... 268 
Sweet. Captain H. T. 1022 

Sweet. Elmer J 170 

Swett, Alanson R.... 512 

Swift. Moses A 622 

Swiggart, Geo. W 393 

Swiggart, Ralph N... 743 

Swim. James Riley 504 

Swinbank. Sam 397 

Swindell. R. M 1106 

Sylvester, Warren C. 917 

Tash, Ira E 135 

Tavlor, Geo. L, 688 

Taylor, Robert D 381 

Tavlor, Samuel 615 

Tavlor. William J.... 848 

Teaford, James H 391 

Tecker. H. E 543 

Teeters. Jefferson D.. 690 

Teeters, Willis J 1053 

Teeters, Wilson J 1052 

Teller, Frank 610 

Terrv, John W 802 

Thein, Matthias 828 

Thies. Peter 149 

Thomas. Samuel M... 694 
Thompson, Christo- 
pher C 745 

Thompson, Lvnn 822 

Thompson, Wm. P. S. 762 

Thomsen. Jens 599 

Thornberg. Benj. F.. 808 
Thornton. Thomas M. 633 

Thorp. William P 1047 

Thorsen. Peder 826 

Thorstonson. Nels 428 

Thurston, Charles W. 814 
Thurston, David .... 814 

Tice. Lerov D 466 

Tidd. John W 891 

Tiffany. Louis B 1071 

Tillinghast. John B.. 310 

Tillman. S. J 842 

Tilton. C. W 1107 

Timm. John 601 

Tinsley, George W 816 

Tissot, Jules E 948 

Todd, George S 127 

Tomlin. Harrison B... 801 
Tompsett. William N. 1.S7 

Tongren, Emanuel 964 

Toulson. William .... 929 
Towne, Mrs. Olive O. 677 
Towne. Judge W. R.. 577 
Townsend. Warren G. 284 
Townsend, Winfield P. 259 



PAOE. 

Traver. E. M 152 

Trindel. John 939 

Trognitz.. Charles E.. 537 

Troxel, John F 134 

Troxel, John W 946 

Truax, Daniel 559 

Truax, James M 362 

Tryon, Wallace L.... 858 
Tschabold. Fred C... 802 

Tucker. Clancy 616 

Tucker. Placer 616 

Turner, William 224 

Tweed, William 217 

Uhlken, Bernhard ...1024 
Uhrig, Anton 263 

Vacik, Vaclav 1133 

Vallette, Dr. J. 493 

Van Houten. John Z. 264 

Van Orsdoll, Mary 556 

Van Orsdoll, Maude. 556 
Van Orsdoll, The Mis- 
ses, Illustration 559 

Van Vleck, De F 817 

Van Voorhis, Lee 292 

Van Winkle, Aaron.. 703 

Vargason, Geo. H 70) 

Vasey, George 655 

Vath, Fred W 813 

Vaughn, Ellsworth .. 885 
Vaught, Charles L... 598 

Vernon, W. R 644 

Versaw, F. F 752 

Vick. Henry 93S 

Viertel. Max E 873 

Von Bargen, Henrv.. 1017 

Vosika, Frank S 685 

Vroman, George W.. 257 

Wagoner. Carl 329 

Waite, H. P 156 

Walcott, John C 542 

Wales, Elmer E 860 

Wales, Henrv A 865 

Walford, John A 924 

Walgreen, Mrs. Annie 

H 95S 

Walgreen, Lawrence. 958 

Walker, I. S 951 

Walker, John E 451 

Walker Bros. & Co 451 

Wallin, E G 332 

Wallingtord, Horace G.677 

Walls. Matthew G 340 

Walter, Ludwig P.... 297 

Waltz, Robert H 1031 

Wanker, Ignatius 350 

Wanker, Ignatius 876 

Ware, Isaac N 1080 

Warneke, Henrv 613 

Warriner, H. M 133 

Warriner, William ... 133 
Watkins, Alfred E....107O 

Watkins, Joseph E 293 

Watkins, Peter 294 

Watkins, Richard H.. 196 

Watkins, Wm. J 125 

Watson, John Taylor 752 

Watson. "Pete" 752 

Watt, Herman 630 

Watt, W. R 174 

Way, J. S 442 

Weaver. Lester B 230 

Webb, Homer H 823 



PAGE. 

Weber, Louis F 189 

Weber. Martin J 320 

Webster, Milo E 1114 

Weekly. John C 1088 

Wehn, John W 826 

Weinel. John 966 

Weir, Charles A 312 

Weir, James 312 

Weirich. John 654 

Weisflog, Geo. 591 

Weisflog, Henrv A... 629 

Weisflog. Oscar B 635 

Welch. William 1078 

Weller, Charles H 530 

Welton, John H 125 

Welton. Ross H 125 

Wendler. Gustav 386 

Wendt. Ferdinand ... 861 
Wentworth. Artie A.. 595 
Wentworth, Thos. A. 595 

Wertz, Geo. R 1108 

Wertz, W. W 1108 

Wertz Bros 1108 

West. Joseph E 176 

Westing, Edward R..1033 
Weston. William L.... 679 
Westover. Robert J.. 689 

Weyer, John 313 

Weyerts, Christopher 

E 682 

Weygint, William .... 234 
Whaley. Isadore D...928 

Wheeler, John T 1112 

Wheeler, Joseph L... 576 

Wheeler, Harry A 707 

Wheeler, Lou 1111 

Whetstone, A. E 1129 

Whips, Fletcher N... 617 

Whitaker, N. M 172 

Whitaker, R. c 172 

White, Burton E 400 

White, John E 400 

White, Newton T 1051 

White, Wellington ... 742 
Whitesell, Harry I... 492 

Whiting, Henry 870 

Whiton. John F 904 

Whiton, Mrs. John F. 904 
Wiberg. Mrs. Eliza- 
beth 533 

Wiberg, Jonas 533 

Wiberg, William D... 533 

Wickard, Joel 952 

Wickham, Andrew 

Grover 579 

Wickham, Andrew G., 

Illustration 58) 

Wiegand, H. G 871 

Wiker, Albert 193 

Wiker. James H 59S 

Wiklund, Eric A 217 

Wilbert. Robert 159 

Wilcox, E. J 231 

Wilcox. F. S 127 

Wilcox. Hon. J. A... 231 

Wildy. Calvin J 243 

Wilier. John H 606 

Willerling, Al 558 

Williams, Da we L 502 

Williams, Edwin C.... 507 

Williams, Geo. H 315 

Williams. Morgan J.. 373 
Williams, Richard .. 747 
Williams, Sheridan .. 232 



PAGE. 
Williams, Thomas W. 776 
Williams, Weyraan W. 232 

Willits. Ed. L 445 

Willits, Rebecca Metz 445 

Willits, Wells 445 

Wilson. A. M 489 

Wilson. Hon. John... 184 
Wilson, John A. 

(Keya Paha Co.)... 1023 
Wilson, John A. 

(Box Butte Co.) 467 

Wilson. Lorenzo J 599 

Wilson, Mrs. Nina V. 587 
Wilson, Dr. Oscar L. . 514 

Wilson, Pres 711 

Wilson, W. G 1049 

Wilson. William 266 

Wilson. William A 587 

Wilson. William J 726 

Wiltsey. Charles E... 988 
Windsheimer, Michael 723 

Wineland. Fred L 521 

Wineland, G. W 522 

Winslow. Samuel A.. 438 
Winterer, William H.. 247 

Winton. Henrv J 682 

Withers, A. J 1017 

Witters. Simon P 1034 

Wittig. Fred 251 

Wohlheter. Valentine 454 

Wolf. E. C 711 

Wolf. H. D 440 

Wolf. Kaspar 659 

Wollesen. Ferdinand 4.^0 
Wolvington, James W.626 
Wood. Mrs. Addie M. 593 

Wood. Addison 594 

Wood. James C 474 

Wood. William R.... 828 
Wood. William W.... 503 

Woodruff. C. H 643 

Woodruff. Emmet .. 173 
Woodward. Samuel M. 437 

Worley. Mrs. C. S 744 

"^'orley. R. Clayton... 744 

Worth, Geo. H 405 

Worthley. John R.... 600 

Wray. William 1 5.53 

Wrieht, Amos A 872 

Wright, Charles W...1029 

Wright. Geo 4^0 

Wright. James 706 

Wright. M. F 702 

Wright. Sherman G.. 400 

Wiiest. Michael 903 

Wunder. Paul 1031 

Wyatt, A. A 331 

Teagle, Edward R...10S5 

Yearns. Isaac L 954 

Yenst. Perrv A 307 

Youngquist, Chas. G.. 574 
Young. Jonathan F... 930 

Young. John .530 

Young. P. H 552 

Young. Wilber E 770 

Young, \V. T 513 

Zaiesky. Emil 596 

Zalesky, Frank 713 

Zerbe, Angelina R 408 

Zerho. Josiah 408 

Zimmerman. Wm. H.. 524 
Zinkon. Marti« D 888 




HISTORY 



OF 



NEBRASKA 





(J,'ul\ /ii /-/■/:.•■ . I '/,',! IX J nU/ J, I /./,/■, /-•/,/ 



A'ujmi J'UlJTi: jm'/MS/MUPAA/oJ\;. X-L'/JJiAHli. i 




HISTORY 

OF 

NEBRASKA 







CHAPTER I 



GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, GEOLOGY, SOIL, NATURAL RE- 
SOURCES, IRRIGATION, ETC. 



COMPRISING as it does an area larger by 
14,259 square miles than all of New Eng- 
land, the State of Nebraska is justly entitled to 
the important position it holds among the Sis- 
ter States of the Republic. Twice the size of 
Ohio; larger in area by many thousand square 
miles than England and Wales combined, Ne- 
braska in area is an empire. 

The position occupied by Nebraska is quite 
near the center of the United States. The par- 
allel of forty degrees bounds it on the south, 
and the Missouri river is its eastern and north- 
ern boundary until the forty-third degree par- 
allel is reached. This parallel then constitutes 
the northern boundary until the west line of the 
State, on the twenty-seventh degree of west 
longitude is reached. The western boundary 
of the State follows the twenty-seventh degree 
of longitude west from Washington south un- 
til the forty-first degree of north longitude is 
reached ; it then follows the forty-first degree of 
longitude east, to a point formed by its intersec- 
tion with the twenty-fifth degree of longitude 
west from Washington ; then south to the for- 



tieth degree of north latitude. This, it will be 
seen, takes quite a notch, approximately 7,300 
square miles, out of the State. If it were not 
for this off-set, the State would approximate 
the shape of a parallelogram. The extreme 
width of the State from north to south is 208.5 
miles ; and its length from east to west is 
approximately 413 miles. ' Previous to 1882 
the area of the State was almost 75,995 square 
miles. In that year by act of Congress the 
northern boundary was straightened which 
added approximately 900 square miles to its 
territory, giving a present area of 76,895 square 
miles, or 49,212,000 acres. In the heart of the 
great Union, grouped among the greatest states 
of the Commonwealth, directly in the great cen- 
ter of the Nation's wealth, Nebraska has re- 
ceived the overflow from the east, and blessed 
them with plenty. And its location, combined 
with its climate and natural resources, have 
made its settlement, growth and development 
so rapid as to place it among the greatest states 
in the Union in a time so short as to be within 
the memory of the present generation. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



TOPOGRAPHY. 

Nebraska has an extremely varied surface. 
Altliough there are no elevations high enough 
to be called mountains, yet in the northern and 
western parts of the State there are lofty hills 
of varied character. In the eastern states the 
ridges are generally the result of elevations and 
subsidences of the earth's crust modified by sub- 
sequent aquaeous agencies, but in Nebraska the 
rolling lands and hills are caused mostly by 
erosion. In the east massive rocks mainly make 
up the body of the hills ; while here they are 
to a certain extent composed of drift materials, 
loosely compacted, but chiefly of loess. The 
bottom lands are met with every few miles 
crossing the State. They are huge and in gen- 
eral shallow troughs; in breadth, proportionate 
to the size of the stream. In width they range 
from a quarter of a mile to twenty-three miles 
on the Platte and the Missoufi. Quite often 
we find them terraced. These terraces, like 
broad steps, lead gradually to the bordering 
bluffs. Sometimes the edges of the low terraces 
on the bottoms are so worn away that their 
character is concealed. What was once a ter- 
race has become a gentle slope. The slopes on 
the bottoms between Crete and Beatrice, and 
Ashland and Lincoln are good examples of this 
character. 

In regard to the surface the curve is the 
predominating geometrical form — streams, ter- 
races, bluffs, valleys, all follow curves. "The 
curve is the line, of beauty." This law is ex- 
emplified here. 

There is an amazing number of valley or 
bottom lands. By the thousand they must be 
numbered. As an example, take the region of 
the Rei)ublican river. On the average of every 
two miles a tributary valley comes into the 
bottom from the north side. Counting the 
small tributaries with their narrow bottoms, not 
less than twenty-five per cent, of the entire sur- 
face of the State is made up of bottom lands. 

The gently rolling lands of three-fourths of 
the State appear very much like billows of the 
ocean. Sometimes extensive stretches are met 
with which a])pear to be level, but even these 
on closer observation show to be gently undulat- 
ing. From these last mentioned forms to the 



few isolated sections of limited extent, broken 
by canons with precipitous sides, the transi- 
tion is gradual. It is altogether a prairie State, 
with rich alluvial valleys and table lands stretch- 
ing away into extensive level plains, with a 
gradual ascent from the Missouri river west- 
ward, reaching an altitude on its western border 
of between five and six thousand feet above 
the sea level, and yet the incline is so gradual 
that in the construction of the Union Pacific 
railroad up the Platte Valley, not a tunnel, 
trestle or fill of any importance was required ; 
nor a single difficulty encountered from the 
Missouri river to the west line of the State. 
Take the State as a whole, it slopes mainly 
toward the east, and in minor degree toward 
the south. The ascent west from Omaha is at 
the rate of five and a half feet to the mile for 
ICO miles. The second hundred miles increases 
the ascent to seven feet ; the third hundred, 
seven and a half feet; the fourth hundred to ten 
and a half feet to the mile; and the ascent of 
the last fifty miles at the west end of the State 
is eighteen feet to the mile. The figures are 
approximately correct. A similar gradual as- 
cent characterizes the south and north lines of 
the State. The southeastern corner of the 
State which is the lowest part of the State has 
an elevation of 878 feet. Here the ascent is only 
one and a quarter feet to the mile. Even less 
than this is the fall going northward to Dakota 
City. In western Nebraska the difference in 
elevation between the Union Pacific railroad 
and the Republican valley on the south side is 
approximately 352 feet. From the Union Pa- 
cific, on the west line, going northward, the 
elevation increases until Scott's Bluff is reached, 
where the elevation of 6,051 feet is the highest 
point in the State. From here to the valley of 
the Niobrara, toward the north line there is a 
gradual descent. As the elevation at Pine 
Bluffs, on the extreme western line of the State 
on the Union Pacific, is 5,061 feet, the ascent 
from this point northward is 635 feet, against a 
corresponding difference of less than 200 feet 
on the east line of the State. Taking the data, 
obtained principally by a reduction of railroad 
surveys in various parts of the State, the aver- 
age elevation of the whole State is about 2,312 
feet. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



19 



Although there are no large lakes in Ne- 
braska, there are many small ones, besides the 
lakes of fresh water there are a few saline or 
alkaline. In southeastern Nebraska many 
springs appear on top of limestone strata that 
underlie loosely-compacted sandy rocks or 
shales. In most parts of the State by sinking 
a shaft down* from fifteen to fifty feet fresh wa- 
ter can be had in abundance. In Fillmore, Clay, 
Adams and Phelps counties, and some other 
portions of the State, we find exceptions to this 
rule, where there is a great thickness of loess 
anil drift to be penetrated before impervious 
strata capable of holding water are reached. 
Some artesian wells have been bored. 

Among the rivers of Nebraska the deep and 
rapid Missouri is the principal one. At least 
500 miles of this river are on the eastern and 
northern borders of the State. It is a highway 
to the commerce and markets of the world. Had 
it not been for the Missouri the settlement of 
this region would have been indefinately delayed. 
As the river is navigable for two thousand miles 
above Omaha it was a great highway for traffic 
with the mountain regions of Idaho, Dakota 
and Montana in early days. However, with the 
building of railroads, the business has fallen off. 
The Missouri river is the only navigable river 
in Nebraska and has always been described as 
an "exceedingly crooked, treacherous stream." 
Its source is in latitude 45 north, and longitude 
110:30 west, high up in the Rocky mountains, 
and the distance it flows from the Great Falls 
to its junction with the Mississippi river is 2,- 
575 miles. The Missouri seems to hold a 
mortgage on the lands that fiank it on either 
side, and it often takes such lands by force, only 
to return them when some other change in its 
every shifting course is developed. Previous 
to the exploration made by Lewis and Clark, 
the impression prevailed among the Spanish and 
French residents in what was then known as the 
Northwestern Territory, that the source of the 
Missouri was near a point where it joins the 
Niobrara, and most of the maps in use previous 
to the exploration referred to locate its source 
at or near the point mentioned. 

Having referred to the Missouri as being the 
only navigable river touching Nebraska it will 
doubtless be of interest in this connection to 



mention the first steamer on the Missouri. It 
was built at Pittsburgh by the United States 
Government in 1818, and named the "West- 
ern Engineer-." She left her moorings at Pitts- 
burgh, May 3, 1819, having on board an explor- 
ing expedition, sent out by order of the Gov- 
ernment to explore the Missouri river and the 
country west of the Rocky mountains. The 
expedition was under the command of Major 
S. H. Long and arrived at St. Louis on June 
20, one month and seventeen days after starting. 
The mouth of the Platte was reached on the 
17th of September following, and on the 19th 
of the same month the expedition cast anchor 
near the JNIouth of Boyer river, on the Iowa 
side, about five miles below Council Bluffs, 
where it went into winter quarters. The point 
of encampment was known as Fort Lisa, and 
was occupied by the Missouri Fur Company as 
a trading post. Here the explorers remained 
during the winter of 1819-20, J\Iajor Long, in 
the meantime, returning to Philadelphia, the then 
seat of Government, with reports of the expe- 
dition. June 20, 1820, Major Long returned to 
Fort Lisa with orders for the expedition to pro- 
ceed overland to the head waters of the Ar- 
kansas and Red rivers for the purpose of ex- 
ploring said streams and the country contiguous 
to them, and, in accordance therewith, the ex- 
pedition left the boat at this point and proceeded 
up the valley of the Platte, holding councils ' 
with the numerous Indian tribes through which 
they passed. The "Western Engineer" after 
the departure of the expedition received a new 
commander and was employed for many }ears 
thereafter in transporting Government supplies 
to forts and trading posts along the Missouri 
river. 

The Platte is the second great river in Ne- 
braska. It is nearly 1,200 miles in length. Its 
head waters originate in the mountain,s and 
some of them in lakelets fed by the everlasting 
snows. By the time it reaches Nebraska it is a 
broad, shallow, sandy but rapid current. Flow- 
ing from west to east through the State it 
divides it, leaving the larger part on the north. 
It is not navigable. Flood time is about the 
same for both rivers. Sometimes for the Platte 
it is a few days or weeks earlier. 

Among other improtant rivers and creeks 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



are the Republican, Niobrara, Keya Paha, 
White, Elkhorn, Logan, the Bow rivers, the 
Nemahas, the Blues, the Loups, Salt Creek, 
Weeping Water, the Wahoo, Elk Creek, South 
and West Iowa Creeks and others. 

SOIL, AGRICULTURE AND STOCK RAISING. 

The elements found in the soil of the greater 
part of Nebraska forms one of the richest and 
most tillable soils in the world, and the un- 
rivalled fertility of her soil places Nebraska 
in the front rank among the great grain pro- 
ducing states of the Union. The soil of the 
table and upland is composed of what is known 
as Loess or Lacustrine deposit, most valuable 
of all for agricultural purposes, and this de- 
posit, of uniform color, prevails over nearly 
three-fourths of the area of the State. In some 
places in the northeastern counties it is claimed 
to be nearly 200 feet thick, but in the balance of 
the State it ranges from five to 150 feet in 
thickness. One of the former State Geologists, 
Prof. Samuel Aughey, after a careful analysis of 
this soil from samples taken in different por- 
tions of the State, incorporated the following in 
one of his reports : "From my examinations 
I find that over eighty per cent, of this forma- 
tion is silicious matter, and so finely comminuted 
is it that the grains can only be seen under a 
good microscope. So abundant are the carbonates 
and phosphates of lime that in many places they 
form peculiar rounded and oval concretions. 
Vast numbers of these concretions, from the 
size of a shot to a walnut, are found almost 
everywhere by turning over the sod and in ex- 
cavations. The analysis shows the prescence of 
a comparatively large amount of iron, besides 
alumina, soda, potash, etc. These elements 
form one of the richest soils in the world. In 
fact, in its chemical and physical properties and 
the mode of its origin, it comes nearest to the 
loess of the Rhine and the Valley of Egypt. 
It can never be exhausted until every hill and 
valley which composes it is entirely worn away. 
Owing to the wonderfully finely comminuted 
silica of which the bulk of the deposits consist, 
it possesses natural drainage in the highest de- 
gree. However great the floods of water that 
fall it soon percolates through this soil, which 



in its lowest depths retains it like a sponge. 
When drouths come, by capillary attraction, 
the moisture comes up from below, supplying 
the needs of vegetation in the dryest seasons. 
This is the reason why all over this region, 
where this deposit prevails, the native vege- 
tation and cultivated crops are seldom either 
dried out or drowned out. This is especially 
the case on old breaking where deep plowing is 
practiced." 

Next in importance after the loess or lacus- 
trine are the alluvium deposits. From an an- 
alysis made of the bottom lands, it appears that 
chemically, alluvium diflfers from the loess 
chiefly in having more organic matter and 
alumina and less silica. The soil of the bottom 
lands is rich in organic matter. The depth of 
this soil varies greatly, it often being twenty 
feet or more in thickness, then again the sand 
of the subsoil is reached at a depth of two or 
three feet. 

The alkali lands are to be found in different 
sections of the State but chiefly in the w^estern 
portion. In the east half there are scarcely any 
such lands, the majority of the counties having 
none at all, while in others are small spots. 
These alkali lands are renovated and made very 
productive by irrigation, cultivation and drain- 
age. The time is rapidly approaching when 
these lands will become the most valuable farm- 
ing sections of the world. They are not con- 
fined to any one geological formation, but are 
found sometimes on the drift, alluvium or the 
loess. They increase in number from the 
eastern to the western portions of the 
State, and where they have been closely 
examined they are found to vary a great 
deal in chemical constituents. Generally, 
however, the alkali is largely composed of soda 
compounds, with an occasional excess of lime 
and magnesia or potash. Much of the alkali 
originated by the accumulation of water in low 
places. The escape of the water by evaporation 
left the saline matter behind, and in the case 
of salt (sodium chloride), which all waters 
contain in at least minute quantities, the chlorine, 
by chemical reactions, separated from the 
sodium, the latter uniting with oxygen and car- 
bonic acid formed the soda compounds. The 
alkali that exists far down in the soil is also 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



brought up during dry weather by escaping 
moisture and is left on the surface when the 
water is evaporated. 

. One of the most interesting features of the 
topography of southern Nebraska is the salt 
basins stretching along the west side of Salt 
Creek from Lincoln five or six miles to the 
north. An early writer said of these: "In 
ordinary sunny days, of which the climate of 
Nebraska is so prodigal, these basins, some of 
which are a mile in diameter, exactly resemble 
at 1 distance bodies of limpid water, and it is 
difficult for a stranger to realize that what he 
sees reflecting the rays of the sun from a mirror- 
like surface is a level floor of compact earth, 
covered with a layer of saline crystals and in- 
tersected with tiny rivers of brine flowing into 
the creek that obtains from them its name and 
character.'" Ihe discovery of these basins was 
made by the Government surveyors in 1856, and 
at that time great wealth was anticipated for 
those who would erect suitable works for the 
manufacture of salt. Several companies were 
organized to manufacture salt and a good deal 
of litigation resulted over the rival claims to 
the various basins. 

In certain sections of the western portion of 
the State are found the "sand hills." Sometimes 
these hills are comparatively barren but in most 
places they are fertile enough to sustain a cover- 
ing of nutritious grasses, and these regions are 
now famous stock raising areas. In many places 
in the sandy regions the soil has a mixture of 
drift and loess which makes it highly fertile 
when supplied with sufficient moisture. 

Irrigation, which is treated of in another part 
of this volume, has already begun in the west- 
ern portion of the State on an extensive scale, 
and the wonderful future of this line of develop- 
ment is surely foretold in the success that has 
been attained along the Platte river by irrigat- 
ing the lands. This great work as yet is in its 
infancy, but enough is already proven along 
this line to safely predict a most marvelous 
growth and development of the wealth and re- 
sources of western Nebraska by scientific and 
practical irrigation. 

Nebraska is essentially an agricultural State, 
the bountiful soil and mildness of climate are 
especially favorable to cereal crops, and in fact 



to all the products of the temperate zone, nearly 
all of which are grown here to perfection, and 
attain a size and quality rarely found in the 
older states. It is also one of the most favored 
and important stock raising countries in the 
world — in fact, the State of Nebraska, and more 
especially its northwestern and western portions, 
is fairly entitled to the first position among the 
western states and territories as a stock produc- 
ing and stock sustaining region. Its vast 
prairies ; abundant, luxuriant and nutritious 
grasses ; its rivers, creeks and springs of clear, 
sparkling waters; and still more, its uniform 
and delightful climate — these are a few of the 
more substantial reasons ' why Nebraska excels 
as a stock raising country. But even in the 
far western counties mixed farming is fast gain- 
ing headway, and the general rule of the moder- 
ate farmer is to raise grain along with stock, 
and the growth in wealth and productiveness of 
that region has been marvelously rapid and 
substantial. 

All of the factors which enter into the deter- 
mination of an ideal climate are found in Ne- 
braska — temperature, forms of relief, condition 
of the atmosphere, geographical position and 
rainfall— all combine to make this a climate as 
satisfactory as can be found anywhere in the 
Union. Long and mild autumns are character- 
istic here. During these months, excessive rains 
seldom fall. Occasionally there is a rough 
spell in October, but almost invariably it is fol- 
lowed by mild weather which is generally pro- 
longed into December and in some years into 
January. The climate is particularly healthful. 
No spot on the globe is absolutely free from 
disease but this State is singularly exempt from 
its severest forms. Fever and ague are more 
rarely met with here than in most States. 
Where they do occur it is owing to limited lo- 
cal causes or extraordinary exposure, and they 
are generally successfully treated by the simplest 
remedies. Many of these cases, contracted else- 
where, come here in hopes of having the disease 
cured by this climate and they are rarely dis- 
appointed if nature is given a chance to exert 
its full health-making power. The cause of the 
general exemption from this class of diseases 
and malarial poisons is found in the peculiar 
climate and surface conditions of the State. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



An early writer in speaking enthusiastically 
of this climate said: "Nearly everyone who 
comes to the State feels a general quickening 
and elasticity of spirits. The appetite and di- 
gestion improve wonderfully. Mind and body 
are lifted up. It must originate from our pe- 
culiarities of climate. I have myself felt in this 
State, as I have never felt it elsewhere, especi- 
ally when camping out far away from settle- 
ments and alone with Nature and God, how 
luxurious existence was and how pleasant lift- 
was intended to be." 

Western Nebraska, as a whole, has been what 
might be called semi-arid, though not in an ex- 
treme sense, as many sections have been pro- 
ductive since early settlement. During the last 
ten years moisture conditions in the entire sec- 
tion have been improving and the productivity 
has, therefore, been increasing, which has conse- 
quently caused a general and gradual increase 
in land values which is continuing at the present 
time. Two things in early days caused western 
Nebraska to be semi-arid ; first, lack of sufficient 
precipitation, and second, hot winds. There 
have been years when the annual rainfall was 
sufficient, but at the time when the crops were 
Hearing maturity the hot winds from the south 
and southwest would blast them. During the 
past few years innumerable irrigation projects, 
both government and private, have been turning 
hundreds and thousands of acres in Kansa^;, 
Colorado and ^^'yoming under irrigation, 'ihis 
gpeat transformation in the southwest will result 
in eliminating forever any further visitations 
of hot winds which originated in that territory, 
at least, under no conditions will they again visit 
this region with such destroying effect as in the 
past. This vast irrigated district surrounding 
Nebraska on the west, southwest and south will 
result in giving western Nebraska increased 
precipitation from the great evaporation occur- 
ring there. 

IRRIG.\TION IX XEIIKA.SKA. 

Irrigation in Nebraska has made consider- 
able progress during the past few years and the 
work contemplated by the government along 
the line of storing the flood water of the North 



Platte river will add a large number of acres to 
the irrigated area. 

In the valleys of the Platte and North 
Platte rivers are found the largest irrigation 
enterprises of the State. In many places the 
valley reaches a width of ten to twelve miles 
and contains some of the best soil to be found 
anywhere in the State. 

On the Republican some very successful 
ditches have been operated. The total length 
of these ditches is nearly two hundred miles, 
covering about fifty thousand acres. 

In the northwestern part of the State, a 
large number of canals have been built using 
the water from Hat creek. White river and 
Niobrara river and their tributaries. Most of 
these ditches are small, but they are of great 
value, as they furnish the means of supplying 
winter feed for the cattle which graze upon the 
range adjacent to these irrigated sections during 
the greater part of the year. These small ditches 
also enable the ranchman to raise a variety of 
products which would be impossible without ir- 
rigation. 

Many canals have been built taking their 
water from the Loup rivers and their tribu- 
taries. The largest of these, the Great East- 
ern canal, which heads a short distance above 
Genoa, has about seventy miles of canal con- 
structed and in operation and covers about 
forty thousand acres of land. These streams 
flow for the greater portion of their lengths 
through a section of the State where the na- 
tural rainfall is generally sufficient for the pro- 
duction of good crops, and for this reason only 
a very small percentage of the flow has been 
diverted for use in irrigation. 

Some very extensive schemes for the de- 
velopment of power have been jilanned invol,'- 
ing the use of the waters of the Loup, Elkhorn 
and Platte rivers. 

Only a few canals have been taken out of 
the Elkhorn and lower Niolirara rivers for ir- 
rigation. .Among the largest of ihese is the 
Elkhorn Valley canal. 

The Elkhorn river is used extensively for the 
development of power and application has been 
made for water for several large power plants 
on the Niobrara. 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



23 



Some of the smaller streams, such as Lodge 
Pole, Pumpkin Seed and Frenchman rivers, ir- 
rigate an area very much in excess of what 
would be expected from an examination of the 
records of their discharge measurements. 

The Lodge Pole, which ra'rely flows more 
than twenty cubic feet per second at any point 
at this writing, supplies seventy-seven miles of 
canal, covering about twelve thousand acres of 
land, and a large percentage of this land re- 
ceives sufificent water to insure the production of 
good crops. 

In many localities in Nebraska the land un- 
der irrigation has reached a high state of culti- 
vation and a large variety of crops is produced. 
Under the older canals many well improved 
farms are found which will compare favorably 
with any to be found in the eastern portion of 
the State. 

A great deal of alfalfa is grown under irri- 
gation and the cultivation of sugar beets is be- 
ing rapidly developed. The beets show a very 
large percentage of sugar and the tonnage is 
heavy. The abundance of sunshine and the fact 
that the amount of moisture supplied may be 
regulated so as to give the growing beets just 
the amount required', and the further fact that 
the soil seems to be particularly adapted to their 
growth, make this an ideal locality for sugar 
beet culture. Much of the land under irrigation 
has never been broken up and is devoted to the 
I)roduction of , native hay. The native sod when 
irrigated produces large crops of hay of a very 
superior quality. 

Within the last few years the supreme court 
has handed down several opinions which have 
done much to settle the question of irrigation 
rights in Nebraska. These decisions declare the 
irrigation laws of the State to be constitutional, 
define the rights of riparian owners and uphold 
the rights of appropriators who have made bene- 
ficial use of the water. This has done much to 
establish the stability of existing rights and to en- 
courage appropriators. There are still a num- 
ber of important points which remain unsettled. 
Nebraska, extending as it does from the Mis- 
souri river almost to the mountains, includes 
within its borders two distinct regions. The 
eastern portion of the State is within the humid 
region and the rainfall is sufficient for success- 



full agriculture, and the extreme eastern portion 
might be classed as semi-arid. Here the rainfall 
in the past has been very variable. The con- 
ditions being so different in different portions 
of the State, render it very difficult to settle 
many of the questions which arise in regard to 
the use of water. 

The question of the distribution of the wa- 
ters of interstate streams is a very important one 
and one which should be settled as soon as 
possible. Nebraska is particularly interested in 
this question. A very large part of the land 
reclaimed in this State receives its water from 
the Platte rivers. The pioneers of irrigation 
have gone into this part of the State and en- 
countered all the hardships incident to the set- 
tlement of a new country, and have brought 
thousands of acres of land under the influence 
of irrigation and added millions of dollars to 
the value of the State. These people should be 
protected in the use of water which they have 
appropriated, and be assured that subsequent 
appropriators in other states will not be per- 
mitted to divert the water and ruin their work, 
of a lifetime. Some system should be devised 
whereby the appropriator of the water of any 
stream who has made beneficial use of the same, 
should be protected without regard to State 
lines or other political subdivisions. 

In the early days of the settlement of this 
State there was a great prejudice against irri- 
gation and any one who advocated it was looked 
upon as an enemy of the State. Many of the 
pioneers who settled in the western portion of 
the State, realizing the uncertainty of agricul- 
ture when dependent upon the natural rainfall, 
constructed a number of canals which demon- 
strated the value of irrigation. 

We quote the following article, bearing on 
this subject, from the latest report issued by 
the State Board of Agriculture : "Nebraska 
has now over 2,500 miles of canals, covering 
over one million acres of land. In the western 
part of the State the normal flow of many of 
the streams during the height of the irrigating 
season has already been appropriated, but only 
a small portion of the entire flow is used, and a 
large amount of land can still be reclaimed by 
an intelligent system of storage and by educat- 
ing the irrigators to use the water upon the 



24 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



land when it is to be had, instead of waiting 
until the crops are suffering and everyone de- 
sires to use the full amount of his appropria- 
tion. On some of the smaller streams the plan 
of distributing the water by a time schedule 
has proved very successful. This allows each 
appropriator to use all the water available in 
the stream for a short period and then turn it 
out to be used by the next one who is entitled 
to it. In this way it is possible to accomplish 
much more than could be accomplished when 
each irrigator is restricted to the amount of his 
appropriation, which is sometimes only a frac- 
tion of a cubic foot per second and is allowed to 
use it for the entire season. 

"We have a district irrigation law in Ne- 
braska which enables a majority of the land- 
owners in any territory which is susceptible to 
irrigation from a common source to organize a 
district, and this district has authority to vote 
bonds for the construction or purchase of works, 
and to levy a tax to raise money to pay these 
bonds, and also to pay for the maintenance of 
the works. This law has worked out very suc- 
cessfully in many cases, and we have some dis- 
tricts organized under it which are finely im- 
proved and in good financial condition. 

"There has been considerable development 
along the line of pumping water for irrigation, 
and quite a number of plants have been put 
in operation, employing windmills, water wheels, 
gasoline and steam engines for the motive 
power." 

Taking everything into consideration, Ne- 
braska has made very good progress in irri- 
gation improvement, and is in position to make 
still greater development in the future. 

STATISTICS. 

In 1874 the government report showed that 
Nebraska raised only 3,619,000 bushels of 
wheat. In 1880 this had grown to 12,922,000. 
In 1890 the government gave the figures as 15,- 
315,000 bushels, and in 1900, 24,810,000, but 
since then the State has made wonderful de- 
velopment in the way of wheat growing. In 



1902 it raised a crop of 52,726,000 bushels ; its 
crop in 1905 was 48,002,000 bashels ; in 1906 
its wheat yield was 51,709,000 bushels, and in 
1907, when the crop was short everywhere, the 
government report made it 46,879,000 bushels. 
It has also become a great corn growing state. 
As late as 1880 its corn crop was only 59,- 
507,000 bushels. Eight years later it raised 
144,217,000 bushels. In 1S98 the government 
reported its crop at 158,754,000 bushels; in 1904 
it was 260,942,335 bushels ; in 1906 its yield was 
241,383,537 bushels, and the reports for 1907 
gave the yield as being 169,732,885 bushels. 

The above figures are given to show by way 
of comparison the marvelous growth of the 
State, and its development as an agricultural 
region. The growth has been equally marked 
in regard to other crops, and also in its manu- 
facturing and commercial interests. This is 
evidenced by the growth of bank deposits in 
Nebraska. In 1890 the bank deposits in Ne- 
braska were reported as being $48,770,811. In 
1905 they had grown to $134,991,210; and two 
years later (1907) were given as being $178,- 
36i,355-i3- , 

In speaking of the prosperity of the State 
and general condition of its people. Governor 
Sheldon in closing his Thanksgiving proclama- 
tion in 1907, said : 

"Our granaries and our store-houses are 
tilled with the products of our farms and our 
factories. Our pastures and feed-lots contain 
cattle, hogs and sheep without number. Our 
conunercial and business institutions are solv- 
ent. Our people, realizing that they must go 
up or go down together, have full confidence 
in each other's honesty and integrity. The in- 
dustrious and frugal for a decade have been 
well rewarded for their labor. This has en- 
abled them to provide their families with the 
comforts of life and build beautiful homes in our 
cities throughout the country. For all these 
things that have promoted our peace, prosperity 
and happiness it is fitting that thanks should be 
rendered unto Him whose invisible hand con- 
trols our destinv." 



CHAPTER II. 



THE DISCOVERY AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE PROVINCE OF LOUISIANA; 
EARLY EXPLORATIONS, EARLY SETTLEMENT; THE BIRTH OF NE- 
BRASKA—PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF 
THE STATE. 



IT is difficult looking back through the mist 
of years to arrive at an incontrovertable 
conclusion as to just when and by 'whom the 
middle portion of the United States was first 
visited by white men. There is a wealth of 
interesting historical documents and writings 
recounting the invasion of this part of the con- 
tinent by whites and tracing the march of 
civilization, most of which base their begin- 
nings with the French explorers ; but it is now 
regarded as an established fact by many his- 
torical writers that the southwestern and middle 
portions of the United States were included in 
Spanish explorations early in the fifteenth cen- 
tury. One of the expeditions which is referred 
to by many historians is the Coronado expedi- 
tion. It is related that in about the year 1540 
Coronado, who was then Governor of New 
Gallia, organized an expedition and executed a 
march from Mexico to the region which is now 
the heart of Nebraska and Kansas. That was 
as marvelous an undertaking as the history of 
this continent affords. Not only was the region 
to be covered an unknown land, but the ob- 
stacles to be overcome, the mountains between 
and subsequent stretches of sand plains and 
desert made the undertaking a gigantic one. 
And yet under these conditions it is said that 
an army of about one thousand men was pushed 
across the arid plains, the rugged mountains 
and barren deserts, which lie between what is 
now Nebraska and Mexico. This, it must be 
remembered, was eighty years before the Pil- 
grims landed on the shores of New England ; 



sixty-eight years before Hudson discovered the 
river which bears his name; sixty-six years be- 
fore John Smith commenced the settlement of 
what was afterward to be Virginia ; and nearly 
a century before Jean Nicolet established com- 
mercial relations with the Indians of Wisconsin. 
This expedition was organized to search for 
fabulous wealth which was supposed to exist 
in these regions, of which marvelous tales had 
been carried to Mexico. The end of the long 
march is graphically told by Judge J. W. Savage, 
a careful student and an eloquent writer on 
Nebraska's early history, in the following words : 
"Northward from the Arkansas river for 
many weary and anxious hours, the lit- 
tle band which accompanied the adven- 
turous general pursued its way over the Kansas 
plains. July had come, the days were long and 
hot and the sultry nights crept over the pri- 
meval prairie, seeming to rise like a shadowy 
and threatening specter out of the grass. But 
stout hearts and good horses brought them at 
last to what I am satisfied is the southern bound- 
ary of Nebraska. And here, along the Platte 
river, they found the long-sought Kingdom of 
Ouivera ; here was Tartarrax, the hoary-headed 
old ruler of the land. But alas for the vanity of 
human expectations ! The only precious metal 
they saw was a copper plate hanging to the 
old chief's breast, by which he set great store ; 
there were no musical bells, no gilded eagle, 
no silver dishes, no rosary, no image of the 
Virgin, no cross, no crown, that they had been 
led to believe e.xisted. In the midst of his dis- 



26 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



appointment the general took a melancholy 
pleasure in hanging his guides who had so 
egregiously misguided him. It is said that the 
guides here boldly avowed that they knew of no 
gold, that they had brought the invaders into 
the wilderness to perish with hunger and hard- 
ship, to rid the peaceful dwellers in the Rio 
Grande and Pecos valleys of their hated pres- 
ence, and met their fate with stoicism which 
the Spaniards called despair and remorse. Here 
then, upon the southern boundary of this State 
at a point not yet easily ascertainable, but 
doubtless between Gage County on the east and 
Furnas county on the west, Coronado set foot 
on the soil of Nebraska and remained for 
twenty-five days. I have heretofore adverted to 
the fact that this location of the northern termi- 
nus has not met with universal acceptation. The 
arguments, however, in support of the theory 
seem to me to be unanswerable." 

^^'hile it is true that the location of the 
northern terminus is not definitely settled, most 
writers concede that Coronado's march — fol- 
lowing the itinerary given in the Spanisn docu- 
ments and papers — must have carried this band 
of explorers up somewhere into the Kansas-Ne- 
braska prairies. The land of Quivera, and the 
Seven Cities of the Bufifalo, referred to is sur- 
rounded by much glamour of romantic mis- 
tery. Although a number of contcmporanious 
narratives are preserved referring to this king- 
dom and to remarkable searches made for it, 
it is singular that hardly any two writers agree 
33 to the location or the ultimate terminus of 
the searching expeditions. 

At about the same time another event was 
transpiring, also under the folds of the Span- 
ish flag, which for years stood undisputed in 
point of priority and an epoch is marked in 
American history by the discovery of the Mis- 
sissippi by Ferdinand De Soto in 1542. 

It is related that in 1542 Ferdinand De Soto, 
with a band of Spanish adventurers, acting un- 
der a commission from the sovereign of his 
native land, discovered the Mississippi river 
about the mouth of the Ouachita. After the 
sudden death of their leader, in May of that 
year, liis followers, after burying his body in 
the river, built a small vessel, and in July, 1543, 
descended the great river to the Gulf of Mexico. 



Thus the mouth of the Mississippi was dis- 
covered one hundred and thirty years prior to 
the discovery of its upper valley by the French 
missionary priests. 

By virtue of this and the conquest of 
Florida, Spain claimed the country bordering 
on the Mississippi and the Gulf of ]\Iexico, but 
made no attempt to colonize it permanently. At 
that time it was tacitly understood by the vari- 
ous maritime states of Europe that the dis- 
covery and occupation of any part of the New 
World made a legitimate title to the country. 
Although the valley of the Mississippi was thus 
taken possession of by Spain, the failure of that 
power to consummate its discovery by planting 
colonies or settlements, made their title void, 
and the country was left open to be rediscovered 
and taken possession by other powers. 

In 1534 and 1535 an intelligent and cai)al)le 
French naval officer, Jacques Cartier, discov- 
ered and named the St. Lawrence river. He 
took possession of that country in the name of 
his king and built a rude fort, in 1541, near the 
present site of Quebec. This was sixty-six 
years before the English made a settlement at 
Jamestown, Virginia. From that time on the 
country became known and settlements sprang 
up along the great river and it became the prov- 
ince of New France. In 1608 Champlain se- 
lected the site of the old fort of Carticr's as 
the future capital of the province. Champlain 
made many explorations in and around the 
country, and in 1609, ascending a tributary of 
the St. Lawrence, found that beautiful sheet of 
water in New York that bears his name. After 
visiting France, he returned and in 1615, ac- 
companying a tribe of Indians to their far off 
hunting grounds, discovered Lake Huron. 

It was early in the seventeenth century when 
the revived religion of France quickened the 
fervor of her noble missionary priests. Led by 
their zeal to the New World, they penetrated 
the wilderness in all directions from Quebec, 
carrying the tidings of the Gospel to the 
heathen. Along the river St. Lawrence, through 
the chain of Great Lakes, westward, they 
pushed their way, establishing missions and en- 
deavoring to turn the savages to their faith. 
This movement began in 1611. when Father La 
Caron, a Franciscan friar, the friend and com- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



27 



panion of Champlain, made a journey to the 
rivers of Lake Huron on foot and by paddling 
a bark canoe. In 1632, on the estabHshment of 
a government of New France, under the com- 
mission of Louis XIII, and the patronage of 
his great prime minister, Armand Duplessis, 
Cardinal Richelieu, the work of converting the 
Indian passed from the order of St. Francis, to 
that of Loyola, the famed Jesuit. Burning 
with a pious zeal and animated by a spirit of 
self-sacrifice, rarely, if ever, paralleled in the 
history of missionary work, these latter, simple 
priests, penetrated the wilds of the Canadian 
frontier, and through toil and pain, often *o 
martyrdom, carried the cross to the remote 
tribes of the Mississippi and its tributaries. 
Bancroft, the historian, says : "Tlie history of 
their labors is connected: with the origin of 
every celebrated town in the annals of French 
America ; not a cape was turned or a river en- 
tered, but a Jesuit led the way." 

In 1634 the Jesuits, Brebeuf and Daniels, 
followed by Lallemand, made a journey into 
the far west. Joining a party of Huron Indi- 
ans, who had been in Quebec, and who were re- 
turning to their homes, they pushed their way, 
enduring, without complaint, untold fatigue and 
suffering, by lake, river and forest. They pene- 
trated to the heart of the Huron wilderness. 
Near the shores of Lake Iroquois was raised the 
first house of the Society of Jesus in all that 
region, and soon two villages, named St. Louis 
and St. Ignace, sprang up among the primeval 
forests that were then the homes of the savage 
red man. The mission of Brebeuf gave to the 
world its first knowledge of the- water courses 
of the St. Lawrence valley. From a map pub- 
lished in France in 1660 it is seen that these 
pious priests had explored the country from the 
waters of the Niagara to the head of Lake Su- 
perior and had heard of or seen the shores of 
Lake Michigan. 

As early as 1635 Jean Nicolet, who had 
been one of Champlain's interpreters, and who 
had come from his native land, France, to Can- 
ada in 1618, reached the western shores of 
Lake IVIichigan. In the summer of 1634 he as- 
cended the St. Lawrence river with a party 
of Hurons. and thence onward to Lake Michi- 
gan, and during the following winter traded 



with the Indians at what is now Green Bay, 
Wisconsin. In 1635 he returned to Canada. 
He was married in Quebec, October 7, 1637, and 
lived at Three Rivers until 1642, when he died. 
Of him it is said, in a letter written in 1640, 
that he had penetrated the farthest into these 
distant countries and that if he had proceeded 
"three days more on a great river which flows 
from that lake (Green Bay), he would have 
found the sea, for such was the common belief 
in those days, even among geographers and 
other scientists. 

The hostilities of the Iroquois, or Fve Na- 
tions, a confederacy of fierce and ■ bloodthirsty 
savages, prevented the journey of Raymbault 
and Picard to the west in 1640, but the follow- 
ing year at the great feast of the dead, held by 
the Algonquins, at Lake Nipising, the Jesuits 
were invited to visit the land of the Ojibway or 
Chippewa Indians, at what is now Sault de 
Sainte Marie. Accordingly, September 17, 1641, 
Fathers Raymbault and Jogues left the Bay of 
Penetanguishene in a bark canoe for the ren- 
dezvous, where, after a passage of seventeen 
da3'S, they found two thousand Indians, who had 
congregated to meet them. 

At this assembly the fathers learned of 
many, as yet unheard of tribes. Here was heard 
the first mention of the Dacotahs, called in the 
Ojibway tongue, Nadouechionec or Nadoues- 
sioux. The latter name, abbreviated by the 
French, forms the present name of those fierce 
nomads of the North, the Sioux. It has been 
truly said "that the French were looking toward 
the homes of the Sioux, in the gl"eat valleys of 
the Mississippi and Missouri five years before 
the New England Eliot had addressed the tribes 
of Indians who dwelt within six miles of Boston 
harbor." In the ardor of his enthusiasm for ■ 
discovery Raymbault expected to reach the Pa- 
cific Ocean, then supposed to be but a few hun- 
dred miles west of where the Mississippi river 
is now found. However, he was laid low by 
the hand of death, dying in 1642, of sickness 
brought on by hardships and exposure. 

In August, 1654, two fur traders joined a 
band of Ottawa Indians and made a long jour- 
ney into the far west. In two years they re- 
turned with some fiftv canoes and two hundred 
and fiftv natives. Thev described the rivers 



28 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and lakes of the west, and the tribes whose 
homes stretched away to the northern sea and 
mentioned the Sioux who dwelt beyond Lake 
Superior and who wanted to trade with the 
white man. 

In this way the exploration of the western 
country was extended from the eastward into 
the wilds of the great west. The adventurous 
spirits from the St. Lawrence explored the 
great lakes and adjacent regions, planting the 
seeds of commerce and civilization, and we see 
the trend of exploration pushing still westward 
toward the land of which we write. Among 
those who should be mentioned as having helped 
to carry civilization west of the great lakes and 
who explored considerable territory in what is 
now Wisconsin and Illinois were Father Rene 
Menard, Father Claude Allouez and Father 
Jaquez Alarquette. It seems that in the year 
1660 the superior of the Jesuits at Quebec, 
learning of the many savage tribes to the west 
of the missions, and burning with zeal for the 
advancement of the cause of Christ and his 
church, and aiming at the conversion of the 
heathen, sent this Father Rene IMenard and 
another priest as apostles among the red men. 
Father Menard's "hair had been whitened by 
age, his mind ripened by long experience, and, 
being well acquainted with the peculiarities of 
the Indian character, he seemed the man for 
the mission." The night previous to his de- 
parture sleep deserted the eyes of the venerable 
])riest. He knew that he was going into the 
land of ruthless, savage barbarians, and he 
thought of hi^ friends. Two hours past mid- 
night he penned a letter to a friend, the pious 
sinipilcity of which is a monument to this esti- 
moble priest. Early in the morning of the 28th 
of August, 1660, in company with the party 
of fur traders, he departed ■ from Three Rivers. 
Oct. 15th lie arrived at a bay on Lake Superior, 
to which he gave the name of Ste. Theresa, its 
discovery occurring on her fete day. The party 
remained at this point all winter, hard pressed 
for want of food, being driven to all sorts of 
shifts to avoid starvation. Having, received an 
invitation to visit them from the Hurons and 
Ottawas, Father Menard started for their vil- 
lages on the island of St. Michael. In some 
manner he wandered away from his guide, got 



lost, and, although the guide sought him faith- 
fully, was never found ; he perished in some un- 
known manner. Relics of him were found from 
time to time in Sac and Sioux villages many 
years after, but no tale ever came to his many 
waiting friends to tell how or where he died. 

In the summer of 1663 the news of his death 
reached Montreal. His successor was soon 
found, for the impassive obedience of the mem- 
bers of the Order of Loyola brooked no oppo- 
sition to the command of a superior. Father 
Claude Allouez was chosen to carry the cross 
to these heathens and to follow in the footsteps 
of Father Menard. Impatiently waiting for the 
chance to proceed to his work, he was unable 
to find conveyance and convoy until the sum- 
mer of 1665, when, in company with six of his 
own race and color and four hundred savages, 
he started. He built a mission at La Pointe, 
on Lake Superior, where he taught the simple 
naitves his religion and took up his work among 
them. Here he, too, heard about the Indians 
that had their home on the banks of that mighty 
river, a stream which the natives knew by the 
name Messipi. 

Athough he had done a great work, ex- 
ploring the country around the southern bound- 
ary of what is now Wisconsin and in the north- 
ern part of Illinois and had preached to all the 
Indians met with in that region, Father Allouez 
grew discouraged and passed on to other fields. 
September 13, 1669, '^^ was succeeded by the 
famous Father Jacques Marquette. The design 
of discovering the Mississippi, a stream about 
which the Indians had told so much, seems to 
have originated with Father Marquette in the 
same year of his reaching the mission of the 
Holy Ghost, at La Pointe. The year previous 
he and Father Claude Dablon had established 
the mission of St. Mary within what is now 
Michigan. Circumstances about this time were 
favorable for a voyage of discovery among In- 
dians. The protection afforded to the Algon- 
quins of the west by the commerce with New 
France had confirmed their attachment and had 
created for them a political interest in France 
and in the minds of Louis XIV and his great 
financier, Colbert. The Intendent of Justice in 
New France. Talon, determined to extend the 
power of I'-rance to the utmost border of Can- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



29 



ada, and for this purpose Nicholas Perrot was 
despatched to the west as an emissary. The lat- 
ter proposed a congress or convention of the 
Indian nations at St. Mary's mission, and the 
invitation to attend was extended far and wide. 
Perrot arrived, and in May, 1671, there assem- 
bled at the Sault de Ste. Marie a great gather- 
ing of Indians from all parts of the northwest. 
From the headwaters of the St. Lawrence and 
the Mississippi, from the Great Lakes and the 
prairies beyond, from the valley of the Red river 
of the north and from the plains of Dakota 
they came, and it was announced that there 
should be peace, and that they were all under 
the protection of France. The same year Pere 
Marquette gathered together one of the broken 
branches of the Hurons at Point St. Ignace, 
which became quite a religious establishment. 
These things having been done, the grand 
exploring expedition to the west to discover 
the great river so often heard about was the 
next to be attended to. May 13, 1673, Mar- 
quette and Joliet, accompanied by five other 
Frenchmen, set out. Louis Joliet was a na- 
tive of Quebec, born in 1645. He was educated 
by the Jesuits for the priesthood. He, how- 
ever, determined to become a fur trader, which 
he did. He was sent, with an associate, to ex- 
plore the region of the copper mines of Lake 
Superior. He was a man of close and intelligent 
observation and possessed considerable mathe- 
matical acquirements. In 1673 he was a mer- 
chant, courageous, hardy, enterprising. He was 
appointed by the French authorities at Quebec 
to discover the Mississippi. He passed up the 
lakes to Mackinaw, and found at Point Ig- 
nace the reverend Father Marquette, who was 
ready to accompany him. Their outfit was sim- 
ple, two birch bark canoes and a supply of 
smoked meat and Indian corn. The friendly 
Indians tried to dissuade the Father and Joliet 
from undertaking this voyage, saying that the 
Indians of that quarter were bad, that they were 
cruel and relentless and that the river was the 
abode of all kinds of demons and evil spirits, 
but this did not intimidate these bold and hardy 
men. Passing the straits, they followed the 
north and west shore of Lake Michigan to 
Green Bay, where they entered the Fox river. 
This they ascended with great labor until they 



came to the village of the Kickapoos and Mi- 
amis, the extreme point to which the explora- 
tions of the French had as yet extended. Here 
Marquette was much pleased to see "a beautiful 
cross planted in the middle of the town, orna- 
mented with white skins, red girdles and bows 
and arrows which those good people had of- 
fered to the Great Manitou, or God, to thank 
him for the pity he had bestowed upon them 
during the winter in having given them an 
abundant chase." On assembling the chiefs of 
the village and the medicine men, Marquette 
made them a speech, telling them that Joliet 
had been sent by the Governor of New France 
to discover new countries, and himself by God 
to spread the light of the gospel. He added that 
he feared not death nor exposure to which he 
expected to be called on to endure. From this 
place, under the guidance of two Miami In- 
dians, the expedition started to cross the port- 
age from the Fox to the Wisconsin river. On 
reaching the latter stream the guide left them 
and they pushed their way down the rapid wa- 
ters of the Wisconsin until, upon the 17th of 
June, their frail barks floated upon the ma- 
jestic waters of the Mississippi. Down the 
mighty "Father of Waters" they voyaged until 
they reached the mouth of the Illinois. Up the 
latter, stream they paddler their way through 
a virgin land, encountering many difficulties and 
privations. At the forks of the river they en- 
tered the Desplaines, and by that and the Chi- 
cago river reached Lake Michigan and finally 
Green Bay. At the latter point Father Mar- 
quette remained to recuperate his exhausted 
strength, while Joliet and his companions hast- 
ened on to Quebec to report his success to his 
superiors. 

The re-discovery of the lower Mississippi re- 
mained for the gallant, daring and indefatigable 
La Salle, to whose labors, privations and enter- 
prise the French settlements in the Mississippi 
valley were so largely indebted. La Salle was 
a poor man, for, having relinquished his patri- 
mony on entering the Society of Jesus, on his 
honorable retirement from that order he had 
nothing. In 1667, having in the meantime 
crossed the seas to the new world in search of 
fortune, he appeared as a fur trader near what 
is now the city of Montreal. His business led 



30 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



him to explore both Lakes Ontario and Erie. 
Full of enthusiasm for discovery and for the 
colonization of the west, he returned to his na- 
tive land for help and authority to act. He re- 
ceived the title of Chevalier and considerable 
grants of land in Canada and returned in 1678. 
The same year he conveyed a party from Fort 
Frontenac (now Kingston, Canada) to the 
neighborhood of Niagara Falls in a vessel of 
ten tons. This was the first craft that ever sailed 
up the Niagara river. In 1679 he launched a 
vessel of some seventy tons burden. On the 
7th of August of that year, amid the salvos of 
artillery, the chants of the Te Deum by the 
priests and the plaudits of the people and In- 
dians, he sailed from the little harbor. He 
passed through Lake Erie and through the De- 
troit and St. Clair rivers into Lake Huron. 
Onward through the straits of Mackinaw into 
Lake Michigan his little vessel ploughed its 
way, and was the first to navigate a sailing 
craft upon the blue waters of the latter body 
of water. Coasting down its western shore. La 
Salle in his bark, which he had called the Grif- 
fin, came to Green Bay, where he came to an- 
chor. He had named his little craft in honor 
of the coat of arms of his patron, comte de 
Frontenac, then Governor of New France. It 
was La Salle's intention to utilize his vessel in 
a regular commerce between the Indians and 
the settlements, but was doomed to disappoint- 
ment. Having loaded the vessel with furs and 
peltries, he ordered the crew to return with it to 
the Niagara river. He journcd down to the 
head of Lake Michigan, and, passing up the 
St. Joseph river, discovered a portage over the 
swamps and priaries to the Kankakee river. He 
followed the latter stream to the Illinois and 
paddled down the latter river until he reached 
a point about where now stands the city of 
Peoria. Misfortunes then accumulated upon 
the head of La Salle. His vessel was wrecked 
on its voyage down the lakes and its cargo of 
furs and pelts totally lost, and the expected 
stores upon which he had depended to found 
and keep his colony did not come. The men 
that were with him grew discontented and 
threatened to desert. Like a man, and a brave 
and energetic one, he went to work to carry out 
the object that he had come so far to accomplish. 



He built a fort just below Lake Peoria, to which 
he gave the appropriate name of Crevecoeur 
(Broken Heart). He sent Accault, Father 
Hennepin and others who had accompanied him 
on a voyage up the Mississippi. This expedi- 
tion, as related further on, was very successful, 
it being the first party of white men to tread the 
shores of the i\lississippi near its head and to 
gaze upon the falls of St. Anthony. After their 
departure La Salle set his men to work to build 
a barge or boat in which to descend the river, 
but as sails and cordage were necessary, he de- 
termined to make the journey back to Canada. 
It was in the depth of winter, and he could 
have no food but what he could gain by the 
chase, and no drink but what the streams would 
afford. Leaving the bulk of his httle force 
under his lieutenant, Tonti, he started with three 
companions on this almost unparalleled journjy 
through the wilderness. He accomplished his 
mission, but on returning to the fort which he 
had built and where he had left his men, he 
found it deserted. The party, who had been 
ordered before his departure to erect a new 
fort on the bluff, had been assaulted by a band 
of Pottawattamie Indians, and, becoming de- 
moralized, had fled to the shores of Lake iVlichi- 
gan for safety. After wasting some time in a 
fruitless search for his men. La Salle finally, 
with the party brought with him, started on his 
long voyage down the Illinois and Mississippi 
to the Gulf of Mexico. April 9, 1682, he took 
possession of the whole country watered by the 
great river from its source to its mouth in the 
name of the King of France, Louis XI\'. 

Thus was the Mississippi river in its lower 
course rediscovered and taken possession of as 
French territory, and thus to La Salle belongs 
the Iionor of first navigating its length from 
the month of the Illinois southward. He gave 
to this vast empire he had added to the French 
possessions in America the name of Louisiana, in 
honor of the king, Louis XIV, and to the river 
which now is called the Mississippi the name of 
Colbert, after that able minister of finance of 
France, then one of the foremost men in Europe. 
He erected a column or cross near tlic nKnitli of 
the river, Iiearing tlie leaden jilatc with an in- 
scription, wliich may be translated as: 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



31 



"Louis the. Great, King of France and 

Navarre, 
Reigning April 9, 1682." 

He found the three channels of the delta, 
whereby the river empties into the Gulf of 
Mexico. In May, 1683, he returned to France 
to make a report of his valuable discoveries. 
In 1685 he returned from his native land with 
a fleet and with emigrants to colonize the coun- 
try he had found. Owing to the flat, level 
country, where land mingled with the water in 
marsh and swamp spread for hundreds of miles 
along the north coast of the gulf, he was un- 
able to find the mouth of the river. After beat- 
ing about for some time in search, he was finally 
abandoned by Beaujeau, who commanded the 
fleet, who returned to France. With his s,tore 
ship and two hundred and thirty emigrants, La 
Salle was driven ashore and wrecked in Mata- 
gorda Bay, in what is now the state of Texas. 
He hastily constructed a fort of the scattered 
timbers of the vessel and formed a colony, to 
which he gave the name of St. Louis. This 
settlement, made as if by accident, made Texas 
a part of Louisiana. 

After a four-months" search, which he con- 
ducted in canoes, for the lost mouth of the 
■ iver, which proved fruitless, the restless La 
Salle, in April, 1686, turned his steps toward 
New Mexico, with twenty companions. He 
hoped to find the rich gold mines of that coun- 
try, the Eldorado of the Spanish. The colony 
did not prosper in his absence. Sickness and 
death soon took off many of the poor emigrants, 
so that on his return to that place he found it 
reduced to about forty or fifty persons. Moving 
them to a healthier locality, La Salle determined 
to travel across the country on foot to the set- 
tlements on the Illinois and to Canada and bring 
back emigrants and supplies. January 12, 1687, 
he started with sixteen men, leaving the fort 
and settlement in charge of Sieur Barbier. His 
little party passed the basin of the Colorado 
and reached a branch of the Trinity river, 
where, March 20, 1687, the brave and gallant 
La Salle was assassinated by three of his own 
party. One of his biographers, who calls him, 
truly, the father of the French settlements in 
Louisiana, says : "Not a hint appears in any 



writer that has come under our notice that casts 
a shade upon his integrity and honor. Cool and 
intrepid at all times, never yielding for a mo- 
ment to despair, or even despondency, he bore 
the heavy burdens of his calamities to the end ; 
and his hopes only expired with his breath."' 

In the meantime, in i68o-'8i, Louis Henne- 
pin, the Franciscan friar, started down the Illi- 
nois river to explore its mouth, and on reaching 
the Mississippi extended his explorations north- 
ward as far as the Falls of St. Anthony, which 
he named. The war between the Iroquois and 
British colonies on the one side, and the French 
of Canada on the other, commenced in 1689, 
and any further attempt at colonization of the 
lower Mississippi was interrupted, and for a 
number of years exploration and colonization 
in the west was at a stand still. 

It is now time to trace the growth .of the 
great French province of Louisiana in another 
quarter. This was the parent stem from which 
grew so many of the great and growing states 
of the northwest, foremost among which is Ne- 
braska. 

At the close of the seventeenth century France 
by right of discovery and occupation claimed not 
only Canada and Nova Scotia, then known as 
New France and Acadia, Hudson's Bay and New- 
foundland, but parts of Maine,' Vermont and 
New York, together with the whole of the Alis- 
sissippi valley and possessions on the Gulf of 
Mexico, including Texas as far south as the Rio 
del Norte. The English revolution of 1688, 
when William of Orange succeeded James II 
upon the throne of England, nor the peace of 
Ryswick in 1697, did not affect these possessions 
of France in the new world. At the period at 
the close of the great war which had just been 
brought to an end by the above treaty, in which 
so many powers were included, none of the pos- 
sessions of France in the new world engaged the 
attention of the French government so much as 
Louisiana. In 1697 D'Iberville still further 
aroused the interest of the minister of the colo- 
nies, and inspired the Comte de Pontchartrain 
with the idea of building a fort and making a 
settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi. Two 
vessels were fitted out, one under the command 
of the Marquis de Chateau-Morand and the other 
under D'Iberville. Both left France in October, 



32 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1698, to find the mouth of the river, and after 
touching at Pensacola, entered the delta of the 
Mississippi March 2, 1699. De Chateau-Morand 
soon went back to Hayti, but D'Iberville ascended 
the river as far as what is now known as Bayou 
Goula. At this point he met an Indian chief, 
who handed him a letter, which was written by 
Tonti, the man who had left his post at Fort 
CreveccEur, where he had been placed by La Salle, 
and was addressed to the latter as governor of 
Louisiana. It read as follows : 

"Sir: — Having found the post upon which 
you had set up the king's arms thrown down by 
the driftwood, I caused another to be fixed on 
this side about seven leagues from the sea, where 
I have left a letter in a tree by the side of it. 
All the nations have smoked the calumet with 
me ; they are people who fear us exceedingly 
since you have captured this village. I conclude 
by saying it is a great grief to me that we will 
return with the ill fortune of not having found 
you, after we had coasted with two canoes thirty 
leagues on the Mexican side and twenty-five on 
that of Florida." 

The receipt of this letter was twelve years 
after the death of La Salle and nineteen after he 
and Tonti had parted at the Peoria fort. Neither 
knew what had become of the other. Both had 
sought the other unavailingly. The letter is in- 
teresting as shedding some light on Tonti's con- 
duct, but more so for the peculiarity of the In- 
dian keeping it so long. 

D'Iberville again descended the Mississippi 
and went to the bay of Biloxi, between the Mis- 
sissippi and Mobile rivers, where he erected a 
fort. Missions, trading posts and small settle- 
ments began to be founded from that time on in 
the province. As early as 1712 land titles were 
issued as far north as Kaskaskia, in what is 
now Illinois. Other settlements arose along the 
Mississippi at various points from the mouth of 
the Illinois southward. The French determined 
to circumvent the English colonies on the At- 
lantic coast by building a line of forts from the 
Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, as was once 
suggested to the French government by La Salle. 
Part of this plan was carried into execution. 
Fort Chartres was constructed on the east bank 
of the Mississippi, in what is now Randolph 
county, Illinois, about sixty-five miles south of 



the mouth of the Missouri river. This was one 
of the strongest fortresses on the continent at 
the time, and its ruins were to be seen a hundred 
years later. It was the headquarters of the com- 
mandant of Louisiana. Shortly after that the 
villages of Cahokia Prairie du Rocher and others 
sprang into existence. Fort Vincennes, on the 
Wabash, was founded in 1702. A monastery and 
college was established in 1712 at Kaskaskia, a 
very important post at that time and afterward 
the capital of the state of Illinois. The French 
laid claim to all the great Mississippi valley at 
that time-. "France," says Bancroft, "had ob- 
tained, under Providence, the guardianship of 
this immense district of country, not, as it proved, 
for her own benefit, but rather as a trustee for 
the infant nation by which it was one day to 
be inherited." 

By the treaty of Utrecht, in 17 13, France 
ceded to England her possessions in Hudson's 
Bay, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, but the 
former power retained the sovereignty of Canada 
and Louisiana. In 171 1 the affairs of the latter 
were placed in the hands of a governor general, 
but this only lasted one year. The colony not 
meeting the expectations of the government of 
the mother country, in 17 12 was farmed out to a 
company to be carried on by private capital. 

In the year 1712 the entire province of Louis- 
iana, including the vast country between the 
Rocky Mountains on the west and the Alleghanies 
on the east — in fact the entire area drained by 
the Mississippi was granted to Anthony Crozart 
or Crozat, a wealthy French merchant of Paris. 
Within his grant was the whole of the territory 
which now forms the State of Nebraska. It was 
stipulated that every two years Crozart was to 
send two ships from France with goods and emi- 
grants. In his grant the river "heretofore called 
the Mississippi" is named "St. Louis ;" the "Mis- 
sourys" is called "St. Phillip," and the "Qua- 
bache" (the Wabash and Ohio united) is named 
"St. Jerome." Louisiana was made dependent 
iil)on the general government of New France (or 
Canada). The laws of Paris were to be observed. 
( ozart's patent extended for a term of sixteen 
years but was resigned in 1717 after five years. 
Every Spanish port on the gulf was closed to its 
commerce and the occupation of Louisiana was 
at that time deemed an encroachment upon Span- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



33 



ish rights by that proud nation. Soon after the 
reUnquishment of the Crozart charter the colony 
of Louisiana was granted to the Mississippi Com- 
pany. Projected by the dreamer John Law, of 
South sea bubble fame with a complete mon- 
opoly of its trade and commerce to declare and 
prosecute wars and appoint officers. This com- 
pany established Fort Chartres, about sixty-five 
miles below the mouth of the Missouri on the east 
side of the Mississippi. Mechanics, miners and 
artesans were encouraged to emigrate and in 
17 1 7 the city of New Orleans was founded. 
The Illinois country received a considerable ac- 
cession and settlements now began to extend 
along the banks of the Mississippi. 

In 1 718 the new company sent eight hundred 
emigrants to Louisiana. These people Governor 
Bienville settled at what is now New Or- 
leans, but three years later the remainder of 
these people, some two hundred, were found still 
encamped on the site of the future city, they not 
having energy enough to build houses for them- 
selves. The larger part had died on account of 
the climate and malarious condition of the land. 
In May, 1720, the bubble burst, the land com- 
jiany went into bankruptcy, impoverishing France 
both in its public funds and private fortunes. 
The effect on the infant settlement in the new- 
world was more disastrous, if possible. The 
principal occupation of the new ■ settlers, like 
their Spanish neighbors, was the search for im- 
mense mines of gold and silver, for which they 
neglected the enormous natural agricultural re- 
sources of the country, now the granary of the 
world and the source of supply of the larger 
part of the cotton and cane sugar of commerce. 
The contrast was strong between the colonies of 
the Latin races and those of Anglo-Saxon origin. 

In 1719 there arrived in what is now Illinois 
one Phillipe Francois Renault, who had been ap- 
pointed director general of the mines of Louisi- 
ana. With him he brought two hundred miners 
and artisans. The extent of the country explored 
at that time embraced among others the head- 
waters of the Minnesota and the Red river of 
the North, the tributaries of the Missouri, and 
even extended to the Rocky Mountains. 

About this time hostilities with the Indians 
broke out. and a war with Spain threatened the 
lower part of the province. From 1712 to 1746 
3 



the settlers in Louisiana fought with the savages. 
In the latter year, at Butte des Morts and on the 
Wisconsin river, the Fox Indians were defeated 
and driven westward. During this time, in 1729, 
the Natchez, Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians 
rose and massacred all within their reach. Mili- 
tary operations against them were taken. The 
Choctows were detached from the confederacy 
by the diplomacy of Le Sueur, the famous ex- 
plorer, and the Natchez defeated. The latter's 
chief, Great Sun, and four hundred of his people 
were taken prisoners and sold as slaves in His- 
paniola, now the island of San Domingo-Hayti. 
Thus perished this interesting tribe, who were at 
that time semi-civilized or had a civilization of 
their own approaching in some degree that of 
the Aztec of Mexico. 

In 1719 Dutisne, a French officer was sent 
from New Orleans by the Governor of Louisiana 
into the country west of the Mississippi and re- 
visited a village of Osage Indians, five miles from 
the Osage river, "at eighty leagues above its 
mouth." Thence he crossed to the northwest 
one hundred and twenty miles over prairies 
abounding with buffaloes to some villages of the 
Pawnees. He traveled westward fifteen days 
more, which brought him to the Paloukahs a 
warlike' tribe of Indians. Here he erected a 
cross with the arms of the king, September 27, 
1 7 19. It is thought that Dutisne set foot on Ne- 
braska soil on this trip. If he did not he could 
not have been far from the Nebraska line. From 
the writings of Charlevoix concerning these ex- 
plorations we quote the following: 

"We arrived at the mouth of the Missouri 
on October 10, 1721. I believe this is the finest 
confluence in the world. The two rivers are 
much the same in breadth, each about half a 
league ; but the Missouri is by far the most rapid, 
and seems to enter the Mississippi like a con- 
queror, through which it carries its white waters 
to the other shore without mixing them ; after- 
ward it gives its color to the Mississippi which 
it never loses again, but carries it quite down to 
the sea. The Osages, a pretty numerous na- 
tion, settled on the side of a river which bears 
their name and which runs into the Missouri 
about forty leagues from its junction with the 
Mississippi, send once or twice a year, to sing the 
Calumet amongst the Kalkaskias, and are act- 



34 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ually tliere at present. I have just, seen a Mis- 
souri woman who told me that her nation is the 
first we meet with going up the Missouri. This 
nation (the Missouri) is situated eighty leagues 
from the confluence of the Missouri river with 
the Mississippi." Charlevoix also gives the first 
information we have of the tribes of Indians 
above the Missouri nation. Higher up we find 
the Cansez (Kansas) ; then the Octotatoes 
(Otoes), which some call the Mactotatas; then 
the Ajouez (lowas) and Panis (Pawnees), a 
very populous nation divided into several con- 
tons, which have names very different from each 
other. All the people I have mentioned inhabit 
the west side of the Missouri, except the Ajouez 
(lowas), which are on the east side, neighbors 
of the Sioux, and their allies." Another \Vriter 
says : "It is evident that during the first half 
of the seventeenth century, the country now 
forming the State of Nebraska was inhabited 
along its southern border by the Kansas Indians ; 
that the Platte river, then called the Divere des 
Panis, was the home of the Pawnees, who also 
had villages to the northward at a point a con- 
siderable distance up the Missouri river. But to 
the westward, on the headwaters of the Kansas 
river, of the Platte river and of the Niobrara, 
lived the Padoucahs, a tribe long since extinct. 

In about 1721-24 the French under M de 
Bourgmont erected a fort on an island in the 
Missouri river, abovt the mouth of the Osage 
river, which post was called "Fort Orleans," 
But the stocl-ade was attacked after its comple- 
tion and occupation, and all the garrison slain. 
Bourgmont the builder of this Fort Orleans, be- 
fore its destruction passed many leagues up to 
the northwest of this fort into the Nebraska and 
Kansas country, and made firm friends with 'the 
Padoucahs, who had previously been seen by 
Dutisne. 

In 1732 the Mississippi company surrendered 
their charter to the French government and then 
came the bursting of the "Mississippi bubl)le." 
This company had held possession of Louisiana 
for fourteen years and left it with a population 
of five thousand whites and half as many blacks. 
On the loth of April, 1732, the French King 
declared the province free to all his subjects, 
with equal privileges as to trade and commerce. 
Though the company had done little for the en- 



during welfare of the Mississippi valley regions, 
yet it did something ; the cultivation of tobacco 
and rice was introduced; the lead mines of Mis- 
souri were opened, and, in the Illinois country, 
the cultivation of wheat began to assume some 
importance, but the immediate valley of the Mis- 
souri and the country to the west remained wholly 
in possession of the native tribes. For thirty 
years or more after this there was but little 
worthy of special mention that transpired in the 
upper portion of the Louisiana province. St. 
Genevieve, on the west side of the Mississippi, 
within what is now jNIissouri was founded, and 
during 1762 the first village was established on 
the Missouri river named "Village du Cote" now 
St. Charles, Mo. In the same year the Governor 
General of Louisiana granted to Laclede and 
others a charter under the name of the "Louis- 
iana Fur Company," which, among other things, 
conferred the exclusive privilege of trading with 
the Indians of the Missouri River. But just be- 
fore this time, momentous events had transpired 
in Canada. This country was conquered by the 
English, and the province of Louisiana became 
the property of other powers. 

A brief review of the events leading up to the 
transfer of Louisiana to Spain by the French 
will be appropriate in this connection. 

On the loth of April, 1732, after the bursting 
of the "Mississippi bubble" and the surrender of 
the charter of the Mississippi Company, the con- 
trol of the commerce of Louisiana reverted to 
the crown of France. Bienville remained as 
governor for the French king until 1735. In the 
meantime a jeolousy and rivalry had sprung up 
between Louisiana and the English colonies on 
the Atlantic coast which became fierce and bitter. 
In 1 753 the first actual conflict arose between the 
French and English colonists. The French ex- 
erted every effort to prevent the other colonists 
from attempting to extend their settlements to- 
ward the j\Iississippi. The avowal was made of 
the purpose of seizing and punishing any Eng- 
lishman found in the Ohio or Mississippi valley. 
To carry out their purpose the French seized 
upon a piece of territory claimed by \'irginia, 
and, alive to their interests, protests were made 
by the colonists of Virginia, Pennsylvania and 
New York. In 1753 Governor Dinwiddic of 
\'irginia. sent George Washington, then a young 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



35 



man of twenty-one, to the French commandant 
to demand by what right he invaded British soil 
in time of peace between France and England. 
Gardeur de St. Pierre, the French officer in com- 
mand, was met near the headwaters of the Alle- 
gheny by the young colonist, after a difficult win- 
ter journey. Washington, on stating his de- 
mands, received the insolent answer that they 
would not discuss right, but as they had dis- 
covered the country they would hold it. 

On the return of Washington, in January, 
1/54, he made his report. Forces were raised, 
and, under Colonel Washington, marched upon 
the enemy. They had an action in western Penn- 
sylvania with some of the French troops, in which 
ten of the latter, with their commander, Jumon- 
ville, were killed. Some twenty French were 
made prisoners. The French receiving reinforce- 
ments, Washington was forced to fall back before 
overwhelming numbers. At Green Meadows he 
erected a rude stockade, which he called Fort 
Necessity. Here he was, shortly after, surround- 
ed by a force consisting of some six hundred 
French and a hundred or two Indians. On the 
3d of July he was forced to capitulate, and July 
4, 1754, the British troops (or rather the colo- 
nials) withdrew from the Ohio valley. War 
between England and France broke out in May, 
1755- This conflict lasted, in the colonies, with 
various fortunes, until February 10, 1763, when 
the treaty of Paris was signed by the warring 
powers of Europe. By this instrument France 
renounced all her title to New France, now Can- 
ada, and all the land lying east of the Mississippi 
river, except the island and town of New Or- 
leans. 

By the conquest of Canada by the British in 
1760 the province of Louisiana alone remained 
to France, but even this she was not in a position 
to hold. On November 3rd, 1762, she ceded it 
to Spain, shorn however; of its eastern half which 
fell to the English as stated. The entire region 
of the Missouri river including all that now 
forms Nebraska was thereafter for thirty-seven 
years, Spanish territory, but Spain did not at 
once take possession of this territory. On Feb- 
ruary 15th,' 1764, Laclede's company established 
itself on the present site of the City of St. Louis 
where he founded that city. A few years later 
a compan)' of Spanish troops took possession of 



St. Louis in the name of the King of Spain and, 
in 1770, French possession was at an end in so 
much of upper Louisiana as lay west of the Mis- 
sissippi, for in that year a lieutenant-governor 
arrived at St. Louis and extended his authority 
over the whole region. 

In 1783 Great Britain by a definite treaty of 
peace signed September 3, relinquished all claim 
and ceded to the United States all the territory 
east of the Mississippi river to the Atlantic 
ocean from a line along the great lakes on the 
north southward to the thirty-first parallel and 
southern border of Georgia. This was the treaty 
of Aix la Chapelle, which terminated the Revolu- 
tionary war. At the same time the British gov- 
ernment ceded to Spain all the Floridas which 
she had taken east of Louisiana and south of the 
southern limits of the united colonies just freed. 
It will therefore be seen that as yet the territory 
now constituting the State of Nebraska was no 
part of the United States, but remained a posses- 
sion of Spain, and the home of savage nations, 
visited only by the vagrant trader to traffic in 
furs with the different tribes. These traders 
were mostly Frenchmen. Sometimes they would 
have houses and remain stationary for one, two 
cr even more years; but sooner or later they all 
departed from the country 

At an early period after the conclusion of 
peace the' people of the United States began to 
demand the free navigation of the Mississippi 
river. The Spanish power holding one bank en- 
tirely, and both part of its course, assumed that 
they had exclusive use of it, and demanded heavy 
tolls on all imports south of the mouth of the 
Ohio. This was a vexed question at the time, 
r.nd came, at one period, near disrupting the 
country, the intrigues of Miro and Carondelet, 
the Spanish governors, tending to the separa- 
tion of the western colonies from the eastern. 
All these questions were quieted by the treaty of 
Madrid, October 20, 1795, by which the free 
navigation of the river was assured and the use 
of New Orleans as a port of entry or deposit 
granted. October 16, 1802, these rights were re- 
voked by Morales, then intendent of Louisiana, 
but this action was not acquiesced in by the gov- 
ernor. Indignation ran high in the United States 
at that time over the matter. To efl^ectually se- 
cure the risfhts of the LTnited States in the navi- 



36 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



gation and commerce of the INIississippi, Presi- 
dent Thomas Jefferson, in January, 1803, sent a 
message to the Senate of the United States nomi- 
nating Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe 
ministers to the court of France, with full au- 
thority to conclude a treaty to that end. Previous 
to this all the Louisianas had passed back into 
the possession of France. By a treaty made be- 
tween the republic of France and Spain the lat- 
ter power had agreed to furnish a monthly war 
contribution to France, as she was unable to 
furnish soldiers for a common war. This debt, 
not being paid, accumulated until poverty-strick- 
en or favorite-ridden Spain could not pay. At 
the same time, the first consul, Bonaparte, had 
constructed out of some fragments of Italy re- 
maining in his bands the kingdom of Eturia. 
Now Spain proposed that she would, on the can- 
cellation of the debt due by her, and the gift of 
the kingdom of Eturia to the deposed Prince of 
Parma, son-in-law of the king of Spain, make 
over to Fr3nce her province of Louisiana. This 
was acceded to, and by the hands of her chief 
magistrate the new monarchs were crowned 
in Paris and sent to their new government, and, 
by the treaty signed at Madrid, IMarch 21, 1801, 
France received back the immense tract of terri- 
tory then known as Louisiana. Thus Nebraska 
was again French territory. 

The newly accredited ministers of the United 
States arrived in Paris at a critical time. The 
hollow peace which followed the treaty of Amiens 
between England and France was strained to its 
utmost. Napoleon, with the admirable foresight 
which governed all his military measures, saw 
that this vast colony across the seas would be 
lost to him if war should break out between 
France and England. He took measures accord- 
ingly. Summoning M. Marbois, the secretary of 
finance, he broached the idea of selling to th" 
Americans the whole province of Louisiana. In 
this he was governed by several motives. He felt 
he was making a friend of the American people 
and casting a bone of contention between them 
and the English government, and he also pro- 
cured money with which to carry on the war. 
M. Marbois sent for the ministers and proposed 
the matter. Messrs. Monroe and Livingston 
were, neither of them, dismayed at their want nf 
powers to make any such a treaty, entered inio 



the stipulation, subject, of course, to the rati- 
fication of their government. By the terms of 
this paper France ceded to the United States the 
whole province of Louisiana, for which she was 
to receive the sum of fifteen million dollars, and 
the United States assumed, also, the payment ot 
certain claims against the French government. 
These latter were by merchants and ship owners 
who had suffered loss by the seizure of their ves- 
sels and cargoes by the Directory, a former gov- 
ernment in France. The original price, which 
was paid through banking houses in Amsterdam, 
and the "spoliation claims" above mentioned, 
brought the price of Louisiana up to $27,267,- 
621.98, as officially stated. This treaty was signed 
April 30, 1803. Much opposition developed in 
the United States to the ratification of the treaty. 
New England being particularly bitter against 
it. The far-seeing statesmen of that day alone 
appreciated the vast importance of the territory 
so cheaply purchased. The administration was 
bitterly attacked by the Federalists, and it was 
claimed that all kinds of danger to the republic 
would grow out of the confirmation of the treaty. 
Sober common sense, however, prevailed, and the 
treaty was confirmed. In December of the same 
year the province was officially delivered to the 
commissioners appointed to receive it, Governor 
Claiborne, of Mississippi, and General James 
Wilkinson, of the United States Army. It is 
related that these latter were just in time, as a 
British fleet was approaching New Orleans to 
take possession when the stars and stripes were 
being hoisted over it. 

By these means the United States became pos- 
sessed of a territory extending from the Gulf of 
Mexico to the forty-ninth parallel of north lati- 
tude, and from the banks of the Mississi])pi to 
the crest of the Rocky Mountains. If the treaty, 
which was confirmed through the i)crsonal influ- 
ence of President JefTerson, had miscarried our 
now grand republic would have been bounded 
on the west by the "Father of Waters." and the 
vast empire lying west of it, now a valuable part 
of the United States, would have been in the 
possession of a foreign power. To that act of 
Livingston and Monroe in transcending their 
powers, the personal influence and wisdom of 
President Jefferson, antl the acquiescence of the 
.'senate and the ]ieople in an act only after it had 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



37 



been done, is due the fact that Nebraska is now 
a part of the Federal Union. 

At that time the territory since known by the 
name of the Louisiana purchase included what is 
now the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri. 
Iowa, Minnesota (or the greater part of it), 
North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, 
and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. It also in- 
cluded Indian Territory and Oklahoma. 

The full text of the treaty of cession between 
the United States of America and the French 
Republic is as follows : 

The President of the United States of America and 
the First Consul of the French Republic, in the name of 
the French people, desiring to remove all sources of 
misunderstanding relative to the objects of discussion 
mentioned in the second and fifth articles of the con- 
vention of the Sth Vendemaire, an g (30 September, 
iSoo), relative to the rights claimed by the United 
States, in virtue of the treaty concluded at Madrid, the 
27th of October, 1795, between his Catholic Majesty 
and the said United States, and willing to strengthen 
the union and friendship which at the time of the said 
convention was happily re-established between the two 
nations, have respectfully named their plenipotentiaries, 
to-wit : the President of the United States of America, 
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of 
the said States, Robert R. Livingston, Minister Plenipo- 
tentiary of the United States, and James Monroe. Min- 
ister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary of the 
said States, near the government of the French Repub- 
lic ; and the First Consul, in the name of the French 
people, the French citizen Barbe Marbois, Minister of 
the Public Treasury, who, after having respectively ex- 
changed their full powers, have agreed to the following 
articles : 

Article I. Wheee.\s, By the article the third of the 
treaty concluded at St. Ildefonso, the 9th Vendemaire, 
an 9, (ist October, 1800), between the First Consul of 
the French Republic and his Catholic Majesty, it was 
agreed as follows: "His Catholic Majesty promises 
and engages on his part to retrocede to the French 
Republic, six months after the full and entire execution 
of the conditions and stipulations herein relative to his 
royal highness, the Duke of Parma, the colony or prov- 
ince of Louisiana, with the same extent that it now has 
in the hands of Spain, and that it had when France 
possessed it ; and such as it should be after the treaties 
subsequently entered into between Spain and other 
States;" and 

WHERE.A.S, In pursuance of the treaty, and particu- 
larly of the third article, the French Republic has an 
incontestible title to the domain and the possession of 
the said territory: the First Consul of the French Re- 
public desiring to give to the LTnited States a strong 



proof of his friendship, doth hereby cede to the United 
States, in the name of the French Republic, forever, 
and in full sovereignty, the said territory, with all its 
rights and appurtenances, as fully and in the same man- 
ner as they have been acquired by the French Republic 
in virtue of the above-mentioned treaty, concluded with 
his Catholic Majesty. 

Article IL In the cession made by the preceding 
article, are included the adjacent islands belonging to 
Louisiana, all public lots and squares, vacant lands, 
and all public buildings, fortifications, barracks and 
other edifices which are not private property. The 
archives, papers and documents relative to the domain 
and sovereignty of Louisiana and its dependencies, will 
be left in the possession of the Commissioners of the 
United States, and copies will be afterward given in 
due form to the magistrates and municipal officers of 
such of the said papers and documents as may be neces- 
sary to them. 

Article III. The inhabitants of the ceded territory 
shall be incorporated in the Union of the United States, 
and admitted as soon as possible, according to the prin- 
ciples of the federal constitution, to the enjoyment of 
all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of 
the LJnited States ; and in the meantime they shall be 
maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their 
liberty, property and the religion which they profess. 

Article IV. There shall be sent, by the Government 
of France, a Commissary to Louisiana, to the end that 
he do every act necessary, as well to receive from the 
officers of his Catholic Majesty the said country and its 
dependencies in the name of the French Republic, if it 
has not been already done, as to transmit it in the name 
of the French Republic to the Commissary or agent of 
the United States 

Article V. Immediately after the ratification of the 
present treaty by the President of the United States, 
and in case that of the first consul shall have been pre- 
viously obtained, the Commissary of the French Re- 
public shall remit all the military posts of New Orleans 
and other parts of the ceded territory, to the Commis- 
sary or Commissaries named by the President to take 
possession ; the troops, whether of France or Spain, 
who may be there, shall cease to occupy any military 
post from the time of taking possession, and shall be 
embarked as soon as possible, in the course of three 
months after the ratification of this treaty. 

Article VI. The United States promise to execute 
such treaties and articles as may have been agreed be- 
tween Spain and the tribes and nations of Indians, un- 
til by mutual consent of the United States and the said 
tribes or nations, other suitable articles shall have been 
agreed upon. 

Article VII. As it is reciprocally advantageous to 
the commerce of France and the United States to en- 
courage the communication of both nations, for a 
limited time, in the country ceded by the present treaty, 
until general arrangements relative to the commerce of 
both nations mav be agreed on, it has been agreed be- 



38 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tween the contracting parties, that the French ships 
coming directly from France or any of her colonies, 
loaded only with the' produce or manufactures of France 
or her said colonies, and the ships of Spain coming 
directly from Spain or any of her colonies, loaded only 
with the produce or manufactures of Spain or her col- 
onies, shall be admitted during the space of twelve 
years, in the ports of New Orleans, and all other legal 
ports of entry within the ceded territory, in the same 
manner as the ships of the United States, coming di- 
rectly from France or Spain or any of their colonies, 
without being subject to any other or greater duty on 
merchandise, or other or greater tonnage than those 
paid by the citizens of the United States. 

During the space of time above-mentioned, no other 
nation shall have a right to the same privileges in the 
ports of the ceded territory; the twelve years shall 
commence three months after the exchange of ratifi- 
cations, if it shall take place in France, or three months 
after it shall have been notified at Paris to the French 
Government, if it shall take place in the United States; 
it is, however, well understood, that the object of the 
above article is to favor the manufactures, commerce, 
freight and navigation of France and Spain so far as 
relates to the importations that the French and Spanish 
shall make into the said ports of the United States, 
without in any sort affecting the regulations that the 
United States may make concerning the exportation of 
the produce and merchandise of the United States, or 
any right they may have to make such regulations. 

Article VIII. In future, and forever after the ex- 
piration of the twelve years, the ships of France shall 
be treated upon the footing of the most favored nations 
in the ports above-mentioned. 

Article IX. The particular convention signed this 
day by the respective Ministers, having for its objects 
to provide for the payment of debts due to the citizens 
of the United States by the French Republic, prior to 
the 30th of September, 1800 (8th Vendemaire, 9), is 
approved, and to have its execution in the same man- 
ner as if it had been inserted in the present treaty, and 
it shall be ratified in the same form and in the same 
time, so that the one shall not be ratified distinct from 
the other. 

Another particular convention, signed at the same 
date as the present treaty, relative to a definite rule be- 
tween the contracting parties, is in like manner ap- 
proved, and will be ratified in the same form and in the 
same time, and jointly. 

Article X. The present treaty shall be ratified in 
good and due form, and the ratification shall be ex- 
changed in the space of six months after the date of 
the signature by the Ministers Plenipotentiary, or 
sooner if possible. In faith whereof, the respective 
Plenipotentiaries have signed these articles in the 
French and English languages, declaring, nevertheless, 
that the present treaty was originally agreed to in the 
French language ; and have thereunto set their seals. 

Done at Paris, the tenth day of Floreal, in the 



eleventh year of the French Republic, and the 30th 
April, 1803. 

Robert R. Livingsto.v, [l. s.] 
James Monroe, [l. s.] 

Barbe Marbois, [l. s.] 

An act was passed by Congress October 31, 
1803, which authorized the President of the 
United States to take possession of Louisiana 
and form a temporary government thereof. By 
this act, the government was vested in such man- 
ner as the President of the United States might 
direct. But the authority of the general govern- 
ment really dates from March 10, 1804, on which 
date Amos Stoddard assumed the duties of Gov- 
ernor of Upper Louisiana. On the 26th of that 
month, Congress erected Louisiana into the ter- 
ritory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana. 
The division Hne was the southern boundary of 
Mississippi territory and the thirty-third degree 
of latitude. So Nebraska was then a part of the 
District of Louisiana, the latter being all of the 
French cession west of the Mississippi river ex- 
cept the present State of Louisiana. The gov- 
ernment of this large district was committed to 
the officers of the Territory of Indiana. 

The Lewis and Clark expedition was the next 
move directed toward exploring and improving 
the newly acquired territory. This expedition 
was planned by the President in the summer of 
1803 for the purpose of discovering the courses 
and sources of the Missouri and the most con- 
venient water communication thence to the Pa- 
cific ocean. Capt. Meriwether Lewis and William 
Clark, both army officers, were given command. 
The party started in May, 1804, and consisted of 
nine young men from Kentucky, fourteen sol- 
diers of the United States army, who volunteered 
their services, two French watermen, an inter- 
preter and hunter and a colored servant of Capt. 
Clark. In addition to these, who were enlisted 
for the whole expedition, a corporal and six sol- 
diers, also nine watermen, were engaged to ac- 
company the expedition as far as the Mandan 
nation in order to assist in carrying the stores or 
repelling an attack. This expedition embarked 
in three boats up the Missouri river. On May 
25th they reached LaCharrette a little settlement 
of seven houses on the Missoitri river about fifty 
miles above its nioiuh in what is now the State 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



39 



of Missouri. This was the last settlement of 
white people on the Missouri river. From this 
point onward, there was no civilization. Con- 
tinuing up the river the expedition reached and 
encamped on a large island of sand on the north 
side of the Missouri, immediately opposite the 
mouth of the River Nemeha on the evening of 
July nth. As the party proceeded from this 
point northwest to the mouth of the Niobrara 
they explored much of w'hat is now the eastern 
boundary of Nebraska, an account of what they 
saw is of especial interest in this connection. 
We therefore give their daily journal until the 
Platte was reached : 

"Thursday, 12 (July, 1804). We remained 
here today for the purpose of refreshing the party 
and making lunar observations. The Nemahaw 
empties itself into the Missouri from the south, 
and is eighty yards wide at its confluence, which 
is in latitute 39 degrees, 55 minutes and 56 sec- 
onds. Captain Clark ascended it in the pirogue 
about two miles, to the mouth of a small creek 
on the lower side. On going ashore, he found 
in the level plain several artificial mounds, or 
graves, and, on the adjoining hills, others of a 
larger size. This appearance indicates sufficiently 
the former population of this country, the mounds 
being certainly intended as tombs, the Indians 
of the Missouri still preserving the custom of 
interring the dead on high ground. From the 
top of the highest mound a delightful prospect 
presented itself — the level and extensive mead- 
ows watered by the Nemahaw and enlivened by 
the few trees and shrubs skirting the borders of 
the river and its tributary streams the lowland 
of the Missouri covered with undulating grass, 
nearly five feet high, gradually rising into a sec- 
ond plain, where rich weeds and flowers are in- 
terspersed with copses of the Osage plum ; far- 
ther back were seen small groves of trees, and 
abundance of grapes, the wild cherry of the 
Missouri, resembling our own but larger, and 
growing on a small bush, and the choke-cherry, 
which we observed for the first time. Some of 
the grapes gathered today are nearly ripe. On 
the south of the Nemahaw and about a quarter of 
a mile from its mouth, is a cliff of freestone, in 
which are various inscriptions and marks made 
bv the Indians. The sand island on which we 



are encamped is covered with two species of 
willow^ — broad and narrow leaf. 

"July 13. We proceeded at sunrise with a 
fair wind from the south, and at two miles passed 
the mouth of a small river on the north called 
Big Torkio. A channel from the bed of the Mis- 
souri once ran into this river and formed an is- 
land called St. Joseph's, but the channel is now 
filled up and the island is added to the northern 
shore. Farther on to the south is situated an 
extensive plain, covered with a grass resembling 
timothy in its general appearance, except the 
seed, which is like flax-seed, and also a number 
of grape-vines. At twelve miles, we passed an 
island on the north, above which is a large sand- 
bar covered with willows, and, at twenty and a 
half miles, stopped on a large sand-bar in the 
middle of the river, opposite a high, handsome 
prairie, which extends to the hills four or five 
miles distant though near the bank the land is 
low and subject to be overflowed. This day was 
exceedingly fine and pleasant, a storm of wind 
last night from the north-northeast having cooled 
the air. 

"July 14. We had some hard showers of 
rain before 7 o'clock, when we set out. We had 
just reached the end of the sand island, and seen 
the opposite banks fall in, and so lined with 
timber that we could not approach it without 
danger, when a sudden squall from the northeast 
struck the boat on the starboard quarter and 
would have certainly dashed her to pieces on the 
sand island if the party had not leaped into the 
river, and with the aid of the anchor and cable, 
kept her ofi' — the waves dashing over her for the 
space of forty minutes, after which the river be- 
came almost instantly calm and smooth. The 
two pirogues were ahead, in a situation nearly 
similar, but fortunately no damage was done to 
the boats or the loading. The wind having shifted 
to the southeast, we came, at the distance of two 
miles, to an island on the north. One mile above, 
on the same side of the river, is a small factory, 
where a merchant of St. Louis traded with the 
Otoes and Pawnees two years ago. Near this 
is an extensive lowland, part of which is over- 
flowed occasionally, the rest is rich and well 
timbered. The wind again changed to northwest 
by north. At seven and a half miles, we reached 



40 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the lower point of a large island on the north 
side. A sniair distance above this point is a 
river, called by the Maha (now Omaha) Indians, 
the Nishnabatona. This is a considerable creek, 
nearly as large as the Aline River, and runs par- 
allel to the Missouri the greater part of its 
course, being tifty yards wide at its mouth. In 
the prairies or glades, we saw wild timoth}-, 
lambsquarter, huckleberries, and, on the edge 
of the river, summer grapes, plums and goose- 
berries. We also saw to-day, for the first time, 
some elk, at which some of the party shot, but at 
too great a distance. We encamped on the north 
side of the island, a little above Nishnabatona. 
having made nine miles. The river fell a little. 

"July 15. A thick fog prevented our leaving 
the encampment before 7. At about four miles, 
we reached the extremity of the large island and, 
crossing to the south (side of the Missouri), at 
the distance of seven miles, arrived at the Little 
Nemaha, a small river from the south, forty 
yards wide a little above its mouth, but contract- 
ing as do almost all the water einptying into the 
Missouri at its confluence. At nine and three- 
quarter miles we encamped on a woody point on 
the south. Along the southern bank is a rich 
lowland, covered with peavine and rich weeds, 
and watered by small streams rising in the ad- 
joining prairies. They, too, are rich, and though 
with abundance of grass, have no timber except 
what grows near the water ; interspersed through 
both are grape vines, plums of two kinds, two 
species of wild cherry, hazelnuts and gooseber- 
ries. On the south, there is one unbroken plain, 
on the north, the river is skirted with some tim- 
ber, behind which the plain extends some four or 
five miles to the hills, which seem to have little 
wood. 

"July 16. We continued our route between 
a large island opposite to our last night's en- 
campment and an extensive prairie on the south. 
About six miles, we came to another large island 
called Fairsun Island, on the same side, above 
which is a spot where about twenty acres of the 
hill have fallen into the river. Near this is a 
cliflf of sandstone for two miles, which is much 
frequented by birds. At this place, the river is 
about one mile wide, but not deep, as the timber 
or sawvcrs mav be seen scattered across the 



whole bottom. At twenty miles distance, we saw 
on the south an island called by the French I'lsle 
Chance, or ijald Island, opposite to a large prairie 
which we called Baldpoint Prairie, from a ridge 
of naked hills that bound it, running parallel with 
the river so far as we could see, and from three 
to six miles distance. To the south, the hills 
touch the river. We encamped a quarter of a 
mile beyond this in a point of woods on the 
north side. The river continues to fall. 

"Tuesday, July 17. We remained here this 
day in order to make observations and correct 
the chronometer, which ran' down on Sunday. 
The latitude we found to be 40 degrees, 27 min- 
utes, 5 seconds. The observation of the time 
proved our chronometer to be slow 5 minutes 
and 51 seconds. The highlands bear from our 
camp north, 25 degrees west, up the river. Capt 
Lewis rode up the country and saw the Nishna- 
batona about ten or twelve miles from its mouth, 
at a place not more than three hundred yards 
from the Missouri, and a little above our camp. 
It then passes near the foot of the Bald Hills and 
is at least six feet below the level of the Mis- 
souri. On its banks are the oak, walnut and 
mulberry. 

"Wednesday, July 18. We passed several 
bad sand-bars in the course of the day, and made 
eighteen miles and encamped on the south (of 
the Missouri) opposite to the lower point of the 
Oven Islands. An Indian dog came to the 
bank ; he appeared to have been lost and was 
nearly starved. We gave him some food, but 
he would not follow us. 

"Thursday, July 19. The Oven Islands are 
small and two in number, one near the south 
shore, the other in the middle of the. river. Op- 
posite to them is the prairie called Terrien's 
Oven, from a trader of that name. We encainped 
on the western extremity of the island, in the 
middle of the river, having made ten and three- 
quarter miles. 

"Friday, July 20. W'e passed, at about three 
miles distance, a small willow island to the north 
and a creek on the south, about twenty-five yards 
wide, bv the French called L'eau qui Pleure, or 
the Weeping Water. Thence we made two and 
one-half miles to another island : three miles 
farther to a third ; six miles bevond, which is a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



41 



fourth island, at the head of which we camped 
on the southern shore ; (made) in all eighteen 
miles. 

"Saturday, July 21. \Ve had a breeze from 
the southeast, by the aid of which we passed, at 
about ten miles, a willow island on the south, 
near highlands, covered with timber at the bank, 
and formed of limestone with cemented shells. 
On the opposite bank is a sand-bar, and the land 
near it is cut through at high water by small 
channels, forming a number of islands. The wind 
lulled at 7 o'clock, and we reached, in the rain, 
at the distance of fourteen miles, the great river 
Platte." 

On the morning of the 22d of July, the party 
again set sail, and, having found, at a distance of 
ten miles from the mouth of the Platte, a high 
and shaded situation on the north side of the 
Missouri, they encamped there to make observa- 
tions and to send for the neighboring tribes for 
the purpose of making known to them the recent 
change in the government and the wish of the 
United States to cultivate their friendship. That 
time of the year was the one in which the In- 
dians go out into the prairies to hunt the buffalo, 
but, as some hunters' tracks had been discovered, 
and, as the plains were on fire in the direction of 
the Indian villages, it was hoped that they might 
have returned to gather the green corn. Two 
men were therefore dispatched to the Otoe or 
Pawnee villages with a present of tobacco and 
an invitation to the chiefs to visit the company 
at their encampment. Their first course was 
through an open prairie to the south, in which 
they crossed Butterfly Creek. They then reached 
a small beautiful river called Come de Cerf, or 
Elkhorn River, about one hundred yards wide, 
with clear water and a gravelly channel. It emp- 
tied a little below the Otoe village into the Platte, 
which they crossed and arrived at the town, 
about forty-five miles from the point of starting. 
They found! no Indians there, though they saw 
some fresh tracks of a small party. 

The Otoes were once a powerful nation, and 
lived about twenty miles above the Platte, on 
the southern bank of the Missouri. Being re- 
duced, they emigrated to the neighborhood of 
the Pawnees, under whose protection they were 
then living. Their village was on the south side 
of the Platte, about thirty miles from its mouth, 



and their number was 200 men, including about 
thirty families of Missouris (all that were left), 
who were incorporated with them. Five leagues 
above them, on the same side of t^ie river, re- 
sided the Pawnees. This nation, once among the 
most numerous of those inhabiting the valley of 
the ]Missouri, had gradually been dispersed and 
broken, until they were now greatly reduced in 
numbers. They consisted of four bands — the 
first was the one just mentioned, of about 500 
men, to whom of late years had been added the 
second band called Republican Pawnees, from 
their having lived previously on the Republican 
branch of the Kansas River, whence they emi- 
grated to join the principal band on the Platte. 
They amounted to nearly 250 men. The third 
was the Pawnees Loups, or Wolf Pawnees, who 
reside on the Wolf Fork of the Platte, about 
ninety miles from the principal Pawnees. These 
numbered 280 men. The fourth band originally 
resided on the Kansas and Arkansas, but, in their 
war with the Osages, they were so often defeated 
that they at length retired to the Red River, 
where they formed a tribe of 400 men. To the 
westward of the Pawnees, upon the Platte, were 
a number of wandering tribes supposed to have 
previously been of the Padoucalis, previously 
mentioned. 

The expedition again started up the Missouri 
on the 27th of July. At ten and a half miles, 
there was seen and examined a curious collection 
of mounds, on the south side of the river. Not 
far from a low piece of land and a pond was 
discovered a tract of about 200 acres covered 
with these prehistoric earthworks of different 
heights, shapes and sizes, some of sand and some 
of both earth and sand, the largest being nearest 
the river. After making fifteen miles, the party 
encamped for the night on the Nebraska side 
of the Missouri. The next day (July 28), they 
reached the place where the Iowa Indians form- 
erly lived. These were a branch of the Otoes and 
emigrated thence to the river Des Moines. The 
hunter to the expedition, in the evening, brought 
to the camp a Missouri Indian, whom he had 
found with two others, dressing an elk. They 
were perfectly friendly, gave him some of the 
meat, and one of them agreed to accompany him 
in. He was one of the few remaining Missotiris 
living with the Otoes. He belonged to a small 



42 



COiSIPENDIUlM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



party, whose camp was four miles from the river. 
He reported that the body of the Otoes were 
hunting buffalo on the plains. He aj^peared quite 
sprightly and his language resembled that of the 
Osage, particularly in his calling, a chief 'inca.' 
This name was probably learned from the Span- 
iards of New Mexico. Capts. Lewis and Clark 
sent the Indian back the next morning, with one 
of their own party, with an invitation to the In- 
dians to meet them on the river above, and the 
expedition proceeded on its w-ay. What trans- 
pired during the next six days is best given in 
the record of the company : 

"Sunday, July 29. We soon came to a north- 
ern bend in the river, which runs within twenty 
yards of Indian Knob Creek, the water of which 
is five feet higher than that of the Missouri. In 
less than two miles, we passed Bower's Creek 
on the north (side of the Missouri), of twenty- 
five yards width. We stopped to dine under a 
shade near the highland on the south, and caught 
several large catfish, one of them nearly white, 
and all very fat. Above this highland, we ob- 
ser\'ed the traces of a great hurricane, which 
passed the river obliquely from northwest to 
southeast and tore up large trees some of which, 
perfectly sound and four feet in diameter, were 
snapped off near the ground. We made ten 
miles to a wood on the north (of the Missouri), 
where we encamped. 

"July 30. We went early in the morning 
three and a quarter miles and encamped on the 
south (Nebraska), in order to wait for the Otoes. 

"July 31. The hunter supplied us with deer, 
turkeys, geese and beaver; one of the last was 
caught alive, and, in a very short time perfectly 
tamed. Catfish are very abundant in the river, 
and we have also seen a buffalo-fish. One of our 
men brought in yesterday an animal called by 
the Pawnees chocar toosli, and by the French 
blair eau, or badger. 

"We waited with much anxiety the return 
of our messenger to the Otoes. The men whom 
we dispatched to our last encampment returned 
without having seen any appearance of its having 
been visited. Our horses, too, had strayed, but 
we were so fortunate as to recover them at tlie 
distance of twelve miles. Our apprenhensions 
were at length relieved by the arrival of a party 
of about fourteen Otoe and Missouri Indians, 



who came at sunset on the 2d of August, accom- 
panied by a Frenchman, who resided among them 
and interpreted for us. Captains Lewis and 
Clark went out to meet them, and told them that 
they would hold a council with them in the 
morning. In the meantime, we sent them some 
roasted meat, pork, flour and meal, in return for 
which they made us a present of watermelons. 
We learned that our man Liberte had set out 
from their camp a day before them ; we were in 
hopes that he had merely fatigued his horse or 
lost himself in the woods and would soon return, 
but we never saw him again. 

"August 3. The next morning, the Indians, 
with their six chiefs were all assembled under 
an awning formed with the mainsail, in presence 
of all our party, paraded for the occasion. A 
speech was then made announcing to them the 
change in the Government, our promises of pro- 
tection and advice as to their future conduct. All 
the six chiefs replied to our speech, each in his 
turn according to rank. They expressed their 
joy at the change in the Govermnent; their hopes 
that we would recommend them to their great 
Father (the President of the United States) 
that they might obtain trade and necessaries ; 
they wanted arms, as well for hunting as for de- 
defense, and asked our mediation between them 
and the Mahas (Omahas), with whom they were 
now at war. We promised to do so, and wished 
some of them to accompany us to that nation, 
which they declined, for fear of being killed by 
them. We then proceeded to distribute our pres- 
ents. The grand chief of the nation not being 
of the party, we sent him a flag, a medal and 
some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs 
who were present, we gave a medal of the second 
grade to one Otoe chief and one Missouri chief; 
a medal of the third grade to two inferior chiefs 
of each nation, the customary mode of recogniz- 
ing a chief being to place a medal around his 
neck, which is considered by his tribe as a proof 
of his consideration abroad. Each of these 
medals was accompanied by a present of paint, 
garters and cloth ornaments of dress ; and to 
this we added a canister of powder, a bottle of 
whisky and a few presents to the whole, which 
appeared to make them perfectly satisfied. The 
air-gun, too, was fired, and astonished them 
greatly. The absent chief was an Otoe named 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



43 



Heahrushhah, which in EngHsh degenerates into 
Little Thief. The two principal chieftains pres- 
ent were Shongotongo, or Big Horse, and 
Wethea, or Hospitality ; Shosguscan, or White 
Horse, an Otoe ; the first an Otoe, the second a 
Missouri. 

"The incidents just related induced us to give 
to this place the name of Council Bluffs. The 
situation of it is exceedingly favorable for a fort 
and trading factory, as the soil is well calculated 
for bricks and there is an abundance of wood in 
neighborhood and the air being pure and healthy. 
It is also central to the chief resorts of the In- 
dians ; one day's journey to the Otoes ; one and 
a half to the Great Pawnees; two days from the 
Mahas ; two and a quarter from the Pawnees 
Loups village ; convenient to the hunting-ground 
of the Sioux, and twenty-five days journey to 
Santa Fe." 

After concluding the ceremonies of the coun- 
cil, Lewis and Clark set sail in the afternoon and 
encamped in what is now Nebraska, at a distance 
of five miles above Council Bluffs. The next day 
(August 5), after passing a narrow part of the 
river, they came to a place on the south side of 
the Missouri, where was a deserted trading-house. 
Here one of the party had passed two years in 
trafficing with the Mahas. Fifteen miles from 
their previous encampment brought the expedi- 
tion to a place where it was concluded would be 
a good stopping place for the night — where the 
hills on both sides of the river were twelve or 
fifteen miles from each other. From this point, 
nothing of especial interest transpired during 
the next three days ; meanwhile, a distance of 
nearly sixty miles was made, when (August 7) 
four men were sent back to the Oteo village in 
quest of the missing man, Liberte, also, to ap- 
prehend one of the soldiers, who left the party 
on the 4th of the month, under pretext of re- 
covering a knife which he had dropped a short 
distance behind, and who is was feared had de- 
serted. Small presents were also , sent to the 
Oteos and Missouris, and a request that they 
would join the expedition at the Maha village, 
where a peace might be concluded between them. 
On the nth of the month, after having made 
sixty miles farther up the Missouri, the expedi- 
tion halted on the south side of the stream for the 
purpose of examining a spot where one of the 



great chiefs of the Mahas, named Blackbird, who 
had been dead about four years, was buried. He 
died of the small-pox. This chief seemed to have 
been a person of great consideration in his na- 
tion. August 13 he brought the party, at a dis- 
tance of over forty miles from Blackbird's grave 
to a spot where, on the Nebraska side of the Mis- 
souri, a Mr. Mackay had a trading establish- 
ment in the years 1795 and 1796, which he called 
"Fort Charles." 

The diary of the expedition continues : "At 
fourteen miles (from the previous place of 
camping), we reached a creek on the south, on 
which the Mahas reside, and, at seventeen miles 
and a quarter, formed a camp on a sand-bar, to 
the south side of the river opposite the lower 
point of a large island. From this place, Sergt. 
Ordway and four men were detached to the Maha 
village, with a flag and a present, in order to in- 
duce them to come and hold a council with us. 
They returned at 12 o'clock the next day, Au- 
gust 14. After crossing a prairie covered with 
high grass, they reached the Maha Creek, along 
which they proceeded to its three forks, which 
join near the village; they crossed the north 
branch and went along the south ; the walk was 
very fatiguing, as they were forced to break their 
way through grass, sunflowers and thistles, all 
above ten feet high and interspersed with wild 
pea. Five miles from our camp they reached the 
position of the ancient Maha village ; it had once 
consisted of 300 cabins, but was burnt four years 
ago, soon after the small-pox had destroyed 400 
men and a proportion of women and children. 
On a hill, in the rear of the village are the graves 
of the nation, to the south of which nms the fork 
of the Maha Creek; this they crossed where it 
was about ten yards wide, and followed its course 
to the Missouri, passing along a ridge of hill for 
one mile and a half and a long pond between that 
and the Missouri ; they then re-crossed the Maha 
Creek and arrived at the camp, having seen no 
tracks of the Indians nor any sign of recent cul- 
tivation. 

"On the morning of the 15th, some men were 
sent to examine the cause of a large smoke from 
the northeast, and which seemed to indicate that 
some Indians were near; but they found that a 
small party, who lately passed that way, had left 
some trees burninsr, and that the wind from that 



44 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RExMINISCENCE AND IJlOGRx\PHY 



quarter blew the smoke directly toward us. Our 
camp lies about three miles nortiieast from the 
old JNlaha village, and is in latitude 42 degrees, 
13 minutes and 41 seconds. The accounts we 
have had of the effects of the small-pox on that 
nation are most distressing; it is not known in 
what way it was first communicated to them, 
though probably by some war party. They had 
been a military and powerful people, but when 
these warriors saw their strength wasting be- 
fore a malady which they could not resist, their 
frenzy was extreme ; they burnt their village and 
many of them put to death their wives and chil- 
dren to save them from so cruel an affliction, and 
that all might go together so some better country. 

"On the i6th we still waited for the Indians ; 
a party had gone out yesterday to the Maha 
Creek, which was dammed up by the beaver be- 
tween the camp and the village ; a second went 
to-day. They made a kind of drag with small 
willows and bark, and swept the creek. The 
first company caught 318 fish; the second, up- 
ward of 800, consisting of pike, bass, fish resemb- 
ling salmon, trout, red-horse, bufi'alo, one rock- 
fish, one flatback, perch, catfish, a small species 
of perch, called on the Ohio silverfish, a shrimp 
of the same size, shape and flavor of those about 
New Orleans and the lower part of the Mississ- 
ippi; we also foimd very fat muscles, and, on 
the river, as well as the creek, are different kinds 
of duck and plover. ''•"■ * * 

"Friday, 17. In the evening one of the party 
sent to the Otoes returned with the information 
that the rest were coming on with the deserter ; 
they had also caught Liberte ; but by a trick, he 
made his escape ; they were bringing three of the 
chiefs in order to engage our assistance in making 
peace with the Mahas. * * * 

August 18. In the afternoon, the party ar- 
rived with the Indians, consisting of the Little 
Thief and the Big Horse, whom we had seen on 
the 3d, together with six other chiefs and a 
French interpreter. * * * 

"August 19. The chiefs and warriors being 
assembled at 10 o'clock, we explained the speech 
we had already sent from Council TilufTs.and re- 
newed our advice. * * * 

"Tlie next morning, August 20, the Indians 
mounted their horses and left us, having received 
a canister of whisky at parting. W'c then set 



sail, and, after passing two islands on the north, 
came to one on that side under some bluffs — the 
first bluffs near the river since we left Ayauvva 
(Iowa) Village. Here we had the misfortune 
to lose one of cur Sergeants — Charles Floyd. 
He was yesterday seized with a bilious colic, and 
all our care and attention were ineffectual to re- 
lieve him. A little before his death, he said to 
Capt. Clark, "i am going to leave you." His 
strength failed him as he added, T want you to 
write a letter for me.' He died with a composure 
which justified the high opinion we had formed 
of his firmness and good conduct. He was buried 
on the top of the bluff' with the honors due a 
brave soldier, and the place of his interment was 
marked by a cedar post on which his name and 
the day of his death were inscribed. About a 
mile beyond this place, to which we gave his 
name, is a small river, about thirty yards wide, 
on the north side (of the Missouri), which we 
called Floyd's River, where we encamped. We 
had a breeze from the southeast and made thir- 
teen miles." 

On the 2ist of August the party reached the 
mouth of the Great Sioux river, where is now 
situated Sioux City, Iowa, and on the 27th of 
the same month reached the mouth of the 
/ James or Dakota river. Here they met and held 
a council with the Sioux Indians, a large body 
of whom were encamped near by. This council 
was held at Calumet Bluffs, on the Nebraska 
side of the Missouri, August 30. The Sioux 
were foimd Ijy Lewis and Clark to be divided in 
ten separate tribes or bands — Yanktons, Tetons 
of the Burnt Woods, Tetons-Okandandas, Te- 
tons-Minnekenozzo, Tetons-Saone, Yanktons of 
the Plains, Wahpatone, Mendawarcarton, Wah- 
patoota, and Sistasoone. It was estimated that 
the men of the entire nation in 1804 was over 
2,500 representing a population of over 10,000. 
From here on to the Rapid river (or as it was 
called by the French, Rivere qui Court — now 
the Niobrara) nothing of particular importance 
occurred, and here the expedition passed be- 
yond sight of Nebraska soil. The expedition 
finally reached the Pacific ocean, and returned 
down the Missouri in the summer of 1806. 

In the daily journal which was kept by 
Lewis and Clark an extended account is given 
of a remarkable pre-historic earthwork which 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



45 



they visited before they reached the Niobrara. 
It was on the south side of the Missouri river 
in the north part of what is now Knox county, 
Nebraska. The journal says : "This earth- 
work is opposite the upper extremity of Bon- 
honime Island, and in a low, level plain, the hills 
being three miles from the river. It begins by 
a wall composed of earth, rising immediately 
from the bank of the river, and running in a 
direct course south seventy-six degrees west, 
ninety-six yards ; the base of this wall or mound 
is seventy-five feet and its height about eight. 
It then diverges in a course south eighty-four 
degrees west, and continues at the same height 
and depth to a distance of fifty-three yards, the 
angle being formed by a sloping descent ; at the 
junction of these two is an appearance of a 
horn work of the same height as the first angle ; 
the same wall then pursues a course northwest 
for three hundred yards. Near its western ex- 
tremity is an opening or gateway, at right 
angles to the wall, defended by two semi-circu- 
lar walls, placed before it; and from the gate- 
way there seems to have been a covered way 
communicating with the interval between these 
two walls. Westward of the gate the wall be- 
comes much larger, being about 105 feet at its 
base and twelve feet high. At the end of this 
high ground the wall extends for fifty-six 
yards on a course north thirty-two degrees 
west. It then turns north twenty-three degrees 
west for seventy-three yards. These two walls 
seem to have had a double or covered way. They 
are from ten to fifteen feet in height and from 
seventy-five to 105 in width at the base ; the 
descent inward being steep while outward it 
forms a sort of glacis. At the distance of sev- 
enty-three yards the wall ends abruptly at a 
large hollow place, much lower than the general 
level of the plain, and from which is some in- 
dication of a covered way to the water. The 
space between them is occupied by several 
mounds scattered promiscuously through the 
gorge, in the center of which is a deep round 
hole. From the extrcmitv of the last wall, in 
a course north thirty-two degrees west, is a dis- 
tance of ninety-six yards over the low ground, 
where the wall re-commences and crosses the 
plain in a course north eighteen degrees west for 
1,830 yards, to the bank of the Missouri. In tlii:5 



course, its height is about eight feet, till it 
enters, at the distance of 533 yards, a deep circu- 
lar pond of seventy-three yards in diameter, after 
which it is gradually lower toward the river. 
It touches the river at a muddy bar, which 
bears every mark of being an ancroachment of 
the water for a considerable distance, and a 
little above the injunction is a small circular 
redoubt. 

"Along the bank of the river and at 1,100 
yards distance in a straight line from this wall, 
is a second wall about six feet high and of 
considerable width. It rises abruptly frojn the 
bank of the Missouri, at a point where the 
river bends, and goes straight forward, form- 
ing an acute angle- with the last wall, 
till it enters the river again, not far from 
the mounds just described, toward which 
it is obviously tending. At the bend, the Mis- 
souri is 500 yards wide ; the ground on the op- 
posite side, highlands, or low hills on the bank ; 
and, where the river passes between this fort 
and Bonhomme Island, all the distance from 
the bend it is constantly washing the banks into 
the stream, a large sand bank being already 
taken from the shore near the wall. During the 
whole course of this wall, or glacis, it is covered 
with trees, among which are many large cotton 
trees, two or three feet in diameter. Immediately 
opposite the citadel, or the part most strongly 
fortified on Bonhomme Island, is a small work in 
a circular form, with a wall surrounding it about 
six feet high. The young willows along the 
water joined to the general appearance of the 
two shores, induce a belief that the bank of 
the island is encroaching, and the Missouri in- 
demnifies itself by washing away the base of the 
fortification. The citadel contains about twenty 
acres, but the parts between the long walls must 
embrace nearly 500 acres." 

The District of Louisiana was changed to the 
Territory of Louisiana by an act of Congress 
passed March 3, 1805, which provided for a 
governor, secretary and two judges. It was 
detached from Indiana Territory and erected 
into a separate territory, so that Nebraska be- 
came a part of the "Territory of Louisiana." 
In 1808 the Missouri Fur Company was es- 
tablished, and an expedition under its au.spices 
was sent out under command of Maj. A. Henrv. 



46 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



He established trading posts on the upper JMis- 
souri beyond the Rocky mountains. 

In 1805 JManuel Lisa, a wealthy Spaniard, 
with a party in search of trading grounds, 
reached the lands north of the Platte. The 
beauty of the scene caused him to exclaim 
"Bellevue," by which name the spot has since 
been designated. It is the present site of Belle- 
vue, Sarpy count)-, Nebraska. 

In 1810 the American Fur Company, a 
great trading monopoly under the control of 
John Jacob Astor, established a trading post at 
Bellevue. Francis De Roin was placed in 
charge of the business there, and a few years 
later was succeeded by Joseph Robiaux. In 
1842 Col. Peter A. Sarpy became agent at Belle- 
vue and for thirty years he was the leading 
spirit of that region. In 1841 the government 
transferred to Bellevue the government agency 
which had previously been located at Fort Cal- 
houn or Old Council BlufTs. 

The settlement of Bellevue and the estab- 
lishing of the trading post there by the Ameri- 
can Fur Company in 1810 is claimed by many 
writers to have been the first settlement made 
by whites within the limits of what is now the 
State of Nebraska. 

By an act of Congress passed June 4, 1812, 
the ''Territory of Louisiana" became the "Terri- 
tory of Missouri," within the bounds of which 
was the present area of Nebraska. It provided 
for territorial ofificers and a council and house 
of representatives. The members of the house 
were to be elected by the people. On the 19th 
of January, 1816, the legislature passed a law 
making the common law of England the law of 
the territory. 

In 1819 an exploring expedition was started 
from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the Rocky mountains, 
under Maj. Stephen PI. Long, the principal ob- 
ject of which was a topographical description 
of the country visited. They came up the Mis- 
souri river and reached the mouth of the Platte 
river on September 15, 1819. Two days later 
they reached the trading establishment of the 
Missouri Fur Company, called Fort Lisa. This 
was five or six miles below Council BlufTs on 
the west side of the river. It was occupied by 
Samuel Lisa, one of the most active persons en- 
gaged in the fur trade. The expedition went 



into quarters for the winter about a half mile 
above Fort Lisa, on the same side of the 
river. 

In the meantime councils had been held with 
various Indian tribes, which eventually resulted 
in treaties being agreed upon. A treaty between 
the Otoes and the United States was proclaimed 
December 26, "1817; one was ratified with the 
lowas and one with the Mahas December 26, 
1815, and one with the Pawnees as early as 
January 5, 1812. A treaty was also concluded 
with the Pawnees Grand and proclaimed Janu- 
ary 7, 1819; one with the Noisy Pawnee tribe 
on the same day, and one with the Republican 
Pawnees January 17, 18 19. The Yankton tribe 
of the Sioux treaty was proclaimed July 19, 
1815; the Sioux of the River St. Peter's and 
those of the Lakes was proclaimed the same day. 
The treaties all provided that there should be 
perpetual peace between the Indians and Ameri- 
cans and the tribes all acknowledged themselves 
to be under the protection of the United States. 

It will therefore be seen that at the time of 
Major Long's visit to Nebraska all the Indian 
nations of the Missouri river and its tributaries 
as far up as the homes of the Sioux and down 
to the region of the mouth of the Namaha had 
been treated with by the agents of the general 
government. Major Long held various coun- 
cils with the Indians. During the winter of 
i8i9-'20, it was decided to change the course 
of the expedition and explore the sources of the 
Platte river. The expedition left "Engineer 
Cantonment" June 6, 1820, and reached the 
Elkhorn, a considerable tributary of the Platte 
the next day. Soon after crossing the Elkhorn, 
the party entered the valley of the Platte. The 
march was up this valley on the north side of 
the stream until the Loup Fork was reached. 
In this way the expedition proceeded up the 
Platte valley, crossing the entire State of Ne- 
braska, following the south fork to the Rocky 
mountains, visiting en route a number of the 
Indian villages. 

Major Long's party was the first exploring 
expedition ever to ascend the Platte from its 
mouth to the confluence of the two forks, but 
others had descended the river previous to that 
date. In 181 1 a part of the men engaged in 
Hunt's expedition to the mouth of the Columbia 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



47 



river, on their return from tlie Pacific, fell upon 
the source of the north fork of the Platte and 
descended thence to the Missouri. Also in 
June, 1812, Robert Stewart, one of the partners 
■of the Pacific Fur Company, with several others 
while coming from the Pacific struck the head- 
waters of the Platte, spent the winter on it, 
and final!}- reached the Missouri. 

It may now be said that the territory in- 
cluded within the preseiit boundaries of Ne- 
braska had been explored. The general fea- 
tures and the homes of its Indian tribes were 
pretty well known. 

On the 2d of Alarch, 1819, the Congress of 
the United States created, out of the Missouri 
Territory, the Territory of Arkansas. On the 
6th of March, 1820, an act was approved author- 
izing the people of Missouri Territory to form a 
constitution and State government, and for the 
admission of the State into the Union. This 
was assented to by the people, in State conven- 
tion on the 19th of July following. On the 
2d of March, 1821, the State was admitted, with 
conditions, by a joint resolution of Congress. 
These conditions were accepted, and Missouri 
became a State by proclamation August 10, 
182 1. As first established, the State was bound- 
ed on the west by a meridian passing through 
the mouth of the Kansas river. An act was 
approved June 7, 1836, extending the boundary 
to the Missouri river, north of its intersection 
with this line, whenever the Indian title to this 
portion should be extinguished, and the State 
express its assent to the change. The Indian 
title was extinguished by a treaty with the 
lowas and Sacs and Foxes, September 17, 1836. 
This addition was known as the "Platte Pur- 
chase," and was sanctioned by the State Decem- 
ber 16, 1836, and: was declared perfected by a 
proclamation of the President March 28, 1837. 
This was bringing a state very close to portions 
of what are now included in Nebraska — only 
across the Missouri to the present counties of 
Richardson, Nemaha, and the southeast corner 
of Otoe. 

After the admission of Missouri as a State 
into the Union for nearly thirty-three years the 
country now included within the boundaries of 
the State of Nebraska was practically without a 
government, but before the end of this time 



the country was attached to the United States 
Judicial District of Missouri. 

In the spring of 1822, William H. Ashley, the 
head of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, of 
St. Louis, equipped two boats to ascend the 
Missouri river to the mouth of the Yellow- 
stone. This was a disastrous expedition, as 
during the first three months one-fourth of the 
men were lost by violent deaths, and a good deal 
of the property by accident, deceit and war 
with the savages. 

In the meantime negotiations were being 
carried on with the Indians of the various 
tribes. The Missouri Fur Company, one of the 
strongest and most active engaged in the trade, 
had at its head Dr. Pilcher. Benjamin O'Fallon 
was one of the principal partners and was one 
of the most active in bringing about the treaties 
between the government and the various Indian 
tribes of Nebraska and adjacent country already 
referred to. By a treaty proclaimed December 
30, 1825, the Kansas tribe ceded to the Unitc.l 
States a large section of this country. On April 
12, 1834, a treaty was proclaimed by which the 
four confederate bands of the Pawnees did like- 
wise. The Pawnees as well as the surrounding 
tribes were greatly ravished by smallpox in 
1832. Sooti after the Pawnees by treaty agreed 
to confine themselves to the north side of the 
Platte, but in a short time the Sioux came down 
upon them with great slaughter. From this 
time their numbers rapidly decreased. 

In 1834, by an act of Congress, it was en- 
acted that all that part of the United States west 
of the Mississippi and not within the States of 
Missouri and Louisiana or the Territory of Ar- 
kansas should be considered Indian country 
for the purposes of the act, and certain regula- 
tions were prescribed for its government. This 
included the whole of the present State of Ne- 
braska. 

In 1835 another expedition under the direc- 
tion of the general government traversed the 
Platte valley. Col. Henry Dodge was in charge 
of this expedition and followed the west bank 
of the Missouri to the mouth of the Platte, 
then traced the last-mentioned stream to its 
source. 

Col. John C. Fremont's exploring expedition 
came in 1842. They reached the Big Blue on 



48 



COMPEXDIL'.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



June 20, 1842. Fremont reached the confluence 
of the North and South Forks of Platte river 
July 2d. From this point the party traveled 
up the South Fork forty miles, where it was 
decided to divide the party — one to ascend the 
fork they were then on, the other to cross over 
to the North Fork. W'hh five men Fremont 
continued his journey up the South Fork, 
reaching, on July 5th, a point near the western 
boundary of what is now Keith county, Ne- 
braska. The other party followed the North 
Fork up to the American Fur Company's fort, 
at the mouth of Laramie's Fork (Fort Laramie), 
where the two parties were reunited and went on 
west, returning later in the fall of the same 
year. The second Fremont expedition was 
undertaken in 1843. 

During the decade following the time when 
the Fremont expedition traveled over Nebraska, 
various circumstances conspired to send thou- 
sands of white men into this region for a 
longer or shorter period. First, in point of time 
and numbers were the Mormons. Their home in 
Nauvoo, Illinois, having been broken up, the 
greater part of the believers in that faith jour- 
neyed slowly across Iowa, and finally with few 
exceptions crossed the Missouri river during the 
years 1845 ^"^ 1846, locating about six miks 
north of Omaha, at what is now known as Flor- 
ence, but which was then called "Winter Quar- 
ters" by the Mormons. Here about 15,000 peo- 
ple congregated. The Indians were hostile to 
them, complaining that they cut too much tim- 
ber, and the complaints caused the exodus of 
the IMormons. Many of them found temporary 
shelter on the Iowa side of the river. Soon an 
expedition of eighty wagons was sent out in 
search of a permanent home for the Latter Day 
Saints, which resulted in the selection of the 
Salt Lake Valley — then far beyond the reach of 
government law and civilization. The presence 
of these families had no decisive influence on the 
future of Nebraska. 

In 1847 the Presbyterian Board of Missions 
confirmed the selection of Bcllevue for the lo- 
cation of a mission school. This was an import- 
ant step in the history of Nebraska. The mis- 
sion school buildings were finislied and formally 
opened in 1848. 

In 1849 there set in that wonderfully mi- 



gratory movement to California, directlv across 
what is now within the boundaries of the State. 
Bands of gold seekers crossed the Missouri at 
old Fort Kearney (now Nebraska City), tt 
Plattsmouth, at Bellevue and at Council Bluffs. 
Another great stream flowed from the southeast, 
striking the Platte at (New) Fort Kearney, pre- 
viously called Fort Childs, which had been es- 
tablished on the south side of the Platte, op- 
posite Grand Island. Thus the fever of 1849 
swept over all the land and thousands found 
their way to the Pacific along the valley oi 
the Platte. The moving host left here and there 
a permanent impress on the land ; the knowledge 
of this fertile country spread, and later on many 
of these same "forty-niners" sought its peace- 
ful hills and plains wherein to erect homes for 
their declining years. Another effect of the 
emigration was the establishment of a ferry be- 
tween what is now Omaha and Council Bluffs 
by Wm. D. Brown, in 185 1 or 1852. In 1853 
he made claim to the site of Omaha. In 1850 
a military road was established leading from 
Fort Leavenworth to Fort Kearney on the 
Platte. 

By this time the territory was being so 
thoroughly travelled over that the broad and 
beautiful rolling prairies and the rich soil hv- 
came well known and it was clear now that it 
was only a question of time when emigration 
would cross the Missouri and in an irresistable 
wave spread itself widely over the fertile plains 
beyond. The general government, therefore, 
continued the negotiations for residue of the 
Indian lands and as rapidly as possible con- 
cluded treaties to restrict the Indians to moder- 
ate metes and bounds. 

Nebra.ska was the highway to the west, and a 
place should be given in this history to men- 
tion of the events and conditions which were 
largely instrumental in the original settlement of 
Nebraska. In remote times — scmote for the 
west — the beginning of "the West" was at the 
Mississippi. Western Illinois and Wisconsin 
and Western Iowa were accessible by water by 
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The region 
beyond was known only to the courageous few 
who had braved the perils of a wilderness in- 
habited by hostile tribes. But. in 1850. when 
the fever for gold had spread throughout the 




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Sor>.srnooLt/Ot rf - // /// // f 1 a7 t -i/.j- \7/\'j^ \JHffi^h 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



49 



East, the limits of civilization had extended so 
far that supplies of horses, mules, cattle, 
wagons, coffee, flour, bacon, sugar and the in- 
dispensables of a trip across the plains were ob- 
tainable at points on the Missouri river, in the 
State of Missouri. Parties endeavored to reach 
that stream early in the spring, that they might 
take advantage of the growth of vegetation as 
food for their teams. While some caravans 
followed the Arkansas, many more chose to 
come up the Missouri, and travel thence west- 
ward along the rich valley of the Platte. Thus 
was first opened up to observant pioneers the 
beauties of this region. Hundreds of improvid- 
ent but eager men set out so late in the season 
as to encounter the rigor of winter in the 
mountains, and many perished miserably from 
exposure and starvation. Others started early 
enough to safely pass the Rocky mountains, only 
to meet their fate in the inhospitable fastness of 
the Sierra Nevadas, where snow frequently 
piles to the depths of thirty and forty feet in lo- 
calities. Among the "early trials were the dan- 
gers incident to crossing a country inhabited by 
fierce Indians. If the truth could be known, 
probably every mile from the Missouri to the 
Pacific would demand at least one headstone 
to mark a victim's grave. 

At the time referred to, the whole region, 
from the Missouri to the Pacific, was vaguely 
known as "the plains," -though it embraced al- 
most every variety of country. First, the emi- 
grant crossed the rich, rolling prairies of Ne- 
braska. The soil grew thinner and thinner un- 
til it merged into dreary sand deserts. Upon 
these he found myriads of prairie dogs, some- 
times living in towns twenty miles square ; herds 
of graceful antelopes bounded over the hills, 
and huge ungainly buffaloes, which numbered 
millions then, blackened parts of the landscape. 
A day's journey was from ten to twenty miles. 
When the company halted for the night, they 
turned their animals to graze, with such pre- 
cautions as served to prevent their escape ; 
lighted a fire on the prairie of buffalo chips, 
and supped on pork, hot bread or "fla;i-jacks," 
and washed the frugal repast down with the 
inevitable tin cup of coffee. Their trusty guns 
were kept within easy reach, and the whitened 
skull of a buffalo, perhaps killed by some emi- 
4 



grant long before in wanton sport, served as a 
seat. The wagons were covered with stout 
canvas, and aft'orded protection to the few 
women and children during the later years of 
the excitement. All became inured to the con- 
ditions of outdoor life. When large streams 
were reached, the heavy wagon's were floated 
or hauled, and where it was convenient to do so, 
rude bridges were constructed over smaller 
streams. Every source of ingenuity was 'de- 
veloped. If a wheel gave way, and the me- 
chanical productiveness of the party could not 
replace it, a cottonwood log, with one end 
dragging on the ground, was made to serve in- 
stead. If a pole broke, another was extempor- 
ized from the nearest timber. If an ox died, 
some luckless cow was yoked in his place. 
Sometimes one family, or one party of half a 
dozen men, journed alone, and sometimes there 
were a hundred or more wagons in a single 
"train," with their white covers enveloped in 
an increasing cloud of dust. During the sea- 
sons when emigration was very heavy, caravans 
could, from an eminence, be seen stretching out 
for miles and miles, and at night every pleasant 
camping-ground was a populous village. The 
journey was not without its enjoyments, though 
one's philosophy was sorely tried at times- 
There were often long delays for hunting lost 
cattle, waiting for swollen streams to subside,, 
or in climbing the mountains. Storms and mis- 
haps frequently taxed the patience of all, and 
sickness came to feeble frame and hardy men 
alike. The first of a long line of trains often 
climbed steep hills, instead of going the longer 
and easier way through ravines, and the fol- 
lowers along the new roads were forced to de- 
sert the beaten track, and risk untried courses,, 
or labor on in their wake. It was not uncommon 
to see from ten to thirty yoke of cattle hitched 
to a single wagon, working slowly up the moun- 
tain. The summit reached at last, the wagon 
would be emptied, and, with a huge log trailing 
behind as a brake, the teams would descend to 
repeat their experience in ascending with other 
loads. The wild, majestic scenery along the 
way may have been a partial compensation to 
some for the hardships they endured ; but it is 
reasonable to believe that few would have re- 
fused to forego those delights if thereby they 



50 



CUAli'EiNDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE A\D BIOGRAPHY 



niigl.t have gained easier transit. The tragedies 
of those days were numerous. The very nature 
of the journey, and the chances of sudden 
wealth, combined with the freedom of the man- 
ner of living, gathered many a desperate char- 
acter into the civil army. The baser passions 
were loo often allowed full scope, and hence it 
must be recorded that many a villain found his 
end at the hands of outraged companions. The 
travelers were a law unto themselves, and greed 
or lust were summarily avenged. 

An early settler wrote the following vivid 
description of the appearance of Nebraska in 
1856: "In 1856 I first came to Nebraska, and 
the rolling prairies existing between the Big 
Sandy and Fort Kearney had been burnt off, 
so that as the caravan with which I was travel- 
ing passed along, a wide waste of desolation 
met the eye. The surface of the earth was 
black as charcoal, and here and there was 
spotted with the bleached bones of buffalo, 
oxen and wolves. It seemed as though nothing 
could live in that forsaken-looking country; 
and yet I thought then that where that black, 
charred surface was, there must have been long 
blades of brown and yellow grass, before the 
fire swept them ti.t of existence. And I 
thought, too, the grass must have been beauti- 
fully green in the spring and summer time ; and 
I hoped to see the summer bloom for me again. 
When I approached the Platte valley from the 
hills which skirt it, my eyes were delighted with 
the sight that met my view. Near by, lay that 
beautiful country, its land as level as a floor, 
the dense groves of trees stretching out as far 
as the eye could see. It was a gorgeous spec- 
tacle, and, it seemed to me, no valley on the 
earth could surpass it in agricultural possibili- 
ties. During the winter of 1856-57, I journeyed 
on to F'ort Laramie. The point at which I 
struck the Platte must have been 250 miles from 
its mouth. I'rnm there to Fort Laramie was 
about 375 miles. I, therefore, traveled fully 
375 miles, so that my opportunity for judging 
of, its extent and general features was of the 
best, although it was seen under most disparag- 
ing circumstances. That was a terrible winter. 
From October to May snow was on the ground. 
On the last day of November, our party arrived 
at Ash Hollow, returning from l-'ort Laramie. 



The snow was a foot deep at the former place. 
That night, another storm came on and con- 
tinued for several days and nights. When it 
was over, we were snow-bound. We remained 
there two weeks and then moved on to a village 
of Ogallala Sioux Indians, where we remained 
more than a month, and were kept from starv- 
ing by the kindness of the Indians, who gave 
us all the buffalo meat we needed for our food. 
From this village to Fort Kearney we journej'ed 
en the ice of the Platte. On the land, the snow 
lay two feet deep, while the valleys were filled 
full with drifting snow. F'or months there was 
nothing to be seen but the dazzling whiteness 
of the snow. W'e were sixteen days in going 
from Ash Hollow to Fort Kearney, a distance of 
150 miles, and necessarily encouatered many 
hardships and privations on the way. A few 
days after our arrival at the fort another severe 
storm came on with strong winds. This lasted 
several days and completely buried the one- 
story houses of the fort in the drifts. Barracks, 
officers' quarters, stables — all were covered, and 
trenches had to be dug around haystacks to pre- 
vent the cattle from walking on top of them. 
Cuttings were made from door to door of the 
houses, to allow the inmates to go in and out. 
The season was terrible, but it was general 
throughout the northwest. It was an unfavor- 
able time to form an opinion of the region, but 
I nevertheless resolved to make it my future 
home. I knew that the snow would finally dis- 
appear; and so it did. In June, the valley of 
the Platte was decked with living green ; tht 
trees were rich with foliage, and birds chirpeo 
forth their songs of joy." 

Early in the fifties a movement was begun 
which culminated in the organization of Ne- 
braska as a terrilnry. On F'ebruary 10, 1853, 
a bill organizing the territory of Nebraska 
passed the house byt failed to pass the senate. 
On tlie 14th of December, 1853, the second bill 
was introduced in the senate, and on May 30, 
the organic act creating the Territory of Ne- 
braska was signed by President Pierce and be- 
came a law. The first territorial officers ap- 
pointed by President Pierce were as follows : 
Governor, Francis Burt, of South Carolina; 
secretarv, Thonias B. Cuming, of biwa; chief 
justice, Tinner I'ergiison, of Michigan : associ- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENX'E AND BIOGRAPHY 



51 



ate justices, James Bradley, of Indiana, and 
Edward R. Hardin, of Georgia; marshal, Mark 
^^'. Isard of Arkansas ; attorney, E. Estabrook, 
of Wisconsin. 

Governor Burt reached the Territory in ill 
health on the 6th of October, 1854, and pro- 
ceeded to Bellevue. He took the oath of office 
October 16, 1854, but his illness proved of a 
fatal character, and he sank rapidly. His death 
occurred October 18, 1854, and the duties of or- 
ganizing the territorial government devolved 
upon secretary Cuming, who became acting gov- 
ernor. Practically the first official act in the 
territorial government was the issuance of a 
proclamation announcing the deatli of Governor 
Burt. 

At the time of its organization the territory 
was divided into eight counties, viz. : Burt, 
Washington, Dodge, Douglas, Cass, Pierce, 
Forney and Richardson. 

The official headquarters of the territory 
were located temporarily at Bellevue until the 
assembling of the legislature in January, 1855. 
There was intense rivalry over the location of 
the capital between Bellevue, Florence, Platts- 
mouth, Nebraska City and Omaha, but it was 
decided in favor of Omaha. The erection of a 
capital building at Omaha was commenced in 
the fall of 1855, which was completed by Janu- 
ary, 1858. It was a commodious brick build- 
ing. 

In the fall of 1854, the first census of the. 
Territory was taken by virtue of a proclamation 
issued by the governor, and on December 12th, 
of the same year, the first election was held. 

In March, i860, the question of forming a 
State Government was submitted to the people 
and defeated by a vote of 2,372 to 2,094. 

The matter of State organization was again 
taken up in 1864. On April 19, of that year, 
the enabling act passed by Congress was ap- 
proved by the President and became a law. Ne- 
braska was now a State. 

In the meantime settlements were being made 
by a sturdy and thrifty class of pioneers in 
various portions of the State, and the inhabit- 
ants settled down to the peaceful pursuits of 
husbandry. From this time down to the pres- 
ent time we will here treat of only the most 
important points that have proven mile posts in 



the history of the State. For the more detailed 
mention of the different phases of the growth 
and development of the State we refer the reader 
to the special articles, elsewhere in this volume. 

The growth and development of the State 
and its settlement had only begun to reach sub- 
stantial proportions when it was interrupted by 
the breaking out of the civil war in 1861. In 
May, 1861, Gov. Alvin Saunders issued a pro- 
clamation calling for the immediate raising of 
a regiment of infantry. In pursuance to this 
Companies A, B, C, D, E, F and G, of the First 
regiment were all sworn into the service in 
June, 1861. Three more companies ware 
sworn into the service in July and all these com- 
panies took their departure for St. Joseph. In 
August a call was issued for two companies of 
cavalry to join the First regiment. 

In 1862 and also in 1863 a number of com- 
panies of cavalry were organized and mustered 
into the service. Additional companies of 
cavalry and infantry were organized in 1864 
and sent to the front. 

In 1864 ai'id 1865 the Indians along the 
frontier gave the whites a great deal of trouble 
and many depredations were committed. On 
July 25, 1865, an attack was made on Platte 
Bridge Station by one thousand Indians. 

In 1866 the State constitution was adopted 
by a vote of the people and on March i, 1867, 
President Andrew Jackson issued a proclama- 
tion declaring Nebraska a State. The first ses- 
sion of the legislature after the admission of 
the State into the Union met May 16, 1867, 
under a proclamation issued by Governor 
Butler. 

The first State legislature (i866-'67) ap- 
pointed Governor David Butler, secretary of 
State, T. P. Kennard, and state auditor, John Gil- 
lespie, a commission for selecting a site for the 
State capital. The commissioners commenced 
their search in July, 1867, and made a thorough 
examination of all territory designated by the 
act of the legislature which embraced the coun- 
ties of Lancaster, Seward: and a part of the 
counties of Butler, Saunders and Saline. Sev- 
enty-two sections of land and twelve salt springs 
had been donated to the new State by the gen- 
eral government and these were located by the 
Governor within a radius of twenty miles of the 



52 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Great Salt Basin. The balloting of the commis- 
sioners for location of the State capital occurred 
July 29, 1867, and resulted in favor of Lincoln 
(then called Lancaster). Work on the capitol 
building was commenced promptly. The build- 
ing was sufficiently completed by December, 
1868, for occupancy and on December 3, 1868, 
Governor Butler issued a proclamation an- 
nouncing the removal of the seat of government 
to Lincoln, and ordered the transfer of the ar- 
chives of the State to the new capitol. 

In 1869 the University of Nebraska was 
founded. 

On the loth of Alay, 1869, there occurred 
an event which marked one of the most im- 
portant mile posts, not only for Nebraska alone 
but ill American history as well — the comple- 
tion of the Union Pacific Railroad to Ogden. 
On that day two oceans were united, a continent 
was spanned' by iron bandsand a revolution was 
accomplished in the commerce of the world. 
The event was observed in Omaha by a grand 
celebration. 

In 1871 articles of impeachment were formu- 
lated against Governor Butler. The trial began 
March 14th, and resulted in an order for his 
removal from office. On September 19th of this 
year a new constitution was submitted to a vote 
of the people and rejected. 

The first serious devastation by grasshoppers 
occurred in July, 1874. In 1875 a new constitu- 
tion was adopted by a vote of the people. In 
1878 the State Historical Association was 
organized. 

In 1882 a great strike took place on the 
Burlington railroad, resulting in serious riot- 
ing, which required the militia to quell. 

In 1890 an Indian insurrection occurred at 
Pine Ridge Agency, which assumed such ceri- 
ous proportions as to require the calling out of 
the National Guards. The census of this year 
gave Nebraska a population of 1,058,910. 

In 1894 began the "famine period." The hot 
winds in July of this year throughout practically 
the whole State parched all vegetation, causing 
a practically entire failure of crops of all kinds. 
The crop failures (1894-1895) resulted in great 
suflfering in the western part of the State. In 
January, 1895, the legislature passed a relief 
bill, appropriating $50,000 for the relief of the 



western suflferers. This was followed in March 
of the same year by an additional appropriation 
of $200,000. 

In 1898, shortly after the breaking out of 
the Spanish-American war. Governor Holcomb 
issued a proclamation calling for vounteers, and 
as a result of this the First and Second regi- 
ments were mustered in at Lincoln, ^lay 9 and 
10, 1898. The Third regiment was mustered 
in at Fort Omaha on July 7th, of the same 
year. 

One of the important events of recent years 
in Nebraska that should be mentioned was the 
opening of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition at 
Omaha, June i, 1898. 

The foregoing covers all the most important 
events that would be considered as marking 
epochs in the history of the State. It may oe 
said that the principal set-backs which the State 
has suffered were those caused: First, by the 
civil war in 1861-1865, which temporarily de- 
layed the settlement and development of this 
region by the drawing into the service of the 
government many of the able bodied men from 
all parts of the country. But the delay was 
only temporary and the emigration set in with 
renewed force immediately after the close of 
hostilities, and many of the war veterans found 
their way to Nebraska to settle down to peace- 
ful avocations. Second, the occasional out- 
breaks of the Indians in early days may be said 
to have been one of the causes which for a time 
most seriously delayed and interrupted the 
growth of the State as many living in the east- 
ern states were deterred from emigrating to 
Nebraska through fears of the Indians, aroused 
by the occasional outbreaks and the sensational 
rumors that were current in the east. The 
third great interruption to Nebraska's growth 
was from the grasshopper raids of the "sev- 
enties." Fourth, the drouth and consequent 
failure of crops which occurred about 1894 
proved a serious set-back to Nebraska as well 
as to the entire western country. 

These however may all be justly considered 
as being the usual and ordinary set-backs that 
must be met in the development of any new 
countr}-. With these exceptions it may be said 
that the forward progress of the State has been 
steady and rapid. The seasons have come and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



53 



gone, leaving bountiful crops to enrich and sup- 
ply the wants of all, and prosperity reigns su- 
preme throughout the length and breadth of the 
State. The changes that have been wrought 
are truly marvelous. And as these changes of 
only a half a century are contemplated, one can 
scarcely realize or comprehend that the wonder- 
ful results of time's marvel-working hand are 
the achievements of a period, so brief, as to be 
within the remembrance of men who are still 
living. Turn back, as it were, the leaves of 
time's great book to but a half century ago, and 
the stranger would have gazed upon a landscape 
of great beauty, selected by the red men as their 
camping-ground, ^v!ith that singular apprecia- 
tion of the beautiful which nature made an in- 
stinct in the savage. These vast and rolling 
prairies were as green then as now ; the- prairie 
flowers bloomed as thickly and diffused' their 
fragrance as bountifully. It was the home of the 



red man with scarcely a trace of civilization. 
But today, what a contrast ! Then all was as 
nature had formed it with its varigated 
hues of vegetation; in winter a dreary snow- 
manteled desert; in summer a perfect paradise 
of flowers. Now all traces of the primitive 
are obliterated ; in place of the tall prairie grass 
and tangled underbrush, one beholds the rich 
waving fields of golden grain. In place of the 
dusky warriors' rude cabins are the substantial 
and often elegant dwellings of the thrifty farm- 
ers; and the "iron horse," swifter than the nim- 
ble deer, treads the pathway so recently the trail ■ 
of the red man. Cities and villages, the pc-r 
of those which have been centuries in building, 
have sprung up as if by magic ; civilization and 
progress are apparent on every hand'; schools 
and churches adorn the former prairies ; and the 
result is a prosperous land, filled with an enter- 
pirsing, intelligent and ha]ipy people. 



CHAPTER III. 



POLITICAL, TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION, STATE ORGANIZATION, LEGIS- 
LATIVE AND OFFICIAL ROSTER. 



MOVEMENTS TOWARD SECURING TERRITORIAL OR- 
GANIZATION. 

In 1 85 1 and 1852 the first effort was made 
to erect a territory west of Missouri and Iowa 
which was abortive and the matter did not reach 
a vote in Congress. At the next session, 1852- 
'53. Willard P. Hall, of Missouri, on December 
13, 1852, offered a bill in the House of Repre- 
sentatives organizing the Territory of "Platte," 
which included in its area what is now the 
greater part of Nebraska, the northern limit of 
the region being generally described as "the 
Platte River." The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Territories. From that com- 
mittee William A. Richardson, of Illinois, re- 
ported a bill organizing the Territory of Ne- 
braska, covering the same area. The report did 
not meet with the approval of the southern mem- 



bers, and they made such a fight on it that the 
report presented recommended that the bill be 
rejected. Notwithstanding the objections, how- 
ever, the bill passed the House by a vote of 
98 to 43, Feburary 10, 1853. Now began the 
contest which became notorious in the , history 
of the nation. The bill went to the senate, 
heralded by pro-slavery blasts of warning. 
There was organized, secretly, a system to 
prevent free soil from becoming a new territory, 
unless a similar tract of slave soil should be set 
oft', as a counterpoise in the National Legisla- 
ture ; for to admit a, free territory without one 
dedicated to slavery was to give the anti-slavery 
faction a political lever that mjght he used 
against the South. The bill reached the Senate 
where it was moved to "lay it on the table." 
This defeated the bill by a vote of 23 to 17, the 
senators from the slave states, with the 



34 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



exception of those from Missouri were solidly 
arrayed against the bill. 

In the meantime the people of Iowa and 
many localities in the west had manifested their 
disapproval of the lines described in the bill, 
and they began to impatiently insist that the 
country west of the Missouri river be opened to 
settlement. Thousands of emigrants were 
camping along the eastern banks of the Mis- 
souri, impatiently awaiting the extinguishment 
of the Indian title to lands and were awaiting 
the permission of the general government to 
cross over and settle in the new territory. And 
to that end in the fall of 1853 a considerable 
number of persons crossed the Missouri from 
Iowa and assembling at Bellevue and Old Fort 
Kearney, proceeded to hold an election for a 
delegate to represent their interests at Wash- 
ington in securing a territorial organization. 
Said election was held on the nth of October, 
1853, and resultedi in the unanimous choice of 
Hon. Hadley D. Johnson, a prominent lawyer 
and leading citizen of Council Bluffs, Iowa. 

On the 14th of December, 1853, a bill was 
introduced in the senate by Augustus C. Dodge, 
senator from Iowa, providing for the organiza- 
tion of the "Territory of Nebraska." This 
measure adherred to the former boundaries, and 
it was referred to the committee on territories. 
The bill contained no clause interfering with 
the interdict on slavery in this region laid down 
by the Missouri Compromise. The report of 
this committee contains so much information 
concerning the situation at that time that we 
quote the following from it, viz. : "A question 
has arisen in regard to the right to hold slaves 
in the Territory of Nebraska, when the Indian 
laws shall be withdrawn and the country opened 
to emigration and settlement. By the eighth 
section of an act to authorize the people of Mis- 
souri Territory to form a constitution and State 
government, and for admission of such State 
into the Union, on an equal footing with the 
original states, and to prohibit slavery in cer- 
tain territories,' approved March 6, 1820, it was 
provided : 'That in all that territory ceded by 
France to the United States under the name of 
Louisiana, which lies north of thirty-six and one- 
half degrees north latitude, not included within 
the limits of the State contemplated by this act, 



slavery and involuntary servitude, otherwise 
than a punishment of crimes, shall be and hereby 
are prohibited ; provided always that any per- 
son escaping into the same, etc., such fugitive 
may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the 
person or persons claiming his or her labor 01 
service as aforesaid.' Under this section, as in 
the case of the Mexican law in New Mexico. and 
Utah, it is a disputed point whether slavery is 
prohibited in the Nebraska country by valid 
enactment. The decision of this question in- 
volves the constitutional power of Congress to 
pass laws prescribing and regulating the do- 
mestic institutions of the various territories of 
the L'nion. In the opinion of these eminent 
statesmen who hold that Congress is invested 
with no rightful authority to legislate upon the 
subject of slavery in the territories, the eighth 
section of the act preparatory to the admission 
of Missouri is null and void ; while the pre- 
vailing sentiment in large portions of the Union 
■sustains the doctrine that the constitution of 
the United States secures to every citizen an in- 
alienable right to move into any of the terri- 
tories with his property, of whatever kind and 
description, and to hold and enjoy the same, 
your committee do not feel themselves called 
upon to enter upon the discussion of these con- 
troverted questions. The)- involve the same 
grave issues which produced the agitation, the 
sectional strife and fearful struggle of 1850. 
As Congress deemed it wise and prudent to 
refrain from deciding the matters in controversy 
then * * * so your committee are not pre- 
pared to recommend a departure from the course 
pursued on that memorable occasion, either by 
affirming or repealing the eighth section of the 
Missouri act, or by any act declaratory of the 
meaning of the constitution in respect to the 
legal points in dispute. It is apparent that the 
comjiromise measures of 1850 affirm and rest 
upon the following propositions : First, that 
all questions pertaining to slavery in the terri- 
tories, and the new states to be formed there- 
from are to be left to the people residing 
therein." 

When the report of the committee was pre- 
sented .\rchibald Dixon, of Kentucky, gave 
notice that he would, when the bill came up, 
offer as an amendment a clause that the eightli 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



55 



section of the Missouri act "shall not be so con- 
strued as to apply to the Territory of Nebraska, 
or to any other territory ; but that the citizens of 
the several states shall be at liberty to take an J 
hold their slaves within any of the territories 
or states to be formed therefrom." This, of 
course, would have aimulled the compromise 
act and it reopened hostilities. It was in the 
midst of this discussion and controversy that 
Hadley D. Johnson, representing the Ne- 
braska people, reached Washington. He had 
no official status, but, as representative of a 
large region affected by the measure, he was 
admitted to the councils of the committee on 
territories. He had a good deal of influence 
with the committee and it was mainly through 
his efforts that senator Douglas requested the 
rccommital of the bill. On January 23, 1854, 
a bill retaining the title was offered, but so 
amended as to leave but little of the original 
document. Two territories were now proposed 
— one to be called "Kansas," the other "Ne- 
braska." The amended bill contained the fol- 
lowing important provisions concerning slavery : 
First, that all questions pertaining to slavery in 
the territories, and in the new states to be form- 
ed therefrom, are to be left to the decision of 
the people residing therein, through their ap- 
propriate representatives. 

Second. That all cases involving the title 
to slaves, and questions of personal freedom are 
referred to the adjudication of the local tri- 
bunals, with right of appeal to the Supreme 
Court of the United States. 

Third. That the provisions of the constitu- 
tion and laws of the United States, in respect 
to fugitives from service, are to be carried into 
faithful execution, in all the original territories, 
the same as in the states. 

The fight that followed over this bill was 
a hotly-contested one. Senator Douglas intro- 
duced an amendment, affirming the principle of 
of non-intervention by Congress which pre- 
vailed. Senator Chase moved "that the people 
of the territory may, if they see fit, prohibit the 
existence of slavery therein." This was voted 
down. The contest and debate that followed 
was one of the most notable in the history of the 
country. It is not necessary to follow it in de- 
tail in this connection. So far as- the dcstinv of 



Nebraska is concerned it is only necessary to 
say that the senate passed the amended bill by 
a vote of 2,7 to 14 on March 3, 1854. In May 
a bill was passed by the house, in form as an 
original measure, although it was in essence 
the amended senate bill. This was sent to the 
senate May 24th, and was passed. The bill was 
approved by President Pierce May 30, 1854. 
The territory embraced 351,558 square miles, 
extending from the fortieth parallel of north 
latitude to the British possessions on the north ; 
and from the Missouri river on the east to the 
summit of the Rocky mountains on the west. 
The creation of the territory of Colorado, Febru- 
ary 28, 1861, decreased the area by 16,035 square 
miles ; and the creation of the Territory of Da- 
kota, March 2, 1867, further diminished the 
area by 228,907 square miles. At one time a 
triangular tract of 15,378 square miles was at- 
tached from Washington and Utah territories, 
lying on the southwest slope of the Rocky 
mountains, but this was afterward included in 
the 45,999 square miles which went to form 
the Territory of Idaho, March 3, 1863. 

NEBR.\SK.\ .\S A TERRITORV. 

The following is the full text of the or- 
ganic act which created the Territory of Ne- 
braska : 

Be it enacted by the Senate and tlie House 
of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress Assembled, That all that 
part of the territory of the United States in- 
cluded within the following limits, except such 
portions thereof as are hereinafter expressly 
exempted from the operations of this act, to 
wit. : Beginning at a point on the Missouri 
river, where the 40th parallel of north latitude 
crosses the same ; thence west on said parallel 
to the east boundary of the Territory of Utah, 
on the summit of the Rocky mountains ; thence 
on said summit northward to the 49th parallel 
of north latitude; thence east on said parallel 
to the western boundary of the Territory of 
Minnesota ; thence southward' on said boundary 
to the Missouri river; thence down the main 
channel of said river to the place of beginning 
be, and the same is, hereby created into a tem- 
porary government, by the name of the Terri- 



56 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tory of Nebraska; and when admitted as a 
State or States, the said Territory, or any por- 
tion of the same, shall be received into the 
Union with or without slavery, as their constitu- 
tion may prescribe at the time of their admis- 
sion: Proinded, That nothing in this act con- 
tained shall be construed to inhibit the Gov- 
ernment of the United States from dividing 
said Territory into two or more Territories, -n 
such a manner and at such time as Congress 
shall deem convenient and proper, or from at- 
taching any portion of said Territory to any 
other State or Territory of the United States: 
Provided further, That nothing in this act con- 
tained shall be construed to impair the rights of 
person or property now pertaining to the Indi- 
ans in said Territory, so long as such rights shall 
remain unextinguished by treaty between the 
United States and such Indians, or to include 
any territory which, by treaty with any Indian 
tribe, is not, without the consent of said tribe, 
to be included within the territorial limits or 
jurisdiction of any State or Territory; but all 
such territory shall be excepted out of the 
boundaries, and constitute no part of the Terri- 
tory of Nebraska, until said tribe rhall signify 
their assent to the President of the United 
States to be included within said Territory of 
Nebraska, or to affect the authority of the Gov- 
ernment of the United States to make any regu- 
lations respecting such Indians, tlieir lands, prop- 
erty or other rights, by treaty, law or otherwise, 
which it would have been competent to the Gov- 
ernment to make if this act had never passed. 

Sec. 2. And he it further enacted, That the 
executive power and authority, in and over said 
Territory of Nebraska, shall be vested in a Gov- 
ernor, who shall hold his office for four years, 
and until his successor shall be appointed and 
qualified, luiless sooner removed by the Presi- 
dent of the United States. The Governor shall 
reside within said Territory, and shall be Com- 
mander-in-Chief of the militia thereof. He may 
grant pardons and respites for offenses against 
the laws of said Territory, and reprieves for 
offenses against the laws of the United States, 
until the decision of the President can be made 
known thereon ; he shall commission all officers 
who shall be appointed to office under the laws 



of the said Territory, and shall take care that 
the lavvS be faithfully executed. 

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That 
there shall be a Secretary of the said Territory, 
who shall reside therein, and hold his office for 
five years, unless sooner removed by the Presi- 
dent of the United States; he shall record and 
preserve all the laws and proceedings of the 
legislative assembly hereinafter constituted, and 
all the acts and proceedings of the Governor in 
his executive department; he shall transmit one 
copy of the laws and journals of the legislative 
assembly within thirty days after the end of 
each session, and one copy of the executive pro- 
ceedings and official correspondence, semi-an- 
nually, on the 1st days of January and July of 
each year, to the President of the United States, 
and two copies of the laws to the President of 
the Senate, and to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, to be deposited in the libraries 
of Congress; and in case of the death, removal, 
resignation or absence of the Governor from the 
Territory, the Secretary shall be and he is hereby 
authorized and required to execute and perform 
all the powers and duties of the Governor, dur- 
ing such vacancy or absence, or until another 
Governor shall be duly appointed and qualified 
to fill such vacancy. 

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the 
legislative power and authority of said Territory 
shall be vested in the Governor and a Legislative 
Assembly. The Legislative Assembly shall con- 
sist of a Council and House of Representatives. 
The Council shall consist of thirteen members, 
having the qualification of voters, as hereinafter 
prescribed, whose term of service shall continue 
two years. The house of representatives shall, at 
its first session, consist of twenty-six members, 
possessing the same qualifications as prescribed 
for members of the council, and whose term of 
service shall continue one year. The number of 
Representatives may be increased by the Legis- 
lative Assembly, from time to time, in propor- 
tion to the increase of qualified voters : Pro- 
vided, That the whole number shall never ex- 
ceed thirty-nine. An apportionment shall be 
made, as nearly equal as practicable, among the 
several counties or districts for the election of 
the Council and Rei)resentativcs, giving to each 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



57 



section of the Territory representation in the 
ratio of its quahfied voters as nearly as may be. 
And the members of the Council and of the 
House of Representatives shall reside in, and be 
inhabitants of, the district or county or coun- 
ties for which they may be elected, respectively. 
Previous to the first election, the Governor shall 
cause a census or enumeration of the inhabit- 
ants and qualified voters of the several counties 
and districts of the Territory to be taken by 
such persons and in such mode as the Governor 
shall designate and appoint, and the persons so 
appointed shall receive a reasonable compensa- 
tion therefor. And the first election shall be 
held at such time and places, and be cond'ucted 
in such a manner, both as to the persons who 
shall superintend such election and the returns 
thereof, as the Governor shall appoint and di- 
rect ; and he shall at the same time declare the 
number of members of the Council and House 
of Representatives to which each of the coun- 
ties or districts shall be entitled under this act. 
The persons having the highest number of legal 
votes in each of said Council districts for mem- 
bers of the Council shall be declared! by the 
Governor to be duly elected to the Council ; and 
the persons having the highest number of legal 
votes for the House of Representatives shall 
be declared by the Governor to be duly elected 
members of said House : Provided, That in case 
two or more persons voted for shall have an 
equal number of votes, and in case a vacancy 
shall otherwise occur in either branch of the 
Legislative Assembly, the Governor shall order 
a new election ; and the persons thus elected to 
the Legislative Assembly shall meet at such 
place and on such day as the Governor shall 
appoint ; but thereafter, the time, place and man- 
ner of holding and conducting all elections by 
the people, and the apportioning the representa- 
tion in the several counties or districts to the 
Council and House of Representatives, accord- 
ing to the number of qualified voters, shall be 
prescribed by law, as well as the day of the 
commencement of the regular sessions of the 
Legislative Assembly : Provided, That no ses- 
sion in any one year shall exceed the term of 
forty days, except the first session, which may 
continue sixty days. 

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That 



every free white male inhabitant above the age 
of twenty-one years, who shall be an actual resi- 
dent of said Territory, and shall possess the 
qualifications hereinafter described, shall be en- 
titled to vote at the first election, and shall be 
eligible to any office within the said Territory; 
but the qualifications of voters, and of holding 
office, at all subsequent elections, shall be such 
as shall be prescribed by the Legislative As- 
sembly : Provided, That the right of suffrage 
and of holding office shall be exercised only by 
citizens of the United States, and those who 
shall have declared on oath their intention to 
become such, and shall have taken an oath to 
support the constitution of the United States 
and the provisions of this act. And provided 
further. That no officer, soldier, seaman or ma- 
rine, or other person in the army or navy of the 
United States, or attached to troops in the ser- 
vice of the United States, shall be allowed to 
vote or hold office in said Territory, by reason 
of being on service therein. 

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the 
legislative power of the Territory shall extend 
to all rightful subjects of legislation consistent 
with the constitution of the Unikd States and 
the provisions of this act ; but no law shall be 
passed interfering with the primary disposal of 
the soil ; no tax shall be imposed upon the prop- 
erty of the United States ; nor shall the lands 
or other property of non-residents be taxed 
higher than the lands or other property of resi- 
dents. Every bill which shall have passed the 
Council and House of Representatives of the 
said Territory shall, before it becomes a law, 
be presented to the Governor of the Territory ; 
if he approve, he shall sign it ; but if not, he shall 
return it, with his objections, to the house in 
which it originated, who shall enter the objec- 
tions at large on its journal, and proceed' to 
reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, 
two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass the 
bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, 
to the other house, by which it shall likewise 
be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds 
of that house it shall become a law. But in all 
such cases the votes of both houses shall be de- 
termined by yeas and nays, to be entered on the 
journal of each house respectively. If any bill 
shall not be returned bv the Governor within 



5« 



CO.Ml'EXUIL'.M OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



three days (Sundays excepted) after it shall 
have been presented to him, the same shall be a 
law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless 
the Assembly, by adjournment, prevent its re- 
turn, in which case it shall not be a law. 

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, Thai all 
township, district and county officers, not herein 
otherwise provided for, shall be appointed or 
elected, as the case maj- be, in such manner 
as shall be provided by the Governor and Legis- 
lative Assembly of the Territory of Nebraska. 
The Governor shall nominate, and, by and with 
the advice and consent of the Legislative Coun- 
cil, appoint all officers not herein otherwise pro- 
vided for ; and in the first instance the Governor 
alone may appoint all said officers, who shall 
hold their offices until the end of the first session 
of the Legislative Assembly ; and shall lay off 
the necessary districts for members of the Coun- 
cil and House of Representatives and all other 
officers. 

Sec. 8. .Ind be it further enacted, Thai no 
member of the Legislative Assembly shall hold, 
or be appointed to, any office which shall have 
been created, or the salary or emoluments oi 
which shall have been increased, while he was 
a member, during the term for which he was 
elected, and for one year after the expiration 
of such term ; but this restriction shall not be 
applicable to members of the first Legislative 
Assembly ; and no person holding a commission 
or appointment under the L'nited States, except 
Postmasters, shall be a member of the Legisla- 
tive Assembly, or hold any office under the Gov- 
ernment of said Territory. 

Sec. 9. And be it further enacted. Thai the 
judicial power of said Territory shall he in- 
vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, 
Probate Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. The 
Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice 
and two Associate Justices, any iwo of whom 
shall constitute a quorum, and who shall hold 
a term at the seat of government of said Terri- 
tory annually, and' they shall hold their offices 
during the period of four years, and until their 
successors shall be appointed and qualified. The 
said Territory shall be divided into three judicial 
districts, and a District Court shall be held in 
each of said districts by one of the Justices of 
the Supreme Court, at such times and places as 



shall be prescribed by law ; and the said Judges 
.shall, after their appointments, respectively re- 
side in the districts which shall be assigned 
them. The jurisdiction of the several courts 
herein provided for, both appellate and original, 
and that of the Probate Courts and Justices of 
the Peace, shall be as limited by law : Provided, 
That Justices of the Peace shall not have juris- 
diction of any matter in controversy when the 
title or boundaries of land may be in dispute, 
or where the cebt or sum claimed shall exceed 
$100; and the said Supreme and District Courts, 
respectivel}', shall possess chancery as well as 
common law jurisdiction. Each District Court, 
or the Judge thereof, shall appoint its Clerk, who 
si. all also be Register in Chancery, and shall keep 
his office at the place where the court may be 
held. Writs of error, bills of exception and 
appeals shall be allowed in all cases from the 
final decisions of said District Courts to the Su- 
preme Court, under such regulations as may 
be prescribed by law ; but in no case removv;d 
to the Supreme Court shall trial by jury be al- 
lowed in said court. The Supreme Court, or 
Justices thereof, shall appoint its own Clerk, 
and every Clerk shall hold his office at the plea- 
sure of the court l(ir which he shall have been 
appointed. Writs of error, and appeals from 
the final decisions of said Supreme Court, shall 
be allowed, and may be taken to the Supreme 
Court of the United States, in the same manner 
and under the same regulations as from the Cir- 
cuit Courts of the L'nited States, where the 
value of the property, or the amount in con- 
troversy, to be ascertained by the oath or affirma- 
tion of either party, or other competent witness, 
shall exceed $1,000; except only that in all cases 
involving title to slaves, the said writs of error 
or appeals shall be allowed and decided by the 
Supreme Court, without regard to the value of 
the matter, property or title in controversy ; and 
except also that a writ of error or appeal shaii 
also be allowed to the Supreme Court of the 
United States, from the decision of the said Su- 
preme Court created by this act, or of any Judge 
thereof, or of the District Courts created by this 
act, or of any Judge thereof, upon any writ of 
habeas corpus involving the question of per- 
sonal freedom. Proiided, That nothing herein 
contained shall be construed to apply to or af- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



59 



feet the provisions of the "act respecting fugi- 
tives from justice, and persons escaping from 
the service of their masters," approved Febru- 
ary 12, 1793, and the "act to amend and sup- 
plementary to the aforesaid act," approved Sep- 
tember 18, 1850; and each of the said District 
Courts shall have and exercise the same juris- 
diction in all cases arising under the constitu- 
tion and laws of the United States as is vested 
in the Circuit and District Courts of the United 
States; and the said Supreme and District 
Courts of the said Territory, and the respective 
Judges thereof, shall and may grant writs of 
habeas corpus in all cases on tvhich the same are 
granted by the Judges of the United States in 
the District of Columbia ; and the first six days 
of every term of said courts, or so much thereof 
as shall be necessary, shall be appropriated to 
the trial of causes arising under the said consti- 
tution and! laws, and writs of error and appeal 
in all such cases shall be made to the Supreme 
Court of said Territory, the same as in other 
cases. The said Clerk shall receive in all such 
cases the same fees which the Clerks of the 
District Courts of Utah Territory now receive 
for similar services. 

Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That the 
provisions, of an act entitled "an act respecting 
fugitives from justice, and persons escaping 
from the service of their masters," approved 
February 12, 1793, and the provisions of the act 
entitled "an act to amend, and supplementary 
to, the aforesaid act" approved September 18, 
1850, be, and the same are hereby declared to 
extend to and be in full force within the limits 
of said Territory of Nebraska. 

Sec. II. And be it further enacted. That 
there shall be appointed an Attorney for said 
Territory, who shall continue in office for four 
years, and until his successor shall be appointed 
and qualified, unless sooner removed by the 
President, and who shall receive the same fees 
and salary as the Attorney of the United States 
for the present Territory of Utah. There shall 
also be a Marshal for the Territory appointed, 
who shall hold his office for four years, and un- 
til his successor shall be appointed and quilified, 
unless sooner removed by the President, and 
who shall execute all processes issuing from the 
said courts when exercisirg their jurisdiction 



as Circuit and District Courts of the United 
States; he shall perform the duties, be subject 
to the same regulations and penalties, and be 
entitled to the same fees, as the Marshal of the 
District Court of the United States for the 
present Territory of Utah ; and shall, in ad- 
dition, be paid $200 annually as a compensation 
for extra service. 

Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That 
the Governor, Secretary, Chief Justice and As- 
sociate Justices, Attorney and Marshal, shall 
be nominated, and, by and with the advice and 
consent of the Senate, appointed by the Presi- 
d'ent of the United States. The Governor and 
Secretary to be appointed as aforesaid shall, be- 
fore they act as such, respectively take an oath 
or affirmation before the District Judge, or some 
Justice of the Peace in the limits of said Terri- 
tory duly authorized to administer oaths and 
affirmations by the laws now in force therein, 
or before the Chief Justice or some Associate 
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United 
States to support the constitution of the United 
States and faithfully to discharge the duties of 
their respective offices, which said oaths, when 
so taken, shall be certified by the person bv 
whom the same shall have been taken ; and such 
certificates shall be received and' recorded by 
the said Secretary, among the executive pro- 
ceedings ; and the Chief Justice and Associate 
Justices, and all other civil officers in said Terri- 
tory, before they act as such, shall take a like 
oath or affirmation before the said Governor or 
Secretary, or some Judge or Justice of the Peace 
of the Territory, who may be duly commissioned 
and qualified, which said oath or affirmation 
shall be certified and transmitted by the person 
taking the same to the Secretary, to be by him 
recorded as aforesaid ; and afterward the like 
oath or affirmation shall be taken, certified and 
recorded, in such manner and form as may be 
prescribed by law. The Governor shall receive 
an annual salary of $2,500. The Chief Justice 
and Associate Justices shall each receive an 
annual salary of $2,000. The Secretary shall 
receive an annual salary of $2,000. The said 
salaries shall be paid quarter-yearly, from the 
dates of the respective appointments, at the 
Treasury of the United States : but no such pa>- 
ments shall be nrnde until said officers shall 



6o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCE\XE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



have entered upon the duties of their respective 
appointments. The members of the Legislative 
Assembly shall be entitled to $3 each, per day, 
during their attendance at the sessions thereof, 
and $3 each for every twenty miles' travel in 
going to and returning from the said sessions, 
estimated according to the nearest usually 
traveled route, and an additional allowance of 
$3 shall be paid to the Presiding Officer of each 
house for each day he shall so preside. And a 
Chief Clerk, and Assistant Clerk, a Sergeant- 
at-Arms and Doorkeeper, may be chosen for 
each house; and the Chief Clerk shall receive 
$4 per day, and the said other officers $3 per 
day, during the session of the Legislative As- 
sembly ; but no other officer shall be paid by the 
United States: Prozidcd, That there shall be 
but one session of the Legislature annually, un- 
less on an extraordinary occasion, the Governor 
shall think proper to call the Legislature to- 
gether. There shall be appropriated, annually, 
the usual sum, to be expended by the Governor, 
to defray the contingent expenses of the Terri- 
tory, including the salary of a Clerk of the ex- 
ecutive department ; and there shall also be ap- 
propriated annually a sufficient sum, to be ex- 
])ended by the Secretary of the Territory, 
andi upon an estimate to be made by 
the Secretary of the Treasury of the 
United States, to defray the expenses of the 
Legislative Assembly, the printing of laws, and 
other incidental expenses ; and the Governor 
and Secretary of the Territory shall, in the 
disbursement of all moneys intrusted to them, 
be goveriied solely by the instructions of the 
Secretary of the Treasury of the L^nited States, 
and shall, semi-annually, account to the said 
Secretary for the manner in which the aforesaid 
moneys shall have been expended ; and no ex- 
penditures shall be made by said Legislative .\s- 
sembly for objects not specially authorized by 
the acts of Congress making the appropria- 
tions, nor beyond the sums thus appropriated 
for such objects. 

Skc. 13. And be it further ciutetcd, That 
the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Ne- 
braska shall hold its first session at such time 
and place in said Territory as the Governor 
thereof shall appoint and direct ; and at the said 
first session, or as soon thereafter as they shall 



deem expedient, the Governor and Legislative 
Assembly shall proceed to locate and establish 
the seat of government for said Territory at 
such place as they may deem eligible ; which 
place, however, shall thereafter he subject to 
be changed by the said Governor and Legislative 
Assembly. 

Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That 
a delegate to the House of Representatives, of 
the United States, to serve for the term of two 
years, who shall be a citizen of the United 
States, may be elected by the voters qualified 
to elect members of the Legislative Assembly, 
who shall be entitled to the same rights and 
privileges as are exercised by the delegates from 
the several other Territories of the United 
States to the said House of Representatives ; 
but the delegate first elected shall hold his seat 
only during the term of Congress to which he 
shall be elected. The first election shall be held 
at such time and places, and be conducted in such 
manner, as the Governor shall appoint and di- 
rect ; and at all subsequent elections the times, 
places and manner of holding the elections shall 
be prescribed by law. The person having the 
greatest number of votes shall be declared by 
the Governor to be duly elected, and a certificate 
thereof shall be given accordingly. That the 
constitution and laws of the United States which 
are not locally ina])plicablc shall have the same 
force and effect within the said Territory of Ne- 
braska as elsewhere within the United States, 
except the eighth section of the act preparatory 
to the admission of Missouri into the Union, ar- 
proved March 6, 1820, which being inconsistent 
with the principles of nonintervention by Con- 
gress with slavery in the States and Territories, 
as recognized by the legislation of 1850, com- 
monly called the Compromise measures, is here- 
by declared ino])crative and void, it being the 
true intent and meaning of this act not to legis- 
late slavery into any Territory or State nor to 
exclude it therefrom, but leave the peojile there- 
of perfectly free to form and regulate their 
domestic institutions in their own way, subject 
only to the constitution of the United States: 
Provided, That nothing herein contained shall 
be construed to revive or put in force any law 
or regulation which may have existed prior to 
the act of 6th l\Iarch, 1820, either protecting, 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



6i 



establishing, proiiibiting or abolishing slavery. 

Sec. 15. And be it further enacted. That 
there shall hereafter be appropriated, as has 
been customary for the Territorial Govern- 
ments, a sufficient amount, to be expended vni- 
der the direction of the said Governor of the 
Territory of Nebraska, not exceeding the sums 
heretofore appropriated for similar objects, for 
the erection of suitable public buildings at thz 
seat of government, and for the purchase of a 
library, to be kept at the seat of Government, 
for the use of the Governor, Legislative As- 
sembly, Judges of the Supreme Court, Secretary, 
Marshal, Attorney of said Territory, and such 
other persons, and under such regulations, as 
shall be prescribed by law. 

Sec. 16. And be it further enacted. That 
when the lands in the said Territory shall be 
surveyed under the direction of the Government 
of the United States, preparatory to bringing 
the same into market. Sections Number 16 to 
36 in each township in said Territory shall be 
and the same are hereby reserved for the pur- 
pose of being applied to schools in said Terri- 
tory, and in the States and Territories hereafter 
to be erected out of the same. 

Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That, 
until otherwise provided by law, the Governor 
of said Territory may define the judicial dis- 
tricts of said Territory, and assign the Judges 
who may be appointed for said Territory to the 
several districts ; and also appoint the times and 
places for holding courts in the several counties 
or subdivisions in each of said judicial districts 
by proclamation, to be issued by him ; but the 
Legislative Assembly, at their first or any sub- 
sequent session, may organize, alter or modify 
such judicial districts; and assign the Judges, 
and alter the times and places of holding the 
courts, as to them shall seem proper and con- 
venient. 

Sec. 18. A)id be it further enacted, That 
all officers to be appointed by the President, by 
and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
for the Territory of Nebraska, who, by virtue 
of the provisions of any law now existing, or 
which may be enacted during the present Con- 
gress, are required to give security for moneys 
that may be intrusted with them for disburse- 
ment, shall give such security, at such time and 



place and in such manner as the Secretary of 
the Territory may prescribe. 

Approved May 30, 1854. 

The first territorial officers were appointed 
under the provisions of the organic act by Presi- 
dent Pierce as follows : Francis Burt, of South 
Carolina, Governor; Thomas B. Cuming, of 
Iowa, Secretary ; Tenner Ferguson, of Michigan, 
Chief Justice ; James Bradley, of Indiana, and 
Edwin R. Hardin, of Georgia, Associate Jus- 
tices ; Mark W. Izard, of Arkansas, Marshal, 
and: Experience Estabrook, of Wisconsin, At- 
torney. Governor Burt reached the Territory 
in ill health on the 6th of October, 1854, and 
proceeded to Bellevue, where he was the guest 
of Rev. Wm. J. Hamilton at the Old Mission 
House. His illness proved of a fatal character, 
and he sank rapidly until his death, which oc- 
curred October 18, 1854. 

With the death of Governor Burt the duties 
of organizing the Territorial Government de- 
volved upon Secretary Cuming, who, by virtue 
of his office, became acting governor. The first 
official act performed in the territory by an ex- 
ecutive officer was the issuance by Governor 
Cuming of the following proclamation : 

"It has seemed good to an all-wise Provi- 
dence to remove from the Territory by the hand 
of death, its chief magistrate, Governor Francis 
Burt. He departed this life this morning at the 
Mission House in Bellevue, after an illness pro- 
tracted since his arrival, during which he re- 
ceived the most faithful medical aid and assidu- 
ous attention. His remains will be conveyed, on 
Friday next, to his home in Pendleton, South 
Carolina, attended by 'a suitable escort. In this 
afflictive dispensation, as a mark of respect and 
affection for the lamented and distinguished ex- 
ecutive and a sign of the public sorrow, the 
National colors within the Territory will be 
draped in mourning, and the territorial officers 
will wear crape upon the left arm for thirty days 
from date. 

"Given under my hand at Bellevue, Ne- 
braska Territory, this 1 8th day of October, A. 
D., 1854. (Signed) T. B. Cuming, Acting Gov- 
ernor of Nebraska." 

The official headquarters remained at Belle- 
vue until the assembling of the first territorial 
legislature in January, 1855, when Omaha be- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



came the seat of government. The machinery 
of the territorial government was set in motion 
in 1854. In October the acting governor issued 
a proclamation, by virtue of which the first cen- 
sus was taken. It was completed November 20, 
1854, and gave tlie territory a total population 
of 2,732. Of this number 13 were reported as 
being slaves. There were 929 white males over 
twenty-one years of age reported. Immediatelj' 
after the census was completed, an election was 
held, at which a delegate to Congress and mem- 
bers of the first territorial legislature were 
chosen. 

The territory was divided into eight coun- 
ties, viz. : Burt, Washington, Dodge, Douglas, 
Cass, Pierce, Forney and Richardson. 

Burt county was bounded as follows : Com- 
mencing at a point on the Missouri river, two 
miles above Fort Calhoun, thence westwardly, 
crossing the Elkhorn river, 120 miles to the 
west boundary of lands ceded to the United 
States ; thence northerly to Mauvaise river and 
along the east bank of the same to Eau .Qui 
Court, or Running Water; thence easterly to 
the Aaoway river, and along the south bank of 
it to its mouth, and thence southerly along tlie 
Missouri river to the place of beginning. This 
county was subdivided into two voting precincts 
— one called the Tekaniah precinct, at the house 
of Gen. John B. Robinson, who, with W. N. 
Byers and B. R. Folson, formed the board of 
election ; W. \\'. ;\Iaynard and N. C. Purple, 
clerks ; and the second precinct, called Black 
Bird, located at the Black Bird House, with 
Frederick Buck, Dr. Shelley and John A. Laf- 
ferty, judges; and Lorenzo Driggs and William 
Sherman, clerks. 

Washington county was bounded as follows : 
Commencing at a point on the Missouri river, 
one mile north of Omaha City, thence due west 
to the dividing ridge between the Elkhorn and 
Missouri rivers; thence northwesterly twenty 
miles to the Elkhorn river, thence easterly to r. 
point on the Missouri river, two miles above 
Fort Calhoun, and thence southerly along said 
river to the place of beginning. There was one 
precinct of voting in this county. It was at the 
postoffice at Florence, or "Winter Quarters.' 
Ansclam Arnold, Charles How, and Willian. 



Bryant were appointed judges of election, and 
Henry Springer and William More, clerks. 

Dodge county was bounded as follows : Com- 
mencing at a point on the Platte river, twenty 
miles west of, Bellevue ; thence westerly along 
Platte river to the mouth of Shell creek, thence 
north twenty-five miles; thence east to the di- 
viding ridge between the Elkhorn and Missouri 
rivers; thence southerly to the place of begin- 
ning. The voting place was at the house of Dr. 
M. H. Clark, in Fontenelle precinct. The judges 
of election were William Kline, Christopher S. 
Leiber and William S. Estley ; the clerks, Wil- 
liam Taylor and E. G. McNeely. 

Douglas county was bounded as follows : 
Commencing at the mouth of the Platte river, 
thence north along the west bank of the INIis- 
souri river to a point one mile north of Omaha 
city; thence west along the south boundary of 
Washington county twenty miles ; thence south 
to the Platte river ; and thence east to the place 
of beginning. Two precincts or places of vot- 
ing were established, one at the brick building 
at Omaha City, and the other at the Mission 
House at Bellevue. David Lindley, T. G. Good- 
will and Chas. B. Smith were appointed judges 
of election, and M. C. Gaylord and Dr. Pattee, 
clerks in the Omaha precinct. Isaiah Bennett, 
D. E. Reed and Thomas Morton were appointed 
judges of election, and G. Hollister and Silas A. 
Strickland, clerks in the Bellevue Precinct. 

Cass county was bounded on the north by 
the Platte, east by the Missouri, south by the 
AX'eeping Water river, to its headwaters, thence 
westerly to the west boundary of lands ceded to 
the United States, and thence by said boundary 
northward to the Platte. Two precincts were 
named — one at the house of Colonel Thompson, 
the Kenosha precinct, with J. S. Griffith, Thomas 
B. Ashley and L. Young, judges; Benjamin B. 
Thompson and William H. Davis, clerks ; the 
other at the house of Samuel Martin, with James 
O'Neil, Thomas P. Palmer and Stephen \\'illes, 
judges ; and T. S. Gaskill and Levi G. Todd, 
clerks. 

Pierce county (now Oteo) was bounded as 
follows: Commencing at the mouth of Weep- 
ing Water river, on the Missouri, thence west- 
ward to ils headwaters: tlicnce due west to the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



63 



west boundary of lands ceded to the United 
States ( 100 miles) ; thence south twenty miles 
to the north line of Farney county ; thence due 
cast along the Farney county line to Camp 
Cl"eek, and along the north bank of said creek 
to the Missouri river ; thence northward along 
the river to the place of beginning. The single 
precinct was located at the house of Maj. H. P. 
Downs. The judges were William C. Fowlkes, 
Simeon Hargous and Henry Bradford ; the 
clerks were James H. Cowles and James H. 
Decker. 

I'^orney county (now Nemaha) was bounded 
as follows : Commencing at the mouth of 
Camp Creek, thence to the headwaters of the 
same ; thence due west to a point sixty miles 
from the Missouri river ; thence due south 
twenty miles ; thence east to the head waters 
of the Little Nemaha river ; thence along said 
river to the Missouri, following the Missouri 
northerly to the place of beginning. One voting 
precinct, known as Brownville, was established 
at the house of Richard Brown. Richard Brown, 
Allen L. Coate and Israel Cuming were ap- 
pointed judges of election, and A. J. Benedict 
and Stephen Sloan, clerks. 

Richardson county was bounded, as follows : 
Commencing at the northwest corner of the 
"Half-Breed Tract," thence westerly along the 
Little Nemaha river; thence westerly to a point 
sixty miles west of the ^Missouri river; thence 
south to the fortieth parallel, the boundary be- 
tween Kansas and Nebraska ; thence east to the 
Missouri river; thence North along the Missouri 
and west ten miles to the southwest corner of 
the "Half-Breed Tract;'" thence north to the 
place of beginning. Two precincts were desig- 
nated : One at the house of William Level, in 
Precinct No. i, with John Purket, Robert T. 
Archer and James M. Roberts, judges; Wm. V. 
Soper and John A. Singleton, clerks. Precinct 
No. 2 was at the house of Christian Bobst, with 
Henry Shellhorn, Henry Abrams and William 
J. Burns, judges; Christian Bobst and W. L. 
Soper, clerks. 

Another county, designated as Jones county, 
was to be created under the first division of the 
territory, but certain irregularities in the surveys 
decided Marshal Izard to report adversely to the 
measure. This countv would have included the 



southernmost section of the territory, from 
sixty miles west of the Missouri river westward, 
from the north corner of Richardson county as 
then established, along the Platte to the 103d 
degree of west longitude, thence along the 
southwest boundary of Richardson county. 
Another county composed of what is now Sarpy 
(then commonly spoken of as the "burnt dis- 
trict") was designated under the name of 
Omaha, but for some reason no official promul- 
gation of its creation was made and the section 
became a part of Douglas county. 

The following apportionment of councilmen 
and representatives was made in accordance 
with the census returns of November 20, 1854, 
viz. : Burt county, one councilman, two repre- 
sentatives ; Washington county, one councilman, 
two representatives ; Dodge county, one council- 
man, two representatives; Douglas county, four 
councilmen and eight representatives ; Cass 
county, one councilman and three representa- 
tives ; Pierce county, three councilmen and five 
representatives; Forney county, one councilman 
and two representatives ; Richardson county, 
cue councilman and two representatives. The 
first general election for members of the legis- 
lature and a delegate to Congress was held on 
December 12, i§54. 

The first territorial legislature convened at 
C)maha, January 16, 1855, and the occasion 
created intense excitement. The official roster 
of the first legislature stood as follows : 

Council — Richardson county, J. L. Sharp, 
president ; Burt county, B. R. Folsom ; Wash- 
ington county, J. C. Mitchell ; Dodge county, 
M. H. Clark; Douglas county, T. G. Goodwill, 
A. D. Jones, O. D. Richardson, S. E. Rogers; 
Cass county, Luke Nuckolls ; Pierce county, A. 
H. Bradford, H. P. Bennett, C. H. Cowles; 
Forney count}-, Richard Brown. Officers — Dr. 
G. F. Miller, Omaha, chief clerk ; O. F. Lake, 
Brownville, assistant clerk ; S. A. Lewis, Omaha, 
sergeant-at-arms ; N. R. Folsom, doorkeeper. 

House — Douglas county, A. J. Hanscom, 
speaker; W. N. Byers, William Clancey, F. 
Davidson, Thomas Davis, A. D. Goyer, A. J. 
Poppleton, Robert Whitted ; Burt county, J. B. 
Robertson, A. C. Purple ; Washington county, 
A. Archer, A. J. Smith ; Dodge county, E. R. 
Doyle, J. W. Richardson ; Cass county, J. M. 



64 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Latham, William Kempton, J. D. H. Thompson ; 
Pierce county, G. Bennett, J. H. Cowles, J. H. 
Decker, W. H. Hail, William Maddox; Forney 
county, W. A. Finney, J. M. Wood; Richard- 
son county, D. M. Johnson, J. A. Singleton. 
Officers— J. W. Paddock, chief clerk; G. L. 
Eayre, assistant clerk; J. L. Gibbs, sergeant-at- 
arms; B. B. Thompson, doorkeeper. 

During the first session of the legislature 
many important matters were providedi for. 
The local machinery of government was pro- 
vided for, county offices created and the nature 
and emoluments thereof fixed ;^ the offices of 
territorial auditor, treasurer and librarian fixed. 
The legislature adopted the criminal code of 
Iowa with necessary alterations as the code of 
the territory. Napoleon B. Gidding, who had 
been elected delegate to Congress, was in- 
structed to use his influence in securing the 
passage of a homestead law for Nebraska simi- 
lar to that of New Mexico and Oregon. Edu- 
cational aflfairs received early recognition. The 
Simpson University, at Omaha ; the Nebraska 
University, at Fontenelle and the Nebraska City 
Collegiate and Preparatory Institute were in- 
corporated at this first session. Governor M. 
W. Izard, who had been appointed governor to 
succeed Governor Burt, deceased, arrived and 
took the oath of office February 23d, 1855, and 
delivered his first formal message to the legisla-" 
ture February 27. 

The agitation over the permanent location 
of the State capital at this time was intense. 
The eflforts'of the Omaha men were crowned 
with success in the matter al the seat of govern- 
ment. Governor Izard appointed James C. 
Mitchell sole commissioner to locate the capitol 
building. On the 17th of March, Commissioner 
Mitchell reported to the governor that he had 
that day selected the center of Capitol Square, 
in Omaha City, as the site for the edifice. 

One of the measures passed by the first 
legislature was an act adopted March 6, 1855, 
relative to the claims of squatters. At this time 
the territory contained hundreds of would-be 
settlers, who were temporarily debarred from 
becoming legal citizens, and at the same time 
owners of the lands of their choice, because at 
that period the public domain was not fully in 
the market. The survey was begun and prose- 



cuted! as speedily as possible, but not rapidly 
enough to gratify the ambition of emigrants or 
the greed of speculators. Those men who were 
determined to remain and abide their time were 
known as "squatters," and so numerous was 
this element that legislation in its behalf was 
enacted, as a protection against the abhorred 
class called "claim jumpers," or men disposed 
to violate the unwritten law of the territory. 
As in all new countries, where expressed laws 
were inadequate to insure equity and peace, the 
citizens formed clubs, and through the action 
of those informal but efficient organizations or- 
der was maintained. By this act of !\larch 6, 
1855, it was provided that each claimant might 
hold 320 acres, when a member of a club, 
which Was duly governed 1)_\- established 
rules, a copy of which was filed with 
the registrar of the county. The clubs were 
vested with certain legislative power for their 
neighborhood. The constitutionality of this act 
was not permitted to be discussed. The clubs 
were a government unto and for themselves, as 
many a wretched man was able to testify, after 
daring their wrath. 

The first formal census of the territory was 
taken in 1855, in order that a re-adjustment of 
legislative representatives might be made. The 
reports from the existing counties showed 
population as follows : 

Burt county, 85; Cass, 712; Dakota, 86; 
Dodge, 139; Douglas, 1,028; Nemaha, 604; 
Otoe, 1,188; Pawnee, 142; Richardson, 299; 
Washington, 207 ; Total, 4,491. Pierce county 
ceased to exist. The one now bearing that name 
dates from 1859. Dakota county was not ac- 
credited in the legislative proceedings with a 
representative. 

The second session of the assembly convened 
at Omaha, December 18, 1855. The changes in 
the council were : John Evans, Dodge county, 
vice M. II. Clark, deceased; A. A. Bradford, 
Otoe county (newly created county), and S. 
M. Kirkpatrick, Cass county, vice Luke Nuck- 
olls. The council officers were : B. R. Fol- 
som, president ; E. G. McNeely, chief clerk ; M. 
B. Case, assistant clerk; C. W. Pierce, sergeant- 
at-arms. The house roster was : A. D. Kirk, 
Richardson county ; W. H. Hoover, Richardson 
and Nemaha jointly; Charles McDonald, Rich- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



65 



ardson and Pawnee jointly. The census gave 
Pawnee county a population of 142, and this, 
it was claimed by some, entitled it to representa- 
tion. After considerable debate, Thomas R. 
Hare was accorded a seat, but he resigned Janu- 
ary II, after it became apparent that his presence 
might invalidate the acts of the body, since the 
bill creating the territory stipulated that the 
house should be composed of only twenty-six 
members. The remainder of the body was : 
W. A. Finney, L. A. Chambers, Nemaha county ; 
James H. Decker, M. W. Riden, J. Sterling 
Morton, William B. Hail, J. C. Campbell, John 
Boulware, Otoe county ; A. M. Rose, Otoe and 
Cass jointly; John F. Buck, William Laird, J. 
McF. Hagood, Cass county; George L. Miller, 
William Larimer, Jr., Levi Harsh, W. E. Moore, 
Alexander Davis, Leavitt L. Bowen, Alonzo F. 
Salisbury, William Clancy, Douglas county; P. 
C. Sullivan, Washington county ; William B. 
Beck, Washington and Burt jointly; and 
Thomas Gibson, Dodge county. 

The organization of the house was perfected 
by the election of the following officers : P. C. 
Sullivan, speaker ; H. C. Anderson, chief clerk ; 
I. L. Gibbs, assistant clerk ; A. S. Bishop, ser- 
geant-at-arms ; E. B. Chinn, doorkeeper. The 
auditor's first report was submitted which gave 
a valuation of the property, real and personal, 
in the territory of $617,822, not including the 
newer counties. 

A bill providing that counties in the then un- 
inhabited regions should be organized with 
boundaries of twenty-four miles square, with- 
out reference to the Platte or other streams was 
successfully passed. 

The so-called first report of the superin- 
tendent of public instruction was made under 
date of January 5, 1857, by H. Anderson. The 
report covers two pages of the Journal and is 
but a statement of what should be done, rather 
then what had been performed, in pursuance of 
an act entitled "Common Schools," approved 
January 26, 1856, which act is the origin of the 
public school system of the State. 

January 5, 1857, the third annual session of 
the territorial legislature began. The following 
members composed the council : Douglas county, 
A. F. Salisbury, George L. Miller, S. E. Rogers, 



L. L. Bowen for the Northern District ; South- 
ern District of Douglas, Washington, Burt and 
Cuming counties (jointly), James A. Allen; 
Otoe county, A. A. Bradford, Mills S. Reeves; 
Cass county, S. M. Kirkpatrick ; Nemaha 
county, R. W. Furnas ; Washington county, 
William . Clauncy ; Richardson and Pawnee 
counties, Charles McDonald ; Dodge, Cass, Otoe 
(jointly), Jacob Saft'ord ; Dakota county, A. W. 
Puett. The officers were: L. L. Bowen, presi- 
dent ; O. F. Lake, chief clerk ; T. H. Robertson, 
assistant clerk ; Samuel A. Lewis, sergeant-at- 
arms ; Patrick ]\IcDonough, doorkeeper. The 
house was organized by the election of I. L. 
Gibbs, speaker; J. H. Brown, chief clerk; S. M. 
Curran, assistant clerk; P. Lacomb, sergeant- 
at-arms ; J. Campbell, doorkeeper. The mem- 
bers were : Richardson and Pawnee counties, 
A. F. Cromwell, N. J. Sharp ; Nemaha county, 
W. A. Finney, I. C. Lawrence, S. A. Chambers ; 
Otoe county, H. P. Downs, I. D. White, H. C. 
Cowles, J. C. Ellis, I. L. Gibbs, W. B. Hail; 
Cass county, W. M. Slaughter, H. C. Wolph, 
Broad Cole ; Cass, Lancaster and Clay counties 
(jointly), J. A. Cardwell ; Douglas county 
(Southern District), S. A. Strickland, Joseph 
Dyson, C. T. Holloway, John Finney ; Douglas 
county (Northern District), W. E. Moore, H. 
Johnson, J. Steinberger, M. Murphy, R. Kim- 
ball, Jonas Seely, A. J. Hanscom, George Arm- 
strong; Dodge and Platte counties, Silas E. 
Seeley ; Washington county, J. A. Stewart, Wil- 
liam Connor, E. P. Stout; Burt county, G. M. 
Chilcott. 

On December 8, 1857, the fourth session be- 
gan with no change in the roll of council mem- 
bers from the foregoing session. Hon. George 
L. Miller, of Omaha, was elected president ; 
Washburn Safford, chief clerk; S. H. Elbert, 
assistant clerk; George A. Graves, enrolling and 
engrossing clerk ; John Reck, sergeant-at-arms ; 
Jacob R. Cromwell, doorkeeper. 

The house chose Hon. J. H. Decker, of Otoe 
county, speaker; S. M. Curran, chief clerk; R. 
A. Howard, assistant clerk ; Albert Mathias, 
sergeant-at-arms ; and Isaac Fisher, doorkeeper. 
The roll of the house showed : Richard and 
Pawnee counties, A. F. Cromwell, Wingate 
King; Nemaha and Johnson counties, A. J. 



66 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Benedict, J. S. Minick, S. A. Chambers ; Otoe 
county, J. Sterling Morton, J. C. Campbell, J. 
G. Abbey, D. B. Robb, W. B. Hail, J. H. Decker; 
Cass county, E. A. Donelan, T. iNI. Marquette, 
L. Sheldon; Sarpy county, S. A. Strickland, C. 
T. HoUovvay, James Davidson, Amos Gates ; 
Douglas county, George Armstrong, J. Stein- 
berger, George Clayes, J. S. Stewart, M. 
Murphy, A. J. Poppleton, W. R. Thrall, J. W. 
Paddock ; Washington county, J. A. Stewart, 
P. C. Sullivan, P. G. Cooper; Burt and Cuming 
counties, William B. Beck ; Dakota and Cedar 
counties, W. G. Crawford, E. C. Jones ; Dodge 
and Platte counties, J. M. Taggart. 

On September 21, 1858, the fifth session of 
the legislature began. The following members 
composed the council : Richardson and Pawnee 
counties, Charles McDonald, whose seat was 
contested by E. S. Dunilv ; Xeniaha county, R. 
W. Furnas ; Otoe county, JVIills S. Reeves, W. 
H. Taylor; Otoe, Cass and Dodge counties, 
John H. Cheever ; Sarpy county, L. L. Bowen ; 
Douglas county, G. L. Miller, W. E. IMoore, 
John H. Porter ; Washington county, George E. 
Scott; Burt, Washington and Sarpy counties, 
George W. Doan ; Dakota county, W. G. Craw- 
ford. Hon. L. L. Bowen was elected president ; 
S. M. Curran, chief clerk : John G. Tredway, 
assistant clerk ; John ;\IcA. Campbell, Sergeant- 
at-arms, and John Reck, doorkeeper. 

In the house the roll stood : Richardson and 
Pawnee counties, \\"illiam C. Fleming, A. C. 
Dean ; Nemaha and Johnson counties, ISl. F. 
Clark, Jesse Noel, S. G. Daily ; Otoe county, 
John Cassell, O. P. Mason, H. P. Bennett, 
George F. Lee, W. B. Hall ; Cass county, Wil- 
liam A. Davis, William J. Young, T. M. Mar- 
quette, R. G. Doom ; Sarpy county, Charles C. 
Norwood, Stephen H. Wattles; Douglas county, 
James H. Seymour, Clinton Briggs, Augustus 
Roeder, James Stewart, William A. Gwyer, R. 
W. Steele, John A. Steinberger, George Clayes ; 
Dodge and Platte counties, Henry W. DePuy ; 
Washington county, C. D. Davis, P. G. Cooper, 
L. W. Kline; Burt county, David L. Collier; 
Dakota, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, 
John Taffe, D. T. Bramble. The officers of the 
house were : H. P. Bennett, speaker ; E. G. 
McNeely, chief clerk ; Hugh McNeely, assistant 



ck-rk ; J. D. N. Thompson, sergeant-at-arms ; F. 
H. Rogers, doorkeeper. 

On the 1st of November, 1858, Representa- 
tive S. G. Daily introduced a bill "to abolish 
slavery in the Territory of Nebraska." This bill 
with various changes and amendments occupied 
a great deal of the time of the various sessions 
of the legislature until January i, 1861, when a 
bill prohibiting slavery was passed over the veto 
of Governor Black. This matter is treated at 
length in another part of this work. 

Governor Richardson's term extended only 
from January 12, 1858, to the 5th of December 
of the same year. Secretary J. Sterling Morton 
assumed the functions of executive at that date, 
continuing as acting governor until the arrival 
of Governor Samuel W. Black, May 2, 1859. 

On December 5, 1859, the sixth session of 
the territorial legislature convened at Omaha. 
The only changes in the council were : Thomas 
J. Boykin, of Sarpy county ; Thomas T. Collier, 
of Dakota county, and W. A. Little, of Douglas 
county, who succeeded Messrs. Bowen, Craw- 
ford and Moore, respectively. The officers of 
the council were: F. A. Donelan, president; S. 
M. Curran, chief clerk; E. A. Allen, assistant 
clerk ; J. F. Coflfman, sergeant-at-arms ; and R. 
R. Kirkpatrick, doorkeeper. 

The house roll was : Richardson county, 
Houston Nuckolls, J. F. Burbank, Nathan 
Myers; Namaha county, George Crowe, W. W. 
Keeling, Jesse Noel, John P. Parker; Otoe 
coimty, John C. Campbell. .Alex Bain, Truman 
H. Adams. Stephen H. Nuckolls, Milton \\'. 
Reynolds, \\" illiam H. Broadhead ; Cass and 
Lancaster counties, J. N. Stephenson, William 
S. Latta, William R. Davis, Samuel ]\Iaxwell. 
T. M. Marquette; Sarp county, Matthew J. 
Shields, Silas A. Strickland ; Douglas county, 

A. J. Hanscom, D. D. Belden, Harrison John- 
son, George F. Kennedy, George B. Lake, A. 

B. Malcomb; Washington county, James S. 
Stewart, J. S. Bowen ; Burt and Cuming coun- 
ties, David S. Collier; Dakota county, Geoige 
A. Hinsdale, Barnabas Bates ; Dixon, Cedar and 
L'eau Qui Court counties, James Tufts. Tin- 
officers were : Silas A. Strickland, speaker ; 
Jrmes W. Moore, chief clerk ; George W. Rust, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



67 



assistant clerk ; J. W. Coleman, sergeant-at- 
arms ; N. J. Sharp, doorkeeper. 

Among the most important legislation of the 
sixth session was "an act to frame a constitu- 
tion and State government for the State of Ne- 
braska." The proposition was submitted to the 
people March 5, i860, and decided adversely by 
a vote of 2,372 against it and 2,094 for it. 

On December 3, i860, the seventh session of 
the territorial legislature convened. The coun- 
cil stood: Douglas county, John M. Thayer, 
David D. Belden, W. A. Little ; Dakota, Dixon, 
Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, John 
Taffe ; Washington county, John A. Unthank ; 
Sarpy county, Silas A. Strickland; Cass county, 
T. M. Marquette; Otoe county, William H. 
Taylor, John B. Bennett ; Nemaha and Johnson 
counties, T. W. Tipton ; Richardson and Pawnee 
counties, E. S. Dundy ; Cass, Otoe and Dodge 
counties, Samuel H. Elbert; Burt, Washington 
and Sarpy counties, John Q. Goss. The officers 
were : W. H. Taylor, president ; E. P. Brew- 
ster, chief clerk ; D. H. Wheeler, assistant clerk ; 
W. H. James, sergeant-at-arms ; D. C. Slader, 
doorkeeper. 

The house stood : Richardson county, F. A. 
Tisdel, A. M. Acton. H. B. Porter; Nemaha 
county, Thomas R. Fisher, James Hacker, John 
P. Baker, George Blane ; Pawnee county, E. W. 
Fowler ; Johnson, Clay and Gage counties, 
Hiram W. Parker ; Otoe county, Samuel P. 
Sibley. Alfred Mathias, Adin G. Cavins, Charles 
H. Cowles. Jacob Sallenberger, Hiram P. 
Downs ; Cass and Lancaster counties, Wil- 
liam Reed. E. \\'. Barnum, W. R. Davis, 
Lauden Mullen, W. Gilmour; Sarpy county, 
James Davidson, Amos Gates, William Cle- 
burne ; Douglas county, John I. Reddick, S. A. 
Lowe, J. T. Griffin, Merrill H. Clark, Henry 
Grebe, Ezra T. milliard ; Washington county, 
Giles Mead, H. W. DePuy; Dodge county, M. 
S. Cottrell; Burt county, J. R. Hide; Dakota 
county, William T. Lockwood, Thomas Cole- 
man; Dixon. Cedar and L'eau Qui Court coun- 
ties, Amos S. Chase. The officers were: H. 
W. DePuy, speaker ; George L. Seybolt, chief 
clerk ; S. D. Bangs, assistant clerk, F. M. Vir- 
den. sergeant-at-arms: \\'. A. Pollock, door- 
keeper. 

The roster of the eighth session stood : 



Council — ^John Taffe, president ; R. W. Furnas, 
chief clerk ; William Lehmer, assistant clerk ; J. 
W. Chapman, sergeant-at-arms ; A. J. Warner, 
doorkeeper. The only changes from the pre- 
ceeding session were : F. W. Sapp, Douglas 
county ; C. Blanchard, Sarpy county ; John Mc- 
Pherson, Nemaha and Johnson counties ; S. M. 
Kirkpatrick, Cass, Otoe and Dodge counties. 
The house — A. D. Jones, speaker ; George L. 
Seybolt, chief clerk ; J. W. Virtue, assistant 
clerk ; F. C. Morrison, sergeant-at-arms ; John 
Wolfue, doorkeeper. The representation — ■ 
Richardson county, L. Allgawahr, J. S. Ewing, 
H. B. Porter; Nemaha county, A. S. Holladay, 
George Crowe, William Reed, John Crothers ; 
Pawnee county, David Butler ; Johnson, Clay 
anl Gage counties, Nathan Blakeley; Otoe 
county, M. W. Reynolds, J. H. Croxton, J. 
Closser, W. P. Birchfield, \\'. Buchanan, N. B. 
Larsh ; Cass and Lancaster counties, S. E. 
Eikenberry, Isaac Wilds, James Chalfant, W. F. 
Chapin, E. W. Barnum ; Sarpy covmty, W. D. 
Rowles, Stephen H. Wattles, Henry T. Clarke ; 
Douglas county, James H. Seymour, Joel T. 
Griffin, A. D. Jones, Merrills H. Clark, Oscar 
F. Davis, Aaron Cohn ; Washington county, 
John S. Bowen, E. A. Allen ; Dodge county, E. 
H. Barnard; Burt county, S. T. Learning: Da- 
kota county, C. O'Connor, Barnabas Bates : Da- 
kota, Dixon and L'eau Qui Court counties, 
Daniel McLaughlin ; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau 
Qui Court counties, R. M. Hagaman ; Platte, 
Green, Calhoun and Butler counties, John Reck ; 
Hall and Monroe counties, Enos Beall. 

The ninth session of the territorial legisla- 
ture assembled at Chnaha on January 7, 1864. 
In the council were : T. M. Marquette, J. E. 
Doom, O. P. Mason, John C. Campbell, David 
Bv.tler, William A. Little, John R. Porter, John 
McCormick, E. A. Allen, Frank Welch and A. 
H. Jackson. E. A. Allen was chosen president; 
J. W. Hollingshead, chief clerk ; John H. Mann, 
assistant clerk; S. A. Lewis, sergeant-at-arms; 
and W. B. Dixon, doorkeeper. In the house: 
Douglas county, John Ritchie, George B. Lake, 
Daniel Gavitt, Joel S. Smith, B. E. B. Kennedy, 
Henry Grebe; Otoe county, Henry A. Newman, 
Francis Sim, F. Renner, C. W. Seymour, W. 
McLennan, A. T- McCartney : Dodge county, 
Isaac E. Heaton : Platte countv, John P. Becker ; 



68 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Dakota, Dixon and L'eau Qui Court counties, 
J. O. Fisher; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui 
Court counties, N. S. Porter; Burt and Cuming 
counties, D. Hobbs ; Washington county, J. 
Evans, H. J. Rohwer; Richardson county, 
Lewis Allgawhar, J. C. Lincoln, M. W. Bre- 
man; Sarpy county, C. Blanchard, Amos Gates, 
John Whalen ; Cass and Lancaster counties, J. 
W. Chapman, H. C. Pardee, D. G. Todd, R. D. 
Hoback, J. S. Gregory, Jr. ; Pawnee county, 
George L. Griffing; Nemaha county, G. W. 
Fairbrother, Lorenzo Rice, C. G. Dorsey, Jo- 
seph Dash. The officers were : George B. 
Lake, speaker ; R. Streeter, chief clerk ; T. A. 
Moore, sergeant-at-arms. During the session 
of Congress, 1862-1863, a bill was introduced, 
late in the session, authorizing the territories 
of Nebraska, Colorado and Nevada to take the 
preliminary step toward admission into the 
Union as states. This measure did not reacli 
final action during the life of that session. The 
Proclamation of Emancipation, issued by Presi- 
dent Lincoln, January i, 1863, was approved by 
the ninth legislature. 

On January 5, 1865, the tenth session of the 
territorial legislature convened at Omaha. The 
council was divided into districts for the first 
time. First, Thomas L. Griffey — Dakota, 
Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties ; 
Second, Edwin A. Allen — Washington, Burt 
and Cuming counties ; Third, John R. Porter 
and B. E. B. Kennedy — Douglas county ; Fourth, 
C. Blanchard — Sarpy and Dodge counties ; 
Fifth, Isaac Albertson — Platte, Monroe, Mer- 
rick, Hall, Buffalo, Kearney and Lincoln coun- 
ties ; Sixth, J. W. Chapman — Cass county ; 
Seventh, J. G. Miller — Cass, Lancaster, Saline 
and Seward Counties; Eighth, O. P. Mason and 
John B. Bennett — Otoe county ; Ninth, Andrew 
S. Holladay — Nemaha county ; Tenth, Oliver P. 
Eayne — Richardson county ; Eleventh, J. N. Mc- 
Casland — Pawnee, Gage, Johnson, Clay and 
Jones counties. The officers were : O. P. Ma- 
son, president; John S. Bowen, chief clerk; W. 
W. Morgan, assistant clerk ; Samuel Gamble, 
sergeant-at-arms; Charles Bryan, doorkeeper. 

The house was composed of : Richardson 
county, Oliver W. Dunning, F. A. Tisdel, 
Charles F. Walther, E. H. Jojinson ; Pawnee 
county, John Briggs ; Nemaha county, William 



B. Phillips, George Crowe, J. W. Taylor, 
Samuel Petit; Otoe county, Mason Crouch, R. 
Hedges, John Beuter, George P. West; Cass 
county, S. M. Kirkpatrick, Samuel IMaxwell, J. 
T. A. Hoover, J. AIcF. Hagood ; Johnson 
county, IMilo K. Cody; Lancaster, Seward and 
Saunders counties, ^^'illiam Imlay, Sarpy 
county, Amos Gates, Martin Langdon ; Douglas 
county, E. L. Emry, A. J. Critchfield, Charles 
M. Conoyer, Charles H. Browne, James W. 
Pickard; Dodge county, W. H. Ely; Platte 
county, Guy C. Barnum ; Washington county, 
W. N. }>IcCandish, H. ;\I. Hitchcock; Dakota 
county, John Hefferman ; Dakota, Dixon, Cedar 
and L'eau Qui Court counties, Nathan S. Por- 
ter; Dakota, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court coun- 
ties, G. A. Hall ; Gage and Jones counties, H. 
M. Reynolds ; Saline, Butler, Kearney and 
Lincoln counties, A. C. Leighton; Lancaster 
county, John Cadman ; Burt and Cuming coun- 
ties, John D. Neligh. The officers were : S. M. 
Kirkpatrick, speaker; John Taffe, chief clerk; 
Walter C. Heydon, assistant clerk ; Anson Ris- 
ing, sergeant-at-arms ; jMitchell Fleming, door- 
keeper. 

On January 4, 1866, the eleventh session of 
the territorial legislature met at Omaha. The 
council was : T. L. Griffey, E. A. Allen, B. E. 
B. Kennedy, J. R. Porter, J. Albertson, J. S. 
Miller, J. W. Chapman, John Bennett, O. P. 
Mason, A. S. Hplladay, O. P. Bayne, J. N. Mc- 
Casland. The officers were : O. P. Mason, 
president; W. E. Harney, chief clerk; \\'illiam 
W. Watson, assistant clerk ; Charles Ulry, door- 
keeper. 

The house : Richardson county, L. Crounse, 
William Parchen, J. D. Ramsey, John Jay Hart ; 
Pawnee county, John R. Butler ; Nemaha 
county, \Y. B. Phelps, John Green, \\'. A. Pol- 
lock; Otoe county, John H. Maxon, James 
Thorn, M. S. Campbell, Albert Tuxbury, James 
A. Gilmore ; Cass county, Joseph .\rnold, W. F. 
Chapin, Samuel Maxwell, Benjamin Austin; 
Johnson county, James Robinson ; Lancaster 
county, John Cadman ; Clay, Lancaster, Seward 
and Saunders counties, Marcus Brush ; Sarpy 
county, T. H. Robertson, N. P. Lefler; Douglas 
county, G. B. Luke. J. \\'. Paddock, C. H. 
Brown, Fred Drcxcl, J. G. Megeath ; Dodge 
i county, J. G. Smith ; Platte county, G. C. Bar- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



69 



niim ; \\'ashington county, E. H. Clark, Charles 
Eisley ; Dakota county, Cornelius O'Connor ; 
Dakota, Cedar, Dixon and L'eau Qui Court 
counties, R. H. Wilbur; Dakota, Cedar and 
L'eau Qui Court counties, L. E. Jones. The 
officers were: James G. Mageath, speaker, 
George May, chief clerk; E. S. Towle, assistant 
clerk ; Chester Lusk, sergeant-at-arms ; Dennis 
Dugan, doorkeeper. 

The preceeding year had witnessed the close 
of the rebellion and the return of national peace ; 
but the Indian war upon the western borders of 
Nebraska still continued when this legislature 
met. During the year 1865, the savages, em- 
boldened by temporary successes, had grown ex- 
ceedingly reckless in their assaults upon set- 
tlers and upon the overland stages and tele- 
graph lines. Outrages of the most atrocious 
character had been repeatedly perpetrated. It 
had become necessary to call on Congress for 
more stringent action for the suppression of this 
form of lawlessness. 

This year (1866) the laws of the territory 
were revised, arranged and issued in the form 
of revised statutes, the immense labor being 
completed in time for presentation early in the 
session and approved February 12, 1866. The 
new laws went into effect July ist. 

On the 19th of April, 1864, an act of Con- 
gress was approved by the President and be- 
came a law, enabling the people of Nebraska 
to form a State constitution and government. 
But the continuance of the war and the conse- 
quent disturbance of national affairs, united 
with the partial suspension of emigration to the 
west and the Indian troubles on the frontier, 
united in rendering this permission undesirable. 
The territory had been drained of many men 
and much treasure in its generous assistance 
of the government during the years of its 
struggle for existence. With the return of 
peace and the suppression of border outlawry, 
however, came an awakening consciousness of 
the value of state institutions. The people once 
more turned their attention to the subject and 
revived an interest in the Enabling Act. 

A constitution was framed early in 1866, 
embodying these essential features : 

Declaring equal inherent rights to all men ; 



Prohibiting slavery in the State ; maintaining 
freedom of speech and press ; establishing the 
right of petition to the people; the justice of 
trial before the law ; civil and religious liberty ; 
the perpetuation of free government and the 
rights of the people ; declaring the elective 
franchise belongs to "white" citizens ; vesting 
the government of the State in the legislative, 
the executive and the judicial branches, and 
defining their powers and jurisdiction; provid- 
ing for methods of revenue and limiting ex- 
penditures, describing the jurisdiction of the 
State over the eminent domain ; naming the 
boundaries of the State, and arranging for the 
fundamental machinery of a State after the 
"manner and order usual in such miglity under- 
takings." 

The constitution provided that it should be 
voted upon June 2, 1866. The legislature au- 
thorized the submitting of the question and the 
election of State officers by an act approved by 
Governor Saunders, February 9, 1866. At this 
election the constitution was adopted by the 
following vote: For adoption, 3,938; against 
3,838. It was approved and signed by Gov- 
ernor Cutler, February 21, 1867. 

NEBRASKA AS A STATE. 

On March i, 1867, the President issued his 
proclamation announcing the admission of Ne- 
braska into the Union and on the 2d, Hon. T. 
M. Marquette presented his credentials in the 
House of Representatives and consummated the 
bond. 

On the 4th of April, Governor Butler issued 
his call for an extra session, and on the i8th of 
May, the legislators came together and set in 
motion the machinery of the State. 

The constitution provided that the first ses- 
sion of the so-called State legislature should 
meet July 4, 1866, and in accordance therewith, 
the members chosen at the preceeding election 
assembled in Omaha in formal conclave on that 
day. The roster of that body was : House — 
Richardson county, William Parchen, B. F. 
Cunningham, J. M. Deweese, J. T. Hoile; Paw- 
nee county, C. H. Gere; Gage and Jones coun- 
ties, N. Blakely; Nemaha county, George W. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND' BIOGRAPHY 



Fairbrother, W. G. Glasgow, Daniel C. Sanders, 
W. A. Pollock ; Johnson county, A. W. Gray ; 
Otoe county, E. S. Reed, A. Tuxbury, D. M. 
Anderson, James Thome, John Graves; La.i- 
caster, Seward and Saunders counties. Jan.es 
Queen ; Lancaster county, Ezra Tullis ; Cass 
county, S. Maxwell, W. F. Chapin, T. R. Bell, 
H. D. Hathaway; Sarpy county, T. H. Robert- 
son, J. D. Smith ; Douglas county, P. O. Han- 
Ion, A. J. Critchfield, J. W. Paddock, V. Burk- 
ley, W. A. Denton ; Dodge county, George J. 
Turton; Platte county, E. W. Arnold; Platte, 
Merrick, Hall and Buffalo counties, James E. 
Boyd; Washington county, David McDonald, 
W. R. Hamilton; Burt and Cuming counties, 
G. P. Thomas; Dakota county, A. H. Baker; 
Dakota, Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court 
counties, R. H. Wilbur; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau 
Qui Court counties, Kelly Frazier. Officers : 
W. A. Pollock, speaker; J. H. Brown, chief 
clerk ; J. T. Davis, assistant clerk ; F. M. Dov- 
ington, sergeant-at-arms ; E. A. Graves, door- 
keeper. Council : Nathas S. Porter, Frank 
Welch, James G. Megeath, M. C. Wilbur, Da- 
vid Leach, Vincent Krummer, Thomas K. 
Hann, John Cadman, S. H. Calhoun, Oliver 
Stevenson, S. M. Rich, F. D. Tisdale, A. S. 
Stewart. Officers: F. Welch, president; C. 
E. Yost, chief clerk ; E. K. Valentine, assistant 
clerk; Wilson E. Alajors, sergeant-at-arms; P. 
Judson, doorkeeper. 

The following is the text of the proclama- 
tion issued by President Andrew Johnson de- 
claring Nebraska a State : 

'"Whereas, the Congress of the United 
States, did by an act approved on the 19th day 
of April, 1864, authorize the people of the Terri- 
tory of Nebraska to form a constitution and 
State government and for the admission of such 
State into the Union, on an equal footing with 
the original states, upon certain conditions in 
said act specified, and 

Whereas, said people did adopt a constitu- 
tion conforming to the provisions and condi- 
tions of said act and ask admission into the 
L'nion ; and 

Whereas, tiie Congress of the United States 
did on the eighth and ninth days of February, 
1867, in mode prescribed by the constitution, 



pass a further act for the admission of the State 
of Nebraska into the Union, in which last- 
named act it was provided that it should not 
take effect except upon the fundamental con- 
dition that within the State of Nebraska there 
should be no denial of the elective franchise or 
of any other right to any person by reason of 
race or color, excepting Indians not taxed, and 
upon further fundamental condition that the 
Legislature of said State, by a solemn public 
act, shall declare the assent of said State to 
the said fundamental condition, and should 
transmit to the President of the United States 
an authenticated copy of said act of the legis- 
lature of said State, upon receipt whereof, the 
President, by proclamation, should forthwith 
announce the fact, whereupon the said funda- 
mental condition should be held as a part of 
the organic law of the State ; and thereupon, 
and without any further proceeding on the part 
of the Congress, the admission of said State into 
the Union should be considered as complete ; 
and 

Whereas, within the time prescribed by said 
act of the Congress on the eighth and ninth 
days of February, 1867, the legislature of the 
State of Nebraska did pass an act ratifying the 
said act of Congress of the eighth and ninth 
days of February, 1867, and declaring that the 
aforenamed provisions of the third section of 
said last-named act of Congress should be a 
part of the organic law of the State of Ne- 
braska; and 

Whereas, a duly authenticated copy of said 
act of the legislature of the State of Nebraska 
has been received by me ; 

Now, therefore, I, Andrew Johnson, Presi- 
dent of the United States, do in accordance with 
the provisions of the act of Congress last herein 
named, declare and proclaim the fact tiiat the 
fundamental conditions imposed by Congress on 
the State of Nebraska, to entitle that State to 
admission to the Union, have been ratified and 
accepted, and that the admission of the said 
State into the Union is now complete. 

In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand 
and have caused the seal of the United States to 
be affixed." 

"Done at the City of Washington, this first 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



71 



day of March, in the year of our Lord, 1867, 
and of the Independence of the United States 
of America the ninety-first. 

By the President : 

Andrew Johnson. 
\Vm. H. Sew.^rd^ Secretary of State." 

The twelfth and last session of the territorial 
legislation met at Omaha, January 10, 1867. 
The roster is here given : 

Council — Barnabas Bates, J. D. Neleigh, G. 
W. Doan, W. Baumer, E. H. Rogers, F. K. 
Freeman, Lawson Sheldon, James E. Doom, M. 
S. Reeves, W. W. Wardell, T. J. Majors, W. 

A. Presson and A. S. Stewart. Officers : E. 
H. Rogers, president; O. B. Hewett, chief clerk; 
L. L. Holbrook, assistant clerk ; E. A. Kirk- 
patrick, sergeant-at-arms ; John Cadman, door- 
keeper. 

House — Pawnee county, John R. Butler ; 
Richardson county, G. Duerfeldt, J. M. De- 
weese, Joseph T. Hoile ; Nemaha county, George 
Crowe, William Daily, Lewis Waldter, C. F. 
Haywood ; Otoe county, W. M. Hicklin, J. R. 
Graves, A. F. Harvey, D. M. Anderson ; Cass 
county, D. Cole, W. F. Chapin, Isaac Wiles, A. 

B. Fuller; Johnson county, A. \\'. Gray; Lan- 
caster county, E. H. Hardenberger ; Lancaster, 
Seward and Saunders counties, E. L. Clark, 
Sarpy county, George N. Crawford, A. W. 
Trumble; Douglas county, G. W. Frost, D. S. 
Parmelee, H. Link, S. M. Curran, E. P. Child; 
Dodge county, J. E. Dorsey ; Platte county, 

-John E. Kclley ; Washington county, L. J. Ab- 
bott, Amasa S. Warwick; Dakota county, 
Daniel Duggan; Platte, Merrick, Hall and Buf- 
falo counties, John Wallichs ; Gage and Jones 
counties, Hugh M. Ross ; Burt and Cuming 
counties, Martin Stuefer; Lincoln, Kearney, Sa- 
line and Butler counties, William Baker. Offi- 
cers : W. F. Chapin, speaker, J. S. Bowen, chief 
clerk; W. S. Brewster, assistant clerk; J. M. 
Howard, sergeant-at-arms. 

The constitution provided that senators and 
representatives should be elected biennially, on 
the second Tuesday in October, at which time 
the State officers were also to be chosen. This, 
however, did not apply to the first set of officers 
designated under the constitution, those named 
under what mav be termed, for distinction here, 



the provincial officers. That first election was 
ordered by the constitution to take place June 
2, 1866. Under this provision Hon. T. M. 
MarcjUttte was elected representative in Con- 
gress. The vote for treasurer (which may be 
taken as a fair estimate of the party lines) was 
4,756 for the Republican candidate, to 4,161 for 
the Democratic. In accordance with the re- 
quirements of the constitution, although the 
territory was still out of the Union as a State, 
the first regular election was held on the second 
Tuesday in October. Then it was that Hon. 
John TafTe was elected to Congress. 

The new State began its existence under the 
official gfuidance of David Butler, governor; 
Thomas P. Kennard, secretary of State ; John 
Gillespie, auditor; Augustus Kountze, treasurer; 
Thomas P. Kennard, librarian; Champion S. 
Chase, attorney general. The congressional rep- 
resentatives were : Senators, John M. Thayer 
and Thomas W. Tipton; Representative, John 
Taffe. 

The so-called third session of the State 
legislature (but in reality the first session) met 
at Omaha under proclamation of Governor But- 
ler, May 16, 1867. The State comprised eleven 
senatorial districts, represented by the following 
named senators : First district, Harlan Baird ; 
Second district, J. T. Davis ; Third district, 
Isaac S. Hascall and J. N. H. Patrick; Fourth 
district, E. H. Rogers; Fifth district, F. K. 
Freeman ; Sixth district, Lawson Sheldon ; Sev- 
enth district, J. E. Doom; Eighth district, W. 
W. Wardell and Mills S. Reeves; Ninth dis- 
trict, Thomas J. Majors; Tenth district, William 
A. Presson ; Eleventh district, Oscar Holdfen. 
Hon. E. H. Rogers, of Dodge county, was 
elected president; L. L. Holbrook, secretary; 
Seth Robinson, assistant secretary ; D. W. Mc- 
Kimmon, sergeant-at-arms ; E. K. Caldwell, 
doorkeeper. 

The house consisted of : Richardson county, 
J. T. Hoile, G. Duerfeldt, J. M. Deweese, T. J. 
Collins ; Pawnee county, J. R. Butler, Nemaha 
county, William Daily, George Crowe, Louis 
Waldter, C. F. Hagood ; Otoe county, A. F. 
Harvey, W. H. Hicklin, John B. Bennet, 
George W. Sroat, D. M. Anderson ; Cass county, 
W. F. Chapin, D. Cole, A. B. Fuller, Isaac 
Wiles ; Clay, Lancaster, Seward and Saunders 



72 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



counties, E. L. Clark; Saline, Lincoln, Benton 
and Kearney counties, William Baker; Sarpy 
county, A. W. Trumble, George N. Crawford ; 
Douglas County, G. W. Frost, J. M. Wool- 
worth ; Martin Dunham, Joel T. Griffin ; Platte 
county, John E. Kelley ; Washington county, D. 
C. Slader, John A. Unthank ; Burt and Cuming 
counties, Austin Rockwell; Dodge county, 
Henry Beebe ; Dakota county, James Preston ; 
Johnson county, George P. Tucker, Dakota, 
Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court Counties, 
Henry Morton ; Gage and Jones counties, Oliver 
Townsend ; Lancaster county, John Cadman. 

Hon. W. F. Chapin, of Cass county, was 
elected speaker; J. S. Bowen, chief clerk; W. 
B. Smith, assistant clerk; D. Labor, sergeant-at- 
arms ; E. L. Clark, doorkeeper. The specific 
purposes for which this extraordinary session 
was called, was the enactment of laws and the 
amendment of existing statutes to harmonize 
with the new order of government. 

The fourth session of the legislature was 
called for the purpose of making such provision 
as was essential, under the con.-titution of the 
United States, for the election of electors for 
President and Vice-President, this important 
duty having been unprovided for in previous 
sessions. The legislature met in Omaha, Octo- 
ber 27 and 28, 1868, and on the last named day, 
passed a bill which was approved by Governor 
Butler defining the method of choosing electors. 

The fifth session of the legislature (which 
is incorrectly called the "First regular Session" 
on the title page of the Journal) was the first 
to meet in Lincoln, after the removal of the 
capital to that place. It was also the first ses- 
sion by operation of the constitutional law, un- 
der the supreme ordinance of 1866; the preced- 
ing sessions, since the passage of the constitu- 
tion having been either practically territorial 
legislatures, or "called" sessions of the State 
body, hence the designation as "first regular 
session." 

The legislature met January 7, 1869. The 
members of the senate were by districts as fol- 
lows: First — Richardson county, E. E. Cun- 
ningham; Second — Nemaha, Charles J. Majors; 
Third — Nemaha, Richardson and Johnson, I. 
Rcavis ; Fourth — Pawnee, Gage, Jefferson, Sa- 



line and Lancaster, C. H. Gere; Fifth — Otoe, T. 
Ashton and T. B. Stevenson; Sixth — Cass, H. 
D. Hathaway ; Seventh — Cass, Sarpy, Saunders, 
Butler and Seward: W. F. Chapin; Eighth — 
Douglas, E. B. Taylor and G. W. Frost ; Ninth — 
Washington and Butler, William F. Goodwill; 
Tenth — Platte, Merrick, Hall, Buffalo, Kearney 
and Lincoln : Guy C. Barnum. The senate 
chose Hon. E. B. Taylor, of Douglas county, 
president; S. I\I. Chapman, secretary; J. R. 
Patrick, assistant secretary; W. H. Miller, en- 
grossing clerk; George Vandeventer, enrolling 
clerk ; W. A. Pollock, sergeant-at-arms ; John 
Bradshaw, doorkeeper. 

The house was composed of: Richardson 
county, O. C. Jones, Delos A. Tisdel, J. E. Gard- 
ner, J. T. Hoile; Pawnee county, A. S. Stewart; 
Gage and Jefferson counties, Nathan Blakeley; 
Johnson county, Hinman Rhodes ; Nemaha 
county, J. S. Church, H. Steinman, George 
Crowe, G. R. Shook ; "Otoe county, James 
Fitchie, W. IMcLennan, A. F. McCartney, J. 
W. Talbot, A. Zimmerer; Lancaster county, 
Ezra Tullis ; Cass county, David McCaig, J. 
JiIcF. Hagood, G. L. Seybolt, Joseph IMcKinnon ; 
Saunders, Seward and Butler counties, JMarcus 
Brush ; Saline, Lincoln and Kearney counties, 
J. S. Hunt; Sarpy county, J. N. Case and J. D. 
Smith ; Douglas county, S. C. Brewster, Joseph 
Fox, J. B. Furay, J. T. Griffin, D. S. Parmalee 
and Edwin Loveland ; Dodge county, E. H. 
Bernard; Platte county, C. A. Speice; Hall, 
Buffalo and Merrick counties. Wells Brewer; 
Washington county. Christian Rathman and W. 
H. B. Stout; Burt and Cuming counties, Wat- 
son Parrish ; Dakota county, John Naff ziger ; 
Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, C. 
B. Evans. The officers were: Hon. William 
McLennan, of Otoe county, speaker; John S. 
Bowen, chief clerk ; C. H. Walker, assistant 
clerk ; E. L. Clark, sergeant-at-arms ; H. J. 
Mumford, doorkeeper; Jessie Turner, engros- 
sing clerk, Abram Deyo, enrolling clerk. 

The sixth session of the legislature was an 
extraordinary convention for twenty specific 
purposes, first among which was the ratification 
of the proposed fifteenth amendment to the 
constitution of the L'nited States. The measure 
of greatest State interest was the erection of a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



71 



penitentiary, and the remaining objects of the 
session varied in importance from the incorpora- 
tion of cities to the payment of legislators. 

On February 17, 1870, the legislature met at 
Lincoln. The new representatives were : Samuel 
Carter, Leander W. Pattison, from Richardson 
county; Hiram O. Minick, from Nemaha 
county ; Fordyce Roper, from Gage and Jeffer- 
son counties, and C. A. Leary, from Douglas 
county. Speaker McLennan presided. The 
new members of the senate were : Second dis- 
trict, William Daily, Sr. ; Third district, Samuel 
A. Fulton and Eugene L. Reed. 

Immediately after the close of the sixth ses- 
sion, the seventh session assembled, at 8:30 p. 
m., March 4, 1870, on the order of Governor 
Butler, whose proclamation was issued during 
the day. The session was in fact but the con- 
tinuance of the preceding session. The objects 
enumerated in the executive message were the 
necessity of a passage of a herd law; the ratifi- 
cation of a contract made by the Governor for 
the conveyance of certain lands to Isaac Cahn 
and John M. Evans; to aid in the developments 
of the saline interests of the State and some local 
measures. The result of the session was not 
favorable to the desire of Governor Butler, rela- 
tive to his action in the saline land contract. 

The eighth session of the legislature began 
January 5, 1871. The senate consisted of: 
First — Richardson county, E. E. Cunningham; 
Second — Nemaha county, E. W. Thomas ; 
Third — Nemaha, Richardson and Johnson coun- 
ties, George P. Tucker; Fourth — Pawnee, 
Gage, Jefferson, Saline and Lancaster counties, 
A. J. Cropsey; Fifth — Otoe county, David 
Brown and Robert Hawke; Sixth — Cass county, 
Lawson Sheldon ; Seventh — Cass, Sarpy, Saun- 
ders, Seward and Butler counties, Willett Pot- 
tinger, contested successfully by A. W. Ken- 
nedy, who sat during the latter part of the ses- 
sion ; Eighth — Douglas county, Frederick Metz 
and I. S. Hascall ; Ninth — Washington and Burt 
counties, B. F. Hilton ; Tenth — Dodge Stanton, 
Cuming, Cedar, Dixon and L'eau Qui Court 
counties, A. W. Tennant (contested unsuccess- 
fully by J. D. Neighley) ; Eleventh— Merrick, 
Hall, Buffalo, Kearney and Lincoln counties, 
Leander Gerrard. Hon. E. E. Cunningham 
was elected president ; C. H. Walker, secretary ; 



C. M. Blaker, assistant secretary; A. T. Mc 
Carthy, engrossing clerk (Miss Cornelia Frost 
received two votes for this office, two less than 
Mr. McCarthy, the first instance of a woman 
being nominated for office in the Nebraska legis- 
lature) ; G. G. Beecher, enrolling clerk ; L. L. 
Kline, sergeant-at-arms ; C. E. Hines, door- 
keeper. 

The house contained : Richardson County, 
H. W. Sommerlad, James Wickham, Henry 
Schock, Ruel Nims ; Nemaha county, William 
Daily, S. P. Majors, G. -R. Shook, De Forest 
Porter ; Pawnee county, G. W. Collins ; Gage 
and Jefferson counties, D. C. Jenkins; Johnson 
county, Hinman Rhodes ; Otoe county, W. E. 
Dillon, J. E. Doom, Eugene Munn, John Ober- 
ton, J. W. Conger; Lancaster county, S. B. 
Galey; Cass county, F. M. Wolcott, J. K. Can- 
non, J. M. Patterson, John Rouse; Saunders, 
Seward and Butler counties, A. Roberts ; Saline, 
Lincoln and Kearney counties, Isaac Goodin; 
Sarpy county, E. N. Grinnell, Chas. Duby ; 
Douglas county, John Ahmanson, T. F. Wall, 
J. C. Myers, E. Rosewater, W. M. Ryan, L. S. 
Reed; Dodge county, A. C. Briggs ; Platte and 
Colfax counties, A. J. Hudson; Hall, Buffalo 
and Merrick counties, Enos Beall; Washington 
county, Elam Clark, H. C. Riordan ; Burt and 
Cuming counties, Frank Kipp ; Dakota county, 
James Clark; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui 
Court counties, D. J. Quimby. Officers: Hon. 
George W. Collins, speaker; Louis E. Cropsey, 
chief clerk; J'. R. Webster, assistant clerk; D. 
L. Snyder, engrossing clerk ; Charles Culbert- 
son, sergeant-at-arms ; E. L. Clark, doorkeeper. 
By an irregularity in the journals the election 
of Miss Cornelia Frost is not recorded, but 
that lady qualified as enrolling clerk and so 
served. 

On the 9th of January, 1872, in accordance 
with the order of adjournment, the legislature 
re-assembled in what was known as the eighth 
adjourned session. 

The ninth session of the legislature convened 
January 9, 1873, with the following senate: 
First district, W. D. Scott ; Second, G. R. Shook ; 
Third, A. Bowen; Fourth, E. W. Barnum; 
Fifth, W. A. Gwyer and O. Wilson; Sixth, L. 
W. Osborn; Seventh, J. C. Crawford; Eighth, 
S. W. Hayes; Ninth, G. C. Barton; Tenth, Job 



74 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



A. Dillon; Eleventh, S. B. Pound; Twelfth, N. 
K. Greggs. Officers: Hon. W. A. Gwyer, ot 
Omaha, president ; D. H. Wheeler, secretary ; 
L. S. Estell, assistant secretary ; W. D. Wild- 
man, sergeant-at-arms ; S. L. Barrett, engros- 
sing clerk ; \\'illiam Caffrey, enrolling clerk ; C. 
E. Hine, doorkeeper. 

The house consisted of : Richardson county, 
E. S. Towle, C. L. Metz, H. Holcomb; Nemaha 
county, C. Blodgett, C. ^^■. Wheeler; Otoe 
county, J. H. ;Masters, J. W. Patrick, Logan 
Enyart, Paul Schminke ; Cass county, J. W. 
Barnes, J. L. Brown ; Pawnee county, A. H. 
Babcock ; Johnson county, L. H. Lafiin ; Gage 
county, J. B. McDowell; Lancaster county, A. 
K. White, S. G. Owen ; Saunders county, W. 
H. Deck ; Saline county, O. W. Baltzley ; Jeffer- 
son, Nucholls and Webster counties, Silas Gar- 
ber; York, Polk, Butler, Platte, Hamilton, Clay 
and Adams counties, J. E. Cramer; Lancaster, 
Saunders, Gage, Jefferson and Pawnee counties, 
M. H. Sessions ; Sarpy county, George S. 
Burtch ; Douglas county, C. F. Goodman, W. 
R. Bartlett, J. L. Webster, M. Dunham, H. L. 
Dodge, E. G. Dudley ; W"ashington county, 
Henry Sprick ; Burt county, Austin Nelson ; 
Dodge county, Milton May; Cuming and 
Wayne counties, R. F. Stevenson; Dakota and 
Dixon counties, R. H. Wilbur; Platte and Col- 
fax counties, A. J. Arnold ; Madison, Stanton, 
Pierce, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, L. 
M. Howard; Hall, Merrick, Greeley, Howard, 
Boone and Antelope counties, Ed. Parker; 
Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Washington and Dodge 
counties, Bruno Tzschuck. Officers: Hon. M. 
H. Sessions, speaker ; J. W. Eller, chief clerk ; 
E. Cliadwick, assistant clerk ; U. B. Balcombe, 
enrolling clerk ; J. F. Zediker, engrossing clerk ; 
D. V. Stevenson, sergeant-at-arms. 

The tenth session was an extra one, begin- 
ning March 27, 1873, for the purpose of taking 
action on matters relating to the boundaries of 
certain counties and other legislation. 

The eleventh session of the legislature began 
January 7, 1875. The senate roll stood: First 
district, T. C. Hoyt; Second, J. B. Fisher; third, 
J. E. Lamaster ; Fourth, S. M. Chapman ; Fifth, 
C. B. Rustin and J. S. Spaun ; Sixth, Waldo 
Lyon; Seventh, Alexander Bear; Eighth, H. D. 
Perky; Ninth, Guy C. Barton; Tenth, Rufus H. 



Abbott; Eleventh, C. C. Burr; Twelfth, N. K. 
Briggs. Officers : Hon. N. K. Briggs, presi- 
dent, D. il. Wheeler, secretary; C. L. IMather, 
assistant secretary ; George F. Work, engrossing 
clerk; ]. W. Conger, enrolling clerk; Levi A. 
Stebbins, sergeant-at-arms ; C. E. Hine, door- 
keeper. 

The house was composed of: Richardson 
county, Henry Fischer, E. S. Towle, Seth W. 
Beals; Nemaha county, Church Howe, C. M. 
Hayden ; Otoe county, N. R. Pinney, Logan En- 
yart, J. II. Tomlin, Eugene Munn; Cass county, 
J. L. Brown, H. \\'. Farley; Pawnee county, 
W. F. Wright ; Johnson county, C. A. Holmes ; 
Gage comity, J. B. McDowell; Lancaster 
county, A. T. Hastings, Louis Helnier; Saun- 
ders county, J. F. Roll; Seward county, D. C. 
McKillip ; Saline county, G. H. Hastings ; 
Thayer, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Webster coun- 
ties, F. J. Hendershot; York, Polk, Butler, 
Platte, Hamilton, Clay and Adams counties, Al- 
binus Nance ; Lancaster, Saunders, Gage, John- 
son and Pawnee counties, Thomas C. Chapman ; 
Sarpy, James, Davidson and Douglas counties, 
B. H. Barrows, J. M. Thurston, Jacob Weiden- 
sall, John Baumer, Frank ]\Iurphy, A. II. Baker; 
Madison, Stanton, Pierce, Cedar and Knox 
counties, R. S. Lucas; Hall, Merrick, Howard, 
Greeley, Boone and Antelope counties, Loran 
Clark ; Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Washington and 
Dodge counties, J. W. Barnes ; Lincoln, Chey- 
enne, Dawson, Buffalo, Sherman, Yalley, Kear- 
ney and Franklin counties, M. V.' Moudy ; 
Washington county, E. S. Gaylord ; Dodge 
county, J. C. Scelcy ; Colfax county, Frank 
Folda ; Burt county, W. G. Olinger ; Dakota 
county, B. F. Chambers ; Cuming county, J. C. 
Crawford. Officers : Hon. E. S. Towle, 
speaker ; G. L. Brown, chief clerk ; J. F. Zedi- 
ker, assistant clerk ; S. B. Jones, engrossing 
clerk; Miss Sarah C. Funke, enrolling clerk; 
J. W. Manning, sergcant-at-arms ; J. W. Mc- 
Cabe, doorkeeper. 

The State constitution of 1875 was presented 
to the people for ratification or rejection in 1875. 
It was ratified by a vote of 30,202 against 5.474, 
which were against it. 

On December 5, 1876, the twelfth session 
of the legislature was called to pass upon the 
question of the legality of the election of Amosa 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



75 



Coab to the office of presidential elector. Mr. 
Cobb was chosen by ballot, in joint convention 
of both houses, on the same day as the pre- 
ceding session the thirteenth session of the 
legislature was held for the purpose of can- 
vassing the popular vote cast for the State 
ticket and congressman. 

On January 2, 1877 the fourteenth session 
of the legislature convened in regular session. 
The senate consisted of the following members : 
First district, J. W. Holt, P. W. Birkhauser ; 
Second, Church Howe ; Third, G. W. Covell, C. 
H. Van Wyck; Fourth, S. M. Chapman; Fifth, 
G. W. Ambrose, C. H. Brown; Sixth, A. N. 
Ferguson; Seventh, W. C. Walton; Eighth, G. 
F. Blanchard ; Ninth, J. C. Crawford ; Tenth, 
Isaac Powers, Jr. ; Eleventh, S. W. Hayes ; 
Twelfth, John Aten ; Thirteenth, G. H. Thum- 
mel ; Fourteenth, J. E. North ; Fifteenth, H. 
Garfield ; Sixteenth, A. M. Bryant ; Seventeenth, 
Thomas P. Kennard and C. N. Baird ; Eighteenth, 
T. W. Pepoon; Nineteenth, L. W. Colby; 
Twentieth, J. \\'. Dawes ; Twenty-first, E. C. 
Cams ; Twenty-second, W. M. Knapp ; Twenty- 
third, M. W. Wilcox ; Twenty-fourth, J. S. Gil- 
ham ; Twenty-fifth, E. C. Calkins; Twenty- 
sixth, B. I. Flinman. Officers: Hon. Othman 
A. Abbott, president ; Hon. George F. Blanch- 
ard, president pro tern ; D. S. Wheeler, secre- 
tary ; E. J. Baldwin, assistant secretary ; Thomas 
Harlan, sergeant-at-arms ; Miss Ella Marlay, 
enrolling clerk; Miss Mollie Baird, engrossing 
clerk ; M. J. Houck, doorkeeper. 

The house roll by districts was : First dis- 
trict, J. D. Gillman, William Gerdis, Joseph H. 
Meyers ; Second, E. Jordan, W. J. Halderman ; 
Third, William Anyan, L. M. Boggs ; Fourth, 
W. H. Doolittle, William R. Spicknall ; Fifth, 
J. G. Evans, John Frerichs, J. J. Mercer; Sixth, 
George McKee, F. W. Robb, J. B. Elliott, Paul 
Schminke ; Seventh, John Cadman, W. C. 
Griffith, Henry Spellman, R.' O. Phillips ; Eightli, 
J. A. Jury, M. M. Runyon, E. M. Mengel ; 
Ninth, "j. C. Gilmore, T. N. Bobbitt, J. M. 
Beardsley ; Tenth, S. F. Burtch ; Eleventh, A. 
H. Baker, J. S. Gibson, William Neville, P. P. 
Shelby, G. E. Pritchell, James Creighton, L. L. 
Wilcox, Thomas Blackmore ; Twelfth, H. B. 
Nicodemus, N. S. Belden ; Thirteenth. Henry 
Sprick ; Fourteenth, F. M. Johnson ; Fifteenth, 



W. J. Mcicker, J. W. Pollock ; Sixteenth, J. C. 
Hefferman ; Seventeenth, J. P. Walters; Eight- 
eenth, L. C. Champlin ; Nineteenth, W. W. 
Fitzpatrick; Twentieth, S. T. Caldwell; Twen- 
ty-first, J. E. Smith; Twenty-second, S. Sadler; 
Twenty-third, James W. Small; Twenty-fourth, 

C. M. Northurp; Twenty-fifth, E. Whitcomb, T. 
B. Parker, Jamps McCreedy ; Twenty-sixth, 
Thomas Wolfe, Thomas A. Healey; Twenty- 
seventh, S. V. Moore, Lee Love; Twenty- 
eighth, Thomas B. Johnson ; Twenty-ninth, 
Peter Harrison; Thirtieth, S. W. Switzer; 
Thirty-first, Anthony Reis ; Thirty-second, B. 
B. Mills, Thirty-third, N. J. Paul ; Thirty-fourth, 
Henry A. Bruno; Thirty-fifth, Albinus Nance; 
Thirty-sixth, Cyrus Allen ; Thirty-seventh, N. 
W. Wells; Thirty-eighth, C. C. Barnum; Thirty- 
ninth, Alexander Bear; Fortieth, G. A. Hall; 
Forty-first, C. F. Eiseley, Forty-second', C. H. 
Frady; Forty-third, Thomas G. Hullihen ; 
Forty-fourth, W. B. Lambert; Forty-fifth, 
Loren Clark; Forty-sixth, J. H. McColl ; Forty- 
seventh, A. H. Bush; Forty-eighth, A. E. Har- 
vey; Forty-ninth, W. P. P. St. Clair; Fiftieth, 
Samuel Barker; Fifty-first, D. P. Whelpley; 
Fifty-second, J. O. Chase. Officers : Hon. Al- 
binus Nance, speaker ; B. D. Slaughter, chief 
clerk ; J. F. Zedizer, assistant clerk ; W. B. 
White, enrolling clerk ; Hannah M. Kellum, en- 
grossing clerk ; L. B. Palmer, sergeant-at-arms ; 
H. W. Gregory, doorkeeper. 

The fifteenth session of the legislature met 
January 7, 1879. Below is given the roster of 
the senate: First district, P. W. Birkhauser, 
G. P. Stone ; Second, Church Howe ; Third, C. 
H. VanWyck, D. T. Flayden ; Fourth, Orlando 
Tefft; Fifth, C. K. Coutant, C. H. Brown; 
Sixth, C. V. Gallagher ; Seventh, John A. 
Cuppy; Eighth, William Marshall; Ninth, 
Louis Otterstein, Tenth, W. B. Beck; Eleventh, 
Louis Ley; Twelfth, O. P. Sullenberger ; Thir- 
teenth, E. W. Arnold; Fourteenth, J. T. Clark- 
son ; Fifteenth, W. F. Kimmell ; Sixteenth, T. 
A. Bonnell ; Seventeenth, E. E. Brown, M. B. 
Cheney ; Eighteenth, B. F. Dorsey ; Nineteenth, 
James A. McMeans ; Twentieth, J. H. Grimm ; 
Twenty-first, T. L. Norval ; Twenty-second, D. 
A. Scovill ; Twenty-third, J. F. Coulter ; Twen- 
ty-fourth, A. L. Wigton ; Twenty-fifth, John 

D. Seaman ; Twenty-sixth, George H. Jewett. 



76 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Officers : Hon. Edmund C. Cams, president ; 
Hon. William Marshall, president pro tern; 
Sherwood Burr, secretary; C. H. Babcock, W. 
M. Seeley, assistant secretaries; Miss Kate E. 
Stover, engrossing clerk; J. T. Allen, enrolling 
clerk; J. N. Cassell, sergeant-at-arms ; W. H.' 
Thomas, doorkeeper. 

The house roll by districts was : First dis- 
trict, John Kloepfel, B. R. Stouffer, W. M. 
Patton, J. Fenton; Second, R. A. Kennedy, S. 
Bornard; Third, John Sparks; Fourth, S. B. 
Starrett, W. R. York; Fifth, W. A. Pollock, 
N. Johnson, E. Lash; Sixth, J. L. Mitchell, R. 
D. Brownlee, Jacob Lisk, George Ferguson ; 
Seventh, M. H. Sessions, S. G. Owen, W. W. 
Carder, T. R. Burling; Eighth, H. A. Fisher, 
B. F. Hammitt, F. E. Davis; Ninth, R. B. 
Windham, I. F. Polk, Isaac Stone ; Tenth, Amos 
Gates; Eleventh, George Plumbeck, L. M. Ben- 
nett, R. E. Gaylord, Patrick McArdle, W. H. 
Burns, J. S. Gibson, B. E. B. Kennedy, C. J. 
Karbach ; Twelfth, C. F. Eiseley, G. M. Dodge ; 
Thirteenth, Giles ]\Iead, J. J. Thompson; Four- 
teenth, Ribert Hanson ; Fifteenth, B. A. Thomp- 
son, John E. Long; Sixteenth and Seventeenth, 
W. H. Vanderbilt; Eighteenth, C. B. Slocumb; 
Nineteenth, G. C. Bruce ; Twentieth, R. i\I. 
Simonton; Twenty-first, J. E. Smith, Twenty- 
second, R. A. Batty; Twenty-third, H. A. Dra- 
per; Twenty-fourth, J. D. Jenkins; Twenty- 
fifth, .M. B. C. True, J. W. Gilbert, N. H. 
Moore; Twenty-sixth, H. A. French, William 
Hickman ; Tw-enty-seventh, W. 1*. Scott, W. H. 
Keckley ; Twenty-eighth, R. W. Grayhill, 
Twenty-ninth, G. H. Bush; Thirtieth, J. H. 
Davis ; Thirty-first, A. H. Bradley, Thirty-sec- 
ond, P. J. Dempster; Thirty-third, J. F. Fred- 
erick ; Thirty-fourth, J. W. Sparks ; Thirty- 
fifth, T. S. Sparks ; Thirty-sixth, F. Engle- 
hard; Thirty-seventh, N. W. Wells; Thirty- 
eighth, T. C. Ryan ; Thirty-ninth, C. P. Mathew- 
son ; Fortieth, J. A. Ziegler ; Forty-first, R. N. 
Day ; Forty-second, Tobias Mack ; Forty-third, 
B. Y. Shelley ; Forty-fourth, F. H. Trowbridge ; 
Forty-fifth, Oscar Babcock ; Forty-sixth, T. L. 
Warrington ; Forty-seventh, Sidney Baker ; 
l-"orty-cighth, R. II. Rohr; Forty-ninth, F. W. 
Gassman; Fiftieth, A. W. Vandeman; Fifty- 
first, D. C. Loveland ; Fifty-second, M. S. Price. 
Officers: Hon. C. P. Methewson, speaker; B. 



D. Slaughter, chief clerk ; J. F. Zedicker, T. H. 
Benton, assistant clerks; Miss Kate Strickland, 
engrossing clerk ; W. P. Squire, enrolling clerk ; 
Isaac Goodin, sergeant-at-arms; C. H. North, 
doorkeeper. 

The foregoing pages have carried the vari- 
ous sessions of the legislature through terri- 
torial organization and also through the first 
dozen years of statehood in consecutive form. 
This was during the formative period of the 
history of the State. The men w-ho served in 
the councils of the State during these years may 
truly be classed as pioneers, and they were the 
representative men of their day from the vari- 
ous portions of the State. 

MEMBERS OF THE NEBR.'VSKA LEGISLATURE FROM 
1866 TO I9IO INCLUSIVE. 

In the following pages we present an alpha- 
betical list of the members of the Nebraska 
legislature from 1866 to 1910 inclusive. The 
name is given first, together with the county 
from which the party was elected ; and the 
figures indicate the sessions in which the party 
served : 

SENATORS. 

Abbott. Rufus, Pawnee county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Akers, Wm. R., Dawson county, Session 24. 

Alden, J. M., Pierce county, Session 28. 

Aldrich, C. H., Butler county. Session 30. 

.■\lcxander, C. L., Adams county, Session 26. 

.•\llen, E. N., Furnas county. Session 27. 

Ambrose, Geo. W., Douglas county, Session 14. 

Anderson, C. B., Saline county, Session 28. 

Arends, J. H., Otoe county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Arnold, E. W., Hall county. Session 15. 

.•\shton, F. W., Hall county. Session 30. 

.Ashton, T., Otoe county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Aten, Jobn. Dixon county. Session 14. 

Babcock, Wm. N.. Douglas county. Session 23. 

Baird, Cyrus N., Lancaster county, Session 14. 

Baird, Harlan, Ricbardson county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Baldrige, Howard H., Douglas county. Session 27. 

Baker, Sidney, Buffalo county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Ballcntine. D. C., Lincoln county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Banning, W. B., Session 31. 

Barker, L. D., Saline cbunty. Session 18. 

Barniun, Guy C, Buflfalo county, Sessions 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 

ID, II, 12, 13. . 
Barnum, E. W., Cass county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Barton, G. C, Lincoln county. Sessions 9, 11. 
Barton. W. R., Jobnson county, Session 26. 
Bartos, F. W., Session 31. 
Bauer, Wm. E., Butler county. Session 24. 
Bcardsley, S. W., Lancaster county, Session 21. 
Beal, C. W., Custer county. Session 25. 
Bear, Alexander. Madison county. Sessions 11. 12, 13. 
Beck, Wm. R., Burt county. Sessions 15, 22. 
Bcghtol. P. P., Lancaster county, Sessions 28, 29. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



17 



Berlet, Peter, Nemaha county, Session 27. 

Besse. C. R., Session 31. 

Birkhauser, P. W., Richardson county. Sessions 14, 15. 

Black, Joseph, Buffalo county, Session 24. 

Blanchard, Geo. F., Dodge county, Session 14. 

Bodinson, E. F., Session 31. 

Bomgardner. D. E., Kearney county. Session iS. 

Bonesteel, H. E., Knox county. Session 20. 

Bonnell, T. A., Saunders county, Session 15. 

Bowen, A., Otoe county, Sessions 9, 10. 

Brady, James T., Boone county. Session 28. 

Bresee, Charles P., Sheridan county. Session 29. 

Bressler, John T., Wayne county. Session 24. 

Brown, Charles H., Douglas county. Sessions 14, 15, 18. 

Brown, David, Otoe county. Session 8. 

Brown, E. E., Lancaster county, Sessions 15-18. 

Brown Ezra, Clay county. Sessions 18, 19. 

Brown, E. P., Session 31. 

Brown, J. Marion, Washington county. Session 22. 

Brown, O. F.. Platte county. Session 18. 

Brown, R. G., Clay county. Session 20. 

Brown, W. C, Keyapaha county, Session 28. 

Bryant, A. M., Saunders county. Session 14. 

Buck, S. H., Otoe county, Sessions 30-31. 

Buckworth, A. D.. Lincoln county. Session ig. 

Burnham, S. W., Lancaster county. Session 20. 

Burns, Joseph, Lancaster county. Session 30. 

Burns, J. F., Dodge county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Burns, Martin, York county. Sessions 16. 17. 

Burr, C. C, Lancaster county, Sessions 11, 12, 13-19. 

Burton, George W., Harlan county. Session 21. 

Butler, David, Pawnee county. Session 18. 

Byrnes. J. C, Platte county. Session 30. 

Cady, A. E., Howard county, Session 29. 

Cady, H. F., Otoe county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Cadman, John, Lancaster county, Session I. 

Cain, J. R. Jr., Session 31. 

Caldwell, G. H., Hall county. Session 24. 

Caldwell, S. T., Clay county, Session 25. 

Calhoun, L. H., Otoe county. Session I. 

Calkins, D. K., Franklin county. Session 20. 

Calkins, Elisha C, Buffalo county, Session 14. 

Campbell. Frank, Holt county, Session 27. 

Campbell, J. E., Sarpy county. Session 20. 

Campbell, J. N., Nance county, Sessions 23, 24. 

Campbell, Wm., Otoe county, Session 17. 

Canaday, J. S., Sessions 25, 26. 

Canfield. George. Douglas county. Session 18. 

Cams, E. C, Seward county. Session 14. 

Case, O. C, Webster county, Session 18. 

Casper, C. D., Butler county, Session 20. 

Castle, G. H., Gage county. Session I". 

Chapin, Wm. F.. Cass county. Session 5. 

Chapman, S. M., Cass county. Sessions Ti, 12, 13, 14. 

Cheney, M. B., Lancaster county. Session 15. 

Cherry, A. B., Gage county. Session 19. 

Christofferson, George. Douglas county, Session 22. 

Clarke, A. L., Adams county. Session 30. 

Clarke, C. H., Douglas county. Session 23. 

Clarke, H. F., Sarpy county. Session 19. 

Clarkson. J. T., Platte county. Session 15. 

Coffee, C. J., Boyd county. Session 28. 

Colby, L. W., Gage county. Sessions 14-20. 

Collins, Geo. F., Gage county. Session 22. 

Conaway, J. B., York county. Session 25. 

Conger, W. H., Boone county. Session 20. 

Conkling, A. T.. Washington county. Session 18. 

Conner. A. H.. Buffalo county. Sessions 18-21. 

Coon, C. B.. Adams county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Cornell, C. H., Cherry county. Session 21. 

Correll, E. M., Thayer county. Session 23. 

Coulter. F. B., Hall county. Session 22. 

Coulter, J. F., Fillmore county. Session 15. 



Coutant. C. K., Douglas county. Session 15. 

Covell. G. W., Otoe county. Session 14. 

Cox, J., Hamilton county, Session 28. 

Cox, J. M., Session 31. 

Crane. T. D., Douglas county. Session 24. 

Crawford, J., Holt county, Session 24. 

Crawford, J. C., Cuming county. Sessions 9, 10-14. 

Cropsey, A J., Jefferson county. Session 8. 

Cross, George, Jefferson county. Session 24. 

Crounse, Lorenzo. Washington county. Session 27. 

Crow, Jos., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Cummins, H. B., M. D., Seward county. Session 27. 

Cunningham. E. E., Richardson county, Sessions 3, 6, 7, 

Cuppy, J. A., Washington county. Session 15. 

Currie, F. M., Custer county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Daily, Win., Sr., Nemaha county. Sessions 6, 7. 

Daily, Wm., Nemaha county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Dale, W. F., Harlan county, Sessions 23, 24. 

Darner, J. H., Dawson county. Session 23. 

Davis, Jesse T., Washington county, Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Dawes. J. W., Saline county. Session 14. 

Day, C. A., Saunders county. Session ig. 

Day, George L., Nuckolls county. Session 28. 

Dav. T. J., Garfield county. Session 22. 

Dean, Frank A., Phelps county. Session 28. 

Dearing. W. H.. Cass county. Session 25. 

Deck, W. H.. Saunders county. Session 18. 

Dern, John, Dodge county. Session 21. 

Diers, Hennan, Session 31. 

Dillon, J. A., Johnson county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Dimery. Martin W., Seward county. Sessions 29. 

Dinsmore, J. B., Fillmore county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Doane, Geo. W., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Dodson, P. F., Saline county, Session 30. 

Dolan, J. W., Redwillow county, Sessions 18, 19. 

Donahoe, J. A., Session 31. 

Doom, Jas E., Cass county, Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Dorsey, B. F., Johnson county. Session 15. 

Dundas. John H.. Nemaha county, Session 25. 

Dunn, J. A., Platte county. Session 26. 

Dunphy, R. E., Seward county. Session 18. 

Duras, C, Saline county. Session 20. 

Durland, A. J., Madison county. Session 19. 

Dye. Wm., Fillmore county, Session 18. 

Dysart, Wm., Nuckolls county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Edgar, Wm. H., Gage county. Session 27. 

Eg.gleston, G. W., Lancaster county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Einsel. E. D., Phelps county. Session 19. 

Epperson, Chas. H., Clay county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Ervin, J. R., Johnson county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Evans, A. J., Butler county. Sessions 16. 17. 

Evans, J. H., Douglas county, Session 25. 

Everett, F, Burt county, Session 23. 

Farrell, T. F.. Merrick county. Sessions 25, 26. 

Feltz, F. Q.. Keith county. Session 25. 

Ferguson, A. N., Douglas county. Session 14. 

Fisher, J. B., Nemaha county. Sessions 11, 12, 13, 18. 

Filley, Elijah, Ga.ge county. Session 18. 

Filson, G. M.. Richardson countv, Session. 19. 

Fowler, C. A., Fillmore county. Session 26. 

Freeman, F. K., Kearney county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Fries, M. L., Valley county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Fritz. Nick, Thurston county, Session 25. 

Frost, G. W., Douglas county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Fuller, Frank, Wayne county, Session 20. 

Fulton, S. A., Johnson county. Sessions 6, 7. 

Funck, I. W.. Gage county. Session 20. 

Gallagher, C. V., Douglas county. Session 15. 

Gallogly. Jos. J., Merrick county. Session 21. 

Gamill, John C, Session 31. 

Garfield, H., Butler county. Session 14. 

Gere, C. H., Lancaster county. Sessions 5, 6, 7, 16, 17. 

Gerrand, Leander, Buffalo county. Session 8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Gibson, L. C., Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Giffert, D. C, Cuming county. Session 26. 
Giffin, W. D., Dawson county, Sessions 28. 29. 
Gilliam, J. S., Adams county, Session 14. 
Gilligan. John P., Holt county. Session 29. 
Glcver, H. B., Custer county. Session 30. 
Goclmer, J. F., Seward county. Session 19. 
Gondring, J. \.. Platte county. Session 25. 
Good. Ellis E., Xemaha county. Session 29. 
Goodrich, L., Fillmore county, Session 30. 
Goodwill, W. F., Washington county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Gould. E. D.. Greeley county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Graham, Alex. Gage count}'. Sessions 23, 24. 
Graham, L. M., Frontier county. Session 25. 
Graham, Thos., Seward county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Gray, W. M., Valley county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Griggs, N. K., Gage county. Sessions 9. 10, 11, 12, 13. 
Grimm, J. H., Saline county. Session 15. 
Grothan, O., Howard county. Session 25. 
Gwyer, Wm. A., Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Hahn L., Adams county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Halderman, W. J., Richardson county, Sessions 26. 
Hale. F. J., !Madison county, Sessions 23, 26. 
Hall. Joseph, Rurt county. Session 28. 
Hall, Mathew A.. Douglas county. Session 28. 
Hallcr, W. D., Washington count}'. Sessions 25, 29. 
Hauna, D., Cherry county. Session 30. 
Hanna, T. K.. Cass county, Session i. 
Hannibal. R. R.. Hall county. Session 26. 
Harris. C. L., Boone county. Session 18. 
Harris, J. E.. Otoe county. Session 23. 
Harlan, Nathan V., York county. Session 27. 
Harrington. R. B., Gage county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Harrison, T. O. C., Hamilton county, Session 18. 
Harrison, W. H., Hall county. Session 28. 
Harsh, A. F., Kearney county. Session 29. 
Hart, David, Adams county. Session 29. 
Hascall, J. S., Douglas county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 8. 
Hastings, Shelby, Butler county. Session 28. 
Hastings, W. G., Saline county, Session 19. 
I^asty, D. S., Furnas county, Session 28. 
Hatfield, J. D., Session 31. 
Hathaway. H. D., Cass county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Hawke. Robert, Otoe county, Session 8. 
Hayes, S. W., Dodge county. Sessions 9, 10, 14. 
Hayden, D. T., Otoe county. Session 15. 
Heapy. J. W., Sherman county. Session 25. 
Heartwell, J. B., Adams county. Session 20. 
Hedge, J. C., Adams county. Session 28. 
Heist, G. W., Dawson county, Session 18. 
Henry, F. J., Session 31. 
Higgins, J. M., Cass county. Session 20. 
Higgins. P. M., Colfax county, Session 20. 
Hill, J. F.. Adams county. Session 22. 
Hilton. B. F., Washington county. Session 8. 
Hinman. B. I.. Lincoln county. Session 14. 
Hitchcock, J. H., Johnson county. Session 24. 
Hodges, B.. Kearney, Phelps & Harlan counties, Ses- 
sion 27 
Hocbel, Louis, Otoe county, Session 19. 
I [ojhrook. W. D.. Dodge county. Sessions 24, 26, 30. 
Hnldcn, Oscar, Pawnee county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Holmes, C. A.. Johnson county, Session 20. 
Holt, J. W., Richardson county. Session 14. 
Hoover. J. S., Webster county. Session 21. 
Horn, Valentine, Hamilton county, Session 22. 
Howard, F. M, Hamilton county, Session 26. 
Howe, Church. Nemaha county. Sessions 14. 15, 19, 21. 
Howe J. D., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Howell, F. F., Douglas county. Sessions 25, 31. 
Howell, M., York county. Sessions tS, 19. 
Howell. Robt. B., Douglas county. Session 28. 
Hoyt, T. C, Richardson county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 



Hughes, Hugh, Platte county. Session 29. 

Hurd, L. G., Clay county. Session 21. 

Hyers, Robt. W., Cass county, Session 19. 

Ijams, W. H. Douglas county. Session 21. 

Jackson, H. W. L., Gage county. Session 29. 

Jeffcoat, John, Douglas county, Session 25. 

Jeffres, E. W., Greeley county. Session 24. 

Jennings, W. H., Thayer county, Sessions 28, 29. 

Jewett. G. H., Lincoln county. Session 15. 

Jewett, L. H., Custer county. Session 21. 

Johnson, L. L., Clay county, Sessions 23, 25. 

Jones, R. W. W., Otoe county. Session 29. 

Kcckley, C. R., York county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Kelper. G. F., Pierce county, Session 22. 

Kennard, T. P., Lancaster county. Session 14. 

Kent, L. H., Kearney county. Session 30. 

Ketchum. Smith, Session 31. 

Kimmell, W. F., Butler county. Session 15. 

King, E. L., Polk county, Sessions 30. 31. 

Kinkaid, M. P., Antelope county. Session 18. 

Klein, Jacob, Session 31. 

Knapp, W. M., York county. Session 14. 

Knepper, A. J., Butler county. Session 26. 

Koontz. J. N., Hayes county. Session 22. 

Krumbach, Charles, Polk county. Session 27. 

Krummer, L., Platte county. Session i. 

Latta, J. P., Burt county. Session 30. 

Lamaster, J. E., Otoe county. Sessions Ti, 12, 13. 

Laverty. Alex, Saunders county, Sessions 29, 31. 

Leace, David, Sarpy county. Session I. 

Lee, J. D., Boyd county. Session 25. 

Lehr, W. J., Saunders county. Session 24. 

Lewis, T. L., Burt county. Session 19. 

Ley, L., Madison county. Session 15. 

Liddell, John L., Douglas county. Session 27. 

TJndsay, H. C, Pawnee county. Session 24. 

Lindsay. J. P., Furnas county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Liningcr, G. W., Douglas county. Session 20. 

Linn. J. L,. Richardson county, Sessions 20, 21. 

Lobcck, C. O.. Douglas county. Session 23. 

Love, E. M.. Antelope county. Session 19. 

Lowlcy, G. W.. Seward county. Session 23. 

Luce. C. A.. Harlan count.v. Session .30. 

Lyman, J. N., Adams county. Session 27. 

Lyon, W., Burt county. Sessions 11. 12, 13. 

Maher. M., Platte county. Session 21. 

Majors, T. J., Nemaha county. Sessions 2, 3, 4, S, 20, 31. 

Manning, J. R., Wayne county. Session 21. 

Marshall, Charles, Otoe county. Session 28. 

Marshall. Wm., Dodge county. Session 15. 

Martin, Francis. Richardson county, Session 27. 

Mattes, John, Jr., Otoe county. Sessions 22, 23. 

McAllister, W. A., Platte county. Session 19. 

McCargar, H.. Saline county. Sessions 26. 27. 

McCarty, T. F.. Howard county, Session 23. 

IMcDonald, B. F., Thurston county. Session 23. 

^tcGann, M. W., Boone county. Session 25. 

McKeeby. G. E., Webster co'unty. Session 24. 

McKesson, J. C. F., Lancaster county. Sessions 24, 30. 

McMeans, J. S., Fillmore county. Session 15. 

McNaniar, C. W., Dawson county, Session 20. 

McShanc, J. A., Douglas county. Sessions 18, 19. 

Megcath. James G., Douglas county. Session I. 

Mciklcinhn. G. D.. Nance county, Sessions 19, 20. 

Meredith, George W., Saunders county. Sessions 27, 28. 

Meservc. Wm A.. Knox county. Session 29. 

Metz, F., Douglas county. Session 8. 

Mct7, Fred. Douglas county. Session 19. 

Michener. N. S.. Polk county. Session 22. 

Michcll, E. E., Hamilton county. Session 24. 

Miller James E., Buffalo county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Miller, J. E., Session 31. 

Miller, J. P.. York county. Session 23. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



79 



Miller. Wm., Burt county, Session 25. 
Mills, M. A., Polk county. Session 19.' 
Mockett, John H., Jr.. Lancaster county, Session 29. 
Moore, R. E. Lancaster county. Sessions 20. 22, 23. 
Morgan, W. A^, Dixcn county. Session 26. 
Morse, W. R. Hall county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Muffly, C. T., Madison county. Session 25. 
Mullen, J. P.. Holt county. Session 23. 
Murpliy, G. A., Gage county. Session 25. 
Mutz Otto, Keyaoaha county, Session 25. 
Myers, John C., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Myers, F. L., Session 31. 
Nesbit. J. I., Lincoln county. Session 21. 
Newell, W. H., Cass county. Sessions 26, 27. 
Nielson Fred C.. Cuming county. Session 29. 
Norris, C. H., Pawnee county, Session 19. 
Norris, Charles L, Pawnee county. Session 28. 
Norris, W. F., Dakota county, Session iS. 
North, J. E.. Platte county. Sessions 14, 23. 
Norval. R. S., Seward county. Session 21. 
Noryal, T. L., Seward county, Session 15. 
Noyes, Isaac, Douglas county, Sessions 24, 26. 
O'Connell. J. G.. Johnson county, Session 30. 
O'Neill. H., Holt county, Session 26. 
O'Neill Richard, Lancaster county, Sessions 27, 28. 
OIlis, J. A., Session 31. 

Olson, Andrew R., Cuming county. Session 27. 
Osborn. L. W.. Washington county, Sessions 9, 10. 
Osborn, John M., Pawnee county, Session 25. 
Otterslein. L., Cuming county. Session 15. 
Owens. E. D., Dawson county. Sessions 26, 27. 
Packwood, Samuel, Knox county. Session 23. 
Paschal, Joseph L., Platte county. Session 27. 
Patrick, J. N. H., Douglas county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Patrick, W. R., Sarpy county. Session 30. 
Patterson. J. M., Cass county. Session iS. 
Paul, J. N., Howard county, Session 19. 
Paulsen, J. T., Douglas county. Session 2r. 
Paxton, Wm. A., Douglas county. Session 21. 
Pemberton. L. M., Gage county. Session 28. 
Pepoon, T. W., Johnson county. Session 14. 
Perkey, H. D., Saunders county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Perkins. J. W., Dixon county. Sessions 16. 17. 
Peterson, J. E., Franklin county. Session 29. 
Phillips, F. W.. Holt county. Session .-^o. 
Pickett, T. J. Jr.. Saunders county. Session 21. 
Pierce, C. W., Lancaster county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Pitney, O. R., Webster county. Session 27. 
Polk, M. D., Cass county. Session 21. 
Pope. John D., Saline county. Sessions 21, 23. 24. 
Porter, N. S., Dakota county. Sessions i, S, 6, 7.' 
Pottinger, W., Saunders county. Session 8. 
Pound. S. B., Lancaster county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Powers, Isaac. Jr., Burt county. Sessions 14, 16. 
Poynter, W. A., Boone county. Session 22. 
Presson, W. A., Richardson county. Sessions 2. 3, 4. 
Prout, F. N., Gaee county, Session 26. 
Putnam. F. C., Hamilton county. Session ig. 
Randall, Charles A.. Madison county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Randall. H. L., Phelps county. Session 22. 
Ranson, F. F., Otoe county, -Session 21. 
Ransom. F. T., Douglas county. Sessions 25, 27, 31. 
Rathbun, F. M., Furnas county. Session 24. 
Raymond, I. M., Lancaster county. Session 21. 
Raymond, L. L., Session 31. 
Reavis, Isham, Nemaha county, Session 5. 
Reed. E. L., Richardson county. Sessions 6, 7. 
Reeves, M. S., Otoe county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Reutine, Henry. Clay county. Session 27. 
Reynolds, B. W., Dodge county. Session 28. 
Reynolds, S. S., Butler county, Session 18. 
Reynolds. W. PL. Dawes county. Session 26. 
Rich, H. M., Jefferson county, Session 18. 



Rich. S. M., Nemaha county. Session i. 
Ritchie, W. E., Butler county. Session 25. 
Robbins. A. M., Valley county. Session 20. 
Robinson, J. C., Cedar county. Session 21. 
Rocke, J., Lancaster county, Session 26. 
Roche, J. J.. Antelope county. Session 21. 
Rogers, E. H., Dodge county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Rogers, J., Otoe county, Session 18. 
Root, J. L., Cass county. Session 30. 
Rustin. C. B.. Douglas county, Sessions ir, 12, 13. 
Sackett. H. E., Gage county, Session 30. 
Sanders, W. A.. Saunders county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Sang, Charles, Dodge county, Session l8. 
Saunders, C. L., Douglas county. Sessions 28, 29, 30. 
Saunders, S.- Knox county, Session 24. 
Schaal, W. D., Sarpy county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Schminke, Paul, Otoe county. Session 20. 
Schoenheit, A.. Richardson county, Session 18. 
Schram, S., Butler county. Session 22. 
Scott, A. R., Richardson county. Session 23. 
Scott, W. D., Richardson county, Sessions 9, 10. 
Scoville, D. A., York county. Session 15. 
Seaman, J. D.. Buffalo county. Session 15. 
Shanner, L. T., Holt county, Session 21. 
Shea, J. C, Douglas county. Session 22. 
Sheldon, George L., Cass county. Sessions 28, 29: 
Sheldon, L., Cass county. Sessions 2, 3, 4, 8. 
Shervin, J. E., Dodge county. Sessions 19, 20. 
Shreck, George W., York county, Session 29. 
Shook, G. R., Nemaha county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Shumway. H. P.. Dixon county. Session 22. 
Sibley, C. G., Frontier county. Session 30. 
Skinner, J. B.. Nuckolls, Session 19. 
Sloan, C. H., Fillmore county. Session 24. 
Sloan, Robert J., Fillmore county. Session 28. 
Smith, A., Lancaster county. Session 19. 
Smith, B. K., Madison county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Smith, G. N., Buffalo county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Smith, H. L., Fillmore county, Session 19. 
Smith, J. F. S.. Antelope county. Session 26. 
Smith, Richard. Douglas county. Session 24. 
Snell, W. H., Jefferson county. Sessions 19, 20. 
Sowers, A. H.. Adams county. Sessions 18, 19. 
Spaun, J. S.. Douglas county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Spencer, E. R., Lancaster county. Session 25. 
Spencer, J. T., Dakota county, Session 19. 
Spohn, G. P., Nuckolls county. Session 26. 
Sprecher. John C, Colfax county, Se.ssion 24. 
Sprick, H., Washington county, Session 20. 
Starbuck, J., Thayer county, Session 22. 
Steele, C. F., Jefferson county, Sessions 25, 26, 27. 
Sterling, J. H., Fillmore county. Session 20. 
Steufer, Wm., Cuming county. Session 24. 
Stevens, J. K., Lincoln county, Session 22. 
Stevenson, O., Otoe county, Session i. 
Stevenson, T. B., Otoe county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Stewart. A. S., Pawnee county. Session i. 
Stewart, H. G., Dawes county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Stone, G. A., Richardson county. Session 15. 

Sullenberger, , Saline county. Session 15. 

Sutherland, , Burt county, Session 21. 

Switzler, W.. Douglas county. Session 22. 
Sykes, T. P., Adams county. Session 25. 
Taggart, F. D., Adams county, Session 21. 
Talbot, A. R., Lancaster county, Sessions 25, 26. 
Tanner, J. H., Session 31. 

Taylor, E. B.. Douglas county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Taylor, S. B., Washington county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Taylor. W. M., Loup county, Session 22. 
Tefft, O., Cass county, Sessions 15, 16, 17, 23. 24, 
Tennant, A. W., Dodge county, Session 8. 
Thatch, S. H., Stanton county, Session 18. 
Thomas, B. F., Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 



8o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Thomas, E. W., Nemaha county, Session 8. 

Thomas, S. L.. Cass county. Session 22. 

Thompson, O. R., Session 31. 

Thomson, John, Dodge county. Session 23. 

Thomson, R. M.. Buffalo county. Session 30. 

Thorne, W. E., Webster county. Session 30. 

Thummel, G. H.. Hall county. Session 14. 

Tibbets, G. W., Session 31. 

Tisdale, F. D., Richardson county. Session i. 

Trompen, John J.. Lancaster county. Session 27. 

Tucker, E. A., Richardson county. Session 29. 

Tucker, G. P., Johnson county. Session 8. 

Turk, W. W., Richardson county, Session 16, 17. 

Turner, Edward, Saline county. Session 22. 

Turner, M. K., Platte county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Tzschuck, Bruno, Douglas county. Session 20. 

Umstead, J. H., Nance county, Session 28. 

Van Boskirk, J. R., Cherry county. Session 27. 

Vandemark, J. K., Saunders county. Session 20. 

Van Dusen, J. H., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Van Housen, J. C., Colfax county. Session 22. 

Van Wyck, C. H., Otoe county, Sessions 14. 15, 16, 17. 

Voipp, Fred, Session 31. 

Vore, T. A., Saline county. Session 29. 

Wall, Aaron, Sherman county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Walker, P. H., Lancaster county. Sessions 17, 18. 

Walton, W. C, Washington county, Session 14. 

Wardell, W. W., Otoe county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Warner, C. A., Fillmore county. Session 22. 

Warner, William P.. Dakota county, Session 28. 

Warren, A. G., Session 31. 

Watson, E. G., Saline county. Session 25. 

Watson, J. C., Otoe county. Session 24. 

Way, W. A., Platte county. Session 28. 

Webber, Chris., Greeley county. Session 27. 

Welch, F., Washington county. Session i. 

Weller, A. A., Otoe county. Session 25. 

Wells, H. M., Saline county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Wetherald. F. W., Thayer county. Session 21. 

Whaley. M. H., Merrick county. Session 29. 

Wherry, R. A., Richardson county. Session 16, 17. 

White, C. C, Saunders county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Wigton, A. L., Adams county. Session 15. 

Wilbur, M. C, Douglas county. Session i. 

Wilcox. F., M. D., Thayer count}'. Session 30. 

Wilcox, M. W., Fillmore county. Session 14. 

Williams, C. W., Johnson county. Session 22. 

Williams, J. J., Wayne county, Session 29. 

Wilson, O.. Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Wilson, W. H., Pawnee county. Session 30. 

Wilson, W. W., Dawes county. Session 22. 

Wiltse, George W., Cedar county. Sessions 30, 31. 

Wilsey, Albert, Frontier county. Sessions 29. 30. 

Wolbach, S. N., Hall county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Woods, L. H., Pawnee county, Session 22. 

Woostenholm, J. A., Hall county. Session 27. 

Wright, C. J.. Seward county. Session 20. 

Wright, J. B., Lancaster county. Session 24. 

Young, J. L., Johnson county, Session 28. 

Young, L. W., Furnas county. Session 23. 

Young, W. W., Stanton county. Session 27. 

Zehrung, H.. Cuming county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Zcigler, T. F., Cedar county, Session 27. 

REPRESENTATIVES. 
(1866 to 1910'). 
Abbott, N. C, Lancaster county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Abel. A., Dawson county, Session 18. 
Abrahamson, O., Kearney county. Sessions 20. 21. 
Adams, G. M., Dawes county. Session 30. 
Adams, J. M., Cheyenne county, Session 19. 
Agee, A. W., Hamilton county, Session 20. 
Ahmanson, J., Douglas county. Session 8. 



Aikin, R. M., Nuckolls county, Sessions 19, 20. 

Albert, H., Gage county, Session 22. 

Alden, J. M., Cedar county. Session 22. 

Alderman, F. B., Cuming county. Session 25. 

Alderson, T. E., Madison county, Session 30. 

Alexander, T. J., Nemaha county. Session 20. 

Allen C., Butler county. Session 14. 

Allen, H. A., Session 31. 

Allen, James. Douglas county. Session 24. 

Ames, G. W., Douglas county. Session 23. 

Ames, W. R.. Otoe county. Session 22. 

Anderson, Charles, Hamilton county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Anderson, C. J., Douglas county. Session 29. 

Anderson, D. M., Otoe county. Sessions i, 2, 3, 4. 

Anderson, F. E., Knox county. Session 28. 

Anderson, G. W., Lancaster county. Session 26. 

Anderson, N., Fillmore county, Sessicn 17. 

Anderson, Victor, Kearney county. Sessions 27, 28. 

Andres, H. C, Buffalo county. Session 20. 

Andres, P., Douglas county, Session 20. 

Andrews, J. A., Frontier county. Session 27. 

Ankeny, H. T.. Cedar county, Session 25. 

Anyan, W., Gage count}-. Sessions 12, 13, 14. 

Armitage, H. G., Adams county, Session 18. 

Arnold, A. J., Platte county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Arnold, E.. Gage county. Session 22. 

.\rnold, E. W., Platte county, Sessicn I. 

Armstrong, J. W., Nemaha county. Sessions 26, 27, 30. 

Armstrong, F. W., Session 31. 

Ashburn, S, P., Buffalo county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Ashby, T. F.. Franklin county. Session 18. 

Ashby, W., Clay county, Session 24. 

Atwood, S. S.. Seward county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Ayer. S. C, Buffalo county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Babcock, A. H., Pawnee county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Babcock, C. F., Redwillow, Session 18. 

Babcock, N. S., Fillmore county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Babcock, O., Boone county. Session 15. 

Babcock, W. E., Furnas county. Session 20. 

Bacon, F., Dawson county. Session 24. 

Bacon George E., Dawson county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Bailey, J. B., Washington county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Bailey, O. J.. Franklin county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Bailey, S. M., Jefferson county. Session 19. 

Baird. H.. Dakota county. Session 20. 

Baird, J. P., Valley county. Session 30. 

Baker, A. H., Douglas county. Sessions 11, 12. 13, 14. 

Baker, B. S.. Thayer county. Session 21. 

Baker, D. W., York county. Sessions 30, 31. 

Baker, S., Franklin county. Session 15. 

Baker, W., Saline county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Baldwin, A. S., Dawson county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Baldwin, C. W.. Douglas county. Session 25. 

Ballard, J. R., Fillmore county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Baltzley, O. W., Saline county. Sessions 3. 4, 9, 10. 

Barclay, A., Session 31. 

Barker, A. H., Dakota county. Session i. 

Barker, S.. Cass county. Session 14. 

Barnard, E. H., Dodge county. Session 5. 

Barnard, S.. Pawnee county. Session 15. 

Barnes, J. W., Cass (Douglas) counties. Sessions 9, 10, 

II, 12, 13. 
Barnes, S. C., Douglas county, Sessions 29, ,30. 
Barney, R. E., Buffalo county. Session 19. 
Barnum. G. C, Platte county. Session 14. 
Barrows, B. H.. Douglas county. Sessions 11. u. 13. 
Barry, P. H.. Greeley county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Barton, L., Kearney county. Session 18. 
Rartoo, A. E., Valley county. Sessions 28, 20. 

Bartholomew, , Antelope county. Session 22. 

Barllclt, E. M., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Bartlett, W. R., Douglas county. Sessions 9. 10. 
Barrett, George. Buffalo county. Session 30. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Barrett, G. W., Session 31. 

Barrett, J. H., Cuming county, Session 20. 

Bassett, S. C, Buffalo county, Session 19. 

Bates, M. A., Session 31. 

Batty, R. A., Adams county, Session 15. 

Bauiher. J., Douglas county. Sessions ir, 12, 13. 

Beal, C. W., Custer county, Session 23. 

Beall, Charles H., Clay county. Session 27. 

Beall, E., Hall count}-. Session 8. 

Beals, S. W., Richardson county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Bear. A., Madison county. Session 14. 

Beardsley, J. M., Cass county. Session 14. 

Becher, Dirk A., Platte county, Sessions 27, 28. 

Becher, G. G., Platte county. Session 24. 

Beck, H. S., Pierce county. Session 24, 

Beckman H., Seward county. Session 21. 

Bedford, Wm. H., Holt county. Session 29. 

Bee, E. R., Furnas county. Session 24. 

Beebe, H., Sessions 3, 4. 

Beekly, Wm. H., Seward county, Session 27. 

Beethe, C. H.. Johnson county. Session 27. 

Begole, B. H., Session 31. 

Beisner, Conrad, Thayer county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Belden, H. S., Richardson county. Session 28. 

Belden, N. S., Dodge county. Session 14. 

Bell, T. R.. Cass county. Session i. 

Bender, John W., Platte county. Session 29. 

Benedict, E., Douglas county. Session 24. 

Bennett, J. B., Sessions 3, 4. 

Bennett, L. M., Douglas county. Session 15. > 

Bentley, W. G., Saunders county. Session 20. 

Berkley, H., Fillmore county. Session 18. 

Berlin, R. H., Douglas county. Session 21. 

Berlet, P., Johnson county. Session 26. 

Bernard, J. J., Pawnee county. Sessions 24, 25. 

Berry. E. M., Pawnee county. Session 21. 

Bertrand, G. E., Douglas county, Session 22. 

Besse, C. R., Webster county. Session 30. 

Best, F. C, Douglas county. Session 30. 

Beverly, J. A., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Bick, H., Seward county. Sessions 16, 17, 20. 

Bickley, W. M., Madison county. Session 19. 

Bierbower, V., Cheyenne county. Session 18. 

Bigland, I. S., Session 31. 

Billings, O. P., Keyapaha county. Session 25. 

Bisbee, M. B.. Holt county. Session 21. 

Black, Cyrus, Session 31. 

Blackmore. T., Douglas county. Session 14. 

Blaco, R., Washington county. Session 19. 

Blaine, W. H., Fillmore county. Session 19. 

Blake, P., Johnson county. Sessions 25, 26. 

Blakely, N., Gage county, Sessions i, 5. 

Elodgett, C, Nemaha county, Sessions 9, 10. 

Blystone, W. J., Lancaster county. Sessions ^o, 31. 

Bobbit. T. N., Cass county. Session 14. 

Boelts, J. G., Session 31. 

Boggs, L. B., Gage county. Session 14. 

Bohacek, W., Saline county, .Session 21. 

Bolen, J. M., Butler county, Sessions 29, 30. 

Boland, P. G., Session 31. 

Bolin, H., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Booth, J., Dodge county. Session 19. 

Borroughs, W. W., Merrick county. Session 29. 

Bortis, C. W., Clay county. Session 21. 

Botts, F. J., Session 31. 

Boulier, Alex., Saunders county. Sessions 26. 27. 

Bowman, A. H., Session 31. 

Bowman, G. G., Platte county. Session 20. 

Bowman, H. E., Nuckolls county, Session 29. 

Bower, S., Howard county, Sessions 25. 26. 

Boyd, James, Nuckolls county. Session 27. 

Boyd, J. E., Platte count}-, Session i. 



Boyd, R. W., Session 31. 

Bradley, A. H., Lincoln county. Session 15. 

Brady. J., Buffalo county. Session 24. 

Brancht, H. G., Colfax county, Session 21. 

Brandt, Wm., Jr., Lancaster county. Session 19 

Bredeson, Ole, Polk county. Session 22. 

Breen, J. J., Douglas county. Session 22. 

Brennan, J. C. Douglas county. Session 22. 

Brewer, W., Hall county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Brewster, S. C, Douglas county. Sessions S, 6, 7. 

Bnggs, A. C, Dodge county, Session 8. 

Brink. A. P., Boone county, Session 21. 

Britton, J., Stanton county. Session 18. 

Brcatch, W. J., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Brockman, J. M., Richardson county, Sessions 23 24. 

Brcaderick, J. E., Session 31. 

Broaderick, M.. Clay county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Brokaw, W. A., Seward county. Session 24. 

Brownell, R. C, Saunders county. Session 24. 

Brownlee, R. D., Otoe county. Session 15. 

Bruce, G. C, Thayer county, Session 15. 

Bruno, H. A.. Merrick county. Session 14. 

Brush, M., Saunders county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Brown, C. M., Furnas county. Session 27. 
Brown, David, Cass. county. Session 27. 
Brown, D. J,, Seward county. Sessions 18, 23. 
Brown, E. A., Sherman county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Brown, E. P., Lancaster county. Session 30. 
Brown, E. W., Lancaster county, Sessions 30, 31. 
Brown, G. W.. Boone county. Sessions i6, 17. 
Brown, J. L., Cass county. Sessions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. 
Brown, W. W., Frontier county, Session 20. 
Buckley, J. B., Polk county. Session 30. 
Bnfiington. J. R., Gage county. Session 19. 
Bunner, T. C, Douglas county. Session 19. 
Burch, J. C, Gage county. Session 24. 
Buresh, Vaclav, Douglas county. Session 27. 
Burgess, H. C. N., Lancaster county. Sessions 28, 29. 
Burke, D. W.. Cuming county. Session 24. 
Burkett, E. J., Lancaster county. Session 25. 
Burkley, V., Douglas county. Session I. 
Burling, T. R., Lancaster county, Session 15. 
Burman, F., Douglas county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Eurnhara. A. J., Cherry county. Session 21. 
Burnham, S. W., Lancaster county. Session 19. 
Burns, E. C, Dodge county. Session 24. 
Burns, J., Lancaster county. Sessions 23, 24, 26. 29 
Burns, W. H., Douglas county. Session 15. 
Burtch, G. S., Sarpy co'jnty. Session o, 10. 
Burtch, S. F., Sarpy county. Session 14 
Bush, A. H., Franklin county. Session 14. 
Push, G. H., Hall county. Session 15. 
Bushee, B. K., Session 31. 
Butler, J. H., Douglas county. Session 25. 
Butler, J. R., Pawnee county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Butt, William, Session 31. 
Byram. H. D., Burt county. Sessions 25, 30. 
Cady, A. E., Howard county. Session 21. 
Cadman, John, Lancaster county. Sessions 2, 4, 14 
Cain, J. B., Hamilton county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Cnin, J. R., Jr.. Richardson county. Session 27. 
Caldwell, J. L., Lancaster county, Session 20, 21. 
Caldwell, P. A., Clay county. Sessions 28, 29. 
Caldwell, S. T., Nuckolls county. Session 14. 
Calkins, J. T.. Saline county. Session 27. 
Callahan, T. C, Saline county, Session 19. 
Cameron, M., Washington county, Sessions 20, 2r. 
Campbell, B. W., Clay county. Session 25. 
Campbell, R. W., Merrick county. Session 24. 
Cannon. J. F., Cass county. Session 8. 
Cannon, S. S., Sherman county, Session 20. 
Cantlin, J. R., Dodge county. Sessions 16, 17. 



82 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Capek, T., Douglas county, Session 22, 
Carder, \V. VV., Lancaster county. Session 15. 
Carlin, J. J., Rock county, Session 30. 
Carlson, O., Kearney county. Session 24. 
Carman, A. A., Johnson county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Carnaby, Wm., Douglas county, Session 18. 
Carpenter, G. J., Jefferson county, Session 23. 
Carpenter. R. C, Butler county. Session 22. 
Carr. John F., Session 31. 
Carrigan, D.. Cheyenne county, Session 16. 
Carter, S., Richardson county. Sessions 6, 7. 
Carton. J., Holt county, Session 26. 
Case, E. S., Session 31. 
Case. J. H., Clay county, Session 16, 17. 
Casebeer, J. H., Gage county, Sessions 25, 29. 
Casper, C. D., Butler county, Sessions 23, 24. 
Casper, C. F., Butler county. Session 19. 
Cassell, Job, Otoe county, Sessions 28. 29. 
Castle, G. H., Gage county. Session 18. 
Cawthra. R., Gosper county, Session 26. 
Chaddock, L., Seward county. Session 17. 
ClKinil)crs, B. F., Dakota county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Chambers. J. H., Washington county. Session 26. 
Champlin, L. C, Jefferson county. Session 14. 
Chapman, T. P., Lancaster county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Chapman, W. O.. Saline county, Session 24. 
Chapin, C. C, Franklin county. Session 18. 
Chapin. W. F., Cass county, ' Sessions i, 2, 3, 4. 
Charlston, C. O., Harlan county. Session 18. 
Chase, C. H.. Stanton county, Session 24, 31. 
Chase, J. N., Sarpy county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Chase, J. O., Fillmore county. Session 14. 

Chittenden, W. E., Gage county. Sessions 25, 26. 

Church, J. S.. Nemaha county. Sessions S, 6, 7. 

Christenson, A. C, Kearney county. Session 29. 

Christopherson, J., Douglas county, Session 18. 

Christy, G. S., Nemaha county. Session 28. 

Christy, H.. Dodge county. Session 21. 

Christy, S. W.. Clay county. Session 21. 

Clapp, H., Jefferson county. Session 22. 

Clark, A. F., Colfax county. Session 18. 

Clark, E., Washington county. Session 8. 

Clark, E. L., Lancaster county. Sessions 2, 3. 4. 

Oark, H. G., Douglas county. Session 18. 

Clark, Jas., Dakota county. Session 8. 

Clark, L., Hall (Boone) counties, Sessions 11, 12. 13,14- 

Clark, P. F., Lancaster county, Sessions 25, 26. 

Clark, R. A., Richardson county. Sessions 25, 31. 

Clark, T. S., Polk county. Session 15. 

Clark, H. T., Jr., Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Clay, J. H. M., Lancaster county. Session 28. 

Coats, W. N., Holt county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Coffee. Charles F., Dawes county. Session 27. 

Cole, A. v., Adams county, Sessions 19, 20. 

Cole, Charles. Richardson county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Cole, D., Cass county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Cole, L M.. Hall county. Session 18. 

Cole, J. W., Hitchcock county. Session 24. 

Cole, William. Kearney county, Session 25. 

Coleman, A., Polk county. Session 21. 

Coleman, J. M., Antelope county. Session 21. 

Collins, G. W.. Pawnee county. Session 8. 

Collins, J. S., Saunders county. Session 18. 

Collins, T. J., Richardson county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Collins, W.. Cuming county. Session 21. 

Colpetzer, F., Douglas county. Session 18. 

Colton, G. R., Butler county, Session 23. 

Conaway, J. B., York county. Session 24. 

Cone, T., Saunders county. Session 30. 

Conger, J. W., Otoe county. Session 8. 

Conger. W. H., Sherman county. Session 19. 

Connelly, J. F., Session 31- 

Conwcll, M., Fillmore county. Session 26. 



Cook, J. M., Nuckolls county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 
Cook, W. L., Jefferson county. Session 18. 
Cooksey, W. H.. Fillmore county. Session 27. 
Cooley, A. S., Cass county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Cooperrider, I. J., Session 31. 

Cope, J. A., Pawnee county. Session 19, 20. • 

Coppoc, Ed., Holt county. Session 27. 
Copsey. A. H., Custer county. Sessions 28, 29. 
Corbin, O. A., Nemaha county, Session 21. 
Corneer, S. A., Douglas county. Session 27. 
Cornelius. G., Hall county. Session 19. 
Cornell, W. H., York county, Sessions 12, 13. 
Cornish, A. J.. Lancaster county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Corr, T., Seward county. Session 19. 
Correll, E. M., Thayer county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Cosgrove, J. H., Garfield county. Session 26. 
Cox, J., Hamilton county. Sessions 18. 19. 
Cox, Levi, Douglas county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Crab, John. Session 31. 
Craig, W. S., Burt county. Session 20. 
Cramb, J. C, Thayer county. Session 22. 
Cramb, J. O., Jefferson county. Session 24. 
Cramer, J. E., York county. Sessions g, 10. 
Crane, M., Valley county. Session 20. 
Crane, T. D., Douglas county. Session 23. 
Cravens, Joseph M., Pawnee county. Sessions 28, 29. 
Crawford, G. N., Sarpy county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Crawford, J., Cass county. Session 19. 
Crawford, J. C, Cuming county. Sessions u, 12, 13. 
Creighton, J.. Douglas county. Session 14. 
Crisscy, H. G., Johnson county. Session 27. 
Critchfield, A. J., Douglas county. Session 10. 
Crockett, Charles, Knox county. Session 27. 
Crockett, C, Knox county. Session 26. 
Cronk, J. H., Valley county. Session 25. 
Crook, W. H., Richardson county, Session 19. 
Cropsey, D. B., Jefferson county, Sessions 28, 29. 

Cross, George, Jefferson county. Session 23. 

Crow, J.. Douglas county, Sessions 24, 25. 

Crowe, George, Nemaha county, Sessions 2, 3, 4, 5. 

Cruzcn, A. R., Frontier county. Session 21. 

Culdice, C. H., Saline county. Session 30. 

Cunningham, A. V., Hamilton county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Cunningham, B. F., Richardson county. Session I. 

Cunningham, , Harlan county. Session 26. 

Curric, Frank, Dawes county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Curtis, C. E., Douglas county. Session 25. 

Curtis, C. W., Madison county. Session 22. 

Gushing, R. C, Douglas county. Session 21. 

Dahlsten, Peter, Wheeler county, Session 27. 

Daily, William, Nemaha county, Sessions 2, 3, 4, 8. 

Dastal, Joseph, Session 31. 

Davenport, H. H.. Cedar county, Session 18. 

Davidson, J., Sarpy county, Sessions n, 12, 13. 

Davies, J. A., Cass county. Sessions 23, 24. 

Davis, F. E,, Saunders county. Session 15. 

Davis, J. H.. Buffalo county. Sessions 15, 28, 29. 

Davis, F. J., Cass county. Session 30. 

Dawson, J., Harlan county. Session 18. 

Day, R. N., Burt county, Session 15. 

Dcch, W. A., Saunders county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Decker. F., Thayer county. Session 22. 

Delaney, M. C, Butler county. Sessions 21, 24. 

Dempster. John A., Fillmore county. Sessions 20, 21. 

Dempster, P. J.. Harlan county. Sessions 15, 19. 

Dcmpsey, W., Boxbultc county, Session 24. 

Denman, H. C, Hall county. Session 21. 

Denman. Z. H., Hall county. Session 18. 

Denton, W. A., Douglas county. Session I. 

Dernier, William Deles, Cass county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Detweiler, J. O., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Dctrick, H. M., York county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Dew, J. S., Johnson county, Sessions 16, 17. 23. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



83 



Deweese, J. M., Richardson county, Sessions I, 2, 3, 4. 

Dickerson, A., Sherman county, Sessions 22, 23. 

Dickinson. J. W., Lancaster county, Sessions 20, 21. 

Diers, Herman, York county. Session 27. 

Diller, W. H., Jefferson county, Sessions 20, 21. 

Dillon, W. E., Otoe county. Session 8. 

Dimmick, J. M., Franklin county, Session 23. 

Dittman, R. A.. Otoe county. Session 26. 

Dobry, J. G., Colfax county. Sessions 26, 28. 

Dobson, R., Fillmore county. Sessions 22, 23, 25. 

Dodd, J. F., Howard county. Session 18. 

Dodge, G. M.. Dodge county, Session 15. 

Dodge, H. L„ Douglas county, Sessions 9, 10. 

Dodge, N. P., Jr., Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Doolittle, W. H., Johnson county. Session 14. 

Doom, J. E.. Otoe county, Session 8. 

Doran, T. H., Garfield county, Sessions 29, 30. 

Douglas, J. A., Rock county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Dowt}', J. R., Richardson county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Doleyal, Frank. Session 31. 

Draper, D. S., Cass county, Session 18. 

Draper, H. A., Clay county. Session 15. 

Draper, S., Knox county, Session 18. 

Duby, C, Sarpy county. Session 8. 

Dudley, E. G.. Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Duerfeldt, G., Richardson county, Session 2, 3, 4. 

Dunham, M., Douglas county. Session 2, 3, 4, 9, 10. 

Dunkin, M. W.. Otoe county. Session 30. 

Dun, P., Colfax county. Session 22. 

Dunn, W. J., Saline county. Session 21. 

Eager, DeWitt, Seward county. Session 25. 

Eastman, L. H., Session 31. 

Eastman, W. G., Custer county. Session 25, 26. 

Eberman, J. H., Thayer county. Session 19. 

Edmondson. J. H., Hamilton county. Session 27. 

Eggenburger, Peter, Fillmore county, Session 28. 

Eggleson, G. W., Lancaster county. Session 20. 

Eickhoff. A., Cedar county. Session 23. 

Eighmy. P. H., Brown county, Session 25. 

Eisley, C. F., Burt (Madison) counties. Sessions 14, 15, 

20. 
Elder, S. M., Clay county, Sessions 22, 23. 
Filer, L C. Washington county, Session 30. 
Elliott, A., Harlan county, Session 21. 
Elliott, J. B.. Otoe county. Session 14. 
Ellis, C. C, Johnson county. Session 20. 
Ellis, E. E., Dixon county, Session 23. 
Ellis, F. O.. Session 31. 

Elwood, H. C, Antelope county, Session 26. 
Ely, J. F., Nemaha county. Session 24. 
Emerson, C. D., Kearney county. Session 19. 
Endicott, J. J.. Seward county. Session 26. 
Endorf. F. W., Saline county. Session 25. 
Englehard, F.. Seward county. Session 15. 
Engstrom, P. G., Phelps county. Session 29. 
Enyart, L., Otoe county. Sessions 9, 10. 11, 12, 13. 
Ernst, William, Johnson county. Session 29. 
Esterling, J. M.. Buffalo county, Session 26. 
Evans, C. B., Dixon county. Session 5. 
Evans, L D.. Adams county. Session 26. 
Evans, John E., Lincoln county. Session 27. 
Evans, J. L., Session 31. 
Everett, B. W., Burt county. Session 19. 
Everett. F., Burt county. Session 21. 
Ewan, J. G.. Nemaha county. Session 14. 
Ewing, J., Hall county. Session 20. 
Fablinger, G., Nemaha county, Session 18. 
Fairbrother, George, Nemaha county, Session I. 
Fannon, George, Session 31. 

Farley, H. W.. Cass county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Farley, J. J., Hamilton county. Session 21. 
Farley, W. I., Hamilton county. Session 30. 
Farnsworth, J. B., Keyapaha county, Session 23. 



Farrell, J., Dodge county, Session 23. 

Faxouj J. W.. Gage county. Session 22. 

Fee, J. R., Cherry county. Session 22. 

Feeno, S. B., Douglas county, Session 21. 

Feichtinger, C, Dodge county. Session 22. 

Felker, W. S., Douglas county. Sessions 22, 25. 

Fellers. A. H., Richardson county. Session 27. 

Fellers, E. E., Platte county, Session 28. 

Felton, G. A., Nuckolls county, Sessions 22. 23. 

Fenlon, Peter F., Butler county. Session 29. 

Fenton, J., Richardson county. Session 15. 

Fenton, Wm.. Richardson county, Sessions 20, 21. 

Ferguson, G., Otoe county. Session 15. 

Fernow, M., Adams county. Session 25. 

Ferrar, H. S., Hall county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Field, A. W., Lancaster county. Sessions 18. 19. 

Fieldgrove, H., Buffalo county. Session 21. 

Filley, E., Gage county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Fishback, George C, Clay county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Fisher. A. G., Dawes county. Session 26. 

Fisher, H., Richardson county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Fisher, H. A., Saunders county. Session 15. 

Fitchie, J., Otoe county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Fitle, Frank J.. Douglas county, Session 29. 

Fitzpatrick. W. W., Thayer county, Session 14. 

Flamme, Wm., Otoe county. Session 22. 

Fletcher, W. G., M. D., Antelope county. Session 30. 

Flynn, T. J., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Fogarty, J. L., Session 31. 

Folda F., Platte county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Ford, Harvey, Thayer county. Session 28. 

Ford. P., Douglas county. Session 22. 

Ford, P. H., Phelps county. Sessions 22. 23. 

Foster, Harry A., Douglas county, Session 29. 

Fouke, G. R., Gage county. Session 25. 

Fowler, Charles A., Fillmore county, Session 27. 

Fox, G. W., Dawson county. Session 20. 

Fox, Jos., Douglas county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Frady, C. H.. Stanton county, Session 14. 

France, C. L., Otoe county. Session 30. 

France, T. M., Cuming county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 

Frantz, M. F., Saline county, Session 20. 

Frazier, K., Dixon county. Session I. 

Frederick, J. F., Howard county. Sessions 15, 16, 17. 

Freeburn, Wm., Johnson county, Session 18. 

French, H. A., Seward county. Session 15. 

Frerichs, J.. Nemaha county. Session 14. 

Fretz, L S., Valley county. Session 26. 

Fried, Wm., Dodge county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Friedrich. M. L., Cass county. Sessions 27, 28. 

Fries, S. M., Howard county. Sessions 28, 30, 31. 

Fritz, N., Thurston county. Session 24. 

Frost,' G. W., Douglas county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Frost, W. S., Burt county. Session 22. 

Fuchs, J. W.. Platte county. Session 20. 

Fuller, A. B., Cass county, Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Fuller, F. W., Sherman county. Session 21. 

Fuller, George W., Seward county, Sessions 26, 27. 

Fuller, J. N.. Gage county. Session 20. 

Fulton, S., Harlan county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Funk, P. C, Phelps county. Session 30. 

Furay, J. B., Douglas county. Session 5. 

Gaffin, J. N., Saunders county. Sessions 22. 23, 25. 

Gafford, C. C, Gage county. Session 20. 

Gale, A. H., Brown county. Session 22. 

Galey, S. B., Lancaster county. Session 8. 

Gallogly, O., Brown county. Session 27. 

Gamble, A. J., Dodge county. Session 20. 

Garber, S.. Jefferson county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Gardner, J. F., Richardson county. Sessions S, 6, 7. 

Gardner. W. A., Douglas county. Sessions 21, 22. 

Garvey, P., Douglas county, Session 20. 

Gassman, F. W., Cheyenne county. Session 15. 



84 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Gates, A., Sarpy ccunty. Sessions 15, 16, 17, 21. 

Gates, J. M.. Session 31. 

Gawne, W. Y. R., Merrick county. Session 27. 

Gaylord, E. S., Washington county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Gaylord, F., Buffalo county. Session 25. 

Gaylord, R. E.. Douglas county, Session 15. 

Gelwick, C. C., Butler county, Session 28. 

Gerdes, Henry, Richardson county. Sessions 22, 23, 25, 

29. 31- 
Gerdes, W., Richardson county. Session 14. 
Gere, C. H., Pawnee county, Session i. 
Gibson, J. S., Douglas county. Sessions 14, 15. 
Gifford, \V. M., Pawnee county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Gilbert. D. W., Douglas county. Session 28. 
Gilbert, E. A., York county, Session 21. 
Gilbert, J. W., Saline county, Session 15. 
Gilchrist, L. W., Sheridan county, Session 21. 
Gill, D., Thayer county. Session 19. 
Gillilan, J. J.. Lancaster county. Session 22. 
Gilman, J. C, Cass county. Sessions 14, 20. 
Gilman, J. D., Richardson county. Session 14. 
Gilman, L. S., Lancaster county, Session 30. 
Gishwillcr, C. W., Franklin county. Sessions 27, 28. 
Givens, F., Cuming county, Session 25. 
Glasgow, W. G., Nemaha county. Session I. 
Glenn, R. A., Franklin county, Session 19. 
Glicm, Philip, Redwillow county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Goar, L N., Custer county. Session 24. 
Goddard, S., Frontier county. Session 22. 
Goldsmith, B., Cuming county, Session 23. 
Good. Ellis E., Nemaha county. Session 28. 
Goodin, L, Saline county. Session 8. 
Goodman, C. F.. Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Gordon, H., Holt county. Session 18. 
Goshorn, J. S., Tliayer county. Session 25. 
Goss, C. A., Douglas county, Session 23. 
Goss, T. S., Wayne county. Session 23. 
Gow. J., Sarpy county. Session 18. 
Graff, C.. Cuming county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Grafton, W. S., Saline county, Session_26. 
Graham, R. B., Lancaster county. Session 16. 
Grammer, C, Howard county. Session 23. 
Grandstaff, J. L.. Webster county, Sessions 25, 26. 
Graves, John, Otoe county. Session i. 
Graves, J. G., Otoe county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Graver, Wm., Nemaha county. Session 18. 
Gray. .\. W.. Johnson county, Session i. 
Gray, F. W., Douglas county, Session 18. 
Gray, W. D., Fillmore county. Session 16. 
Graybill, R. W., Hamilton county. Session 13. 
Green, O. E., Platte county. Session 21. 
Green. S. L., Redwillow county. Session 20. 
Green, S. W., Holt county. Session 30. 
Gregg, F. M., Wayne county. Session 28. 
Greig, James, Platte county. Session 30. 
Grell, Claus, Sarpy county. Session 25. 26. 27. 
Grcncll, E. N., Sarpy county, Session 8. 
Griffm, B. F„ Session 31. 

Griffin, J. T., Douglas county. Sessions 2, 3. 4, 5, 6, 7. 
Griffith, P.. .^dams county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Griffith, W. C, Lancaster county, Session 14. 
Grigg, James, Session 31. 
Grimes. H. M., Valley county. Session 18. 
Grimes, M. C. Holt county. Session 25. 
Grinstead, R. E., Richardson county. Session 18. 
Grosvcnor, J. H., Hamilton county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Grout, A. P., Otoe county. Session 18. 
Groves, C. E.. Session 31. 
Gumaer, A. W., Howard county, Session 19. 
Grueber, Wm., Session 31. 
Ciurnett, J. M., York county. Session 22. 
Gulhric. D., Nuckolls county, Session 24. 
Hadsell, E. H., Session 31. 



Hagemeister, W., Hamilton county. Session 30. 

Hagood. J. McF., Cass county. Session 5. 

Hahn, L., Webster county. Session 21. 

Hairgrove, E. E.. Clay county. Session 24. 

Hall, E. J., Hall county. Session 22. 

Hall, G. A., Cedar county, Session 14. 

Hall, G. L., Lancaster county. Session 21. 

Hall, James, Brown county. Session 26. 

Hall, James, Cass county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 

Hall, Joseph, Burt county, Session 27. 

Hall, P. J., Saunders county, Session 19. 

Hall, T. F., Douglas county, Session 8. 

Haldeman, W. J.. Pawnee county, Session 14. 

Haller. W. D., Washington county. Sessions 23, 24, 26. 

Hamer, T. F., Buffalo count}-. Session 30. 

Hamilton, D. W., Butler county. Sessions 25. 27. 

Hamilton, W. R., Washington county. Session I. 

Hammitt, B. F., Saunders county, Session 15. 

Hampton, L B., Webster county, Session 21. 

Hand. W. E., Cass county. Session 29. 

Hanks, H. H., Otoe county. Session 27. 

Hanna, David, Cherry county. Session 28. 

Hanna, J. R., Garfield county, Session 21. 

Hansen, L E., Merrick county. Session 30. 

Hanson. R., Burt county. Session 15. 

Hanthorn, James, Nuckolls county. Session 21. 

Hardenburg, E. H., Lancaster county. Session 2. 

Harding, W. A., Burt county. Session 21. 

Hardy, H. R., Polk county, Session 26. 

Harlan. N. V., York county, Sessions 19, 20. 

Harkson, H., Lancaster county, Sessions 24, 26. 

Harmon, F. P., Adams count}'. Session 23. 

Harman, W. J., Saunders county, Sessions 28, 29. 

Haroxby, Fred G.. Nemaha county. Session 27. 

Harrington, W., Burt county. Session 18. 

Harrington, B. S., Session 31. 

Harris, D. H., Otoe county, Session 26. 

Harris, J. E., Buffalo county, Session 27. 

Harris. R. D., Keith county. Session 24. 

Harrison, C. J., Saunders county. Session 20. 

Harrison, M. T., Otoe county. Session 30. 

Harrison, P., Hall county, Session 14. 

Harrison, W. G., Washington county. Session 28. 

Harrison. W. H., Hall county. Session 24. 

Hart, J. E.. York county. Session 30. 

Harte, A. C, Douglas county, Session 24. 

Harvey, A. E., Furnas county. Session 14. 

Harvey, A. F., Otoe county, Sessions 2. 3, 4. 

Harvey, A. R., Douglas county. Session 30. 

Hastings, A. T., Lancaster county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Hastings, A. J.. Webster county. Session 26. 

Hastings, G. H., Saline county. Sessions 11, 12, 13, 

Hatch, W. D., Washington county. Session 18. 

Hathaway. H. D., Cass county. Session i. 

Hathorn, J. E., Redwillow county. Session 26, 27, 28. 

Haven, H. H., Buffalo county. Session 18. 

Havlik, J.. Saunders county, 24. 

Haydcn, B. H., Saline county. Session 20. 

Hayden. C. M., Nemaha county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Hays, G. W., York county. Sessions 17, 21. 

Haywood, C. F., Nemaha county. Sessions i, 2, 3. 

Hazen, S. M., Gage county. Session 19. 

Heacock, P. S.. Richardson county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Healey, T. A., Seward county. Session 14. 

Heath, E. L., Sheridan county. Session 22. 

Hector. Fred. Session 31. 

Heffcrman, D. C, Dakota county. Sessions 30, 31. 

Hcffcrman. J. C, Dakota county. Session 14. 

Heimrod, G., Douglas county. Session 20. 

Heinrich, J., Dodge county, Sessions 18, 19. 

Hclnicr, L., Lancaster county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Helms, J. H.. Hamilton county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Hendcrshott, F. J., Thayer county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



85 



Henderson, R., York county, Session 25. 

Henry, D. P., Johnson county, Session 19. 

Henry. H. R., Holt county, Sessions 22, 23, 30, 31. 

Herman, S. J., Saline county. Sessions 16, 17, 22. 

Hermanson, Niels, Howard county, Session 29. 

Herron, J. R., Antelope county, Session 28. 

Hibbert, Thos. E., Gage county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Hicklin, W. M., Sessions 3, 4. 

Hickman, William, Seward county, Session 15. 

Hicks, C. E., Webster county, Session 26. 

Higgins, J. M., Cass county. Session 19. 

Higgins, W. P., Custer county, Session 23. 

Hile, L. L., Buflfalo county. Session 25. 

Hill, John C, Chase county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Hill, J. S., Butler county, Session 21. 

Hill, R. H., Clay county. Session 25. 

Hill. W. C, Gage county. Session 21. 

Hinds, L. B., Gage county. Sessions 23, 24. 

Hinkle, H. S., Sarpy county. Session 22. 

Hinnick. C. W., Garfield county. Session 22. 

Hoare, Fred, Platte county. Session 29. 

Hocknell, G., Redwillow county, Session 19. 

Hoebel, L., Otoe county. Session 18. 

Hogrefe, W. H., Richardson county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Hoile, J. T.. Richardson count}'. Sessions I, 2, 3, 4, S- 

Holbrook, W. D., Dodge county. Session 25. 

Holcomb, H., Richardson county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Holland, L. J'., Redwillow county. Session 25. 

Holliet, J. G., Lancaster county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Hollman, J., Dakota county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 

Holmes, C. A., Johnson county, Sessions II, 12, 13. 

Holmes, E. P.. Pierce county, Session 19. 

Holmes, R. A., Session 31. 

Holsworth. W., Dakota county, Session 19. 

Holt, F. H., Gage county, Session 19. 

Homer, J. C, Saunders county. Session 18. 

Hooper, E.. Hall county, Session 21. 

Home, O., Otoe county. Session 21. 

Horner, Wm., Dawson county. Session 25. 

Horst, Geo.. Polk coimty. Sessions 20, 23, 24. 

Horton, W. H., Keyapaha county, Sessions 27, 29. 

Hospodsky, J. H., Session 31. 

Hostetter, C, Merrick county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Houck, M. D., Douglas county, 26. 

Householder. W. B., Webster county. Session 27. 

Howard, L. M., Madison county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Howard, A. S., Adams county. Session 30. 

Howard, Edgar, Sarpy county. Session 24. 

Howard, E. E., Clay county. Sessions 18, 19. 

Howard. Jeremiah, Session 31. 

Howe, C, Nemaha county. Sessions 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 

22, 23. 
Howe, F. A., Dodge county, Session 30. 
Howe, H. R., Nemaha county. Session 29. 
Hoy, C. H., Polk county. Sessions 27, 28. 
Hudson, A. J., Platte county. Session 8. 
Huff, E. T., Sarpy county, Session 19. 
Hull, O., Harlan county. Sessions .24, 25. 
Hullihen, T. G., Knox county, Session 14. 
Humphrey, Fred., Session 31. 
Humphrey. Geo. C, Hall county, Session 27. 
Humphrey, G. M., Pawnee county. Session 18. 
Hunggate, J. H.. Douglas county, Session 21. 
Hunker, F. D., Cuming county. Session 29. 
Hunt, Cary M., Douglas county, Session 27. 
Hunt, J. S., Saline county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Hunter, Chas. W., Howard county. Session 27. 
Hunter, Chas., Webster county, Session 28. 
Hunter, J. M., Holt county. Session 21. 
Huse, J. B., Douglas county. Session 22. 
Hyatt, N. S., Platte county. Session 25. 
Irwin, W. J., Platte county. Sessions 19, 23. 
Israel, F., Dundy county. Session 26. 



Jackson, A. H., Pawnee county. Sessions t6, 17. 
Jackson, N. D., Antelope county, Session 29. 
Jackson, S. K., Douglas county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Jahnel. Frank, Washington county. Sessions 28, 29. 
James, P. H., Gage county. Session 23. 
Jamison, James M., Saunders county. Session 27. 
Jansen, P., Jefferson county. Session 26. 
Jeary, E., Cass county. Session 20. 
Jenkins, D. C, Gage county. Session 8. 
Jenkins, E. M., Thayer county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Jenkins, G. E., Jefferson county. Session 25. 
Jenkins, J. D., Fillmore county, Session 15. 
Jenness, R. H., Douglas county, Session 24. 
Jennison, A. J., Clay county. Session 30. 
Jensen, J., Fillmore county. Session 23. 
Jensen, Thos., Butler county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 
Jindra, J.. Saline county, Session 19. 
Johnson, Benj., Saunders county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Johnson, C. S., Saunders county. Session 18. 
Johnson, Chas. T., Douglas county, Session 27. 
Johnson, Eric, Phelps county, Session 21. 
Johnson Erick Adams county. Sessions 29, 31. 
Johnson, F. G., Saline county. Session 30. 
Johnson, F. M., Burt county. Session 14. 
Johnson, J. L., Hall county. Session 23. 
Johnson, J. S., Phelps county. Sessions 26, 28. 
Johnson. J. V., Valley county. Session 22. 
Johnson, N., York county, Session 23. 
Johnson, Nels, Session 31. 
Johnson, T. B., Hamilton county, Session 14. 
Johnston, B. F., Nemaha county. Session 23. 
Johnston, J. C., Lancaster county. Session 19. 
Johnston, J. W., Douglas county. Session 24. 
Johnston, N., Nemaha county. Session 15. 
Johnston, S., Seward county. Session 22. 
Jones, Cass, Richardson county, Sessions 28, 30. 
Jones, C. K., Adams county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Jones, D. A., Wayne county. Session 25. 
Jones, D. N., Nemaha county. Session 25. 
Jones, G. U., Gage county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Jones, J. O., Polk county, Session 18. 
Jones, O. C, Richardson county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Jones, R. F.. Burt county. Session 22. 
Jones, R. W. W., Otoe county. Session 28. 
Jones, T. P., Richardson county. Session 24. 
Jones, W. B., Polk county. Session 29. 
Jordan, E.. Pawnee county. Session 14. 
Jordan, Wm.. Buffalo count\'. Session 27. 
Jouvenat, Frank, Boone county, Sessions 27, 28, 29. 
Judd, L. P., Boone county. Session 24. 
Junkin, George C, Gosper county, Sessions 28, 29. 
Jury, J. A.. Saunders county, Session 14." 
Kaley, C. H., Webster county, Session 17. 
Kaley, C. W., Webster county, Session 29. 
Kaley, H. S., Webster county. Session 16. 
Kaley, J. L., Webster county. Session 19. 
Kapp, G. F.. Boyd county. Session 25. 
Karback, C. J., Douglas county, Session 15. 
Katons, Otto, Session 31. 
Kaup, W.. Saline county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Kaveny, John, Butler county, Sessions 27, 28. 
Keckley. C- R-, York county. Session 23. 
Keckley. W. H-, York countty, Session 15. 
Kehoe, J. A., Platte county. Session 19. 
Keifer, J. W., Jr.. Nuckolls county. Session 30. 
Keiper, G. F., Cedar county. Sessions 20, 21. 
Keister. H. C, Boone county, Session 25, 26. 
Kelley, J. E.. Platte county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Kelley, J. W., Session 31. 

Kempton, W. H., Saline county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Kennedy, B. E. B., Douglas county. Session 15. 

Kennedy. J. A. C, Douglas county. Session 28. 

Kennedy, R. A., Pawnee county. Session 15. 



86 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Kenney, A. J., Franklin county, Session 20. 

Kerns, J. W., Nemaha county. Session 28. 

Kessler, J. F., Burt county, Session 23. 

Keyes, C. E., Sarpy county. Session 23. 

Killen, D. J., Gage county, Sessions 30, 31. 

Kilmer, G. M., Saline county. Session 19. 

King, E. L., Polk county, Session 19. 

King, H. G., Saline county. Session 20. 

King, H. P., Seward county. Session 16. 

Kipp, F., Burt county. Session 8. 

Kittle, E. H., Sherman county. Session 28. 

Kloepfel, J., Richardson county, Sessions 15. 16, 17. 

Klope. R. F., Cuming county, Session 23. 

Knowles, J. H., Dodge county. Session 30. 

Knox, D., Douglas county. Session 20. 

Knox, Oscar, Buffalo county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Koetter, F. W., Douglas count}', Session 28. 

Kraus, J. P., Session 31. 

Krick, E., Kearney county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Kruse, J. D., Knox county. Session 22. 

Kruse. J. G., Knox county, Session 23. 

Kuhl, John, Cedar county. Sessions 30, 31. 

Kuon\', J. B., Washington county, Sessions 18, 19. 

Kyd, Rohert R., Gage county, Session 29. 

Kyner, J. H., Douglas county. Sessions 16. 17, 23. 

Laflin, L. H., Jolinson county, Sessions 9, 10. 

Laflin, R. W., Gage county. Session 27. 

Lahners, Thos., Thayer county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Laird. G. C, Dodge county. Session 18. 

Lamar, C. M., Saunders county, Session 25. 

Lamb, C. L., Stanton county. Sessions 16, 1,7. 

Lambert, Wm. B., Antelope county. Session 14. 

Lamborn, J-. J., Rcdwillow county, Session 23. . 

Lamp, H. .\.. Washington county. Session 22. 

Lane, A. W., Lancaster county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Langhorst, H., Fillmore county. Session 23. 

Larson, L. P., Dodge county. Session 21. 

Lash, E., Nemalia county, Sessions 15. 21. 

Latta, J. P., Burt county. Session 20. 

Laughlin, J. C, Burt county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Lawrence, F. P., Session 31. 

Leary, C. A., Douglas county. Sessions 6, 7. 

Leeder, Ed., Douglas county. Session 30. 

Lee, C. IL, Merrick county, Se.fsion 19. 

Lee, J, M., Furnas county. Sessions iS, 19, 21. 

Lee, Michael. Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Leihhart, , Hamilton county. Session 19. 

Leidigh, L. W., Otoe county. Session 23. 
Leidigh, G. W., Session 31. 
Lehman, G. S., Platte county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Lcmar, C. M.. Saunders county. Session 26. 
Ley, H., Wayne county. Session 21. 
Lichty, John. Richardson county. Session 27. 
Liddell, J., Douglas county, Session 25. 
Liesveld. H. J., Lancaster county. Sessions 19, 20. 
Line. W. C, Jefferson county, Sessions 29, 30. 
Lingenfelter, G. C, Cheyenne comity. Session 23. 
Linkart, G. A., Madison county. Session 23. 
Linn, J. L., Pawnee county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Lisk, J., Otoe county. Session 15. 
Livengood, H. C. Franklin county. Session 29. 
Lockner, A,, Douglas county. Session 23. 
Logsdcn, S., Fillmore county. Session 30. 
Loomis, F. F., Butler county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Looniis, Geo. L., Dodge county. Sessions 27. 28. 
Lomax, H., Custer county. Session 22. 
l-ong, J. F... Cuming county. Session 15. 
Lord, G. W.. Butler county. Session 20. 
Lord, J. S., Richardson county. Session 29. 
Love, L., York coiuity. Session 14. 
Lovcland, D. C, Platte county. Session 15. 
Loveland, E., Douglas county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Lowe, Ellit)tt Harlan county, Session 27. 



Lucas, R. S., Madison county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Luce, C. A., Harlan county. Sessions 19, 29. 
Luthy, J. W., Richardson county. Session 18. 
Lux, Joseph. Session 31. 
Lynch, J. O., Dawson county. Session 23. 
Mack, T., Stanton county, Session 15. 
Mackey, C, Custer county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Majors, S. P., Ncinaha county. Session 8. 
Majors. T. J., Nemaha county. Session 21. 
Mangold, Pater, Douglas county. Session 28. 
Mann, W. H., Saline county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Marble, Wm. H., Saunders county, Session 19. 
Marks, Robert H., Fillmore county. Session 29. 
Marlatt, John. Kearney county. Session 30. 
Marlott, J. W., Session 31. 

Marsh, F. A., M. D., Seward county, Session 30. 
Marshall, Chas., Otoe county, Session 27. 
Marshall, C. C, Washington county. Session 25. 
Marshall, F. H.. Harlan county, Session 20. 
Martin, L., York county. Sessions 18, 19. 
Masters, F. W., Furnas county, Session 30. 
Masters, J. H., Otoe county, Sessions g, 10. 
Matheson, J. G., Wayne county. Session 22. 
Matthewson, C. P., Madison county. Session 15. 
Mathieson, J., Douglas county. Session 20. 
Mattes, J., Jr., Otoe county. Session 21. 
Matteson, G., Dixon county. Session 24. 
Maxwell, S., Cass county. Session i. 
May. M., Dodge county, Sessions 9, 10. 
McAllister, G. C, Deuel county, Sessions 28, 29. 
McAllister, W. A.. Platte county, Session 18. 
McArdlc, P., Douglas county, Sessions 15, 19. 
McBride. D. L., Redwillow county. Session 24. 
McBride. J. C, Lancaster county, Session 21. 
McCaig, D., Cass county. Sessions S. 6, 7. 
McCall, C. J., Session 31. 

McCann. W. A., Cheyenne county. Session 20. 
McCarthy. J. J.. Dixon county. Sessions 26, 27. 
McCarthy. R. S., Greeley county. Session 25. 
McCartney. A. F., Otoe county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
McClay. John H., Lancaster county, Session 29. 
McClure, H. W., Knox county, Sessions 16, 17. 
McClure, N. T., Lancaster county. Sessions 16, 17. 
McCoIl, J. H., Dawson county. Session 14. 
McConaughv, G. M., Polk county. Session 20. 
McCoy. Henry, Douglas county. Session 27. 
McCracken, D.. Franklin county. Sessions 25. 26. 
McCready, J.. Saline county, Session 14. 
McCullough. C. W., Gage county, Session 30. 
McCulloch, D. A., Harlan county, Session 28. 
McCutclicn. W. .^.. Boone county. Sessions 22, 23. 
McDonald. D., Washington county. Session I. 
McDougall. M., Saline county. Sessions 16, 17. 
McDowell. J. B., Gage county. Sessions 9, 10, n. 12, 13. 
McElhiimey. J. C, Burt countv, Session 29. 
McFadden, W., York county. Session 24. 
MrGavock, A.. Douglas county, Session 18. 
McGec G. H., Antelope county. Session 25. 
McGinley, W. J., Otoe county, 26. 
McGrew. S. W.. Nemaha county. Session 20. 
McKee, G. M., Otoe county. Session 14. 
McKenna, A. P.. Sarpy county. Session 20. 
McKesson, J. C. F., Lancaster county. Sessions 22, 23. 
McKillup, D. C. Seward county, Sessions 9, n, 12, 13, 
McKinnon. J., Cass county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 16. 
Mcl.ain. John. Seward county. Sessions 28, 29. 
McLennan. W., Otoe comUy, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
McLeod Chas., Stanton county. Session 29. 
McT-erd, D., Colfax county. Session 25. 
McMillon, J., Douglas comity. Session 21. 
McMi'lleu, .'Xdani. Gage county. Sessions 29, 30. 
McNickle, A. B., Gage county. Session 21. 
McNitt, R.. Webster county. Session 24. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



87 



McReynoIds, L., Clay county, Session 22. 

McShane. J. A., Douglas county, Session 16, 17. 

McVey. E. A., Clay county. Session 23. 

McVicker, W. J., Cuming, Dodge counties. Sessions 14, 

24. 
McVicker, W. D., Session 31. 
Mead, G., Washington county, Session 15. 
Mead, Geo. E., Douglas county, Session 27. 
Meeker, C. W., Hitchcock county,- Session 21. 
Memminger. F. T., Madison county. Sessions 26, 28. 
Mendenhall,.^J. E.. Jefiferson county. Sessions 27, 28. 
Mengel, E. M., Saunders county, Session 14. 
Meradith, Wm., York county, Sessions 28, 29. 
Mercer, J. J., Nemaha county. Session 14. 
Merrick. H. J., Gage county, Sessions 23, 24. 
Metz, C. I., Richardson county. Sessions g, 10. 
Metzger, A. H., Cherry county. Session 30. 
Meyers, J. H., Richardson county. Session 14. 
Mickey, J. H., Polk county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Milboiirn. G. F., Kearney county, Session 26. 
Miller, E., Session 31. 

Miller, L. W., Madison county. Session 18. 
Miller, M., Butler county. Sessions 19, 20. 
Miles. B. F., Richardson county, Session 19. 
Miles, F. W., Saline county. Session 24 
Mills, B. B., Harlan county. Session 14. 
Mills, M. H., Lancaster county, Session 25. 
Milligan. J. O., Dixon county, Sessions 29, 30. 
Mikesell. S. P., Dixon county. Session 28. 
Tilinick, H. O., Nemaha county, Sessions 6, 7. 
Minnix, H. C, Adams county, Session 20. 
Miskell, Edw. W.. Saline county. Session 27. 
Mitchell, J. B., Seward county, Session 25. 
Mitchell, J. L.. Otoe county, Session 15. 
Moan, J. M., Cuming county. Session 22. 
Mockett, John H., Jr.. Lancaster county. Sessions 27. 28. 
Modie, A. C. Redwillow county, Session 22. 
Moehrman, H., Franklin county, Session 24. 
Montgomery, R. W., Furnas 16. 
Moran, O. S., Platte county, Sessions 25, 26. 
Moore, Frank, Session 31. 
Moore, J. O. Otoe county. Sessions t6, 17. 
Aloore, N. H., Saline county. Session 15. 
Moore, S. V., York county. Sessions 14, 16. 17. 
Morrison, J. R., Thayer county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Morrison, W. W., Gage county, Session 18. 
Morrisy, F. R., Douglas county. Session 21. 
Morsman. E. N., Jr., Douglas county. Session 28. 
Morton, H.. Dakota county, Sessions 3, 4. 
Moudy, M. v., Lincoln county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Mullen, J. P., Holt county. Session 22. 
Mullen, P. M., Douglas county. Sessions 16, 17, 27. 
Mulvahill. J., Douglas county, Sessions 19. 
Munger, T. C, Lancaster county. Session 24. 
Munn, E.. Otoe county, Sessions 8, 11, 12, 19. 
Murphy. F., Douglas county. Sessions II, 12, 13, 
Murphy, P. A., Fillmore county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Murray, Mark W., Thurston county. Sessions 26, 27. 
Musick, John R., Nuckolls county. Session 28. 
Muxen, Mathew E., Douglas county, .Session 29. 
Myers. E. L., Rock county. Session 24. 
Myers, H. A., Dou.g!as county. Session 26. 
Myers, J. C, Douglas county, Session 8. 
Nance, A., York and Polk counties, Sessions II, 12, 

i,^. 14- 
Nason, W. N., Douglas county. Session 23. 
Naffziger, J., Dakota county. Sessions 5, 6. 
Neff. W., Franklin county, Session 30. 
Nesbit, J. F., Burt county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Neligh, J. D.. Cuming county, Session 19. 
Nelson, A., Burt county, Sessions 9, 10. 
Nelson, N. M., Pierce county, Session 28. 
Nelson, N. P., Dodge county, Sessions 22, 23. 



Nelson, W. T., Douglas county. Session 28. 

Nettleton, D. M., Clay county, Sessions 18, 19, 30, 31. 

Neumeyer, G. W., Merrick county, Session 19. 

Neve, W., Douglas county, Session 21. 

Neville. Wm., Douglas county. Session 14. 

Neville, W., Cass county. Session 18. 

Newberry, F., Hamilton county, Sessions 22, 23. 

Newcomer, D. D., Webster county, Sessions ig, 20. 

Newton, W., Clay county. Session 20. 

Nichol. J. R., Antelope county. Sessions 19, 20. 

Nichols, D., Buffalo county. Session 22. 

Nicodemus, H. B., Dodge county, Session 14. 

Nims, R., Richardson countj'. Session 8. 

Norris, C. H., Pawnee county. Session 20. 

North, F., Platte county. Session 18. 

Northrup, C. M., Fillmore county, Session 14. 

Noyes, C. E., Cass county, Sessions 30, 31. 

Oakley, R. H., Lancaster county, Sessions 22, 23. 

O'Connell, J. G.. Session 31. 

Olinger, W. G., Burt county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Ollis, J. A., Jr., Valley county. Session 27. 

Olmstead, F. D., Adams count}', Session 21. 

Olmstead, F. P.. Adams county. Session 19. 

Olmstead, R. H., Douglas county. Session 26. 

Olson, C. O., Phelps county. Session 27. 

Olson, P. B., Saunders county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Orton, S. W., Cass county. Session 24. 

Osgood. C. E., Lincoln county. Session 19. 

Overton, J., Otoe county. Session 8. 

Overton. N. Otoe county. Sessions 16, 17, 20. 

Owen S. G,, Lancaster county. Sessions 9, 10, 15. 

O'Hanlon, P., Douglas county. Session i. 

O'Sullivan, P. F., Cuming county. Session 21. 

Paddock, J. W., Douglas county. Session i. 

Page. B. W., Session 14. 

Palmer, A. S.. Dixon countv. Sessions 16, 17. 18. 

Palmer, J., Saline county. Session 18. 

Patterson, J. M., Cass county. Session 8. 

Pattison, L. W., Richardson county, Sessions 6, 7. 

Patten, W. M., Richardson county, Session 15. 

Patrick, J. W., Otoe county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Parchcn, W., Richardson county. Session i. 

Parish, W., Burt county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Parker, E., Hall county. Sessions 9, 10. 

Parker, H. C. Howard county. Session 22. 

Parker, S. M., Otoe county. Session 29. 

Parker, T. B., Saline county. Session 14. 

Parmalee, D. S., Douglas, county. Sessions 2, 3. 4, 5, 6. 

Parry, J. M., Otoe county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Paul, N. J., Howard county. Session 14. 

Paxton, W. A., Douglas county, Sessions 16. 17. 

Payne, R., Otoe county. Session 18. 

Peabody, V. P., Nemaha county. Session 29. 

Peabody, U. P., Nemaha county. Session 17. 

Peck, W. W., Holt county. Session 26. 

Pemberton, W. J., Jefferson county, Session 20. 

Perkins, Geo. A.. Fillmore county. Session 29. 

Perkins, J. M., Fillmore county, Session 24. 

Perry, E. B., Furnas county. Sessions 28. 29. 

Persinger, L. C, Webster county, Session 27. 

Peters, J., Boone county, Session 20. 

Peterson, A. M., Cuming county. Session 16, 17. 

Peterson, E. W.. Burt county. Session 19. 

Phelps, C. W., Dundy county, Session 24. 

Phillips, R. O., Lancaster county, Session 14. 

Pickens. Wes., Session 31. 

Pilger, A., Wayne county, Session 30, 31. 

Pinney. N. R., Otoe county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Pkunbeck, G., Douglas county. Session 15. 

Pohlman, J. H., Nemaha county. Sessions 22, 24. 

Polk. J. F., Cass county, Session 15. 

Pollard, E. M., Cass county, Sessions 24, 26. 

Pollock, J. W., Cuming county, Session 14. 



88 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Pollock, W. A., Nemaha county, Sessions i, 15. 

Pool, C. W., Session 31. 

Porter, DeF.. Nemaha county, Session S. 

Porter, W. F., Merrick county, Sessions 22, 23. 

Pospisil, John J., Saunders county, Session 29. 

Post, Mark F., Knox county. Session 29. 

Potter, R. K.. Buffalo county. Session 21. 

Poynter. W. K., Boone county, Session 19. 

Preston, J., Sessions 3, 4. 

Price, M. S., Fillmore county. Session 15. 

Prince, F. P., Madison county. Session 24. 

Prince. W. A., Hall county. Session 26. 

Pritchctt. G. E., Douglas county, Session 14. 

Purnell, C, Lincoln count}-. Session 22. 

Putney, W. W., Antelope county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Quackenbush, E. B., Nemaha county, Session 30. 

Queen, J., Lancsater county, Session i. 

Quimby, D. J., Dixon county, Session 8. 

Raines, R. F., Session 31. 

Ramey, D. M., Saline county. Session 18. 

Ramsey, J. H., Gage county, Session 28. 

Randall. W. S., Clay county, Session 20. 

Ranney, H. D., Webster county, Session ;8. 

Ransom, F. L., Otoe county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Raper, W. B., Pawnee county. Sessions 30, 31. 

Ratclifife, J. R., Merrick county, Session 18. 

Rathman. C.. Washington county. Sessions S, 6, 7. 

Raymcr, H. St., Lincoln county, Session 21. 

Raymond, L M., Lancaster county. Session 20. 

Ream, J. D., Custer county, Session 27. 

Redman, Herman, Adams county. Session 27. 

Redmond, W, D., Nemaha county. Session 30. 

Reed. C. C, Johnson county. Session 28. 

Reed, E. S., Otoe county. Session i. 

Reed, G. C, Harlan county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Reed, Lewis S., Douglas county. Session 8. 

Reis. A., Lincoln county. Session 14. 

Rejcha, F., Lancaster county. Session 30. 

Remington, D. D., Seward county, Session 24. 

Renkel, W. F., Webster county. Session 30. 

Reyman. M. R., Nemaha county, Sessions 16, 17. 

Rhea, R. C, Seward county, Session 23. 

Rhodes, H., Johnson county, Sessions s, 6, 7, 8. 

Rhodes, H. F., Valley county. Sessions 23, 24. 

Rhodes, J.. Pawnee county, Session 21. 

Ribble, Curtis W., Saline county. Session 28. 

Rice, A. E., Holt county. Session 19. 

Rich, E., Douglas county. Session 25. 

Richards, C. L., Thayer county. Session 24. 

Richardson, F. W.. Madison county. Sessions 24, 29. 

Richardson. L. O., Frontier county. Session 30. 

Ricketts, M. O., Douglas countj'. Sessions 23, 24. 

Rief, C, Hall county, Session 20. 

Riggs, J. H., Douglas county. Session 28. 

Riley. A., Webster county. Sessions 22, 23. 

Riley, J. E., Douglas county. Session 19. 

RiorHan, H. C, Washington county, Session 8. 

Ritchie, C. A., Session 3r. 

Ritchie. W. E., Seward county, Session 22. 

Robb, F. W., Otoe county. Session 14. 

Robb. W., Johnson county. Session 21. 

Robl)crts. J. C., Platte county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 

Robbins, W. E., Gage county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Roberts, A., Saunders county. Session 8. 

Roberts, Joseph, Dodge county. Sessions 28, 29. 

Roberts, E. W., Session 31. 

Roberts, J. E., Douglas county. Session 25. 

Robertson, J. A., Holt county. Sessions 24, 25. 

Robertson, S. P.. Nemaha county. Session 19. 

Robertson, T. H., Sarpy county. Session i. 

Robinson, C. S., Brown county. Session 23. 

Robinson, J. F., Stanton county. Session ig. 

Robinson, W. D., Lancaster county, Session 24. 



Roche, J. J., Antelope county. Session iS. 

Rockwell. A., Burt county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 

Roddy, P., Otoe county. Sessions 24, 25. 

Rohan, P. F., Cedar county. Session 22. 

Rohr, R. H., Furnas county, Session 15. 

Rohwer, Henry, Washington county. Session 27. 

Rohrer, Jacob J.. Saline county. Sessions 29, 30. 

Rolf, D. P., Otoe county. Session 2. 

Roll, J. F., Saunders county, Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Root, A., Cass county, Session 19. 

Root, H. D., Cass county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Roper, F. E., (Gage and Thayer) counties, Sessions 6, 

7, 20. 
Roper, W. B., Pawnee county. Sessions 12, 13. 
Rosewater, E., Douglas county. Session 8. 
Rothlenter. F., Cherry county. Session 24. 
Rothsack, W. A., Session 31. 

Rouse, G. L., Hall county, Sessions 24, 25, 26, 28, 29. 
Rouse, J. P., Cass county. Sessions 8, 12, 13. 
Ruggles. L. G., Dundy county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Runyan, M. M., Saunders county. Session 14. 
Russell, B. P., Valley county, Session 19. 
Russell, H. C, Colfax county. Session 20. 
Russell, W. J., York county. Session 18. 
Ryan, T. C., Platte county. Session 15. 
Ryan, W. M., Douglas county, Session 8. 
Sabcrson S., Session 31. 
Sadilek, F. J., Saline county. Session 18. 
Saddler, W. G., Adams county. Sessions 28, 29. 
Sadler, S.. Adams county, Session 14. 
Sandall, Andrew L.. York county. Session 27. 
Sandall, A. L., York county, Session 26. 
Sanders, D. C, Nemaha county. Session i. 
Sargent, J. E., Custer county, Session 21. , 

Satchell, N. M., Cass county, Sessions 20, 21. 
Saunders, Geo. W., Knox county. Session 30. 
Savage, E. P.. Sherman county. Session 18. 
Schaible, M. J., Richardson county. Session 26. 
Schappei, C. A., Pawnee county, Sessions 22, 23. 
Scilley. Hugh, Dodge county, Session 29. 
Scheele, Henry, Session 31. 
Schelp, W., Platte county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Schick, T. L., Nemaha county, Session 16. 
Schickedantz, H., Howard county. Session 24. 
Schinstock, Henry, Cuming county. Session 27. 
Schlotfcldt, H., Hall county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Scluniukc. P., Otoe county. Sessions 9, 10, 14. 
Schock, H., Richardson county. Session 8. 
Schoettger. H. D., Washington county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Schovillc, F. A., Saunders county. Session 19. 
Schrader, C., Session 18. 
Schram, C. W., Dixon county. Session 25. 
Schwab, H., Dodge county, Session 20. 
Scott, A., Pawnee county, Sessions 26. 27. 
Scott, A. J., Buffalo county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Scott, J. P., Saunders county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Scott, R. M., Dawson county. Session 22. 
Scott. W. T., York county. Session 15. 
Scoville, D. A., Hamilton county, Session 21. 
Scudder, A. L., Hall county. Session 30. 
Sears, F. A., Hall county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Sears, Wm. G., Burt county. Sessions 27, 28. 
Seed. A., Seward county, Session 21. 
Seelej', J. C, Dodge county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Selden, P., Platte county. Session 14. 
Severe, O. A., Otoe county. Session 25. 
Sevcrin, F. C, Lancaster county, Sessions 21. 22. 
Sessions, M. H., Lancaster county, Sessions o, 10, 15, 18. 
Seybolt, G. L., Cass county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Shamp. J., Lancaster county. Session 20. 
Shedd, H. ?L, Saunders county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Shelby, P. R., Douglas county. Session 14. 
Sheldon, A. E., Dawes county, Session 25. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY' 



Shelley, B. Y., Knox county. Session 15. 

Shelly, Thos. C. Douglas county, Session 28. 

Shellliorn, E. J,, Lancaster county. Session 27. 

Shephard, G. W., Saunders county, Session 21. 

Sheridan, I. A., Redwillow county, Session 23. 

Shinstock, Chris., Cuming county, Session 28. 

Shipley, J.. Cuming county, Session 22. 

Shipley, W., Hitchcock county. Session 28. 

Shook, G. R., Nemaha county. Sessions 5, 6, 8. 

Shook, J. H., Richardson county. Session 24. 

Shore, J. H., Cherry county. Session 26. 

Shrader, C. D.,' Custer count}'. Session 22. 

Shryock, W. B.,- Cass county. Session 22. 

Shubert, J. F., Richardson county. Session 30. 

Shull, J. C, Nemaha county. Session 25. 

Shumaker. W. S., Session 31. 

Siecke, C. L., Cuming county. Session 26. 

Sill, J. A., Burt county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Silver, H. H., Gage county. Sessions 16, 17. 

Simanek, T., Saunders county, Session 20. 

Simms. B. M., Harlan county. Session 20. 

Sinionton, R. N., Nuckolls county. Session 15. 

Sinclair, J., Otoe county. Session 23. 

Sink, J. W., Session 31. 

Sisson, E. P., Burt county. Sessions 23, 24. 

Skeen, Ben T., Session 31. 

Slader. D. C, Washington county, Sessions 2, 3, 4. ■ 

Slater, A. B., Staijton county. Session 20. 

Slocumb, C. R., Jefferson county. Sessions 15, 16, 17. 

Smalser, H., Sherman county. Session 29. 

Small, J. W., Clay county. Session. 14. 

Smith. A. A., Boone county. Session 30. 

Smith, C., Richardson county, Session 26. 

Smith, D., Douglas county. Sessions 25, 31. 

Smith, G. F., Holt county, Sessions 23, 24. 

Smith, H. M., Saline county, Session 26. 

Smith. H. O., Dawson county. Session 19. 

Smith, Herschel V., Saline county, Session 28. 

Smith, G. L., Butler county, Session 26. 

Smith, J., Saline county. Sessions 22, 23, 24. 

Smith, J. D., Sarpy county. Sessions I. 5. 

Smith, J. E., Webster county, Sessions 14, IS- 

Smith, Robert A., Burt county. Session 29. 

Smith, T., Johnson county. Session 23. 

Smithberger, L.. Stanton county. Sessions 26, 27. 

Smythe, C. J., Douglas county. Session 20. 

Snyder, A., Douglas county. Session 21. 

Snyder, D. C, Johnson county, Session 25. ' 

Snyder, J., Harlan county. Session 30. 

Snyder, Joseph. Session 31. 

Snyder, J. M., Sherman county. Session 25. 

Soderman, E., Phelps county. Sessions 22, 23, 24, 25. 

Somers, W. H., Lancaster county. Sessions 12, 13. 

Sommerlad. H. W., Richardson county. Sessions i, 8. 

Spackman, E. B., Nance county. Session 24. 

Spanogle, A. J., Hamilton county. Session iS. 

Sparks, J., Gage county, Session 15. 

Sparks, J. W., Merrick county. Session 15. 

Speice, C. A., Platte county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 

Spellman, H., Lancaster county, Session 14. 

Spencer, Alvin D., Gage county. Session 27. 

Spencer, E. R., Lancaster county. Sessions 23, 24. 

Spier, S. S., Gage county. Session 28. 

Specher, John C, Colfax county, Session 27. 

Sprick, H., Washington county, Sessions 9, 10, 14, 16, 17 

Spricknall, W. R., Johnson county. Session 14. 

Springer, E. P., Scottsblufif county. Session 30. 

Spurlock, Geo. M., Cass county, Session 28. 

Sroat. G. W., Otoe county. Sessions 3, 4. 

Stalder, Albert E., Richardson county. Session 30. 

Starrett, S. B., Johnson county. Session 15. 

Startzer, Samuel, Sarpy county, Session 28. 

Staver, H. O., Richardson county, Session 19. 



St. Clair, W. P. P., Cheyenne county. Session 14. 
Stebbins. J., Buffalo county. Session 22. 
Stebbins, L., Lincoln county, Session 25. 
Stedman, E. J., Session 31. 
Stedwell, A., Buffalo county. Session 18. 
Steever, A., Polk county, Session 18. 
Steinauer, N. A., Pawnee county, Session 30. 
Steinman, H.. Nemaha county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Steinmeyer, Henry, Gage county. Session 27. 
Stephenson, D. V., Richardson county, Session 18. 
Sternsdorf, G. J., Douglas county. Session 22. 
Stettson, Delbert A., Saline county. Sessions 28. 29. 
Stevens, A. D., Fillmore county, Session 22. 
Stevens, H.. Platte county. Session 22. 
Stevens, J., Furnas county. Sessions 22, 23. 
Stevenson, R. P., Cuming county, Session 9, 10. 
Stevenson. T. B., Otoe county, Session 19. 
Steward, J. B., York county, Session 22. 
Stewart, A. S., Pawnee county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Stirk, J. W., Madison county. Session 21. 
Stirling, J. H., Fillmore county, Session 19. 
Stockwell. H. M., Antelope county, Session 27. 
Stoeker, W. P., Session 31. 
Stolz, J. P., Seward county,_ Session 30. 
Stone, L, Cass county. Session 15. 
Storm. J. D., Nemaha county, Session 22. 
Stouffer, B. R., Richardson county. Session 15. 
Stout, W. H. B., Washington county. Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Straub, V., Otoe county, Session 25. 
Sturgess, T. P., Douglas county. Session 26. 
Suessenbach. H., Douglas county, Session 18. 
Sullivan, J. J., Platte county. Session 20. 
Suter, L. H., Antelope county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Sutherland, W. J., Colfax county, Session 19. 
Sutton, A. L., Douglas county. Sessions 23, 24. 
Sutton. W., Pawnee county. Sessions 24, 25. 
Swan, H. N., Session 31. 
Swan, J. T., Nemaha county Session 26. 
Swanson, Daniel county. Dodge county. Session 27. 
Swartsley, J. C, Platte county. Session 21. 
Swearingen. J., Seward county. Session 18. 
Sweet, P.. Merrick county. Sessions 20, 21. 
Sweezy, P. A., Webster county. Session 28. 
Switzer, S. W., Buffalo county. Session 14. 
Taggart, R. M., Otoe county. Session 19. 
Talbot, J. W., Butler county, Session 30. 
Talbot, J. W.. Otoe county, Sessions S, 6, 7. 
Talcott, J. M., Session 31. 
Tanner, J. W., Nance county, Sessions 26, 27. 
Taylor, A. B., Session 31. 
Tavlor, P. M., Johnson county. Session 22. 
Taylor, J. H., Douglas county. Session 25. 
Tavlor, W. H., Butler county. Sessions 22, 25. 
Taylor, W. H., Fillmore county. Session 26. 
Taylor, W. J., Custer county. Sessions 26, 27, 31. 
Taylor. W. Z., Frontier county. Sessions 18, 19, 31. 
Tefft, C. R.. Lancaster county, Session 27. 
Ten Eyck, W. B., Douglas county. Session 28. 
Thiessen, J. P., Jefferson county, Sessions 30, 31. 
Thorn, J., Otoe county, Session i. 
Thomas, A. N.. Hamilton county. Session 24. 
Thomas, G. H., Colfax county. Session 19. 
Thomas, G. P., Burt county. Session I. 
Thomas, I., Burt county. Session 18. 
Thomas, J. W., Cass county. Session 19. 
Thomas, W. P., Session 31. 
Thompson, A. L., Jefferson county. Session 19. 
Thompson, P. A., Clay county. Session 26. _ 
Thompson, J. J., Washington county. Session 15. 
Thompson, M. J., Boone county. Session 18. 
Thompson, Oscar. Cuming county. Session 29. 
Thompson, R. A., Cuming county, Session 15. 
Thompson, W. T., Merrick county, Sessions 26, 28. 



90 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Thonissen, Wm., Hall county, Session 27. 

Thornton. S. W.. RufFalo county, Session 20. 

Thorpe. Wm. P., Garfield county. Session 28. 

Thurston, J. M,, Douglas county, Sessions II, 12, 13. 

Timme, H., Douglas county. Session 24. 

Tingle, A. H., Holt county. Session 20. 

Tisdel. D. A., Richardson county. Session 5. 

Tomblin. D. M., Furnas county, Session 17. 

Tomlin, J. H., Otoe county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 

Tooley, J. J., Custer county. Session 28. 

Towers, L. H., .■\dams county, Session 18. 

Towie, A. L., Knox county, Session 21. 

Towle. E. S., Richardson county, Sessions 9, 10, 11, 12, 

13- 
Town, W. A., Thayer county, Session 18. 
Townsend, O., G5ge county. Sessions 3, 4, 
Tracey, J., Lincoln county. Session 20. 
Trask, I. N., Fillmore county. Session 28. 
Troup, A. C. Douglas county. Session ig. 
Trowbridge, F. H.. Antelope county. Session 15. 
True, M. B. C, Saline county. Session 15. 
Truesdale, S. A., Thayer county. Sessions 20, 21. 
Trunible, A. W., Sarpy county. Sessions 2. 3, 4. 
Tucker, F. S., Douglas county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Tucker, G. P., Johnson county, Sessions 3, 4. 
Tucker, J. M., York county. Session 26. 
Tullis, E„ Lancaster county, Sessions i, 5. 6, 7. 
Turner, C. M., Seward county, Session 19. 
Turner. G. R., Gage county. Session 18. 
Turner, W. L., Knox county. Session 20. 
Turtle, W., Douglas county. Sessions 8, 19. 
Turton, G. J.. Dodge county. Session i. 
Tuxbury, A., Otoe county, Session i. 
Tweed, Robert, Thayer county. Session 27. 
Tyson, W., Washington county. Session 20. 
Tzschuck, B., Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Uerling. P., Adams county. Session 25. 
Uhl, Mel, Douglas county, Session 27. 
LTnderhill, G. C, Otoe county. Session 20. 
LTnthank, J. A., Washington county, Sessions T, 3, 4. 
Vandergrift, John, Sherman county. Sessions 26. 27. 
Vanderman, A. W., Cass county, Session 15. 
Vanderbilt, W. H., Dixon county, Session 15. 
Vanderventer, W. N., Richardson county. Session 22. 
Van Duyn, J. N., Saline county. Session 23. 
Van Horn. S. S., Dodge county. Session 25. 
Van Housen, J. C, Colfax county. Sessions 23, 24, 30. 
Varner, L. A., Johnson county, Session 19. 
Veach, M. A.. Richardson county. Session 20. 
Vlasek, J. J., Saunders county, Session 28. 
Vopalensky, F.. Saunders county. Session 30. 
Vorhes, J. T., Hamilton county. Session 22. 
Voter, Frank P., Cedar county. Session 29. 
Wait, A.. Otoe county. Session 24, 
Waite, C. V... Lancaster county. Session 25. 
Waitt. G. W., Dixon county. Session 19. 
Walker, Chas. R., Dundy county. Session 27. 
W'alkcr, M. K., Pawnee county. Session 18. 
Walcot. F. M., Cass county. Session 8. 
Waldron, W. H., Adams county, Session 22. 
Waldtcr. L.. Nemaha county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Wallichs, J,, Platte county, Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Walling, A. M.. Colfax county, Sessions 16, 17. 
Walling, J., Dawson county. Session 26. 
Walsh, J., Douglas county. Session ,30. 
Walters. J. P., Dixon county. Session 14. 
Ward, John, Sarpv county, Session 29. 
Wardlaw, J. M. Gage county. Session 20, 23, 
Waring, I^, M., Holt county. Sessions 27, 28. 
Warner, Chas, J.. Lancaster county. Sessions 27, 28, 29. 
Warrington, T. L., Dawson county, Session 15. 
Wart. M. H., Knox county. Session 24. 
Watts, S. F., Lincoln county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 



Watson, A. J., Cedar county. Session 27. 
Watson, G. P., Pierce county. Session 26. 
Watson, J. C., Otoe county. Sessions 20. 21, 22, 23. 
Weaver, A. J., Richardson county. Session 26. 
Webb, E. KL, Custer county. Session 2$. 
Weber, B. R. B., Saunders county. Session 21. 
Weber, L, C, Washington county. Session 24. 
Weborg, C. J., Thurston county. Session 28. 
Webster, J. L., Douglas county. Sessions 9, 10. 
Weems, J., Nance county. Session 30. 
Weems, J. H., Session 31. 
Weibe. C. E., Hall county. Session 23. 
Welch, W., Polk count}'. Session 25. 
Weller, H. D., Richardson county. Session 21. 
Wells, H. C, Franklin county, Sessions 16, 17, 
Wells, J., Dawson county. Session 21. 
Wells, N. W.. Colfax county. Sessions 14, 13. 
Wenzl, John F.. Pawnee county. Sessions 26, 27. 
Werhani, W. S., Jefferson county, Session 18. 
Werner, E., Richardson county. Session 22. 
West, F. S., Session 31. 

Westcott, M. H.. Lancaster county. Sessions 17, 18. 
Westover, H., Valley county. Session 21. 
Wetherald, F. M., Thayer county. Session 20. 
Whedon, C. O., Lancaster county. Sessions 16, 17, 18. 
Wheeler, C. F., Furnas count}-. Session 25, 26. 
Wheeler, C. H., Nemaha county. Sessions 9, 10.. 
Whelpley, D. P.. Platte county. Session 14. 
Whitcomb, E. W., Saline county. Session 14. 
White, A. K., Lancaster county. Sessions 9. lo. 
White, E. O., Hall county. Session ^o. 
White, Francis E., Cass county. Sessions 20. 21, 22. 
White, F. E., Knox county. Session 19. 
Whitehead, J., Custer county. Session 21. 
Whitford, A, D., Dixon county. Session 21. 
Whitham, J. W., Johnson county. Sessions 29, 30. 
Whitmore, John A., Hamilton county. Session 27, 
Whitmore, W. G., Douglas county. Sessions 19, 20. ■ 
Whitney, Howard, Sarpy county. Session 30. 
Whitzel, L J., Fillmore county. Session 18. 
Whyman, F. E., Gage county. Session 21. 
Wickham, J., Richardson county. Session 8. 
Wiedensall, J., Douglas county. Sessions ii, 12, 13. 
Willjur, R. H.. Dakota county, Session i. 
Wilbur, R. S., Dakota county. Sessions 9. 10. 
Wilcox, Burton E., Douglas county. Session 27. 
Wilcox, J. A., Redwillow county. Session 21, 
Wilco.x, L. T., Douglas county. Session 14. 
Wilcox. W. T., Lincoln county. Session 26. 
Wilder, T. G., Webster county. Session 24. 
Wiles, L, Cass county. Sessions 2, 3, 4. 
Willu'lmscn, J., Howard county. Session 20. 
Wilkinson, Ricliard, Cass county. Session 27, 
Williams. H., Nemaha county. Session 19. 
Williams, J. W., Gage county. Sessions 21, 22. 
Williams, T. J., Franklin county. Session 22. 
Wilscy, A. E., (York, Hamilton) counties, Sessions 16, 

20. 
Wilson, C. G., Webster county. Session 22. 
Wilson, F. C, Custer county. Session 30. 
Wilson, J., Buffalo county. Session 23. 
Wilson, J. L., York county. Session 20, 
Wilson, V. E., Session 31. 

Wilson, W. H.. Pawnee county. Sessions 28, 29, 
Wimberly, T. M., Lancaster county, Session 25. 
Windham, R. B., Cass county. Sessions 13, 16, 17, 29, 
Winslow, W., Gosper county. Session 23. 
Winspcar, J. H.. Douglas county. Session 19. 
Winter, T., Brown county. Session 21. 
Wissenlnirch, H., Lancaster county. Session 18. 
Withnell, C. H., Douglas county. Session 23. 
Wolbach, S. N,, Hall county. Session 19. 
Wolenweber, N.. Seward county, Session 20, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



91 



Wolfe, T., Seward county. Session 14. 
Wolph, H. C, Cass county, Session 18. 
Wooilard, J. M., Hamilton county, Sessions 25, 26. 
^\^H.(Is, J. D., Sheridan county. Session 23. 
WiKilwdrth. J. M., Douglas county, Sessions 3, 4. 
Wooster, C., Merrick county, Session 25. 
Worl, W., Lancaster county, Session iS. 
Wortliing, H., Dawson county. Sessions 30, 31. 
Wright, J. B,, Lancaster county. Session 19. 
Wright, J. H.. Nuckolls county. Sessions 25, 26. 
Wright, P. G., Dixon county. Session 20. 
Wright, W. F., Pawnee county. Sessions 11, 12, 13. 
Wyatt, C. C. Madison county. Sessions 16, 17. 
Wyman, E.. Buffalo county. Session 26. 
Yeiser, J. O., Douglas county, Session 25. 
York, W. R., Johnson county. Session 15. 
Young, B., Thayer cormtj'. Session 18. 
Ynnng, L. J., Session 31. 
Young, J. R., Douglas county. Session 20. 
Young, T. T.. Cass county, Sessions 25, 26. 
Yutzy, J. C., Richardson county. Sessions 20, 21. 
Zellers, M. T., Dodge county, Session 26. 
Ziegler, J. A.. Cedar county. Sessions 15, 16, 17. 
Zimmerman, D. S., York county. Session 25. 
Zimmerman, P. F., Madison county. Session 27. 
Zimmerer, A., Otoe county, Sessions 5, 6, 7. 
Zimmerer, F., Dawson county. Session 27. 
Zink, J. W., Sherman county. Session 24. 
Zink, v., Johnson county. Session 24. 
Zuelow, Otto, Colfax county, Session 29. 

TERRITORIAL OFFICERS. 

The following is a list of the various gentle- 
men who filled the most important positions in 
Nebraska during Territorial times, viz. : 

Governors — Francis Burt served from Oc- 
tober 16, 1854, until the time of his death, Oc- 
tober 18, 1854, and the vacancy was filled by 
Secretary T. B. Cuming to February 20, 1855. 
Mark W. Izard, from February 20, 1855, to 
October 25, 1857, when he resigned and the 
vacancy was filled by Secretary Cuming to Janu- 
ary 12, 1858. William A. Richardson, from 
January 12, 1858, to December 5, 1858, when 
his death occurred, and the vacancy was filled 
by Secretary J. Sterling ]\Iorton until May 2, 
1859. The next was Samuel W.- Black, who 
served until February 24, 1861, when he re- 
signed; to enter the army, and the vacancy was 
again filled by J. Sterling IVlorton. Alvin 
Saunders was the next incumbent of the office 
of governor, and served until February 21, 
1867. 

SECRETARIE.S — Thomas B. Cuming, from 
August 13, 1854, to the time of his death, 
March 12, 1858. John B. Motley, from March 
2^. to July 12, 1858. J. Sterling Morton, from 
July 12, 1858, to May 6, 1861. Algernon S. 
Paddock, until February 21, 1867. 



Auditors — Charles B. Smith, March 16, 
1855, to August 3, 1857. Samuel L. Campbell, 
to June I, 1858. William E. Moore, to August 

2, 1858. Robert C. Jordan, to October 8, 1861. 
William E. Harvey, to October 10, 1865, when 
he was succeeded by the last under territorial 
organization, John Gillespie. 

Treasurers — B. P. Rankin was the first 
territorial treasurer, term of office began 
March 16, 1855. He was succeeded by William 
W. Wyman, whose term began November 6, 
1855. Augustus Kountze was next, term of 
office began October 8, 1861. 

Librarians — The first was James S. Izard, 
whose term of office began March 16, 1855. 
H. C. Anderson, term began November 6, 
1855. John H. Kellom, term began August 3, 
1857. Alonzo D. Luce, term began November 
7, 1859. Robert S. Knox, term began June, 
1861. 

Supreme Court — Chief Justices — Tenner 
Ferguson, term began October 12, 1854. Au- 
gustus Hall, term began March 15, 1858. Wil- 
liam Pitt Kellogg, term began May 27, 1861. 
William Kellogg, term began May 8, 1865. 
Wilham A. Little, 1866 — diedi in office. Oliver 
P. Mason, 1866. 

Supreme Court — Associate Justices — Ed- 
ward R. Harden, term began December 4, 1854. 
James Bradley, October 25, 1854. Samuel W. 
Black, 1857. Eleazer Wakeley, April 22, 1857. 
Joseph ^Miller, April 9, 1859. William E. Lock- 
wood, i\Iay 16, 1861. Joseph E. Streeter, No- 
vember 18, 1861. Elmer S. Dundv, June 22, 
1863. 

Clerks of the Supreme Court — H. C. An- 
derson, 1856. Charles S. Salisbury, 1858. E. 
B. Chandler, 1859. John H. Kellom, 1861. 
William Kellogg, Jr., 1865. 

District Attorneys — D. S. McGary, term 
of office began May 10, 1855. Jonathan H. 
Smith, June 9, 1855. S. A. Strickland, June 
II, 1855. John M. Latham, November 6, 1855. 
Jacob Safford, November 6, 1855. William 
Kline, November, 1855. James G. Chapman, 
August 3, 1857. William McLennan, August 

3, 1857. George W. Doane, August 3, 1857. 
U. C. Johnson, October 11, 1859. 

United States Marshals — Mark W. Izard, 
term of office began October 28, 1854. Eli R. 



92 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Doyle, April 7, 1855. Benjamin P. Rankin, 
March 29, 1856. Phineas W. Hitchcock, Sep- 
tember 19, 1861. 

Territorial Delegates to Congress — Na- 
poleon B. Gidding, elected December 12, 1854. 
Bird B. Chapman, elected November 6, 1855. 
Tenner Ferguson, elected August 3, 1857. Ex- 
perience Estabrook, elected October 11, 1859. 
Samuel G. Daily, elected October 9, i860. 
Phineas W. Hitchcock, elected October 11, 1864. 

state officers of NEBRASKA FROM ITS ORGAN- 
IZATION. 

In the following pages we give a list of all 
the most important State officials of Nebraska 
from the time of its organization as a State : 

Governors — David Butler, from February 
21, 1867, to June 2, 1871. Elected in 1866, 
but did not enter upon the duties of the office 
until the admission of the State into the Union. 
Wm. H. James, acting governor from June 2, 
1871, to January 13, 1873. Robert W. Furnas, 
from January 13, 1873, to January 11, 1875 
Silas Garber, term began January 11, 1875 
Albinus Nance, term began January 9, 1879 
James W. Dawes, term began January 4, 1888 
John M. Thayer, term began January 6, 1887 
James E. Boyd, term began January 8, 1891 
Lorenzo Crounse, term began January 13, 1893 
Silas A. Holcomb, term began January 3, 1895 
William A. Poynter, term began January 5, 
1899. Charles H. Dietrich, term began January 
3, 1901. John H. Mickey, term began Janu- 
ary, 1903. George L. Sheldon, term began 
January, 1907. A. C. Shallcnbcrgcr, term began 
January, 1909. 

Lieutenant-Governors — Orthman A. Ab- 
bott, term began January 4, 1877. Edmund C. 
Cams, term began January i, 1879. A. W. 
Agee, term began January 4, 1883. H. LI. 
Shedd, term began January 8, 1885. George 

D. Meikeljohn, term began January 3, 1889. 
Thomas J. Majors, term began January 6, 1891. 
Robert E. Moore, term began January 3, 1895. 
James E. Harris, term began January 7, 1897. 

E. A. Gilbert, term began January 5, 1899. 
Ezra P. Savage, term began January 3, 1901. 
Edmund G. McGilton, term began January, 



1903. M. R. Hopewell, term began January, 
1907 ; re-elected, term began January, 1909. 

Secretaries of State — Thomas P. Ken- 
nard, term of office began February 21, 1867. 
William IT. James, term began January 10, 
1871 ; acting governor from June 2, 1871, to 
January 13, 1873. John J. Gosper, term began 
January 13, 1873. Bruno Tchuck, term began 
January 11, 1875. S. J. Alexander, term began 
January 9, 1879. Edward P. Roggen, term be- 
gan January 4, 1883. Gilbert L. Laws, term 
began January 6, 1887 ; resigned November 
20, 1889, to fill unexpired term in Congress, 
caused by the death of James Laird. Benjamin 
R. Cowdery, appointed by Governor Thayer to 
fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of 
Secretary Laws, term began November 20, 1889. 
John C. Allen, term began January 8, 1891. 
Joel A. Piper, term began January 3, 1895. 
William F. Porter, term began January 7, 1897. 
George W. Marsh, term began January 3, 1901. 
A. Galusha, term began January, 1905. George 
C. Junkin, term began January, 1907; re-elected 
November, 1908. 

State Auditors — John Gillespie, term of 
office began February 21, 1867. Jefferson B. 
Weston, term began January 13, 1873. F. \\'. 
Liedtke, term began January 9, 1879. John 
Wallicks, term began November 12, 1880. H. 
A. Babcock, term began January 8, 1885. 
Thomas H. Benton, term began January 3, 
1889. Eugene Moore, term began January 13, 
1893. John F. Cornell, term began January 7, 
1897. Charles Weston, term began January 3, 
1901. Edward M. Searle, Jr., term began Janu- 
ary, 1905. Silas R. Barton, term began Janu- 
ary, 1909. 

State Treasurers — August Kountze, term 
of office began February 21, 1867. James 
Sweet, term began January 11, 1869. Henry 
A. Koenig, term began January 10, 1871. T- 
C. McBride, term began January 11, 1875. 
George M. Bartlett, term began January 9. 1879. 
Phelps D. Sturdevant, term began January 4, 
1883. Charles H. Willard, term began January 
8, 1885. John E. Hill, term began January 3, 
1889. Joseph S. Bartley, term began January 
I3i 1893. John B. Messerve, term began Janu- 
ary 7, 1897. William Steufer, term began Janu- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



93 



ary 3, 1901. Peter jMortensen, term began Janu- 
ary, 1903. L. G. Brian, term began Januar}'.. 
1907. 

Attorxevs-General — Champion S. Chase, 
term of office began February 21, 1867. Seth 
Robinson, term began January 11, 1869. Geo. 
H. Roberts, term began January 10, 1871. J. 
R. Webster, term began January 13, 1873. 
Geo. H. Roberts, term began January 11, 1875. 
C. J. Dilworth, term began January 9, 1879. 
Isaac Powers, Jr., term began January 4, 1883. 
William Leese, term began January 8, 1885. 
George H. Hastings, term began January 8, 
1891. Arthur S. Churchill, term began Janu- 
ary 3, 1895. Constantine J. Smyth, term began 
January 7, 1897. Frank N. Prout, term began 
January 3, 190 1. Xorris Brown, term began 
January, 1905. Wm. T. Thompson, term began 
January, 1907. 

Commissioners of Public Lands and 
Buildings — This office was created in 1875. F. 
M. Davis, term of office began January 4, 1877. 
A. G. Kendall, term began January 6, 1881. Jo- 
seph Scott, term began January 8, 1885. John 
Steen, term began January 3, 1889. A. R. 
Humphrey, term began January 8, 1891. Henry 
C. Russell, term began January 3, 1895. Wil- 
liam V. Wolfe, term began January 7, 1897. 
George D. Follmer, term began January 3, 
1901. Henry M. Eaton, term began January, 
1905. Edward B. Cowles, term began Janu- 
ary, 1909. 

Superintendents of Public Instruction — 
This office was created by the act of the legis- 
lature, February 15, 1869. S. DeWitt Beals 
was appointed by Governor Butler ; term of of- 
fice began February 16, 1869. J. M. McKenzie, 
term began January 10, 1871. S. R. Thompson, 
term began January 4, 1877. W. W. W. Jones, 
term began January 6, 1881. George B. Lane, 
term began January 6, 1887. A. K. Goudy, term 
began January, 1891. Henry R. Corbett, term 
began January 3, 1895. William R. Jackson, 
term began January 7, 1897. William K. 
Fowler, term began January 3, 1901. Jasper 
L. McBrien, term began January, 1905. E. C. 
Bishop, term began January, 1909. 

Supreme Court — Chief Justices — Oliver 
P. Mason, appointed by Governor Butler; term 
began 1867. Geo. B. Lake, term began Janu- 



ary 16, 1873. Daniel Gantt, term began Janu- 
^I'y 3. 1S78. Samuel Maxwell, term began May 
29, 1878. Geo. B. Lake, term began January 
5, 1882. Amasa Cobb, term began January 3, 
1884. Samuel Maxwell, term began January 7, 
1886. M. B. Reese, term began January 5, 
1888. Amasa Cobb, term began January q, 
1890. Samuel Maxwell, term began January 7, 
1892. -T. L. Nerval, term began January 4, 
1894. A. M. Post, term began January 9, 
1896. T. O. C. Harrison, term began January 6, 
1898. T. L. Norval, term began January 4, 
1903. John J. Sullivan, term began January, 
1903. Silas A. Holcomb, term began January, 
1905. S. H. Sedgwick, term began January, 
1907. 

Supreme Court — Associate Ju.stices— 
George B. Lake, term of office began February 
21, 1867; re-elected 1872- 1877. Lorenzo 
Crounze, term began February 21, 1867. Daniel 
Gantt, term began January 16, 1873. Samuel 
Maxwell, term began January 16, 1873 ; re- 
elected 1877-1887. Amasa Cobb, term began 
May 29, 1878; apoointed to fill vacancy; elected 
1878; re-elected 1879-1885. M. B. Reese, term 
began January 3, 1884. T. L. Norval? term be- 
gan January 9, 1890; re-elected 1895. 'A. M. 
Post, term began 1892. T. O. C. Harrison, term 
began January 4, 1894. John J. Sullivan, term 
began January 6, 1898. Silas A. Holcomb, term 
began January 4, 1900. Samuel H. Sedgwick, 
term began January, 1903. John B. Barnes, 
term began January, 1905. C. B. Letton, term 
began January, 1907. 

Supreme Court — 1909-1910 — M. B. Reese, 
J.' B. Barnes, C. B. Letton. 

representatives in congress. 

Territorial Delegates in Congress — Na- 
poleon B. Gidding, elected December 12, 1854. 
Bird B. Chapman, November 6, 1855. Fenner 
Ferguson, August 3, 1857. Experience Esta- 
brook, October 11, 1854. Samuel G. Daily, Oc- 
tober 9, 1869. Phineas W. Hitchcock, October 
II, 1864. 

United States Senators — The following 
is a list of the different parties who have repre- 
sented Nebraska in the LTnitedi States Senate 
since the admission of the State into the Union, 



94 



COMTEiXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



viz.: John I\I. Thayer, iB>6y-'ji. Thomas W. 
Lipton, i867-'75. Phineas W. Hitchcock, 1871- 
'yy. Algernon S. Paddock, i875-"8i. Alvin 
Saunders, i877-'83. C. H. Van Wyck, 1881- 
"87. Charles F. Manderson, i883-'95. x\lger- 
non S. Paddock, i887-'93. W. V. Allen, 1893- 
'99. John W. Thurston, 1895-1901. H. L. 
Hayward, 1899; died in office. W. V. Allen, 
1899-1901. Charles H. Dietrich, 1901-. Joseph 
H. JMillard, 1901-. E. J. Burket, 1907-. 

Representatives — The following is a list 
of the different parties who have represented 
the various Nebraska districts in the House of 
Representatives since the organization of the 
State government: 

XXXIX Congress, i865-'67, T. IM. JNIar- 
quette. Mr. Marquette, who was elected to 
represent Nebraska in the House, presented his 
credentials J\larch 2, the day following Presi-_ 
dent Johnson's prolamation of the admission of 
Nebraska,, and thereby limited his own term to 
the short period of two days, as this session ex- 
pired March 4, 1867. 

XL Congress, i867-'69, John Taffe. 

XLI Congress, 1869-71, John Taffe. 

XLII Congress, 1871-73, John Taffe. 

XLIII Congress, i873-'75, Lorenzo Crounze. 

XLIV Congress, i875-'77, Lorenzo Crounze. 

XLV Congress, i877-'79, Frank Welch. 
Thomas J. Majors (to fill vacancy). 

XLVI Congress, i879-'8i, E. K. \alcntine. 

XL\TI Congress, i88i-'83, E. K. Valentine. 

XL\III Congress, i883-'85 : First district, 
A. J. Weaver; Second district, James Laird; 
Third district, E. K. Valentine. 

XLIX Congress, i885-'87 : First district, 
A. J. Weaver ; Second district, James Laird ; 
Third district, Geo. W. E. Dorsey. 

L Congress, i887-'89: First district, John 
A. McShane ; Second district, James Laird ; 
Tiiird district, Geo. W. E. Dorsey. 

LI Congress, i889-'9i : First district, W. J. 
Connell ; Second district, James Laird (died in 
office, and Gilbert L. Laws filled vacancy) ; 
Third district, Geo. W. E. Dorsey. 

LI I Congress, i89i-'93: First district. W. 
J. Bryan; Second district, W. A. McKeighan ; 
Third district, O. M. Kcm. 

LIII Congress, 1893-95. First district, W. 
J. Bryan; Second district, H. D. Mercer; Third 



district, George Meiklejohn; Fourth district, E. 
J. Hainer; Fifth district, W. A. McKeighan; 
Sixth district, O. M. Kem. 

LIV Congress, 1895-^97. First district, J. 
B. Strode; Second district, H. D. Mercer; Third 
district, George j\Ieiklejohn ; Fourth district. E. 
J. Hainer; Fifth district, W. E. Andrews; Sixth 
district, O. M. Kem. 

LV Congress, 1897-99: First district, Jesse 
B. Strode; Second district, David H. IMercer; 
Third district, Samuel Maxwell; Fourth district, 
William L. Stark : Fifth district, R. E. Suther- 
land ; Sixth district, William L. Green. 

LVI Congress, 1899-1901 : First district, 
E. J. Burkett ; Second district, David H. Mercer ; 
Third district, John S. Robinson ; Fourth dis- 
trict, William L. Stark; Fifth district, R. D. 
Sutherland ; Sixth district, William L. Cireen 
(died in office) ; William Ncvill (to fill va- 
cancy). 

LVII Congress, 1901-03: First district, 
Elmer J. I'urkett; Second district, David H. 
Mercer; Third district, John S. Robinson; 
Fourth district, William L. Stark ; Fifth district, 
A. C. Shallenberger; Sixth district, \\'illiam 
Nevill. 

L\TII Congress, 1903-05: First district, 
Elmer J. Burkett ; Second district, Gilbert M. 
Hitchcock ; Third district, J. J. McCarthy ; 
Fourth district, Edimund H. Hinshaw ; Fifth 
district, George W. Norris ; Sixth district, 
Moses P. Ivinkaid. 

LIX Congress, i905-'o7 : First district, 
Elmer J. Burkett; Second district, John L. Ken- 
nedy ; Third district, J. J. McCarthy ; Fourth 
district, Edmund H. Hinshaw ; Fifth district, 
Geo. W. Norris; Sixth district, Moses V. Kin- 
kaid. 

LX Congress, 1907-09 : First district, E. 
M. Pollard; Second district, G. M. Hitchcock; 
Third district, J. T. Boyd ; Fourth district, Ed- 
numd H. Hinshaw; Fifth district, George W. 
Norris; Sixth district, Moses P. Kinkaid. 

LXI Congress, l909-'ii: First district, 
John A. Maguirc; Second district, Gilbert M. 
Hithcock; Third district, James P. Latta; 
Fourth district, Edmund H. Hinshaw ; Fifth 
district, Geo. W, Norris; Sixth district, Moses 
P. Kinkaid. 



chapte:r IV. 



STATE INSTITUTIONS, SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. 

The University of Nebraska, located at Lin- 
coln, was founded by an act of the legislature 
passed in 1869. It was opened and students re- 
ceived in 1 87 1. The various acts of the legisla- 
ture providing for its organization authorized 
the establishing of various" departments and laid 
the groundwork for one of the greatest educa- 
tional institutions in the Union. Allen R. Ben- 
ton, Ph. D. was the first chancellor. 

The university comprises the graduate school, 
the college of literature, science and the arts, the 
industrial college, the college of law, schools of 
agriculture, mechanical arts, and domestic science. 
Collegiate courses preparatory to law and jour- 
nalism, and medicine as well as a special teacher's 
course and summer sessions are offered. The 
regents of the university have also entrusted to 
their care the U. S. Experiment Station, and the 
central office of the Nebraska section of the cli- 
mate and crop service of the U. S. Weather Bu- 
reau is located within its grounds. Courses in 
University extension including Farmers' insti- 
tutes are given as a means of education to those 
beyond the bounds of the University. Admis- 
sion to the university is by certificate from about 
seventy-five accredited schools or by examin- 
ation. The degrees are A. B. ; B. Sc. ; B. Sc. in 
engineering courses ; LL. B. ; A. ]\I., and Ph. D. 
Tuition is free except in the professional and 
special courses, where a nominal fee is charged. 
A matriculation fee of five dollars is provided by 
statute. A system of fellowships and scholar- 
ships exists, and in each county maintaining a 
first-class three or four vear high school a scholar- 



ship is awarded the student passing the best 
competative examination. Several prizes are 
offered along certain lines of college activity, 
such as oratory and literature. The university 
has a campus in the center of the city of Lincoln 
of twelve acres, and an experiment station farm 
of three himdred and twenty acres. There is a 
score of buildings, the most prominent being 
university hall, the chemical laboratory. Grant 
memorial hall, containing the armory and gyna- 
sium, library building, Nebraska hall, mechanic 
arts hall, the library, the Patho-triological labora- 
tory, dairy hall, and Soldiers' memorial hall. 

The College Farm (including the Experiment 
Station farm) was secured by the exchange of 
State land and the payment of about $20,000 
out of State funds. The property is now valued 
at about a quarter of a million dollars. On the 
farm are the buildings for the use of the Experi; 
ment Station. The total value of the entire prop- 
erty of the university is now estimated at over 
one million dollars. 

THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 

The fifth territorial legislature, in an act ap- 
proved October 14, 1858, providing for the or- 
ganization of county agricultural societies, es- 
tablished a territorial board of agriculture to 
receive and digest reports from, and of the sev- 
eral organizations, and to hold annual meetings 
for the purpose of deliberating and consulting as 
to the wants, prospects and conditions of the agri- 
cultural interests throughout the territory. This 
board as originally constituted, consisted of 
Thomas Gibson, Harrison Johnson, A. D. Jones, 



96 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



E. Estabrook, J. JNI. Thayer, Christian Bobst, 
Robert W. Furnas, Jesse Cole, S. A. Chambers, 
Jerome Hoover, Mills S. Reeves, Broad Cole, 
J. C. Lincoln, Harlan Baird, Joel T. Griffin and 
E. H. Chaplin, duly created a body corporate, 
with perpetual succession, empowered to fill va- 
cancies in its membership, and to elect officers 
it its discretion. 

The first meeting of the board was held in 
Omaha, October 30, 1858, the election of officers 
for the ensuing year resulting as follows : Presi- 
dent, R. W. Furnas; secretary, A. D. Jones, 
treasurer, J. M. Thayer; beard of managers, E. 
H. Chaplin, H. Baird, M. S. Reeves, Broad Cole, 
and C. Bobst. It was determined at this meet- 
ing that the first annual fair be held three days 
in succession, in September,. 1859, in such county 
as offered the largest donations, privileges and 
best accommodations. Under this arrangement 
Otoe county was selected as the location and the 
first territorial fair was held at Nebraska City, 
September 21, 22 and 23, 1859. The amount 
actually awarded in premiums was $355, in ad- 
dition to a gold watch, saddle and bridle, and two 
sets of jewelry valued at $115, and a goodly 
niunber of diplomas. The address of the oc- 
casion was delivered by J. Sterling Morton. At 
the end of the report of the fair to the next legis- 
lature, the committee "beg leave to say that this 
first territorial fair of Nebraska, though not a 
complete success, was far from a failure. Taking 
all things into consideration, it is a marvel that 
we have done half so well." 

This was the only territorial fair ever held in 
Nebraska, no decided effort appearing to have 
been made toward another exhibition until 1868, 
when the board having been changed to a State 
organization by the admission of the territory, 
held a second annual fair, also at Nebraska City, 
October 7, 8 and 9, 1868. Under the State or- 
ganization the number of incorporated members 
was increased from sixteen to twenty-eight. In 
early days of the State's history, the State fairs 
were held at various places, including Nebraska 
City, Brownville, Omaha and Lincoln. 

The State board of agriculture embraces all 
the minor kindred organizations, the horticultural 
society and others, reports of which are incor- 
ported in the official statements of the board to 
the legislature. It has since its institution as a 



territorial organization, fostered, encouraged and 
developed the farming interests of Nebraska, 
stimulating honest rivalry. To it the State owes 
much of its present popularity, and to the in- 
defatigable efforts of its officers, is due in a great 
measure the fact, not that Nebraska is an agri- 
cultural State, but that she is preeminently, be- 
cause scientifically, such. The object of the "as- 
sociation has been and is, to advertise and make 
known in every possible way the agricultural ad- 
vantages, products, resources, possibilities and 
promises of the State. Of late years this has 
been done, not only by holding annual fairs and 
exhibitions, but by the publication of a four hun- 
dred-page volume of agricultural, horticultural, 
dairy, forestry, live stock, crop, botanical, geo- 
logical, entomological, meteorological, civil en- 
gineering, zoological, and other important data 
and information. 

SCHOOL FOR THE DE.\F AXD DUMB. 

The Nebraska School for the Deaf and 
Dumb was established in 1869, with Prof. Wil- 
liam M. French as principal. The object of 
the institution, as set forth in the law 
and in the first report of the superintendent 
is "to promote the intellectual, phys'.cal and 
moral culture of the deaf and dunib by a ju- 
dicious and well adapted course of instruction, 
that they may be reclaimed from their lonely 
and cheerless condition, restored to society, and 
fitted for the discharge of the duties of life." 
The object of the organization has remained the 
same, and in many instances has been accom- 
plished. The first year there were enrolled 
twelve pupils and the school was housed in a 
rented building. This institution is doing ex- 
cellent work in carrying out the intent of the 
law and the object of the school. An exhibit 
was made at the Trans-Mississipjii and Inter- 
national Exposition of work from all depart- 
ments of the school, which attracted marked at- 
tention. The exhibit was awarded a diploma and 
gold medal by the exposition, and the committee 
appointed to judge of the work done in the edu- 
cation of the defective clas.ses, awarded llie Xe- 
Iira.ska School for the Deaf a diploma for first 
rank. This committee awarded but one of first 
rank. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



97 



THE NEBRASKA INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND. 

This institution, which is located at Nebraska 
City, was opened in 1875. To secure the insti- 
tution, Nebraska City donated ' $3,000 and ten 
acres of ground just north of the city limits. 
On this site substantial buildings have been 
erected, and the institution is admirably con- 
ducted and doing good work. The school was 
first opened in rented rooms, March 10, 1875. 
At the beginning there were only three students, 
but the enrollment reached twenty-one by the 
close of the first two years. Samuel Bacon was 
the first superintendent. 

STATE PENITENTIARY. 

The Nebraska State Penitentiary is located 
at Lancaster, about three miles south of the city 
of Lincoln. Under grants from the Congress 
of the United States, by acts of 1864 and 1867, 
the State of Nebraska received 32,044 acres of 
land for penitentiary purposes. The act provid- 
ing for the building of the State Penitentiary, 
on the site donated for that purpose by Capt. 
W. T. Donavan and Mr. Hilton, was passed 
March 4, 1870. W. W. Abbey, W. W. Wilson 
and F. Tlemplin were appointed prison inspec- 
tors to attend to selling the land granted by the 
government for prison purposes, and to superin- 
tend the building, $5,000 being appropriated for 
the erection of a temporary prison. The first' 
warden of the penitentiary was Henry Campbell. 
The institution has always ranked high among, 
the penal institutions of its class in the country. 

NEBRASKA HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. 

This institution is located at Lincoln. As 
early as 1865, it was found necessary to make 
provision for the insane in the Territory of Ne- 
braska. Four cases were already being cared for 
in an Iowa hospital. The legislature authorized 
the governor to make some arrangement with 
the State of Iowa, by which they received and 
cared for the insane at the expense of Nebraska. 
Under this arrangment fifty patients were sent at 
various times to the hospital at Mount Pleasant. 
Soon after Nebraska became a State the gov- 
7 



ernor, secretary of State and auditor of public 
accounts were appointed a board of commis- 
sioners to locate a site for a State lunatic asylum 
near the city of Lincoln. The first building was 
completed at a cost of $137,000 in the fall of 
1870, and the first patient was admitted No- 
vember 26th of that year. Early in the follow- 
ing December, seventeen 'patients were brought 
over from Mount Pleasant to the new institu- 
tion, and four were admitted who had been con- 
fined in the Pawnee county jail. Dr. N. B. 
Larsh was the first superintendent. In April, 
1871,. the institution was destroyed by fire. 
Five patients were reported missing and were 
never afterwards accounted for. The remain- 
ing patients were taken to Lincoln and cared for 
in rented, houses until a temporary building was 
erected on the asylum grounds. As there was 
no appropriation available, and the citizens of 
Lincoln were fearful lest the Institution should 
be removed to some rival city, they advanced the 
func;s necessary to build a temporary frame 
structure, which did service as a hospital until 
a new stone building was erected the following 
year. Since that time the institution has ' been 
enlarged by the erection of additional buildings, 
until today it is one of the most modern insti- 
tutions of its kind in the country. As the popu- 
lation of the State increased, the number of in- 
sane persons likewise increased, thereby mak- 
ing it necessary to increase the capacity of the 
hospital. The congestion was also relieved by 
the erection of other institutions at Hastings 
and Norfolk. The first patients were sent to 
the Norfolk hospital February 15, 1888, and to 
the Asylum for the Chronic Insane at Hastings, 
August I, 1889. Originally the State guar- 
anteed' the expense of caring for insane patients, 
and, when possible, collected the amount so ex- 
pended from the estate of the patient, or from 
his or her natural guardians. Later the superin- 
tendent certified to the auditor the number of 
patients from each county, and the auditor of 
public accounts certified to the commissioners 
of the several counties the amounts due for the 
maintenance of their insane. In 1883 this was 
changed and the State assumed the entire ex- 
pense of caring for this class of persons. 

No effort has been spared to bring the hos- 



98 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



pital service up to the highest standard of effici- 
ency, and the citizens of Nebraska may well 
be congratulated on the excellent reputation 
which the Nebraska Hospital for the Insane 
bears in the surrounding states. 

ASYLUM FOR THE CHROXIC INSANE. 

The Asylum for the Chronic Insane was 
located near the city of Hastings in the year 
1888, the first building being erected from an 
appropriation allowed by the legislature of 
1887. The capacity of the building at the time 
was one hundred and eighty patients. The in- 
stitution was opened for the admission of pati- 
ents in August, 1889, Dr. M. W. Stone being the 
first superintendent, having been appointed by 
Governor Thayer. The object of the institu- 
tion is to care for the more quiet and those 
found to be chronic after treatment in the 
asylums of the State for the acutely insane. 
The legislature has since from time to time 
made large appropriations for additional build- 
ings for enlarging the scope and usefulness of 
the institution. 

I, 

NORFOLK HOSPITAL FOR INSANE. 

The Norfolk Hospital for Insane owes its 
origin to an act of the legislature of 1885 ap- 
propriating $75,000 to build an insane hospital 
within three miles of the city limits of Norfolk, 
provided the city should donate three hundred 
and twenty acres of good land upon which to 
locate said institution. The three hundred and 
twenty acres were donated, commanding a most 
beautiful view of the lovely valley of the Elkhorn, 
its tributary, the North Fork, and the surround- 
ing country. The first building was completed 
in November, 1886. The legislature has from 
time to time made liberal appropriations to ex- 
tend and enlarge this institution and it ranks 
among the most important eleemosynary institu- 
tions of the State. 

NEBRASKA INSTITUTION FOR FEEIiLE MINDED 
YOUTHS. 

Tiiis institution is located at r.eatrice, Gage 
county. It was established bv the State of Ne- 



braska in 1885, for the benefit of feeble-minded 
children between the ages of five and eighteen 
years, who are by reason of their affliction, de- 
nied the educational advantages of the public 
schools, and who, likewise, because of their phy- 
sical weakness, are necessarily dependent. We 
quote the following from the act of the legisla- 
ture creating this institution, viz : "Besides 
shelter and protection, the prime object of said 
institution shall be to provide special means of 
improvement for that unfortunate portion of the 
community who were born, or by disease may be- 
come, imbecile or feeble-minded, and by a well 
adapted course of instruction reclaim them from 
their helpless condition, and through the develop- 
ment of their intellectual faculties fit them as far 
as possible for usefulness in society. To this 
end there shall be furnished them such agricul- 
tural and mechanical education as they are cap- 
able of receiving." Children who are residents 
of Nebraska, who are feeble-minded, and those 
who have such marked peculiarities or eccentri- 
caties of intellect, or those who, by reason of 
their being backward, are unable to receive the 
benefits of the common schools and ordinary 
methods of instruction, are entitled to care and 
training free of charge, except the expense of 
necessary clothing and transportation to and 
from their homes. Since the institution was 
founded about one thousand applications have 
been made for admission, about half of which 
have been received as patients. The work of the 
institution covers a useful scope. Aside from 
the school duties, the girls are taught sewing, 
house work, cooking, and all branches of do- 
mestic employment, while the boys are instructed 
in brush making, carpenter work, farm work, 
and such other branches of employment as may 
be useful to them after leaving the school. 

THE HOME FOR THE FR1ENI3LESS. 

This institution is located at Lincoln. In 
1876 some of the charitable women of Nebraska 
organized a society known as the "Home for the 
Friendless," the object of which was to furnish 
a refuge for friendless children, girls, young 
women and old ladies. This society was duly 
incorporated under the laws of the State of Ne- 
braska, and has been managed continuously from 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



99 



the time of its incorporation, by a board of la- 
dies, who have served without pay, mileage or 
financial recompense whatever. Absolutely non- 
sectarian, as every religious organization has been 
represented, and absolutely non-political. In 
1 88 1 the State legislature appropriated the sum 
of $5,000 to aid the society in the erection of a 
permanent building. As the State has grown, 
this charitable work has increased and several 
legislative appropriations have been made to 
assist the society in carrying on their great work. 
It can safely be said that thousands of friendless 
children have been received within the shelter of 
this institution, and permanent homes have been 
found for them among the substantial citizens of 
the State. A record is kept of each child, and a 
useful future is assured to these unfortunate 
children, who otherwise would have contributed 
to the havmts of vice and swell the roll of crim- 
inals. Over a thousand wives and mothers have 
been cared for by the Home, besides caring for 
many aged inmates. The magnitude of this work 
can only be appreciated by those who intimately 
acquaint themselves with the work of the society. 
Christian women have devoted much of their 
time and contributed of their substance to the 
caring for these unfortunates for years. Auxil- 
iary societies have been organized by the charit- 
able women of many towns throughout the State, 
and the foundation has thus been laid for great 
charitable work in the future. 

soldiers' .\XD sailors' home — GRAND ISLAND. 

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Grand 
Island was established under an act of the legis- 
lature of 1887. This act constituted the board 
of public lands and buildings a commission to 
locate and establish a home for honorably dis- 
charged soldiers, sailors and marines and hos- 
pital nurses who served in, the United States 
army or navy or hospitals during the war of the 
rebellion, and who by reason of such service, 
old age or otherwise have become disabled from 
earning a livelihood — providing such applicants 
have been actual bona fide residents of Ne- 
braska for two years next preceding such appli- 
cation. This commission approved and ac- 
cepted' a site near the city of Grand Island, con- 
taining six hundred and fortv acres of land, 



which was donated to the State by the citizens 
of Grand Island. The management of the home 
is vested in a visiting and examining board, 
consisting of five persons appointed by the gov- 
ernor, three of whom must be honorably dis- 
charged volunteer soldiers, and two of whom 
must be either wives, sisters or daughters of 
honorably discharged soldiers and members of 
the Woman's Relief Corps of Nebraska. 

soldiers' AND SAILORS' HOME MILFORD. 

A branch of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home 
was established by an act of the legislature, 
which took effect April 9, 1895. This home 
is located near Milford, on the banks of the 
Blue river, and the site comprises about thirty- 
five acres. It consists of the sanitarium, park 
and springs, together with a brick and stone 
building surrounded by broad piazzas. The 
home is governed in like manner as the Soldiers' 
and Sailors' Home at Grand Island. 

THE INDUSTRIAL HOME— 7MILFORD. 

The Industrial Home at Milford was estab- 
lished in 18S8. Its object is to protect and care 
for the unfortunate and homeless girls, and 
thus prevent crime. In this institution a home 
is offered and an opportunity given to commence 
life anew, as without this opportunity and re- 
fuge, often, if the will to reform is evident, the 
way is completely hedged in. The institution is 
doing excellent work, and is a charitable enter- 
prise that is worthy of the support of the State. 

STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. 

The State Industrial School at Kearney was 
established by the legislature of 1870, under the 
title of State Reform School. The sum of $10,- 
000 was appropriated for the erection of the 
first building and its temporary maintenance. 
The first building was completed in 1881, and 
the records of the school show that the 
first boy was committed by W. H. Ely, 
county judge of Dodge county, July 12, 1881. 
Since that time nearly 1,500 boys have been 
committed to the school by the different coun- 
ties of the State, besides about 200 girls that 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



were sent here previous to the establishing of 
the Girls' Industrial School at Geneva in 1891. 
In 1887 the legislature changed the title of the 
Kearney institution from the State Reform 
School to that of the State Industrial School, 
the name it now bears. The intention of the 
change in the name was to remove the school, 
as much as possible, from a penal institution to 
that of educational and industrial training, with 
the sole purpose in view that, as far as possible, 
no stigma should be attached to the unfortunate 
and wayward youths that have received their 
education within its confines. 

THE girls' industrial SCHOOL. 

The Girls' Industrial School at Geneva was 
established in 1891, and the main building was 
completed during the same year. Up to this 
time the boys and girls were in one school at 
Kearney. The site for the school is located less 
than a mile from Geneva, Fillmore county, on 
a beautiful, elevated tract of land, containing 
forty acres. This institution has done and is 
doing noble work. The school is divided into 
classes, or families as they are called, and graded 
or placed according to the commitment, and 
are assigned a certain number of demerits that 
must be cancelled by good behavior. They are 
detailed regularly every three months in the in- 
dustrial departments and work one-lialf of each 
day, and are in school the other half day. All 
are committed till they are twenty-one years 
old, unless sooner released by the governor or 
the board'. They have an hour and a half to 
play each day, and there seems to be as much 
happiness as is found in the ordinary boarding 
school. When a girl has worked out on her 
"honor" and has no home, one is provided for 
her where she goes on trial and is reported 
monthly. Many such are now commanding 
good wages ; some have married and have homes 
of their own. While inmates are committed 
here for certain offenses it is not a prison nor 
does it resemble one in any way. It has no 
fences, nor bars on the windows, and the sur- 
roundings are as inviting as any high school. 
The girls are not here to take punishment for 
past mistakes, but for education and protection 



from all harm, especially evil influences. No 
home has better moral training. 

STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 

The legislature of 1879 passed an act creat- 
ing the board of fish commissioners, for the 
purpose of protecting, propagating and stock- 
ing the waters of the State and to arouse inter- 
est in fish culture. Governor Garber appointed 
as the first board of fish commissioners, William 
L. May of Fremont, C. W. Kaley of Red Cloud, 
and B. E. B. Kennedy of Omaha. The present 
site, consisting of fifty-two acres of ground 
lying along the Platte river in Sarjiy county, 
just south of the village of South Bend, was 
purchased in 1880, and, being well watercil with 
several magnificent springs, has proven well 
adapted for the purpose for which it was ac- 
quired. J. G. Romine, of South Bend, was the 
first superintendent, appointed at a salary of 
$500 per annum. The board of commissioners 
received no salary, but were allowed $250 per 
annum for expenses. The superintendent's 
salary is now $1,200 per annum, and he is al- 
lowed several assistants. When the station was 
first located, considerable attention was paid to 
the hatching and distribution of white fish, and 
land-locked salmon, but it soon became appar- 
ent that the waters of this State, were not adapted 
to these kinds of fish, and this work was dis- 
continued, and the work of hatching carp, black 
bass, brook, rainbow and brown trout was taken 
up. The scope of the work has gradually been 
broadened until now, in addition to the varities 
named, they also propagate croppie perch, cat- 
fish, rock bass, tench and several kinds of orna- 
mental fish, and', on the whole, tlie work has 
been very successful. 

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETV. 

The Nebraska State Historical Society was 
organized September 25 and 26, 1878, at Lincoln, 
with the following as charter members : Dr. 
Geo. L. Miller, Chris Hartman and J. T. Allen, 
Douglas county; Governor Silas Garber and 11. 
S. Kaley, Webster county; S. R. Thompson, T. 
I P. Kennard, W. W. Wilson and Samuel 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Aughey, Lancaster county ; Rev. J. M. Tag- 
gart and J. H. Croxton, Otoe county; C. H. 
Walker, Franklin county; Hon. L. Crounse and 

E. N. Grenell, Washington county ; Prof. C. D. 
Wilbur, Saline county; J. Q. Goss, Sarpy 
county ; D. H. Wheeler and William Gilmore, 
Cass county ; O. T. B. Williams, Seward county ; 
L. B. Fifield, Buffalo county; Rev. L. W. B. 
Shryrock and E. Shugart, Gage county ; Wil- 
liam Adair, Dakota county; Robert W. Furnas, 
Nemaha county; H. T. Clark, Sarpy county; J. 
H. Brown, A. Humphrey, J. H. Ames, John 
Cadman andl A. G. Hastings, Lancaster county; 
J. A. MacMurphy, Cass county; Hiram Craig, 
Washington county ; J. J. Budd, Douglas county ; 

F. J. Hendershot, Thayer county ; S. A. Ful- 
ton, Richardson county; Theron Nye, Dodge 
county. A constitution was adopted, providing 
officers and regulations, and the first president, 
secretary and treasurer were respectively : Hon. 
Robert W. Furnas, Prof. Samuel Aughey and 
W. W. Wilson. The organization remained un- 
changed from 1878 to 1883, having a president, 
recording secretary, corresponding secretary, 
treasurer and board of directors. During this 
time the funds of the society consisted solely of 
fees and dues paid in more or less irregularly, 
and were very small. The members first met at 
the old Commercial Hotel to organize, but usu- 
ally thereafter the annual meetings were held 
in some room at the State University. The sec- 
retary, Professor Aughey, gathered a small 
nucleus of a library, consisting of donations 
from R. W. Furnas, D. H. Wheeler, Moses 
Stocking and others. The society began also to 
carry out some of its proposed objects. These 
were: (i) To collect all material relating to 
the history of Nebraska; (2) to publish as much 
of it as possible; and (3) to found an historical 
library. 

A subject of no small interest at the time 
the societ-y was organized, was that of the "his- 
torical block." This was block twenty-nine of 
the original plat of the city of Lincoln, later 
known as "Haymarket Square," and having the 
city offices on it, which was set apart by act 
of the commissioners and of the State legisla- 
ture, February 15, 1869. It was called "State 
Historical and Library Association Block," and 
was for the benefit of the "State Historical Li- 



brary Association," organized August 26, 1867. 
The society in c|uestion had some sessions, and 
its president for some time was Hon. John Gil- 
lespie. But for some reason the legislature, by 
act of February 24, 1875, took away this block 
and gave it to the city of Lincoln. On the or- 
ganization of the Nebraska State Historical So- 
ciety in 1878, an effort was made to ascertain 
whether it was possible to recover this block for 
the latter society, but the attempt was aban- 
doned. 

In 1883, by act of the legislature of February 
23, 1883, the society was made a State institu- 
tion, and a sum appropriated for its support. 
This opened up to the society a way to accom- 
plish the purpose of publishing historical ma- 
terial. The first volume was issued in 1885, 
which has been followed by a number of ad- 
ditional volumes. The biennial appropriations 
of the legislature for its support have increased 
from time to time, but have hardly kept pace 
with the needs of the society. Nebraska has 
made a good beginning in the matter of col- 
lecting its own history, but its work does not as 
yet compare with that of most of its sister stales. 
The plans of the officers of the society for the 
future contemplates an increase in the work and 
effectiveness of the organization. 

st.'lte bar association. 

The Nebraska State Bar Association was or- 
ganized January 6, 1876. The constitution states 
the objects of the organization as follows: The 
association is established to maintain a high 
standard of professional integrity among the 
members of the Nebraska Bar, to cultivate so- 
cial intercourse and courtesy among them ; to 
encourage a thorough and liberal legal education, 
and to assist in the improvement of the law and 
the due administration of justice to all classes of 
society without distinction." The constitution 
provided for its incorporation under the laws of 
the State, appointing the president to take the 
necessary steps in the matter. Any member of 
a county association may become a member and' 
all judges of the supreme district and federal 
courts of Nebraska are members by virtue of 
their offices and have all the privileges of mem- 
bership, except voting. Its constitution pro- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



vides for punishment of its members for miscon- 
duct toward the association and the administra- 
tion of justice, but it is also a vigilance committee 
to look after and punish in the courts the mis- 
conduct of non-members. 

NEBRASKA PRESS ASSQCIATION. 

An organization was effected on December 
6, 1859, of what was known as the Editors' and 
Publishers' Association of Nebraska Territory. 
The first meeting was held at the Herndon 
House, Omaha ; the following persons being pres- 
ent: Thomas Morton and M. W. Reynolds, of 
the Nebraska City Nezcs; R. W. Furnas, of the 
Brownville Advertiser; T. H. Robertson, of the 
Omaha Nebraskan ; E. Giles, of the Plattsmouth 
Sentinel; Burbank & Jamison, of the Falls City 
Broad Axe; E. D. Webster, of the Omaha Re- 
publican; and ex-editors H. D. Johnson, J. W. 
Pattison and S. Belden. On this occasion M. W. 
Reynolds was elected president; R. W. Furnas, 
vice-president; and M. H. Clark, secretary. 
Among the resolutions adopted at this meeting 
is one: "That a public journal is an imperson- 
ality, and should be so treated on all occasions; 
and that in our intercourse with each other, we 
will neither use clfensive personalities nor en- 
courage them in ethers ; but that we will at all 
times discourage their use as ungentlemanly and 
degrading to the profession of journalism." At 
this meeting Geo. A. Hensdale and J. Sterling 
Morton were elected honorary members. 

The next reunion was held September 14, 
1864, when the members of an "Editorial Con- 
vention" assembled at Nebraska City, the object 
as expressed in the call being to adopt uniform 
rates of advertising. T. H. Robertson was 
elected president; W. H. H. Waters, secretary; 
and a committee was appointed to prepare a 
schedule of prices. The rates, as adopted se- 
cured publishers $2.50 for weekly subscriptions ; 
$1.00 per month for daily subscriptions ; $5.00 per 
year for tri-weekly subscriptions. Legal and 
transient advertisements to be inserted at the 
rate of $1.50 per square for first insertion; $1.00 
for each subsequent insertion, and the price of 
all job work advanced 50 per cent. 

In January, 1873, a preliminary meeting of 



the "Nebraska Press Association" was held in 
Lincoln, at which Maj. Caffrey acted as chairman 
and J. A. MacMurphy as secretary. With the 
appointment of committees the meeting ad- 
journed until February 27, 1873, ^t which time 
a constitution and by-laws were adopted. No 
meeting was held in 1874, but the organization 
has been maintained, increasing in importance 
and in the number of members and with growing 
zeal in the profession, up to the present day. Its 
membership is representative of all sections of 
the State, and its tendency the creation of per- 
sonal good will and harmony. 

STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY. 

The organization of the Nebraska State ]\led- 
ical Society was effected at a meeting held in 
Omaha, June 24, 1868. It w-as then declared 
that such an institution "organized and conducted 
so as to give frequent united and emphatic ex- 
pression to the views and aims of the medical 
profession in this State, must at all times have a 
beneficial influence and supply more efficient 
means than have hitherto been available here for 
cultivating and advancing medical knowledge, 
for elevating the standard of medical education, 
for promoting the usefulness, honor and interests 
of the medical profession, for enlightening and 
directing public opinion in regard to the duties, 
responsibilities and the requirements of medical 
men ; for exciting and encouraging emulation 
and concert of action in the profession, and for 
facilitating and fostering friendly intercourse be- 
tween those who are engaged in it." The mem- 
bers of the society, were, by the constitution, di- 
vided into three classes — delegates, members by 
invitation, and permanent members. The con- 
stitution was signed by the following, as the 
charter members : G. C. Monell, M. D. ; H. P. 
Mathewson, M. D. ; James H. Peabody, M. D. : 
J. C. Denise, M. D., S. D. Mercer, M. D., of 
Douglas county ; R. R. Livingston, M. D., of 
Cass county ; D. Whitinger, AI. D., N. B. Larsh, 
M. D., of Otoe county, and J. P. Andrews, AL 
D., and August Roeder, j\I. D., of Washington 
county. The first officers elected were as fol- 
lows : Gilbert C. Monell, president ; Robert R. 
Livingston, vice-president ; N. B. Larsh, second 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



103 



vice-president ; J. C. Denise, corresponding 
secretary ; S. D. Mercer, permanent secretary ; 
Daniel Whitinger, treasurer. 

The first annual convention was held at Ne- 
braska City, June i and 2, 1869. The society 
is to-day in prosperous condition and growing 
in power and: influence. It has from time to 



time issued full and valuable reports of its pro- 
ceedings, accomplishing, as far as possible, that 
which it aimed to do — elevating the standard 
of medical education and promoting the use- 
fulness, honor and interests of the medical pro- 
fession. 



CHAPTER V. 



RAILROADS. 



The question as to who it was that first sug- 
gested the possibility of building a railroad 
across the continent has been a disputed .one. 
It was discussed by public men early in the 
century and was mentioned in various journals 
and newspapers, but it gradually assumed more 
definite shape, and culminated, finally, in the 
organization and construction of the Union Pa- 
cific railroad. While the scope of this work 
forbids an extended history of each particular 
road that has aided in the progress of the 
State, the inception and building of the great 
Union Pacific is so intimately connected with 
the pioneer history of Nebraska that the writer 
believes a more extended history of its inception 
and growth will be found interesting in this 
connection. 

The claimants for the honor of having first 
introduced the subject of a trans-continental 
railway to the American people have been nu- 
merous and persistent. The subject has been 
mooted time out of mind, and the Cjuestion, 
"who first suggested the Pacific railway?" pro- 
pounded and repeated incessantly. It is said 
that Jonathan Carver foreshadowed its con- 
struction as early as 1778, and if true, he was 
farthest ahead of all men of the age in which, he 
lived. When, during succeeding years, it was 
again and again mentioned and pronounced im- 
practicable, California, rich in wealth and re- 
sources, sprang as if by magic from the desert 
and the undertaking became an enterprise of 
the present rather than of the future. Since 
then, the march of progress has, with magestic 
tread, swept across the continent, populating the 



valleys, developing the agricultural resources of 
the plains, bringing to light the hidden mineral 
wealth of the mountains and inscribing her 
name on the brightest pages of history in every 
State. Upon the banks of the Father of Waters 
the steps of progress impatiently lingered, but 
spanning that stream, she swept along her 
magnificent career. Next she reached Nebraska, 
touching into life with her magic wand the hid- 
den wealth therein sleeping. The Rocky moun- 
tains were crossed, and the Queen of the Pacific 
reached. 

As early as 1835 the Rev. Samuel Parker, 
in his journal of a trip across the continent, 
recorded an opinion that the mountains pre- 
sented no insuperable obstacle to a railroad. 
In 1836 John Plumbe, Jr., a Welshman, but a 
naturalized American, residing at Dubuque, 
commenced, in person at his own expense the 
survey of a route for a railroad from Lake 
Michigan to the Pacific ocean, directing public 
attention to its importance in several well writ- 
ten articles in t?he newspapers of the day. In 
1838 he succeeded, through the influence and 
cfl:orts of the Hon. George W^ Jones, in pro- 
curing an appropriation from Congress to de- 
fray the expenses of locating the first division 
of the line, devoting his entire attention to, and 
making constant exertions for, the promotion 
of this great national object. He lived until 
after the gold discoveries of California, and 
used them as additional arguments in support 
of his pet scheme. Among the many claims is 
also that advanced by the friends of John Wil- 
gus, formerly a resident of Brownsville, Pennsyl- 



I04 



^ COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



vania. A full review of the Wilgus claims arc 
contained in an article published in the Union- 
town (Pa.) Republican-Standard, from which 
we quote the following: 

"Many public men bask in borrowed light. 
and in no instance is this proposition more 
signally illustrated than in the case of Hon. 
Thomas H. Benton, who as history records, is 
the accredited father of the Pacific railroad. 
Men of true moral and intellectual worth are 
more often modest and unassuming, and, though 
deserving the gratitude of their fellow-men, live 
in obscurity and go to their reward hardly 
known outside the village in which fortune cast 
their lot. Such a man was John Wilgus, the 
man who, above all others, is entitled to the 
credit and honor of originating the idea of a 
railroad to the Pacific. Born in comparative 
obscurity in a small town in southwestern Penn- 
sylvania, in the latter part of the last century, 
he very early gave promise of having a more 
then bright intellect. Poverty and a lack of 
schools stood in his pathway, but his insatiable 
desire for learning was only limited by insur- 
mountable obstacles incident to a new settle- 
ment on the border. The Bible was his com- 
panion from his youth, and in his manhood and 
declining years, he who sought a controversy 
on religious dogmas must come fully armed and 
equipped. He had examined in detail all contro- 
verted points, read all the standard authors on 
Bible lore, memorized whole chapters and books 
of the Bible, and from studies and researches 
in various departments, culling here and there 
logic and analogy, and with a memory never 
at fault when a topic was once scanned, he was 
a formidable opponent. While yet a young man, 
he conceived the idea of a railroad to the Pacific, 
and this not when railroads were out of their 
swaddling clothes, but in their infancy; before 
mountains had been scaled and rivers spanned. 
He contemplated and suggested congressional 
aid by giving ten miles of public land on each 
line of the surveyed routes ; laying the road out 
so as to run through the county seats of suc- 
cessive counties ; the eastern terminus should be 
the western shore of Lake Superior, near the 
present site of Duluth ; also, that it should cross 
the Rockies where the present road crosses, and 
its western terminus should be the Bay of San 



Francisco. Drawing a map and plan of his pro- 
posed railroad, he drew up a letter detailing the 
plans and methods, and the reasons for the same, 
and forwarded the whole to Hon. Andrew Stew- 
art, who was then a representative in Congress 
from Fayette county, Pennsylvania. The plans 
and details were shown to a number of mem- 
bers, andi it was thought advisable to have any 
proposition relating thereto come from a western 
man, and Mr. Benton, who was nearing the 
zenith of his glorj', was selected. Mr. Benton 
arose in his place in the Senate on the following 
day, and proposed the building of a railroad to 
the Pacific. Mr. Stewart wrote to Mr. \A'ilgus 
the disposition made of his submissions. Years 
after, in the later years of Mr. Stewart's life, 
when the Pacific road was building, he wrote a 
letter to Mr. Wilgus, recognizing him as the 
original proposer of the road, and compliment- 
ing him upon the grand consummation about to 
dawn upon his early hopes." 

The letter referred to, andi which is the only 
evidence now obtainable to substantiate ]\Ir. 
Wilgus' title to the honor, reads thus : 

Uniontown, Pa., June 25, 1869. 
John ll'llgiis, Esq., B'rozunsville , Fa: 

Dear Sir: I have just received your letter 
of yesterday, inclosing your communication to 
the Commercial, in reference to a corresjjond- 
ence between us, relative to the "Pacific Rail- 
road," between twenty and thirty years ago, and 
requesting me to give you my recollections in 
reference to that matter. 

I have a perfect recollection of having re- 
ceived numerous letters from you, urging me, 
as a member of the committee on railroads and 
canals, to call the attention of Congress to this 
subject, in which you took so much interest. 

Your first route was from Lake Michigan, 
by the Columbia river, to the Pacific, but after 
the acquisition of California, you changed it 
from St. Louis to San Francisco. Of this route 
you sent me a very handsome map, following, 
according to my recollections, very nearly the 
route on which the road has been lately built — 
which map I had, as you say, suspended in the 
hall of the House of Representatives, for the 
inspection of the members. 

I drew up a resolution authorizing the Presi- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



105 



dent to employ a corps of engineers of the 
United States army, to examine and report 
upon the practicability of the proposed project, 
which resolution I submitted to a number of 
members of Congress, but especially to those of 
the west, who were most favorably disposed. 

Upon consideration and reflection, however, 
I concluded that the resolution had better be 
first offered in the Senate, being a smaller body, 
and where the small western states were com- 
paratively much stronger than in the House. I 
therefore took the resolution, with your map, 
to the Senate, where I was advised by those 
friendly to the project, to hand the papers to Col. 
Benton, whose son-in-law. Col. Fremont, had 
made the preliminary explorations. I did so 
and he promised to attend to the matter, in 
which he also took a very lively interest. I ad- 
vised you of this arrangement, with which you 
expressed yourself satisfied and said you would 
write to Col. Benton on the subject, who after- 
ward informed me that you had done so. 

Without referring to the journals, to which 
I have not now access, I can not undertake to 
state the action of the Senate on the subject, 
but may do so hereafter, and should I find any- 
thing further material to your inquiry, I will let 
you know. 

Very respectfully, your friend, etc., 

A. Stewart. 

Lewis Gaylord Clarke, in 1838, wrote to the 
Knickerbocker: "The reader is now living who 
will make a railway trip across the continent." 
In 1846, Asa Whitney began to urge the pro- 
ject of building a line from the jMississippi to 
Puget Sound, if Congress would donate public 
lands to the width of thirty miles along the en- 
tire road. Later experience has shown that the 
proceeds sought by Whitney would have been 
utterly insufficient. His plan was conceded to 
be superior to that submitted by Mr. Plumb, 
but it was not acted upon. In 1850 the first 
Pacific railroad bill was introduced into Con- 
gress by Senator Benton, of Missouri "Old 
Bullion" contemplated a railroad only "where 
practicable," leaving gaps in the impassable 
mountains to be filled up by wagon roads. The 
Alleghanies were not even then crossed by an 
unbroken railway, but by a series of inclined 



planes, upon which the cars were drawn up and 
let down by stationary engines. In all ages man- 
kind has sought the shortest, most expeditious 
and economical route to market. The work was 
demanded in a national point of view, and across 
the State of Nebraska must the road be built. 
The questions which primarily suggested them- 
selves — would it pay? — how should it be built? 
and where was it to leave the frontier? — were 
made the subjects of careful consideration. In 
1 85 1 the Hon. S. Butler King submitted a plan 
which received almost universal approval. It was, 
practically, that the government should guaran- 
tee to any company or persons who would under- 
take and complete the road a net dividend of 
five per cent, for fifty or one hundred years; 
the road to be constructed under the supervision 
of an engineer appointed by the government, 
the cost of the road not to exceed a certain sum, 
and the guaranty not to begin until the road was 
completed and equipped for operation. In 1853- 
'54, nine routes were surveyed across the conti- 
nent on various parallels between British 
America and Mexico, under the supervision of 
Jefferson Davis, then secretary of war. The 
results were summarized in the interests of the 
extreme southern line. Up to this period, the 
Canadians and many residents of the United. 
States believed that a railway could not be built 
south of the British possessions, unless it was 
carried far down toward Mexico. In spite of all 
this, however, the Union Pacific shouldered the 
enterprise, and in four years built a total of 
1,090 miles. With each returning session of 
Congress, thereafter convened, the benefits and 
pecularities of these several routes were sub- 
mitted. The impracticability of building the 
road had been from time to time removed by 
reports of engineers engaged in surveying 
designated routes, and many advocates were 
found who urged that the geography of the 
country and other features of excellence demon- 
strated incontestibly, that the old Mormon trail 
up the Platte river was the most available. 

A number of appeals were made to Congress 
urging that a reasonable grant of land and other 
aid be made as would give an impulse to the 
building of the road. As regarded the Platte 
valley route, its superiority was insisted upon, 
and the truth of history cited in that behalf. 



io6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In the early days of Brigham Young's domina- 
tion, trusty emmissaries were by him dispatched 
for the purpose of obtaining a knowledge oi 
the best road from the Missouri to Salt Lake. 
After every possible and impossible route had 
been explored this shrewd leader, who had more 
at stake than any man who ever crossed the 
western prairies, chose the North Platte route. 
The speed and safety with which he and his 
followers traversed it attest a sagacity which 
only a thorough knowledge of the country would 
enable him to employ. The first emigrants to 
California crossed the Missouri at St. Joe, 
Leavenworth, Kansas City, Independence and 
elsewhere. But, after the country had been ex- 
plored thoroughly, the emigration of 1852 was 
by way of Council Bluffs and the north Platte 
route. From the earliest days of the territory, 
the people and official representatives of Ne- 
braska favored the speedy completion of a line 
through the valley of the Platte. The proceed- 
ings of the legislature prove this. Every gov- 
ernor from Cuming to Saunders advocated the 
measure and a most urgent spirit was mani- 
fested from 1855 to 1865. 

On January 20, 1858, a committee of Con- 
gress, through Senator Gwin, of California, re- 
ported a bill which proposed to locate the road 
at some point between the Big Sioux and 
Kansas rivers to San Francisco. It provided 
for the donation of alternate sections of land 
on each side of the route, and $12,500 per mile, 
the same to be advanced on the completion of 
every twenty-five miles of the road until $25,- 
000,000 was reached; the amounts to be re- 
turned in mail and army service and transporta- 
tion,, etc. This bill, however, was killed in the 
Senate. At the session of i859-'6o another ef- 
fort was made, and a bill introduced into the 
Llouse by Mr. Curtis, of Iowa. It provided for 
the construction of a road across the continent, 
with branches from two points on the navigable 
waters of the Missouri, to converge and unite 
within two hundred miles of that stream, thence 
run to the Sacramento river. The bill ran 
through a long and excited debate and was 
amended in several particulars and finally was 
ejected by Congress. The great difficulty it 
;his time seemed the selection of a route. 

In i8Gi the war came on and monopolized 



public attention, but early in 1862 the possibility 
of constructing the road was again brought up 
and at this time first took definite shape. On 
February 5, 1862, Mr. Rollins, of Missouri, 
introduced a bill to aid in constructing a rail- 
road and telegraph line from the Missouri river 
to the Pacific ocean. The bill was finally passed 
by both houses of Congress June 24, 1862, and 
was approved July i, 1862, thus creating "The 
Union Pacific Railroad Company." The bill 
provided for the amount of the capital stock ; 
the election of directors ; the right of way 
through public lands ; the extinguishment of 
Indian titles ; the donation of alternate sections, 
except mineral lands ; the conveyance of lands 
upon completion of forty consecutive miles of 
road, and the issue and payment of bonds there- 
for, besides various other provisions. The act 
was amended later and the company was for- 
mally organized October 29, 1863, by the elec- 
tion of a board of thirteen directors. Work on 
the road was commenced at once and progressed 
rapidly. On March 13, 1866, it was announced 
that sixty miles of the road had been completed 
and awaited examination by the commissioners 
of the government. The completion of the road 
occurred on May 10, 1869. The foregoing cov- 
ers briefly the facts leading up to tlie inception 
and building of the Union Pacific. 

PIOXEER RAILROADS IX NEBRASKA. 

The L^nion Pacific railroatl was the first rail- 
way enterprise commenced in Nebraska. The 
mere talk of the project of building this line 
from the Missouri river westward to the Pacific 
attracted a great deal of attention to the west — 
and especially was emigration to Nebraska 
hastened by this. The location of the road and 
the commencement of operations looking to the 
building of its route, tended to fill up Nebraska, 
then a territory with a thrifty population, as 
also to develop the agricultural and mineral 
wealth of the country beyond. The immediate 
effects w^ere, of course, experienced first by th-it 
portion of the domain through which ll;e read 
passed, and in other portions of tlic territory as 
its influence gradually extended. The great em- 
pire west of Omaha, along the base of tlic Rocky 
Mountains, rich in mineral wealth beyond any 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



T07 



other portion of the country, filled up rapidly 
with people. The productive lands of Nebraska 
were brought into requisition to furnish them 
with wheat, corn, potatoes and other cereals and 
esculents, and the wholesale merchants of the 
metropolis contributed to their necessities. The 
building of the road cheapened transportation 
and in every way promoted the growth and de- 
velopment of Nebraska. 

The bill passed by Congress creating the 
"Union Pacific Railroad Company," which was 
approved July i, 1862, provided for the con- 
struction of a continuous railroad and telegraph 
line from "a point on the looth meridian of 
longitude west of Greenwich, between the south 
margin of the Republican river and the north 
margin of the valley of the Platte river, in the 
Territory of Nebraska, to the western boundary 
of Nevada Territory. This great national enter- 
prise was formally organized in the city of New 
York, October 29, 1863, by the election of the 
first board of directors, as has already been 
stated. At that time four lines of railroad had 
been projected, and were in process of con- 
struction across the State of Iowa — The Bur- 
lington & JNIissouri, the most southern ; the ]\Iis- 
sissippi & Missouri, the next north; the Chicago, 
Iowa & Nebraska, farther north ; and the 
Dubuque & Sioux City. The first named was 
in operation about one hundred miles westward 
from Burlington, with its western terminus un- 
decided. The Mississippi & Missouri was in 
operation from Davenport to Grinnell, with its 
western terminus decided as Council Bluffs, op- 
posite Omaha. The Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska 
road was in operation from Clinton and Lyons 
to Marshalltown ; and the Dubuque & Sioux 
City was operated a short distance west of Du- 
buque with its western terminus at Sioux City. 
For this latter road, a connection with the 
trunk line of the Pacific road was expressly pro- 
vided in the act of Congress incorporating the 
Union Pacific, obliging that company to con- 
struct a branch to a point opposite Sioux City, 
whenever a road should be completed there to 
cross the State of Iowa. At this time there was 
great anxiety throughout the west as to what 
place on the Missouri river the President would 
select as the initial point of the Union Pacific 
road, and Omaha, it was insisted upon, offered 



superior inducements in that connection. On 
the morning of Wednesday, December 2, 1863, 
the engineer of the road received a telegram 
from New York, announcing that the President 
of the United States had fixed the initial point 
of the road on "the western boundary of the 
State of Iowa," opposite Omaha, and directing 
him to formally "break ground" and inaugurate 
the great work. To aid in the construction of 
this great national highway the United States 
government conferred upon the Union Pacific 
a magnificent land grant, amounting to over 
12,000,000 acres, contained in alternate sections 
of one square mile each, within a breadth of 
twenty miles on either side of the railroad, and 
extended along its entire line. The act passed 
by Congress required that one hundred miles of 
the Union Pacific railroad, between the Missouri 
river and the looth meridian, be completed 
within three years after filing of the company's 
assent of the organic law, filed June 27, 1863. 
Considerable delay was occasioned by various 
interests fighting to secure the location of the 
line where it would serve speculative enterprises, 
but in 1865 the work of construction was being 
pushed with vigor. On March 13, 1866, it was 
announced that sixty miles of the road had been 
completed and awaited examination by the com- 
missioners of the government. Soon after the 
first hundred miles were completed, in July, 
1866, one hundred and thirty-five miles were 
announced as ready for the "cars" west of 
Omaha. The final completion of the line to the 
Pacific ocean, one of the great events of the 
century, occurred on May 10, i86g. On that 
day, two oceans were united and a continent was 
spanned by the bands of iron, over which was 
to flow the commerce of the nation. An early 
writer, speaking of this event, said : "Fruitful 
as has been the present century in important 
discoveries and useful inventions, varied and 
multiform as have been the improvements 
wrought out by patient toil and unequaled 
energy of the men of the age in which they 
lived, no single achievement will compare in 
its immediate and ultimate consequences to the 
material prosperity of the people, not only of 
America but of Europe and Asia, with the grand 
work which reached its final consummation on 
Monday, May 10, 1869." 



io8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGIL\PHY 



The bridge across the Missouri river at 
Omaha was completed in ilarch, 1872, at a total 
cost of $1,450,000. 

The first line from the east to salute the peo- 
ple of Omaha with the screech of the engine 
whistle was the Chicago & Northwestern, the 
first train on that road entering the city on Sun- 
day, January 17, 1867. The ;Missouri river was 
crossed on a pile bridge, which for several \ears 
was used during the winter months for crossing 
the river, it being removed during the months of 
navigation, and a ferryboat employed in its place 
to transfer freight and passengers. The second 
road to reach the State was the St. Joseph & 
Council Bluffs line. The Burlington & Mis- 
souri was completed to the city of Omaha in 
1868. The Omaha & Northwestern was built to 
Herman, a distance of forty miles in October, 
1 87 1, and during the same year the Omaha & 
Southwestern was completed to the Platte river. 

In February, 1869, the legislature of Ne- 
braska appropriated two thousand acres per mile 
to any railroad which should complete ten miles 
of its route within one year, the grant in no case 
to exceed 100,000 acres. It was stated that the 
members of the legislature appreciated its im- 
portance of prompt action and realized that the 
railroads alone could effect the desired end, and 
appropriated altogether 500,000 acres of land for 
the purpose of internal improvements. ^^love- 
ments to take advantage cf this act were inaug- 
urated in various portions of the State durir.g the 
summer of 1869. Early in October, 1869, James 
E. Boyd of Omaha made through the public 
press, a proposition, the substance of which was, 
that he would be one of twenty men to advance 
$10,000 for the purpose of constructing the 
Omaha & Northwestern road over a route pro- 
jected from Omaha to the Niobrara river. On 
the 19th of November, 1869, articles of incorpor- 
ation were drawn up and the organization of the 
company was i)crfected a few days later. The 
work of building the road was pushed with won- 
derful rapidity, and on February 3, 1870, the 
railway was completed ten miles on its route, at 
a cost for materials of $198,000. During 1870 
twenty-six and one-half miles of road were com- 
pleted to De.Soto and a lease entered into with 
John I. Blair, of a branch of the Missouri & Pa- 
cific road, known as the "DeSoto Plug," by which 



communication between Omaha and Blair be- 
came direct and regular. On the 7th of October, 
1871, the road was complete^ to Herman on the 
line of Washington and Burt counties. As show- 
ing the liberality with which railroads were 
treated by the State and the public generally in 
those days it may be said that the company re- 
ceived $200,000 in ten per cent, twenty-year 
bonds from Douglas county; $150,000 in eight 
per cent, twenty-year bonds from Washington 
county for the building of the line from the south 
to the north line of the latter county ; in addition, 
two thousand acres of land per mile from the 
State and liberal donations from other nortliern 
counties. During 1872 the road bed was graded 
to Tekama, but as the panic of 1873 came on it 
was not completed to Tekama until August, 
1876, at which time the company received $45,- 
000 in bonds from Burt county. The following 
year the road was sold under foreclosure pro- 
ceedings, and reorganized, and later was pushed 
on northward. 

The Omaha & Southern Railroad Company 
was one of the projects organized to take ad- 
vantage of the act of legislature passed in. Feb- 
ruary, 1869, appropriating two thousand acres ot 
land per mile to any railroad which should com- 
plete ten miles of its route within one year. This 
company was organized November 27, 1869, 
when officers were elected and plans laid for 
pushing the work. The aft'airs of the road were 
conducted with signal ability with a view solely 
to the completion of the first ten miles before the 
1st of February, 1870. The work of grading 
was let to Smiley & Meson, McCarth & Flem- 
ing, William Knight and John Green, and com- 
menced without delay, so that its completion was 
reached and the last rail laid on the evening of 
January 29, 1870, at a total cost of $195,000. The 
celerity with which this railroad and also the 
Omaha & Northwestern line (which is men- 
tioned elsewhere) was incepted, pushed forward 
and completed the desired number of miles, was 
something marvelous, and up to that time ex- 
ceeded anything in the annals of railroad build- 
ing. Sixty days previous to their completion, the 
ties of both roads were in the primeval trees of 
the forest, the iron composing the rails was in a 
crude state six hundred miles away from where 
they were to be subsequently laid. This road, as 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



109 



previously stated soon after its construction be- 
came a part of the Burlington & Missouri River 
— now the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy system. 

On the nth of August, 1866, authority was 
obtained under the general law of Nebraska by 
the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad Company 
to build a railroad from the Nebraska State line 
to Fort Kearney. The Northern Kansas Railroad 
Company was consolidated with this company, 
and the rights to lands granted by Act of Con- 
gress, July 23, 1866, of one million, seven hun- 
dred thousand acres was thereby obtained. Sub- 
scriptions from municipal corporations to the 
amount of one million, twenty-five thousand dol- 
lars were secured in aid of building the road. 
Work was commenced and eighty-miles of the 
line were completed and in operation in October, 
1870, at a cost of about one million, five hundred 
thousand dollars. In 1871 the line was extended 
forty-eight miles and in the following year it 
was completed to Hastings. It later passed into 
the hands of the Union Pacific Company, and 
was extended to Grand Island in the summer of 
1879. Later it was extended further north. 
Harrison Johnson, an early writer on Nebraska 
history, said of this line : "The total cost of the 
line from St. Joseph to Hastings was five mil- 
lion, four hundred forty-nine thousand, six hun- 
dred twenty dollars and seventy-seven cents, of 
which stockholders paid one thousand four hun- 
dred dollars ; seven hundred eighty-two thousand, 
seven hundred twenty-seven and ten cents from 
State and municipal aid, and the remainder four 
million, six hundred sixty-five thousand, four 
hundred ninety-three dollars and sixty-seven 
cents from the proceeds of mortgage bonds." 

Early in the "seventies"' the project of build- 
ing what was then called the "Julesburg cut-off" 
or the "Omaha & Denver Short Line" attracted 
a good deal of attention. In 1873 the Union Pa- 
cific road first fostered the enterprise of building 
this line and much of the projected line was 
graded between 1873 and 1875, when certain 
complications with the then inimical Kansas Pa- 
cific, forced an abandonment of the scheme. 
Upon the completion of the purchase by the 
Union Pacific of the Kansas Pacific, however, 
the reconstruction of the line was recommenced 
early in 1880 and it was rapidly pushed to com- 
pletion to Denver. 



On January 17, 1870, the first passenger train 
from Chicago to Council Bluffs over the line of 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad marked 
the completion and opening of a third line of rail- 
way from Chicago to Omaha. To the Chicago 
& Northwestern is due the credit of having been 
the first, followed soon afterward by the com- 
pletion and opening of traffic on the Iowa division 
of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. 
This was followed as stated, by the Burlington 
& Missouri River Railway, a continuation of the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad. This 
line became a part of the great organization 
known as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad System. They rapidly pushed their 
lines beyond the Missouri river by acquirmg 
other lines already built or under construction, 
and by the construction of new lines. Their 
lines now traverse the richest portions of the 
State. 

In 1871 a line of railway was built from Ne- 
braska City to Lincoln, a distance of fifty-eight 
miles by a company organized that year under 
the title of the Midland Pacific Railroad. It was 
extended to Seward eighty-three miles from Ne- 
braska City, in 1874. It was the intention of the 
original company to build a line to Fort Kearney, 
or to some point farther east on the Union Pa- 
cific road. A branch was also projected from the 
main line in Otoe county to Fort Riley, in Kan- 
sas. The line was, however, sold under fore- 
closure and reorganized under the name of the 
Nebraska Railway, and later passed into the 
hands of the Burlington & Missouri Company, 
in 1876, and later was pushed on westward to 
York and Aurora and Central City in Mer- 
rick county; and was also extended southward 
frcm Nebraska City. 

The Sioux City & Pacific Railroad was one 
of the pioneer railroads of Northeastern Ne- 
braska. The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Val- 
ley road which was operated by the Sioux City 
& Pacific was also among the pioneers. The 
first ten m-iles of this road was completed De- 
cember 31, 1869. This line reached Stanton, the 
county seat of Stanton county, in 1879. The 
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Rail- 
way with lines from Sioux City to Omaha, and 
branches, was a pioneer in Northwestern Ne- 
braska and was an important factor in the growth, 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settlement and development of that region. These 
lines are now a part of the Northwestern System, 
one of the greatest of America's railway organ- 
izations. The Northwestern System has extended 
their lines throughout all of northern and eastern 
Nebraska. 

RAILROADS OF TODAY. 

The foregoing pages have treated of the rail- 
road development in Nebraska in early days. 
Perhaps no State in the Union owes more of its 
rapid growth to the railroad than does Nebraska. 
The last thirty years has been an era of railroad 
building throughout the West and especially is 
this true of Nebraska. The State has been cov- 
ered with a net work of rails that extend to all 
parts of the commonwealth and in all directions 
the lines radiate into the outer world. Trans- 
portation facilities today are excellent, not only 
within the State, but in all directions with the 
centers of trade and commerce of other States. 

The Union Pacific -has its main line extend- 
ing through the State from east to west, making 
it the greatest of all highways between the east 
and the Pacific coast. It also has various branches 
in Nebraska extending north and south from the 
main line, notably those reaching the followinar 



named towns : Norfolk, Albion, Spalding, Ord, 
Callawa and Stromsburg; also a branch south 
through Lincoln to connect with the Union Pa- 
cific lines in Kansas, and they also control the St. 
Joseph & Grand Island Railway extending from 
Grand Island southeast to St. Joseph, ^lissouri. 
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy System 
traverses the entire State of Nebraska from east 
to west, w'ith various branches. The Chicago & 
Northwestern line, together with the Chicago, 
St. Paul, ^Minneapolis & Omaha which it con- 
trols, is another of the great railway systems that 
today serve much territory within the State and 
connect the State with the outside world. Their 
main line to the northwest and to the Black Hills, 
with various branches serve the north and north- 
eastern part of Nebraska, while branches also 
extend southwest to Hastings, Superior and Lin- 
coln. In addition to these there are a number of 
other important lines of railway that have track- 
age interest in the State and add to the trans- 
portation facilities of Nebraska in connecting the 
State with the outside world, among which 
should be mentioned the following: Tl^e Mis- 
souri Pacific, Kansas City & Northwestern, At- 
chison, Topeka & Santa Fe, The Chicago Great 
Western, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Great 
Northern, and the Illinois Central. 



CHAPTER VI. 



MISCELLANEOUS HISTORICAL MATTERS. 



THE LOCUSTS OR GRASSHOPPERS. 

In the early history of Nebraska notliing ex- 
cited more general interest than the locust ques- 
tion. Early in the decade between i860 and 1870 
these insects invaded portions of the State and 
wrought great havoic and damage, but the great- 
est damage was done during the latter part of 
the following decade — the damage they accom- 
plished being particularly great in 1874, 1876 and 
1877. In those days there were generally a num- 
ber of years between great locust invasions. It 
never occurred that the whole State suffered at 
one time, but in those years small visitations were 
more frequent and over comparatively small 
areas. This is now all a thing of the past, but 
as it forms one of the most interesting features of 
the natural history of Nebraska, we present the 
following article on this subject written by Prof. 
Samuel Aughey, Ph. D., in 1880, when the lo- 
cust question was one of vast importance to the 
settlers of the western states, including Nebraska, 
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The 
settlers had then only recently suffered severely 
from the locust visitations and were constantly 
in fear of their reappearance. 

"The permanent hibitat of the migrating 
locust is the region between latitude 43 degrees 
and 53 degrees north, and 103 degrees and 114 
degrees west of Greenwich. From their native 
habitat they move mainly in an easterly, south- 
easterly and southern direction. IMoving in this 
direction those that commence migrating from 
northern Montana by the middle of July reach 
southern Dakota Territory and in some cases 
probably Nebraska and even Kansas, sometime 
in August or September. Generally, however, 
those that come into Nebraska and Kansas were 



hatched and matured south of Montana. It takes 
generally from two to three seasons for them to 
reach these latitudes. Often the numbers that 
alight are amazing. During July, in 1866, in 
Cedar county, their numbers were so great that 
the sun was darkened. Many of the tree limbs 
were broken under their weight. This was an 
exceptional case. However, they often com- 
pletely covered the ground. Generally, the cereal 
grains are already harvested when the migrating 
locusts reach Nebraska. Wheat, oats and bar- 
ley are safe. Corn and the gardens are the vic- 
tims, if they come before the former is sufficiently 
ripened to resist their attacks. A swarm of lo- 
custs in July and August can ruin a field of corn 
in a few days and sometimes a few hours. Often 
the fields are only partially destroyed. Some- 
times the silk and foliage are partially eaten off 
and the ends of the ears bared, so that the crops 
cannot mature. If they leave at this stage of 
their proceedings, all is well, and if not their eggs 
are deposited and the wheat crop endangered 
during the coming spring. The countless num- 
bers that are hatched out, if the spring happens 
to be favorable to them, become exceedingly 
voracious. As they soon commence to move by 
jumping in one direction, when abundant they 
are apt to devour everything in their path. This 
continues until they are old enough to fly, when 
they depart for other regions. Generally some 
corn can be saved and late planting may entirely 
escape. Often the third planting of corn during 
locust years yielded a fair crop. The cereal 
grains have, however, in some places and during 
a few years, been largely destroyed during the 
time between the hatching out and flying of the 
locusts. As vet no successful method has been 
devised to destroy the locusts on their first ap- 



COMPEXDIUJ^I OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



pearance in migrating swarms from the north- 
west. The eggs, however, which are laid in 
autumn, have been frequently destroyed by re- 
peatedly harrowing the ground, breaking up the 
nests and exposing them to the action of rain and 
cold and birds. Plowing them under very deep 
also destroys great numbers. When they hatch 
out in the spring in destructive numbers, the most 
vigorous methods need to be employed. One of 
the most successful ways of destroying them is 
the digging of ditches around the fields, across 
the path on which they are moving. If the 
trenches are made* from twelve to fourteen inches 
deep, and still deeper holes dug every few rods 
in the trenches, the young locusts first get into 
the trenches, then into the holes, where unable to 
get out, they can be destroyed by piling ground 
on them. Some farmers have saved their entire 
crops in this way in the midst ot the most infested 
districts. However, nature has its own method 
of destroying locusts. The locust's natural habi- 
tat is a high, dry region where the rainfall is 
from ten to twenty inches a year. They cannot 
long endure a combination of low altitudes and 
moisture, combined with extreme and sudden 
changes of temperature. Hence, the locust can 
never become localized in Nebraska. From the 
time they leave their native habitat, constitu- 
tional impairment sets in, and a few years in 
lower moisture regions extemiinates them, unless 
they speedily return to their upland dry home. 
Generally, there are many years between great 
locust invasions. It never occurs that the whole 
State suffers at once, while the small visitations 
have been more frequent, the destructive ones 
occur at very long intervals and over compara- 
tively small areas. The small area under cul- 
tivation even in the thickest settlements has been 
heretofore, one reason for the destructiveness of 
locusts. The locusts seemed to select the corn 
fields and gardens for their feeding grounds. 
When the area under cultivation is trebled, the 
amount of damage they can do will be more than 
one-half less. Another more potent agency 
against their increase and destructiveness is the 
increasing rainfall of the State. The presence 
of the locust is by no means the pest that it some- 
times has been represented to be." (1880). 

The following very interesting article on the 
grasshopper raids was written by Harrison John- 



son, in 1879, viz. : "During the growing seasons 
of 1874 and '75 the Rocky Mountain locust, or 
grasshopper, visited Nebraska and did incalcu- 
lable damage by devouring the crops in a large 
portion of the State. In many sections, more 
particularly in the western and middle counties, 
the destruction of crops by these insects was al- 
most complete, not a vestige of anything green 
being left untouched by them ; and as many of the 
farmers living in the sections so afflicted were 
new settlers, thi total loss of their crops upon 
which they were dependent for the support of 
their families, was a great calamity and caused 
much distress and suffering. The destitution was 
so widespread and so great in some localities, that 
public aid was asked, for the relief of the suffer- 
ers. The prompt and generous responses to the 
call by the people of the East and other localities 
not so afflicted, in forwarding provisions, cloth- 
ing and money, saved many a poor family from 
actual want if not starvation. 

"While it is true that the damage done by the 
grasshoppers was very great, and caused much 
genuine distress among the people in several of 
the counties yet the whole matter was grossly 
exaggerated and enlarged upon by a certain busy 
class of persons who somehow always come to 
the front on such occasions, actuated, generally, 
more by a desire to further their own selfish ends 
than by any kindly, true feeling for the dis- 
tressed. This blatant, noisy class, with their 
loud demonstrations and universal begging, not 
only disgusted the more sensible people, but did 
the State an injury next to that of the grass- 
hoppers themselves. 

"Yet it is a stubborn fact that the timely suc- 
cor sent to the settlers in the devastated districts 
saved much suffering among the poorer portion ; 
and the people of Nebraska owe a lasting debt 
of gratitude to the noble men and women of the 
East, who contributed so willingly and bounti- 
fully to their aid in time of need. By an act of 
the legislature of Nebraska, fifty thousand dollars 
were donated as a relief to the grasshopper suf- 
ferers, which amount was judiciously expended 
and distributed for that purpose., but the grass- 
hopper scares have passed away, we hope, for- 
ever ; the seasons have come and gone, leaving 
us with bountiful crojis of all kinds to enrich and 
supply the wants of all, and prosperity reigns 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



113 



supreme throughout the length and breadth of 
the State." (1879). 

PUBLIC LANDS. 

In early days the pubhc lands in JSIebraska 
were given with a lavish hand to aid in the set- 
tlement, growth and development of the country, 
as well as for internal improvements, railway 
grants, and school purposes. The State received 
from the general governijient millions of acres 
for various purposes. The records show that 
during the first ten years of statehood the State 
received grants of land aggregating nearly three 
and a half million acres, as follows : For internal 
improvement 500,000 acres ; for agricultural col- 
lege, 90,000 acres ; for university, 46,080 acres ; 
for public buildings, 12,800 acres; for peniten- 
tiary, 32,000 acres ; for saline purposes, 46,o8o 
acres ; for common school purposes two sections 
in every township, aggregating about 2,650,000 
acres. The 500,000 acres for internal improve- 
ment purposes were granted to the State upon 
its admission to the Union, under the provisions 
of an act of Congress, approved September 4, 
1841. These lands were selected through agents 
appointed for that purpose, and disposed of in 
pursuance to the provisions of an act of the legis- 
lature, approved February 15, 1869. Up to Feb- 
ruary 24, 1874, the general government had 
turned over 504,131 acres of land to Nebraska 
for internal improvement purposes. These lands 
were disposed of by the State in the following 
manner. Deeded to Saline county for bridges, 
1,000 acres ; Gage county for bridges, 1,000 acres ; 
Elkhorn & J\Iissouri \^alley R. R., 100,030 acres ; 
Midland Pacific R. R., 100,384 acres ; Brown- 
ville & Ft. Kearney R. R., 19,989 acres; Bur- 
lington & ]\Iissouri River R. R., 50,104 acres; 
Sioux City & Pacific R. R., 47,327 acres ; Omaha 
& Southwestern R. R., 100,010 acres; Omaha & 
Northwestern R. R., 80,416 acres ; Burlington & 
Southwestern R. R., 20,000 acres ; Atchison & 
Nebraska R. R., 12,841 acres. 

The railroads received from the government 
an immense amount of land in the way of land 
grants. The aggregate amount of lands in Ne- 
braska received by the Union Pacific Railway 
from the government was about 5,926,400 acres, 



all contiguous to their line of road, and about 
half of these lands were in the Platte Valley. 
The Burlington & Missouri River Railway re- 
ceived from the government a land grant in Ne- 
braska amounting to 2,382,208 acres; they re- 
ceived from the State of Nebraska 50,104 acres, 
and when they took possession of the Omaha & 
Southwestern Road tliey acquired the land grant 
made to that line, by the State, of 100,010 acres. 
These lands were situated chietly in the north- 
central and south-central portions of the State, 
and were designated as "North Platte" and 
"South Platte" lands. The railroad lands were 
placed on the market at extremely low prices and 
on very reasonable terms, a very small cash pay- 
ment being required and long time being given 
for payment of the balance at low rates of in- 
terest. These conditions greatly stimulated the 
settlement of the State. 

On the first of January, 1863, the homestead 
law went into effect, and thereby public lands 
were subject to entry by those who acknowledged 
their intention to settle permanently, for a mere- 
ly nominal fee. Congress, in order that the bene- 
fits of the law might be justly distributed, from 
time to time amended its provisions and enlarged 
its scope. Liberal provisions were made by 
which the soldier, his widow and his orphans 
were permitted to receive enlarged privileges in 
securing homesteads, thus adding to the national 
recognition of the principle that every citizen of 
the republic was entitled to the rights to make 
himself a home upon the public domain, the still 
nobler and higher doctrine that it w^as the na- 
tion's duty to reward the defenders of the coun- 
try and provide homes for the families of those 
who gave up their lives in its defense. 

The preemption law also helped materially 
the early settlement and development of Ne- 
braska. Under tliis law with certain restrictions, 
every person who was the head of a family or 
over twenty-one years and a citizen of the United 
States, was entitled in early days to enter a quar- 
ter section of land under the preemption act. 
The rules of the general land office, in those 
days, required a person to build a house and 
break at least ten acres of land before he could 
make final proof and perfect his title to the land 
and in order to take a preemption, a settlement 



114 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



on the land was required to be made within sixty 
days from the date of lihng the claim. A patent 
could be secured at the expiration of thirty 
months from the time of filing, on payment of 
one dollar and twenty-live cents per acre where 
the land was located outside the limits of a rail- 
road land grant and two dollars and fifty cents 
per acre if within such limits. 

Another important method of securing title 
to public lands was by means of tlie "timber cul- 
ture entry," or "tree, claim act" and this act left 
its impress throughout all the prairie regions of 
the West. Only one timber culture entry was 
permitted on each section, and this class of en- 
tries could only be taken upon "prairie land," or 
land naturally devoid of timber. No residence 
on the land was required. The law required that 
for a timber culture entry of 160 acres, five acres 
be broken within the first year; that it be culti- 
vated the second year, and planted to forest trees 
four feet apart each way, within the third year ; 
and that a second five acres be broken the second 
year, cultivated the third year, and planted as in 
the first instance the fourth year, and that if the 
ten acres be kept in a growing condition a patent 
was issued for the tract at the expiration of eight 
years, provided that not less than six hundred 
and seventy-five trees be found in a growing con- 
dition at the expiration of that time. The law 
also provided that in case the trees, seeds, or cut- 
tings should be destroyed by grasshoppers, or 
by extreme and unusual draught, for any year or 
term of years, the time for planting such trees, 
seed, or cuttings should be extended one year for 
every such year that they were so destroyed. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

In educational matters Nebraska has kept 
pace with any of the other states in the Union. 
Profiting by the experience of the older states, 
Nebraska, at its organization, incorporated into 
her common school system all that had been 
proven by experiment to be the best and most 
advantageous methods. To show the growth 
and development along educational lines we will 
state that in the year 1870, there were in the 
State only seven hundred and ninety-seven dis- 
stricts, employing five hundred and thirty-six 
teachers, and serving 32,789 children. The 



value of school property at that time was ap- 
proximately $178,604. For the purpose of com- 
parison we give the following statistics for the 
school year — twenty-six years later — in 1906, 
viz. : In 1906 there were in the ninety counties 
a total of 6,671 districts, employing 9,639 teach- 
ers, occupying 6,780 school houses and serving 
373,829 children of school age. The total value 
of school district property at this time was $12,- 
076,569. The number of graded schools in the 
State in 1906 was 492, giving employment to 
3,570 teachers. These figures speak well for 
the intelligence of the people of any state. 

There are a great many institutions of higher 
learning scattered throughout the State. The 
State University, located at Lincoln, was estab- 
lished by act of the legislature in 1869, and 
opened in 187 1. It is mentioned at length else- 
where in this volume. The following is a list 
of the most important colleges, academies, busi- 
ness and normal schools in the State, giving the 
location of each, viz. : Aurora Normal and Busi- 
ness College, at Aurora; Bellevue College, at 
Bellevue; Brownell Hall, at Omaha; Brown's 
Business College, at Lincoln ; Central College, 
at Central City ; Chadron Academy, at Chadron ; 
Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, at Lincoln ; 
Cotner University, at Bethany; Creighton Uni- 
versity, at Omaha; Custer College, at Broken 
Bow; Dana College, at Blair; Doane College, at 
Crete; Franciscan Monastery, at Humphrey; 
Franklin Academy, at Franklin ; Fremont Col- 
lege and School of Pharmacy, at Fremont; 
Gates Academy, at Neligh ; Grand Island Busi- 
ness and Normal College, at Grand Island; 
Grand Island College, at Grand Island ; Hast- 
ings Business College, at Hastings ; Hastings 
College, at Hastings ; Kearney Military 
Academy, at Kearney ; Lincoln Business Col- 
lege, at Lincoln; Lincoln Syllabic College, at 
Lincoln; Luther Academy, at Wahoo; Lutheran 
Seminary, at Seward ; Nebraska Normal Col- 
lege, at Wayne ; Nebraska Wesleyan University 
at University Place; Northwestern Business 
College, at Beatrice ; Omaha Commercial Col- 
lege, at Omaha; Orleans Seminary, at Orleans; 
Pawnee City Academy, at Pawnee City ; St. 
Catherine Academy, at Jackson; St. Francis 
Academy, at Columbus; St. Mary's Academy, 
at O'Neill; St. Paul Normal and Business Col- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



115 



lege, at St. Paul; St. Theresa Parochial High 
School, at Lincoln ; Union College, at College 
View ; Ursuline Convent, at Falls City ; Weep- 
ing Water Academy, at Weeping Water; York 
Business College and Normal School, at York; 
York College, at York. 

POPULATION OF NEBRASKA. 

The first census of the territory now com- 
prising Nebraska was taken in tl;ie fall of 1854, 
being completed on the 20th of November, of 
tliat year. It gave the territory a total of 2,732 
white population. The first United States cen- 
sus was taken in 1S60, and this may be said to 
have been the first enumeration taken with any 
reasonable degree of accuracy. This gave the 
territory a population of 28,841. Taking the 
United States census, taken every ten years, 
as a basis, the following table shows the growth 
of the population of Nebraska : 

In i860 its population was. . . . 28,841 

In 1870 its population was. . . . 122,993 

In 1880 its population was. . . . 452,402 

In 1890 its population was. . . . 1,058.910 

In 1900 its population was.... 1,068,539 

DID SLAVERY EXIST IN NEBRASKA? 

To the average reader of to-day it will be 
interesting to know that at one time in the his- 
tory of Nebraska the existence of slavery within 
its borders furnished the most important topic 
for discussion and legislation at several sessions 
of the territorial legislature. On November i, 
1858, a bill was introduced in the territorial 
legislature "to abolish slavery in the Territory 
of Nebraska." The bill was referred to a com- 
mittee of five, three of whom recommended the 
passage of the bill, but two of the committee 
presented a minority report in which they "re- 
gretted the introduction of the bill, fearing it 
was done at the promptings of political ambition, 
and that the discussion of an abstract question, 
having no bearing on the practical affairs of the 
territory, could but sow the seeds of dissension." 
The bill was laid on the table, and the matter 
went over to the next session. On December, 
7, 1859, ^ bill was introduced "to abolish, and 



prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude," by 
Wm. H. Taylor, and was referred to a commit- 
tee consisting bf William H. Taylor, George W. 
Doane and George L. Miller. The report of 
Mr. Taylor, of this committee, contains so many 
interesting facts bearing on the subject, that 
we quote from it the following: 

"The ostensible objections urged against the 
passage of the bill are twofold in their character. 
First, it is said by the opponents of free states 
and free territories, that "Slavery does not prac- 
tically exist in Nebraska Territory." In reply, 
I affirm the converse of the proposition to be 
true, and will give the facts to show that 
slavery does practically exist in Nebraska. 
There has never been to my knowledge a federal 
officer appointed to any office in this territory 
from any slave state of this Union who has not 
lirought with him into the territory, a negro or 
negroes, who have been and are now held in 
slavery. E. A. Deslonde, receiver of public 
moneys at Nebraska City, has one or two slaves. 
Now, if slavery does not exist here, then the 
slave is free the instant he sets foot on Nebraska 
soil, provided he came with his master for the 
purpose of residing in Nebraska. I know of 
my own knowledge, that Hon. S. F. Nuckolls, 
a Democratic member of the territorial legisla- 
ture, had three colored persons whom he claimed 
as slaves up to a very late period. Two of these 
persons escaped from Mr. Nuckolls in the winter 
of i858-'59, and the other, a colored man of 
twenty-five years of age, was sold by him, if 
I am correctly informed, and carried to some 
of the southern slaveholding states, as a slave, 
in the spring of 1859. This man has been a 
resident of Nebraska for about three years. 
]\Ir. A. Majors, one of the government contrac- 
tors, has a number of colored persons in Ne- 
braska City whom he claims as slaves now in the 
Territory of Nebraska. Judge C. F. Holly has 
two colored persons whom he claims as slaves. 
How many more there are in the territory at 
present I am not advised. But the faxt is in- 
disputable. African slavery does practically ex- 
ist in Nebraska. Our eyes cannot deceive us, 
and if slavery is wrong, morally, socially or po- 
litically, it is wrong to hold one slave. There is 
no distinction in principle between holding one 
human being in bondage and ten thousand. 



ii6 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



"Again, as evidence that slavery does exist, 
and is considered to be a legal institution here, 
I have only to cite the fact that Hon. S. F. 
Nuckolls before alluderl to has instituted suit in 
the Second Judicial Court of this territory 
against certain parties residing in tlie State of 
Iowa, for the value of two colored persons, his 
slaves, whom he alleges were abducted from 
him in the spring of iSsS-'sg, which is now 
pending in said court and undecided. 

"Second. It is said by those who oppose 
the passage of this bill that the "let alone policy 
is most commendable." If it be true that we 
are all in favor of freedom, a free territory, 
and a free State, why recommend the "let alone 
policy" as the most commendable? Why curse 
our virgin soil with the foot-print of African 
slavery? * * * I would ask of the opposers 
of this bill, when is the proper time to pass an 
act like the one under consideration? Shall we 
wait until slavery has acquired a permanency? 
* * * It is said that "naught but mischief 
can arise from the ill-timed and injudicious 
agitation of the question." * * * If a con- 
stitutional convention was now in session, .t 
would be said by those who oppose the bill, 
"Don't agitate the question." * * * Gen- 
tlemen of the council, if you are honestly in fa- 
vor of Nebraska being a free territory and ulti- 
mately a free State, how can the passage of this 
bill generate an injurious agitation? Men hold- 
ing a common sentiment, and desiring a com- 
mon object, do not get up an ill-timed and in- 
judicious agitation. Nothing short of a sincere 
opposition to free white labor and a free terri- 
tory can produce agitation or excitement. Re- 
member, it is the clashing of public sentiment 
upon the same subject matter, and not its argu- 
ment that produces the results contemplated by 
you. Vote for this bill that makes Nebraska 
free and prevents persons being held in slavery, 
and there will be no agitation. We will have 
then done all in our power and our whole duty, 
to rid ourselves of the cursed institution of 
slavery. But, it is objected, the bill pre-sup- 
poses the existence of slavery by virtue of the 
constitution of the United States. It pre-sup- 
poses no such thing, but simply admits the fact 
that persons are to-day held in slavery by usage, 
or custom, or somehow", and that it ought not to 



be permitted ; however, we all do know that this 
administration and a majority of the American 
Senate, and ninety-three Democrats in Congress 
of the United States contend that slavery exists 
in all the territories of the United States, by 
virtue of the constitution, as much and as cer- 
tainly as in Georgia or South Carolina. 

"Attorney-General Black has recently writ- 
ten several pamphlets to demonstrate this propo- 
sition. It cannot be denied, it is contended by a 
large party in this country, that the people of 
the territories in their territorial capacity have 
no power to legislate upon the subject of slavery, 
until they become sufficiently numerous to form 
a State constitution, and ask admission into the 
Union. And this same party maintains that 
Congress has power to legislate upon the sub- 
ject. Thus leaving the people of the territories 
to be cursed with slavery, without the ability on 
their part or on behalf of Congress, to get rid 
of it so long as the territorial existence con- 
tinues. While, on the other hand, it is contended 
that the people of tlie territories, in their terri- 
torial capacity, have the right and power to pro- 
hibit and abolish slavery. This position is con- 
tended for and sustained by arguments of great 
force. How the friends of Senator Douglas can 
oppose this bill, if they are really in favor of 
making Nebraska a free State, is astounding to 
me. We can account for the opposition of the 
administration Democracy. The Territory of 
Kansas has prohibited slavery after an unpre- 
cedented struggle against the policy of the two 
last administrations, and why should not Ne- 
bracka act? Believing that the power exists in 
the territorial legislature under and by virtue of 
the organic act, and every community has the 
inherent right to regulate its own affairs and 
institutions, free from foreign or federal inter- 
vention, and that Nebraska should be a free 
territory, and forever dedicated to free white 
labor; and knowing that slavery does practic- 
ally exist here, I earnestly recommend the pas- 
sage of the bill. 

"All of which is respectfully submitted to the 
consideration of the council. 

"William H. T.wlor. Chairman." 

This report was. under the rules, laid over 
for future action. Whereupon, Hon. George L. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



117 



Miller submitted the following minority report : 

"The first question suggested by the ex- 
amination of this measure, refers to the ne- 
cessity, if any, which exists for the enactment of 
such a law in this territory. It is understood 
that our power to pass such a law, and to im- 
part to it validity, is extensively desired, and, 
as there is known to be in the territory, as well 
as throughout the Union great diversity of 
opinion, both as to the power of the territorial 
legislature over the question of slavery and the 
expediency of attempting its exercise, your com- 
mittee deem it extremely injudicious for the 
legislature to lend itself to the agitation of a 
subject which, to the people of Nebraska, is con- 
ceded to be really of no practical importance. 
As to the necessity which exists at present, or 
is likely to exist in the future, for such a law 
in this territory, there can be no two intelligent 
opinions. No sane person for a moment sup- 
poses that Nebraska is in the slightest possible 
danger of being either a slave territory or a 
slave State. Popular sentiment, in Nebraska, 
is universally against the institution of slavery, 
and even if it were not, and the public voice 
were to pronounce to-day in favor of its es- 
tablishment here, the controlling laws of nature 
peculiar to this latitude, would utterly preclude 
the possibility of its obtaining a permanent place 
among us. Suppose it true — which it is not — 
that the territory does furnish a profitable field 
for slave labor, who is there so infatuated as to 
believe for an instant that this territory, peopled 
almost entirely by men whose associations from 
infancy and whose education in the midst of 
free institutions have conducted them into man- 
hood, not only with all their prejudices but with 
all the convictions of their judgment against the 
institution — who so foolish as to say that legis- 
lation is required or ought to be granted upon 
this subject? Your committee have felt it to be 
their duty to inquire into the cause which in- 
duced the introduction of the bill under con- 
sideration. Having made diligent search, with 
a view to ascertaining whether any slaves exist 
in Nebraska, to their utter surprise, after four 
days' anxious inquiry and labor, they are pre- 
pared to report to the council, that, south of the 
Platte river, owned and held as such by highly 



respectable gentlemen, there are six and a half 
slaves, the fractional portion referring to a small 
negro boy who is in excellent and humane keep- 
ing, in that section of the territory. Now, in- 
stead of becoming alarmed at this information, 
your committee are rather disposed to congratu- 
late the council and the country upon the fortu- 
nate condition in which these slaves are found. 
We are happy to add, on the best of authority, 
that their servitude is entirely voluntary, and 
that they are perfectly contented with their lot. 
It is to be observed that these slaves were 
originally from Missouri and Louisiana. One 
of them, we are informed, proves a great burden 
to his owner by being subject to fits. What can 
be done to lighten the burden of the master or 
remedy the terrible malady of the slave we leave 
to your careful and candid consideration. At 
all events, it is very clear that, in removing to 
this territory, these slaves have been changed 
from a worse to a better condition : and, sur- 
rounded as they are by increased comforts, and 
having before them the almost certain prospect 
of ultimately gaining their freedom, it would 
seem to be absolute cruelty in the legislature, 
even if it had the power and the purpose to do 
it, to enact a law here which would compel their 
owners to sell them into a worse bondage, where 
these prospects would be forever blasted. A 
noticeable fact is to be found by reference to 
the census record of 1855. At that time, thir- 
teen slaves existed in Nebraska. Under the 
operation of incidental causes, aided by the 
stealing propensities of an unprincipled set of 
abolitionists, inhabiting a place cal?ed Civil 
Bend, Iowa, the number has been reduced to the 
insignificant figure of six and a half slaves, 
all told. * * * 

"Your committee respectfully recommend 
that the bill be referred to the Committee of the 
Whole, and that it be made the special order for 
some future day of the session." 

A second report was submitted bv Hon. 
George W. Doane, the third member. This gen- 
tleman reported, after the two preceding re- 
ports had been read, and concurred "in the main 
with the views expressed in the report submitted 
by Mr. Miller." He did not admit that, prac- 
tically, slavery had any existence in the terri- 



ii8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tory. "To agree that, because a single instance 
may be found of a returning emigrant from 
Utah, who has pitched his tent in some remote 
part of the territory, and is cohabiting with two 
women claiming to be his wives, therefore, po- 
lygamy exists as an institution in the territory, 
would be quite as conclusive and sensible as the 
attempt made by the chairman of this committee 
to fasten upon our fair territory the stigma of 
slavery by the very slender data upon which his 
conclusion is based. * * * But if slavery 
does legally exist in the territory, as the bill 
reported by the chairman would advertise to the 
world that it does, is it proposed to confiscate 
the property of such as are interested in that 
description of property, by an unconditional abo- 
lition of the tenure by which it is held? And if 
it does not legally exist, what is the necessity 
of legislating for its abolition? The evil must 
be corrected by the judicial and not by the legis- 
lative branch of the government." Mr. Doane 
waived discussion of the principle involved in 
the abstract question of the right or wrong of 
slavery, and merely on the ground of inex- 
pediency at that moment, reported adversely to 
the bill. 

Still another bill "to abolish and prohibit 
slavery in Nebraska" was presented to the 
legislature December 7, 1859, by T. M. Mar- 
quette, of Cass county, which was passed on 
the 17th of December, by a vote of twenty-one 
to seventeen. This bill, however, when it 
reached the council was "indefinitely post- 
poned." At this time it was proposed as a sub- 
stitute that a resolution be passed bv both 
branches of the legislature, making the follow- 
ing declarations: "That slavery does not ex- 
ist in the territory and there is no danger of its 
introduction ; that it is unnecessary to waste the 
time of the legislature in enacting any legisla- 
tion relating thereto; that being opposed to 
slavery and asserting its right to the full con- 
trol of such matters within the territory, the 
legislature declares itself prepared to take what- 
ever action may be necessary to prohibit or ex- 
clude slavery at any time it may become neces- 
sary; but that the agitation of this question at 
that time was believed to be ill-timed, unneces- 
sary, pernicious and damaging to the fair name 



of the territory." This resolution was not acted 
upon. 

On the 29th of December, 1859, ^ bill for the 
prohibition of slavery in Nebraska was intro- 
duced by Mr. Little, which passed both houses 
of the legislature. The report of the committee 
to which this bill was referred is interesting 
at this day, as it shows the intense feeling that 
the question had wrought. We quote from the 
report the following: "The question, disguise 
it as you will, which is involved in this bill, is 
the great question of the age. Our entire Union 
is divided into two great parties on this ques- 
tion ; one party struggles ever to uphold the 
principles of this bill, the other labors as' earn- 
estly for its overthrow, and we are now called 
to take one side or the other. The power to 
prohibit, in the opinion of the majority of your 
committee, is conferred on us by our organic act, 
and by this measure, the opportunity is given 
us to test our fidelity to freedom and our oppo- 
sition to the extension of slavery. The oppon- 
ents of this measure have not a single reason to 
advance why this bill should not pass ; they put 
forth, however, some excuses for opposing it. 
They come forth with the miserable plea that 
they are opposed to blotting our statute books 
with useless legislation. Sir, this is not so much 
a plea against this law as it is in favor of blotting 
our territory with slavery. They say that 
slavery does not exist here, and that this mea- 
sure is useless. This excuse will not now hold 
good, for a President's message has just reached 
us in which it is declared, and' in this opinion 
he is backed by a powerful party, that men have 
the right to bring slaves here and to hold them 
as such, and that this is slave territory. 'We, it 
is true, may not be of opinion that this doctrine 
is true ; but, Sir, if men declare that they have 
the right to make this a slave territory, shall we 
not prohibit them in this act, and prevent the 
wrong they would do us? If the friends of 
slavery insist that they have the right to hold 
.slaves here, shall we tamely submit to it? If 
they insi.st on making this a slave territory, 
which they do, shall we not insist that it shall be 
forever free?" 

This bill was passed by both houses of the 
legislature January 3, i860, and placed in the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



119 



hands of Governor Black for approval. On the 
9th of January he returned it with his veto. The 
most important objections noted in the veto 
message were the following : 

"This act necessarily involves the whole ques- 
tion of power or jurisdiction over the subject 
matter. If slavery exists here in law or in fact, 
to prohibit it is to abolish it. If it does not exist, 
where is the need for legislation? This bill is 
intended to interdict slavery or involuntary servi- 
tude, within the territory ; and raises the question 
whether the territorial legislature can do it. For 
the purpose of considering the question with dis- 
tinctness, I will first examine it, as it may or may 
not be affected by the treaty with France. This 
territory was a part of Louisiana, and all agree 
that when we acquired Louisiana in 1803, it was 
slave territory, and slaves were property. The 
third article of the treaty by which Louisiana 
was acquired by the United States is important 
at this point. It provides 'that the inhabitants 
of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the 
United States, and admitted as soon as possible, 
according to the provisions of the Federal con- 
stitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, priv- 
ileges and immunities of citizens of the United 
States ; and in the meantime they shall be pro- 
tected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, 
property and the religion which they profess. 

* * * Nebraska was acquired to become a 
State, and for no other purpose. For this pur- 
pose, and this alone, is there any power under the 
constitution to acquire foreign territory. * * 
* It is a stipulation in the treaty 'that the in- 
habitants of the ceded territory shall be incor- 
porated in the Union of the United States,' and 
it is every whit as strong a stipulation as that 'in 
the meantime they shall be protected in the free 
enjoyment of liberty, property and religion.' The 
faith of the country is pledged to it and it is just 
as good to the inhabitants of Nebraska territory 
to-day, or any day, as it was to the first inhabit- 



ants in 1803. Mr. John Quincy Adams under- 
stood this perfectly, and disposed of the question 
very briefly and conclusively when Arkansas was 
before Congress for admission in 1836. 'She is 
entitled to admission as a slave state as Louis- 
iana and Missouri have been admitted,' by virtue 
of "that article in the treaty for the purchase of 
Louisiana, which secures to the people of the 
ceded territories, all the rights, privileges and 
immunities of the original citizens of the United 
States, and stipulates for their admission, con- 
formably to that principle, into the Union.' " 

The argument continued that "if a party is a 
citizen of some one of the United States, he has 
a right to enter into the territory clothed with all 
his rights. He takes his property with him from 
his own State, and if he may not do so, then the 
territory is not acquired for the common and 
equal benefit of the several states. The terri- 
torial legislature was deemed but a temporary 
department having no right or power to pass a 
law which was regarded as conflicting with the 
individual rights of citizens." This veto pre- 
vailed and the matter was again indefinitely post- 
poned. When the seventh session of the legisla- 
ture convened December 3, i860, the question of 
slavery again came to the surface. On the 6th 
of December Mr. Mathias introduced in the 
house a bill "to abolish slavery and involuntary 
servitude in the territory" and on the following 
day Mr. Thayer introduced the bill in the coun- 
cil. The bill was ratified by both houses and 
was presented to Governor Black for approval, 
but on the 1st of January, 1861, it was returned 
to the legislature unsigned with a lengthy mes- 
sage giving the grounds on which the veto rested, 
they being mainly a duplicate of the reasons as- 
signed for the former veto. The bill, however, 
was promptly passed over the veto and became a 
law. Thus after a long and intensely heated con- 
test the subject was disposed of to the permanent 
honor of Nebraska. 




A "ROUND-UP" OF 3000 HEAD HEREFORD CATTLE. 
Ranch of Crescent Live Stock Co., B. F. Ankeny, General Manager, Deuel County. Nebraska. 



I RE/niNISCE^CE I 

AND ^ 

I BIOGRAPHY I 







^ 



RE/niNISCENCE 




GOVERNOR A. C. SHALLENBERGER. 

Governor A. C. Shallenberger has for many- 
years been one of the most prominent resi- 
dents of Alma, Nebraska, and is widely known 
through Harlan county and the surrounding 
country as a successful agriculturist and stock- 
man. He is President of the Bank of Alma, 
which he established in 1887, and of which he 
was Cashier for six years, from 1887 to 1893 
inclusive, then became the head of the institu- 
tion. He served for some time as Mayor of 
Alma and represented this district in Congress 
in 1900. In 1906 he was the Democratic can- 
didate for governor of Nebraska, and again in 
1908, when he was elected to that office. 

Mr. Shallenberger was born in 1861 at 
Toulon, Illinois. He came to Nebraska in 
1880, settling in Polk county. He was then 
eighteen years of age, and for some time after 
locating here was employed as a clerk in a 
store at Osceola, Nebraska, and also at 
Stromsburg, Nebraska. He has five brothers, 
two of whom are managers for the Interna- 
tional Harvester Company, and three are en- 
gaged in the banking business, so it was only 
natural for him to select this line of work. 
The Bank of Alma has a capital of $30,000. 
To illustrate the rapid growth of the Bank of 
Alma it is only necessary to say that while 
seventeen years ago the deposits were only 
$8,000, they are today $200,000. Then there 
were no farmers' accounts, and now the bank 
carries over five hundred accounts, the great- 
er portion of them being from farmers, which 
shows the wonderful progress of this vicinity 
and the prosperity of the farmers and stock- 
men. Since 1890 lands in this section of Ne- 
braska have advanced from 200 to 300 per 
cent. Mr. Shallenberger is the owner of one 



thousand seven hundred and twenty acres of 
fine farm land located near Alma, and since 
1890 he has raised and fed large numbers of 
cattle and hogs each year. The farm land 
about here has become so high that he has 
gone out of ordinary stock, and breeds only 
the best, and keeps only thoroughbred Short- 
horn cattle, preferring these as they serve the 
dual purpose of beef and dairy, and the latter 
pays better on high priced land than beef 
cattle. At the Nebraska State Fair, in 1906, 
"Bar None 11" took first prize and sweepstakes, 
and at the Royal Exhibit held at Kansas City 
he captured second prize for yearling bulls. 
Mr. Shallenberger captured eleven first prizes 
in 1907, and in 1908 captured nine first prizes. 
He has now seventy-five to one hundred, thor- 
oughbred Shorthorns in his herd, and at his 
sales held each year, buyers come from all 
over Nebraska and Kansas, recognizing the 
fact that they will get. nothing but the best of 
stock. 

In 1906, he had forty acres of white corn, 
yielding one hundred bushels to the acre, 
which is an enormous crop, the average in 
Harlan county being fifty bushels per acre. 
He also has two hundred acres of alfalfa, and 
is experimenting with Turkestan variety. He 
is making these experiments at the request of 
the United States Agricultural and the Ne- 
braska State Agricultural Departments. The 
average corn crop of Nebraska exceeds the 
averag-e of both Illinois and Iowa for the same 
periods, and this state's corn holds the third 
place in quantity of product for these ten 
years. Out of ten hay states Nebraska ranks 
second in quantity and value of hay produced, 
and still has less acres devoted to its culture 
than any of the ten, showing a great yield per 
acre, which shows the immense possibilities 



124 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



as this state increases the acreage of hay and 
alfalfa. An average of 10,000 head of cattle 
are fed each winter within a radius of eight 
miles from Alma, and this furnishes a fine 
market for hay, grain and rough feed. 

There is probably no man in western Ne- 
braska who has made a closer study of the 
financial and agricultural conditions and pos- 
sibilities through this section of the state than 
]\Ir. Shallenberger, and he is recognized as an 
authority on all matters of this kind. 

Mr. Shallenberger was married in 1884 to 
Miss Eliza Zilg, of Spring Green, Wisconsin. 
They have three children, Martin Shallen- 
berger, who is second Lieutenant of the 16th 
U. S. Infantry ; Grace Shallenberger. at the 
University of Nebraska, and Dorothy Shallen- 
berger, si.\ vears of age, at home. 



HON. CHARLES H. CORNELL. 

Hon. Charles H. Cornell, an old settler, and 
one of the organizers of Cherry county, is one 
of the most prominent business men in this 
part of the state. He is President of the First 
National Bank of Valentine, and by his care- 
ful and conservative management has made it 
one of the most reliable financial institutions 
in the commonwealth. 

Mr. Cornell was born in Newburgh-on-the 
Hudson, December 19, 1854, a scion of one of 
the oldest and most prominent families of 
Orange county. New York. His father, 
Hiram Cornell, is of English descent, the fam- 
ily taking its name from a colloquial pro- 
nunciation of Cornwall, where the family 
originated, the spelling finally conforming to 
the sound of the name. Hiram Cornell's birth 
occurred June 24, 1815, and he is still hale and 
hearty, having attained more than four score 
and ten years. In 1857 he followed the stream 
of energetic men to the west, settling in Cal- 
loway county, Missouri, where his famih' was 
reared and educated in the common schools. 
During the war he served as captain of Mis- 
souri state militia. After the war he moved 
to Wisconsin and later to Nebraska, where he 
still resides, hale and hearty in spite of his 
weight of years. The mother, born Sarah 
N. Haight, came of a Quaker family in York 
state and became the mother of five daugh- 
ters and one son. After a common school 
education, Charles H. Cornell, at the age of 
fourteen, started out for himself, beginning an 
apprenticeship in the printers trade, a short 
time before his parents moved to Wisconsin 
whither he followed them, and there entered 



the railwa}' mail service, remaining for three 
years on runs out of Chicago. In 1877 he 
went to Wyoming, traveling by wagon from 
Green River on the Union Pacific Railway, 
thence to Fort Washakie, a militarj^ post 150 
miles north on the Little Wind River, and 
came from there in 1880 with the troops that 
established Fort Niobrara in Cherr}' county, 
where for a time he was connected with the 
Traders' Store, at the post. In 1884 Mr. Cor- 
nell laid out the town site of \^alentine at the 
time the railroad came in here, opening a gen- 
eral store. He disposed of this store in 1886, 
to give his entire attention to the Bank of 
Valentine which he had established two j'ears 
before and of which he was the head. This 
was conducted as a private bank until 1902, 
when it was incorporated as the "First Na- 
tional Bank of Valentine" and it is now the 
largest banking institution in Cherry county, 
with officers as follows: Charles H. Cornell, 
President ; J. T. May, Vice-President, and M. 
V. Nicholson, Cashier. The First National 
Bank of \^alentine had in 1908 deposits of 
$225,000; capital and surplus $32,000, and 
loans $165,000. It's equipment and fittings 
are the finest in the state west of Omaha. 
Aside from this Mr. Cornell is at the head of 
several extensive enterprises and has done 
much toward the upbuilding of Valentine. He 
still owns a large part of the town site, and 
has large land and cattle interests, notwith- 
standing which he finds time to devote to 
local and state aflfairs. 

In 1884 he was elected county treasurer, 
serving one term, and was elected to the state 
senate in 1888. In 1889 he was appointed 
Register of the United States Land Ofhce in 
Valentine, serving efhciently until 1904. 

In 1902 Mr. Cornell was married to Miss 
Bertha Childc, whose father, Edwin P. Childe, 
is a leading physician of Omaha. Mr. and 
Mrs. Cornell are the parents of two fine boys, 
Elmore and Cyril. Mrs. Cornell is an active 
and enthusiastic member of the Episcopal 
church. 

Mr. Cornell is Republican in politics, stand- 
ing high in the party councils of the state. 
He is a member of the Governor's stafl^, par- 
ticipating in the presentation of a silver serv- 
ice to the -battleship Nebraska, in May, 1908, 
at San Francisco. He has been chairman of 
the congressional committee of his district 
since 1902. Fraternally he affiliates with the 
Minnechadusa Lodge No. 192 of Valentine, 
and Chapter No. 61. R. A. M., at Long Pine. 
He also holds membership in the A. O. U. W. of 
\'alcntine. A portrait of Mr. Cornell will be 
found clsewliere in this work. 




C. H. CORNELL. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ELISHA CUNNINGHAM CALKINS. 

Mr. Calkins was born in Erie county, New 
York, in 1847. In the civil war he served as 
a private in Company B, Tenth New York 
Cavalry, from September, 1864, to June, 1865, 
and was present with his regiment in actions 
at Stony Creek Station, Jarrett's Station, Bell- 
field, Hatchers Run, Dinwoodie Court House, 
Sailors Creek, Farmville and Appomattox 
Court House. 

He studied law and was admitted to prac- 
tice in the supreme court of New York in 
1869 and practiced there until his removal to 
this state in 1873. He settled in Kearney 
and has practiced his profession there contin- 
uously until his appointment as one of the 
commissioners of the supreme court in April, 
1907. He was state senator in 1877 and Re- 
gent of the State University from January, 
1902, to April, 1907, and president of the State 
Bar Association for the year 1906. He has 
been much interested in educational affairs 
and a member of the school board in his home 
city for more than twenty years. 

He has been identified with the Grand 
Army of the Republic since its first organiza- 
tion in Nebraska, having been the first Com- 
mander of Sedgewick Post No. 1. 

Mr. Calkins is the only son of Harrison and 
Elizabeth (Cunningham) Calkins. Harrison 
Calkins was born in Clinton county. New 
York, and his father, Elisha Calkins, was a 
native of Vermont. Harrison Calkins was a 
member of the state militia in 1837 and served 
in those disturbances on Canadian border that 
have passed into history as the "Patriot War." 
The maternal grandparents of the subject of 
this sketch, David and Phoebe (Bloomfield) 
Cunningham, lived in the Mohawk Valley be- 
fore they settled in Erie county. 

Mr. Calkins was married in New York to 
Arethusa Jewitt Patch and they -have become 
the parents of the following children: Har- 
rison V. of Lindsay, California; Jessie, wife 
of George Windel of Payette, Idaho, and 
Arethusa, who resides with her parents at 
Kearney. 



WILLIAMS J. WATKINS. 

Among those who have made Perkins coun- 
ty their home for many years past and who 
have aided materially in the development of 
the agricultural and financial resources of the 
region, the gentleman above named deserves 
a prominent place. !Mr. Watkins has held 
public office in the county for the past several 



years, serving as sheriff since 1903, and he 
makes his residence in Grant, where he has a 
pleasant home and is one of the leading 
citizens. 

Mr. Watkins was born in Will county, Illi- 
nois, and reared on a farm. His father was 
Richard Watkins, a native of England, who 
married Katherine Russell, also born and 
reared in England, they coming to this coun- 
try and settling in Illinois. They lived on 
the same farm until our subject was twenty- 
five years of age, although he had begun farm- 
ing on his own account when he became of 
age. In 1882 he came to Seward county, Ne- 
braska, where he carried on farming on rented 
land for five years, then moved to Perkins 
county and homesteaded on section 26, town- 
ship 9, range 40, driving to his new location 
from Ogallala. His first dwelling was a frame 
shack which he put up himself, later went 
through the "sod house experience," proving 
up on his claim and improving the place as he 
was able. He engaged in mixed farming and 
stock raising, and succeeded in b.uilding up a 
good home, adding to his farm until he be- 
came owner of a good ranch of eight hundred 
acres, all well improved with good buildings, 
fences, and every convenience for its proper 
operation. 

In November, 1903, Mr. Watkins was 
elected sheriff of Perkins county on the fusion 
ticket. He was re-elected in 1905 and 1907, 
and is now serving his third term. 

In 1904, while still sheriff, Mr. Watkins 
moved to Grant, and has since made it his 
home. He was married in 1877, at Joliet, Illi- 
nois, to Miss Eleanor Francis, of English 
descent, born and raised in Illinois. To them 
have been born the following children : Mar- 
tha, John. Sylva, Clarence, Emery, Arthur, 
Lucinda. Elmer, Ora and Roscoe. 

^Ir. ^^^atkins has always taken an active 
interest in public aft"airs. He served as justice 
of the peace in Grace precinct, near Venango, 
for four years and has held some school office 
twenty years out of the twenty-one years he 
has lived here. 



JOHN H. WELTON. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
leading citizens of Mullen, Nebraska, and for 
many years past has taken an active part in 
the development and growth of the western 
part of the state. He is editor of the Hooker 
County Tribune, also the Thomas County Her- 
ald, the latter being under the management 
of his son, Ross H. Welton, and published at 



I2b 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Thedford, Nebraska, and has always been un- 
ceasing in liis efforts to boom every laudable 
enterprise which has been started for the bene- 
fit of Hooker county. As a citizen he is broad- 
minded and public-spirited to the last degree, 
and he has taken a prominent part in local 
politics, at the present time serving as United 
States commissioner of the Nebraska district. 

John H. Welton was born in Cleveland, 
Minnesota. January 12, 1865. His father, 
Barnabas, was a native of New York state, a 
farmer by occupation, and he married Adelaid 
Huntley, daughter of Lodwick Huntley, a fa- 
mous Indian scout and fighter, both he and 
Barnabas Welton being among the pioneers in 
the state of Minnesota. During their early set- 
tlement there they took part in several Indian 
battles and skirmishes with General Sibley, at 
New Ulm and Mankato, and later on served in 
the United States regular army with the Four- 
teenth Minnesota Heavy Artillery, and saw 
hard service in the civil war. 

Our subject grew up in his native state, 
following the typical life of the frontier, father, 
mother and six children coming to Nebraska in 
1879, and settling in Holt county, where they 
were again among the earliest settlers. There 
they established a ranch, and the former was 
elected one of the first sheriffs of that county 
after its organization, later served as police 
judge for several terms and became one of the 
best known men of the county and a leading 
citizen of the times. He died at O'Neill, Feb- 
ruary 27. 1894. at the age of sixty-four years, 
and was greatly missed by all as a man of su- 
perior judgment and active public spirit, al- 
ways standing for the best interests of his 
community. 

Our subject grew to manhood in Holt 
county, receiving his education in the country 
schools, later attended high school at O'Neill, 
and there first started in the newspaper busi- 
ness. For a while he published the Danbury 
Review at Danbury, Iowa, but in 1897 re- 
turned to Nebraska, settling in the western 
part of the state and there followed newspaper 
work in various towns. He was connected 
with the Beacon Light, at O'Neill, during a 
number of years, which paper exposed the 
startling robbery of $94,000 from the county 
treasury by grafters, which theft was perpe- 
trated while our subject was a resident in that 
town. 

He was married to Mary M. Chisholm in 
1893, and four children were born to this union. 
In 1901 he was married to Mattie E. Everett, 
to which union one son was born, the little one 
passing away at the age of one year. 

Mr. Welton was finally compelled to seek 



change of climate on account of failing health, 
so traveled through the west for a time, but 
returned to Nebraska and settled permanently 
at Mullen, purchasing his present business in 
1901. This paper was established in 1895. by 
F. M. Cudebeck. and subsequent proprietors 
had charge of the organ in the order men- 
tioned: Edgar Phillips, from 1897 to 1898; 
Charles Schilling, from 1898 to 1899; E. L. 
Everett, from 1899 to 1901, and the paper then 
came into the hands of our subject, who has 
since been sole owner, editor and publisher. 
It is at present the only newspaper in Hooker 
county, and is loyally supported by the people 
of the county with a circulation of more than 
700 copies, and an advertising patronage that 
gives promise of a prosperous, steady growth. 

In political matters Mr. Welton is a Repub- 
lican, and a member of the congressionaT com- 
mittee for the sixth district, also chairman of 
the Republican county central committee, and 
takes a prominent part in all party affairs. He 
is a member of the village council, and his 
life has been spent in doing all in his power 
to help build up his part of the state. 

Mr. Welton has now devoted twenty-seven 
years to newspaper work in Nebraska, is one 
of the best known men in the profession, and 
also has followed the business in South Dako- 
ta, Iowa and several other states in the Union. 



CHARLES W. POTTER. 

Charles \\'. Potter occupies a foremost po- 
sition in Brown county. Nebraska, as a citizen 
of worth, and a successful and prosperous 
business man of Ainsworth. 

Mr. Potter was born in Whiteside county, 
Illinois, October 19. 1841. His father, Martin 
M. Potter, a farmer, was a native of Catta- 
raugus county, New York, descended from old 
Yankee stock, and came west settling in Illi- 
nois in 1831 or 1832. The nearest market 
place from his farm at that time was one hun- 
dred and twenty-three miles away, an'' this 
was Chicago, then a comparatively small town. 
Dianthony Pratt, a New Yorker, was our sub- 
ject's mother, he being the third member in 
a family of four children. His boyhood days 
were spent on his father's farm, where he se- 
cured a good sturdy training which fitted him 
for the work of his later years, and at the age 
of nineteen enlisted in Company G, Thirteenth 
Illinois Infantry, under Colonel John B. Wy- 
man, in the year 1861, one of *he first regi- 
ments to go to the front during the war. He 
was at the battle of Vicksbnrg. at Wilson 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



127 



Creek and Pea Ridge ; he was with the Army 
of the Tennessee, and with Sherman to At- 
lanta, where his time expired and regiment 
was discharged in Woodville, Alabama. He 
immediately re-enlisted in Company I, Fifty- 
sixth Illinois Regiment, and served until Au- 
gust, 1865, receiving an honorable discharge 
at Little Rock, Arkansas. 

After the war closed he was transported 
by sea from Savannah to Washington, taking 
part in the Grand Review, a spectacle at which 
the nations of the Old World marvelled. Dur- 
ing all his career as a soldier he was never 
severely wounded, receiving slight scratches 
from time to time. In the spring of 1865 he 
returned to his old home and began farming, 
remaining here until the spring of 1872, when 
he came west, locating in Shelby county, Iowa. 
He remained at that point until 1884, then 
came to Nebraska, settling on a farm in Brown 
county. He lived on this place for eight years, 
following mixed farming and stock raising, 
then leaving the farm moved to Ainsworth. 
In 1899 he was elected county judge by the 
Populist party, serving two terms. In 1905 
he was re-elected, and is serving his county 
in that capacity at the present time. In 1889 
he was the nominee of the Independent party 
for lieutenant governor, on the ticket of which 
David Butler was the head. 

Mr. Potter was married on Christmas day, 
1866, in Prophetstown, Illinois, to Miss Har- 
riet Shorett, a Canadian. Her parents were 
of French descent, residing at Toronto, Can- 
ada. Mr. and Mrs. Potter have a family of 
two sons, Marion J. and Clayton W. 

Mr. Potter is one of the old settlers in the 
western part of Nebraska, and has done his 
full share towards the building up of the coun- 
try. He is now a Democrat in politics and a 
member of the G. A. R. Post at Ainsworth. 



GEORGE S. TODD. 

George S. Todd, residing in section 18, 
township 21, range 15, who came to Nebraska 
many years ago, in 1884, and is well known all 
over Garfield county as a progressive and suc- 
cessful agriculturist, is now living on twenty 
acres of land where he settled twenty-five 
years ago, having sold most of his land of late 
years. 

Mr. Todd was born in Ohio in 1841, and is 
of Scotch descent, his grandfather on his 
mother's side being one of the Stuarts of the 
family of the Queen of Scots. He was reared 
as a mechanic, and followed that work in his 



native state until he was twenty-five years 
of age. He joined in the struggle of his coun- 
try for liberty and freedom, entering Company 
B, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in 
1862, and served for three years. He saw 
active service through the Vicksburg cam- 
paign, to the Gulf, and then to Washington, 
District of Columbia, where he was mustered 
out. In 1866 he engaged in the work of build- 
ing and contracting in Iowa, which he fol- 
lowed for some years. 

In 1887 Mr. Todd settled in Nebraska, 
starting a farm in Wheeler county. He put 
all his energy into his enterprise and suc- 
ceeded in developing a splendid farm, which 
he has sold of late, only retaining twenty 
acres. He is well satisfied with the results of 
his labor in this state, and thinks a man's 
chances are much better here than in the East, 
as the investment of a small capital here will 
bring greater returns in a less number of 
years. However, to make money, a man must 
be industrious and able to adapt himself to 
the country and prepared to fight hard and 
overcome many discouragements and failures. 
A poor man, can of course, make a good 
living here, but if a man has a little capital 
to start with he is able to build up a fortune 
rapidly. Land here has advanced nearly a 
hundred per cent, in the past ten years, and 
one who began with a small farm then and 
has added to its acreage constantly since that 
time would now be a pretty wealthy man. 

Mr. Todd was married in 1865 to Miss Eda 
L. Brainard, a native of Ohio, daughter of L. 
D. and Maria (Vaughn) Brainard. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Todd have been born nine children, seven 
of whom are living, named as follows: Zeros 
Z., Clara E.. Mabel M., Viola V., Samuel S., 
Nina R., Logan D., Tetulah M. (deceased), 
and Stuart (deceased). The family are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and 
all are held in the highest esteem in their 
community. Mr. Todd is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also 
of the Masonic lodge- at Correctionville, Iowa. 
In 1893 he was elected county judge of Gar- 
field county, by the Republican party. He 
still takes a deep interest in local politics but 
does not seek office, preferring to lead a quiet 
home life. 



F. S. WILCOX. 



The above gentleman is known as one of 
the successful business men of McCook, Red- 
willow county, Nebraska, and recognized as 
among the best judges of live stock and all 



128 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



conditions of ranching, farm lands and mar- 
kets in the western part of the state of Ne- 
braska. He is an authority on the subjects 
of breeding and feeding all kinds of stock, and 
one of the leading men of this locality. 

Mr. Wilcox was born in Canaan and reared 
in Columbia county, New York, settling in 
Oilman. Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1870, 
where he was engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness for fourteen years. His brother, the Hon- 
orable J. A. Wilcox, is a merchant residing 
at Alma, Nebraska, and his sketch appears 
in this volume on another page. Our subject 
first came to Nebraska in 1884, embarking in 
the mercantile business, and the following year 
started in the live stock business in addition 
to his other interests, buying and shipping 
stock. He owns a large ranch of seven hun- 
dred acres situated on the river opposite Mc- 
Cook, and this he uses for feeding purposes. 
He is also the proprietor of another ranch of 
one thousand seven hundred and twenty acres 
on Dry Creek, and on this he keeps one hun- 
dred head of registered Hereford cattle, having 
one of the finest herds in this locality, selling 
these animals at private sales throughout this 
state, Colorado and the west, where he is well 
known. He begun with Hereford cattle in 
1902, and has been most successful in this line 
of work. He ships about two hundred cars 
of hogs and the same number of cattle each 
year, and during the year 1907 expects to even 
exceed this amount, now having on feed about 
one thousand one hundred head of cattle which 
he bought in Nebraska and Colorado. Since 
first locating here he has raised, bought and 
shipped hogs, and finds this very profitable. 
He was one of the first in this localitv to sow 
alfalfa, beginning in 1889. This has added 
greatly to the wealth of this state, and is a 
wonderfully successful product. His first crop 
in 1889 cut five tons to the acre in 1906, and 
has never needed re-seeding. He has refused 
eight dollars per ton, which equals forty dol- 
lars per acre for this grass. He contends that 
this country is as nearly perfect as can be 
found anywhere for feeding and fattening cat- 
tle, as the cattle do well through the mild and 
dry winters. One winter he fed at Hooper, 
Nebraska, and says he would give from five to 
eight cents per bushel more for corn here 
owing wholly to weather conditions, as a per- 
son can make cattle so much more comfort- 
able here and fatten quicker and cheaper. All 
of the Divide land has doubled in the last 
eighteen months, and he has bought and sold 
a great deal. Bottom lands are scarcer 
and have been held firm owing to the cul- 
ture of beets and alfalfa. The land here to- 



day is not selling for one-half what it is 
worth, when a man can raise from thirty to 
forty bushels of wheat to the acre. Mr. Wil- 
cox has now on his three places about nine 
hundred head of hogs. He always selects the 
best breeds, but these he does not register. 
He has settled on the Black Poland China as 
the best suited to his purpose, after trying all 
other breeds, as when fat they sell for more 
money and they mature quicker and it takes 
less corn to fatten them. 

Mr. Wilcox was married in 1875 to Miss 
Katie Lovejoy, and this union has been blessed 
with one child, a son, named Harry J. 

Mr. ^^'ilcox is one of the representative 
men in western Nebraska, highly respected 
and esteemed by his fellowmen. He has built 
up a fine home in McCook, and is one of the 
wealthiest men in this locality. 



PETER M. PERSON. 

Peter M. Person, residing on section 18, 
Lake township, Phelps county, is proprietor 
of a fine one hundred and sixty acre farm, 
which he took up as a homestead in 1879, 
building a sod house and starting a home and 
farm. For the first five or six years he was 
unable to raise a crop, and up to 1884 he met 
with much discouragement in his work. After 
that he had good success, and for the past six 
years has raised a fine crop of winter wheat 
each season, and as he has tried all kinds, 
states that winter wheat is the best for his 
locality. When Mr. Person first settled here 
Kearney was the nearest market place, and 
the country very thinly settled, and he has 
watched the development and growth of the 
region from its earliest beginning, and has 
been no small factor in its development. 

Mr. Person is a native of Sweden, who 
came to this country when about twenty-six 
years of age. He was a sailor on the lakes, 
settling in Chicago after landing in this coun- 
try, where he remained for eleven years. He 
was captain and owner of a two-masted 
schooner, and was also engaged in carry- 
ing lumber on the lakes. Prior to this he 
spent twelve years on the ocean as first mate 
on the brigs Rosetta and James Crow. While 
in this work he traveled all over the world 
and had many interesting experiences, being 
shipwrecked at one time. Before going as a 
sailor four or five years he attended the navi- 
gation school in his native country, and grad- 
uated as captain of a first-class ship under a 
rigid examination. His father, Martin Person, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1 29 



was a teacher for thirty years in the public 
schools there, and his son naturally followed 
in his footsteps and acquired a splendid edu- 
cation. He has been treasurer of Lake town- 
ship for several terms, and his early training 
and education has eminently fitted him to 
take a leading place among his fellows. From 
all his experience gained by travel of the 
different parts of this country, he considers 
this part of Nebraska the best he has ever 
seen, for health, farming or stock-raising, and 
he is content to remain here for the balance 
of his time. 

Air. Person was united in marriage in 1873 
to Miss Hannah Erickson, born in Norway, 
who came to this country about 1865, at the 
age of fifteen. Their marriage has been 
blessed with a splendid family of children, 
who are named as follows: Edwin B. is man- 
ager of the grain elevator at Funk, Phelps 
county ; Albert W. is holding the same posi- 
tion at Sacramento, this county; Julius and 
Ernest T. are both living at home, and one 
daughter, Annie Caroline, is the wife of A. T. 
Curtis, of Sacramento, manager of a grain 
elevator at that place. Emma died at the age 
of twenty-one. John Martin is in the whole- 
sale store of Granger Bros, at Lincoln, Ne- 
braska. 

In political sentiment Mr. Person is an 
independent and reform voter. 



FLOYD H. FIELD. 

Floyd H. Field, residing at Dunning, in 
Blaine county, Nebraska, is one of the old 
timers of that region. He came to the locality 
ahead of the railroads, when the country was 
full of wild game of all kinds, and most of the 
land raw prairie with settlers few ajid far be- 
tween, and has watched every change which 
has taken place here since that time, and has 
the satisfaction that much of the success now- 
enjoyed by the people of the locality has come 
about through his aid. He is one of the 
wealthy residents of his county, enjoying a 
fine home, and is held in the highest esteem 
by all who know him. 

IMr. Field was born in Cook county, Illinois, 
in 1852. His father, Oliver, who married Nar- 
cissa Miner, was a farmer, and both were 
born and raised in Vermont. Floyd grew up 
in Illinois, twenty-two miles west of Chicago, 
and helped his parents carry on the home farm 
until he was about eighteen years of age, then 
left home and begun railroading on the Chi- 
cago and Northwestern Railway, working as a 



trainman for eleven years. During his career 
as a trainman he was in two serious wrecks, 
and on one occasion was buried in the debris 
of a baggage car, but was fortunate enough 
to escape without injury. 

He and his brother, F. W., came west to 
southern Colorado and worked in the mines 
at Silverton, remaining there for two years, 
then they came to Merna, Nebraska, landing 
there in 1880. He filed on a homestead and im- 
proved the place to the extent of one hundred 
and twenty-five dollars, then sold out for twen- 
ty-five dollars, living on the place for a part 
of one year, then went to Cherry county, south 
of Fort Niobrara, where he spent three or four 
months. His next move was to Lena, near 
where Dunning now stands, and there he be- 
gan working for the C. O. D. Cattle Company, 
and worked as a cowboy for two years, rough- 
ing it all of that time, most of the time camp- 
ing out on the plains, winter and summer. 
He finally went into the stock business for 
himself in 1884, establishing a ranch near Dun- 
ning on land which had formerly been used 
by the C. O. D. Cattle Company, and has been 
in the business ever since. He has a ranch 
of three thousand acres of deeded land, and 
runs from five hundred to seven hundred head 
of cattle each year. The place is well im- 
proved with substantial buildings and fences, 
has fine water supply, etc., and is one of the 
widely known stock ranges of the west. Our 
subject and his brother, F. W., have been as- 
sociated in business together ever since they 
came to Nebraska, and personally superintend 
their large ranch and both have fine residences 
in Dunning. 

Mr. Field is married and has one child, 
Albert Floyd Field. Our subject is among 
the prominent men of his section, and remem- 
bers all the old Nebraska times, having hauled 
posts from Upper Dismal river to Grand Is- 
land, which he traded for groceries in the first 
years of his residence here. 



HARVEY L. MILLAY. 

Harvey L. Millay, banker and successful 
business man of Springview, Keya Paha coun- 
ty, is accorded a high station among the 
worthy citizens of this locality. Mr. Millay 
is the active manager of the Stockmen's Bank 
of Springview, organized in 1900, incorporated 
and opened for business March 1st, of that 
year. This bank was the first institution of 
the kind in Springview since 1893, and is now 
the oldest bank in the town. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Millay is a native of Leland, La Salle 
county, Illinois, born October 17, 1866. His 
father, Robert Millay, was a stockman and 
pioneer settler in Keya Paha county, coming 
here in 1884, four years prior to his death. He 
came to this section in its early days, and was 
one of those who helped to establish the coun- 
ty-seat of Springview. The mother of our 
subject was Miss Ellen Deach, a native of 
Blane, Pennsylvania, who joined her husband 
in this county a year after his advent here, 
and she now lives in Springview. She was 
reared and educated in Livingston county. 
Our subject attended high school at Odell. Illi- 
nois, whither his parents moved in 1869, from 
which institution he graduated in 1883. The 
following \'ear he entered the employ of a 
large grocery establishment in Chicago and 
remained with this concern until 1887. when 
he came to Nebraska and located in Keya Paha 
county. Here he clerked for D. A. Davis for 
two years, and then purchased the hardware 
business of Wolf & Logan, which he conducted 
for the following ten years. In 1895 he was 
elected county clerk and served in this capacity 
for four years, and at the expiration of his 
term established the bank of which he is now 
the cashier, Mr. E. D. Reynolds, a capitalist 
of the east, being president. In 1904 these 
two gentlemen, together with Mr. J. '^\. Hack- 
ler. organized the Gregory State Bank, located 
at Gregory, South Dakota, on what was the 
Rosebud Reservation. This was the first 
banking institution established on that reser- 
vation, and opened for business in 1905 with a 
capital of S25,000. Its growth has been phe- 
nomenal, and now does the largest business 
of any l:)ank in that territory. Mr. Millay is 
active manager of t'he bank, dividing his time 
between this and the Stockmen's Bank at 
Springview. Besides these interests he owns 
three bodies of land aggregating two thousand 
acres, situated in Keya Paha county, and en- 
gages to a large extent in stock raising, per- 
sonally managing the affairs of the ranches. 

Mr. Millay was married in September, 1888, 
to Miss Emma Banks, born in Clayton county, 
Iowa, a daughter of James Banks, who is a 
prominent farmer of Clayton county. Five 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mil- 
lay, who are named as follows: Edna E., 
Robert Lloyd, Fern, Don B., and Ruth, all born 
in Springview excepting Edna, who was born on 
the old homestead in Custer precinct, within 
sight of the town. 

Mr. Millay has since his residence in this 
section taken a deep interest in all affairs that 
tended to the general improvement of his com- 
munitv. and has been instrumental in the de- 



velopment of. the commercial and educational 
opportunities throughout the county. He has 
held local office at dift'erent times, and at 
present is a member of the town board. Fra- 
ternally he is an active member of the Knights 
of Pythias and the Royal Highlanders of 
Springview. 



LOUIS JOHN FREDERICK lAEGER. 

Louis John Frederick laeger, better known 
throughout the western part of the LTnited 
States as "Billy, the Bear" is one of the pros- 
perous and prominent citizens of Dawes coun- 
ty, Nebraska, where for the past twenty-two 
years he has resided and acted in many official 
capacities, having been elected four terms 
as police judge and justice of the peace in the 
early days of the county when times were red 
hot for officials of any character. He was also 
elected for eleven years as city clerk of his 
favorite city of Chadron. Nebraska, and is at 
present serving a four-year term as clerk of 
the district court of Dawes county, as well as 
filling the offices of deputy clerk of the United 
States circuit and district courts. He is a 
native of Pennsylvania, where, in 1855, he first 
saw the light of day. His ancestors were all of 
strong German pioneer stock ; his great grand- 
father was spiritual adviser to Frederick the 
Great and the use of the royal coat of arms 
was given the laeger family, which fact is a 
matter of historical record, at this day, in 
Washington, District Columbus. His grandfa- 
ther on his father's side was the Rev. G. F. I, 
laeger, a pioneer who helped to settle Penn- 
sylvania and whose record is monumental 
among the Lutheran synods of that state for 
his good deeds in the pulpit of Berks county. 
From this venerable ancestor it is believed that 
the subject of this sketch inherited his own 
truly charitable instincts, his exceptional busi- 
ness integrity and his systematic quality of 
mind. His father. Charles S. laeger, was a 
coachmaker by trade and followed his profes- 
sion at Hamburg, Pennsylvania, up to the time 
of his death which occurred when Louis was 
five years of age. A year later his mother was 
stricken with paralysis, caused from a runaway 
team which killed his father the year before 
and at which time our subject was with his 
parents, but was unhurt in the aft'air. 

His democratic principles, as to the mean- 
ing of liberty and freedom of speech, never 
suited his next of kin after the death of his 
parents and at the tender age of six he was 
sent, via Central America, to California, where 
he was raised by his father's brother in Yuma, 




L. J. F. lAEGER. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



131 



California, who, at that time, was one of the 
wealthiest and largest contractors on the Pa- 
cific coast and who was known as Don Diego. 
From 1861 to 1869 our subject's associates 
were mostly Spaniards, his uncle being mar- 
ried to one of Castile's beauties, and together 
with his cousins attended Spanish school until 
after the civil war, after which his education 
was entrusted to private tutors. His progress 
was rapid among the arts and mechanics of 
those days while nautical works were the pre- 
ferred studies of this wonderful boy of only 
thirteen who, by this time, had learned to be a 
pilot on one of the river boats, of which his 
uncle was owner. 

At sixteen years of age he passed the edu- 
cational exa'mination for the Annapolis Naval 
Academy; but was rejected on account of a 
slight defect with one of his ears. He never 
faltered, however, and in the fall of the same 
year underwent a critical examination before 
the New York Nautical Academy and was 
granted his diploma and two years later he 
received a navigator's certificate as a sailing 
master entitling him to sail the high seas as 
a captain notwithstanding he was at that time 
under the age limit and was compelled to un- 
dergo a severe examination in consequence. 
In 1873 he entered the employ of W. R. Grace 
& Co., of New York city, in what was then 
known as the California Grain Fleet between 
Liverpool and San Francisco ; but his blood 
was too fast for so slow going crafts and the 
following year, after having made a trip over- 
land from New York to San Francisco, he was 
especially employed as quartermaster on board 
the City of Pekin, one of the finest 5.000 ton 
liners then plying between San Francisco and 
the Oriental ports including the Yellow Pearl 
domain, and which vessel was a sister ship to 
the City of Tokio, both of which belonged to 
the Pacific Mail Steam Ship Company. Having 
already traveled twice around the world as 
sailor and tourist and while thus employed as 
quartermaster on one of his trips, he made the 
acquaintance of a rich nobleman's son, who, 
taking a fancy to his roving spirit and bright 
disposition, sought him as a partner and guide 
in his travels over the world, offering to pay 
all bills, which offer was accepted and the 
"Ropes" were again overhauled and the world 
was seen from "High Points." 

In 1876 he cast anchor in the publishing 
house of A. L. Bancroft & Co., of 721 Market 
street, San Francisco, where he worked as 
proof reader on the Herbert H. Bancroft se- 
ries, the most remarkable original historical 
work ever produced on this side of the Atlan- 
tic by a single brain. "Around the world in 



eighty days" again took him to Australia in 
the early part of 1877 and, returning to San 
Francisco in June of that year, he appeared on 
the boards of the Grand Opera House in the 
play of "Snowflake." Buffalo Bill was at that 
time touring the Pacific coast with "The Buf- 
falo Bill Combination Company," and soon Mr. 
laeger was engaged to play the part of a bear 
in the play of "Red Right Hand," with which 
Cody was taking the Californians by storm. 
He soon became Cody's private secretary and, 
with the closing of the season, he accompa- 
nied the noted scout to North Platte, Nebraska, 
where he decided to cast his lot with the 
plainsmen and cowpunchers of the frontier, 
anything for novelty and newness being his 
sole enjoyment. 

The opening up of a new cattle country on 
the famous Niobrara river in the northern part 
of Nebraska next caught his fancy and in 1878 
he was one of the leaders there in the warfare 
on the Cheyenne Indians who were burning 
ranches and killing the cattlemen. For two 
years this suited him and the hardships of a 
nomadic life proved to make him a man of 
steel. Soon, however, civilization commenced 
to move westward, and Fort Niobrara was es- 
tablished at Valentine, Nebraska. Sheridan and 
Fort Robinson were military posts further 
west and the white covered wagons of the 
early settlers were getting too numerous and 
consequently it was no more a good cattle 
countr}' and "Billy" migrated to the Snake 
creek country on the Black Hills road on the 
shores of Broncho Lake years before it could 
have been dreamed that Alliance would come 
and drink up its waters. In 1881 he again 
"moved camp" and went to Texas, where he 
purchased one thousand five hundred head of 
stock horses and, to use his own words, made 
a "wagon full of money." 

In the same year the Wood river gold ex- 
citement attracted his attention in Idaho and 
not until he had wasted $45,000 of money "that 
was good in Europe," did he make up his mind 
that mining was out of his class. Those were 
the days of strenuous and tumultuous life or 
spectacular times, — up one morning and down 
the next. The man who could stand loss was 
a safe one to tie to, but woe to him who sor- 
rowed for gold. Our subject was not of the 
latter kind ; he was constructed of steel bands, 
and when he came down, he found himself in 
the saddle once more punching cows for Sud- 
duth and Montgomery on Rock creek, in Wy- 
oming, content with $75.00 per month. 

Soon, however, Mr. laeger's services were 
sought by eastern capitalists then organizing a 
monster cattle company to be known as "The 



132 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Yellow Stone Cattle Company," and Colonel 
Cody, his old friend, was foremost in testi- 
monials touching Mr. Jaeger's qualifications to 
manage this vast undertaking, but his star of 
fate seems to have been against him from this 
point, for this engagement was the forerunner 
of the saddest experience of his life, and which 
has been to him a tragedy for the past twenty- 
five years, and will be so no matter how hard 
he may seem to want to forget it until his 
remains are laid away in the silent tomb. 

He was on an errand in obedience to his 
employers, when, overtaken in a Wyoming 
blizzard, he lost both feet and all his fingers, 
after having been exposed for five days and 
four nights to the coldest weather Wyoming 
has ever experienced. His detailed story of 
those days and nights are enough to chill 
one's blood and, but for the fact that he has 
refused to re-write it for this work, we would 
gladly give it space. 

Left penniless and almost distracted at his 
loss, he still relied on science to assist him 
in the world. He at once procured a set of 
Kolbe Artificials and set about to educate 
himself more with a view of adapting himself 
to clerical work. From the time of his release 
from the hospital at Laramie City, Wyoming, 
May 5, 1883, to April, 1886, he continued his 
studies and exerted his all-powerful will to 
overlook his own wants and disadvantages and 
assist others who might be in greater distress. 
He has certainly accomplished wonders and 
bears the name throughout the entire west as 
a liberal, generous-hearted man, ever ready to 
lend a hand for the purpose of uplifting a 
brother in need. In 1882 he married one of the 
brightest and handsomest young ladies of his 
county and today stands as a living monument 
among his fellow citizens as a man fully and 
thoroughly capable of having a good home 
of his own adorned by a loving and devoted 
wife and two boys, aged fifteen and seven, who 
will soon be able to assist their father in his 
work for the advancement of mankind. He 
cast his maiden vote for Samuel J- Tilden and 
thereby incurred the displeasure of an uncle 
who cut him short $59,999, leaving him $1.00, 
while to his brothers and sisters, each was 
given $60,000. 

He is a Democrat to the core, and studies 
other governments in unison with our own. 
He swears by W. J. Bryan and hopes the God 
of Fate may be with his cause. His friends in 
fraternal orders are legion and especially so 
among the Fraternal Order of Eagles, in which 
order he holds high office, both at home and 
throughout his state, being recognized as a 
worker for anything that may befriend and 
do good to a brother in distress. 



Judge E. S. Ricker, ex-county judge and 
journalist, of Chadron, has this to say of him : 

"I have been personally acquainted with 
L. J. F. laeger in an official and a business 
manner as well as in a friendly relation for 
twenty-one years, and it gives me much hap- 
piness to say he possesses exceptional worth 
as a man ; a well recognized capacity for busi- 
ness, which has been developed by study and 
experience and that in his long service in minor 
judicial positions he has displayed sound and 
impartial judgment which recommend him to 
his fellow citizens for re-election. 

"Whenever called to any position of honor 
or trust he has not failed to continue to deserve 
the respect which raised him to the public 
place or confidential connections. He has seen 
much of the world, and his knowledge of men 
and of human nature helps to fit him with a 
special competency for the high and honorable 
place to which his aspirations invite him. 

"He is courteous and obliging in disposi- 
tion, which qualities of the agreeable man dis- 
tinctly mark his intercourse with others and 
at the same time he may be depended upon 
for ready decision and prompt action, spring- 
ing from his ability for both, and afterwards 
to maintain these by such firmness as gives 
stability to all proceedings. 

"It is to me both a personal pleasure and 
privilege to pay this tribute to such a remark- 
able and deserving man while he lives ; it could 
do him no good after he is dead." 

A portrait of IMr. laeger appears on another 
page of this work. 



MICHAEL D. JORDAN. 

Michael D. Jordan, county treasurer, is one 
one of the old settlers of Sioux county, Ne- 
braska, who has gone through many hard and 
bitter experiences during the early settlement 
of this region, and on three distinct occasions 
in his career experienced the sensation of be- 
ing down to "rock bottom" so far as finances 
were concerned. He has seen as much of the 
seamy side of pioneer life as any one who has 
settled in the wilds of Nebraska, but through 
it all has done his best to assist in the develop- 
ment of his locality, and his name will occupy 
a prominent place in the history of its growth. 

Mr. Jordan was born in Kenosha county, 
Wisconsin, on a farm, April IS, 1848. His 
parents were of Irish birth, both emigrating 
to this country when children, and were raised 
and educated here, where their parents settled 
in the early days. 

Our subject grew up in his native state, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



^33 



assisting his father in carrying on the home 
farm, early learning to do all kinds of hard 
work, and when he was nineteen years of age 
the family left Wisconsin and moved to Boone 
county, Iowa, where they lived until Michael 
was thirty-eight. 

In 1886 Mr. Jordan came to Sioux county, 
Nebraska, and during the first several months 
in this region was employed on construction 
work on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway 
which was then being laid through to Douglas, 
Wyoming. He filed on a tract of government 
land situated twenty-five miles northeast of 
Harrison, and rapidly improved it and proved 
up on the claim. In 1893 he established a 
general merchandise store at Adelia, Nebraska, 
and conducted that place for about thirteen 
years, and did well in that line. In 1901 he 
purchased a nice ranch in section 29, town- 
ship 33, range 53, and still owns the property. 
It is well improved, and is at present rented 
out, while he is attending to his duties as 
county treasurer at Harrison. He occupies a 
handsome and pleasant home in Harrison vil- 
lage, where the family have a host of good 
friends and congenial neighbors. Mr. Jordan 
is one of the organizers of Sioux county, and 
was the first postmaster at Adelia, which was 
established in 1892. 

In 1907 our subject was elected county 
treasurer on the Republican ticket, and is now 
serving in that capacity, and has proven a most 
capable and popular public official. 

Mr. Jordan was married in 1905 to Mrs. 
Clara Davis. 



H. M. WARRINER. 

H. M. Warriner, proprietor of one of the 
finest farms in Franklin county, Nebraska, is 
one of the oldest settlers in this locality. He 
has done his full share toward the develop- 
ment of the agricultural resources of the re- 
gion where he chose his home, and is a widely 
known and universally respected citizen. 

Mr. Warriner was born in Geauga county, 
Ohio, in 1836, and brought up in that state. 
His father, William Warriner. was also a na- 
tive of Ohio, the family originally coming 
from New York state, and after our subject 
grew up, the father came to Nebraska and 
bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres 
situated near Riverton, which he lived on up to 
the time of his death. The mother, prior to 
her marriage, was Miss Emily Bushnell, 
daughter of Martin Bushnell. 

In 1861 our subject enlisted in the Forty- 
first Ohio Infantry, and served as a soldier for 



two years and a half. He took part in many 
of the large battles, among them the battle of 
Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Vicksburg and 
all the battles of the sixteenth army corps. 
He was obliged to leave the army on account 
of sickness, and he then went to Iowa where 
he farmed in Delaware county. Since his ex- 
perience here in Nebraska he states that this 
is a much better farming country than Iowa, 
as the land is fully as good, and the crops are 
as good as can be raised anywhere. Besides 
this, the climate is delightful, and one man 
can do as much work here as two can do there. 
Mr. Warriner has a farm of four hundred acres 
and has it in the finest shape imaginable. He 
has good buildings and everything in the way 
of rnodern machinery to properly run the place'. 
He is assisted in its operation by his eldest son, 
Willard David Warriner, who is married and 
living at home, taking the heaviest burdens 
from the shoulders of his father. They carry 
on mixed farming, and keep quite a large num- 
ber of grade cattle, also many hogs for market. 

Mr. Warriner was married to Miss Abbie 
Walder. Besides the son mentioned above, 
Mr. and Mrs. Warriner are the parents of the 
following children: George, married, and fa- 
ther of two children ; Roy. attending school, 
and Blanche, a teacher in "the Franklin county 
schools. ]\Ir. Warriner is a member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and for forty 
years has been a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, and one of the earnest 
workers in that lodge. He also belongs to the 
Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

In political sentiment our subject is a 
strong Republican, and takes an active interest 
in party affairs. He has served Franklin 
county as sheriff for two terms, from 1900 to 
1903, and in 1902 was superintendent of the 
county farm up to 1905. He has been a mem- 
ber of the school board for many years, and 
acted as secretary and treasurer of that body 
during a long period. 



JOSEPH OBERFELDER. 

Among the business enterprises which con- 
tribute in a marked degree to the prosperity 
of Sidney, Cheyenne county, Nebraska, as a 
business point, the clothing and gents' furnish- 
ing goods store of Joseph Oberfelder occupies 
a prominent place. This is one of the best 
and most complete stores in this section, and 
the proprietor is well known to the people of 
the county for his honest business methods 



134 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and careful attention to the needs of his pa- 
trons. 

Mr. Oberfelder was born in New York city, 
September 18, 1858. His father was a mer- 
chant there, and the family is of Bavarian 
stock, the lather coming to America in 1830, 
while his mother, who was Miss Betsy Bach- 
man, came to this country in 1834. Our sub- 
ject was educated and grew up in his native 
city, graduating from the grammar school 
when he was thirteen years of age. In 1875 
he came west to Omaha, and there secured a 
position as cashier and bookkeeper for Max- 
meyer & Co., and had entire charge of the 
financial part of that concern. He remained 
there for two years, then came to Sidney and 
opened a store, carrying a general line of 
clothing, revolvers and ammunition, saddlery, 
pocket cutlery, blankets, chaperajos, boots, 
shoes, etc., also all kinds of sporting goods. 
He has built up a good trade and an enviable 
reputation as a business man, and now carries 
a complete stock of clothing, gents' furnishing 
goods, and sporting goods, and is well-known 
throughout this section and highly esteemed 
for his strict integrity and industry. Mr. Ober- 
felder has been in business here for thirty 
years in all, and is the owner of valuable prop- 
erty in Sidney and all through Cheyenne 
county. He has associated with him his broth- 
er, Robert S., and the Oberfelder block in Sid- 
ney is owned by the two brothers, as is also a 
fine ranch near Lodgepole. They are also ex- 
tensively engaged in buying all kinds of school 
and county warrants and municipal securities. 

In 1881 our subject returned to New York 
city and was there married to Miss Hannah 
Rosenthal, daughter of Gustave Rosenthal, im- 
porter of cloths and woolens. Mrs. Oberfelder 
is a graduate of the grammar school in New 
York, and is a very estimable lady. Eight 
children have been born to them, named as 
follows: Blanche, Sidney, Lillian. Clara Belle, 
Arthur M., Beatrice Hazel, Irving Tobias, and 
Leonie, all born in Sidney. 

During the time Mr. Oberfelder lived in 
New York city he was president and secretary 
of the Cooper Union Literary Class, president 
of the Charles Sumner Literary Union, also 
secretary of the Hamilton Literary Society. 
Since locating in Nebraska Mr. Oberfelder 
has been active in educational affairs, and has 
served as county superintendent of the public 
schools in Cheyenne county, from 1881 to 1883. 
He was mayor of Sidney from 1887 to 1889. 
He is a prominent member of the Masonic 
lodge here, Frank Welch No. 75, Ancient Free 
and Accepted Masons ; Sidney Lodge 196, An- 
cient Order of United Workmen ; Modern 



Woodmen of America No. 1096, and Legion of 
Honor. He belongs to the Mystic Legion of 
America, and takes an active part in the social 
affairs of Sidney. He is now Master Work- 
man of the A. O. U. W., and Venerable Consul 
of the Modern Woodmen of America Camp. 
In political views he is a loyal Democrat, and 
a particular friend and warm supporter of Wil- 
liam Jennings Bryan. 



JOHN F. TROXEL. 

John F. Troxel, deceased, was one of the 
very first settlers in Loup county, locating in 
1879. He was born on a farm in Maryland, 
in 1845, and was the son of John and Sophia 
(Wilhide) Troxel. 

John F. Troxel, deceased, saw service in 
the civil war as a member of Company G, 
Third Maryland Infantry, and when the war 
was over he came west to Illinois, where, in 
1868, he was married to Miss Mary J. Groves, 
a native of New York state. Her father was 
Jeremiah Groves, who lived and died in New 
York ; her mother was Miss Susanna Livings- 
ton before marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Troxel had 
seven children : Harvey, Alice, John, George 
and Harry ; Annie and Ernest are deceased. 

In 1869 Mr. and Mrs. Troxel came west to 
Saunders county, Nebraska, where they lived 
for ten years, and when they first came, only 
a few shacks could be seen. They migrated to 
Loup county in March, 1879, and located a 
homestead eleven miles up the Loup river 
from Taylor. They came overland in a cov- 
ered wagon and were two weeks on the road. 
The nearest trading points were North Loup 
and Ord ; and a little later Burwell and Sear- 
gent. Mr. Troxel's first house was a log cabin 
with a sod roof, and everything was of the 
most primitive nature. 

John F. Troxel died in the fall of 1888, 
when the oldest boy was eighteen years of age. 
Mrs. Troxel, from this time on, had to take 
all the responsibility of looking after the farm 
and providing for the family. The dry years 
came and these were hard times for the pio- 
neers. But Mrs. Troxel has succeeded by her 
good management in making a fine home and 
bringing the farm of three hundred and twen- 
ty acres to a high state of improvement. She 
has good buildings and machinery, a fine grove 
of forest trees and a nice bunch of cattle and 
other stock. 

In August, 1907, Mrs. Troxel moved to 
Taylor and left the oldest son, Harvey, in 
charge of the farm. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



135 



Mr. and Mrs. Troxel were among the first 
settlers and took an important and honorable 
position in the growth of the community. 
They had many hard experiences during their 
pioneer days, but they survived them and grew 
in wealth and prosperity. Once, while her hus- 
band was gone for supplies, a number 
of Indians made their way into the house with- 
out her knowledge. After giving her quite a 
scare, the Indians asked for a little flour, but, 
as her supply was low, she had to refuse them. 
They made no trouble but hung around the 
house. Fortunately, Air. Troxel arrived the 
next day with his load of supplies, and a trade 
was made with the Indians so that they got 
their flour and went away happy. 



IRA E. TASK. 



Among the early settlers in western Ne- 
braska, who labored for the upbuilding of that 
region and has met with marked success as a 
business man and gained a high station as a 
citizen, none commands higher respect and es- 
teem than the subject of this review. Mr. 
Tash is a gentleman of active public spirit, and 
has been prominent in local and county affairs 
for many years past, serving in diliferent offi- 
cial capacities, to which he was elected on the 
Republican ticket, and is also well known in 
Masonic circles throughout this country. He 
resides in Alliance, Box Butte county, and has 
acted as postmaster of that place since 1903, 
proving a most popular and efficient man for 
the place, universally esteemed as a true and 
worthy citizen. 

Mr. Tash was born in Clark county, Iowa, 
in 1862. His father, Louis Tash, was a native 
of Indiana, whose grandfather was of an old 
South Carolina family. He married Miss Mary 
E. Weeter, and they started life together in a 
log cabin on a farm, where our subject grew 
up assisting his parents in carrying on the 
farm work and at the same time attending the 
country schools until he was nineteen years 
of age. He progressed rapidly and was able 
to teach in their vicinity during the winters, 
and his summers were spent in railroading. 
He followed this work for seven years, and in 
1887 left Indiana and came west, first settling 
in Nonpariel (now extinct), then the county 
seat of Box Butte county. There he was en- 
gaged in the real estate and farm loan busi- 
ness for ten years, aiding materially in settling 
the country and developing the commercial and 
agricultural resources of the region. In the 
fall of 1889 he was elected county clerk and 



served his term, then the county seat was 
moved to Hemingford. At the expiration of 
his term of office he, together with S. P. Tuttle, 
opened a law, loan and real estate business, 
which they continued with success from 1892 
to 1899, in September of the latter year our 
subject removing to Alliance, where the county 
seat had finally been established, he also mov- 
ing his dwelling house to Alliance. For the 
following two years he worked at railroad con- 
struction on the Union Pacific. In 1902 he 
became associate editor of The Times, a lead- 
ing newspaper of Alliance, retaining this po- 
sition for one year, then was appointed post- 
master, which position he is now filling with 
much credit. In 1905 he was appointed re- 
ceiver of the Bank of Hemingford and satis- 
factorily disposed of that business. Mr. Tash 
is a man of superior business tact and exec- 
utive ability, and had filled numerous respon- 
sible positions. 

In 1888 our subject married Miss Eva M. 
Wilcox, daughter of B, J. Wilcox, a farmer 
of Union county, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Tash 
have been born the following children : Charles 
C, Emma E., and Nellie M. 

Since locating in Alliance Mr. Tash has 
been actively interested in all local affairs and 
has held numerous offices, in each of which 
he has discharged his duties faithfully' and 
well, gaining the confidence of his fellow-men 
by his strict integrity and honest dealings. He 
is past master of the Alliance Lodge No. 183, 
A. F. and A. M., and a member of the Sheba 
Chapter No. 54, also a member of the Eastern 
Star, and Bunah Commandery No. 26, Knights 
Templar. 



ALFRED C. KENDALL. 

In reviewing the list of prominent pioneer 
business men of Rock county, a leading place 
is accorded the name of Alfred C. Kendall. 
This gentleman has been intimately associated 
financially and socially with the development 
of this section of the country, and has been 
a potent factor in its upbuilding. 

Mr. Kendall was born in Canton, Bradford 
county. Pa., on January 4, 1837, the second in 
a family of three children. His father, Seneca 
Kendall, a native of Vermont and a wagon- 
maker by trade, was of Irish descent, and his 
mother. Miss Sally Andrus, was of German 
stock, and died when our subject was a small 
lad. He was raised in Pennsylvania and re- 
mained with his father until the latter's death, 
which occurred in 1877. In 1862 our subject 
was married to Miss Susan Andrus, of Ameri- 



136 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



can ancestry, and six children were born to 
them, namely: Carrie, wife of J. B. Gould, 
of Brown county; Guy. who married Gertrude 
Harrison ; Monroe, whose wife was Edyth 
Piersall ; Chester C. ; Kate, who married Mr. 
Trogood and lives west of Bassett ; and Min- 
nie. The wife and mother died January 2, 
1891, and Mr. Kendall was subsequently mar- 
ried to Mrs. Anna (Matson) Andrus. 

While in Pennsylvania Mr. Kendall fol- 
lowed carpentry, and after working at this 
for twenty years came to Cass county, Ne- 
braska, locating twenty miles east of Lincoln, 
in 1881, buying a farm of one hundred and 
twenty acres, on which he remained for three 
years. In 1884 the family moved to Rock 
county, settling on a government tract located 
in section 11, township 31, range 20, where 
they lived for twelve years. This land was 
subject to drouth and he sold out and in 1896 
bought part of his present farm, situated in 
section 26, township 32, range 20, paying $650 
for one hundred and sixty acres, this being en- 
tirely unimproved land, with a good growth of 
natural timber on it, and located close to the 
Niobrara river. Since then they have added 
to this farm and improved it, until now, to- 
gether with his sons, he has sixteen hundred 
acres of homestead and deeded land and leases 
four hundred acres additional, operating alto- 
gether two thousand acres, enclosed by thir- 
teen or fourteen miles of fence. They also 
have a good set of farm buildings, a fine or- 
chard of sixty bearing trees, and a twenty- 
acre tract of irrigated land, which is conceded 
to be the best market garden in northwestern 
Nebraska. Three reservoirs have been built 
on the range by damming the spring streams 
which run from the hills, one built in 1900, 
another in 1901, and the third in 1902, and 
from these Mr. Kendall conserves water 
enough to irrigate the twenty acres above men- 
tioned, although there are years when no irri- 
gation is necessary, the natural rainfall being 
sufficient. Dairying is one branch of industry 
of this enterprising family, the cream of twenty 
cows being shipped to eastern markets. Farm- 
ing and ranching also have their place on this 
productive estate, each of which is conducted 
on an extensive scale. Mr. Kendall insists that 
much credit is due his family, and in particular 
his son, Guy R. Kendall, who is business man- 
ager, for their part in the building up and im- 
proving of this property. Of the Kendall ranch 
thirty acres are situated on the river bottom, 
and this has been cleared of brush and timber, 
thus forming a valueble portion of the farm. 
During the Rebellion Mr. Kendall volun- 
teered twice and was rejected. Later he en- 



listed in the One Hundred and Forty-ninth 
Pennsylvania Infantry, in September, 1863, at 
Williamsport. He was assigned to duty with 
the Army of the Potomac under Colonel 
Dwight, serving si.x months during the winter 
of 1863 and 1864 on guard duty along a rail- 
road, a crippled foot preventing his partici- 
pating in long marches, a disability for which 
he was discharged in the spring of 1864. 

Mr. Kendall is a strong Republican, takes 
an active part in party politics, both local and 
state, having attended numerous conventions 
as a delegate. September 7, 1907, he was ap- 
pointed postmaster at Cuba postoffice and the 
daily mail is now distributed from his ranch. 

A view of the "Long Pine Valley Farm" 
and buildings will be found on another page. 



GUY R. KENDALL. 

Guy R. Kendall, a well-to-do young farmer 
of Rock county, Nebraska, where he is re- 
garded alike for his manly qualities and his 
farmer-like ways, was born in Canton, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1873, and reared in Bradford 
county, that state, until he was eight years of 
age. He is a son of Alfred C. Kendall, of whom 
a sketch appears on another page of this work. 

In 1881 the family moved to Nebraska and 
settled in Cass county, twenty miles east of 
Lincoln, and in 1884 moved to Rock county, 
some two and a half miles south of their pres- 
ent dwellings. At an early age our subject be- 
gan to handle a team and do farm work, and 
grew up accustomed to all sorts of hard work 
always to be found in carrying on a farm. He 
has remained at home with his parents, and 
has given all his time and best efforts in as- 
sisting in the improvement and operation of 
the large farm described in his father's sketch, 
being the business manager of their large and 
varied industries. 

Mr. Kendall was married June 23. 1903, to 
Gertrude K. Harrison, born near Jefferson, 
Green county, Iowa, in 1874. Her people were 
old settlers in Nebraska, where she was reared 
and educated. Her parents, James H. and 
Emma (Robinson) Harrison, were old settlers 
in Keya Paha county, where they started as 
pioneers, the family at first living in a log 
house, their first farming being done with a 
yoke of oxen. They built up a comfortable 
home in this locality, and were regarded as 
among the leading citizens of their commu- 
nity. Mrs. Kendall was, prior to her mar- 
riage, a teacher in the schools of Rock county 
for several years, and was a competent in- 
structor and verv estimable lady. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



137 



Mr. Kendall has always taken an active 
part in the school work of his neighborhood, 
and has held different offices for the past 
twelve years. He is also active in political mat- 
ters, and was appointed county commissioner 
of Rock county in 1900, serving for one term. 
He was a Republican. Of the fraternal orders 
he is a member of two, the Odd Fellows and 
the Modern Woodmen of America. A view of 
his residence, together with that of his father, 
is to be seen elsewhere in this work. 



REINHARD GEISERT. 

A sketch of the history of western Nebraska 
would be incomplete without mention of Rein- 
hard Geisert, one of the most prosperous of 
the early settlers of this region. Reinhard Gei- 
sert was born in the little village of Eichstet- 
ten, province of Baden, Germany, August 3, 
1861. His father, Matthew Geisert, was a 
farmer, and lived and died in Germany. His 
mother, who was Louisa Hornecker in her 
youth, died in Ogallala, July 31, 1908, at the 
residence of her son. 

Mr. Geisert remained in Germany until he 
was eighteen years of age, when he came to 
America, sailing from Havre. France, Febru- 
ary 10, 1880, and landed in New York after a 
voyage of thirteen days. He came direct to 
Henry county, Illinois, where several uncles 
had preceded him, and here he spent three 
years, at times engaged in farm labor and work 
in a sawmill, and attending school one winter 
during that time. 

In 1883 he turned west through Iowa and 
eastern Nebraska, looking over the country, 
seeing Keith county during the fall of this year. 
At that time cowboys and gamblers ruled the 
town of Ogallala and he saw man}^ thousands 
of dollars piled on the gambling tables of the 
town. Men were frequently killed in quar- 
rels during these days and drunken cowboys 
often rode through the town killing horses 
for which they afterward had to pay. 

In the fall of 1883 he filed on a homestead in 
section 28, township 13, range Z7 , which he im- 
proved the following year, farming a little and 
building a frame shanty and sod barn. He at 
times worked out for other settlers in eastern 
Nebraska, helping them to shuck their corn, 
to increase his income, when not employed on 
his own place. 

Until the winter of 1885 Mr. Geisert had 
been alone in this country, but at that time 
he revisited his old home and brought his 
mother, four brothers and a sister to this coun- 
trv, returning to Nebraska with them in 1886. 



Here his brothers settled on claims and com- 
menced farming with very little capital, after a 
time buying horses, cattle and machinery. 

They were obliged to endure many hard- 
ships during the dry years following 1890. 
From 1890 to 1895 they had but one good crop, 
the crop of 1892. In spite of all these discour- 
agements they persevered and began to raise 
cattle and horses, which made it possible for 
them to succeed when farming proved to be 
unprofitable. 

Mr. Geisert has a farm of one thousand 
acres at the present time, with as many more 
under his control ; two hundred acres he thor- 
oughly cultivates and the rest is devoted to 
pasturage, all enclosed with ten miles of fence. 
He has also several fine buildings on his farm, 
among them being a fine large house, and a 
barn which cost him two thousand dollars. 

]\Ir. Geisert has from one hundred and fifty 
to two hundred head of cattle and fifteen head 
of horses. He milks from thirty to forty cows, 
whose cream brings in a comfortable and 
steady income. At times he raises hogs to help 
out his other enterprises, but does not raise 
a large herd every year. 

He was married in 1886 to Miss Katie Mil- 
ler, a native of Germany, whose father, Fred 
Miller, a native of that country, spent his entire 
life there. Mr. and Mrs. Geisert have eight 
children : Dora, wife of Otto Pankonin, of 
Perkins county ; Louisa, a teacher in the Keith 
county schools; Caroline, Reinhard, Jr., Min- 
nie, Robert, Mary and Ida. 

JNIr. Geisert has taken a prominent part in 
the establishment of the schools and has been 
school officer ever s-ince the schools were es- 
tablished. He also helped to build the first 
country church in the county. He was com- 
pelled to endure many hardships during the 
first years of his life in Nebraska and was 
often lost on the prairie where there were no 
roads or trails. The family all belong to the 
Lutheran church. 

Mr. Geisert is one of the most highly re- 
spected of the old settlers and has held many 
offices of trust, having been justice of the 
peace several terms and precinct assessor. He 
is a stanch Democrat. 



R. LISCO. 



R. Lisco is vice-president and general man- 
ager of the Rush Creek Land and Live Stock 
Company, with the home ranch located on sec- 
tion ZZ, township 16, range 46, situated at the 
head of Rush creek, in Deuel county, Nebraska. 
This company was organized in 1890, and was 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



formerly known as the Club Ranch, formed 
in 1883, was closed out in 1886 and reorgan- 
ized under the present name in 1890, with oiifi- 
cers as follows: Thomas E. Wells, president; 
R. Lisco. vice-president and general manager. 

R. Lisco. the subject of this sketch, was 
born in Worth county, Iowa, November 21, 
1858. He grew up in Iowa, receiving a good 
schooling, following farming as a boy, and 
came to Platte count)' in 1873 and to Deuel 
county in 1881. Upon landing in this region 
he became interested in ranching and stock 
raising, and has devoted all his time to that 
pursuit ever since. The firm which he now 
represents owns forty-eight thousand acres of 
ranch land, besides other property. It is im- 
proved with good buildings of every kind and 
well equipped for the proper handling of a 
large herd of cattle, being (jne of the most 
complete Outfits of its kind in the west. They 
run from six thousand to eight thousand cat- 
tle each year, besides a large number of horses, 
at the present time having three hundred and 
fifty head on the ranch. 

Our subject was married at Chappell, Ne- 
braska, February 5, 1895, to Miss Addie R. 
Miller, who was born in Michigan and came 
west in 1894. They have no children. Mr. 
Lisco's father is living with him at the ad- 
vanced age of eighty-four years. 

Mr. Lisco has always taken an active part 
in local affairs and has been a leading citizen 
of his county since locating here. In 1889 he 
was elected sheriff of Deuel county, and served 
in all for four terms. 



COLONEL HARRY W. KIRBY. 

Colonel Harry W. Kirby, one of the Old set- 
tlers of Thomas county, Nebraska, now resid- 
ing in Thedford, is a leading citizen and popu- 
lar member of the business and social life of 
that community. 

Mr. Kirby was born in Carroll county, 
Ohio, in 1845, of American stock. His mater- 
nal grandfather, Jacob Bear, was of Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch blood, and one of the pioneer set- 
tlers of Ohio, having settled in Harrison coun- 
ty in 1813. The lather of our subject, Ephraim 
Kirby, was born in 1808 at Bedford, Pennsj-l- 
vania, and came to Ohio in 1824 with his 
mother, three brothers arid four sisters, all of 
whom were reared, educated and married and 
had large families. Ephraim taught school 
and entered a quarter of land, upon which he 
lived until his death in September, 1888. He 



married Elizabeth Bear in 1832, by which union 
they reared nine children, six boys and three 
girls, the colonel being fourth in line. 

At the age of fifteen our subject taught 
school and entered college and in 1861 he. with 
fifteen of his classmates, enlisted in the Eight- 
ieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This 
regiment followed the fortunes of Grant and 
Sherman through every southern state except 
Florida, and stained the soil with their blood 
at Shiloh, Corinth. luka. Yicksburg, Mission- 
ary' Ridge. Lookout Mountain, Atlanta, march 
to the sea. and up the coast to final surrender 
and grand review at \\'ashington. He was a 
brilliant soldier and held the position of lieu- 
tenant colonel of his regiment at the close of 
the war. 

After returning home when peace had been 
declared Colonel Kirby entered the University 
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and took up a lit- 
erary course, graduating with high honors in 
1869. He then read law and was admitted to 
the bar in his native state and later in In- 
diana, where he spent the ten years from 1880 
to 1890 in law and editorial work as proprie- 
tor of the Decatur Journal. As a Republican 
he has always taken an active part in poli- 
tics. He came to the state of Nebraska in 
1904, took up a section of. land under the Kin- 
caid law and has been twice elected county 
judge. 

Colonel Kirby was married in March, 1907, 
to Miss Elizabeth P. Crawford, a charming and 
accomplished lady, also from Ohio. 



JUDGE W. C. ELDER. 

W. C. Elder, of North Platte, Lincoln 
county, Nebraska, was elected judge of the 
county court in 1905. Prior to this he was 
clerk of the district court for fifteen years, and 
throughout all his public career has had the 
confidence and esteem of all who knew him 
for his honesty and integrity in all matters of 
public interest. 

Mr. Elder is a native of Indiana county, 
Pennsylvania, and his father was also born 
in that county. His grandfather, James El- 
der, was a fuller and farmer. In 1853, at the 
age of seven years, our subject came to Green 
county. Iowa, with his parents, where he aft- 
erwards farmed it for some time. He was jus- 
tice of the peace in that section, also assessor 
and deputy sheriff. He was the first man to 
sink a coal shaft in central Iowa, and was 
fortunate in obtaining a large amount of good 
coal. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



139 



At the age of seventeen years he enHsted 
in Company C, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, 
and served in the western army. He was at 
the battle of Red Mound, Tennessee, and 
scouted all over the central part of the latter 
state after the battle of Lookout jMountain. 
He was at Altoona Pass, Georgia, where the 
Thirty-ninth Regiment held the fort, over one- 
half of their number being killed or wounded, 
nine out of the eleven officers losing their lives 
in the encounter. At the same battle our sub- 
ject received two wounds which incapacitated 
him from service for a time, but he rejoined 
his regiment at Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 
April, 1865, and took part in the grand review 
at Washington in M,ay, 1865. 

In 1882 Mr. Elder came to Nebraska and 
located at ^Medicine Creek on a farm, where 
he engaged in stock raising, holding this prop- 
ert}- up to 1905, then sold out his interest. He 
settled in North Platte in 1889, and has been 
prominent in politics for forty-one years, al- 
wavs a strong Republican. He was justice 
of the peace for many years, and is widely 
known all through this section of the country 
as an active public-spirited citizen. 

Mr. Elder was married in 1867 at Rippy, 
Iowa, to ]\Irs. E. A. York. They have one son, 
Ora, of North Platte, who is a prominent real 
estate dealer and actively interested in county 
and state politics. He is chairman of the Re- 
publican county committee, and also of the 
senatorial committee. Our subject's first wife 
died at North Platte, Nebraska, in October, 
1883, and on January 5, 1898, he married Mrs. 
Mary H. Clerk, of North Platte. This union 
has been blessed with one son, W. C, born 
September 8, 1900. 



ALFRED W. ROGERS. 

For over twenty years past the gentleman 
above named has been identified with the agri- 
cultural interests of Wheeler county, Ne- 
braska. He has aided materially in transform- 
ing this locality from its wild natural state 
into the thriving farming district it has now 
become. Mr. Rogers is a gentleman of un- 
usual perseverance and energy, and has met 
with deserved success in his labors and is to- 
day classed among the leading citizens of his 
community. 

Alfred W. Rogers was born in Kent county, 
Michigan, in 1853. His father, Joseph Rogers, 
was a native of Canada and married Lucinda 
Hathaway, also a native of that country, and 
they left their native land and came to the 



L'nited States during their young days, set- 
tling in Newaygo county, Michigan, where 
they built up a good home, and where their 
children grew up. Our subject remained there 
up to 1878, when he was twenty-three years 
of age, then came west, locating in Nebraska, 
taking up a pre-emption in section 26, town- 
ship 21, range 11, Wheeler county. He bought 
land as he became able, and kept improving 
his place, and is now proprietor of as. fine a 
farm as can be found in this locality, con- 
taining in all four hundred and eighty acres, 
on which he grows small grains of all kinds. 
In addition to his farming operations Mr. Rog- 
ers deals in stock to quite an extent, running 
cattle and hogs principally, but he is of the 
opinion that his farm is better adapted to 
grain raising and cultivates nearly all of it for 
this purpose. He has erected a good set of 
substantial farm buildings, has good wells, 
windmills, etc., and is widely known through- 
out the locality as an agriculturist of ability 
and a good business man. 

In 1883 Air. Rogers was married to Miss 
Helen Westbrook, born and reared in New 
York state, and of this union six children 
were born, who are named as follows : Ella, 
Ida, ;\lyrtle, Thomas, Frank and Alice. Air. 
Rogers is an independent voter, and while he 
takes a keen interest in local public aiTairs, 
has never aspired to office, preferring to give 
his whole attention to the development of his 
farm and in the quiet of his home life. How- 
ever, he has served on the school board in 
his district for several years. 



JOHN A. SLATER. 

For the past twenty-five years the citizens 
of Alinden, Kearney county, Nebraska, have 
had in their midst a gentleman who has been 
identified with the development and growth of 
this region from its early settlement. Mr. Sla- 
ter is engaged in the real estate and loan busi- 
ness, and has occupied the office where he 
now carries on his business since the year 
1883. 

Mr. Slater is a native of Whiteside county, 
Illinois, born in 1856. His father, Roswell Sla- 
ter, was a member of the Seventy-fifth Illinois 
Infantry, and died while fighting for his coun- 
try in 1863. 

Mr. Slater is now chairman of the county 
board of supervisors, serving his second term. 
He is also president of the First National Bank 
at Bertrand, and controls most of the stock of 
that bank, which was established December 



140 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



13, 1906. The contracts for the new $80,000 
court house is under his control as chairman 
of the county board, and much of his time is 
spent in looking after these different matters. 
He has been county surveyor a great deal of 
his time since coming here. Kearney county 
rates as high as any, the best land averaging 
seventy-iive dollars per acre, and in 1905 Mr. 
Slater sold sixty farms in Gosper county. In 
1906 he sold from thirty to forty quarter sec- 
tions in Cheyenne county, also a great deal in 
Phelps county and Kearney county. He has 
been one of the leading real estate men in 
western Nebraska for many years past. The 
Swedes who settle here buy land, but do not 
often sell, and some of them own up to two 
sections. 

Mr. Slater is owner of over two thousand 
acres in this and the adjoining counties, all 
of which he rents out, and he states that the 
land in this region has more than doubled in 
value during the past four years. Four years 
ago he bought three hundred and twenty acres, 
for which he paid eight thousand dollars, and 
only recently was offered twenty-two thousand 
dollars for it, but refused the oft'er. One of 
his farms is stocked with cattle and horses, 
and the balance are devoted to grain culture. 

Mr. Slater occupies a fine residence in Min- 
den, his family consisting of his wife, one son, 
Roscoe J., who is cashier of the First National 
Bank of Bertrand, and one daughter, Alena, 
wife of R. J. Strabel, and two unmarried daugh- 
ters, Edna and Loretta. For the past ten years 
Mr. Slater has been a member of the board of 
trustees of the Wesleyan University for Ne- 
braska. This school has had a hard struggle 
for existence, and he has given liberally of 
his money and time to help the institution 
along. He is a member of the executive com- 
mittee, and the school now has about one thou- 
sand students and is developing rapidly. He 
has been on the board of the Minden Alethod- 
ist Episcopal church since he first located here, 
and this church has recently built a fine new 
brick buildinar. 



TIMOTHY MORRISSEY, Dece.vsed. 

Timothy Morrissey, deceased, one of the 
most prominent early settlers in western Ne- 
braska, was proprietor of a fine ranch of six 
thousand acres located twenty-four miles from 
Cliadron, residing prior to his decease with 
his famih' in that town, where he moved in 
1906 in order to give his children the advan- 
tages of the city schools. Mr. Morrissey was 



among the earliest settlers in the vicinity of 
Chadron, there being very few white men here 
when he arrived. He was an important fac- 
tor in the development of the financial re- 
sources of that region, and was widely and fa- 
vorably known throughout Dawes and the ad- 
joining counties. 

Mr. Morrissey was born in Livingston 
county, New York, in 1860. His father was 
Andrew Morrissey, born in Ireland, who came 
to this country when a young man and started 
a farm in New York state. He had brought 
his bride, who was Katherine Dowling, of 
Queens county, Ireland, with him to the new 
country, and together they began life in the 
land of the free, building up a comfortable 
home. They raised their family in Livingston 
count3^ where they were taught to do all kinds 
of farm work, and in his boyhood days our sub- 
ject worked out on dift'erent farms in the vi- 
cinity of his home. 

In 1884 he came west and arrived in Ne- 
braska on March 31, camping out on the Bor- 
deaux creek, Dawes county, in Pete Nelson's 
yards, where Chadron first started. Mr. Mor- 
rissey had footed it through this county from 
\"alentine, as he had no team and the railroad 
was not at that time through this section. In 
the spring of that year he fi4ed on a pre-emp- 
tion north of Chadron and later returned to 
\'alentine, where he remained for a short time 
and then went farther west, traveling by ox 
team through the country. His was the first 
shack ever built in what is now the town of 
Chadron, and he drove the first well on the 
upland near that place. The present site of 
Chadron was then "prairie dog town." Dur- 
ing the winter of 1885-86 he was city marshal 
and made Chadron his home up to the spring 
of 1889, serving as deputy treasurer of Dawes 
county under DeForrest Richards, and that 
same year moved to twenty-four miles south 
of Chadron, where he took up a homestead 
and timber claim, all of which was wild land. 
Here he tried farming for the first few years, 
but did not have very good success, so went 
into the stock raising business. He put up 
good buildings and improved his place con- 
stantly. He was owner of six thousand acres 
of good ranch land, engaging exclusively in 
sheep raising, and made a pronounced suc- 
cess of this line of work. When the C. & N. 
W. Railway was put through the sand hills 
in Cherry county, Mr. Morrissey was one of 
those who assisted in the work. Mr. Mor- 
rissey had a fine house containing nine rooms, 
the building being tWo stories high. His barn 
is 28x56, and plenty of good shed room, etc., 
and he put six wells on his place, with four 




\V. II. MILLER. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



141 



windmills and everything necessary to make 
a model ranch. He had telephone connections 
at his ranch home, building the line himself 
out of his own pocket. In September, 1906, 
Mr. Morrissey purchased his town residence 
and moved his family there, and until his de- 
mise divided his time between his ranch and 
city home, devoting all his attention to the 
building up of these places. Mr. Morrissey 
died the 20th day of December, 1907. 

Mr. Morrissey was married in April, 1889, 
to Miss Agnes L. Bartlett, daughter of Al- 
fred E. Bartlett, farmer and ranchman of 
Dawes county, of Yankee stock, originally from 
Massachusetts. To Mr. and Mrs. Morrissey 
were born five children, namely: May, Inez, 
Harry, Reta and Mart, all of whom were born 
on the ranch. Mart, the baby, last named, died 
the 16th day of December, 1907, four days be- 
fore her father's decease. 

For six years Mr. Morrissey acted as jus- 
tice of the peace in Dawes county, during that 
time performing many marriages among the 
people of this region. He also held the posi- 
tion of postmaster at Dunlap, this county, for 
five years, and through these offices became a 
familiar and widely known citizen of the 
county. 



W. H. MILLER. 

W. H. Miller, county attorney of Franklin 
county, Nebraska, is one of the leading citi- 
zens of his vicinity. He is the only child of 
A. V. Miller, retired, of Franklin, who is one 
of the oldest settlers in western Nebraska, 
having located in this county in 1880, home- 
steading in Macon township one hundred and 
sixty acres, breaking up the land and building 
a sod house, and who went through all the 
pioneer experiences of failures of crops and 
the discouragements familiar to the early set- 
tlers in this state. A. V. Miller was born in 
Waldoboro, Maine, in 1841, and enlisted in the 
United States navy in 1864, serving on the 
sloop "Brooklyn" and the gunboat "Ottawa" 
on the Atlantic at the battle of Fort Fisher 
under Admiral Porter. He was mustered out 
at the Brooklyn navy yard in 1865. 

His father, Gilmore Miller, served in the 
Twentieth Maine Regiment through the Civil 
war, from 1862 up to 1865. He was in the 
Army of Port Hudson, under General Banks. 
Our subject's grandfather, Frank Miller, of 
Lincoln county, Maine, was in the war of 1812; 
also his father, William Miller, was a soldier 
in the Revolutionary war, so that the Millers 
were of fighting blood from the earliest days. 



and were brave soldiers and patriotic citi- 
zens. Hiram Miller came to this country from 
Germany as early as 1767. A. V. Miller's 
mother was Elizabeth Hahn, of Waldoboro, 
Maine. He married Aliss Asenith Mack at 
Lawrence, Massachusetts, daughter of George 
and Louise Chase Mack, of Eaton, New Hamp- 
shire. Mrs. Miller was born in Carroll county, 
that state, and her mother was a daughter of 
Oliver and Abigail (Fernal) Chase, whose fam- 
ily settled there before the Revolutionary war. 
Our subject is the owner of a fine four-hun- 
dred-acre farm in Ash Grove township and 
Bloomington town.ship, while his son, W. H. 
Miller, owns two hundred and forty acres un- 
der ditch on Snake river, in Carbon county, 
Wyoming. The latter married Miss Verna 
Furry, of Franklin, daughter of L. E. Furry 
and Carrie Bender Furry, both of whom came 
from Bedford county, Pennsylvania, whose 
parents were early pioneers in that state. Mr. 
and Mrs. Miller have two sons, Leonard, Avy 
and Herbert Ross. 

Attorney Miller was born in Butler county, 
Iowa, in 1870. He attended Franklin Academy 
and studied law at the Lincoln State Univer- 
sity, and graduated from that institution in 
1897, at once opening an office in Hildreth. 
He was elected county attorney the follow- 
ing year and served one term, and re-elected 
in 1906, on the Republican ticket. He is rec- 
ognized as one of the leading men of the pro- 
fession in this part of the state, and has gained 
a high position in the estimation of his asso- 
ciates as a man of superior ability and judg- 
ment in all matters. He is a member of the 
Presbyterian church, and of the fraternal or- 
der of Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A 
portrait of Mr. Miller appears on another page 
of this volume. 



HENRY H. PROUTY. 

The history of Kimball county, Nebraska, 
would be incomplete without the life story of 
Henry H. Prouty, one of the most prominent 
of the pioneers of western Nebraska. Mr. 
Prouty was elected judge of the county in 1895, 
and. with the exception of the years 1897 and 
1898, has held the office ever since, being the 
present incumbent. Judge Prouty has served 
his country with rare fidelity and acceptability 
and has won a high place in the esteem of his 
associates. 

Henry H. Prouty was born in Brattleboro, 
Vermont, December 28, 1842, being the young- 
est of ten children in his father's family. Mr. 
Prouty was reared in his native state, receiv- 



142 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing a good education and working for years 
in a carriage factory in Brattleboro. In April, 
1886. he came west, locating in Kimball (then 
Cheyenne) county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Prouty saw active service in the Civil 
war, enlisting June 20th, in Company C, Sec- 
ond \'erniont Infantry. He entered the serv- 
ice as a private and. when mustered out in 
1865 he had risen to the rank of senior cap- 
tain of Company B of his regiment. Our sub- 
ject participated in many severe battles from 
Bull Run to Appomattox. He was shot 
through both thighs May 4, 1863, at Salem 
Heights, Virginia, and was confined to the hos- 
pital for three months, after which he returned 
to his company. He was adjutant and quar- 
termaster on the regimental staff, serving with 
honor and distinction, and was mustered out 
at Balls Cross Road. Virginia, July 28, 1865, 
after which he returned to \"ermont. 

Henry H. Prouty was married in Brattle- 
boro, Vermont, March 16, 1867, to Julia M. 
Hurley, a native of Ireland, and who died in 
Kimball, Nebraska, May 14, 1908. She was 
sincerely mourned by her family and a large 
circle of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Prouty were 
the parents of children: Edward M.. mar- 
ried and living in Kimball, Nebraska; Ella M., 
now Mrs. E. M. Farley, of Lawrence, Massa- 
chusetts, and Caroline M., who is Mrs. Frank 
Lynch and a resident of Kimball ; Harriet L., 
married to Lucian Stedman and living at Gard- 
ner, Massachusetts; and Julie M.. married to 
Thnrlaw Weed and living in North Loup, Ne- 
braska. 

Our subject, on coming to Nebraska, lo- 
cated on a claim in section 14, township 16, 
range 56, and later took a tree claim. In 
1868 he sold his ranch and moved to Kimball, 
the county seat, where he has resided ever 
since. Mr. Prouty was postmaster of Kim- 
ball under President Cleveland's second ad- 
ministration. Judge Prouty is a Democrat 
in politics and his popularity is shown by the 
fact that, although he is a Democrat in poli- 
tics, he has been elected in a strong Repub- 
lican county and at the last election he was 
also nominated at the Republican primaries. 



CHARLES F. BOYER. 

The above is one of the old settlers of Ne- 
braska who came to this state when it was 
practically in its infancy and has remained to 
see it grow from a wild prairie tract to the 
fertile and productive country it has now be- 
come. While building up a good home and 



competence for himself he has also aided ma- 
terially in the growth of his locality and -is 
now prepared to enjoy the fruits of his many 
years of hard labor and share in the prosperity 
of the region. He has a comfortable residence 
and pleasant home in section 24, township 25, 
range 33. Cherry county, and is held in high 
esteem by all who know him. 

Mr. Boyer was born in Grayson county, 
Virginia, in 1874. He is a brother of Fiels L. 
B. K. Boyer, whose sketch appears in this 
book, and a son of Hugh Boyer, an old settler 
of Cherry county, of old American stock. 
When our subject was nine years old the 
family settled in Madison county, in the east- 
ern part of Nebraska, and with his father made 
the trip to Cherry county about 1886, where 
they picked out a location on which they made 
settlement in that year, the balance of the 
family coming here later on, traveling through 
the country by team with a covered wagon 
containing their goods. 

At the first they put up a rough building 
and started to break up land for a farm. All 
supplies had to be hauled from Purdum, a dis- 
tance of fifty miles from their claim, and their 
nearest trading post. 

\M'ien Charles was eighteen years of age 
he started out for himself in Madison county, 
where he farmed for three years, then returned 
to Cherry county for a time, and was back 
and forth between the two places up to 1898, 
finall)' settling permanently nine miles north- 
west of Mullen. He is now owner of a good 
ranch consisting of eight hundred acres, which 
is devoted to cattle raising, and he is also in- 
terested in the dairying business on quite a 
large scale. 

In 1901 Mr. Boyer was married to Stella 
Hewitt, daughter of ^\'ilson Hewitt, an old 
settler and owner of a good farm located near 
Kearney, Nebraska, where Mrs. Boyer was 
born and reared. Mr. and Mrs. Royer are the 
])arents of four children, namely: Esther, 
W'ava, Bertha and Leonard. Mr. Boyer is in- 
dependent in politics, voting for the men and 
measures he believes best suited to the needs 
of the people. 



HON. DAVID HANNA. 

David Haniia. one of the older settlers of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, and a popular res- 
ident of Wood Lake, has watched the devel- 
opment and growth of this section for the past 
twenty-five years, and has gained an enviable 
reputation as a successful business man and 




HON. DAVID HANNA. 




MRS. DAVID HANNA. 



-^^OaQM^^^ 



PONV t-AKE PANOR/ 




KAX'Cll I'KOHKKT^ 
Cherry 



Stig Mg'ia^aa *'" "'^ 



3jiB&i«*2i$ii.=oix=.' 




VIEW FROM NORTHWEST 




iN. DAVID HAXXA, 
Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



143 



worthy citizen. He is engaged in the banking 
business and is widely known throughout this 
and adjoining counties. 

Mr. Hanna was born near Lisbon Center, 
St. Lawrence county, New York, Judy 4, 1844. 
His father, John Hanna, was of Scotch- 
Irish stock, farmer by occupation, and his 
family of eight children were reared and edu- 
cated on the farm where our subject early 
learned to perform all sorts of hard labor, and 
received a good old-fashioned training which 
fitted him for the struggle with fortune which 
he encountered later in life. He first started 
out for himself at the age of nineteen years, 
when, together with one brother, he came west 
to Winona county, Minnesota, where they 
worked on farms for three years. In 1888 the 
parents with five sons followed and each 
bought land on the Winnebago reservation. 
In 1883 Mr. Hanna first came to Cherry county 
in company with his youngest brother, driving 
a bunch of cattle from Minnesota to this coun- 
ty, and immediately settled in section 18, town- 
ship 29, range 27. on a homestead and tree 
claim and started in the stock raising business. 
He proved up on these places and having im- 
proved it with good buildings and fences, it 
is now considered one of the best ranches in 
the county. It is personally managed by him- 
self and he derives a good income from the 
stock which he keeps on the place. The range 
contains eight thousand acres, and he runs 
about sixteen hundred cattle and two hundred 
and fifty horses on it. The surrounding coun- 
try is well settled now, but when Mr. Hanna 
came here the nearest neighbor was thirty 
miles from his place, and he and his brother 
were the first white men to settle west of the 
village of Johnstown. There was no one liv- 
ing between his farm and Valentine, and no 
one south between his ranch and Broken Bow. 
He has always done his share in advancing the 
interests of Cherry county, and has built up a 
fine estate, which would be a great credit in 
the older and more thickly settled portions of 
the country. April 1, 1904, he bought a half 
interest in the bank at Wood Lake, purchased 
a fine residence and moved into town to give 
personal attention to the business. In 1890 
Mr. Hanna was elected sheriff of this county, 
serving one term, and in 1902 was sent to the 
state legislature to represent the county as a 
member of the lower house. Since 1906 he 
has been a member of the state senate from his 
district. 

Mr. Hanna was married to Miss Janette 
Lambie, who was born in Hammond, St. Law- 
rence county, New York, in 1854, of Scotch de- 
scent. Seven children have been born to Mr. 



and Mrs. Hanna, four of whom are living, 
named as follows: Niel, Florence, Mary and 
Charlotte, all reared in Cherry county. They 
are consistent members of the Presbyterian 
church. 

Mr. Hanna with his family occupies a beau- 
tiful si.x thousand dollar residence in Wood 
Lake, and devotes his time to his different en- 
terprises. He takes a keen interest in politics 
and keeps abreast of the times in matters of 
local and national importance. He is a Re- 
publican in politics. He is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, affiliating with the blue 
lodge at Wood Lake, the Chapter at Long 
Pine, the Commandery at Norfolk and the 
Shrine at Omaha. He also holds membership 
in the A, O. U. W. at Wood Lake. 

One of the most interesting illustrations 
in this work, and which is shown on another 
page, is a view of the home and its surround- 
ings. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Hanna will 
also be found elsewhere. 



JOHN GENTRY. 

Among the oldest settlers of western Ne- 
braska who has taken an active part in the de- 
velopment of that region and gone through 
many bitter experiences in building up a home 
and competence out of nothing excepting his 
strong heart and willing hands, the gentleman 
above named deserves prominent mention. He 
came here when this part of the state was en- 
tirely undeveloped, towns were few and far 
between, supplies had to be hauled from North 
Platte to his claim, which was located twelve 
miles northwest of where the town of Whit- 
man now stands, before the railroads were put 
through any portion of Grant county, and has 
come out victorious from the struggle. He 
had just gotten his home established and his 
farm nicely started when along came a destructive 
prairie fire and everything was swept away 
with the exception of his house, which was a 
rude aft'air built of sod. This occurred in 1894 
and was a terrible calamity to him at that 
time, as well as to many other poor settlers 
in the vicinity, as it burned off miles of range 
and destroyed many humble homes, 

John Gentry was born on a farm in 
Monroe county, Indiana, in 1858, of American 
stock. He grew to the age of six years on the 
home farm, when the family moved to Illi- 
nois, settling in Hancock county, where he 
was reared and educated. In 1876 he left 
home and emigrated to Kansas, securing em- 
ployment on a ranch and worked as a cow- 



144 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



boy, riding all over the western part of that 
state, eastern Colorado and into Nebraska, 
spending many years in that section of the 
country. He came to Grant county, Nebraska, 
in 1886, the following year took up a home- 
stead in Cherry county, twelve miles north- 
west of Whitman and started at once in the 
cattle business. His first buildings were a sod 
house and barns, corrals, etc., and he lived on 
the place for about eleven years. This ranch 
now consists of three thousand acres, all good 
range land, partly fenced and supplied with 
good farm buildings. There are four flowing 
wells on the ranch, and he has a large bunch 
of cattle and other stock, and has made a de- 
cided success in the ranching business. He 
puts u.p many hundreds of tons of hay each 
year and has some fine lakes on his ranch, 
which abound in many wild ducks and other 
kinds of wild fowl. Mr. Gentry personally con- 
ducts his ranching interests, but in 1896 re- 
moved to Hyannis with his family, where they 
occupy a handsome residence. 

In'lSSS our subject was united in marriage 
to Fannie Monahan Abbott, whose father is 
a prominent pioneer in this part of Nebraska. 
They have two children. Carver and Raymond. 
Both children are at home with their parents 
and are very bright boys, who attend school 
in Hyannis during the session. 



JUDGE FRED N. .MORGAN. 

Judge Fred N. Morgan, who enjoys an ex- 
tensive and lucrative law practice, is one of 
the leading citizens of Bassett. Rock county, 
Nebraska. He is recognized by the legal pro- 
fession as an able representative of the Ne- 
braska bar, and his successful practice is the 
result of his earnest efforts and sound judg- 
ment. He was elected the first county judge 
of Rock county, and held that office for eleven 
years, being re-elected six times. 

Judge Morgan was born in Marion county, 
Indiana, September 22, 1858. His father, Gran- 
ville Morgan, was a farmer and one of the pio- 
neer settlers in Indiana, of American stock. 
When he located in that state he filed on a 
tract of government land situated three miles 
from the city of Indianapolis. Our subject's 
mother was, prior to her marriage, Sarah J. 
Smith, whose father was a Virginian and 
served in the War of 1812. He was an old set- 
tler in Kentucky, where the daughter was born. 
Mr. Morgan was reared and educated in his 
native state, during his boyhood years remain- 
ing on his father's farm and assisting in the 



farm work, following the plow and getting a 
good sturdy training. He attended the coun- 
try schools, and afterwards went to school in 
Indianapolis, graduating from the high school 
there at the age of nineteen. After school 
he spent one year on the home farm, then came 
to Nebraska, settling in Washington county, 
making his home at Blair, where in 1882 he 
began the study of law. In 1885 he moved 
to Newport, remaining four years, then came 
to Bassett, where he received the nomination 
as county judge and was elected, being the first 
judge of Rock county after its organization. 
He had been practicing law for several years 
prior to this, having been admitted to the bar 
in 1887 at Ainsworth. In 1904 he was elected 
county attorney, serving in that capacity two 
years, and has come to be recognized as one 
of the leading lawyers of the locality. He de- 
votes his attention to the building up of his 
practice and has been successful in a marked 
degree. In 1904 he was appointed commis- 
sioner of the United States, having jurisdic- 
tion over land cases and preliminary hearings 
in cases that may come before the criminal 
branch of the court. 

October 7, 1889, Judge Morgan was mar- 
ried in Ainsworth to Miss Jessie C. Smith, a 
native of Iowa, daughter of Newton F. and 
Adaline (McAhren) Smith. This union is 
blessed with three children, namely: Alta Pau- 
line, Genevieve Irene and Lyle Newton. 

Judge Morgan is one of the influential and 
public-minded citizens of his community, and 
stands firmly for the principles of the Repub- 
lican party. The entire family holds commu- 
nion with the Episcopal church, while the 
judge affiliates with the Masonic order and 
the order of the Eastern Star, the Elks, the 
Workmen, the \\'oodmen and the Royal High- 
landers. 



WEBSTER E. BOWERS. 

Webster E. Bowers, a prosperous and suc- 
cessful member of the business community in 
Mullen, Hooker county, is an old settler in 
western Nebraska, having settled on the Dis- 
mal river in the southern part of what is now 
Hooker county in the spring of 1884. At this 
time there was no county organization. In 
fact, there were but two other families in that 
part of the country, and during the years in 
which this section of the state has been de- 
veloping into a prosperous and comparatively 
populous region he has taken an active part in 
its growth and upbuilding. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



145 



Judge Bowers was born in Wheeling, West 
Virginia, in July, 1856. His father, James M., 
was a well-to-do iron worker when the Civil 
war broke out, and was among the first to en- 
list in West Virginia for the defense of the 
Union. The close of the war found him broken 
in health and financially ruined. The agita- 
tion regarding the admission of the territory of 
Nebraska into the union of states had brought 
this region prominently before the public and 
in 1869, with his worldly possessions in a 
wagon, he left La Salle county, Illinois, for 
Nebraska, locating in the fall of 1869, fifteen 
miles southwest of Fairbury, Jefferson county, 
where he saw the uninhabited prairie grow 
into a prosperous, well tilled farming commu- 
nity and was an important factor in that de- 
velopment. The following sketch of his life 
is from the Fairbury Journal of March 21, 
1903: 

"Captain James M. Bowers died at Fair- 
bury. Nebraska, ^Monday, March 16, 1903. aged 
seventy-one years, eight months and twelve 
days. He was born July 4, 1831, in Blair coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania, and spent the early years of 
his life in that region. October 1, 1854, he was 
married to Miss ^Margaret Twinam at Mar- 
shall, West Virginia, and for the next ten 
years their home was at Wheeling. In 1861, 
when President Lincoln made the first call 
for volunteers, Mr. Bowers was among the 
first to enlist, being enrolled as a private in the 
First Virginia Regiment, United States Volun- 
teers. He was almost immediately introduced 
to the realities of war, being actively engaged 
in McClellan's brilliant campaign whereby the 
rebels were driven from West Virginia and 
that portion of the Old Dominion saved to the 
Union. He was loth to speak of his military 
services, but it was evident that they were 
very honorable to him, inasmuch as he was 
promoted to the captaincy of his company with- 
in five months after his enlistment. He was 
subsequently engaged in the operations of the 
armies opposed to General Lee and partici- 
pated in the battle of Gettysburg. On account 
of impaired health he was honorably dis- 
charged in August, 1863. 

"After the Civil war he resided for a short 
time in Illinois, and removed from there to 
Nebraska in 1869, residing for a short time 
at Blue Springs and since 1870 in Jefferson 
county on his farm near Reynolds. Some 
twelve years ago he began to feel the serious 
infirmity of the disease that ultimately resulted 
in his death and so retired from active labor 
and made his home in Fairbury. He has been 
known here as a quiet and honorable citizen, 
respected by all, beloved by the few whose 



privilege it was to know him intimately. So 
humbly that his good works were known to 
only a small number of his nearest friends, he 
was systematically charitable to the poor and 
distressed, and many suffering families have 
received the relief which he was so glad to ex- 
tend without knowing who their benefactor 
was. Though himself a man of moderate 
means, he was thus one of the most useful and 
worthy citizens. His kindness of heart was 
the fruit of a strong Christian faith. He had 
been a member of the JSIethodist church for 
over fifty years and was at one time a local 
preacher of that denomination. He was also 
an Odd Fellow and a member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic. Funeral services at 
the Methodist church were conducted by Rev. 
W. M. Balch and at the grave by the Grand 
Army of the Republic. 

"He is survived by his wife, six sons and 
two daughters, and was preceded in death by 
two of his children." 

Margaret Bowers, widow of the old vet- 
earn and pioneer, still lives -in the old home at 
Fairbury, and her gentle and lovable charac- 
ter has brought her the love and respect of 
all who are so fortunate as to know her. 
Though she is now seventy years of age, she 
is ever to be found w-here there is need of 
sympathy, or more substantial help. 

The long drive from Illinois developed in 
the subject of our sketch a slumbering desire 
to ramble, and after four years of drouth and 
grasshoppers with the old folks, at the age of 
seventeen he struck out on his own hook. 
Marysville, Kansas, was on the old Mormon 
and California trail, and the well known Inde- 
pendence ford across the Big Blue river was 
only a few miles below this town. As this 
was a general resting place for the traveler 
on the way to the coast country, or the Mor- 
mon bound for Utah, it promised a contrast 
to the lonely life on the claim, and accordingly 
it was attractive to the youth in search of a 
change of scene. Though no longer the ac- 
tivity of former years prevailed here, still it 
presented many attractions to the eye of young 
Bowers. United States soldiers, trappers, 
scouts and Indians were often on the streets 
of the little town, and he was soon on the 
great plains hunting the then numerous herds 
of buffalo. Several years of hunting and trap- 
ping followed, with many adventures of dif- 
ferent kinds, from riding day and night with- 
out rest and nearly without food to bring help 
for an injured comrade who lay nigh the jaws 
of death, a long hundred miles from a surgeon, 
to the plain matter of fact diet of straight 
jerked buffalo meat and alkali water. 



146 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



"Web," as he is commonly called, is not 
much of a talker, but his story of a little too 
much whisky is amusing: 

"A party of hunters were coming in from 
a very successful hunt, and one of the num- 
ber. Rug. Beulis, an old United States soldier, 
was extremely fond of the red liquor. The 
crossing of the Republican river, near the 
mouth of Whiterock creek, was a hard one on 
account of quicksand, and Enoch Martin, who 
lived on the creek near its mouth, was engaged 
to help get the wagons over, and so save a 
great deal of labor unloading. When the cross- 
ing was made, and we were preparing for the 
night, Rug. was missed. A couple of the boys 
went back to the north side of the river, where 
he was last seen near the camp of a party of 
trappers, where he was found, dead to the 
world with whisky he had obtained by trad- 
ing the last of his ammunition to a trapper 
who had more whisky than gun feed. Martin 
was again pressed into service, and Rug. load- 
ed into the wagon. When nearly across the 
river on the way to our camp, a trace which 
had probably been strained in the previous 
heavy pulling, broke, and Martin tumbled out 
to repair the trace. During this operation Rug. 
roused enough to see the fringe of cottonwoods 
along the stream and hear the ripple of the 
water, and he broke the silence with 'Boys, 
letsh camp, wood and water sho handy,' and 
then he was gone again. We had been where 
wood and water were appreciated." 

In November, 1877, Mr. Bowers was mar- 
ried to Miss Roxy L. Ripley, daughter of 
Amos J. and Huldah S. Ripley, at ]\Iarysville, 
Kansas. To them were born nine children. 
In the spring of 1884 they located on the south 
branch of the Dismal river, in what is now 
Hooker county. At that time this was a 
hunters' paradise. Antelope, deer and elk 
were roaming the country by the hundreds. 
Here again began the life of the pioneer, with 
all that the term implies. North Platte, by the 
route then traveled, was seventy-five miles 
distant, and was the nearest trading point, and 
postoffice, and the road was sandy and hilly, 
but over it w^as hauled, one way timber and 
posts from the Dismal, and the other the nec- 
essary supplies for the family. The trip usual- 
ly required about seven days, and often ten. 
Grub, bedding, fuel to cook with, summer or 
winter, and a supply of water for man and 
team a great part of the time, all had to be 
hauled in addition to the regular load. From 
the river to the Platte was but one settlement : 
one Chapin, had a small ranch at the head of 
the South Loup river. This eternal drag 
through the sandhills can be estimated at its 



true meaning only by one who has had the 
actual experience. 

In 1889 Mr. Bowers began the study of 
photography, and in time became thoroughly 
proficient in that work. For about ten years 
he traveled in Hooker and surrounding coun- 
ties, making pictures of ranches, stock and 
the babies. Today the most highly prized me- 
mentos of many of the old timers are the pic- 
tures made by this wandering photographer. 

In 1890 he sold his homestead on the Dis- 
mal, and moved to Mullen, where he now lives. 
Domestic dissension caused a rupture in time 
which led to a separation of Mr. Bowers and 
his Avife. In 1901 he married Martha E. Rip- 
ley, a sister of his former wife. To them have 
been born two children. 

In 1901 our subject established the only 
photograph gallery in Hooker county, at Mul- 
len, where he has built up a good business, 
and is regarded as one of the best artists in 
the state, and is one of the substantial citizens 
of the town, and a worthy representative 
of his community. Judge Bowers has served 
his county in various official capacities, and 
has given satisfaction to his people as justice 
of the peace, county commissioner and county 
judge. He is a strong Republican, active in 
party politics. 



FRANKLIN R. HOGEBOOM. 

The subject of this review was born in 
Ghent, Columbia county. New York, March 
11, 1854, of American-born parents. His fa- 
ther, John T. Hogeboom, was a civil engineer 
and lawyer by profession. The family came 
from Amsterdam, Holland, and settled in New 
Amsterdam, now New York City. His mother's 
maiden name was Sarah McClellen, and her 
father's name was Dr. Samuel McClellen, of 
Nassau, New York. Our subject was reared 
in New York, remaining until 1878, when he 
traveled in the west, and worked on different 
ranches. He also came up with cattle to Ogal- 
lala, which was the end of the old cattle trail 
from Texas, where over three hundred thou- 
sand were delivered and placed on northern 
ranges, to be shipped later to the Chicago mar- 
kets ; was located at one time seventy-five 
miles west of old Fort Hartsuff on the North 
Loup river and no one was between them and 
Rosebud Indian reservation many miles to the 
west ; was present at a Sioux Indian pow-wow 
at the mouth of G<5ose creek, where a beef was 
butchered and the pipe of peace — Calumet — 
was smoked and good feeling prevailed. The 
Sioux came to the ranch not in the best of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



147 



good feeling, as they were returning from an 
unsuccessful trip east, where they had been 
after stolen ponies. He came to his present 
location on the head of the South Loup river 
four years prior to the organization of Logan 
county. Settled on unimproved prairie land 
and was the first homesteader who settled in 
the unorganized territory and has developed 
a splendid ranch, all improved and fenced in 
up-to-date manner, giving his attention to 
stock raising, where one of the attractions is 
the herd of registered Mule-Footed hogs. 

Mr. Hogeboom was married in 1882 to Mrs. 
Georgiana C. Hilgard, widow of Theodore C. 
Hilgard, M. D., whose father was Theodore E. 
Hilgard, lawyer, born in Nassau, Germany, 
immigrated to Illinois in 1835 with a family of 
nine children. Her father was Albert C. Koch, 
M. D., who immigrated to this country from 
Germany, coming here to make collections for 
the European museums. Among his collec- 
tions were three skeletons of a big lizard 
seventy-five to eighty feet long. "Zeuglodon 
maciospondylus." One was burned at Chi- 
cago during the great Chicago fire. 

Judge Hogeboom had excellent educational 
advantages in his early life and prepared him- 
self for the legal profession by graduating 
from Columbia College of New York. 

He was well equipped with learning to par- 
ticipate in the political affairs of his county 
and to perform the duties of prosecuting attor- 
ney of Logan county, which position he held. 
He was county judge when the county was 
first organized and is at the present time the 
county judge. 

He was the first postmaster in Logan 
county, did surveying for man_y years, and quit 
only after his private and public interests de- 
manded it. No man has been more closely 
identified with the growth of Logan county 
than has Judge Hogeboom, and he is esteemed 
everywhere for his sound principles and wise 
counsel. 



ARTHUR R. BOWEN. 

The subject of this review is now the old- 
est settler on the North Loup river in Custer 
county, Nebraska. He has taken an active 
part 'in the development of his locality and is 
one of the successful old-timers of this part 
of the country. 

Arthur R. Bowen was born in Garden 
Grove Village, Decatur county, Iowa, August 
26, 1856, and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His 
father, Daniel L. Bowen, was a native of Ohio 
and a pioneer of Nebraska, being the first man 



to bring a family west in 1873. He was an 
old-time homesteader and drove to the state 
overland in a covered wagon, locating near the 
North Loup river. The father and our sub- 
ject and brothers made trips with ox teams 
to Grand Island, a hundred miles away, to haul 
cedar posts and other supplies and material. 
They built rafts of cedar posts and floated 
them down North Loup river to Columbus, 
where they sold them. 

Our subject's mother died in 1884. His 
father died in 1907 at Sheridan, Wyoming, at 
the ripe old age of eighty-five years. He built 
up a good home and was prominent and influ- 
ential among the old settlers. 

Arthur R. Bowen entered a homestead in 
Custer county in 1877 and has been an inter- 
ested witness of the growth of the territory. 
He had to meet all the pioneer hardships, 
among them drouth, grasshopper raids for two 
years and the resulting crop losses. In 1904 
a tornado wrecked his property in terrible 
shape, tore down buildings, windmills, trees, 
and his home, built of sod, was swept away 
from over their heads. His wife had to be 
dug out from under the sods and from under 
a heavy oak table after the storm had spent its 
fury. This was an awful experience and it is 
stamped indelibly on the minds of the family. 
Our subject has now a beautiful farm of four 
hundred and eighty acres with splendid im- 
provements, and he has plenty of timber in 
the canons on the ranch. He cultivates two 
hundred and thirty acres and is successfully 
engaged in farming and stock raising. 

Arthur R. Bowen was married in 1879 to 
Miss Mollie Hollopeter. Her father was 
American-born, but of German parents. He 
was a prominent Dunkard minister. Her 
mother, Eliza Zigler, was American-born, but 
her parents were natives of Germany. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bowen have one child, Theresa, now 
married and living in South Dakota. 

Mr. Bowen is a strong Democrat in poli- 
tics and is a stanch supporter of the princi- 
ples promulgated in the platform of his party. 
He has held several minor offices with credit 
and distinction. He organized the Kent school 
district and built the school house years ago. 



C. H. GREGG. 



C. H. Gregg, a well known resident of 
Kearney, Nebraska, is a typical representative 
of this hustling and enterprising western city, 
and illustrates in his own career the conditions 
of success at the present day. For many years 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



he has lived in the city, where his clean and 
spotless life, his geneial disposition and pro- 
nounced ability won him a host of friends, 
whom he has fortunately retained. For some 
seventeen years he has been in the dry goods 
business ; lately he has been president of the 
hardware company, an institution organized 
and set in motion by him in 1904. He is a 
director of the business men's association of 
Kearney, and in that way has been able to 
greatly promote the welfare of the city. His 
public interests are many and varied and in a 
history of Kearney and Buffalo county his 
name would appear many times. 

Mr. Gregg is a native of Bracken county, 
Kentucky, where he was born in 1865. He 
was reared in Kentucky and educated in 
Wheaton, Illinois, College. After attending 
Wheaton College Mr. Gregg taught school for 
one year at Albion, Iowa. He came to Ash- 
land, Nebraska, in the spring of 1886 and was 
£n the clothing business for Hon. H. H. Shedd. 
In 1887 he married Miss Maude Taylor. He 
came to Kearney in 1890 to engage in business 
and has since been prominently identified with 
the business interests of Buffalo county. 

C. H. Gregg was on the city school board 
for five years, and his familiarity with school 
matters made him enthusiastic in the work of 
securing the location of the state normal at 
this point, an achievement largely due to his 
knowledge of the situation, his tireless zeal 
and his ability to approach men. In 1904 he 
was appointed a member of the State Board 
of Education, and served on the executive 
committee until the completion of the normal 
at this point. Its construction was under his 
management, and what has been done here is 
largely due to his energy and marked business 
ability. The normal is an enterprise of much 
moment, and it has cost up to date (1906), 
more than $50,000. For the heating and light- 
ing more than $15,000 have been expended, 
and for the building and furnishing of the 
dormitory more than $50,000. Mr. Gregg 
served on the furnishing committee. The land 
on which the normal stands consists of twen- 
ty-four acres west of town and at the head of 
Twenty-fifth street. The location of such an 
institution was agitated as usual a consider- 
able time, and there was intense rivalry for its 
location, fifteen towns seeking to have it in 
their midst. The contest for the normal is 
one of the historic struggles of the state. The 
business men of Kearney united in the effort 
to bring it to this city, and appointed a strong 
committee of the best men of the place, with 
Mr. Gregg as chairman, to work for it. Mr. 
Gregg's known business ability, and his strong 



personality, coupled with social qualities of a 
high degree, and backed by the natural ad- 
vantages and splendid location of Kearney, 
in addition to the work of a strong commit- 
tee and pledges of $50,000 in cash for the in- 
stitution, gave Mr. Gregg a long start in the 
struggle, and he threw himself into the fight 
to win. He watched the progress of the bill 
through the legislature, and staid right there 
until the bill for the appropriation and the 
location had safely gone through, and was 
duly signed. More than a thousand pupils 
were enrolled the first year, and what this 
school means educationally, socially and ma- 
terially to Kearney, even the most sanguine 
have not realized. 

yir. Gregg gives close attention to his mer- 
cantile interests and at the same time has been 
a shrewd investor in Buffalo county realty, 
having at different times owned several farms, 
which he has sold at good profit. 



JOSEPH G. ARMSTRONG. 

Joseph G. Armstrong, residing at Rushville, 
Nebraska, was born in the province of Ontario, 
Canada, in 1850. His father. Alexander Arm- 
strong, was a merchant in Millbrook, Toronto, 
born in the north of Ireland, and his mother 
was of English birth. The family consisted 
of eight children, of whom he is the third 
member, and when he was five years old his 
parents came to the United States, locating at 
Fairfield, Iowa. Here he was raised and edu- 
cated until he was eighteen years of age, then 
came west to Wyoming, obtaining employ- 
ment on the Union Pacific railroad as a fire- 
man, and followed this for two years. From 
there he went to southwestern Nebraska and 
took up a homestead and tree claim, also pre- 
emption, and proved up on all three. He lived 
in a dugout, later sod house, then log house, 
and hunted buffalo all over that part of the 
country and into Colorado. He followed a 
typical hunter's existence, camping out half 
the time, and roughed it winter and summer. 
He has camped out at night when the ground 
was covered deep with snow, being two hun- 
dred miles from any settlement, when the 
woods were overrun with wild animals of all 
descriptions, and passed through many excit- 
ing and dangerous experiences. 

For twelve years Mr. Armstrong made Bea- 
ver City, Nebraska, his home, during that time 
working at freighting from Cheyenne to the 
Black Hills. On more than one occasion on 
these trips his wagon was fired into and he had 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



149 



narrow escapes from the Indians. For eight 
seasons he drove large bands of sheep from 
New Mexico to Nebraska, South Dakota and 
Kansas. In 1884 he first came to Rushville, 
driving in from the Black Hills country. He 
located in the town of Rushville, buying land, 
and established a bank in 1886, this being the 
second bank opened up here. He continued 
in this enterprise for twenty years, and also 
during that time has been engaged in the land 
business, dealing in Colorado and Mexican 
lands. In 1889 he established the Rushville 
Mercantile Company, which is now one of the 
largest stores in the place. This concern oc- 
cupies a building 25x100 feet, with basement, 
and they do an immense trade through the 
county. Mr. Armstrong still owns large ranch- 
ing interests in Cherry county, dealing in stock 
raising constantly. He has accumulated a 
large and valuable property through his in- 
dustry and good business ability, and is num- 
bered among the leading men of this section, 
who has always done all in his power to pro- 
mote the best interests of his community, and 
his name will go down in history as a promi- 
nent old-timer of Nebraska. 

Mr. Armstrong was married in April, 1889, 
to Miss Mary E. Jack, whose father, George 
B. Jack, was one of the early settlers in Sheri- 
dan county. Two boys have been born to 
them, George J., born in January, 1891, and 
Joseph T., born in December, 1898. In polit- 
ical faith Mr. Armstrong is an independent. 



PETER THIES. 



Peter Thies, one of the leading and most 
influential of the pioneers of western Nebras- 
ka, lives in a pleasant ranch home on section 
24. township 14, range 38. in Keith county. 
Mr. Thies has traveled a great deal and lived 
in a number of different states, and now after 
a long life of useful endeavor has established 
himself in comfortable circumstances and is 
considered one of the well-to-do citizens of the 
community. 

Peter Thies first saw the light in the vil- 
lage of Wormaldange, near Luxemberg, the 
capitol city of the Grand Duchy of Luxem- 
berg, under the protectorate of Holland, Feb- 
ruary 2, 1844. His father, John Thies, had an 
estate on the Moselle river, and was a miller 
and wine-grower in the old country. His an- 
cestors were Hanovarian. Like all his race 
he was of a martial spirit and took part in 
the revolution in which Holland and Belgium 
were ens:ag;ed. One of the familv was a gen- 



eral in Napoleon's army. His mother, Mag- 
delina Punell, was of French ancestry. In 
coming to America in 1857, the family visited 
relatives in Paris for a week before sailing 
from Havre on the old sailing ship "Santa 
Anna." After a voyage of fifty-six days, dur- 
ing which Peter became enamored of the life 
of a sailor, they landed in New Orleans. Then 
they ascended the ^lississippi river to St. 
Louis, where a month was spent visiting rela- 
tives who had preceded them to the new 
world. The father settled in Iowa county, 
Wisconsin, where he started a brickyard, 
which he operated until the outbreak of the 
civil war. Peter's enlistment deprived him of 
his bookkeeper and manager. Our subject 
was reared in Wisconsin and was tutored by 
John Commons of the public schools, an Irish- 
man, to whom, in turn, Peter gave lessons in 
the French language, which he knew as fluent- 
ly as the German, Dutch and Lu.xemberger 
tongues. 

When the civil war broke out. our subject 
enlisted in Company E, Thirtieth Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry at ^lineral Point. He 
was in the detached service scouting and on 
police duty and was in many dangerous sit- 
uations during the time he gave to his adopted 
country. For a time his command was sta- 
tioned at Milwuakee to enforce the draught 
and because of his intelligence and aptness in 
clerical work was assigned duty much of the 
time under General Pope. In 1863 he was 
sent into Minnesota to engage the Sioux In- 
dians, capturing many and putting an end to 
the Indian war. They marched across Minn- 
esota to Fort Ridgeley and thence across the 
plains where they built a fort called Fort 
Wadsworth, later changed to SiSseton, return- 
ing to St. Louis in the fall. Later they were 
sent on a dangerous expedition hunting gueril- 
las in Kentucky. His service was of long 
duration over a wide extent of country in 
which he experienced many perils. After the 
war was over, Mr. Thies returned to Wiscon- 
sin and was with his father for a time, going 
thence to Pikes Peak, Colorado, in the spring 
of 1866, and remaining in the far west with 
a brother until 1867. He again returned to 
Wisconsin where, he married and engaged in 
agricultural pursuits, operating three farms 
during a period of six years, accumulating 
considerable means. His health still remained 
poor, and he again sought relief in the moun- 
tains of Colorado, residing in Central City four 
years engaged in mining when able to work. 
Going to Colorado Springs, he was employed 
in the mines for a year before being placed in 
charge of the stamping mills, which were run- 



ISO 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, RE^^NISCE^XE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ning at a loss until he took charge. Return- 
ing to Wisconsin in such poor health that he 
had to stop off in Topeka, Kansas City, St. 
Louis, Chicago and Freeport to recuperate, 
he entered politics and was at one time candi- 
date for city treasurer. In 1885 Mr. Thies sold 
out all his chattel property and came west to 
Keith county, Nebraska, settling on his pres- 
ent farm. He came to the new country prin- 
cipally for his health and also to furnish his 
children the opportunity of securing farm 
homes to a larger extent than could be done in 
the east. Air. Thies found a country conducive 
to good health and he has built up a splendid 
ranch home of six hundred and forty acres 
and placed himself in very good circumstances. 
He has taken an active part in the affairs of 
his locality and has done his part toward the 
material advancement of the community. To- 
gether with his sons and daughters, he owns 
over four thousand acres of fine land, much 
of it in the immediate bottoms of the North 
Platte. 

In Wisconsin. October 5, 1868, occurred 
the marriage of Mr. Peter Thies to Miss Mary 
Wenner, a native of the village of Coutern, 
three miles from the capitol of Luxemberg, 
a daughter of John \\'enner, a farmer, besides, 
being an architect and builder. He was in- 
trusted with the keeping in perfect repair the 
fortifications of the city of Luxemberg, the 
strongest inland fortress in the world. Mr. 
and Airs. Thies have had six children: Mary 
Kathrine, who died in Colorado and was 
buried in the cemetery at Central City, Colo- 
rado : Alary Alay Alagdalena. wife of George 
Williams, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere 
in this work; Alichael J., a ranchman, of Keith 
county; John, accidentally killed at Sidney, 
Nebraska ; Perry J., also engaged in ranching 
on the North Platte, and Annie V., one of 
Keith county's most successful teachers, now 
perfecting her title to a Kincaid claim north 
of her brother's ranches in Keith county. 

Air. Thies is a stanch Republican in polit- 
ical views. He was reared in the Catholic 
church in the old country. He was made a 
Mason at Black Hawk, Colorado, and was a 
member of the Ogallala Post, Grand Army of 
the Republic. 



B. F. HASTINGS. 

B. F. Hastings, a banker of Grant, Nebras- 
ka, is one of the leading men of his commu- 
nity as well as one of the old settlers in west- 
ern Nebraska, and to his efforts and influence 
(hiring the past many years have been due 



much of the prosperity enjoyed by the resi- 
dents of that region. 

Air. Hastings was born in AIcHenry coun- 
ty, Illinois, in 1863, and reared on a farm 
there, where his father was among the pio- 
neers, he a native of Connecticut, as was also 
his mother. Our subject received a good 
common school education and later attended 
the Oberlin College and graduated with the 
class of '86 in the classical course, and the 
same year came to Nebraska, locating at Crete 
and entering the law office of George H. Hast- 
ings. In December he came to Grant and 
filed on a homestead near the town, proved 
up on it in due time and made it his home 
for some time. In 1888 he was admitted to 
the state bar, and nominated for county judge, 
receiving the election and served for four years 
in that capacity, then begun the practice of 
law. He built up a good patronage and was 
most successful, and in 1900 was appointed 
county attorney, serving since that time as 
such. In 1899 he established a banking and 
loan business, carried it on for several years, 
and then organized the Commercial Bank of 
Grant in 1905. of which he is president and 
general manager. 

Besides his banking business Mr. Hastings 
is quite heavily interested in the lumber and 
coal business at Aladrid, Nebraska, also in 
farming and ranching in Perkins county. He 
is a gentleman of excellent business ability, a 
first-class financier and one who has the en- 
tire confidence and esteem of his fellowmen. 

Air. Hastings was married in 1890 to Aliss 
Elizabeth Buckland, daughter of David Buck- 
land, an early settler of New York state, where 
she was born and raised. Air. and Airs. Hast- 
ings have an interesting family of four chil- 
dren, all born in Perkins county, and named 
as follows: George, Irene, Louise and 
Charles. 



AIRS. FRANCES AIARIA BRAINARD 
O'LINN. 

The estimable lady who bears the above 
name is one of the early settlers in western 
Nebraska, and is well known throughout the 
state as a successful attorney and prosperous 
business woman. She is a woman of high lit- 
erary attainments, possessing a highly gifted 
mind thoroughly educated, and recognized as 
one of the leading citizens of Dawes county, 
esteemed and admired by everyone in that 
region. Airs. O'Linn and her daughter reside 
in Chadron. where tliey have one of the pleas- 
antest homes the city affords. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mrs. O'Linn was born in Birmingliam, 
Iowa, in 1848, and is a daughter of Daniel Eg- 
bert Brainard, a prominent attorney and judge 
of the circuit court of Iowa, who served on 
the bench for thirty years. He was a native 
of New York state, born at Watertown in 
1809, and married Elizabetli Anne Pickett, a 
Kentuckian, General Pickett of the southern 
army, being her own cousin, and Senator 
Clark, of Kentucky, her uncle. The Pickett 
family were prominent members of the old 
southern aristocracy, many of the male mem- 
bers occupying high positions in public life in 
the earlier days. Our subject was reared and 
educated in Iowa, graduating from the state 
university in 1865, and after leaving college, 
followed -the profession of a teacher at Mag- 
nolia. She was married at the latter place in 
1868, to Dr. D. H. O'Linn. a rising young 
physician of that city, and they had a family 
of three children, namely: Daniel Egbert, 
Hugh Brainard and Elizabeth Anne, of whom 
but the last named is now living, widow of 
Clarence C. Smith, of Chadron, and mother of 
two children, Frances Minerva and Henry 
Holden. 

In 1872 th» family moved to Blair, Nebras- 
ka, and were among the pioneers of that town. 
Dr. O'Linn practicing his profession up to 
1880 when he died, deeply mourned by his 
family and friends. Airs. O'Linn was prin- 
cipal of the schools at Blair and Tekamah for 
many years, resigning her position as such in 
1884, when she first settled in Dawes county. 
Here she took up a homestead and built a log 
house, the place being located on the White 
river, now called Dakota Junction. She re- 
mained on the place until proving up on her 
claim, and it was while living there that her 
son, Egbert, was killed by the accidental dis- 
charge of a gun, while attempting to scare 
away the range cattle from their hay stacks. 
The region was then very sparsely settled, 
and there were not enough neighbors to bury 
him, so the mother was herself compelled to 
do her share of the work of preparing him 
for burial. 

In 1885 our subject moved to Chadron, and 
was the first postmistress at that town, the 
office having been just established, and she 
carried on that work for several years, and 
had previously held the same office at the 
Junction, which was called O'Linn, named so 
by the cowboys for the son, who was killed. 
She took up the study of law during this time, 
following the work she had already done with 
her father, and in 1887 was admitted to the bar 
of Nebraska, and in 1891 to the supreme court 
of Nebraska, and also, on October 17, 1893, 



admitted to the bar of the supreme court of 
the United States. She has become well known 
throughout the country as one of the most 
brilliant lawyers in the profession, and as a 
woman of great intellectuality and strength 
of character. Mrs. O'Linn practiced from 
that time on, and in addition to attending to 
her practice, is engaged in the settlement of 
estates, titles, doing abstracting and all the 
branches of the work. She is also interested 
in the insurance business, and has a large 
clientage throughout Dawes and the surround- 
ing country. 

Her second son, Hugh Brainard O'Linn, 
was killed by being thrown from a train just 
east of St. Louis, July 8, 1899. He was re- 
turning home from Central America, where 
he had been sent by the Associated Press. 

Her son-in-law, Clarence Cinclair Smith, 
was killed at Harrison, Nebraska, August 10, 
1907, by being run over by a train, thus de- 
priving, for the third time, the family of a 
loved one in a shocking and heart-rending 
manner, without a moment's warning. 

Mrs. O'Linn is a lady of charming person- 
ality, broad-minded and liberal in her views 
of people and things, and her name will oc- 
cupy a prominent place in the history of the 
state of Nebraska. 



CHARLES CALLAHAN. 

Charles Callahan, proprietor of the electric 
light plant of Sidney, Nebraska, is a gentleman 
of wide experience in the business and has 
met with excellent success in his career. 

Mr. Callahan is a native of Indianapolis, 
Indiana, born in 1861, and is a son of John P. 
Callahan, of American stock, engaged" in the 
nursery business in Indiana. Our subject 
grew up in the city of his birth, and from the 
time he was twelve years of age he hustled 
for himself, learning the printer's trade when a 
boy. He later worked in Chicago, St. Louis, 
and for a time was in Canada, and most of his 
education was self-taught, gained through con- 
tact with business men and in travel. In 1884 
he first struck Sidney, and for a time worked 
on The Telegraph, purchasing a half interest 
in that organ in 1886, two years later buying 
the whole paper and was sole proprietor and 
editor up to 1891. He left Sidney for a time, 
spending about four years at Omaha. Hot 
Springs, and other places, always engaged in 
newspaper work. In the fall of' 1894 he came 
back to Sidney and again took up his position 
as editor and proprietor of The Telegraph, and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



continued in that capacity for eight years. In 
1897 he was elected postmaster of Sidney, and 
held ofifiice for five years, proving a most ca- 
pable official, well liked by all. He was one 
of the organizers of the First National Bank 
of Sidney, started in 1902. He was also en- 
gaged in the banking business at Sidney, but 
sold out his interests. He now owns a fine 
business block. In 1905 our subject estab- 
lished the Sidney electric light plant, and is 
now sole owner and operator of the concern, 
the plant being built in duplicate to avoid a 
shut-down in case of accident to machinery. 

In 1899 Mr. Callahan was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Mary E. Cleburne, daughter of 
Joseph Cleburne, an old-timer of Cheyenne 
county, and pioneer previous to 1870. Our 
subject is a Republican, and takes an active 
part in local party matters. He is a thirty- 
second degree Mason. 



E. M. TRAVER. 



Edgar M. Traver, residing on section 7, 
township 22, range 44, Deuel county, Nebras- 
ka, has built up a comfortable home and en- 
joys the esteem of all who know him. He was 
born In Clinton county, Iowa, in 1865, and 
raised on his father's farm. He is a son of 
Cyrus Traver. a native of New York, whose 
ancestors were among the early settlers on 
the Hudson river. He was a farmer, and his 
wife, who was Abby Moorehouse, is also a na- 
tive of the same state, her family having set- 
tled on the Hudson river on landing here from 
Holland in early pioneer days. Our subject's 
father was married twice, and had a family of 
seven children, of whom he was the third 
member in order of birth. He left his parents' 
old home and came west in 1885, driving one 
thousand miles by team accompanied by his fa- 
ther and one brother, following the line of the 
Chicago & Northwestern railway. They set- 
tled in Box Butte county, Nebraska, the father 
taking a homestead in section 26, township 25, 
range 48, and our subject also took up a pre- 
emption on coming of age and held this for 
eight years, and had also taken up a home- 
stead during this time. He followed farming 
part of the time, and was on this place during 
the dry years, and also drove the mail stage 
in 1890, wliich was one of the worst years 
in this section. He had made quite a little 
money up to this time, but spent it all to pull 
through the hard times, and was compelled to 
sell his land and go into the cattle business to 
make a living. 



In 1895 he came to the sand hills and lo- 
cated on a farm here, and started out with 
one cow. Here he put up hay and baled it, 
hauling this to Lakeside and in this way paid 
for his cow. It was slow work getting a start 
in the cattle business when he had so little 
capital, but he gradually added to his herd 
and made a success of the business. He has 
a farm of six hundred and forty acres of 
deeded land now, and uses his brother's hay 
ranch for feed for his stock, of which he has 
two hundred head of cattle and about twenty 
horses. He has bought and paid for all of his 
place excepting an additional homestead of four 
hundred eighty acres. He is well satisfied with 
this region, and will remain here as long as 
he has to work for a living as his family likes 
the country and there is an excellent school 
within half a mile of his farm. His family 
consists of his wife, whose maiden name was 
Miss Maggie Schramling, whom he married in 
1894, and their family of two children, namely, 
Elmer and May, both born and raised in this 
locality. Mrs. Traver is a daughter of Avery 
Schramling, of German descent, who was one 
of the first settlers in Jackson county, Iowa. 
He was one of those who wei^t through this 
state over the California trail during the gold 
fever of 1849, and afterwards located on a farm 
in the above county. 

Mr. Traver gives all his time and attention 
to the building up of his home and farm, and 
has never held office, although he takes a live- 
ly interest in all local and state affairs. He 
votes the Republican ticket, always going for 
the best man. His postoffice is Lakeside. 



C. W. HOXIE. 

The gentleman above named is prominent- 
ly known as one of the leading business men 
and worthy citizens of Kearney, Nebraska. 
Air. Hoxie is president and founder of the 
Hoxie Grocery and Mercantile Company, of 
that city, and is one of the public spirited men 
of this section of the country. 

Mr. Hoxie is a native of Vermont. He be- 
gan his business career at the age of seven- 
teen years. In 1883 he came to Nebraska from 
Ottawa, Illinois, locating in Lincoln. There 
he was principally engaged in the real estate 
and insurance business, and, like all energetic 
Xebraskians. in farming and buying and sell- 
ing farm lands. He was deputy sheriff of Lan- 
caster county, Nebraska, for four years, being 
appointed in 1891, and in 1897 he was ap- 
pointed superintendent of the State Industrial 




C. W. HOXIE, 
Superintendent, Kearney Industrial School. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



School at Kearney, filling this position with 
credit for three years, retiring February 1, 
1900. In March of that year he bought the 
grocery business of M. A. Nye, located on 
Central avenue, Kearney, and organized the 
Hoxie Grocery & Mercantile Company, with 
W. J. Vosburg, then assistant superintendent 
of the State Industrial School, as vice-presi- 
dent. In 1902 Mr. Vosburg retired from his 
position at the ' Industrial School and since 
that time has devoted all his time to the busi- 
ness. During the latter year the company 
bought the Nelson grocery store located on 
North Central avenue, which establishment is 
managed by Mr. A^osburg. The following year 
they purchased the Johnson store on South 
Central avenue, and at the present time own 
and operate these three stores. The business 
has grown steadily, and both Mr. Hoxie and 
Mr. Vosburg are known as two of Kearney's 
most successful business men. Mr. Hoxie is 
a member of the city council, representing 
the third ward, and has been in this office since 
1904. He served as president of that body, and 
chairman of the financial eommittee, also a 
member of the streets and alley committee. 

Mr. Hoxie was married November 12, 1879, 
to Mary M. Atkinson, a native of Wheeling, 
West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Hoxie are mem- 
bers of the St. Lukes Episcopal church and 
Mr. Hoxie is one of the vestry men. Mr. 
Hoxie has a wide reputation as a business man 
of exceptionally good judgment, conservative 
in all matters of moment, and has gained the 
respect and confidence of his fellowmen. A 
portrait of Mr. Hoxie will be found on another 
page in this work. 



FIELS L. BOYER, 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the old settlers of Ne- 
braska, a gentleman of sterling character, hon- 
est, industrious, and who has made his mark 
in the affairs of his locality, and incidentally 
built up for himself a competence by dint of 
good management and thrift. 

Mr. Boyer was born in Grayson county, 
Virginia, in 1870. His father, Hugh, was a 
farmer and pioneer in Nebraska, and a sketch 
of him, also of two brothers, appear in this 
volume. When our subject was twelve years 
of age, in 1882, the family left Virginia and 
came west, settling in Madison county, Ne- 
braska, where they rented a farm for about 
five years. He lived with his parents until he 
was above seventeen, then started for himself. 



following farm work at first, then learned the 
trade of a telegraph operator and worked at 
that oft' and on for a number of years. In 
1890 he came to Cherry county, spent one 
summer, then went to California and worked 
as an operator for the Santa Fe & Los An- 
geles Terminal company, remaining in their 
employ for six years. In 1900 he returned to 
NelDraska and filed on a homestead on the 
Loup river, in Hooker county, northwest of 
Mullen, and there begun ranching and farm- 
ing, living on that place up to 1905, then 
moved to his present ranch in section 28, town- 
ship 25, range 32. He put up good buildings 
at the start, drilled wells and put up wind- 
mills, and has every improvement. The place 
contains nine hundred and sixty acres, about 
eighty acres of which is devoted to farming 
and the balance used as a stock ranch. 

In 1894 Mr. Boyer was married to Alice 
Osborn, a daughter of T. C. Osborn, who is a 
well known ranchman and old settler in east- 
ern Nebraska, and one of the first homestead- 
ers in Madison county. Two children have 
come to bless the union of our subject and his 
good wife, named as follows : Glenn, aged 
twelve years; and Lynn, aged ten years. 



S. L. ROBERTS. 

In compiling a list of the prominent busi- 
ness and professional men of Alma, Harlan 
county. Nebraska, who have been intimately 
identified with the upbuilding of the commer- 
cial interests of that locality, and are widely 
and favorably known, a foremost place must 
be given S. L. Roberts. 

Mr. Roberts is a native of Clark county, 
Ohio, born in 1845, near Springfield. He is 
a son of William V. Roberts, a native of 
Berkeley county, West Virginia, and his 
grandfather. Captain James Roberts, was cap- 
tain of the Ohio troops in the war of 1812. In 
1856 our subject's parents moved to Warren 
county, Iowa, and at the age of fifteen he en- 
listed in the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry, Com- 
pany G, serving for four years and ten months. 
He was never off duty only when shot off, and 
was wounded at the battles of Shiloh and At- 
lanta. Was taken prisoner at Corinth, and 
paroled from Vicksburg in a few weeks and 
exchanged in January, 1863. He was all 
through the battles around Vicksburg and was 
at the siege of Vicksburg. He was with Sher- 
man in the Georgia campaign, was with the 
company on their march to the sea, and 
through the Carolinas. He was mustered out 



154 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



at Louisville, Kentucky, and took part in the 
Grand Review at Washington. 

Mr. Roberts came to Harlan county, Ne- 
braska, locating on a homestead in Alma in 
the year 1873, and seven years later moved 
into Alma, which had just been started as a 
town, the railway having been put through in 
1879. He established himself in business as 
abstractor of titles, in 1890, and was one of the 
first trustees for the village of Alma in 1880. 
He served first the village, later the town, on 
the board and council for a number of terms. 
In 1895 he was elected county clerk and regis- 
ter of deeds, and was re-elected in 1897. hold- 
ing ofifice up to 1901. Back in the '80s he was 
justice of the peace for a number of years, and 
was on the school board in 1885, when the old 
school house was built, and has been a mem- 
ber off and on ever since then, and is now hold- 
ing the ofifice of president of the school board of 
Alma. They are this year building a fine new 
high school, to cost when completed. $25,000. 
This will contain ten rooms, and be an up-to- 
date, modern building in every respect. 

Mr. Roberts was married in 1872 to Miss 
Anna McGlathery, of Cass county, Missouri. 
One son, John W. Roberts, is now superin- 
tendent of the Alma city schools, appointed in 
1906. He was born and raised in Alma and 
educated at the high school here, later attend- 
ing the state university, graduating in 1904. 
For two years he taught Latin and German at 
Falls City high school, and at the end of that 
time was tendered the position he now holds, 
without having applied for it. One daughter, 
Grace A., is a graduate of the Alma high 
school, also the state university, entering the 
latter institution when but sixteen years of 
age. and was for two years teacher of mathe- 
matics and Latin in the city schools, retiring 
in 1905. She has a brilliant record as a 
scholar, both at school and later as a teacher. 
Mr. Roberts is a Democrat. 



IRA L. BARE. 



The above mentioned gentleman is one of 
the prominent residents of North Platte, Lin- 
coln county, Nebraska. He is editor and pub- 
lisher of the Semi-weekly Tribune, established 
in 1885 by L. A. Stevens. 

Mr. Bare is a native of Huntingdon county, 
Pennsylvania, and was reared and educated 
there. The North Platte Semi-Weekly Tri- 
bune was established in 1885 by L. A. Stevens, 
and in June of the same year our subject 
bought a half interest in the paper. In 1901 he 



bought the whole paper, and was sole proprie- 
tor. From the time of first getting an interest 
in it, he has been the editor and active mem- 
ber of the firm. This paper has been a Repub- 
lican organ from the start and always taken 
a firm stand in upholding the party principles. 
It has always stood for the best interests of 
North Platte and its growth and advancement 
as one of the leading cities of western Ne- 
braska, and been an earnest advocate of the 
schools and all improvements which would 
add to the prosperity of this locality. The 
paper started and led the fight which resulted 
in the building of the new high school in 1905, 
at a cost of $25,000, and the city still needs 
four more rooms to accommodate the pupils 
properly. The only debt which the town has 
is $30,000 which was expended for sewers, and 
the city is now negotiating for the purchase of 
the water plant. This paper has also always 
dealt fairly by the L'nion Pacific railway, 
recognizing it as the principal factor in build- 
ing up the city. It has a large circulation in 
this and the adjoining counties, and is the 
leading news medium of this locality. The 
job department is thoroughly equipped for ex- 
ecuting orders promptly, and gives universal 
satisfaction. 

Mr. Bare was married in 1887 to Miss Mol- 
lie Thompson, of northeast Pennsylvania, and 
by which union a daughter and son are living. 



JOHN MORGAN COTTON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is the popular editor and man- 
ager of the Ainsworth Star-Journal, the oldest 
paper published in Brown county, Nebraska. 
This paper is a reliable news medium, and has 
a wide circulation all over Brown and the ad- 
joining counties. The Ainsworth Star-Journal 
is the successor of the W'estern News, estab- 
lished in 1880, The Journal. The Star, The 
Idea, The Home Rule and The Herald. 

Mr. Cotton is a native of Indiana, born in 
1853, of Irish descent. His grandparents were 
born in \'^irginia. His father, Isaac Cotton, 
was a farmer, and his mother was a daughter 
of John Morgan, a captain in the war of 1812. 
He is the elder of three children, and was 
raised in Iowa, where the familj^ settled about 
1855, locating on a farm in Story county. He 
received his early education in the common 
schools, and then attended the college at 
Ames, Iowa. In 1872 he was appointed a civil 
engineer on the Santa Fe railroad, and fol- 
lowed this work for some years. He then re- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



155 



signed that position and began teaching 
school. He was admitted to the bar in Ne- 
braska, in 1875, and has the distinction of be- 
ing the first person to be admitted to the su- 
preme court on examination in that state. He 
is a graduate of the University Law School in 
Kansas, and subsequently practiced in Kansas 
for five years. After having had about two 
months' experience in the printing business he 
located at Louisville, Kansas, in 1880, and be- 
came editor of the Louisville Reporter. The 
former editor of that paper had been arrested 
and charged with a serious crime two months 
after Mr. Cotton had settled in Louisville, 
and he was asked to take charge of the paper, 
and also to defend the editor in the suit which 
was brought against him. After a hard fought 
legal battle Mr. Cotton secured his client's 
acquittal in spite of the fact that public senti- 
ment was strongly against the man. In fact, 
although he was proven not guilty, the feeling 
against him was so bitter that he was at once 
compelled to leave town. This, of course, left 
our subject as editor and manager of the Re- 
porter. After some years in newspaper work 
he was on the road traveling for different lines 
of business, all over Nebraska, Iowa, North 
and South Dakota, ^ilanitoba, Kansas. Okla- 
homa. Minnesota, \\^yoming, Colorado, and in 
some sections of Wisconsin and Michigan. He 
was engaged in the newspaper business in Lin- 
coln for three years, also in Omaha for a time, 
and in 1903 located in Owatonna. where he 
acted as editor of the daily and weekly Journal 
for over two years. In the year 1905 he pur- 
chased the paper of which he is now editor and 
manager. 

Mr. Cotton was married in 1900 to Miss 
Nannie Remy, a native of Indiana, a daughter 
of Dr. G. O. Remy, of Ainsworth. 

Mr. Cotton has been very successful in his 
newspaper work, and is highly respected by 
the entire community for his active public 
spirit, and his paper is the exponent of all that 
tends to the advancement of the locality in 
which it is printed. 



C. C. SMITH. 



The gentleman above named is a well 
known business man and respected citizen of 
Alliance, Nebraska. He has given liberally 
of his time and influence in building up the 
financial interests of the town, and has taken 
an active part in every movement to better the 
conditions of his community. 



Mr. Smith is a native of England, born in 
Lincolnshire, in 1856, of American parentage 
on his father's side, the latter having settled 
in England in his young manhood and there 
married Sarah Barton, of English birth. The 
father was a horse dealer, and when our sub- 
ject was a boy the family came to America 
and settled in Iowa where he was reared and 
educated. When he reached the age of twen- 
ty-one years he begun railroading, beginning 
as a machine hand in the shops and working 
up to be engineer for the company he started 
with. He continued at this work up to 1892, 
the year previous having located in Alliance, 
and at that time was engineer on the Burling- 
ton railroad, having been with that company 
for fourteen years. In May, 1905, he met with 
an accident and was obliged to quit the road. 
In May, 1906, he started in the livery business 
in Alliance, and has had a good patronage 
since the beginning. He has also been en- 
gaged in the real estate and land business here. 

Mr. Smith was married in 1884 to Miss 
Addie Brenanstall, daughter of R. R. Brenan- 
stall, who is a large dealer in the hide and 
grease business at Creston, Iowa. 

Mr. Smith is a Republican politically, and 
active in party affairs. In 1906 he was elected 
a member of the town council, and the follow- 
ing year was nominee for mayor by all parties 
and elected by a goodly majority. He has 
been a member of the school board for a num- 
ber of years, and is one of the leading public 
men of his community, enjoying a host of 
warm friends and the confidence and esteem 
of his fellowmen. 



GEORGE. P. EMIG. 

One of the leading and most successful 
business men of Taylor. Nebraska, is the gen- 
tleman whose name stands at the head of this 
review. He has been engaged in the drug 
business ever since 1883 and has built up a 
large and prosperous trade. He is an enter- 
prising and successful business man and has 
the esteem and confidence of the entire com- 
munity. 

Mr. Emig was born in Columbus, Barthol- 
omew county, Indiana, in the year 1849, and 
was the son of Michael and Permilla (Ander- 
son) Emig, the former a native of Germany 
and the latter of New Jersey. The father was 
a barber by trade, and was a veteran of the 
Mexican war. 

George Emig was reared in Indiana, re- 
ceiving a good education in the city schools. 



156 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Early in life he exhibited excellent 'business 
capabilities, learning the tannery and the boot 
and shoe business and also the drug line. At 
the age of sixteen years he was so proficient 
that he was placed in charge of thirty work- 
ers in the tannery and twenty employes in the 
boot and shoe department, and he followed 
this employment up to the year 1879. He then 
went west, locating on a farm at Ord, Ne- 
braska, where he remained for two years. At 
this time he went into the drug business in 
the village of Ord, remaining there for four 
years. 

In 1880, while on a hunting expedition, he 
visited Loup county, and in 1886 concluded to 
make it his home. On arriving in Taylor, the 
county-seat, he purchased his present drug 
business which had been established in about 
1884 by F. A. and Otto Witty. At that time 
the stock was very small and IMr. Emig began 
at once to enlarge it and make it adequate for 
the increasing demands of the trade. For 
twenty-two years it has been Mr. Emig's con- 
stant aim to make his store one of the most 
modern and up-to-date establishments in this 
part of the country. He has been a warm 
supporter of educational matters, assisted in 
the establishment of the independent school 
district and has been an active member of the 
school board. 

George P. Emig was united in marriage in 
1876 to Miss Mary Matilda Whiteside, a na- 
tive of New York state. Her father, William 
Whiteside, was born in Canada ; her mother 
was a native of New York. Mr. and Mrs. 
Emig have two children: Charles M. and 
Emma. 



H. P. WAITE. 



Among the popular residents of McCook, 
Red Willow county, none is better known or 
more universally esteemed than the gentleman 
above named, who has been mayor of the town 
for the past two years. Mr. Waite was elected 
in 1905, and succeeded himself the following 
year. His duties are many as McCook is 
growing very rapidly and its municipal gov- 
ernment consequently becoming important, 
imposes a greater tax upon the time and abil- 
ity of the mayor. During his term of office 
one of the most important and beneficial steps 
for the present and future good of the town 
has been inaugurated and completed, and 
much praise is due him for the very success- 
ful culmination of this enterprise. The sewer- 
age system is referred to by the above. Mc- 
Cook is much better situated than most west- 



ern cities for sewerage disposal, being on high 
land overlooking the Republican River, and 
although it was an immense undertaking, it is 
now in full operation and proving an impor- 
tant factor in the growth and development of 
its industries and commercial value. This work 
will cost the town about $40,000. The main 
sewer is one mile long, and empties into the 
river, the laterals being from eight to nine 
miles in length. With the fine supply of wa- 
ter from the works put in here in the year 
1883. McCook is thoroughly up-to-date in all 
respects, and the health of the citizens and 
progress of the city is assured. 

Mr. Waite is a native of Vermont. He 
came to McCook in 1888, and in 1896 estab- 
lished a hardware business here and since lo- 
cating has been one of the active and success- 
ful citizens of the place. He is a director of 
the First National Bank. He has served the 
town as alderman for two terms. The city is 
building a new high school to cost between 
$40,000 and $50,000, and Mr. Waite was in- 
strumental in getting this for the city. Dur- 
ing the term of his office as mayor the Car- 
negie gift of $10,000 for a public library has 
been accepted, and the city has guaranteed a 
fund of $1,000 per year to support this, Mr. 
Waite having appointed the trustees for this. 

McCook has between four and five hundred 
n. & M. railway men residing here with their 
families. This is a division headquarters with 
the superintendent and many officials living 
here, also the roundhouse and machine shops 
are located here, which employ a large num- 
ber of men. 



SIMON FISHMAN. 

Simon Fishman is one of the prosperous 
business men of Sidney, where he is engaged 
in the general merchandise business and has 
built up a good trade through his industry 
and good managament, and is deservedly 
placed in a high rank among the worthy citi- 
zens of that thriving town. 

Mr. Fishman was born in the village of 
Thisit, Germany, in 1880. His parents were 
Jews, and lived in Germany all their lives. 
Our subject remained at home until he was 
thirteen years of age. then came to America, 
and from that time on has made his own way 
in the world. He located in Trenton, Tennes- 
see, and spent four years in that city. At the 
end of that time he came west to Sterling, 
Colorado, and there began working as a clerk 
and continued in this work for four vears when 




ROBERT S. CAROTHERS. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



157 



he started in business for himself at Sterling, 
being just twenty-one years old, opening a 
general merchandise store. He ran this place 
up to 1903, then sold out and came to Sidney, 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska. Here he opened 
up in the same line of business and has built 
up a good patronage. He has a nice store 
building with a frontage of 50x135 feet and 
occupies two floors, carrying a large and com- 
plete line of merchandise. 

In 1901 our subject was married to Mary 
Firee. Mr. Fishman is looked upon as one 
of the city's substantial and successful busi- 
ness men. and is always active in local affairs 
promoting the commercial or educational in- 
terests. He is a member of the city council, 
and is now serving in that capacity. In 1907 
he was elected mayor of Sidney, and is one of 
the best public officials the town has ever had, 
highly esteemed by all. 



ROBERT S. CAROTHERS. 

Perseverance and integrity are the stepping 
stones by which many men have reached suc- 
cess, but of the early settlers in the west these 
characteristics were required in a greater 
measure than usually falls to the men of a 
more settled region. Here they had little 
incentive to perseverance when their every 
efifort was almost fruitless for so many years, 
and the blasts of winter or storms and pests 
of summer destroyed the results of their toil. 
Those who remained through the pioneer days 
and witnessed a most radical change in the 
landscape and conditions are worthy of great 
praise for their work as developers of the 
country, and are citizens of whom their fel- 
lowmen may feel justly proud. Such a man is 
Robert S. Carothers, and he now resides in 
Perkins county, where he has a finely devel- 
oped farm and valuable estate. A portrait of 
him will be found on another page. 

Mr. Carothers was born at Frankfort 
Springs, Pa., August 15th, 1864. He comes of 
American stock, Scotch-Irish descent, and his 
father was a native of Pennsylvania also. 
When Robert was just one year old the fam- 
ily settled in Mercer county, Ills., where he 
grew to manhood, he going to Missouri in 
1882, and there followed farm work. In the 
spring of 1886 he settled in Perkins county, 
locating on section 20. township 10, range 36. 
On coming to this region he shipped to Ogal- 
lala, which was the nearest trading point, driv- 
ing to his new location, and for two years 
every trip for supplies for his home was made 



to that town. His father had settled in the 
vicinity in 1885, and was hard at work building 
up a home. He had hauled water for house- 
hold use from Stinking Water Creek, several 
miles away, and was also going through the 
hardships and discouragements incidental to 
establishing a farm. His farm was on section 
19. and his house a stopping place for many 
people who came to the region in search of 
homes, at one time he having twenty people 
crowded in his sod shanty for the night. He 
was one of the most hospitable of men, and 
was always ready and willing to lend a help- 
ing hand to the newcomer in getting located 
and his home started. 

Our subject's first dwelling was a sod 
shanty, and in this he led a bachelor existence 
up to 1891, then was married to Miss Nellie 
Coates. She was born in Wisconsin, the fam- 
ily settling in Keith county in 1885, and later 
her father, C. C. Coates, located in North 
Platte, where he opened a real estate office. 
During the construction of the C. B. & Q. 
Railway through the county Mr. Carothers 
helped survey the line through Perkins and 
Chase counties. He spent some time subse- 
quently in Colorado and Kansas in company 
with surveying parties, roughing it on these 
trips, and passed through several exciting ex- 
periences. At one time near Sterling, Colo., 
a blizzard struck the camp and blew their 
tents away, and they had a hard time to save 
themselves from severe suffering trying to find 
shelter, for two hours wandering around seek- 
ing an abandoned shack in which to pass the 
time until the storm abated, finally succeeding 
in locating the shanty and saving themselves 
from exposure and possible death by freezing. 

In 1893 and '94 our subject met with se- 
vere crop losses on his farm and during these 
times was compelled to work away from home 
in order to make a living for his family. After 
these times passed he gradually got ahead, im- 
proved his place in good shape and added more 
land to his original homestead until he became 
proprietor of a section of good farm and range 
land, which is supplied with good buildings, 
including a comfortable dwelling, commodious 
barn 28 x 54 feet with 14-foot posts, besides 
sheds, etc. He has 200 acres cultivated and 
uses the rest as pasture and hayland for a 
large herd of stock. It will be of interest in 
this connection to say that in the spring of 
1894 our subject hauled hay from near Key- 
stone, on the North Platte river, thirty-five 
miles away. In the spring of 1886 hay was 
hauled from the South Platte. 

Mr. and Mrs. Carothers have a family of 
six children, namely: Roy N., Glen, Rex, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Fern. Ray and Robert, and their home is one 
of the pleasant spots to be found in the com- 
munity. 

Mr. Carothers is a populist. In early days 
he was actively interested in the Farmers' 
Alliance and was secretary and treasurer of 
the Perkins county organization. 

I\Ir. Carothers relates many incidents of 
pioneer life that are interesting. On January 
12. 1888, there was a school exhibition in the 
neighborhood, when the blizzard of that date 
occurred, and the people were compelled to 
spend the night in the sod house where the 
exercises took place. Mr. Carothers' father, 
Robert L. Carothers. was justice of the peace 
of his neighborhood for ten or twelve years in 
early days. It is related that when he per- 
formed his first marriage ceremony in pioneer 
times, the bridegroom called him out after the 
ceremony and asked for a chew of tobacco 
and told the magistrate that he was financially 
-'strapped" and would have to postpone pay- 
ing the fee. For years this first marriage fee 
that Mr. Carothers received was a standing 
joke in the neighborhood. 



HON. J. S. HOAGLAND. 

J. S. Hoagland, a prominent resident of 
North Platte, Nebraska, of the firm of Hoag- 
land & Hoagland. attorneys at law, was born 
in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1847. He is 
a son of W. V. F. Hoagland and Sarah L. 
Hoagland. his father at that time being en- 
gaged in the drug business in New York City 
in partnership with Dr. J. H. Schenk, of Phil- 
adelphia, and it was at the latter's request that 
our subject was named J. Schenk Hoagland. 

In 18.57 Mr. Hoagland moved to Bunker 
Hill. Illinois, and remained there up to 1872, 
then came to Nebraska, locating at Lincoln. 
There he served as deputy sherif?, and later 
as sheriff of Lancaster county, this in 1878. 
He was educated in Illinois, studying law at 
Bunker Hill and at Lincoln, Nebraska. In 
February. 1865. he enlisted in the 152nd Illi- 
nois Infantry and served his country as a 
private for nine months. 

Mr. Hoagland was married in 1868 to Miss 
Maria L. Waples, of Madison county, Illinois. 
They have two sons, one of whom, W. V., is 
in partnership with his father in his law busi- 
ness, and A. B. Hoagland, a prominent mer- 
chant of North Platte. 

Mr. Hoagland is a strong Republican. He 
has been judge of Lincoln county, and was 
elected a member of the Nebraska State Sen- 



ate in 1895. He has been the representative 
of Nebraska to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of 
Odd Fellows since 1889. and recognized as one 
of the most faithful and efficient members of 
this splendid body of representative men. He 
is a gifted orator and eagerly sought as a 
speaker on all occasions in the different cities 
in which they meet by the order itself and also 
other orders by which the Grand Lodge is en- 
tertained. 



LOGAN COUNTY. 

By an Early Settler. 

Logan county lies just west of Custer and 
north of Lincoln counties and was organized 
in 1885 by a soldiers' colony of about three 
hundred members who settled upon govern- 
ment lands under the homestead and timber 
culture act of Congress. The colony was or- 
ganized in 1883 at the office of J. S. Hoagland, 
then a practicing lawyer in Lincoln. Nebraska. 
Several veterans of the Civil war designing to 
enter upon government land consulted with 
Mr. Hoagland as to where such land could be 
found. They were advised that such informa- 
tion could be obtained by organized effort at 
much less expense than if each one attempted 
to ascertain such information for himself. A 
date for a meeting was fixed and the Lincoln 
papers printed a notice that there was to be 
a soldiers' colony organized at Mr. Hoag- 
land's oiifice at a certain time. At this ap- 
pointed time there were two hundred and 
twenty ex-soldiers on hand and joined the or- 
ganization, each paid in one dollar and a com- 
mittee of five members was selected to go out 
and find a good location where government 
land could be obtained. All railroads ofi^ered 
free transportation to the members of the com- 
mittee and one-half fare and one-half the reg- 
ular freight rates for members of the colony. 
The committee after having carefully exam- 
ined the countrj' in the northwest, southwest 
and central western portions made its report 
to a meeting of the colony called to act upon 
such report and it was decided almost unani- 
mously to locate in the unorganized territory 
where Logan county is now situated. The 
south Loup river, a beautiful little stream, 
runs through the center of the county. The 
valleys and table lands are very productive, 
and the prosperity of many members of the 
colony is shown by the comfortable houses, 
barns, splendid stock, fertile fields and grow- 
ing trees. The people have prospered without 
the aid of a railroad as no railroad company has 
as yet constructed any line through this coun- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



159 



ty. Land there is selling from ten to thirty 
dollars per acre because of its great product- 
iveness. The farmers ship but little grain be- 
cause of the long haul necessitated in the mar- 
keting of their product. Mr. Hoagland, the 
organizer of the colony, went with his com- 
rades to their new home, procured a patent 
from the government for his quarter section of 
land in 1885 and is now one of the leading 
lawyers in North Platte. Logan county will 
probably have a railroad in the near future 
and so lands will rapidly increase in value. 
A daily mail runs between North Platte and 
Candy, the county seat of the county, and 
nearly every resident of the county has his 
telephone service. The raising of the best 
breeds of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep is the 
principal industry. They have good schools 
and churches and the people are happy even 
though they do not hear the whistle of the 
locomotive and the rumble of the railroad 
trains. 



WILLIAM P. HALL. 

Among the leading citizens and prominent 
business men of Holdrege, Nebraska, none 
occupies a higher position than the gentleman 
herein named. Mr. Hall has been engaged in 
the practice of law for the past twenty-five 
years, and is closely identified with every 
movement which has been inaugurated for the 
benefit of his locality, and his name will fig- 
ure prominently in the history of the region. 

Mr. Hall is a native of Morgan county, 
Illinois. He studied law at Jacksonville, Illi- 
nois, after having received his earlier educa- 
tion in the public schools, and was admitted 
to the bar in 1884. In that year Mr. Hall lo- 
cated at Holdrege, and at that time there was 
not a school building, church or a sidewalk 
in the town. He was the second mayor, elect- 
ed in 1889, and served one term. In 1898 he 
was again elected and held the office for one 
term. In his first term as mayor the city 
council took forcible possession of the water 
works, owing to the owners refusing to fur- 
nish water to the city, and after running it for 
one summer the city bought it and has since 
retained possession, which they have found a 
satisfactory arrangement. In 1889 the popu- 
lation of Holdrege was 1500, and it is now 
4000. There are now two ward schools, a 
high school, eleven churches with many fine 
residences and altogether it is one of the most 
up-to-date towns of the state. 

Our subject served five terms as city attor- 
ney in the '90's, and also during 1904 and 1905. 



He has an extended practice throughout this 
section of the country in all courts of the 
state, and is recognized everywhere as a man 
of superior ability and sound judgment. 

In June, 1906, Mr. Hall was appointed post- 
master, and is now serving in that capacity, 
proving a most popular and efficient official. 



ROBERT WILBERT. 

The gentleman herein named has for many 
years been devoted to the interests of his com- 
munity in public matters, displaying an enter- 
prising spirit and the exercise of good judg- 
ment in a manner that commends him to all 
as a worthy citizen. Mr. Wilbert resides near 
Ainsworth, Nebraska, where he has a pleas- 
ant home and is proprietor of a large farm 
and ranch, to which he devotes all of his time 
and attention. 

Mr. ^^^ilbert was born in Pennsylvania in 
1847. His father. Israel Wilbert, was of old 
American stock, a farmer by occupation, who 
died when our subject was a boy. leaving a 
family of six children and a widow, who was 
Elizabeth Eakert, of Pennsylvania Dutch 
blood. Of these six children, he is now the 
only one living. His mother, now in her eigh- 
ty-third year, is living at Dustin, Holt coun- 
ty, Nebraska. When he was thirteen years old 
he enlisted in the army serving in Gen. Sheri- 
dan's cavalry troops for three years and nine 
months. Was at the battle of Appomattox, 
Five Forks, and other campaigns, and was 
present at Lee's surrender, but most of the 
time was spent in the Shenandoah valley. 

After he left the army he spent one year at 
home, then traveled through the south for 
three or four years, and about the year 1870 
went to Bismarck, North Dakota, where he 
scouted for the government, and also hunted 
and trapped. He took part in all the prelim- 
inary surveys of the Northern Pacific railway 
from Bismarck to Musselshell, Montana, and 
spent five years in that country. He next 
came to the Niobrara Valley in Holt county, 
and hunted and trapped for five years, and in 
the spring of 1881 moved to Brown county 
before it was organized, where he settled on 
a homestead in section 13, township 31, range 
23. At that time there were only a few ranch- 
ers in this county, and the land abounded in 
wild game which very nearly supplied all his 
wants, which were few and simple. He built 
a log house and started to build up a ranch, 
but for the first few years had a hard time 
getting along, experiencing many losses in 



i6o 



COMPENDIU;\l OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



crops and stock, going through several dry 
seasons and destructive hail storms. He stuck 
to the work through all disappointments, and 
now has a farm of 1.480 acres, of which 650 
are cultivated, and he engages in stock rais- 
ing and ranching. He runs about 150 cattle, 
thirty-five horses and three hundred and fifty 
hogs. His place is well improved with good 
buildings and fences, and he has a very valu- 
able property and is well known throughout 
this part of the country as a successful and 
prosperous ranchman and farmer. Mr. Wil- 
bert was married while living in Holt county 
in 1877. and his wedding was the first ever 
held in that count}-. His bride was ;\Iiss Mar- 
tha A. Berry, born in Boonesboro. Iowa, and 
came to Holt county in 1873 with her parents. 
Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wil- 
bert. namely: Mabel, born in Holt county m 
1879. and Hattie. born on the present home- 
stead in 1886. Mr. W'ilbert has been promin- 
ent in political circles for many years past, 
and was a strong Peter Cooper man, a green- 
backer, later deeply interested in the union la- 
bor question and anti-monopolist. He was 
a member of the Farmers Alliance and sup- 
porter of the populist party, always taking 
sides with the reform parties. He has never 
held any remunerative office of any kind, but 
for several years was postmaster at Mabelo, 
which has since been discontinued. Our sub- 
ject is a man of superior intelligence and great 
energy of mind, and a truly self-made man, 
never having attended an English school. He 
is among the oldest settlers in Brown county 
and this part of the state of Nebraska, his 
nearest neighbor as a pioneer, being ten miles 
away. His first garden was also ten miles 
from his house, and the nearest postoffice when 
he was first married was Paddock, Holt coun- 
ty. Nebraska. 



WALTER P. MANX. 

Walter P. Mann, a prosperous ranchman 
and worthy citizen of Dawes county, Nebras- 
ka, is a man of wide experience in business 
pursuits who has met with pronounced suc- 
cess and enjoys a comfortable home and the 
respect and esteem of a large circle of ac- 
quaintances as a result of his integrity and 
sterling character. Mr. Mann resides in Chad- 
ron. where he is engaged in business. 

Mr. Mann was born in Lexington, Ken- 
tucky, in 1869, of American stock. His father, 
Elias Mann, was a dentist. He married Miss 
Harriet Ballard, and came with his family to 
northwestern Missouri when our subject was 



an infant, settling in Nodaway county at the 
county seat, which was then Maryville, and 
there our subject was raised and educated. 
When he was fifteen years old he ran away 
from home and came to Dawes county, Ne- 
braska, with a freighting outfit, the party 
camping out nights and roughing it generally. 
He then put in ten years on different ranches 
in Wyoming, working as a cowbo}^, and saw 
all that country, including the Dakotas and 
parts of Montana, making Chadron his home 
and headquarters during all of the time. He 
grew familiar with the whole western coun- 
try, and liked Nebraska better than any part 
of the west, so finally bought a ranch situated 
fifteen miles northwest of Chadron which he 
operated for some time and still owns and 
personally manages the place. 

Mr. Mann is recognized as one of the lead- 
ing pioneers of western Nebraska, and has 
done his full share in building up the region 
where he chose his home. He has always ta- 
ken an active interest in every movement that 
tended to the advancement of the interests of 
his community, and deserves a first place 
among those who have helped make this coun- 
try what it is to-day. In political sentiment 
he is a Democrat. 



GEO. F. SCOTT. 

Geo. F. Scott, postmaster and influential 
merchant of Taylor for the last twent_v-four 
years, coming here in 1884, is a native of Min- 
nesota, and was born near Albert Lea, Febru- 
ary 12, 1857. His father. L. T. Scott, was one 
of the pioneers in Minnesota and was in the 
state during the Indian massacre. In early life 
he was a farmer, but, later, turned his atten- 
tion to banking and the mercantile business. 
Our subject's mother was Marion Purdy be- 
fore marriage and was of Scotch descent. 

Geo. F. Scott grew up on a frontier farm 
and was used to the hard work and the rough 
life of pioneer life. He came to Nebraska in 
1878, locating in Furnas county, where for 
six 3'ears he was engaged in the mercantile 
business. He then removed to Taylor, where, 
in company with C. F. ^^^^eeler, he opened a 
store with a small capital of about $2,000. For 
twenty-four years Mr. Scott has been success- 
fully carrying on his large business which has 
increased as the years went by. He is inter- 
ested in a store at Burwell which was opened 
in 1891, and the management of that business 
is in the hands of our subject's nephew. I. A. 
Howard. 



COMPENDIUM Of HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



i6i 



Geo. F. Scott was married in 1885 to Miss 
Delia Farrand, a native of Michigan. Her fa- 
ther, A. Farrand, was a pioneer of Furnas 
county, Nebraska. Air. and Mrs. Scott have 
one child, a daughter named Aural. 

Mr. Scott was appointed postmaster of 
Taylor, in 1885, and has held the position ever 
since. He has become thoroughly identified 
with the interests of Taylor, and also of Loup 
county, and has done his share in building up 
the prosperity of the community. He has 
proven eminently successful as a business man 
and has merited the esteem in which he is held 
by his fellow citizens. 



EUGENE HARTWELL HILL. 

Eugene H. Hill, residing in tlie thriving 
town of Grant, is well known throughout 
western Nebraska as a business man of ex- 
ceptional ability, who has for the past many 
3'ears been e.xtensively interested in the finan- 
cial and commercial afifairs of the region. He 
is at present engaged in the real estate busi- 
ness, handling land all over Nebraska and also 
in Colorado. Mr. Hill was born in Richland 
county, Wisconsin, June 15, 1862. In the pa- 
ternal line he is descended from an old eastern 
family, who resided in Lewis county, New 
York. Goodwin John Hill, father of our sub- 
ject, was born in Louis county. New York, in 
March, 1824, where he was reared on a farm 
and lived with his parents until he was mar- 
ried in 1843 to Miss Caroline Matilda Hubbard. 
They emigrated to Wisconsin in the pioneer 
days of that state, settling in Richland coun- 
ty, where there was born to them three sons 
and two daughters, the oldest son being Ralph 
K. Hill, now a resident of Hardy, Nebraska ; 
Mortimer W. Hill, now residing on a farm near 
Alexandria, Nebraska, and Eugene Hartwell 
Hill. Mrs. Fannie Stanclift, one of the daugh- 
ters, passed away in 1886 and the other daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Lillian Jackson, is now residing in 
Spokane, Washington. Goodwin J. Hill died 
March. 28, 1884. His wife survived him and 
passed away July 10, 1899. She was the 
daughter of William Hubbard, who was a 
soldier in the war of 1812, and died at the age 
of ninety-three years. His wife's maiden 
name was Caroline Elizabeth Bush. 

Our subject was raised in Richland Center 
to the age of eight years, then the family emi- 
grated to Nebraska, locating in Jefferson 
county in 1870, driving the entire distance from 
Wisconsin with a two-horse team and cov- 



ered wagon. After arriving in Nebraska they 
settled right among the Indians, living on the 
old Farrell ranch near Big Sandy River in Jef- 
ferson county, and there our subject grew to 
manhood. In 1883 he left home and started for 
himself, having previously learned the print- 
er's trade, and followed the work considerably 
from that time on, employed on different news- 
papers through eastern Nebraska. He came 
to Grant in April, 1888, purchased the Grant 
Enterprise in partnership with L. S. Lacey, 
and ran this paper for about four years, act- 
ing as editor and publisher. This was the 
first newspaper published in Perkins county. 
He sold the organ in 1892 and went into the 
real estate business, also in the stock business 
in 1898, carrying on both enterprises up to 
1903, owning at different times large tracts 
of land, and running from 4,000 to 6,000 head 
of sheep on his ranches. He opened his pres- 
ent real estate establishment in 1903, and has 
been successful in making some large deals, 
and has induced many settlers to this part of 
the state. He is at present owner of a ranch 
containing one thousand one hundred and eigh- 
ty acres situated four miles north of Grant, and 
on this place he carries on stock raising and 
farming, having several hundred head of cat- 
tle, horses and hogs. 

Mr. Hill was married December 27, 1889, 
to Miss E. Alice Sexson, of Grant, Nebraska, 
who was born on a farm in Center township, 
Green county, Indiana, October 11, 1856, a 
daughter of John Granvill and Alartha S. 
(Walker) Sexson. She emigrated with her 
parents to York, Nebraska, March, 1883, where 
she taught school until 1886, when she accom- 
panied her parents on their removal to Per- 
kins county, Nebraska, where she again re- 
sumed her profession as teacher and was prin- 
cipal of the Grant high school at the time of 
her marriage to Mr. Hill. Her father was 
born in Kentucky April 27, 1825, and in early 
childhood moved to Greene county, Indiana, 
with his parents, to whom were born si.xteen 
children. This family moved west on horse- 
back all of that distance. He was married 
in 1850 to Miss Martha S. Walker and passed 
away March 13,1896, while his wife died May 
15, 1896. She was born in Bledsoe county, 
Tennessee, November 16, 1823, and moved with 
her parents to Monroe count}^, Indiana, when 
a young girl, where she was reared amid the 
scenes and environments of pioneer life. The 
children of Mr. and Mrs. Granvill Sexson were 
as follows: Mary Abigail, who was born in 
1851 and died May, 1852 ; Joseph Joel was born 
January 4, 1854, and is employed in the mail 



1 62 



COMPEXDIU-M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



service running from Hastings to Omaha ; E. 
Alice was born October 11, 1856; Edward 
Hanigan and Edgar Harris were born June 
3. 1858. Edward, who Hved in Greeley, Colo- 
rado, died January 6, 1899. Edgar served in 
the capacity of county treasurer of Perkins 
county, Nebraska, two terms, but is at present 
engaged in ranch business; Rebecca Cornelia 
was born August 2, 1860, is engaged in the 
millinery business in Grant; Viola Florence 
was born May 9, 1862, died January 26, 1890; 
Carol Speed was born August 11, 1864, en- 
gaged in farming and stockraising in Perkins 
county, Nebraska ; John Granville. Jr., was 
born August 9, 1867. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hill have become the par- 
ents of a son, Eugene Harold, born August 
11, 1893. Mr. HiU was made a Mason in 
Plumb Lodge No. 186, Ancient Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons, in 1889 and is now a member 
of Ogallala Lodge, Ogallala, Nebraska. He 
and his family are members of the First Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, of Grant. Nebraska. 



HENRY J. LOWE. 

Henry J. Lowe, a leading business man of 
Mullen. Nebraska, has been closely identified 
with the development of Hooker county for 
many years past. He is proprietor of the lead- 
ing general store in that town, carrying a large 
line of merchandise, lumber, coal and farm 
machinery, and enjoys a good trade from the 
surrounding country. Mr. Lowe is a man of 
much enterprise, and no one is more highly es- 
teemed as a worthy and deserving citizen than 
the gentleman above named. 

Mr. Lowe was born at Cambridgeshire. 
England, in 1861. His father. Henry, Sr., was 
a carpenter by trade, and came to America in 
1872 with his family, settling in Marshall \'il- 
lage, Michigan, where our subject grew to 
manhood. At the age of seventeen he left 
home and emigrated to Iowa, remaining there 
but a short time, then determined to go far- 
ther west, traveling by team and covered 
wagon, and finally settling in Goodland. Sher- 
man county, Kansas, landing at that place in 
March of 1885. He settled on a pre-emption 
and later took a homestead, and started to 
build up a home. During that year the In- 
dians Jiad begun troubling the settlers, and 
while they were considered e.\tremely danger- 
ous, our subject stayed on just the same, 
spending in all ten years in that region, and 
succeeded in establishing a good ranch and 
home. 



Mr. Lowe was married there in 1889 to 
Alarj' Kudrua, whose parents were early set- 
tlers in that state, and she grew up there. 
The young couple began on a small scale and 
went through the usual pioneer experiences, 
and lived in a dugout the first six months, 
working faithfully to accumulate a comforta- 
ble home, but in 1894 they, with many other 
settlers, left the region on account of the hard 
times and unfavorable conditions. They came 
to Hooker county, Nebraska, settling on a 
ranch situated ten miles west of Mullen, and 
after living on the place for a year traded a 
bunch of horses for a stock of merchandise 
valued at $500, which was his start in the busi- 
ness world. He put in a larger line, and con- 
stantly extended his patronage throughout the 
county, and is now considered one of the lead- 
ing merchants of his county, his trade at the 
present time amounting to $50,000 per year. 
He has a handsome and modern building, 
equipped with the most complete line of goods 
in this part of the state, and his floor space 
covers an area 25x60 feet, containing his small- 
er goods, while the shed, 14x70 feet, is used 
for flour and other goods. The machinery and 
lumber occupy a half block west and adjoin- 
ing the main store. The upper floor of his 
store is used as a town hall. 

Besides his mercantile business Mr. Lowe 
owns a fine ranch situated three miles north- 
east of Mullen, on which he runs from 700 to 
800 head of cattle and about 125 horses, also 
700 sheep, and he personally superintends the 
operation of this extensive ranch. 

Mr. Lowe's family consists of himself, wife 
and two children — Lewis, aged seventeen 
years, and Elliott, aged fifteen years. They 
have a beautiful home, and are well liked by 
all with whom they come in contact, occupy- 
ing a foremost place in the social life of the 
town. 

Mr. Lowe is a stanch Republican in po- 
litical views, and was county treasurer for 
four years. He was appointed postmaster at 
.Mullen, and held that office for eight years. 



J. W. JACKSON. 

J. W. Jackson, of Loomis. is one of the 
largest landowners of Phelps county, Ne- 
braska, being proprietor of two thousand one 
hundred and eighty acres, a part of which is 
located very near Iloldrege and the balance 
near Loomis, all of which is improved land. 
Mr. Jackson is one of the progressive and up- 
to-date argriculturists of this region, and it is 




J. W. JACKSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



163 



through his good management and enterpris- 
ing spirit that he has reached the success he 
now enjoys. A portrait of him is presented on 
another page of this work. 

Mr. Jackson was born in Maryland in 1848. 
His father, Joseph Jackson, came west in 1856, 
settling in Logan county, Illinois, where our 
subject was reared and made his home until 
February, 1884. 

He first came to Nebraska in 1884 and set- 
tled in Phelps, section 3, Laird township. In 
1884 he bought this land in Laird township, 
having $2,500 capital, which was the proceeds 
of a fifty-acre farm near Lincoln, Illinois. The 
following year he built and operated the first 
store at Loomis, the railway having made that 
a station. He also petitioned for a postofifice. 
and was appointed the first postmaster, hold- 
ing that office for nine years. From 1893 to 
1901 he was engaged in the lumber business 
with one August E. Anderson, and they also 
put up the first grist mill and elevator at 
Loomis, with a capacity of fifty-five thousand 
bushels, the building costing thirty thousand 
dollars. He has since sold out his interest in 
this business. 

For four years he operated a general store 
at Loomis with an eight thousand dollar stock 
of goods, and during the dry years when so 
many became discouraged he went right on 
buying farms and farming with success. In 
those years he grew mostly rye and had big 
crops. At that time land in that vicinity was 
worth from fifteen dollars to twenty dollars 
per acre, and the same land is now worth sixty 
to one hundred dollars per acre, and he is still 
buying Phelps county land at these increased 
prices. ]\Ir. Jackson rents out his land in 
three hundred and twenty-acre farms, and 
thus, at one outlay, has better buildings and 
conveniences, giving his tenants a chance to 
do well and remain with him for several years. 
He believes in grain raising and only keeps 
stock enough for farming and domestic pur- 
poses. His annual grain crop is about fifty 
thousand bushels, which is his one-third in- 
terest in the farms rented. 

Mr. Jackson is an authority on farming 
lands all over the west. He has investigated 
farming lands with a practiced eye all over 
Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Colorado, Kan- 
sas, etc., and considers western Nebraska the 
best of all. The soil here is very productive 
and can raise any kind of grain if properly 
tilled and cared for. His idea is to cultivate 
and keep cultivating the surface of the land, 
keeping it level ; if allowed to become ridged 
up it will not hold moisture in dry seasons. 
ind puB dn ji ajfojq 'iuj-bj v jijSnoq aij f^j^si "T 



in a crop of wheat, and the first year's crop 
paid for the land. Then came on a dry spell, 
and while other farmers were sticking to wheat 
and getting nothing out of it he planted rye 
and got a yield of thirty-five bushels to the 
acre, and kept at this, keeping the land abso- 
lutely level by harrowing and keeping the 
ground floated down, and his opinion is that 
this country will stand dry and wet spells bet- 
ter than any place he knows of. He advocates 
plowing under cornstalks, as they hold the 
moisture, whereas stubble should be burned 
off and not plowed under, as this tends to make 
the ground dry and the burning also kills all 
insects of wheat and oat stubble. As an ex- 
ample, plant trees with cornstalks or any rub- 
bish under them and they will grow much bet- 
ter, as the ground is kept moist. 

In 1892 Mr. Jackson erected a fine farm res- 
idence in which he and his family lived up to 
the fall of 1906, and he also owns considerable 
property in the town of Holdrege. He was 
married in 1872 to Miss Annie Bruner. Mr. 
and Mrs. Jackson have a family of seven chil- 
dren, namely: Alfred C, of Holdrege; Albert, 
deceased ; Andrew and Loda, Ada, Nellie and 
Lina. The younger children are all attending 
school. 



HENRY E. GAPEN. 

Prominent among Cheyenne county's worthy 
citizens is the gentleman above mentioned, as 
he has been largely instrumental in bringing 
about the present financial and commercial 
prosperity. Mr. Gapen located in this county 
in 1887, and since that time has done his full 
share in building up the section in a business 
way, giving liberally of his time and money 
to every movement which tended to improve 
conditions here. Cheyenne county is free of 
all debt and everything is run on a cash basis, 
and to Mr. Gapen great credit is due for this 
state of affairs. He resides in Sidney, where 
he is engaged in the practice of law, and his 
clientage extends throughout Cheyenne and 
the adjoining counties. 

Mr. Gapen was born in \^^aynesburg, Penn- 
sylvania, September 19, 1863. His father was 
\\'illiam E. Gapen, a prominent attorney, and 
judge of the municipal court at Bloomington, 
Illinois, where the family moved when our 
subject was three years of age. William E. 
Gapen was a delegate at the first convention 
which nominated Abraham Lincoln for Pres- 
ident of the L'nited States, and also a dele- 
gate to the national convention nominating 
fames A. Garfield. He was well known all 



164 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



over the country, and was a college mate of 
James G. Blaine. He married Miss Helen 
Minor, also a native of Pennsylvania. Henry 
Gapen grew to manhood in Illinois, receiving 
■a common school education, and after leaving 
school he began studying law in his spare 
hours with his father. In the fall of 1885 he 
came west, locating in Deadwood, South Da- 
kota, where he took a position as clerk in the 
government land office, being obliged to travel 
from Chadron, Nebraska, to Deadwood by 
stage through a perfectly wild and unsettled 
country. He remained at Deadwood until the 
spring of 1887, then came to Sidney in June 
of that year, where he had secured the posi- 
tion of chief clerk in the government land of- 
fice, which was opened in July, 1887. Here 
he served for seven years, then began the 
practice of law, and in the fall of 1895 was 
elected to the office of county attorney, and 
has been re-elected for four successive terms, 
at present serving his fifth term in that ca- 
pacity. He has done a general law and land 
business, and has stumped and canvassed 
Cheyenne county many times in different po- 
litical campaigns. He is recognized as one 
of the leading old-timers and foremost barris- 
ters of this section of the country, and enjoys 
an enviable reputation as a business man and 
good citizen. Politically he is a Republican. 



CHARLES G. ELMORE, M. D. 

Charles G. Elmore, a leading physician and 
surgeon of Chadron, Nebraska, is an exceed- 
ingly proficient member of his profession and 
has ai> e.xtensive practice throughout Dawes 
and the adjoining counties. He is a man of 
keenest perception and superior ability, and 
has gained an enviable reputation by his strict 
attention to his work and for his unfailing 
sympathy and aid in times of need to his 
patrons. 

Dr. Elmore was born in Alamo, Montgom- 
ery county, Indiana, in 1858, of American 
stock, Scotch-Irish descent. His father was a 
merchant and farmer, and our subject was 
reared in the state of his birth, attending the 
academy at Alamo, from which he was grad- 
uated at the age of twenty. He immediate!}' 
began the study of medicine, devoting three 
years to this work at Crawfordsville, and also 
attending the medical department of Butler 
University at Indianapolis for two years. He 
remained in the vicinity of the latter place 
and. practiced for a time, then returned to 
school, taking a course of study at the Uni- 



versity of Tennessee, and graduated from that 
institution in 1887. In that year he came to 
Nebraska, locating at Gordon, where he opened 
an office and built up a good practice through 
that region. He constantly kept up his studies 
and received a diploma from the New York 
Polyclinic School, this being post-graduate 
work, and he is considered one of the best read 
men in the profession. He also has attended 
Johns Hopkins University and done post-grad- 
uate work in Chicago. When he first settled 
in Gordon, that now thriving town was a reg- 
ular "wild west" town, and he took an active 
part in building up the place and was one of 
the pioneers of the region, his practice in those 
days extending all through that section of the 
country, covering Pine Ridge Reservation and 
for many miles in each direction. 

Dr. Elmore came to Chadron in 1896 and 
opened an office, which he has maintained ever 
since, enjoying a good practice and an envia- 
ble reputation as the leading physician of the 
county. He has been coroner of Dawes county 
for a number of years ; surgeon for the C. & N. 
\V. Railway, and United States pension exam- 
iner for years at this point. 



W. L. BLACK. 



W. L. Black, residing in Prairie township, 
Phelps county, farmer, stock shipper and deal- 
er in Jersey R.ed Duroc hogs, pure-bred, is one 
of the leading stockmen of this locality. He 
is an authority on this subject, and has made 
a pronounced success since he has been en- 
gaged in the work. 

Mr. Black is a native of Illinois. His fa- 
ther, John L. Black, was born in Schuyler 
county, Illinois, and a sketch of his brother, 
Richard S., appears in this volume. The fa- 
ther was a soldier in an Illinois regiment dur- 
ing the Civil war and lost his life in defense 
of the Union. Our subject came to Phelps 
county in March, 1897, purchasing a farm of 
eighty acres adjoining the town of Holdrcge 
and another of seventy-six acres near by. The 
places were supplied with good buildings, and 
he paid ninety dollars per acre for the land 
containing eighty acres and one hundred for 
other property, and it is worth much more to- 
day. Prior to this he lived in Harlan county 
for nine years, where he farmed over eight 
hundred acres, most of it in, small grain and 
corn. There he fed cattle and hogs during the 
winters, and made a success of the business. 
In 1906 he sold the land, consisting of two hun- 
dred and ninetv acres, for sixteen thousand del- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



165 



lars, and when he bought it he only gave 
twenty dollars an acre, showing a good ad- 
vance. Mr. Black lived in Iowa for four years, 
then in Missouri for ten years, and states that 
from his experience he thinks Nebraska by 
far the best place he has ever seen, taking one 
year with another. One has better crops here, 
it is healthier, better water, and the land is 
easier worked, one man being able to till twice 
the number of acres that he could in either of 
those states. When Mr. Black came here ten 
years ago he had very little to start with, and 
he has been one of the successful men of the 
section, and is now proprietor of a valuable 
estate. He now has sixty head of pure-bred 
Duroc Jersey hogs and feeds out and sells to 
the local markets over two hundred head each 
season. He has dealt in these hogs for the 
past six years and has met with decided suc- 
cess, and is of the opinion that the Durocs 
are the best hogs for this country, being 
healthier and better rustlers, making quicker 
growth and larger litters, usually getting a 
third more pigs. They are always in good de- 
mand and are the best lard hogs in the world. 
Mr. Black also ships from two to three cars 
of cattle and hogs each week during the ship- 
ping season, usually sending them to the St. 
Joe market. 

Mr. Black was married in 1893 to Miss 
Luella Lawler. By a former marriage Mr. 
Black had three children, one of whom was an 
adopted child. One son, C. C. Black, died 
in 1905 at the age of twenty-one. In the fam- 
ily there are now three children, named as fol- 
lows: Frederick L., Henry L. and Irene. 

Our subject went into the dairy business 
in 1906, and has a herd of forty-five dairy 
cows. He sells all his milk at the city of 
Holdrege. He has made a success in this busi- 
ness ; in fact, in his community he can't sup- 
ply the demand for dairy products. He has 
gradually increased his land until now he has 
a ranch of two hundred and forty acres, al- 
though his start was made with onlv seventeen 



ORLANDO U. LENINGTON. 

To the pioneers of a county is due most of 
the credit for the prosperity enjoyed there in 
after years, and among those who have spent 
many years in assisting the development of 
the agricultural and commercial resources of 
western Nebraska, the gentleman above named 
is accorded a prominent place. He went 
through all the hardships of a pioneer's life, 
starting in when but a boy, and despite many 



losses and discouragements which overtook 
him at different times worked steadily and 
earnestly on, and is now one of the substantial 
citizens of Dawes county, residing in Chadron, 
where he is engaged in the feed and grain 
business. 

Mr. Lenington was born at Marietta, Ohio, 
in 1866. His father, J. B. Lenington, was a 
farmer, of American stock, and the family re- 
mained in Ohio until our subject was six years 
old, then went to Minnesota, settling in Stearns 
county, on a farm, where he was reared and 
educated. He was brought up to do all kinds 
of hard farm work, and he and his father car- 
ried on the farm up to 1885, when they came 
to Nebraska, where the latter took up a home- 
stead and started a farm. He was only here 
two years when he died, and our subject was 
left to run the farm, which he did for two 
years. They had put up a log house and lived 
in that all the time they were on the place. 
He remained on his farm, also working out in 
the vicinity of his home, and part of the time 
worked as an engineer in a sawmill, where 
he had full charge of the lumbering operations. 
He then was employed as foreman of a horse 
ranch in Cherry county for five years. Mr. 
Lenington came to Chadron and for three or 
four years was engaged in the cattle business 
on his own account, and made a success ot 
the work, but opened his present feed store in 
1900 and has built up a fine trade in that time. 

In 1891 our subject was married to Miss 
Ada M. Canaday, whose father died when she 
was a baby. To Mr. and Mrs. Lenington two 
children have been born — Marcie, aged four- 
teen, and Eva, aged nine. 

Mr. Lenington has taken a very active part 
in local aiTairs since coming to Chadron. He 
has been assessor in Chadron for several terms 
and has assessed nearly half of Dawes county 
eight different times. Politically he is a Re- 
publican. 



H. HAPEMAN, M. D. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a widely known physician of 
Kearney county, Nebraska, who has been a 
resident of the town of Minden for the past 
twenty-five years. 

Dr. Hapeman is a native of La Salle county, 
Illinois, born in Earlville, Illinois. Dr. Hape- 
man first came to Minden in 1884 and opened 
up in the ofhce he now occupies, being the 
oldest physician in this county. He has made 
a specialty of surgery, and his practice ex- 



1 66 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY i], | 



tends over the state and into Colorado and 
Kansas. He devotes his entire time and at- 
tention to his clients, and has gained the con- 
fidence and esteem of a host of people, all of 
whom recognize in him a master of his pro- 
fession. Prior to coming west Dr. Hapeman 
practiced in Polo, Illinois, for two years. He 
received his education and training at Rush 
Medical College, Chicago. He is a member 
of the State Medical Society and District Med- 
ical Society, also railway surgeon, and is sur- 
geon for the B. & M. railway at Hastings. 

Dr. Hapeman is interested to some extent 
in farming lands in this section of the coun- 
try, and is thoroughly familiar with all impor- 
tant matters relating to agriculture, and has 
seen the value of lands in this section raise 
from eight dollars per acre to seventy-five dol- 
lars in the past few years. 



GRANVILLE H. COX. 

In compiling a list of the prominent busi- 
ness men of Purdum, Blaine county, who have 
been for many years intimately identified with 
the upbuilding of the commercial interests of 
that locality and are widely and favorably 
known, a foremost place must be given Gran- 
ville H. Cox. He is engaged in the general 
mercantile business at that place, has estab- 
lished a splendid trade throughout the section, 
and enjoys the confidence of all with whom he 
has had to do. He is also one of the earliest 
settlers in the county, coming here in 1887, 
and has watched the growth of this region 
from almost its very beginning as a farming 
community. 

Mr. Cox was born in Preble county, Ohio, 
in 1872, and while a small boy the family lived 
in Iowa, Indiana and later in Nebraska, Levi 
Cox, the father, having been an early settler 
in this state, locating at first in Custer county, 
Granville being about fourteen years of age 
when they came to Nebraska. In 1887 they 
came from Custer county to Blaine county, 
driving the entire distance with a team and 
covered wagon, and settled on a homestead 
which they farmed for a number of years. 
Their nearest trading point at that time was 
Ainsworth, about fifty miles from the claim, 
and our subject lived with his parents, assist- 
ing them in building up the home farm, until 
he was past twenty-one, then filed on a claim 
for himself and started to develop a farm and 
ranch. He was married in 1896 to Miss Ger- 
trude Keller, whose father, George Keller, is a 
pioneer in this vicinity, and together they 



worked faithfully to build up a comfortable 
home, going through many hardships and pri- 
vations at the first, but gradually improved 
their place, proving up on the land, which he 
still owns. 

In 1900 Mr. Cox was appointed postmaster 
at Purdum, so removed to the town and soon 
afterwards established his present business, 
beginning with a capital of about four hundred 
dollars, putting in a small stock of general 
merchandise, and during the first weeks of his 
career as a merchant his sales amounted to 
something like two dollars and a half each 
day. His store was a rude little building, 12x 
14 feet floor space, and from such a start he 
has grown to be one of the leading business 
men of the town, occupying a building 24x50 
feet in size, and nearly as much used as a 
store room. He carries a very complete line 
of general goods and furnishings, hardware, 
groceries, shoes, etc., and besides this deals in 
farm machinery, having a machine shop 30x 
36 feet for this stock. He has made a success 
of the enterprise, and is one of the well-to-do 
men of the town, taking an active part in local 
afifairs and recognized as a gentleman of su- 
perior business ability and a worthy citizen 
of the community. 

Mr. Cox has a pleasant home, and the fam- 
ily occupy a prominent position in the social 
affairs of the town. There are three children, 
Kyle, Bessie and George. 



HARRY D. ALFORD. 

Harry D. Alford, the popular mayor of 
Grant, has been a resident of Perkins county 
for the past twenty-five years, and is well 
known all through the region as a man of 
strong character and the strictest integrity. 

Mr. Alford was born in Jasper county, 
Iowa, November 12, 1868. His father, George 
P. Alford, is of Scotch blood, and was an early 
settler in western Nebraska. He married Jen- 
nie Kirk, of old American stock, and the fam- 
ily settled in Perkins county during its early 
days as a county, Mr. Alford being appointed 
postmaster at Grant and served for eight 
years. Our subject grew up in Iowa, coming 
to Nebraska with his parents when seventeen 
years of age, locating on the father's present 
homestead a mile and a half southeast of Grant, 
and he worked with his father until he was 
twenty-one years of age. He then left home 
and settled in Grant, establishing a draying 
business, starting with one team and wagon, 
did very well, and in 1894 added a livery busi- 
ness, which he carried on for several years. He 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAFHY 



167 



bought a small hardware store in 1900, started 
in this September 10th of that year with a 
small capital and a floor space 24x40 feet. He 
soon was obliged to increase his stock and now 
has a frontage of seventy feet on the main 
street of the town, and occupies a store of six 
hundred and fifty square feet floor space. He 
enjoys a good trade, and is classed among the 
solid and substantial business men of the town, 
always ready and willing to help in promoting 
the best interests of his community, financial, 
commercial and educational, and is one of the 
best known men in the county. 

On November 10, 1892, Mr. Alford was 
united in marriage to Miss Laura Yenney, 
whose father, John Yenney, was a homesteader 
and early settler in this county. 



A. T. DAVIS. 



A. T. Davis, one of the leading farmers of 
section 31, township 26, range 38, is also one 
of the old settlers of Cherry county, Nebraska. 
Coming here in the early days of its settle- 
ment, he has aided materially in the develop- 
ment of the region, and well merits the high 
standing he has gained as a citizen and pro- 
gressive agriculturist and stockman. 

Mr. Davis was born in Meigs county, Ohio, 
in 1858. He is a descendent of an old Ameri- 
can family, his father, Robert, being a native 
of New Hampshire and an early pioneer in 
Ohio. He married Elizabeth McNeil. 

When our subject was a lad of seven years 
the family came to Illinois and settled in 
Wayne county, where they lived on a farm 
for seven years, and then emigrated to Ne- 
braska, locating in Redwillow county. They 
landed there in 1873, traveling by team and 
covered wagon through the wild and unset- 
tled country, camping out along the road on 
the journey, and met with numerous exciting 
experiences. During the early settlement in 
Nebraska father and son did quite a good deal 
of hunting and killed many buffaloes and other 
wild game, and they went through the pioneer 
incidents, encountering many difficulties in 
getting their home established and opening up 
a ranch and farm. Our subject received his 
education in the country schools during his 
early boyhood, and later attended the State 
University for two years, the family having 
settled in Lincoln county, where the father 
died. After several years the mother with her 
little family came to Cherry county, arriving 
here in 1888, our subject settling on a ranch 
sixteen miles north of Hyannis, and was among 



the earliest settlers in that vicinity, which was 
later named "Davis Valley," one of the great- 
est hay valleys in the county, yielding annu- 
ally about twenty-five thousand tons of hay. 
Mr. Davis worked faithfully and succeeded 
in building up a good home, improving the 
place in good shape and grew into the stock 
business gradually, and now has some of the 
finest herds of cattle and horses in the county, 
which brings him in a nice income, and he 
has made a great deal of money in that line. 
He is now proprietor of a two thousand-acre 
ranch, all deeded land and splendid range coun- 
try. Although he has prospered in a won- 
derful degree since coming here, he has at 
different times met with reverses, in 1889 los- 
ing his entire hay crop by fire, besides other 
property. Also, several times he has had se- 
rious cattle losses on account of severe storms, 
but has in the main had great success in his 
ventures, now standing in the front ranks of 
the well-to-do men of his county. 



J. B. BILLINGS & SON. 

The above firm, successful business men of 
-Alma, Harlan county, Nebraska, are engaged 
in the real estate and investment business at 
that place. They are special agents for the 
Burlington Railway lands, and have acted in 
this capacity for over twenty years ; also for 
the B. & M. railroad and the Lincoln Land 
Company. They established this firm in 1877, 
and have carried it on continuously ever since 
that time, and have built up an enormous trade, 
extending all over the western part of the 
state of Nebraska and part of northern Kan- 
sas. It is the pioneer real estate business in 
Alma, and father and son are well and favor- 
ably known all over this section of the country. 

J. B. Billings was a pioneer of Wisconsin, 
■born in Montgomery county, New_ York, in 
1846. He has three sons, namely : Aubrey 
A. Billings, who lately was cashier of the Bank 
of Alma, having held that position for the 
past fourteen years, and has recently resigned ; 
James Earl Billings, a dentist, of Grand Junc- 
tion, Colorado, and Robert F., associated with 
his father in the real estate business. For sev- 
eral years Mr. Billings was a resident of Par- 
kersburg, Iowa, and then came to Harlan 
county in 1872, where he located on a farm 
near Alma, and remained on this place for 
eight years. He then moved to the town. He 
held the office of justice of the peace for many 
years, and was police judge of the city several 
years. He was county commissioner for six 



i68 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



years, and was appointed postmaster of Alma 
under President McKinley, proving a most 
efficient and popular public official. He was 
the first mayor of Alma, and a member of the 
town board for several terms. He also served 
on the school board for many years. 

The firm of J. B. Billings & Son have been 
potent factors in the development and growth 
of this section, and have aided materially in 
the building up of the community. They have 
brought many settlers to this county, and have 
the greatest faith in land here. They own sev- 
eral large tracts of land, having twelve hun- 
dred acres located in Phelps, Harlan and Fur- 
nas counties, most of which is in the first 
named. During the past four years lands in 
this part of the country have advanced more 
than double. On the first of March last year 
this firm closed sales of over one hundred 
thousand dollars. 

J. B. Billings is an active member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also of 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and 
takes an active part in all local and state af- 
fairs. In political faith he is a Republican. 



CLELL LA BELL. 

In the story of the career of this enterpris- 
ing and successful citizen of Newport, Rock 
county, Nebraska, we have a story of far more 
than the usual interest, and yet one that is 
repeated thousands of times in the redemption 
of the children of the old world from the op- 
pression of intolerable conditions, and their 
introduction into the larger life and liberty 
of the new. The transference of such vast mul- 
titudes from the almost hopeless poverty, des- 
titution and toil that so largely rule across 
the ocean to the freedom and enlightenment 
that attend manhood and industry on Ameri- 
can soil is a marvel of history, and gives a 
zest and a glory to the humble life of many 
who have toiled and labored here never dream- 
ing of the possibilities their achievements 
bring, not only to their own descendents, but 
to the land of their adoption as well. 

Mr. La Bell was born in Italy, near the 
city of Rome, April 10, 1865, where his father 
died when he was only eight years of age. 
At that time he was brought to this country 
by a German musician who agreed to teach 
him music, pay his mother $12 per year for 
his time and return him to her at the end of 
four years. On the arrival of the steamer the 
German was arrested for kidnaping a boy 
some three years before and Clell and three 



other lads were left strangers in a strange land 
to make their own way in the world alone. 
Cast adrift in the city of New York, it was his 
good fortune that he did not remain a home- 
less waif on its streets, but was cared for by 
the Humane Society and through them adopt- 
ed by Elijah Longbottom, of Rockford, Iowa, 
where for some three years he was employed 
in farm labor. He was cruelly treated here 
and to escape a threatened flogging for stay- 
ing overtime at a neighbor's ran away. From 
there he went to Hamilton county, after be- 
ing abandoned by a brother of his adopted par- 
ent, and was fortunate to fall into the hands 
of Abraham Johnson, who gave him the ad- 
vantages of school and a Christian home, and 
here he remained until eighteen years of age. 
The following year was spent by him in Mon- 
tana in labor and mining, from whence he re- 
turned to Hamilton county, remaining until 
he attained his majority. That year j\lr. La 
Bell came to Rock county, Nebraska, and filed 
on a homestead entry "six miles southeast of 
Long Pine, where he "kept bachelor's hall" for 
a year, and for two years did his farm work 
with oxen. 

Clell La Bell and Miss Luda O. De Witt 
were married April 5, 1891, and by this union 
he has become the father of two children, 
Ethel and Mabel. Mrs. La Bell is a daugh- 
ter of Solomon De Witt, who comes of an 
old American lineage. Mr. and Mrs. La Bell 
passed through several protracted drouth pe- 
riods and have seen hard times, but success 
has greatly crowned their efforts, \^^ith the 
opening of the year 1896 a fire swept away 
their hay and cattle sheds, causing a loss of 
about five hundred dollars, at that time a se- 
rious blow. However, with true grit he re- 
covered from it, and when he sold out in 1902 
had acquired an entire section of land for his 
homestead, on which he had a five-room resi- 
dence and a barn that could shelter a hundred 
head of cattle. We show a view of this home- 
stead on another page, together with a view of 
the prairie at the time of his coming, covered 
only by the prairie grasses. We also show a 
view of his residence and business property in 
Newport. There was an abundance of water 
and an orchard that altesled faithful care. 
With the proceeds Mr. La Bell came to New- 
port and engaged in trade, opening a general 
store and inviting patronage especially to his 
harness, hardware, boot and shoe and grocery 
departments. He has been in business since 
leaving the farm and his store has become 
widely and favorably known alike for its re 
liable goods, fair treatment and the courteous 
manners of its management. In political af- 




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Section 6, Township 2g, Range ig. Rock County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



169 



fairs Mr. La Bell is a Republican. The family 
are all members of the Methodist church, while 
Mr. La Bell is a member of the Newport clan 
of Royal Highlanders and was formerly af- 
filiated with the Knights of Pythias. 



GEORGE M. CLEAVENGER. 

George M. Cleavenger, residing in Mullen, 
Hooker county, Nebraska, is one of the lead- 
ing and substantial citizens of that thriving 
town, highly esteemed for his unswerving in- 
tegrity and sterling worth. 

Mr. Cleavenger was born in Hardin county. 
West Virginia, in 1847, and is of English and 
Irish descent. His father, Thomas, was a 
farmer and blacksmith, and he followed his 
calling in Hardin county. West Virginia, for 
many years. The family moved to Ohio in 
1851, remained there for about two years, then 
emigrated to Iowa, settling in LTnion county, 
where they were among the pioneers and spent 
several years on the frontier, our subject grow- 
ing up in that vicinity. When he reached the 
age of eighteen he left home and went to Kan- 
sas, locating in Washington c?)unty. At that 
time that country was full of Indians, also 
bufifalo and other wild game, and a great deal 
of his time was spent in hunting. He took up 
a tract of land and developed a good farm, liv- 
ing there for twenty-two "j-ears. He was mar- 
ried while in that region, in 1871, taking as a 
wife Belle Lavering, daughter of William Lav- 
ering, an early settler in Kansas. Mrs. Clea- 
venger's mother was Ann Snyder, and the for- 
mer grew up and was educated in Kansas. Our 
subject suceeded in accumulating a good home 
and farm in Kansas, but in 1888 disposed of 
the farm and moved to IMontana. settling in 
Custer county, the family driving through the 
country to their new location from White- 
wood, South Dakota. As soon as they reached 
Montana he took up a desert claim and began 
to open a ranch, starting at once in the stock 
business. His ranch was situated one hundred 
and twenty miles from the county seat. Miles 
City, which was also his nearest trading point, 
and his nearest postoffice was a distance of 
forty miles. Mr. Cleavenger succeeded well 
in the ranching business, and remained on the 
place for ten years, then came to Nebraska, 
settling in Hooker county. This trip was also 
made by team, they being on the road for forty 
days, camping out along the way, sleeping un- 
der their wagon and cooking their meals over 
camp fires. As soon as he arrived here Mr. 
Cleavenger bought land and began to start a 



ranch, also farmed some from the beginning, 
and has been following the same work for the 
past ten years. He deals principally in horses, 
raising the animals for breeding and market 
purposes, and is considered one of the best 
judges of horses in the region, well known all 
over this county as an authority on all matters 
pertaining to horseflesh. 

Mr. Cleavenger's family consists of seven 
children, who are named as follows : Elvery 
B., Carrie May, Georgia, Frank, Charles, Grace 
and Estelline. 

Our subject has always taken an active 
part in local affairs and is known throughout 
his locality for his liberal views on all mat- 
ters of public interest. He was elected county 
commissioner of Hooker county in 1899 and 
served in that capacity for five years. 



JUDGE ALBERT MULDOON. 

Judge Albert Muldoon, a prominent attor- 
ney of North Platte, Nebraska, is a gentleman 
of exceptional ability as a lawyer, one of the 
best informed men in the state of Nebraska, 
and is highly respected and esteemed as a 
worth}' citizen. He is probably the most widely 
known man in the profession in this section of 
the country, and has built up a large and lu- 
crative practice since settling here. 

Judge Muldoon was born January 28, 1860, 
in Logan county, Illinois, and was educated in 
the schools near his home, afterwards attend- 
ing the State Normal located at Normal, Illi- 
nois. After this he engaged in teaching and 
followed that occupation for six years in Lo- 
gan county. His parents, James and Mary 
Costello Muldoon, both natives of County 
Derry, Ireland, came to America in 1858 and 
settled in Illinois, where they raised their fam- 
ily, and they still reside there. Our subject 
came to Nebraska in 1889, locating at Ogallala, 
and there practiced his profession for about 
seven years, and then moved to North Platte, 
where he has resided ever since, following his 
chosen work. He was elected county judge of 
Keith county on the Republican ticket in 1890, 
serving one term, and county attorney for two 
terms. He has served on the county central 
committee for Lincoln and has been on the 
district committee. 

While in Ogallala he finished his studies, 
which were begun in his young manhood, and 
it was there that he was admitted to the bar. 
He is now district attorney for the Union Pa- 
cific Railway, and attorney for the Exchange 
Bank of Ogallala, the Sutherland and State 



170 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Bank and the Commercial Bank of Paxton, Ne- 
braska. His time is fully occupied in looking 
after the interests of these different concerns, 
together with the general practice which he 
enjoys and which extends all over the western 
part of Nebraska, and the success which he 
has attained in his profession proves him to 
be one of the foremost lawyers of his time. 

Judge Muldoon was married in 1886 to 
^Miss Mary E. Lucas, a native of Logan county, 
Illinois. 



PETER DAHLSTEN. 

Peter Dahlsten, of Bartlett, Nebraska, is 
one of the old settlers of Wheeler county and 
a public official of enviable reputation, well 
known throughout the northwestern part of 
the state of Nebraska. He is the present coun- 
ty clerk, and his popularity is best evidenced 
by the fact that for the past fifteen or twenty 
years he has constantly held ofifice in Wheeler 
county in some capacity or other, serving as 
postmaster at Erickson for six years, receiv- 
ing his appointment under President Cleve- 
land's regime. He has also held the office of 
treasurer of the county for four years, and was 
representative from the Forty-ninth District, 
consisting of eight counties — Greeley, W'heel- 
er, Garfield, Loup, Blaine, Thomas, Hooker 
and Grant — elected to that ofifice in 1900 on 
the People's Independent ticket. In 1905 Mr. 
Dahlsten was elected county clerk, and is still 
acting in this capacity, now serving his sec- 
ond term. He is a popular and efificient public 
official and one of the foremost men of this 
region, noted alike for his active public spirit 
in every matter pertaining to the good of the 
locality and for his many sterling qualities of 
heart and mind. 

Mr. Dahlsten was born in Clayton county, 
Iowa, December 4, 1862. His father, Carl 
Dahlsten, was a native of Sweden, as was 
also his mother, Carrie (Hansen) Dahlsten. 
Our subject's father died in Madison county, 
Nebraska, November 2, 190.S, and his mother 
in the spring of 1883. The family came to 
America in 1857, making the trip across the 
ocean in a sailing vessel, the journey taking 
three weeks from the time of leaving their na- 
tive country up to the time of landing in New 
York City, and during the trip they were ex- 
posed to much hardship and suffering. 

In 1876 our subject, with his parents, three 
brothers and a sister, moved from Clayton 
county, Iowa, to Cuming county, Nebraska, 
where they lived for three years. They then 
moved to Madison county, Nebraska, where 



our subject assisted in opening up a home- 
stead filed on by his father in 1883. When 
twenty-one years of age he came to Wheeler 
county and took up a homestead and tree 
claim on Cedar river, which is now three miles 
southeast of Ericson. Here he now has a 
ranch of six hundred and forty acres of deeded 
land, besides six hundred acres leased school 
land. He has forty thousand Cottonwood and 
ash trees and a large orchard growing on his 
place, mostly planted by himself. 

On December 25, 1893, Mr. Dahlsten was 
united in marriage to Hannah McCart, a na- 
tive of Nebraska, born in Otoe county, Febru- 
ary 13, 1875. .Her father, Henry O. McCart, 
and her mother, Minerva (Blevins) McCart, 
were pioneer settlers of Otoe county, near 
Palmyra, Nebraska. To Mr. and Mrs. Dahl- 
sten the following children have been born : 
Belle, aged fourteen ; Carl, aged eleven, and 
•Anna, aged nine, this being October 22, 1908. 
The family are all active members of the Lu- 
theran church and highly esteemed by all. Mr. 
Dahlsten is a member of the Modern Woodmen 
of America and the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen. 



ELMER J. SWEET. 

The above name will be readily recognized 
as one of the leading business men and worthy 
citizens of Sidney, Nebraska. Mr. Sweet is 
one of the oldest settlers in this part of Ne- 
braska, and has various financial interests in 
Sidney and vicinity. He is a man of strict in- 
tegrity and of energy and one of the wide- 
awake and influential men of his community. 

Mr. Sweet was born in Dodge county, Wis- 
consin, June 8, 1858, on a farm. His father 
was. Dodge Sweet, of American stock, and 
came west as far as Denver as early as 1849. 
He married Miss Susan Crawford, of Ohio. 
Our subject was raised in his native state, at- 
tended tlie country schools and helped his par- 
ents in the farm work up to 1881. He had 
learned the carpenter's trade when a young 
fellow, making the farm his home for years, 
his father having died when he was four years 
old, and Elmer assisting in the care of his 
mother and the family. When he was twenty- 
three years of age he came to Sidney, settling 
there, where he followed his trade up to 1904. 
He did contracting here and all over the sur- 
rounding country, and he put up some of the 
finest buildings in the place and is considered 
one of the foremost men in his line of work. 
In 1903 he opened a lumber yard and carries a 
large stock of lumber, feed, building material, 



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J. H. DENSLOVV. 
Glen. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



171 



grain, etc., and has done a flourishing business 
since starting up. He also owns land in this 
vicinity. 

In 1881 Mr. Sweet was united in marriage 
to INIiss Lucy M. Rogers and she died in 1890, 
leaving a family of four children, named as 
follows: Samuel R., Arthur W., Susan and 
Henry, the latter having died in infancy. Mr. 
Sweet was married the second time, in 1894, to 
Miss Luella Fetterly, and she died in 1900, 
leaving one child, Irene. 

j\Ir. Sweet is interested in politics along re- 
form lines and votes the Prohibition ticket. 
Fraternally he affiliates with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen 
of America and the Maccabees. 



J. H. DENSLOW. 

The gentleman above named is a represent- 
ative Nebraskan and one of the progressive 
farmers of Sioux county, owner of a fine es- 
tate of sixteen hundred acres in section 35, 
township 31, range 54. He is a young man of 
excellent business capacity and well merits his 
success and enviable reputation as an up-to- 
date agriculturist and worthy citizen. We 
take pleasure in presenting a portrait of Mr. 
Denslow on one of the illustrated pages of this 
work. 

Mr. Denslow was born in Dodge county, 
Nebraska, in 1870, on a farm. His father, 
Jeremiah, was a farmer and pioneer in this 
state, settling here in 1856, and he experienced 
all the phases of frontier life, freighting 
through the country when this region was 
practically a wilderness and was here ahead of 
the railroads. He gradually worked into the 
stock business, and in later years was recog- 
nized as one of the leading stock growers and 
ranchmen in western Nebraska. 

Our subject grew up on the home farm, re- 
ceiving his education in the country schools, 
spending his youth in eastern Nebraska, farm- 
ing in Dodge county, and later coming to Sioux 
county, arriving here June 22, 1902. This, 
however, was not his first trip to this section, 
as he had been through the territory previous- 
ly, locating the tract on which he settled, 
which lies fifteen miles west of Crawford, on 
the White river, and on seeing this locality 
was so well pleased that he decided to make 
it his home, which he did. The tract was en- 
tirely unimproved land at that time. The town 
of Glenn lies one and a half miles east of the 
place and is his postoffice. The ranch is well 
supplied with timber and is all good land, on 



which he has built a fine set of farm buildings 
and many miles of fence. His entire time has 
been spent in developing his farm and making 
it a model ranch home, and he intends soon to 
have one hundred and twenty-five acres under 
irrigation. He is a young man of energetic 
character and indomitable will, and is on the 
high road to wealth and success, who is doing 
his full share in building up the commercial 
and financial resources of this section. 

Mr. Denslow was married while living in 
Dodge county in 1892 to Miss Elizabeth Bald- 
win, daughter of B. J. Baldwin, a well known 
farmer residing at Fontanelle, Nebraska, and 
an old settler in that locality. Prior to her 
marriage Mrs. Denslow taught school in 
Dodge county, and is a lady of superior mental 
attainments. To our subject and his good wife 
have been born the following children : Au- 
relia, Grace, Rachel, Clyde, Ford and a baby, 
named Nina. The family occupy a pleasant 
home, and theirs is one of the most hospitable 
places to be found anywhere by the traveler 
through this part of the state. In politics ]\Ir. 
Denslow is a supporter of Mr. Bryan and the 
policies he represents. 



DR. J. L. KAY. 



J. L. Kay, prominently known as a leading 
physician throughout Redwillow county, re- 
sides in IMcCook, Nebraska. He has an ex- 
tended practice all over this and the adjoining 
counties, and by his skillful methods in all 
cases has won the confidence and esteem of 
every one in this section of the' state. 

Dr. Kay was born in the state of Ohio, in 
1853. He came to Nebraska in 1883 from Cul- 
lom, Livingston county, Illinois, where he had 
practiced his profession from 1876 up to that 
time. He is a graduate of the Louisville (Ken- 
tucky) Medical School, class of 1876. 

For some time after locating in McCook Dr. 
Kay held the position of physician for the B. 
& M'. Railway, traveling from Hastings to 
Denver. Owing to failure of his health, in 
1897 he removed to Joplin, Missouri, where 
he built up a large practice and was recognized 
as a master in his profession. He returned to 
McCook in 1905, and has rapidly regained his 
old practice, his patients of former years wel- 
coming him back, and he has also gained many 
new once since McCook has grown rapidly dur- 
ing the latter years. 

Dr. Kay is the owner of the Commercial 
Hotel, located on one of the best corners of 
the Main street. This is conducted by his son, 



172 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Elmer Kay, and is the leading hostelry in Mc- 
Cook. 

Dr. Kay takes an active interest in all local 
affairs, and has served on the city council for 
two terms, also on the city school board. He 
is prominent in Masonic circles, and is a past 
master and high priest of the Chapter. He is 
a member of the Commandery and Scottish 
Rite. 



HON. J. G. BEELER. 

Hon. J- G. Beeler, a prominent attorney of 
North Platte, Nebraska, is a gentleman of ex- 
cellent qualifications and enjoys universal es- 
teem all through western Nebraska. 

Mr. Beeler is a native of the north of Hol- 
land and came to the United States when a 
small child, and has made a trip back there 
once since coming to this country, in 1872. He 
received his education at Hedding College, 
Abingdon, Knox county, Illinois, and also 
studied law at Bushnell, Illinois. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar in Nebraska in 1890, and 
was elected county attorney, serving from 1895 
to 1898, inclusive, on the Fusion ticket. He 
was a member of the board of education for 
six years, and is now serving his third term 
as chairman of that body. During his earlier 
years Mr. Beeler followed teaching as a pro- 
fession and taught in Illinois, later in Hold- 
rege, Nebraska, for about twelve years. He 
has always taken a deep interest in educational 
affairs in his community and helped build the 
twenty-five thousand dollar high school build- 
ing at North Platte, also the wings on each 
of the ward buildings. The schools in this 
town are exceptionally well equipped, and has 
a force of twenty-seven efficient teachers. 

Mr. Beeler is at present acting as attorney 
for the town of North Platte, also in the same 
capacity for the McDonald State Bank and 
tlie N. P. Land and Water Company. In 1906 
he was nominated to represent the Fusion 
party from his district in the state senate. He 
first located in Lincoln county in 1885; and 
in 1890 began the practice of law, coming to 
this place in 1895, where he has since resided, 
and has practiced all over the thirteenth judi- 
cial district. He is a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church and a trustee of the 
same, acting on the building committee. He 
is a prominent worker in the Independent Or- 
der of Odd Fellows lodge here, and trustee of 
the Workmen. 

Mr. Beeler was married in 1881 to Anna D. 
Thomas, of Abingdon, Illinois. To this union 
four daughters have been born, namely: Win- 



nie O., married to Marshall B. Scott, cashier 
of the Farmers' State Bank of Cuba, Illinois; 
Fenna C, who is attending the State Univer- 
sity at Lincoln; Jennie G., married to Charles 
F. Temple, stenographer and law student, and 
Myrtle, who is attending school. 



R. C. WHITAKER. 

R. C. Whitaker, one of the leading citizens 
of Lake township, Phelps county, is the owner 
of the celebrated Duroc Jersey farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres in section 5. He 
has this year sold oft' one hundred and sixty 
acres, and will now devote most of his at- 
tention to the breeding of pure-bred Duroc 
Jersey hogs. In 1892 our subject and his fa- 
ther, N. M. Whitaker, came to this county 
from Macon county, Illinois, and bought four 
hundred and eighty acres, and started in the 
hog business here. They had owned a farm 
of one hundred and sixty acres in Illinois and 
there made a specialty of raising and feeding 
hogs for the Chicago market, and were very 
successful, and numbered among the best ship- 
pers in their locality. They are of the opinion 
that Nebraska is superior to that state for the 
successful raising of hogs, as the dry atmos- 
phere here is much better for their culture, 
while in Illinois the wet weather in the spring 
and fall is very damaging to their perfect 
growth and development. Since they have lo- 
cated here they have not lost one hog, where 
in that state they lost a dozen, and again, the 
alfalfa raised here and used as a food gives 
this country a wonderful advantage. In 1903 
our subject established himself in the Duroc 
Jersey pure-bred business, and he now has- 
ninety head of hogs from the best strains in 
the country. He will hold iiis first sale in 
February, 1907, and as every farmer and stock 
raiser in the section knows the quality of his 
animals, he will be able to dispose of what- 
ever he has on hand at a good round sum. 

While living in Illinois he also handled a 
big bunch of cattle, but since coming here he 
has given up handling those animals and con- 
fines his attention to handling Duroc Jerseys 
exclusively. Mr. \Vhitaker considers Nebras- 
ka far ahead of Illinois for farming, as one 
man can attend to eighty to ninety acres of 
corn here while there forty acres would be all 
one man could successfully cultivate, and the 
yield and quality here will be just as good. 
His own farm is exceptionally well located for 
the markets at Holdrege, the county seat, 
which is five miles west, and Funk, located 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



173 



three miles to the east. Sacramento, two miles 
distant, is also a good shipping point, so that 
they have only a short distance to drive their 
stock when ready for shipment. When they 
came to this locality they paid eight thousand 
five hundred dollars for one-half a section, and 
recently sold a quarter section for ten thou- 
sand dollars, which shows conclusively the 
rapid advance in land values. 

Our subject's father died here in 1903, aged 
seventy-one years. He was a native of In- 
diana, son of B. B. Whitaker, and his parents 
located at Lincoln, Illinois, when he was an 
infant. He married Mary C. Novell, who is 
now living with her son, he having been the 
only boy in the family, with four sisters, one 
of whom, Mrs. G. O. Perrine, now resides in 
Illinois, and two in Kansas, Mrs. T. F. Bridget 
and Mrs. L. E. Street ; one in Alberta, Mrs. B. 
M. McCurdy. 

Mr. Whitaker married Miss Irene Erick- 
son, daughter of Andrew Erickson, of Lake 
township, Phelps county, who is a success- 
ful farmer. The Whitakers are of Kentucky 
descent, and our subject and his two sons, 
Lloyd and Clinton, are the only representa- 
tives in a direct line on his father's side. He 
is an "old-line" Democrat, all the time, and has 
always taken an active part in politics. 



CLARENCE ELMER LAWSON. 

Clarence Elmer Lawson, known through- 
out Cherry county as a prosperous young ag- 
riculturist and ranchman and worthy citizen, 
resides on his well improved estate in section 
15, township 25, range 39. He is a gentleman 
of good business judgment and is the proprie- 
tor of a valuable property by dint of his in- 
dustry, economy and honesty. 

Our subject was born in Lynn county, Mis- 
souri, in 1873. His father, W. J. Lawson, was 
a pioneer settler in Dawson and Custer coun- 
ties, Nebraska, a native of Tennessee. He 
married Miss Dicie Montgomery, a native of 
Kentucky. Clarence grew up on a farm in 
Dawson county, receiving a limited educa- 
tion in the country schools, and became well 
acquainted with the life on the frontier. He 
started for himself in 1894, coming to Cherry 
county, and the following year located on the 
place he now occupies, which lies in section 
15, township 25, range 39. Here he at once 
put up a sod house and stables, beginning to 
farm a little the first year, but did not have 
very good success at first. He improved the 
ranch as fast as he was able and kept it up in 



splendid shape. There are three hundred and 
twenty acres of deeded land, all in one piece, 
and he also controls a thousand acres of leased 
land lying near Motler Lake, and he is part 
owner of this lake, which is a beautiful body 
of water, where many ducks and other wild 
fowl abide, making an ideal place for the 
sport during the hunting season. 

When Mr. Lawson first settled in this vi- 
cinity the whole country round was raw prai- 
rie land, and one look at it now will convince 
the spectator that he has certainly done some 
work to accomplish the task of developing 
it into the fine ranch it now appears. He has 
been earnest and painstaking in all his efforts, 
always striving to get the best possible results 
from his labors, and is one of those men who 
aim for the making of good homes and upright 
citizenship. He has good buildings and a com- 
fortable home. 

Air. Lawson was married in 1902 to Laura 
Woodruff. Mrs. Lawson was a native of Can- 
ada, daughter of Emmet Woodruff, one of the 
best known pioneer ranchmen of Cherry coun- 
ty, and her mother, whose maiden name was 
Mary Perrett, was born and reared in Eng- 
land. One child has been born to our subject 
and his estimable wife, a daughter, Lois, aged 
five years. 



GEORGE L. MATHEWS. 

Among the prominent citizens of Thedford, 
Thomas county, who has for the past many 
years taken an active part in the development 
of the county and is familiar with the changes 
which have taken place throughout the sec- 
tion, we mention the name of George L. Math- 
ews. This gentleman is one of the well-to-do 
residents of Thedford, where he was the first 
man to build a house. 

Mr. Mathews was born in New York state 
in 1854, reared on a farm in Delaware county, 
and is of American stock. His father, Robert, 
was a farmer all his life, his wife's maiden 
name being Jane Riddle. Our subject lived 
in his native state until he was twenty-one 
years of age, then came to Nebraska, settling 
in Lancaster county, where he was among the 
earliest settlers. He spent one year there, then 
went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, remained but a 
short time and drifted to Colorado, where he 
spent three years, engaging in mining near 
Leadville. From there he went to Arizona, re- 
mained for eight months, then to California 
for sixteen months, following mining nearly all 
of this time. A part of his time was occupied 
in ranching, following lumbering, etc. In 1884 



1/4 



CO:*IPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



he went to Utah, landing there in the spring of 
that year, and after a short time there returned 
to Leadville, Colorado. His next move was 
to Dunning, Nebraska, and there he was ahead 
of the railroad, that not entering Blaine county 
for some little time afterwards, and there was 
not a building up in that place when he ar- 
rived there. He finally landed in Thomas 
county in 1887, and his was the first house 
built in Thedford, he having previously taken 
a homestead about a mile and a half from the 
town site. There he put up a house and be- 
gan developing a ranch and lived on it for 
twenty years, transforming the tract from a 
barren prairie to one of the best improved 
ranches in the vicinity. He moved to Thed- 
ford in 1907, and here has a comfortable and 
pleasant home, and his family are among the 
foremost in the little town. For six years he 
held the office of county clerk of Thomas coun- 
ty, and is a popular and capable public official, 
enjoying the esteem and confidence of his as- 
sociates. 

Mr. Mathews was married in February, 
1888, to Miss Addie Dunn, daughter of E. P. 
and Arabella (Thornburgh) Dunn, who were 
pioneers of Blaine and Loup counties and for 
several years Mr. Dunn held the office of 
county surveyor in that county. ^Ir. Dunn 
was born in Massachusetts, where he was 
reared, coming to Nebraska in 1878. Mrs. 
in Nebraska. Mrs. Mathews was reared and 
educated in Iowa, and has taught school to 
quite an extent in this vicinity. Our subject 
has a family of four children, as follows: Rob- 
ert, Jane, Ella and Sarah, all of whom were 
born on the homestead, which Mr. Mathews 
sold in 1907, the family then coming to Thed- 
ford to reside. 



ERNEST KRUSE, JR. 

Among the younger residents of Sidney, 
Nebraska, who have spent the greater part of 
their lives in western Nebraska, we mention 
Ernest Kruse, Jr., a successful business man 
and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Kruse was born in Davenport, Iowa, in 
1872, and is a son of Ernest Kruse. a well- 
known carpenter of Davenport, born in Ham- 
burg, Germany, who came to this country as 
a young man and built up a home and com- 
petence -for his family in the western states. 
One brother of our subject. Rudolph, born at 
Davenport in 1877, is now a partner in the lat- 
ter's business. When Ernest, Jr., was fifteen 
years of age the family moved to western Neb- 
raska, landing in Sidney in January, 1888, the 



father taking up a homestead nine miles north- 
west of the town of Sidney. Here they lived 
in a tent for a time, and then built a sod shanty 
and frame house combined, and while living 
there went through all sorts of pioneer experi- 
ences, seeing many hard times and suffering 
much privation. When he was seventeen 
years old he went to Colorado and worked in 
the brick yards for three years, then returned 
to Nebraska and filed on a homestead adjoin- 
ing his father's place, and proved up on it. 
Three years and eight months were spent in 
working in the round house at Sidney, his 
i)rother Rudolph keeping house for our subject 
and another brother who also worked in the 
round house. Rudolph was graduated from 
the High School at Sidney, and was one of the 
brightest pupils in his class. The two brothers 
opened their present business, in 1897 and have 
been very successful. They are now erecting 
a 28x48 ft. one-story stone building on the 
principal street of the town, and are among 
the substantial citizens of Sidney, giving all 
their time and attention to their business. 

In 1901 Ernest Kruse was married to Miss 
Mame E. Tobin, born and raised in- Sidney. 
Rudolph was married in 1899, to Grace Moore, 
also born in Sidney. Albert, another brother 
of our subject, was married in 1904 to Miss 
Sophia Urbach, daughter of Morris Urbach, 
one of the pioneers in Sidney. They have one 
child, Myron. The brothers are all highly es- 
teemed in the community, and are good citi- 
zens and substantial business men. Mr. 
Kruse has been a member of the I. O. O. F. 
since 1898. 



W. R. WATT. 



W. R. Watt, one of the prominent residents 
of Minden, Kearney county, has for the past 
twenty-five years been closely identified with 
the development and growth of this section of 
the country. Mr. Watt is an active member of 
the community in which he lives, taking a deep 
interest in whatever tends to improve condi- 
tions relative to commercial and social alTairs, 
and is widely known throughout the country 
as a public-spirited citizen. 

Mr. Watt is a native of Warren county, Illi- 
nois, born in 1868. He came to Minden in 
1883. opening a farm in Logan township, and 
remained on that up to 1895. He then started 
in the horse business, buying and selling 
horses and mules, shipping these to the eastern 
and southern markets. His operations extend 
all over the state of Nebraska, and during each 
year handles from 1000 to 1200 head. During 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the war between England and the Boers, and 
also the war between the Spanish nation and 
United States, he furnished a large number of 
animals for the government to be used by the 
soldiers. In the past twelve years Mr. Watt 
has bought and sold over 15,000 horses and 
mules, and is well known throughout the en- 
tire country for the superior quality of the ani- 
mals he handles, and through his strict integ- 
rity and honest dealings has won the confi- 
dence of all classes of people with whom he 
d'Eals. He has a farm of eighty acres adjoin- 
ing Minden which he uses for feeding pur- 
poses, also owns 640 acres on the Platte River 
devoted to ranching purpose. He gives his 
entire attention to this business, and is the 
largest exclusive dealer in horses and mules 
in western Nebraska south of the Platte River. 
Mr. Watt was elected Mayor of Minden in 
1903 and served his term, making a popular 
and efficient official. He has been Chief of 
Police for the last six years, and still holds this 
office. He is a strong advocate of temperance, 
and one of the foremost citizens in all mat- 
ters of local importance. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS LYON. 

The gentleman named above is one of the 
leading business men of the thriving town of 
Grant, in Perkins county. Mr. Lyon, as his 
name would indicate, is a man of patriotic 
'spirit, untiring energy and active mind, and 
has done his full share toward the development 
of the financial interests of the community 
where he has spent so many years. 

Mr. Lyon was born in Marion county, Ohio, 
in 1866, and was reared on a farm. His par- 
ents were Virginians, and his father was one 
of the earliest settlers in Perkins county, com- 
ing here as early as 1887, proved up on a good 
homestead and made it his home until his 
death in 1906. When our subject was five 
years of age the family settled in Missouri 
and lived there for three years, and came to 
Nebraska in 1875, locating in Otoe county, 
south of Nebraska City, where they were 
among the pioneer settlers. There Mr. Lyon 
grew to manhood, becoming familiar with 
every phase of frontier life. He had a common 
school education, spending his entire time on 
his father's homestead, and at the age of about 
sixteen located in what is now Perkins county, 
spending three or four years there, and in the 
summer of '86 went into Colorado with a party 
of surveyors, and was in that vicinity for three 
years, two years for the B. & M. Railroad and 



one year for the Union Pacific, roughing it 
most of the time, spending many nights camp- 
ing out on the plains in all kinds of severe 
weather, winter and summer. During the 
winter of 1888 he returned to Perkins county, 
and opened up a butcher shop in Grant, which 
he ran for a short time, then started in the 
draying and livery business, also was engaged 
in the implement and flour business, in which 
he worked up a good trade in a short time. 
He also bought and sold hogs and cattle 
through the country during the hard times in 
the '"90's," continuing in the above lines up to 
1901, then sold out all his enterprises and pur- 
chased his present store which was then but 
a small establishment. He put in a general 
line of goods, handling all kinds of merchan- 
dise, and has built up a good business through- 
out the surrounding country. He has two 
buildings, one of which is 22 x 110, and the 
other 22x50 ft., and conducts one of the finest 
and largest stores of its kind in Perkins county. 
He is a thorough business man, of splendid 
ability, and is making a success of his work. 

In 1892 Mr. Lyon married Miss Grace C. 
Hull, daughter of Milton B. Hull, a pioneer 
settler of Perkins county. To them were born 
four children. Fay, Estelle, Bruce and Cecil, 
and Mrs. Lyon died in the fall of 1907. 

Mr. Lyon is a Democrat and takes an 
active part in local affairs. 



ALLEN W. SKIDMORE. 

Allen W. Skidmore, a native of Indiana, was 
born on a farm in Brown county December 2, 
1862. His father, John Skidmore, was a farmer 
by occupation and died in Piatt county, Illinois, 
about 1878. His mother, who was a Mrs. Maris 
at the time she married Mr. Skidmore, was 
Miss Thamar Lane in maidenhood; she came 
to Keith county in pioneer days, secured a 
homestead and died here in 1902. 

Our subject was reared on an Illinois farm 
in Piatt county and was educated in the com- 
mon schools. In 1886 he came west to Ogal- 
lala, Nebraska, taking a homestead 45 miles 
south of that city in Chase county. Here he 
put up a sod shanty, in which he made his 
home for a number of years. He had but a 
little to start with, having no team for nearly 
three years. He worked out at times and did 
the best he could with his limited means for 
seven years when he proved up on his home- 
stead. He experienced very hard times dur- 
ing seven years. His crops were either very 
poor or total failures and he was obliged to ' 



176 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



turn his hand to almost anything in order to 
make a living. In 1904 he sold his Chase 
county land, came to Keith county and set- 
tled five miles west of Ogallala, purchasing his 
mother's old homestead, of 160 acres. He has 
succeeded in his farming and has also been 
successfully engaged in stock raising. He 
has excellent improvements and is rated among 
the well-to-do old settlers of this part of the 
state. He also owns property in the city of 
Ogallala, where he lives part of the time in 
order that his children may have the advantage 
of better schools. 

Mr. Skidmore and Miss Rose Mossberger 
were united in marriage March 2, 1890. Mrs. 
Skidmore is a daughter of Issac and Barbara 
(Landis) Mossberger, influential old settlers 
of Chase county. Mr. and Mrs. Skidmore have 
been blessed with seven children : Goldie, 
Harry, Ethel, Ruth, George and Boyd; the 
first-born died unnamed. 

When Mr. Skidmore reached Ogallala he 
was in very poor circumstances, his entire cap- 
ital being $70. But he has been thrifty and 
industrious and energetic and has attained a 
fine success, building up a farm and home that 
bring him comfort and a good competency. 
Mr. Skidmore has been active in politics, affili- 
ating with the Republican party. For two 
terms he was city Marshall of the city of Ogal- 
lala. He has been deeply interested in the 
development of the schools of the county; he 
served as school director for a long time. He 
is a man of strong character and wields a good 
influence in the community in which he lives. 



JOSEPH E. WEST. 

Joseph E. West resides in Rushville, Sheri- 
dan county, Nebraska. He was born in Jefifer- 
son county, New York, in 1838, and is a son of 
Eliab West, who was in the hardware business 
in the village of Mansville. There was a fam- 
ily of nine children, and our subject was the 
third member. They came to Wisconsin where 
the family were pioneer settlers when he was 
nine years old. Here he was raised, and in 
1860 moved to Iowa and settled near Council 
Bluffs. He began working at freighting, travel- 
ing from there to Denver in 1861 and continued 
at this work up to 1865. Our subject was one 
of those who helped build the Union Pacific 
railroad through the western part of Nebraska. 

In 1880 Mr. West went to the central part of 
the state when he engaged in sheep raising, 
but met with much bad luck and after suffering 
heavy losses, 5000 sheep dying in one year, he 



was obliged to quit the business as he had lost 
everything he had. He came to Sheridan 
county in 1889, entering the government In- 
dian service, which subsequently brought him 
to Rushville, and remained in that work for 
eight years here. He had charge of the sup- 
plies which were shipped here for the Indians, 
and became thoroughly familiar with methods 
of dealing with those people and made an effi- 
cient and faithful employe of the government. 
After leaving the employ of the U. S. govern- 
ment he went into the hotel business, and con- 
tinued at this for six years, running the Com- 
mercial House at Rushville. Since closing 
this out he has been engaged in the real estate 
business, and in 1904 established the bargain 
store which he now operates. He has built up 
a good trade and enjoys a wide patronage from 
all over this section of the country. Mr. West 
also owns a large ranch located two miles east 
of Rushville, containing 1,600 acres, and here 
he does farming and stock raising, which nets 
him a fine income. He is counted among the 
pioneers of this state, and has taken a promi- 
nent part in the history of this section from 
the start. He made twenty-four trips across 
Nebraska to Denver and Salt Lake City in the 
early days. He has sold many sacks of flour 
in the west receiving in payment for this $100 
in gold dust, for a hundred pound sack of flour. 
He at one time owned a freighting outfit of 
wagons, teams, etc., and had a party of one 
hundred and ten men working under him. 
Many times there were fierce Indian fights 
w'hich our subject witnessed, and he spent 
years in dealing with these dangerous people, 
at some times being obliged to station ten men 
as guards on outpost duty. Many trips were 
made when the redskins were on the warpath, 
and at different times he had some exciting 
skirmishes with them. 

In 1858 Mr. West married Miss Martha A. 
Lonsworth, of French-Canadian descent. 



M. N. HOLCOMBE. 

The subject of this review has for many 
years past resided in Lincoln county, Nebraska, 
and during this time has acquired a fine prop- 
erty and built up a comfortable home as a 
result of his industry and good management. 
He is widely known in his locality and held 
in the highest esteem as a citizen of true 
worth. A portrait of him will be found on 
another page. 

Mr. Holcombe was born near Atlanta, 
Georgia, January 1, 1853. He is a son of Reuben 




M N^ HOLCOMBE, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



177 



Holcombe, who was a prominent physician of 
Haralson county, Georgia, and also practised 
in Blount county, Alabama, whose death oc- 
curred during the civil war. The Holcombes 
were early settlers in Virginia. Our subject's 
mother was Miss Sarah Adams of Carroll 
county, Georgia. They were of a proud old 
southern family, and three brothers fought and 
died in the service of the confederacy. The 
family originally came from North Carolina, 
and settled in Georgia in the pioneer days of 
that state when Indians were still in the 
country. Our subject came to Nebraska in 
1875, working for the U. P. railroad in the 
vicinity of North Platte. He was employed by 
the railroad as foreman of the track repair de- 
partment for the Mountain division west of 
North Platte, between there and Sidney, and 
was in this position for a period of nine years. 
At the end of this time he retired from the 
service of the road and went on a ranch of 
about 2,000 acres. This was in 1887, where 
he engaged in the stock business. He formerly 
owned 4.400 acres of land here, but disposed 
of over 2,000 acres, and now has a ranch of 
1,600 acres, and runs about five hundred head 
of cattle. In past years his herd numbered 
from six to eight hundred head, and he has 
always been very successful in this work. He 
has done his part in the upbuilding of the 
county, and always takes a commendable 
interest in everything that tends to advance 
the commercial and educational matters of the 
locality in which he resides. He was for five 
years commissioner of Keith county, Nebraska, 
and afterwards held the office of county treas- 
urer of Lincoln county, being elected in 1898, 
serving one term, but refused the re-election. 

Mr. Holcombe married Miss Lulu Steele, 
Dec. 28, 1877, daughter of John and Nancy 
Honge Steele, natives of Georgia. Her ancest- 
ors on both sides were pioneer settlers in that 
state, serving in the revolutionary war, and in 
the civil war, always being prominent in public 
afifairs. Mr. and Mrs. Holcombe have six 
children, who are named as follows : John, 
who is manager of one of the leading jewelry 
establishments in Haywards, California ; Rob- 
ert, engaged in the ranching business near 
Maxwell, Nebraska ; Albert, attending school 
at Virginia City, Nevada ; Steele and Edith, 
also at school ; and Mrs. Salena Lowden, re- 
siding in North Platte. 

Mr. Holcombe is manager of a large ranch 
of 5,600 acres located just north of his own 
ranch. This place is owned by the Honorable 
J. A. Van Arsdale, Ex-Assistant Attorney Gen- 
eral of the U. S. at Washington, D. C, now 
Judge of Appeals of District of Columbia. On 



this ranch they run from five to seven hundred 
and fifty head of cattle, and Mr. Holcombe has 
successfully managed this extensive property 
in addition to his own large interests, for the 
past seventeen years. 

Mr. Holcombe takes a commendable interest 
in all public aft'airs, and is active in advancing 
the commercial and educational matters in his 
locality. He has served on the school board 
for six years in the Brady district. He is a 
prominent member of the order of the Alacca- 
bees and also a Modern Woodman. 



GEORGE E. MORGAN. 

George E. Morgan, an enterprising and pros- 
perous agriculturist of Deuel county, Nebraska, 
resides on section 5, township 22, range 
44, where he has built up a comfortable home 
and valuable estate during the time he has 
spent in this locality. 

Mr. Morgan was born in Clinton county, 
Iowa, in 1858, and raised on his father's farm 
in that locality. He is a son of Samuel Morgan, 
of English birth, who was raised in that coun- 
try and came to America in the thirties. They 
were the parents of twelve children, the second 
youngest being our subject, who started in for 
himself at the age of sixteen years, beginning 
at farm work which he followed for three 
years. He then started to learn the black- 
smith's trade, and after mastering this con- 
tinued in it for five years in the vicinity of his 
father's home. He then took a farm in Craw- 
ford county, Iowa, remaining on that up to 
1886, when he moved to Hay Springs, Ne- 
braska, and took a pre-emption located seven 
miles southeast of that place. Then he bought 
a relinquishment and as the place was utterly 
without improvements was obliged to go to 
work building a set of farm buildings, fences, 
etc. During the years 1887 and '88 his crops 
did not come up to his expectations so he de- 
cided to go to the sand hills and start in the 
stock business, as he did not think he could 
make any money in farming in that locality. 
When he landed in Hay Springs he had very 
little money, but he had gotten together some 
stock and added improvements so was able to 
sell his farm for $400 and this he put into stock 
after locating here. He brought three cows 
and four calves with him and kept buying 
more as he was able, so his herd kept increas- 
ing and he did well from the first. There were 
no settlers in this locality when the family 
moved here, and the town of Lakeside was then 
nothing but a side station, and the only store 



178 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



was kept in a box car. He took a homestead 
in section 5, township 22, range 44, and still 
occupies this farm. For a time he had plenty 
of hay land and range for his stock, and he 
now owns 640 acres of deeded land, including 
480 acres of Kinkaid homestead. On his ranch 
he runs 430 head of cattle and fifty-two horses, 
also quite a number of sheep. He devotes all 
his attention to stock raising and has never 
broken any land on the place except for a 
garden for home supply. He and his family 
lived in a sod house up to 1904, when he built 
a comfortable frame house, the timber for 
which was hauled from Lakeside, a distance of 
twelve and one half miles. Mr. Morgan thinks 
that he is much better off here than he would 
have been had he stayed on the table land, and 
the entire family is satisfied to remain here 
where they have such a pleasant home and 
comfortable surroundings. 

Mr. Morgan's family consists of his wife, 
(who was Miss Emmaline Welch, born of 
Irish parents,) and their three children, namely; 
Charlotte, Estella and Theresa, two of whom 
are married. Mr. Morgan has done his share 
in developing this section of the country and 
advancing the commercial and agricultural 
interests. He is a Republican and always votes 
that ticket, but never takes any active part in 
party politics, preferring to let the other fel- 
low do the talking. 



WILLIAM A. DANLEY. 

It is not necessary to introduce the gentle- 
man above named to the people of Dawes 
county, as he has been a resident of this region 
since its earliest settlement and has become 
widely known as a man of active public spirit 
who has always given his best efforts to aid in 
the development of the agricultural and com- 
mercial interests of his county. Mr. Danley 
resides in Chadron, where he is engaged in the 
bakery business, and occupies a pleasant home 
with his family, highly respected by all with 
whom he has to do. 

Mr. Danley was born in Danvers, McLean 
county, Illinois, in 1860. He is a son of Samuel 
Danley, of American stock, and father and son 
were born in the same house, the Danleys hav- 
ing occupied the old homestead for a great 
many years. Our subject was raised and edu- 
cated in his native state, attending school at 
Princeton, Illinois. When he was nineteen 
years of age he came with his parents to Ne- 
braska, settling in Niobrara, Knox county. He 
worked on the railroad, helping to grade the 



road from O'Neill to Buffalo Gap. He after- 
wards spent two years at Valentine and Fort 
Niobrara, he and his father working together 
all the time. In 1884 he came to Chadron 
where he worked at freighting and grading, 
roughing it all over this region. For two years 
he lived in tents, camping out through all kinds 
of rough weather and became thoroughly fa- 
miliar with the whole country. He saw the first 
houses ever put up in Atkinson, Stuart, Long 
Pine and Ainsworth, and distinctly remembers 
when the whole region was practically nothing 
but a wilderness, wild game of all sorts roam- 
ing the plains. He took up government land 
at Chadron and remained until he proved up on 
it, and then was for three years engaged in the 
milk business here. He went out of that and 
opened a hardware store which he ran for two 
years. After that he was appointed assistant 
postmaster and served in that capacity for four 
years. He established his present business, 
consisting of bakery and confectionery goods, 
in 1900, and built up a good business, but 
sold it out in June. l907. He was appointed 
postmaster June 11, 1907, and was re-appointed 
December 9, 1907, at Chadron, Nebraska. 

Mr. Danley was married in Chadron in 1888, 
to Miss Jennie Hollenbeck, daughter of John 
Hollenbeck. who was among the early settlers 
of Dawes county. Mr. and Mrs. Danley have 
one son, Neil, born in 1898. 

Mr. Danley is a Republican and takes an 
active interest in local party affairs, lending his 
influence at all times for good government. 



DR. NICHOLAS McCABE. 

Dr. Nicholas AlcCabe, mayor of North 
Platte, Nebraska, is one of the influential and 
prosperous citizens of Lincoln county. He is 
a phvsician of note and a skillful surgeon, also 
the proprietor of one of the leading drug estab- 
lishments of North Platte. 

Dr. McCabe is a native of Ireland and came 
to this country in his boyhood. He received 
his preliminary education at .St. Joseph's Col- 
lege at Buffalo. New York, and later obtained 
his M. D. degree from the ITniversitv of Buf- 
falo. In 1886 he came to North Platte and be- 
gan the practice of medicine, and since that 
time has resided here continuously and has 
built up a large practice and also has gained 
the confidence and esteem of the people among 
whom he lias chosen his home. He has been 
surgeon for the l^nion Pacific Railroad for the 
past ten years. About 1891 he established the 
North Platte Pharmacy, of which he was sole 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



179 



proprietor until 1908, when he sold half interest 
to Edgar Schiller, and the new firm is conducted 
under the name of Schiller & Company. Dr. 
McCabe has invested considerably in farming 
lands in this county, and is the owner of 3,000 
acres of land, 1,100 acres of which is farming 
land ; he also has a large herd of stock on this 
farm. One feature about Dr. McCabe's farm 
is that it is mostly all irrigated, 700 acres is 
watered by the regular irrigation process, 200 
acres of which are watered by a ditch which 
was dug by the Doctor himself and is called 
the McCabe Irrigation Canal, and the other 500 
acres being under the "Birdwood Irrigation 
District." 

In 1906 Dr. McCabe was elected Mayor of 
North Platte, on a ticket pledged to municipal 
ownership in buying out the private company 
that owns the water works plant here. He was 
reelected for three consecutive terms, the last 
one by a majority of two to one in the face of 
a bitter attack made upon him by his political 
enemies. Politically he is an Independent 
Democrat. 

Dr. McCabe is a man of broad mind, and 
has always taken a commendable interest in 
local public affairs and assisted in the upbuild- 
ing of the city and county and every public 
enterprise tending to the advancement of the 
better interests of the community in which he 
resides. 



JOHN ROSS LeLACHEUR. 

John Ross LeLacheur, who resides in sec- 
tion 29, township 26, range 32, Cherry county, 
Nebraska, has a valuable estate which he has 
gained by industry and good management. He 
was born in Delaware county, Iowa, in 1876, 
on a farm. 

Elisha LeLacheur, the father of our subject, 
was a native of Prince Edward Island, born 
in 1831, and came of French parentage. 
He grew up in that country and came to 
America with his parents when he was a lad of 
eleven, the family settling in Iowa, and he at- 
tended the country schools in Delaware county, 
and was married there in 1863 to Mary J. Bliss, 
of English and Yankee stock, the mother now 
residing in Mullen. John Ross LeLacheur 
was one of four children in his father's family, 
named as follows: Phoebe E., Frank W., John 
R. and Wm. H., and he was the third member 
in order of bixth. In 1882 our subject moved to 
Nebraska, driving from Iowa with a team and 
covered wagon, bringing with them a yoke of 
oxen and three horses, also three colts. The 
trip was a hard and tedious one, they being 



obliged to camp out at night, but they came 
through with no serious drawbacks, and after 
arriving in Nebraska settled in Nance county, 
where they lived for four years, then came to 
Cherry county and settled on a ranch situated 
eleven miles northwest of Mullen. There their 
first dwelling was a tent, in which they lived 
during the first summer. Storms and hail liter- 
ally tore the tent to pieces in a few months, 
and they were obliged to build a sod house be- 
fore the rough weather came on in the fall, 
and also built a hen house of sod, barns and 
sheds for their stock. They had hard times 
at first, but gradually kept improving the place 
and tried to farm, but lost several crops during 
the dry years, and had bad luck. On October 
23, 1894, the father died as a result of an 
accident. He was helping fight a prairie fire 
and was so badly burned that he only survived 
his wounds eighteen hours. On January 1, 
1901, the old ranch homestead building caught 
fire and burned to the ground. One son, Wil- 
liam, and his family occupied the dwelling at 
the time, and his wife was awakened at four 
o'clock in the morning by the smell of smoke, 
found the house on fire and they barely escaped 
from the burning building with their lives. As 
it was, William's hair was badly singed and 
his night clothes were nearly burned oft' his 
body. His wife and their child were almost 
caught in the fire, but managed to escape with- 
out serious harm. This put an end to occupy- 
ing the old ranch house, but the place is still 
used as a summer pasture for stock. 

In 1899 our subject went on a ranch of his 
own, which was situated in section 29, town- 
ship 26, • range 32. He had been married in 
December of the year previous, to Maggie 
Stevenson, daughter of Frank Stevenson, an 
old settler in western Nebraska. Mrs. Le- 
Lacheur's mother was prior to her marriage- 
Miss Adelaide Allen, born in Pine Grove, War- 
ren county, Pennsylvania. The young couple 
at once started out to build up a good home to- 
gether, and worked hard and faithfully to ac- 
complish that end, and have succeeded in a 
marked degree. Mr. LeLacheur is now the 
owner of a fine ranch of 640 acres, all of which 
is fenced and improved with good buildings, 
and he is extensively engaged in the stock 
raising business, also farming quite a portion of 
the place. He has two children, Clyde and 
Ross. 

One brother, William, also owns a good 
ranch of 640 acres, which he established in 
1900, and is located in sections 26 and 27, town- 
ship 25, range 32, this being the property of 
his wife, who acquired it through homestead 
rights. She was Miss Anna Gibson, daughter 



i8o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of Alexander Gibson, an old settler in McPher- 
son county. Nebraska, and her mother's 
maiden name was Ellen Morrison. Two boys 
have been born to William Horton LeLacheur 
and his good wife, namely: Ralph and Earl. 
The LeLacheur family was among the first 
to settle in this part of Cherry county, coming 
here when there were but two houses in the 
entire neighborhood in which they located. 
Each has done his full share in the upbuilding 
of the region, and take leading parts in the 
community. During the early days the sub- 
ject of this review and his brother Frank, cap- 
tured two deer and tamed them so that they 
became household pets, but during the severe 
hail storms that swept the country and de- 
stoyed the tent in which they lived, these ani- 
mals were killed, and the entire family were as 
much grieved by their loss as they were at the 
serious property loss which they suffered. 



JOHN H. EVANS. 

Among the professional men of Thomas 
county, Nebraska, an able representative is 
found in the person of the gentleman above 
named, one of the most widely known at- 
torneys and public spirited citizens of the re- 
gion. He is a gentleman of superior attain- 
ments mentally, broad minded and thorough 
practical training, and by unbending integrity 
and faithful performance of duty, has built up 
an enviable reputation as an exemplary citizen. 

John H. Evans was born near Burlington, 
Iowa, March 21, 1851. His father, Robert 
A. Evans, was a, farmer by occupation, and was 
commissioned a Lieutenant in the 38th Regi- 
ment of the Indiana State Militia by Noah 
Noble, Governor of the State, in 1836, which 
place he held until he removed to Iowa, ten 
years later. The grandfather and an uncle of 
our subject, were soldiers in the war of 1812, 
and one uncle was drowned in the Platte River, 
near where Papillion, Nebraska, now stands, 
in 1836, while a Major in the U. S. Dragoon 
service. John's mother was Elizabeth Shoe- 
maker, and his grandfather Henry Shoemaker, 
was a soldier under Gen. George Washington, 
participating in the "Whiskey Insurrection." 

In May, 1851, John's parents removed to 
Winterset, Iowa, where he was engaged in 
working on a farm and attending the common 
schools, and later the High School. He then 
commenced the study of law, under the direc- 
tion of Gilpin Brothers, and later under Gen. 
Polk, one time Attorney General of Kentucky, 
and later Dean of the College of Law of St. 



Joseph. Mo. After completing his law studies, 
he engaged with a brother in the publication 
of a newspaper, and has been engaged in con- 
ducting a paper at Ord, Taylor and Thedford, 
Nebraska. While at Taylor, Nebraska, he was 
admitted to the bar, taking up a homestead 
near that place, and remained in that locality 
for about six years. He came to Thedford in 
1890 and opened up a law office, was elected 
County Attorney, and has served in that capac- 
ity for sixteen years. He was also County 
Attorney of Hooker county for three years, and 
is now serving Grant county in the same capac- 
ity. All of his time has been devoted to the 
practice of his profession except a brief inter- 
val, while engaged in newspaper work. He 
has been prominently connected with numer- 
ous celebrated law cases, among them the trial 
of Michael Yoakum for the murder of Lincoln 
Downing in Blaine county in 1887, in which 
legal contest his address to the jury in behalf 
of the defendant was a marvel of pathos and 
which won for his client a verdict of not guilty. 
In the following 3"ear he was attorney for Wm. 
Croughwell, on a charge of sodomy in Richard- 
son county, this being one of the most notorious 
cases in that part of the state. He is a brilliant 
orator and one of the most successful lawyers 
in the state. 

Mr. Evans has been an attorney for the C. 
B. & O. Railroad for fourteen years past and 
has carried to a successful termination many 
suits for the company. He has been identified 
with every measure calculated to promote the 
interest of his county, holding office nearly «11 
the time he has resided in the region. He has 
been a delegate to the National Irrigation 
Congress, a member of the National Institute 
of Farmers, and delegate to the Farmers' 
National Congress. 

In 1877 our subject was married to Miss 
Lusetta J. Norris. daughter of Alfred Norris, 
Esq., a well known farmer and public spirited 
citizen of Winterset, Iowa. They have four 
children, as follows: Alice G., wife of C. C. 
McKay, now living at Oakland, Cal. ; Theron 
E., a prominent young ranchman of the county; 
Mabel J. and Ivan D. who are at home. 



FRED A. GAPEN. 

Fred A. Gapen, a prominent business man of 
Sidney. Nebraska, is classed among the pio- 
neer settlers of that section. He is owner and 
editor of The Telegraph, a leading newspaper 
of Cheyenne county, and was born in Bloom- 
ington, McLean county, Illinois, in 1870, where 




C. L. MAYES. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



i8i 



he grew up attending the common schools 
there. When he was sixteen years of age he 
commenced work at the printer's trade, and has 
since followed that business, coming to Sidney 
in 1894, where he has lived continuously ever 
since. 

The Telegraph was the first paper in the 
county, having been founded by L. Connell in 
1873, and purchased in December, 1875, by J. 

B. Gossage. In January, 1876, G. B. Darrow 
was admitted as partner, and in '79 it was sold 
to a stock company with Brainard & McNulty 
as editors. In 1880 James ^McNulty took con- 
trol, continuing up to March, 1881, when the 
paper was sold to A. C. Drake, then the editor 
of The Plaindealer, the two papers consolidat- 
ing under the name of the Plaindealer-Tele- 
graph. After Mr. Drake's death, his wife ran 
the paper until 1882, when it was purchased 
by J. C. Bush, and in 1885 the name was 
changed back to The Telegraph. In '86 a half 
interest was purchased by C. C. Callahan, the 
firm name being Bush & Callahan. In Sep- 
tember. 1888, C. C. Callahan assumed entire 
control and installed Frank J. Devlin as editor. 
In February. 1889, Mr. Devlin retired and A. 

C. Jordan took his place, and the following May 
his place was in turn filled by W. W. Robert- 
son. In September of the same year W. A. 
Scott became editor. In November Mr. Scott 
retired and J. L. Pennington, Jr., assumed edi- 
torial charge, giving wav in April, 1890, to J. 
F. Wellington. In May, 1890, Mr. Callahan 
sold The Telegraph to Messrs. L. B. Cary and 
Otis D. Lyon, with Mr. Cary as editor, and in 
May, '94, James McMullan purchased the paper 
and continued it up to January, 1895, when it 
was re-purchased by C. C. Callahan, who has 
continued it since. In August, '98, Fred A. 
Gapen was installed as local editor and man- 
ager. On February 1, 1899, The Sidney 
Telegraph and People's Poniard were consoli- 
dated. In May, 1902, Fred A. Gapen purchased 
the paper, and he is still sole owner and editor. 
He has a complete job printing outfit, and 
makes a specialty of that work, having made 
that a specialty while learning his trade as a 
young man. 

The Telegraph has a wide circulation, and 
is a splendid and thoroughly reliable organ. 



C. L. MAYES. 



C. L. Mayes, one of the prominent citizens 
of Rushville, Nebraska, is editor and proprietor 
of the Rushville Standard, a leading newspaper 
of that thriving town. A portrait of Mr. 



Mayes is presented on another page of this vol- 
ume. 

Mr. Mayes was born at Paynesville, Pike 
county, Missouri, in 1861. His father, Lewis 
C. Mayes, was a leading merchant and farmer, 
and settled in Dodge county, Nebraska, in 
1877. There the family lived on a farm where 
our subject grew up, he being the sixth mem- 
ber of a family of fourteen children. He re- 
ceived a common school education, at the age of 
eighteen starting out for himself, following 
farm work. Two years later he began on The 
Flail, a newspaper published at North Bend, 
which was his first attempt at the printing 
business. He remained with that paper for 
some time, and kept on in this line of work, in 
1889 establishing The Index at Dodge, Ne- 
braska. He soon after moved to Petersburg 
and started in business for himself, beginning 
with an outfit which cost him $160. and estab- 
lished The Index, building up a good paper, 
running it for eight years then sold out. He 
was associate editor on The Albion News for 
one year after this, and on July 1, 1900, 
moved to Rushville, where he purchased the 
Rushville Standard. This paper was estab- 
lished in 1885 by E. L. Heath, who had started 
the paper in a tent, building up a good paper 
and making a great success of the enterprise. 
Our subject has increased the business wonder- 
fully since taking hold of the enterprise, and it 
is now one of the largest weekly papers in this 
region, an Independent in politics, and active 
in advancing all measures for the benefit of the 
people of this section of the country. The 
present paper is a consolidation of two others 
which were established some years after it was 
started here. 

Mr. Mayes was married in 1888 to Miss 
Olive Richards, born at Hazel Green, Wiscon- 
sin, in 1870, of English parents. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Mayes have come four children, named 
as follows: Ralph, Halford, Harold, and Mil- 
dred. Mr. Mayes is one of the leading citizens 
of his community, active in all affairs of local 
interest. During the past year he has pur- 
chased the Rushville Telephone Exchange 
which he is conducting in connection with his 
newspaper business. 



C. W. BARNES & E. J. MITCHELL. 

The above firm are the well known and popu- 
lar editors and publishers of The Republican, a 
leading newspaper of ]\IcCook, Nebraska, 
which has a large circulation all over this sec- 
tion of the state. Both Mr. Barnes and Mr. 



1 82 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mitchell are pioneer newspaper men of Red- 
willow county, having in the early days in Ne- 
braska published papers at Indianola, which 
was then the county seat. Mr. Barnes pur- 
chased The McCook Democrat in 1890, and 
Mr. Mitchell moved the Indianola Courier to 
McCook in 1896. January 1, 1902, the two 
plants were consolidated under the name of 
The McCook Republican, a home paper de- 
voted to upholding the principles of that party, 
and since that time have made a marked suc- 



JACOB KASS. 

Jacob Kass, of the firm of Kass & Klinga- 
man, dealers in lumber, lime, cement, plaster 
and all kinds of building material, coal, wood 
and posts, of Chadron, Nebraska, is one of the 
oldest settlers in that section who has watched 
the growth and aided in the development of 
the region from its start. ^Ir. Kass has always 
been one of the foremost men in advancing the 
interests of his community, and enjoys an en- 
viable reputation as a business man and worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Kass was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 
in 1855. Both his father and- mother were 
natives of Luxemburg. Germany, the former 
being a blacksmith by trade who followed that 
work in this country for many years. He set- 
tled in Wisconsin after landing in America, 
and then moved to Illinois in 1856, where his 
family was reared. When he was twenty-one 
years of age he struck out for himself, coming 
to the Black Hills, traveling by way of Yank- 
ton and Pierre, and remained in the hills up to 
1885. going through all the rough experience 
of a frontierman's existence, part of the time 
engaged in mining, ranching, etc. For a time 
he clerked in a hardware store in Deadwood, 
then came to old Chadron and opened one of 
the first stores in the place, carrying a stock 
of S5.000. In August. 1885. he settled in the 
new town of Chadron. and went into the hard- 
ware business, continuing in it for six years. 
He next went into the plumbing business in 
partnership with Fred Poll, who had come 
here with him from the Black Hills, and to- 
gether they carried on the business for a time, 
and in addition to this had a furniture store 
which he ran for two years. About this time 
he became interested in politics and devoted 
considerable time to public affairs, and in 1898 
was appointed deputy county treasurer, serving 
for two years. In 1899 he was elected treas- 
urer by the Democratic party, served his term 
and re-elected in 1901. He has always been a 



strong advocate of Democratic party princi- 
ples, and attended numerous conventions of 
both county and state, and is well known as 
one of the most active politicians in his section 
of the state. 

In 1895 our subject was married to Mrs. 
Kittie Oswald, a widow with one son, Harold, 
and the family occupy a pleasant and comfort- 
able home in Chadron, and enjoy a large circle 
of friends. 



DRS. J. B. SUMNER AND WIFE ELLA 

SUMNER. 

The gentleman and his wife whose names head 
this review are well known to the residents of 
Franklin county and the surrounding country, 
and have each met with remarkable suc- 
cess in the practice of their chosen profession. 
They have built up a large and lucrative prac- 
tice throughout the locality in which they have 
resided since 1882, and have gained the confi- 
dence and esteem of the people among whom 
they have labored for so many years. Dr. 
Sumner is a native of New Hampshire, born 
near Concord, in 1847, and his wife of Essex, 
New York, 1860. He is a graduate of the 
University of Vermont, class of '78, and for 
some years practiced in the east, before locat- 
ing in Nebraska. He received his earlier edu- 
cation at \A'illiams College. Massachusetts. 
In 1882 Dr. Sumner came to Bloomington and 
opened an office, and has practiced here con- 
tinuously since that time with the exception 
of the years 1884 to 1887, which he spent in 
Lincoln, Nebraska. Tie is physician for the C. 
B. & Q. railway, and an active member of the 
County. Republican \'alley & .State Medical 
Associations, a Mason and member of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. 

Dr. Sumner is a man of active public spirit, 
although his work does not allow of his accept- 
ing office. He is a Democrat, and in close 
touch with many prominent public men of his 
state. Dr. Ella Sumner shares with her hus- 
band in the good opinion of the public as to 
her ability as a pliysician and professional 
woman. She is a lady of superior intellectual 
powers and high attainments in her line of 
work. Mrs. Sumner is a graduate of the Med- 
ical Department. Nebraska University, of the 
Class of 1895, and since her start has had a 
large practice. Her preliminary education 
was received at Burlington. Vermont, where 
she grjftluated from both high school and acad- 
emy. Mrs. Sumner has been coroner of Frank- 
lin county for several terms, and is the first 
lady to hold this position in the United States, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



183 



which fact attracted considerable attention 
from all parts of the country. She is a capable 
person for the position, and she is wonderfully 
well adapted to work of that nature. 

The Drs. Sumner are both members of the 
County Medical Association, also the State 
and American Medical Associations. Dr. Ella 
Sumner has served as President of the County 
Medical Association and also Vice-President 
of the Republican Valley Association. The 
Drs. Sumner are owners of a drug store in 
Bloomington, which is managed by J. B. 
Sumner, Jr. 



GEORGE O. REMY, M. D. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the well known physicians and 
skilful practitioners in Brown county, Ne- 
braska, residing in Ainsworth, where he has built 
up an enviable reputation as a worthy citizen.. 

Dr. Remy was born in New Hope, Barthol- 
omew county, Indiana, October 1, 1851. His 
father, John T. Remy, was an old settler in that 
county ; he was of French origin, his ancestors 
coming to this country in colonial days. Our 
subject's mother was Miss Nancy Jones, born 
in Virginia, her parents being natives of Wales. 
Dr. Remy was reared on a farm and educated 
in the country schools, attending the Baptist 
college at Franklin, Indiana, in his young man- 
hood. In 1872 he began the study of medicine, 
attending school during the winters and farm- 
ing through the summer. He also taught 
school in addition to pursuing his studies, and 
followed this for three years, and in 1875 and 
'76 he attended the Indiana Medical College 
located at Indianapolis, followed by a year at 
the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati, gradu- 
ating in the spring of 1877; he immediately 
took up the practice of medicine at Waymans- 
ville "in his native state, where he was located 
until the spring of 1884 when he came west 
with his family, locating at Ainsworth, where 
he practiced his profession up to 1892. The 
following year he spent in eastern Nebraska, 
but returned to Ainsworth in 1901, and has 
resided here continuously ever since. In July, 
1905, he became interested in the newspaper 
business, and associated himself with J. M. 
Cotton, proprietor of the Ainsworth Star- 
Journal, — whose sketch appears in this volume 
on another page, — and is at present connected 
with that work. On June 11, 1906, he pur- 
chased an interest in a drug store with W. F. 
Smith, a business enjoying a wide patronage 
all over the country. 



Dr. Remy was married in May, 1871, to Miss 
Maggie Barrett, a native of Bartholomew 
county, Indiana, whose parents are prominent 
residents and well known all over the locality 
in which they live. Dr. and Mrs. Remy have 
two children, namely ; Nannie, wife of J. M. 
Cotton, and Charles E., attending the medical 
department of the State University at Lincoln. 

Dr. Remy is familiar with the early history 
of the state of Nebraska, and during the early 
days passed through many interesting experi- 
ences. He is a man thoroughly conversant 
with the important affairs of the times, and a 
man of great intelligence and capability in any 
direction. Independent in politics he casts his 
ballot for the man he believes to be best suited 
to the oflice. Fraternally he afSliates with the 
Masons, the Woodmen and the Tribe of Ben 
Hur at Ainsworth. 



BOYD K. BOYER. 

In mentioning the name of Boyd K. Boyer, 
we present the reader of this volume with one 
of the well-known family of Boyers, who are 
among the prominent old settlers of western 
Nebraska. 

Mr. Boyer was born in Grayson county, Vir- 
ginia, in 1872, and grew up there with his 
brothers. His parents were Hugh and Mar- 
garett (James) Boyer, whose names appear in 
this book as leading citizens of their respec- 
tive townships. When Boyd reached the age 
of eleven years he came to Nebraska, 
spending the first two years in Madison 
county. In 1887 he moved to Cherry county, 
accompained by his father, and there helped 
to establish a home and ranch. In the springy 
of 1898, he started for himself, filing on a home- 
stead in township 25, range 32, and in due time 
proved up on the place, remaining on it up to 
1903, then moved to his present homestead, 
consisting of 800 acres, located in section 8, 
township 25, range 32. Here he has improved 
his ranch in good shape, and through hard 
work and perseverance has accumulated a val- 
uable property. During the first few years in 
this locality he went through hard times, los- 
ing several crops by drouth, and met with 
many discouragements, suffering hardships 
and privation in getting his ranch started. 
After a time, by careful management and faith- 
ful labor he saved a little money and got a 
start in the cattle business, so that he is now 
well-to-do, and owns one of the best ranches 
in his vicinit}', all of his land being good range 
and farming country. 



1 84 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In 1903 Mr. Boyer was married to Rose 
Pool, of Cherry county, Neb., daughter of J. 
R. and Missouri (Boyd) Pool, of American 
descent. Mr. and Airs. Boyer are the parents 
of three children, namely: Floyd Wayne, 
Blanche and Pearl, and they form a most inter- 
esting and charming family. 

Mr. Boyd occupies a foremost place in his 
community as a leading old timer, and well 
remembers the early days in this region when 
he freighted all over this part of the state in 
order to get a living and make a start for him- 
self. 



WYMAN S. CLAPP. 

\\'yman S. Clapp is a prominent citizen of 
Kearney, Nebraska, where his high character, 
integrity and general business ability have 
won for him the public favor to a marked de- 
gree. He deals in insurance and real estate, 
two lines in which the competition is the keen- 
est, and that he has forged so rapidly to the 
front, is proof of the man. He knows his busi- 
ness "from the ground up," does not misrepre- 
sent anything, and it is a known fact that his 
word may be trusted. He deals in the various 
lines of insurance, such as life, accident, and 
fire, and of late has handled surety bonds very 
successfully. Some of the most striking tran- 
sactions in real estate have been completed 
through his assistance, and he has a steady 
patronage in that line. He is also interested 
in various other enterprises, a director, secre- 
tary and treasurer of the Kearney Telephone 
Company, and is also secretary and treasurer 
of the Midway Gas, Light. Heat and Power 
Company. Air. Clapp is the secretary and 
treasurer of the Kearney Business Men's As- 
sociation, in the organization of which he was 
very active in 1900. This association has done 
many good things for the city, its most im- 
portant work having been the location of the 
State Normal at this point. 

While still in the east Mr. Clapp was in the 
service of the Watson Ranch Company, and 
came to this state in its interest. The Watson 
Ranch is a very important enterprise, and com- 
prises within its limits some eight thousand 
acres, mainly devoted to alfalfa and fruits. It 
was regarded as one of the sights of the 
county. Mr. Clapp has been in business for 
liimself since 1898, and in that time has won 
a name and a competence. 

Mr. Clapp was born in Deerfield, Massachu- 
setts, and was reared and educated in his native 
state. There he was married to Miss .Agnes 
T. Wait, who has proved a most helpful wife 



and companion, winning many friends by her 
charming personalitj' and attractive ways. In 
fraternal circles the subject of this writing is 
very popular, being a Mason of high degree, 
and is a past high priest of the Chapter. He 
is also an officer in the Commandery. In po- 
litical matters he is in affiliation with the Re- 
publican party, and takes an active interest in 
its various developments. In Kearney he is 
known as a successful, active and enterprising 
citizen. 

A portrait of Mr. Clapp is presented on an- 
other page of this volume. 



HON. JC : WILSON. 

For the past quarter of a century the gentle- 
man whose name heads this personal history 
has been associated with the commercial in- 
terests of western Nebraska. Mr. Wilson re- 
sides in Kearney, Buffalo county, where he has 
built up a pleasant home and is known through- 
out this locality as one of its most worthy citi- 
zens, and through his long career as a business 
man, and as a public spirited man he has be- 
come one of the most popular residents in 
western Nebraska. 

Mr. Wilson is a native of Pennsylvania, and 
came to Kearney in 1883 from Henry county, 
Illinois, and from that time up to 1888 was, to- 
gether with his brother Samuel engaged in the 
livery business at the town of Kearney, which 
at that time was a large and important item 
in the development of this part of the country. 
In 1888 he was elected sheriff of the county, 
and after serving that term was re-elected in 
1900, acting in this capacity for a period of 
four years. During the time he held this office 
there were several murders in this section, also 
other important matteiis under discussion, and 
as the great boom was on during these vears 
the civil part of the sheriff's work wi^ ex- 
tremely strebuous. In 1892 he was elected to 
the State legislature on the Republican ticket 
for Buffalo county, and from 1895 to 1900 he 
held the position of deputy collector of internal 
revenue for western Nebraska, with head- 
quarters at Grand Island. In 1903 Mr. Wilson 
assumed the position of special land agent for 
the L'nion Pacific railway company for west- 
ern Nebraska, with the head office located at 
Kearney. 'Prior to this he was connected with 
the land department of that railway, which po- 
sition he occupied for two years, resigning to 
accept the former office. In the last four years 
there has been a big movement in western 
Nebraska lands, and our subject has sold for 




W. S. CLAP p. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



185 



the Union Pacific company between seventy- 
five and eighty thousand acres of farming land 
at from two to five dollars per acre, mostly sit- 
uated in Cheyenne, Lincoln, Kimball, Keith 
and Deuel counties. In the last named two 
counties the U. P. lands are about all sold, and 
there is great activity in the private sale of 
lands there at figures much above the above 
prices. These farms are admirably adapted 
for the culture of alfalfa, broom grass, millet 
and for mixed farming and stock raising. The 
altitude at that point is about 4,000 feet, while 
in Buffalo county it is 2,000 feet, thus insuring 
warmer nights, which is much better suited for 
the raising of corn. Through these counties 
macaroni wheat has been known to produce a 
crop of forty bushels per acre. 

Mr. Wilson has lived continuously in Kearney 
since October, 1883. He was married in 1880 
to Miss Rosa M. Beacher and has three chil- 
dren living: J. H. Wilson, of Salt Lake City, 
and Ella M. and Richard B. at home. 

Mr. Wilson has always taken a prominent 
and active part in public aft'airs. He has served 
in the council, and was for fifteen years chief of 
the fire department. He is a Mason of high de- 
gree and also a member of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks. While living in 
Henry county, Illinois, Mr. Wilson served as 
deputy sheriff of that county from 1878 to 1883. 



ALEXANDER KERNS. 

Alexander Kerns, one of the enterprising 
and energetic citizens of Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, where he takes high rank for his many 
manly and sterling qualities, was born in Peoria 
county, Illinois, in 1865, on a farm, and is a 
descendant of good old American stock. 

Oliver Kerns, his father, was a native of 
Ohio, born in Highland county, and he married 
Kate Huffman, of Pennsylvania. Our subject 
was reared in his native state and educated in 
the country schools, devoting all his spare time 
to assisting his parents in carrying on the home 
farm. He lived in Ohio up to 1885. then came 
west, locating in Sheridan county, Nebraska, 
and began working at railway construction for 
the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, which 
was then being put through that portion of the 
state. After spending about a year in that 
region he filed on a pre-emption, and built a 
log cabin, living on the place for a year, then 
returned to Illinois and spent one year. He 
came back to Nebraska in 1887, settled on a 
tract of land in Sheridan county and opened up 
a ranch and lived on the place up to 1901. 



There he went through pioneer experiences, 
having many hard times, and going through 
the worst times during the years 1890 and 
1891, which was the time of the Indian scares, 
and when the settlers were having so much 
trouble with the redskins in South Dakota. 
In 1901 he came to his present ranch on which 
he filed as a homestead, this being situated in 
section S, township 25, range 31, Cherry 
county. Neb., and he has it improved in good 
shape. There are 640 acres in the ranch and 
he is engaged in stock raising principally, but 
farms from 150 to 200 acres. 

In June, 1886, Mr. Kerns was married to 
Nora Bell, daughter of James Bell and Hanna 
Bell of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Kerns are the 
parents of five children, who are named as fol- 
lows : Addie (married); Alta, wife of Frank 
Clevenger; and Lena, Elmer and Grace at 
home with their parents. 

Our subject takes a commendable interest in 
local public aft'airs and the family are highly 
esteemed by all in their community. He is 
a Bryan Democrat in politics. 



DENNIS D. CHEESMAN. 

Dennis D. Cheesman was born on a farm in 

Cattaraugus county. New York, in 1868, of 
American parentage. His father, James Chees- 
man, was a farmer and pioneer settler of Loup 
county, his homestead being located in the 
southwest part of Sawyer precinct, to which he 
came in 1888. The maiden name of the mother 
of our subject was Emily L. Dye. The father 
died some time ago. 

Dennis D. Cheesman was reared in New 
York state, working on the farm and receiving 
a common school education. In 1888 he came 
with his father to Loup county and started in 
business for himself engaging in farming and 
stock raising. 

Our subject was married in February, 1899, 
to Miss Josephine Moyer. daughter of Oliver 
and Malinda (McVey) Moyer, who became 
pioneer settlers of Loup county, Neb., in 1886. 
This union was blessed with five children, — 
Theodore, Mary, James, Florence and Nolah. 
Mrs. Cheesman taught school in Loup county 
for several years and is a lady of talent»and 
scholarly attainments. 

Dennis D. Cheesman has always been active 
in public affairs and has participated in polit- 
ical movements of his community. He is re- 
garded as a man of strong convictions and his 
conscientiousness has made him many warm 
friends. In 1900 he was elected county com- 



1 86 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



missioner and served three years and has other- 
wise been honored in a political way by his 
friends and neighbors. 

In 1905 Mr. Cheesman was nominated and 
elected on the independent ticket to the office 
of County Clerk and was re-elected in 1907. 
He has made an efficient officer and has 
strongly entrenched himself in the regard of 
the people. He still owns a farm in Sawyer 
precinct but lives in Taylor. 



HOMER M. GRAIN. 

The gentleman mentioned above is one of 
the successful and prosperous young farmers 
of Hooker county. Nebraska. He has a well 
improved ranch of about two thousand acres, 
all deeded, belonging to the estate of his fa- 
ther. Joseph Grain, and is well known as a 
young man of industrious habits and strict in- 
tegrity, highly esteemed and respected by his 
fellow-men. 

Mr. Grain was born near Grawfordsville, 
Indiana, in 1884. His father, Joseph Grain, 
was a prominent farmer and ranchman of 
Hooker county, Nebraska, an early settler in 
that region, and he died on their old home- 
stead June 6, 1900. The mother, whose maiden 
name was Sarah E. \\'eaver, died in this coun- 
ty February 22. 1907. There were five chil- 
dren in the family, and they settled in Ne- 
braska in 1887, locating in Hooker county. 
They drove to that vicinity from Broken Bow, 
having a team and emigrant wagon contain- 
ing their goods, and camped out along the 
road, and afterwards went through all the pio- 
neer hardships and privations, living for many 
years in that county, and built up a good home 
there. 

Our subject and his family came to Cherry 
county in 1887, settling on section 27, town- 
ship 24. range H, and started to put up build- 
ings, his father's first dwelling being a sod 
house, in which they lived for seven years, 
and then built a good frame house. He suc- 
ceeded fairly well from the start, although he 
began with very little, and was proprietor of a 
ranch consisting of sixteen quarter sections, 
all deeded land, when he died in 1900, the 
whole being well improved and all good land, 
most of it devoted to a cattle ranch. Since 
tlie death of his father, Homer and his brother 
Howard have carried on the farm, assisted by 
their sisters. The otJier children are: Maude 
E., Howard V., Burl R., Elsie A., the 
latter the youngest, born in 1899. Homer also 



has a Kincaid homestead adjoining his fa- 
ther's estate. 

During the family's early residence in Ne- 
braska they had many hardships to contend 
with, and suffered from crop losses, but never 
gave up courage, and they have been richly re- 
warded for remaining and putting in years of 
labor. 



L. A. BERRY. 

L. A. Berry, one of the solid business men 
and public-spirited citizens of Alliance, Ne- 
braska, is well-known throughout that section 
of the country as an able lawyer and promi- 
nent politician. 

Mr. Berry was born in Onondaga county, 
New York, in 1854. His father, Mathias, fa- 
miliarly known as "Major" Berry, was of Irish 
stock, a farmer by occupation, who married 
Sylvia Osborn, of Onondaga county, New 
York. Our subject grew up in his native state 
and received a good education, attending the 
Pompey Academy, and also Whitestown semi- 
nary. He was of a studious nature from early 
boyhood, and read Blackstone while living at 
home, and gained a good foundation for his 
studies later in life. On August 4, 1878, he 
was admitted to the bar in Iowa, having come 
west the previous year and located at Mar- 
shalltown. He first opened an office at Mar- 
shalltown and later at Oilman, remaining in 
those places for several years, then moved to 
Ida Grove, and practiced his profession for a 
time. About this time his health failed, and 
he was obliged to quit the law business and 
for two years was engaged in other pursuits. 

Mr. Berry came to Nebraska in 1893. going 
to the western part of the state where he hoped 
to recuperate his failing health, where he 
started at work on a ranch owned by his 
brother-in-law. Fie lived a free, out-of-door 
life in that part of the state, and in June, 1896, 
came to Alliance and opened a law office, and 
has remained here ever since. He has built up 
a good practice as an attorney thoughout this 
section of the country, and has also been active 
in local political affairs. In the fall of 1906 he 
was elected County Judge to fill a vacancy. 
He has held the office of Justice of the Peace 
for several terms, also Police Judge, and to 
his influence and aid is due much of the pros- 
perity and growth of the financial interests of 
his community. He is a Democrat politically. 

Mr. Berry was united in marriage at Oilman. 
Iowa, in 1883, to Miss Minnie Sparks. Mrs. 
Berry is a daughter of Lyman Sparks, of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCEXXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



187 



Yankee stock, and Marietta Engram Sparks, 
of English descent. Prior to her marriage to 
our subject Mrs. Berry was a school teacher 
in her native state, and a lady of much charm 
and superior accomplishments. They are the 
parents of two sons, namely: Leo and Lyle. 



HON. FRANK ROTHLEUTNER. 

Frank Rothleutner, one of the leading busi- 
ness and ranch men of Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, is a man of wide experience, having 
made his way to success by perseverance and 
diligence, supplemented by honest dealings. 
He resides at Georgia Station, Nebraska, 
where he has a pleasant home and is engaged 
in the general merchandise business. 

Mr. Rothleutner is a native of Bergstadt, 
Moravia, Austria, born July 29, 1859. His fa- 
ther. Joseph Rothleutner, came with his fam- 
ily to American shores in 1872. They sailed 
from Hamburg on the steamer Gallert. land- 
ing in New York June 16, after a voyage of 
two weeks. Locating in Platte county, Ne- 
braska, where he was one of the pioneers, the 
father farmed for many years, and is now en- 
gaged in the hardware business at Columbus. 
Our subject is the oldest member of their 
family of five children, and remained at home 
with his parents until he was twenty-four years 
of age, then struck out for himself, going to 
Holt county and taking up a homestead there 
in 1881, before the railroad had been built 
that far west. He lived in a sod shanty while 
proving up on his homestead, going through the 
usual experiences of the pioneers of that sec- 
tion. His first team was a yoke of oxen, with 
which he freighted to the Black Hills during 
the years 1877 and 1878. He was engaged in 
freighting all through western Nebraska, mak- 
ing Holt county his home up to 1892, having 
acquired a good home and a well improved 
farm of four hundred and eighty acres. 

On March 20, 1892, Mr. Rothleutner came 
to Cherry county, settling on the Niobrara 
river south of Georgia. Here he began stock 
raising and ranching, and followed that work 
for two years. This property he sold and pur- 
chased a large ranch of three thousand acres 
adjoining the village of Georgia, and on this 
runs one thousand head of cattle and two hun- 
dred horses. In 1883 he and a brother-in-law, 
Gus Davis, purchased the mercantile business 
of John Steinbreaker, established in 1892, and 
ran it in partnership for a time, when Mr. 
Rothleutner sold out his interest, but later 
bought the entire business, and now operates 



a large general store, selling everything that 
a farmer, ranchman or Indian may need. He 
has an extensive trade all over Cherry and 
the adjoining counties and Rosebud reserva- 
tion, being one of the successful and prosper- 
ous business men of the county. A view of 
the ranch property will be found on another 
page of this work. 

Mr. Rothleutner was married January 16, 
1884, to Miss Cornelia Davis, from New York 
state. To Mr. and Mrs. Rothleutner three 
children have been born, namely : Joseph Au- 
gustus, Stanley and Celia. 

Our subject is a Populist in political faith 
and helped organize that party, which elected 
him their representative in the state legisla- 
ture in 1894 for one term. Mr. Rothleutner 
was reared in the Catholic church. Frater- 
nally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen 
of America. 



WILLIAM N. TOMPSETT. 

William N. Tompsett, numbered among the 
pioneers of section 34, township 15, range 49, 
has built tip a good home in Cheyenne county' 
and there resides surrounded by the comforts 
of life and esteemed by his associates. He 
came to that region during the early days of 
its settlement, and during his career as a 
frontiersman has seen all the phases of western 
life, and is one of Nebraska's substantial citi- 
zens and a worthy representative of his adopt- 
ed state. 

Mr. Tompsett was born in Canada in 
March, 1854, and lived there until he was sev- 
enteen years of age, receiving a limited school- 
ing, and worked with his father as a boy, 
coming to the United States and striking out 
for the western states. He crossed the Mis- 
souri river on a ferry, landing in Omaha in 
1871, and remained there up to 1877, and dur- 
ing the latter year went into the Black Hills 
on a prospecting trip. He afterwards traveled 
all through the western states and became fa- 
miliar with all that country, leading a roving 
life for a number of years. In 1885 he came 
into Cheyenne county and made settlement at 
Sidney, locating on the northeast quarter of 
section 34, township 15, range 49, his wife tak- 
ing up a homfestead on the northwest quarter 
of section 34 shortly afterwards, which place 
is now their home ranch. Mr. Tompsett has a 
good farm, cultivating seventy-five acres, and 
using the balance for hay land and pasture, 
running quite a herd of stock. He has all good' 
buildings, and is a prosperous and successful 
farmer and ranchman. 



1 88 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Tompsett married Julia F. Grafton at 
Sidney, Nebraska, in 1890. Mrs. Tompsett was 
born in Iowa, and both her parents and her 
husband's are now dead. They have a family 
of three children, named as follows: Lambert 
H.. Clyde P. and Tom V., all living at home, 
and are now getting to be a great help to their 
father in carrying on the farm work. Our sub- 
ject is a member of the Democratic party, and 
a stanch supporter of Bryan principles. 



HIRAM O. PAINE. Dece.\sed. 

The above named gentleman was a promi- 
nent resident of Ainsworth, Nebraska, born 
in the town of Plattsville. in Grant county, 
Wisconsin. February 4. 1846. His father, Ste- 
phen O. Paine, was a prominent attorney in 
that state, and served in the Black Hawk war. 
He came of old American stock and was a 
member of the Sons of the American Revolu- 
tion. The Paines originally came from Rhode 
Island, and were associated with the history 
of the early days of that state. Our subject's 
mother. Aliss Pamela B. Bronson. was a na- 
tive of New York state, her people being 
among the first settlers on Staten Island. Of 
a family of five children, our subject was the 
second member, and was reared arid educated 
in Wisconsin, attending the common schools 
as a boy and later the Plattsville Academy. 
May 5. 1864, at the age of seventeen years, he 
enlisted in Company A. Forty-first Wisconsin 
Infantry, receiving his discharge September 
23, 1864. and with his regiment saw hard serv- 
ice in Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. 
After his discharge he was employed in the 
quartermaster's department until May 15. 1865. 
when he was discharged, settling in Omaha on 
his release from the service. He clerked in 
a store and remained in this work here and at 
Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the firm had a 
branch establishment. 

In 1869 he returned to Nebraska, and lo- 
cating at Fremont, was appointed postmaster 
and served in that capacity for sixteen years. 
He was a popular and efficient public official 
and won the esteem and confidence of all the 
people in that town. In the fall of 1885 he re- 
moved to Ainsworth, which was then a small 
village, and established a real estate and loan 
office. He was very successful from the start 
and continued in this work for twenty-two 
years, handling lands. all over this and adjoin- 
ing counties. He devoted all his time to this 
business, and consummated many large 
deals in land around the town of Ainsworth. 



He was actively engaged in business at the 
time of his death, June 22, 1908. 

He had always been one of those who ma- 
terially assisted in the growth and develop- 
ment of the commercial interests of this sec- 
tion of the country. He was a member of the 
Old Settlers' Association in Nebraska, and 
prominent in county and state politics. He 
was a member of Governor Crounse's staff for 
two years, and intimately associated with all 
the men prominent in public affairs of the 
state. 

Mr. Paine was married at Fremont, Janu- 
ary 13, 1874, to ^liss E. Frankie Blackman, 
born in Wisconsin. Her father, John C. Black- 
man, was station agent or car accountant on 
the Union Pacific Railway at Fremont for 
twenty-three years to a day, closing his serv- 
ice with the company on the anniversary of 
the day he began. The Blackmans originally 
came from New York state, settling in Ne- 
braska in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Paine have been 
blessed with four children, who are named as 
follows: Loraine O., Sidney P., Pearl (now 
!\Irs. George C. Mills and the mother of two 
sons, George C, Jr., and Richard Hiram) and 
Charles K., who graduated in May, 1908, from 
the Ainsworth high school. 

Mr. Paine was a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic post at Ains- 
worth, where he had served as commander, as 
he had done in Fremont. He was also a mem- 
ber of the Sons of the American Revolution. 
In politics he was stanchly Republican, voting 
the party ticket straight. 



CHARLES KLINGAMAN, 

Charles Klingaman, of Chadron, dealer in 
lumber, lime, cement, plaster, all kinds of 
building material, coal, wood and posts, is one 
(if the substantial business men of that place. 
He is a man of sterling citizenship who has 
met with deserved success in his business ven- 
tures, and commands the respect and confi- 
dence of all with whom he comes in contact 
in a business or social way. 

Mr. Klingaman is a native of Tama county, 
Iowa, born in 1864. and reared and educated 
in the village of Traer. His father. Hiram 
Klingaman, was born in Pennsylvania, and 
when a young man came west, settling in Iowa, 
where he was one of the pioneers. \Mien a 
boy our subject learned the butcher's trade 
and followed that work for some years in Iowa, 
and in 1884 he came to Nebraska, locating in 
Dawes countv. He teamed from \'alentine, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



seeing considerable of frontier life, roughing 
it, sleeping under his wagon many nights and 
camping out wherever he happened to be, and 
the first year in that locality operated a ranch. 
The following year he came to what is now 
Chadron, then simply a spot on which a few 
shanties were built, and here he worked as a 
carpenter, helping to build up the town. He 
followed this occupation for two years, then, 
together with two brothers, opened a meat 
market, and they carried this on for three years 
and at the end of that time Charles bought a 
market of his own and ran it for nine years, 
and in that time had a splendid trade built up 
and did a large business. He then sold out 
his butcher shop and went into his present 
business. He has associated with him Mr. Ja- 
cob Kass, and they are doing a good business, 
and are well satisfied with the general outlook 
of the northwest as the coming country. 

In 1892 Mr. Klingaman was married to 
Miss Bertha Stein, whose parents were among 
the early settlers in Iowa, where she was born 
and raised. Mr. and Mrs. Klingaman are the 
parents of three children, who are named as 
follows: Fowler K.. Kenneth and Lee. 

Mr. Klingaman is a Democrat and takes 
an active interest in party affairs, and is one 
of the public-spirited citizens of Chadron. He 
is a member of the city council and has been 
on that board for the past six years. 



LOUIS F. WEBER. 

Louis F. Weber, one of the leading busi- 
ness men of Chadron, Nebraska, is a gen- 
tleman of sound business judgment, intelli- 
gence and enterprise who enjoys an enviable 
reputation as a worthy and influential citizen. 

^Ir. Weber was born in the LTpper Penin- 
sula of Michigan in 1854. His father, Anton 
Weber, was a farmer, and both he and his 
wife were born in Germany, coming to this 
country when quite young and settling in On- 
tonagon, Michigan, where our subject was 
raised. At the age of thirteen he came to Ne- 
braska with his parents, the family locating in 
Fremont, where they lived for a short time, 
then moved on a farm and began building up 
a home and farm. In 1876 Louis left home and 
accompanied the first expedition which went 
into the Black Hills, the party driving over- 
land with teams and covered wagons, the trip 
being very dangerous through the wild coun- 
try and they had many exciting experiences. 
He remained in that section for four 3'ears, 
doing freighting, contracting, etc. Their mode 



of life was most primitive, much of the time 
winter and summer being spent in camping 
out and often suft'ering from storms and other 
hardships. In 1880 he began working on a 
cattle ranch and continued at that up to 1885, 
then came to Chadron, where he engaged in 
the grocery business, his first store being in a 
tent, as there were few buildings there at that 
time. He ran his business during the sum- 
mer in the tent and in the fall moved to his 
present location, having carried on the store 
for twenty-two years, and through industry, 
good management, and honest dealings has 
gained a nice property and built up a comfortable 
home. His business is conducted in a system- 
atic manner, and his whole attention is de- 
voted to keeping up an up-to-date stock of 
goods, in every way meeting the needs of his 
customers. 

Mr. Weber was married in 1889 to Miss 
Agnes Joyce, whose people were early settlers 
in Indiana, where she was reared. 

Our subject takes an active interest in lo- 
cal aft'airs of importance and has aided ma- 
terially in the development of the commercial 
interests of that locality. He is a member of 
the Pioneer Club of the Black Hills, and is 
highly esteemed for his genuine worth of mind 
and heart and his friendly and courteous spirit. 
Politically he is a Bryan Democrat. 



GEORGE E. EDWARDS. 

George E. Edwards, the popular and effi- 
cient county clerk of Perkins county, Ne- 
braska, is one of the rising young men of that 
locality. Mr. Edwards is a native-born Ne- 
braskan, and is a typical western man, having 
spent all his life in the freedom of the plains, 
and is a healthy, wholesome and capable busi- 
ness man who has before him a promising 
career. 

Mr. Edwards first saw the light of day on 
January 28, 1881, born on a farm in York 
county, Nebraska. His father, William, was 
a native of England and came to America 
when he was a child five years old, landing in 
this country in 1858. He was a pioneer of 
York county, settling there as early as 1880, 
and after a residence of six years in that vi- 
cinity moved to Perkins county and there Avent 
through pioneer experiences, becoming one of 
the foremost citizens of the county. His wife 
was Miss Lillie E. Wright, born in New York 
State, and her father was also a British sub- 
ject, who settled in the United States many 
years ago, tlie family coming to Nebraska and 



1 90 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settling on a homestead about six miles south 
of the town of Grant. Our subject was reared 
on the farm, as a boy attending the district 
schools, and later was a student at the Fre- 
mont Business College, graduating from that 
institution in 1903, and in the same year was 
made deputy county treasurer, served his term, 
and then returned to the farm. He remained 
for two years, then was nominated and re- 
ceived the election to the office of count}' 
clerk, entering upon his duties as such in the 
fall of 1907. and has made a good record for 
himself in the position. 

Mr. Edwards was married in 1904 to Miss 
Lillie May W'illiams. whose father is a prom- 
inent Nebraska, settling in Omaha as early 
as 1873. and he has been identified with the 
affairs of that part of the state for many years. 
One child has been born to our subject, Herbert. 
Both Mr. Edwards and his charming wife are 
popular members of the younger social set of 
Grant, and their home is one of the hospitable 
places in the town. 



NATHAN E. FAY. 

Nathan E. Fay was born in March of 1833 
on a farm in Canada, sixty miles east of Mon- 
treal and within fifteen miles of the north line 
of the state of Vermont. His father, Alvie Fay, 
was born in \^ermont and his mother, Augusta 
(Ellis) Fay, was a native of Massachusetts. 

Mr. Fay was reared on the farm in east- 
ern Canada, receiving a common school edu- 
cation, until 1853, when the family immigrated 
to W^isconsin, where for seven years our sub- 
ject was engaged in farming. 

In 1856 Nathan E. Fay and Miss Emily 
J. Calkins were united in marriage. The bride 
was a native of Canada, where she was born 
in the year 1839. Her father, Stephen Cal- 
kins, was an old pioneer of Wisconsin, hav- 
ing settled in that state in 1840. 

Mr. and Mrs. Fay have had seven chil- 
dren, four of whom are living and married: 
Elnora, Stephen, Herschel and Alberta. Those 
deceased were Emma, Eugene and Etta. 

When the family of our subject came to 
Minnesota in 1853 they traveled in a covered 
wagon, crossing the Mississippi river at La- 
Crossc, where they had a dangerous experi- 
ence crossing on the ice, which was not frozen 
very thick. They had to string the teams and 
loads out as far apart as possible, and then 
the cracking of the ice threatened to give way 
at any instant. No severe mishap occurred, 
however, other than the breaking through of 



one mule, which was soon recovered. But the 
nervous strain of the experience will never 
be forgotten by Mr. Fay.^ Our subject went 
on west to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and 
settled on a rented farm in the timber and prai- 
rie country and he also owned one hundred 
and sixty acres of land. Later he lived in 
Waseca for several years and joined an ex- 
pedition against the Indians after the New 
Ulm massacre. He then went south and was 
a mule teamster in Missouri for some time and 
later settled in the Loup river valley in Ne- 
braska, three miles east of Taylor. He drove 
through from Minnesota with a bunch of cat- 
tle, was three weeks on the road, living in a 
tent and camping out along the way. Mr. 
Fay lived on his land east of Taylor for seven 
years and in 1886 went by team to the Black 
Hills country and was in Custer City in Cus- 
ter county and up into South Dakota. He 
remained here in the hill country for about 
six and a half years and then returned to Loup 
county and stuck to his farm through all the 
years, regardless of the drouth and total crop 
loss in 1894, or any other hardship, and now 
he has a fine farm of two hundred acres, all 
improved in nice Shape with house, barns, 
fences, groves, etc. In 1903 he moved to Tay- 
lor and bought his present pleasant home. 

Mr. Nathan E. Fay is one of the old-timers 
and has had a most interesting history. He 
was one of the first members of the Repub- 
lican party in W^isconsin in 1856; he has been 
through the Indian excitement ; has lived the 
life of a pioneer in a sod house and dugout; 
experienced the 'hard times of the years of 
drouth ; but he has successfully met all these 
trying things and has now gotten in a posi- 
tion where he can take life easier. In the early 
days his home was the stopping place of trav- 
elers and freighters and he thus became ac- 
quainted with all the settlers for miles up the 
Loup river. He is a Republican in politics and 
has held the office of county commissioner. 
He was active in having the county seat lo- 
cated in Taylor and participated in all the 
county seat fights. Mr. Fay is a man of wide 
experience and mature judgment and is held 
in high respect by all who know him. He has 
been one of the most influential of the early 
pioneers. 



L. C. HUCK. 



L. C. Huck. who has filled the office of clerk 
of the district court of Phelps county for the 
past eight or ten years, is one of the most 
whole-souled men in the county. Mr. Huck 




MOWREV. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



191 



is a cigarmaker by trade, and shortly after 
his arrival in Holdrege, many years ago, 
opened the first cigar factory in this section. 
Being a student of economic questions by in- 
clination, and a true sympathizer with the man 
who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, 
he at once became identified with the old Union 
Labor and Alliance movements, and subse- 
quently the Populist party. Mr. Huck was 
born in Germany. 

In 1891 Mr. Huck was nominated for the 
ofifice which he now holds, and has since ad- 
ministered uninterruptedly, proving one of the 
capable and popular public officials of the 
county. While devoid of ostentation, Mr. 
Huck is a courteous gentleman, and the ad- 
ministration of his office has been beyond crit- 
icism of even political opponents. During the 
past couple of years he has been ably assisted 
in his duties by his daughter, Miss Laura, 
whom he appointed his deputy. 



JOHN BUHLKE. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the wealthy and progressive 
agriculturists of Garfield county, who has suc- 
ceeded in building up a valuable farm and 
home through hard labor and persistent ef- 
forts. He is a loyal Nebraskan, enthusiastic 
in his praise of this part of the state, consid- 
ering it one of the finest farming countries to 
be found anywhere. 

Mr. Buhlke was born in Germany, October 
4, 1852, and grew up there, coming to the 
United States in 1881. He first located in Illi- 
nois, where he remained for a year, then came 
to Nebraska, and has lived here ever since. 
He first settled in Hall count}' and followed 
farming, building up a good home. In 1893 
he removed to Custer county, locating forty 
miles southwest of Garfield county, and lived 
there for five years. During 1894 and 1895 
he suffered a total loss of his crops and had a 
hard time recovering from this loss. In 1898 
he came to Garfield county and purchased six 
hundred and forty acres of land, which is' his 
present homestead. He owns besides this farm 
one hundred and sixty acres on the table lands 
ten miles northeast of Burwell, and has a very 
valuable property. He engages in grain rais- 
ing, growing wheat, corn, oats and rye, and 
finds ready sale for all his products direct to 
the stockmen, who run large bunches of stock 
on ranches north of his place. He has never 
hauled a load of grain to town since coming 
here, and this saves him much time, and is 



much more satisfactory in every way. In 1905 
he had a field of fifty acres of oats, which av- 
eraged seventy bushels per acre, and his corn 
crop showed a yield of forty-five bushels per 
acre, which is a fair average annually. He 
also raises quite a good deal of stock each 
year, running a good bunch of cattle and hogs 
for market. About half of his farm is devoted 
to raising hay and for pasture. 

Mr. Buhlke has a pleasant and comfortable 
home, all good buildings and modern improve- 
ments, well fenced and cross fenced. The 
farm is well supplied with water, having two 
deep bored w-ells and supply tanks at different 
points on the place. During the year 1907 
Mr. Buhlke donated several acres of land for 
town sites in the new town which is being 
built a short distance from his home, which is 
in section 7, township 22, range 15. This town 
is named Deverre, and there are already sev- 
eral store buildings going up and one general 
store in operation. The place promises to be 
a good business center, as it is situated in the 
midst of a rich farming community. 

Mr. Buhlke was married in Germany in 
1875 to Miss Katie Heintz, of German descent. 
When he came to this country he was accom- 
panied by his family, consisting of his wife 
and two children. Bertha and Julius. There 
are now seven children, named as follows: 
Bertha, Julius, August, Ella, Ermina, John 
and Anna. 

Mr. Buhlke is well satisfied with this part 
of the country and believes it offers many ad- 
vantages to a poor man, and he has proven this 
by building up a comfortable fortune since 
coming to this country without much capital 
other than willing hands and a strong heart. 
He is highly respected and has held different 
local offices of trust, serving as road overseer 
for several years, and has also been a member 
of the school board for six years. Politically 
he is a Democrat, but does not take an active 
interest in politics at the present time. 



FERNANDO MOWRY. 

In the person of the gentleman above 
named we find one of the substantial and 
worthy citizens of Perkins county, who has 
spent the past twenty-three years in this re- 
gion and watched its development from a wild 
tract of land into its present high state of cul- 
tivation, and has been instrumental in a large 
degree in this progress. Mr. Mowry is now 
a residena of Grant, where he is engaged in 
the milling and carpenter business. A portrait 
of him will he found on another page. 



192 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Our subject was born in Bradford county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1860. His father was a na- 
tive of Vermont and his mother of English 
descent, they settling in Pennsylvania when 
young people and raised their family there. 
As a boy Mr. Mowry learned the carpenter's 
trade and followed the work from the time 
he was fifteen years old almost constantly. He 
came to Hastings. Nebraska, in 1885 and 
worked in the vicinity for one year, then moved 
to Perkins county, locating in the old town 
of Grant at first. He soon afterwards took a 
homestead situated six miles northeast of 
Grant, and while working at his trade man- 
aged to improve his farm considerably and 
proved up on it. living on it for about eight 
years. There he went through many hard 
times, witnessing the drouths, severe storms, 
etc., and having a hard time to get ahead 
through losses and discouragements, and in 
1897 left the place and spent one year at Cook, 
in Johnson count}^ ; also was in Keith county 
for two years, following his trade, and finally 
returned to Perkins county and again went on 
a farm, operating it up to the spring of 1908, 
when he moved to Grant and established his 
present grist mill, also started doing contract- 
ing work. He has done much of the building 
in Grant, putting up both churches in the 
town, and is well and favorably known 
throughout the locality. 

Mr. Mowry was married in 1884 to Miss 
Lorena Pierce, born in Pennsylvania, daugh- 
ter of David and Nancy (Andrus) Pierce, who 
were old settlers of Pennsylvania. Mrs. 
Mowry died in February, 1891. mourned by a 
wide circle of friends. ?he was a pioneer here 
and witnessed many of the trials of pioneer 
life. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Mowry 
was blessed with two children. Vance and 
Hilda, both bright and intelligent young peo- 
ple, and popular in their community. 

Our subject is a Democrat politically and 
has served as county assessor of Perkins 
county. He is active in local aiTairs. also takes 
a commendable interest in the schools and has 
held ofifice and been on the school board at 
different times. 



JOHN H. JACOBSON. 

Of the many prominent and leading old set- 
tlers of Sheridan and Cherry counties, Ne- 
braska, none are held in higher esteem by 
their fellow-men than John H. Jacobson. He 
has spent many years in this region, is a gen- 
tleman of wide experience and excellent busi- 



ness judgment, and is deservedly popular as 
a good neighbor and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Jacobson was born in the Province 
of Bergen. Norway, near the city of Bergen, 
in 1853. His parents immigrated to America 
with their family when he was but one year 
old. settling at Ottawa, Illinois, arriving there 
on July 8. 1854. After spending a short time 
there they moved to Dayton, remained a while, 
then to Otter Creek. Illinois. Their next lo- 
cation was Pontiac, Livingston county, Illi- 
nois, and at this place our subject grew up and 
attended the country schools up to his four- 
teenth year. In 1867 the family came to Ben- 
ton, Iowa, and there John grew to manhood 
and was married on February 6, 1876, to Dora 
Tow, also a native of Norway, born near the 
city of Stavanger, on the seacoast, coming 
to this country at the age of thirteen, landing 
in New York in 1866. The young couple set- 
tled in Story county, Iowa, soon after their 
marriage and farmed on rented land for ten 
years. In April of 1885 our subject came to 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, driving through 
the countrj' with a team from \''aientine by 
wagon containing their goods and personal 
effects. At that time the country was over- 
run with Indians, and many wild beasts 
roamed the woods and prairies. He made set- 
tlement eight miles northwest of Rushville, 
taking a pre-emption and tree claim, and in 
June of that year his family came to join him, 
they traveling on the construction train from 
\'alentine to a point west of Merriman. and 
from that place came the balance of the jour- 
ney in a wagon, camping tnit along the way un- 
til they reached their destination. Their first 
buildings were of logs, which were cut and 
hauled by our subject himself, and the house 
was all of native timber. One of the first ar- 
ticles of furniture he made after coming here 
was a cupboard of native timber, and this is 
still in his possession and among his most 
highly prized treasures. They occupied that 
■place for fifteen years and succeeded in devel- 
oping a good farm, although meeting with 
many discouragements and suffering many 
hardships in the loss of four or five crops by 
drouth and other causes. For eleven years 
during the early times he ran a threshing out- 
fit, and in following that work became thor- 
oughly familiar with every part of the country 
and gained many friends. 

In the spring of 1900 he came to Cherry 
county and settled on his present ranch, which 
is in section 25, township 26. range 32, twelve 
miles north of Mullen. The place was then 
all wild prairie, and his first house was a dug- 
out and shanty combined. He soon put up 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



193 



good buildings, got quite a large piece of land 
under cultivation, and has done exceedingly 
well, owning at the present time six hundred 
and fort3^-three acres, and the entire ranch is 
fenced and cross fenced and improved in every 
way. He has engaged to quite an extent in 
stock raising, and his start on coming to this 
region was sixteen head of cattle. He began 
to rent out pasture to other settlers and in 
that way managed to get a little money to- 
gether so that he constantly enlarged his own 
herd and was able to build up his ranch in 
good shape. 

]\Ir. Jacobson has a family of six chil- 
dren, namely: Henry C, Julia, Jessie (de- 
ceased), Ella, Arthur J., John E. and Alma. 
The first four mentioned were born in Iowa 
and the others in Nebraska. 

Since coming to this part of the state Mr. 
Jacobson has aided in a large measure in its 
development, helping to build up the schools 
and promote the general welfare of his local- 
ity. He has always been a stanch Populist 
and has taken an active part in political mat- 
ters. For a number of years he served as jus- 
tice of the peace in Sheridan county, and 
holds the same office now in Cherry county. 
He is also director of his school district, and 
has filled the office of president of the Farm- 
ers' Alliance in this and Sheridan county. In 
1895 he was elected a member of the central 
committee on the Populist ticket. 



GILBERT V. ANDERSON. 

Gilbert V. Anderson up until January. 1908, 
resided with his father, A. J. Anderson, on the 
latter's well improved farm in section 4, Sher- 
idan township, Phelps county. Father and son 
operated this place together, and the latter also 
rented land adjoining, running in all a farm of 
over three hundred and twenty acres. Our 
subject and his father were among the most 
successful agriculturists in this region, and 
are well and favorably known throughout the 
locality in which they live. 

Mr. Anderson was born in 1885 on his fa- 
ther's farm in Phelps county. His father is 
a native of Sweden, coming to America in 
1874, settling in Chicago, where he worked for 
a time, then came west and located in Ne- 
braska, where he took up a homestead, tak- 
ing advantage of the liberal laws of this coun- 
try to secure a farm equal to the best in the 
country, which is a competence for his old 
age and a good inheritance for his children. 
How wise this was in comparison with the 



course of so many thousands of his country- 
men who remain as toilers in the great cities 
is shown by contrasting their condition today 
with that of our subject and his family. The 
family first came here in 1883. and during the 
first years experienced all the reverses and 
toils of the pioneer settlers, but with the de- 
velopment of this section he has enjoyed the 
goodly measure of success which has attended 
all careful farmers in Phelps county who had 
the pluck and judgment to keep their land 
through the hard times. 

Our subject, Gilbert V. Anderson, although 
only just past his majority, has, ever since he 
was old enough, been an able second to his 
father and has relieved his parents of the 
great responsibilities of tilling the three hun- 
dred and twenty acres. While at home he 
has also taken the greater part of the work 
upon his own shoulders. He is a bright, in- 
telligent and clean-cut young man, a good son 
and citizen of the right stamp, pointing to suc- 
cess in the future that shall be an ample re- 
ward for his labors. He is an active Repub- 
lican, alive to the requirements of the day in 
agricultural pursuits and general citizenship. 
Their farm is well improved and stocked in 
good shape. 

The family are members of the Swedish 
Mission church here. Our subject sold his 
farming interests in January, l908, and has 
gone to contracting and building in Holdrege. 
Cement work is his specialty, having the con- 
tract for building the First Baptist church of 
Holdrege. This is to be one of the finest 
churches in Holdrege when finished. 



ALBERT WIKER. 

Albert Wiker, one of the old-timers and 
representative citizens of Alliance, Nebraska, 
was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Decem- 
ber 25, 1847. He is a son of John Wiker, a 
miller by trade and an old settler in Iowa, and 
the family came to ]\Iuscatine county, Iowa, 
when our subject was a child of four years. 
There they went through the usual pioneer 
experiences, and he grew up on the home farm, 
enlisting in the army in 1862, with the Elev- 
enth Iowa Infantry. His regiment was or- 
dered south at once, and he saw service in the 
western army, participating in the battle of 
Shiloh and also in the siege of Yicksburg. 
He re-enlisted in 1864 and was with Sherman's 
army all through Georgia and around Atlanta, 
taking part in the grand review at \A'ashing- 
ton. For three years and a half he followed 



194 



COAIPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



a soldier's fortunes, going through all the suf- 
fering and hardships which fell to the lot of 
those brave boys in blue. 

After the war closed our subject returned 
to Iowa, remaining there until 1866, then went 
west, traveling through Colorado and spend- 
ing some time in Denver, also visiting \\'yom- 
ing, Texas and southern Kansas in his jour- 
ney, and for many years followed the life of 
a cowboy. In 1872 he went back to the old 
home and remained there for fourteen years, 
engaged in different enterprises. He first set- 
tled in Box Butte county. X'ebraska, in 1886. 
coming in here from Sidney, driving the dis- 
tance with a team and wagon. He took up 
a pre-emption located southeast of Alliance 
and proved up on the ranch, living there for 
four years, then moved to Alliance, and has 
since made that his home. Here he has been 
one of the leading citizens, taking an active 
part in the development and growth of the 
commercial interests of his community, and 
is well known and highly esteemed through- 
out Box Butte county. He was elected sheriff 
in the fall of 1905, and again in 1907, and is 
now serving in that capacity, this being his 
second term. Mr. Wiker has also been town 
marshal for a number of years. For several 
years our subject was proprietor of the Wiker 
Dining Hall. 

In 1872 Mr. Wiker was united in marriage 
to Miss Elizabeth J. Gladstone, daughter of 
Thomas Gladstone and Rachel Johnson Glad- 
stone, both born in Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Wiker were born the following children : John, 
Mabel and Arthur. Mrs. Wiker died in "l889, 
and in her death the family suffered a severe 
affliction, as she was a lady of the most es- 
timable character, beloved by all who knew 
her. Mr. Wiker was married again in 1901 
to Miss H. M. Frazier. 



COLOXEL J. H. HART. 

Colonel J. H. Hart is numbered among the 
leading business men and prominent citizens 
of Ainsworth. Xcbraska. He is a man of ac- 
tive public spirit and one of the best known and 
most highly esteemed residents of that thriv- 
ing city. Colonel Hart was born near Jack- 
sonville, in Morgan county, Illinois, May 16, 
1840. He is a son of Millington E. Hart, a 
farmer, of American blood, native of Ken- 
tucky. His mother is also a Kcntuckian. and 
her maiden name was Mary C. Majors. Our 
subject is the eldest in a family of four chil- 
dren, and was reared in Sangamon countv. 



Illinois, and educated in the common schools 
of Auburn. At the age of eighteen years he 
started in the stock business and has followed 
in that line of work continuously ever since. 
In 1868 he went to Missouri and taught school 
in Pettis county for four years, remaining in 
that state until 1873, when he returned to his 
old home and engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness at Auburn 'for two years. Then he en- 
gaged in farming in Sangamon county, which 
he followed for two years, after which he 
bought an elevator at Auburn and was in the 
grain business for six years. In 1890 he came 
to Xebraska and located in Ainsworth, going 
into the stock business, and in connection 
with this followed the auctioneer's calling, cry- 
ing sales all over the county. He has been 
an active and industrious business man all his 
life, having been engaged in many large en- 
terprises and has gained a large measure of 
success through his earnest efforts and strict 
attention to duty. He lost his father by death 
when he was but six years of age, and has 
had to depend entirely upon his own efforts 
and been obliged to hustle for himself since 
his boyhood days. Mr. Hart was married at 
Auburn, X'ovember 5, 1865. to Miss Mary 
Stone, a native of Kentucky, who was reared 
and educated in Missouri. She was a daughter 
of Dr. Peter H. Stone, also a Kentuckian by 
birth. Two children have been born to Colonel 
and Mrs. Hart, namely: Virginia (now Mrs. 
Jesse D. Cook, of Otsego county. X^ew York), 
and Stella, who died in 1892. Mr. Hart and' 
his wife both belong to the Rebecca Lodge, 
and take an active part in the work of that 
order. He has been a member of the !\Ia- 
sonic Lodge since 1861. serving as master of 
the lodge and attending grand lodge in Omaha. 
He has been an Odd Fellow since 1871. Since 
the Douglas campaign he has been a Demo- 
crat, voting the party ticket every campaign 
since that date. 



JOHX P. FISCHER. 

The gentleman above mentioned needs no 
introduction to the people of Cheyenne county, 
X^cbraska. He is one of the early pioneers 
of that locality, is one of the extensive land- 
owners, and a man who enjoys the respect and 
esteem of all who know him. 

John P. Fischer was born in eastern Ten- 
nessee on the 15th of X'ovember. 1858. Tiie 
family moved to Illinois in the spring of 1863, 
where our subject grew up and received a 
common school education, and in 1885 came 




R, E. CONKLIN. M. D. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



195 



to Cheyenne county, landing in this region on 
March 3d, of that year. He homesteaded on 
section 14, township 12, range 50, proved up 
on the land and has added to it since, now 
owning half a section additional and one hun- 
dred and sixty acres under Kinkaid law. He 
has about one hundred and twenty acres un- 
der cultivation, and deals extensively in the 
stock business, running fifty head of cattle at 
the present time, also has twenty horses. Mr. 
Fischer has his farm well improved with good 
buildings and every kind of modern machinery 
for the proper operation of his farm, and has 
a fine residence, plenty of trees and a good 
water supply. 

In March, 1881, Mr. Fischer was united in 
marriage to Mary Kutzmann, who was born in 
Highland, Madison county, Illinois, on Jan- 
uary 6, 1863. Seven children have been born 
to them, all of whom are living, named as fol- 
lows : George M., born September 7, 1881, 
now proprietor of a fine farm which he took 
as a homestead, located in section 30, town- 
ship 12, range 50: Louise, now wife of Henry 
Laaker, residing in Colorado; Katie, Ida, Min- 
nie, Mary and Margaret. Mr. Fischer is ac- 
tive in public affairs and a loyal Republican in 
political views. 



J. L. DUFFIN. 

J. L. Duiifin is one of the prominent ranch- 
men in Deuel county, Nebraska, his home 
ranch being located on section 17, township 
17, range 44. Mr. Dufifin was born in Canada, 
March 15, 1852, and came to the United States 
with his parents in 1854. They located in 
the eastern part of the state of Iowa and our 
subject remained there until 1881. He then 
came west to Greeley county, Nebraska, and 
in 1886 came to Deuel county, taking up a 
homestead. He has been very successful in 
Deuel county and now controls about one thou- 
sand one hundred and twenty acres. He is un- 
married. 

h 



R. E. CONKLIN, M. D. 

Industry, persistent efl:'ort and integrity go 
hand in hand toward success. To become pro- 
ficient in any walk of life requires all of these 
characteristics, and but comparatively few men 
possess them in marked degree. By constant- 
ly having this aim in view one is bound to suc- 
ceed, and the gentleman above mentioned is 



starting out in his profession with the right 
ideas. He is a graduate of the University of ■ 
Illinois, receiving his diploma in 1905, and be- 
gan the practice of medicine in his natice place, 
Alma, Harlan county, Nebraska. He was ed- 
ucated at the Alma high school, class of 1896, 
and here received a good foundation for his 
later studies. 

Dr. Conklin is a son of Thomas J. and 
Mary E. (Brown) Conklin, who came to Ne- 
braska from La Salle county, Illinois, locating 
in Harlan county in 1872, where they were 
among the first settlers here. They home- 
steaded in Prairie Dog township and farmed 
there for thirteen years, and in 1886 removed 
to Alma, where Mr. Conklin followed the build- 
ing and contracting business up to the time 
of his death, which occurred in 1887, since 
which time his wife has resided here. He left 
a family of two children, the subject of this 
sketch and one daughter, Blanch, now de- 
ceased, who was the wife of the late Ed L. 
Willits, a merchant and banker of Alma, al- 
ways referred to as the most enterprising and 
helpful business man of Alma. 

Dr. Conklin was married in 1905 to Miss 
Jessie Riley, of Fairbury, Nebraska, a daugh- 
ter of E. L. Riley. One child has been born 
to Dr. and Mrs. Conklin, named Robert Earl 
Conklin, Jr. 

During the short time that Dr. Conklin 
has been established in Alma his practice has 
grown to large proportions, extending all over 
this and adjoining counties, and his skill as 
a surgeon places him at the head of the pro- 
fession among physicians in this section. A 
portrait of Dr. Conklin appears on another 
page of this volume. 



CHARLES FULLER. 

Charles Fuller, a substantial farmer and a 
worthy citizen of Loup county, resides on sec- 
tion 11, township 21, range 17. He is one 
of the pioneers of that locality and has mate- 
rially assisted in its development and advance- 
ment. 

Mr. Fuller was born in Windham county, 
Connecticut, in 1841, and, on his father's side, 
his ancestry is traceable back to the May- 
flower stock of Puritans. His parents were 
Solomon and Margarette (Back) Fuller, the 
latter born in Brooklyn, New York, and of 
English descent. 

Our subject was reared near Hartford and 
attended the common and high schools. When 
the war broke out he enlisted in Company D, 



196 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCE.XCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Twenty-second Connecticut Infantry, for nine 
months' service, after which he returned home, 
remaining until coming to Nebraska. 

Mr. Fuller was married in 1863 to Miss 
Elizabeth Phelps, daughter of Julius and Cor- 
delia (Steel) Phelps, the father being of the 
old Connecticut stock. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller 
have two children, Margarette and Albert. 
Mrs. Fuller died in 1871 and was sincerely 
mourned by her family and a very large circle 
of friends. 

In 1883 our subject came west to Nebraska, 
first stopping in Colfax county, where he re- 
mained for about a year. Then he came to 
Loup county, settling on a homestead and tree 
claim, where he now lives. His first buildings 
were built of sod, facetiously called "Nebraska 
brick" by Mr. Fuller. He set out a great 
number of trees and made other improvements 
as rapidly as his limited means would permit, 
and. for the first ten years, worked out a great 
deal of the time at the carpenter trade. 

Mr. Fuller has a fine farm of three hundred 
and twenty acres with about half of it under 
cultivation, and the place is thoroughly im- 
proved in an up-to-date manner. The trees 
that he planted in the early days have devel- 
oped and now make beautiful groves for shade 
and shelter. Mr. Fuller was the first in the 
locality to experiment in the growing of alfalfa, 
meeting with splendid success. He does a 
great deal of gardening, raising vegetables of 
all kinds, and also small fruits in great pro- 
fusion. In one season he picked between five 
hundred and six hundred quarts of strawber- 
ries, and has also quantities of grapes and 
blackberries, thus showing that the soil of Loup 
county is excellent for the growing of all kinds 
of small fruits and vegetables. Mr. Fuller 
also raises a fine lot of hogs every year and 
now has one hundred head in his pastures. 

Mr. Fuller has made a fine record as a 
successful farmer and has placed himself in 
very comfortable circumstances. He has taken 
part in all matters of local interest and is wide- 
ly known and universally respected as an hon- 
orable citizen. 



RICHARD H. WATKINS. 

Richard H. Watkins, who for many years 
has been known by the sobriquet of "The Old 
Scout," is a prominent citizen of Alliance, Ne- 
braska, where he has resided since 1889. He 
was born in Mahaska county, Iowa, in 1857, 
and reared on his father's farm. His parents 
were both natives of Wales, and were early 
settlers in Iowa. 



Our subject lived in Iowa up to 1882, then 
came to Greeley county, Nebraska, where he 
pioneered there for a time, building up a farm 
and home. He left that county and moved to 
Holt county in 1883, traveling through the 
country on horseback, and helped his brother 
to drive a large bunch of cattle into Cheyenne 
county. He next settled on Indian Creek, eight 
miles from Camp Clark, there engaging in 
freighting, driving bull teams to Fort Robin- 
son, Rosebud Agency, Pine Ridge and the 
Black Hills, continuing at this work for five 
years, and roughed it all that time, camping 
out wherever he happened to be, exposed to all 
sorts of weather both winter and summer. 
Part of the time he worked as a cowboy and 
worked on large ranches in that part of the 
state. In 1889 he came to Alliance and opened 
a meat market, his capital being just one dol- 
lar and fifty cents. He bought the business of 
his brother, who was the first man to start a 
butcher shop in the town. Our subject ran 
the market for five years, then obtained a con- 
tract from the government for putting the 
stock on the Indian reservation, which he filled, 
and the following year returned to his butcher 
business and carried it on for a year and a 
half. In 1897 he began in the sheep and cat- 
tle business, buying, selling and shipping stock, 
and for a number of years carried on that 
trade, handling stock all over the western 
states, and is still in that business, associated 
w'ith a firm which handles more stock annually 
than any other concern in western Nebraska. 
Mr. Watkins is an authority on Texas cat- 
tle, and handles these exclusively. 

In 1889 our subject was united in marriage 
at Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Miss Lola C. Fos- 
ter, who died the following year. He was mar- 
ried again at Los Angeles, California, in 1905, 
to Miss Charlotte Iliil. 

Mr. Watkins was engaged in the real es- 
tate business here for a time. He also has 
taken an active part in local politics since his 
residence here, always voting the Republican 
ticket and standing firmly for the principles of 
that party. 

Mr. Watkins is an interesting gentleman 
in every way and has a host of warm friends 
among all classes. He is a genial, whole-souled 
gentleman, esteemed by all who know him. 
Among the interesting experiences he relates of 
the early days is the following incident: Dur- 
ing the time when the "gentleman's game" was 
largely played in .Mliance, Mr. Watkins and 
a few "pals" were passing a few pleasant hours 
settled on a tree claim and homestead, and 
in this manner, with the game getting stronger 
constantly. Finally all "stayed," each man at- 



COAIPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



197 



tempting to make the other lay down, all hav- 
ing what he considered "a sure winner," After 
all available cash had been bet, check books 
were produced and used, and still no one would 
give up. At this time a man rushed into the 
room and told our hero that his meat market 
was on fire and burning up. He was consid- 
erably disturbed, but remained in the game. A 
second time some one came in and excitedly 
told him of the fire, but instead of hastening to 
the scene of the conflagration he coolly re- 
marked that it was "the first time he had ever 
held four aces, and he was going to see them 
through if the whole town burned up." This 
was taken as a bluff by his companions, and 
the betting still continued, when, not wishing 
to bankrupt the others, he called and threw 
down his hand, which indeed held four aces. 
He leisurely filled his pockets with the bills, 
checks and loose money and rushed out to look 
at the fire, which he found had been entirely 
extinguished without any great loss. 



HUGH B. BOYER. 

A foremost place among the farming com- 
munity of Cherry county, Nebraska, is occu- 
pied by the gentleman herein mentioned, who 
is a successful and progressive agriculturist 
and ranchman of township 25, range 32. He 
is the possessor of a good ranch, which he has 
acquired by hard and faithful labor, taking 
up land here in the early days as a home- 
stead and transforming it from a wild prairie 
tract to a fertile garden, enjoying a rich meas- 
ure of prosperity as a reward for his honest la- 
bors and good management. 

Hugh B. Boyer was born in Mercer county. 
West Virginia, in 1871. His father, Dennis 
Boyer, was a farmer for many years in that 
state, and he married Sarah E. Fielder. After 
our subject's birth the family only remained 
in West Virginia for about a year, then emi- 
grated to Tennessee, traveling to their new 
home by team in an emigrant wagon, settled 
on a farm in Sevier county, remained there for 
six years, then moved to Texas, locating in An- 
derson county, arriving there in the spring of 
1878. There they started a farm, and our 
subject's boyhood days were spent irj that lo- 
cality, the family spending in all twenty-two 
years in Texas. Hugh lived at home until he 
was twenty, then took a farm for himself and 
farmed there for ten years. He was married 
in 1891. and came with his family to Nebraska 
in 1900, taking up a homestead in section 25, 
township 25, range 32. He at once erected 



sod buildings in which they lived comforta- 
bly for a number of years, but he has lately 
put up a good frame house, barns and other 
buildings and added many improvements to 
his ranch. His ranch consists of eight hundred 
acres, all of which is fenced and has a fine 
supply of water pumped by windmills. He is 
extensively engaged in the stock raising busi- 
ness, dealing principally in cattle, which he 
sends to the markets. He also operates a fine 
large dairy, and from this industry derives a 
snug income. Mr. Boyer farms about one 
hundred acres, on which he raises splendid 
crops of small grains. 

Mr. Boyer was married while living in 
Texas to Sarah Huntsman, daughter of Charles 
Huntsman, a farmer of that state, and she was 
born and reared in Houston county. The fam- 
ily had lived for many years in Texas, her 
grandfather, Joseph Huntsman, having been 
born and reared there; also her great-grand- 
father, William Hallmark, was a pioneer of 
that country. 

Mr. and Mrs. Boyer are the parents of 
three children, namely: Haskle, Lessie and 
Gussie. The family occupy a comfortable 
home, and are well liked by all who know 
them. 



MAJOR A. M. DILL. 

Major A. M. Dill, retired, first came to 
North Platte, Nebraska, in 1877, being con- 
nected with the Union Pacific Railway, and 
was employed by them continuously up to 
1902, when at the age of seventy-nine years 
he left their service. He began working for 
the New York & Erie Railway when only 
twelve miles of that road was completed, in 
1839, running to Piermont, Rockland county, 
on the Hudson. His first engine, run in 1842, 
was a single pair of drivers and a crank, built 
one the outside like a steamboat. There were 
five of these at that time, and were named 
Ramapo, Eliza, Lord Piermont. Orange and 
Rockland. These were afterward altered and 
made with two drivers and enlarged cylinders 
with crude hand tools. In 18S0 he left this 
road and took charge of the blacksmith shop 
at Elmira, New York, under W. E. Rutter, 
and during the following year he built a shop 
of his own- to make cars for the Buffalo & 
New York Railroad. These burned down, and 
he then moved to Canandaigua, remaining 
there up to 1856, when he came west, locating 
in ^^'isconsin, at Racine. Two years later 
he went to Springfield, Illinois, in the service 
of the Wabash road. 



198 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



At this time our subject was well acquaint- 
ed with Abraham Lincoln, and on the night 
he was nominated for President, while waiting 
for the news, he remarked to those about him 
that "if it was not dark we would have a base- 
ball game." All adjourned to the Journal of- 
fice and watched for the returns. Lincoln was 
one of the people, always speaking in the most 
kindly terms to all whom he met, and every 
one at Springfield felt as sad when he left 
them for Washington as he did himself. 

Major Dill is a native of Orange county, 
village of Florida, New York. In 1857 he was 
married to Miss Julia A. Hoover. Their chil- 
dren were as follows: Charles A., engineer on 
the Union Pacific Railway ; \V. E. Dill, who was 
an engineer on the Union Pacific, and died in 
1901, aged thirty-five years; and two daugh- 
ters, Mrs. W. L. Park, wife of the general su- 
perintendent of the Union Pacific Railway, for- 
merly assistant division superintendent at 
North Platte, and Mrs. Perry Sitton, of North 
Platte, whose husband is manager of the Union 
Pacific Hotel at that city. 

Nearly all of Mr. Dill's life has been spent 
on the railroad. He came to North Platte in 
1877 and there was foreman of the Union Pa- 
cific Railroad blacksmith shop for fourteen 
years. He is now eighty-five years of age, and 
a man of active mind, intelligent and of fine 
appearance. Major Dill was pensioned by the 
Union Pacific Railroad Company in 1903. 



ROBERT GUNDERSON. 

Robert Gunderson is favorably known as one 
of the successful young ranchers of Kimball 
county. He was born in Potter, Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, Sept. 15, 1876, and is one 
of the oldest native born Cheyenne county 
boys. His father, Adam Gunderson, was 
one of the pioneers having settled in the 
county in the early years, about 1871. 

Robert Gunderson was married April 6, 
1904, to Miss Lizzie Asche, who was a native 
of Colfax county, Nebraska. Her parents are 
still living at a ripe old age after thirty years 
residence in the state. They are now living in 
Banner county, and are old settlers there. Mr. 
and Mrs. Gunderson have been blessed with two 
children: Florence Marie, and Zelma Annie. 

Mr. Gunderson 's father was a section fore- 
man at Potter. Nebraska, where our subject was 
raised, he being used to plenty of farm work. 
There he also gained considerable experience at 
the raising of sheep and other stock. In 1900 
our subject started out for himself, and took a 



homestead on section 4, township 15, range 53, 
where he has established himself as one of the 
successful public spirited citizens of the com- 
munity. He now owns three hundred and eighty 
acres, with eighty acres under cultivation. He 
is energetic and progressive, and is not satis- 
fied unless he is pushing his farming operations 
to the utmost. In addition to his own land he 
leases nearly one thousand acres and runs about 
a hundred head of stock. 

Mr. Gunderson is a staunch Republican in 
politics, and is always able and willing to stand 
by his convictions. He has held the office of 
county commissioner of Kimball county, Ne- 
braska, from 1905 to 1907, his election being a 
decisive victory. He is at present moderator of 
School District No. 1, and takes great interest 
in all mattters of an educational nature. 



WILLIA^I \\"ALLACE BRUCE, Deceased. 

-Among the men who helped in the develop- 
ment and success of the western part of Ne- 
braska the gentlemaVi above named occupied a 
prominent place. He had built up a pleasant 
home in Rock county, where he was universally, 
respected and esteemed by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Bruce was born on his father's farm in- 
Livingston county, Illinois, June 15, 1862. He 
was a son of James Bruce, a native of Scotland, 
as was also the mother, Katherine P. Bruce, both 
coming to America when quite young. In a 
family of nine children our subject was the sec- 
ond member, and was raised in his native coun- 
ty, until he reached the age of twenty-one years, 
following farm work as his occupation. In 1883 
he came west settling in Sheridan county on a 
homestead located fourteen and a half miles 
south of Hay. Springs. The nearest railroad 
point was Valentine, about a hundred miles 
distant and all supplies had to be hauled from 
that town. He immediately built a dugout in 
which he made his home for two years, then 
erected a sod house in which he lived seven 
years. During these days he spent his time in 
freighting between White River and Valentine, 
and at one time, for fourteen nmntlis he had 
never slept in a house, camping out through all 
kinds of rough weather. When he began he 
had only a team and wagon, meeting first with 
many discouragements and hardsliips, but he was 
possessed of a strong will and sturdy determin- 
ation : never giving up, he did whatever seemed 
to be best at all times, and gradually worked 
into the stock business combined with mixed 
farming. .At one time he had a wheat field of 
five hundred acres, from which, however, he 



COxAIPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



199 



reaped no harvest, the entire field being parched 
by the severe drought of that season. When the 
dry years come on he lost several other crops, 
and had them twice destroyed by hail. After 
these }ears had passed and conditions become 
more favorable he got a new start and gained 
back much of his losses, and when he left Sheri- 
dan county, in 1900, he had accumulated quite a 
comfortable property, owning 209 head of cattle 
and fifty head of horses. From there he moved 
into Cherry county in the year 1898, remaining 
there for the winter, and in the spring came to 
Bassett, where he engaged in horse shipping, 
supplying the market in as distant points as Xew 
Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri and Arkan- 
sas. He was most successful at this line of 
work, and handled hundreds of fine animals, 
finding a ready sale at profitable prices. He was 
engaged in threshing for a time and in years 
gone by trailed horses into Canada and Mani- 
toba, shipping cattle from those countries back 
to Nebraska, where they were disposed of to 
advantage. 

Mr. Bruce was married in Nashville, Wash- 
ington county, Illinois, ]\Iay 17, 1887, to Miss 
Lou Hahler, a native of Illinois, born in Saint 
Clair county, of French and German parentage. 
Children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce, 
and are named as follows : Ollie I., Katie C, 
James W. (deceased) ; Nettie L., Wilmar W., 
Florence M., Marguerite G. (deceased) ; an 
infant that died unnamed, Margarett L. and 
Juanita C. The family is well known and highly 
esteemed all over the locality in which they 
reside. 

;\Ir. Bruce died in April, 1908, regretted by 
a host of friends. He was a Republican in poli- 
tics and a member of the Odd Fellows and 
Modern Woodmen. 



EDWARD F. PONTIUS. 

In compiling a list of the prominent pioneers 
of Sioux county, Nebraska, who have aided ma- 
terially in making that region a thriving agricul- 
tural district, a foremost place must be accorded 
the gentleman whose name heads this personal 
history. For the past several years Mr. Pontius 
has been closely identified with the develop- 
ment of Bowen precinct, and his labors to this 
end are well known to all who reside in that com- 
munity. He now occupies a pleasant home in 
the village of Harrison where he enjoys the 
contentment which comes from the knowledge 
of duties well and faithfully done. 

Mr. Pontius was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, 
December 18, 1849, of good old American 
stock. His father, Samuel G. Pontius, was a 



farmer, descendant of French ancestors, and he 
married Lea Reiman, of German blood. 

Our subject grew up on the home farm, 
where he did plenty of hard farm work during 
his early boyhood, receiving a common school 
education, and lived with his parents until he 
reached the age of twenty-one years. He then 
learned the trade of telegraph operator, and was 
employed by the Western Union Telegraph 
Company at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for three 
years. After that time he started railroading, 
traveling in the northern part of Ohio doing sta- 
tion work, and after several years, drifted around 
in different parts of the country following his 
profession, so that he was able to see a great deal 
of the different states. Mr. Pontius came to 
Nebraska in 1892, landing here on June 23d, of 
that year, coming from St. Paul, Minnesota, 
where he had worked for some time. He located 
in Harrison where he held the position of sta- 
tion agent up to the fall of 1903. He home- 
steaded a tract of land in section 3, township 31, 
range 56, Bowen precinct, and proved up on 
his claim, still owning this property. 

In 1873, Mr. Pontius was married to Eliza- 
beth Bloom, daughter of J. :\1. Bloom, of Shelby, 
Ohio, a leading undertaker and cabinet-maker of 
that place. Her mother was Susan Snyder, a 
native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Pontius 
have a family of four children, namely: Wanda, 
wife of W. H. Davis, William, Myrtle and Jen- 
nie, who are also married and live in Harrison, 
Nebraska, except William, who is a resident of 
Orin Junction, Wyoming. The family is highly 
esteemed by all who know them, and are popular 
members of societv in Harrison. 



WILLIAM M. ALDEN. 

In casting about for the name of a represen- 
tative old settler of Nebraska, we give the 
reader that of William M. Alden, who was 
among the first to locate in Hamilton county, 
arriving there in 1879. That section was then 
barren prairie, and he went to work to help 
build up the country, spending his entire career 
in Nebraska, and watched the growth of civili- 
zation from its earliest start, assisting in no 
small measure in the work of its upbuilding. He 
now resides in Hyannis, where he settled in 
1888. and carries on a general merchandise store, 
establishing this business when the state was 
in its first stages of development, and has re- 
mained to become one of the leading citizens 
and successful merchants of Grant county. 

Mr. Alden was born in L^nion, McHenry 
county, Illinois, in 1860. His father was a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



well known merchant of that place, and when 
our subject was a small boy the family moved 
to Iowa, where he grew up. At the age of nine- 
teen he came to Nebraska and made settlement 
at Aurora, and for nine years made that town 
his home, working as a clerk in a store owned 
by his father. 

yir. Alden located in Hyannis in 1888, and 
opened the first store in the town, starting in 
the spring of that year. His first building was 
a lean-to, built against a house, and was twelve 
by twenty-two feet in size. His business ex- 
panded rapidly and he was obliged to enlarge his 
store space and put in a larger stock of goods, 
and eventually put up a commodious building, 
now occupying a floor space of twenty-two by 
eighty. He carries a splendid line of goods and 
enjoys an extensive trade through the surround- 
ing ranching community. Besides this business 
he runs a branch store at Whitman, established 
in 1893, and does a good business at that point. 
Our subject owns a good ranch situated seven 
miles from Hyannis to the north, and devotes 
this place to stock raising. 

Mr. Alden was married in 1881, at Aurora, 
Nebraska, to Nina M. Chapin, and to them 
have been born, Blanche, and Eva, who was the 
first child born of white parents in Hyannis, and 
first saw the light of day December 3, 1888. 

Mr. Alden has the distinction of having been 
instrumental with S. S. Sears, in incorporating 
the town of Hyannis, in which movement the\- 
encountered considerable opposition. When he 
first struck this locality nearly all of the white 
settlers made a living by hunting wild game and 
picking up buffalo bones, as every man who 
came here was, almost without exception, en- 
tirely without funds and unable to produce 
enough money to open a farm until they had 
worked and saved the price to file on the land. 

Mr. Alden has always been prominent in 
public affairs, is an active Republican, and 
served as deputy county clerk during the early 
history of the county. He has helped establish 
the schools in his locality and has been a mem- 
ber of the school board, also of the town council 
for many years. 



HARMON P. Mcknight, m. d. 

Harmon P. McKnight. a prominent physi- 
cian of Long Pine, Nebraska, is a gentleman of 
strong mind, and a capable, skilled and conscien- 
tious practitioner, and deservedly enjoys the es- 
teem and confidence of his patrons and associ- 
ates. 

Dr. McKnight was born in St. Lawrence 



county. New York, April 25, 1857. His father 
and mother, William and Martha (Packard) 
AIcKnight, were both of American blood and he 
was the fifth member in their family of nine chil- 
dren. He was raised in his native state, until 
the age of eighteen years, when in December, 
1876, he enlisted in St. Louis in Company F, 
Eighth Cavalry and was sent to western Texas 
where he served five years, the two final years 
in hospital department, from which he was dis- 
charged in ]\larch, 1881. This gave him a liking 
for the medical profession, so proceeding to St. 
Louis he attended a course of lectures, after 
which he took up the practice of medicine in 
Shelby county, Iowa, where he remained one 
summer, followed by a course in Omaha Medi- 
cal College. He then opened an office at Long 
Pine on August 20, 1883, and at once began 
the practice of medicine, being the first physician 
in this and the adjoining three counties. He 
built up an enormous practice, and was widely 
known as a man of superior mind and great 
strength of character, everywhere winning the 
confidence and esteem of all with whom he came 
in contact. After locating in this vicinity Dr. 
McKnight had intended to get his degree as soon 
as possible but his practice increased to such an 
extent that he was unable to abandon it until 
1889 when he took a final course in the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons, graduating and re- 
ceiving his diploma in 1890. 

In 1891, Dr. McKnight established a drug 
store in Long Pine, in which he carries a 
complete line of drugs, toilet articles and sun- • 
dries, doing an extensive business. He is also 
engaged in ranching, having taken up a home- 
stead in 1883 and proved up on it. This ranch 
contains one thousand four hundred acres on 
Pine Creek and is devoted to grain and hog 
raising, which pursuit he finds very profitable, 
personally superintending this work. In 1907, 
he purchased a finely improved farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres in section 22 and 27. 
township 30, range 20, Rock county, which is 
devoted to agriculture : it is almost completely 
encircled by a grove of fifteen years standing, 
has a fine orchard, a good dwelling, large barns 
and other buildings. We present a fine view of 
the ]iremises on another page of this volume. 

On March 12, 1884, Dr. McKnight mar- 
ried a very estimable lady in the person of Miss 
Mattie C. .Anderson, daughter of John .Ander- 
son, an old settler and prominent farmer of 
western Nebraska. He was an early settler in 
Missouri, but was forced to leave that state 
during the war because of his strong northern 
sympathies. Dr. and Mrs. McKnight have a 
daughter, Lena, born in Long Pine. She is 
now the wife of Dr. J. W. McLeran, a rising 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



young dentist of Springview. Our subject also 
has an adopted son, Euel P. 

For the past seventeen years Dr. McKnight 
has been local surgeon for the C. & N. W. Rail- 
way at Long Pine. He is also examining physi- 
cian for fourteen different life insurance com- 
panies, six of which are old line companies. He 
is a Democrat, and an ardent Bryan supporter. 
In 1906 he was appointed county commissioner 
to fill out an unexpired term, and he has been a 
member of the pension board for the past fifteen 
years. He is a member of the Congregational 
church, the Modern Woodmen, the Fraternal 
Union and the Odd Fellows at Long Pin^. 



DR. W. H. BYERLY. 

W. H. Byerly, the oldest physician in point 
of residence in the town of Franklin, Nebraska, 
has an extensive practice in his profession, and 
is one of the deservedly popular citizens of his 
locality. He has passed many years of his life 
here and built up a wide and lucrative practice 
by his skillful treatment of the ills of mankind 
and his conscientious service for the relief of his 
fellows. He also is proprietor of a drug store in 
Franklin, and his store is one of the best 
equipped in the county, in which he enjoys a 
large and constantly increasing patronage. Dr. 
Byerly was born in Virginia. He is a graduate 
of the Richmond, Virginia, Medical college, 
class of 1869, and has practiced his profession 
since receiving his degree of M. D. In 1879 he 
came to Nebraska, locating in Franklin, and has 
practiced successfully here since that time, his 
practice during the pioneer days reaching from 
the northern limits of this county to the center 
of Smith county, Kansas, west to Harlan county 
and east to Riverton. He is known throughout 
all the adjoining counties and western part of 
Nebraska as one of the best physicians who have 
ever come to these regions, and enjoys the con- 
fidence and esteem of all with whom he has had 
to do in a professional or social way. Dr. By- 
erly is devoted to his profession and has given 
his exclusive attention all these years to this 
work, with the exception of his drug business. 
As stated at the beginning of this sketch, Dr. 
Byerly is the oldest practicing physician in 
Franklin, and since locating here has been an 
important factor in its development. He has 
stood for its growth educationally, morally and 
religiouslv, and for its advance as a business cen- 
ter of one of the best farming regions of western 
Nebraska. His only son, Joe R. Byerly, is fit- 
ting himself for official service in the Alerchant 
Marine, on the Atlantic coast trade from Balti- 



more. Dr. Byerly was married in Virginia, in 
1870, to Miss Anna Lee Ryan, who since her 
residence in Nebraska has been recognized as a 
lady devoted to her home, and the interests of 
her home community, along its best lines. Dr. 
Byerly is a member of the County. Republican 
Valley, and State Medical Associations, and a 
recognized authority on all subjects in his line 
of study. He is a member of the Episcopalian 
church, and also belongs to the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and 
Masonic societies. 



\'\'ILLIAM N. FORD. 

Among the old settlers of Nebraska who 
have spent many years in the work of building 
up and developing the commercial industries of 
a new country, the gentleman above named holds 
a prominent place. He came here in the early 
days and has watched the growth of this section 
from its early organization, and his name will 
occupy a foremost place in the history of Sher- 
idan county and vicinity. 

Mr. Ford is a native of England, born in 
Bristol in 1854. His father, was a hardware 
merchant, whose wife was of French descent, 
and our subject was the second child in their 
family of six boys. They all came to America 
when our subject was eight years of age, and 
settled in New York City, living there for about 
three years. In 1866 they came west, the father 
helping to build the Union Pacific road through 
to Ogden, Utah, and our subject also worked in 
Utah for three years. During one trip which 
he made across the plains he got into a skirmish 
with the Indians and there was a rather excit- 
ing time for a while. He next moved to Omaha, 
and there worked on the bridge which was in the 
course of construction across the ^Missouri river 
at that place. Later he worked on the Central 
Pacific railroad in L^tah, and afterwards fired on 
the Union Pacific out of Omaha for some time. 
He next went to Shelby county, Iowa, and 
farmed there for fourteen years. In 1885 he 
came to Sheridan county, driving out from Val- 
entine by team with a covered wagon, and set- 
tled on a homestead five miles north of Rushville. 
Here he built his first house which was of sod. 
and remained on this farm until he had proved 
up. Three years later he came to Rushville and 
opened a blacksmith shop, and for the past six- 
teen vears has been engaged in this work. He 
has built up a good trade and has also put in a 
large stock of farming implements and hai-d- 
ware. His building occupies a space of twenty- 
five bv one hundred feet, two stories high, and 
he is doing well. 



CU-MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



^Ir. Ford was married in Iowa, in 1882, to 
Aliss Orilla Loving, whose father, James Loving, 
was a contractor and builder at Dunlap, Iowa. 
One child resulted from this union, Isa. 

Air. Ford takes a commendable interest in 
all local and county affairs, and has held differ- 
ent local offices here. He is a stanch Republican. 



CHARLES L. PHELPS. 

Charles L. Phelps, a leading old timer of 
Keya Paha county, Nebraska, was born in 
Cayuga county. New York, February 14, 1844. 
His father. Israel E. Plielns. was a farmer by 
occupation, a native of Connecticut, while his 
mother, Mary A. Leland, was born in Massa- 
chusetts, both of old American families. Their 
family consisted of six children, of whom our 
subject was the second member. He was reared 
and educated in his native state, and remained 
at home until 1863, when he enlisted in Com- 
panv L, 16th New York artillery, and with his 
regiment saw service on the Peninsula, between 
the James and York rivers. He remained in the 
army, participating in many actions, up to 1865, 
when he was honorably discharged. During his 
service in the army his parents had moved to 
Lenawee county, Michigan, and he went there 
as soon as he was released from duty, and took 
a farm which he operated for some time, besides 
being engaged in running a saw mill for several 
years. He had received a good education in his 
boyhood days, and while living in Michigan 
taug:ht school a portion of the time. 

In 1884 Mr. Phelps decided to strike out for 
the west, and came first to Boone county, Ne- 
braska, whence he drove to Keya Paha county 
with a team and covered wagon ; he settled on a 
homestead in section 26, township 35, range 22, 
and put up a rough sod house in which he lived 
until he proved up on his claim, which was in 
the vear 1887. In June of the following vear lie 
took a pre-emption and proved up on this, re- 
maining on the place up to 1893, when he came 
to Springview to assume charge of the village 
school and taught this for one year, and from 
that time up to 1897 followed teaching exclu- 
sively. In the latter year he was appointed post- 
master, and is now serving his third term in that 
capacity. The central telephone office is located 
in the postoffice, and the two combined make it 
one of the busy places in the town. Mr. Phelps 
is a popular and efficient public official, well 
liked by his patrons, and just the man for the 
place. He has been identified with the history 
of Springview since 1893 and has been a mem- 
ber of the village council for five years, anri 
schrol treasurer for six vears. 



Mr. Phelps' family consists of his wife, who 
was Aliss Ella Earl, and the following children: 
John Edwin, Roy E., Ezoa and Ezada (twins), 
the former of whom is the wife of Luther L. 
Williamson, the latter of Fred W. Skinner, both 
of Springview. They have a pleasant home 
here, and enjoy the society of a large circle of 
friends and acquaintances. Mr. Phelps is a 
staunch Republican in political faith, a member 
of the Congregational church, and affiliates with 
the Knights of Pythias ; he is a detached mem- 
ber of the Grand Army of the Republic. 



JOHN W. FRY, 



In compiling a list of the pioneers of Sioux 
county, Nebraska, who have aided materially in 
making of that region a thriving agricultural dis- 
trict, a prominent place must be accorded the 
gentleman whose name heads this personal his- 
tory. For twenty years Mr. Fry has been closely 
identified with the history and development of 
this locality, and his labors to this end are well 
known to all who reside in that connnunity. 

Mr. Fry is a native of Harrison county, 
Iowa, born twenty-five miles north of Council 
Blui?s, on June 1, 1858. His father was John 
Fry, of American blood, a native of Indiana, and 
his mother was Nancy E, Acre, also born in In- 
diana. The family lived on a farm in Iowa, 
where our subject was raised and educated, after 
he had grown up, having an interest in his fath- 
er's farm, later was in the employ of the C. & 
N. W. Railway company, working in the shops 
at Missouri \'alley, Iowa, for several years. In 
1887 he came to Nebraska, and two years later 
located on section 34, township 53, Sioux county. 
Here he lived in a tent for six or seven months, 
and remained on the homestead for several years, 
proving up and improving the place. In 1896 
he purchased his present farm on section 26, lo- 
cated on Dead Man's treek, and has put up a 
set of good buildings, house, barns and corrals 
for his stock, of which he has twelve horses 
and twenty head of catttle. He has a farm of 
three hundred and twenty acres, sixty acres 
under cultivation, and a small patch of irrigated 
land. The place is well supplied with natural 
timber, wild fruits and grasses, and everything 
is kept in first-class order. He has installed a 
complete set of water works, piped all through 
the house, with a fine bath room, and everything 
fitted up in modern shape. There is a nice 
spring of clear running water near the house, all 
concreted in fine shape for dairy and other pur- 
poses. 

Mr. Fry was married in 1884 to Miss Mary 
E. Frazier. Mrs. Fry's father is Thomas J. 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



203 



Frazifcr, a farmer and mechanic by occupation, 
and her mother's maiden name was Emily E. 
Frazier. J\Ir. and J\Irs. Fry are the parents 
of seven children, who are named as follows : 
Clarence, Leona, Harry, Lynn, Wilber, Lillie 
and Stella. The family are well known and 
highly esteemed by all. 

Mr. Fry did his full share in building up 
his region, and takes an active part in educa- 
tional affairs of his community. He is a Demo- 
crat, but not party bound. 



HON. A. C. CHRISTENSEN. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the solid and influential 
citizens of ]\Iinden, Nebraska. ^Ir. Christensen 
is a prominent business man here, dealing in 
real estate, handling lands all over the western 
part of the state. 

Air. Christensen was born in Funen, Den- 
mark, in 1850, and grew up there, coming to the 
United States in 1868. In 1874 he came west 
and located at Fredricksburg. Kearney county, 
then took up a homestead in Lincoln township, 
also tree claim, and lived there for twelve years. 
He broke up a large part of the land and built 
up the place, raising fair crops and making a 
success of it. He still owns this land, being pro- 
prietor of three hundred and twenty acres alto- 
gether in this county. He has the distinction 
of having been the first Justice of the Peace in 
Lincoln township, and later held the office of 
assessor and other local offices. He came to 
Minden in 1887. and was a member of the city 
council for one term. After locating here he 
went into the implement business, and continued 
at that for fifteen years, making a success of this 
venture, as in all other enterprises which he has 
undertaken. 

Mr. Christensen is an active Republican, and 
in 1900 was a presidential elector from the fifth 
congressional district, casting his vote for Wm. 
!McKinley, and is the proud possessor of a pic- 
ture of the seven state electors which was taken 
at ^^'ashin.gton on the capitol steps. He was 
often a delegate to state conventions, and on the 
countv and congressional committees, and was 
elected to the legislature in 1905, from Kearney 
county. 

yir. Christensen was married in 1S79 to ]\Iiss 
Celia Claussen, a native of Sweden. They have 
one son, Harry, and two daughters, Mabel and 
Annetta. The family occupy a pleasant home in 
Minden, and are highly esteemed by all who 
know them. 

On the occasion of Mr. Christensen 's trip to 



Washington in 1900, his friends and admirers in 
Kearney county presented him with a beautiful 
gold-headed cane as a token of their esteem, and 
this is highly prized by him. 



CHARLES N. CARTER. 

Among the progressive and energetic pio- 
neers of Perkins county, who have contributed 
largely to the prosperity enjoyed in that vicinity, 
a high station is accorded the gentleman above 
named. For many years past he has been en- 
gaged in farming and stock raising in Perkins 
county, and he has acquired a valuable estate and 
enviable reputation as a worthy citizen. 

j\Ir. Carter was born in Stark county, Illinois, 
in 1847. He comes of German stock, his great 
grandfather having been born and raised in 
Germany, the family settling in the United 
States many years ago, and our subject's father 
was a pioneer in Illinois. His mother was of 
Scotch blood, and the family lived on a farm 
during Charles' boyhood. When he was thirteen 
vears of age they moved to Galva, Illinois, and 
there he attended the city schools and at the age 
of sixteen started out for himself, making his 
own living from that time on. He went to Mis- 
souri and remained for a year, then spent one 
year in Minnesota, coming to Keith county, Ne- 
braska, in 1884, where he took up a homestead 
on section 10, township 11, range 40, and proved 
up on it, making a good home of it, and still ' 
owns the property. His first buildings were of 
sod, and he spent about nineteen years on the 
place, going through all the experiences com- 
mon to the early settlers in that region, witness- 
ing drouth seasons, and suffering losses of crops, 
etc., but finally succeeded in building up a good 
farm. He has about one thousand two hundred 
acres in the vicinity, engaging in cattle raising 
principally. He has some land under cultiva- 
tion, the place is fitted with good buildings of 
all kinds, commodious residence, and he has all 
necessary machinery for operating his place suc- 
cessfully. He has good water on his farm and 
all the conveniences and comforts of a model 
rural home. He is progressive and energetic, 
and has met with deserved success. 

In 1893 Mr. Carter moved to Grant during 
the hard times on the farms, and his wife took 
in sewing to help things along, and in payment 
for her work she received calves in place of 
money. These our subject would raise, and in 
this way gradually got into the stock business, 
which was the nucleus of his present valuable 
property. In 1903 Mr. Carter was elected coun- 
ty assessor, and again moved to Grant and 



204 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



opened a real estate office. Mr. Carter is now 
acting as chairman of the county Republican 
committee, and is one of the leading men in 
politics in the county. He has served as census 
enumerator, and was also precinct assessor 
I)revious to being elected county assessor. 

Mr. Carter was married in 1871 to Miss 
Hattie Burner, of Galesburg, Illinois. To them 
have been born the following children : Rollie 
E., Claude D. and Myrtle M. They have a 
pleasant home and a host of friends and ac- 
quaintances throughout the vicinity. 



HOLLY O. BAKER. 

Holly O. Baker was born on a farm in In- 
diana, in 1870. His father. Theodore, was a 
native of Ohio and was of American born pa- 
rents. The father was a farmer and carpenter 
by trade and was one of the earliest pioneer set- 
tlers of Blaine county, Nebraska. The mother 
was Flora Sparks before marriage. 

In 1877 the family went to Kansas, remain- 
ing in that state for four years, when they re- 
turned to Indiana. About two years later, in 
1884, the family again started for the west, 
coming to Nebraska, which state has since been 
their home. The family located in Blaine 
county on the North Loup river and commenced 
opening up the lovely farm on which our sub- 
ject now lives. They did a great deal of freight- 
ing in the early days, hauling material and sup- 
plies from North Loup, eighty-five miles awav, 
and our subject had many hard experiences 
camping out on these trips, and sleeping under 
the wagon in all kinds of weather. Their first 
home was in a board shanty with a canvas roof, 
next was a sod house which, although used only 
a few seasons, stood for twenty years as a mon- 
ument of pioneer days. In 1896 the father moved 
to the city of Ord, Nebraska, and our subject 
took charge of the large ranch, retaining its 
management ever since. Our subject took a 
homestead of his own and also built up a 
splendid home and farm. He now operates a 
large ranch of one thousand one hundred acres 
and its fine condition reflects great credit on its 
successful manager and occupant. There is a 
good house, large conmiodjous barns and out- 
buildings, four beautiful groves of trees and the 
farm is nearly all fenced. Cattle and horse rais- 
ing are the principal pursuits of our subject and 
he is doing a profitable and prosperous business. 

Holly O. Baker was united in marriage in 
1896 to Miss Mabel Copp, daughter of Henry 
Copp, one of the pioneers of Blaine county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Baker have had three children: Floyd, 
Bovd and Marion. 



Mr. Baker occupies an enviable position 
among the younger ranchmen of Blaine county. 
His operations have successfully established him 
on the road to wealth and a prosperous home. 
He has taken a prominent place among the pio- 
neer settlers of the county and is esteemed by his 
friends as a public-spirited citizen of strong and 
progressive character. 



G. W. COOK. 



The above named gentleman, as well as his 
father, Charles Cook, is well and favorably- 
known throughout western Nebraska. 

Charles Cook was born in England in 1852, 
coming to America at the age of eighteen years. 
He settled in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, in 
1S89, and spent many years on the frontier, ex- 
periencing 'every phase of pioneer life in the 
west, and to his influence and effort was due 
much of the success in the agricultural districts 
where he has made his home at different periods. 
In 1899 he came to Kimball county, took up a 
homestead and proved up on it, and there built 
up a good home and property. He also bought 
land in section 8, township 14, range 58, grad- 
ually added to his original claim until he was 
owner of four thousand four hundred and eighty 
acres. He kept large herds of stock, and now 
has about four hundred cattle, six hundred 
sheep, fifty head of these sheep are imported 
Rambouillets, noted for the heavy fleece they 
produce, shearing from fifteen to thirty pounds. 
Mr. Cook took the first grand prize at tlie Trans- 
Mississippi Exposition at Omaha, on his sheep. 
He also has about thirty horses and is one of 
the most successful ranchmen of his section. He 
also farms a small portion of his land, and has 
met with success in that line. 

Mr. Charles Cook is the father of our sub- 
ject. Had a family of seven sons and one 
daughter. He is now making his home in Cali- 
fornia, although he is the manager and gives 
his entire time to the operation of his extensive 
interests here. 

Albert and Sam Cook, and one sister, Eliza 
Cook, are now livinc: on the home ranch, all of 
whom are single. They are a most highly es- 
teemed family, and all are popular in the neigh- 
borhood affairs. 

G. W. Cook, whose name heads this review, 
is the eldest son of Charles Cook, and he was 
born in Oregon, November 16, 1880. At the 
age of nine vears he came to Clieyennc county 
with his parents, and later to Kiiub-ill county, 
where he grew to manhood. In 1903 he pur- 
chased the F.lfblade ranch, located on section 




G. W. COOK. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



12, township 13, range 59, and now owns nine 
hundred and sixty acres, all good farm and 
hay land. He has about fifty acres devoted to 
diversified farming, but is engaged principally 
in the stock business, running one hundred cat- 
tle, principally Short Horns, and about one 
thousand five hundred sheep, all thoroughbred 
Rambouillets, besides quite a bunch of horses. 
He has a fine property, is progressive in his 
methods, and one of the substantial and success- 
ful men of his section. 

Air. Cook has never married. Politically he 
is a Republican, and is now serving his second 
term as justice of the peace. His portrait will 
be found on another page. 



MESSRS. PORTER & GRIFFIN. 

The above firm are among the prominent and 
successful business men of Alma, Nebraska, en- 
gaged in the real estate, loan and insurance bus- 
iness. This business was established in 1888, 
Mr. Griffin having come to Alma in 1886 and 
Mr. Porter the following year. The former held 
the position as cashier of the First National 
Bank at Alma for two years, and the latter was 
engaged in the practice of law for the same 
length of time. The firm was at first known as 
Griffin & Taylor, in 1888, and later as Porter & 
Taylor, from 1890 to 1892, when the present 
firm was established. Their trade extends all 
over this and adjoining counties, even in the 
state of Kansas, and they deal principally in im- 
proved farming land, handling loans, and have 
put through many immense deals, always being 
read_v and willing to make loans on good farms, 
extending liberal terms. During the past three 
years land values in Harlan county have in- 
creased from five to ten dollars per acre to fifty 
and sixty per acre, and this has been due in a 
great measure to the wonderful possibilities to 
be found in this section, owing to the fine farm- 
ing land, and excellent opportunities for stock- 
raising, feeding, etc. , 

Mr. Porter is a native of Monmouth, Illinois, 
and was raised and educated there, attending 
Monmouth College. He studied law and was 
admitted to the bar at Springfield, Illinois, in 
1887. 

Mr. Griffin was born in Canton, Bradford 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1844. He enlisted in 
the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry in 1864, saw- 
service in many famous battles, and was with 
the army of the Cumberland. After the war 
closed he returned to his native town and re- 
mained there up to 1886, when he settled in 
Nebraska. 



Mr. Porter is the proprietor of a fine farm of 
one thousand two hundred to one thousand three 
hundred acres in Harlan county, all of which he 
rents out, deriving a comfortable income from 
this source. Both Messrs. Porter and Griffin are 
prominent Republicans, active in public afliairs, 
and one or the other of them are always on the 
county committee. Both are also members of 
the Mason's blue lodge, and Mr. Porter is an 
Odd Fellow. 



WILLIAM GIBSON. 

William Gibson is one of the well-known 
citizens of Cherry county, and a prosperous and 
well-to-do farmer. His residence is on section 
34, township 26, range 33, and he is the owner 
of four hundred and eighty acres of land, all of 
which is well improved. He is a gentleman of 
integrity and good judgment and well merits the 
success which has come to him and the enviable 
reputation which he enjoys as an old settler and 
worthy resident of his locality. 

Mr. Gibson was born in Rock Island county, 
Illinois, in 1867. His father, Alex. Gibson, was 
born in Ireland, as was also his mother. The 
former followed farming all his life, and the 
family settled in Iowa when William was a child 
one year old, and after that lived on several dif- 
ferent farms in that state, remaining there 'for 
sixteen years in all. He attended the common 
schools, and worked at farming through his boy- 
hood, coming to Nebraska with his parents about 
1883, and when he was twenty-three left home 
and started for himself, taking a farm in Fillmore 
county, Nebraska, which he operated for several 
years. In 1893 he went with his family to 
McPherson county, settling on barren prairie 
land, filing on a homestead and proved up on it. 
There he put up sod buildings and built up a 
good ranch. That place was located thirty-five 
miles from a town, and they lived on it for about 
nine years, then moved to Mullen and made that 
their home for two years, coming to his present 
ranch from there. He now has a good ranch 
and home, having put up good buildings, fences 
and every improvement. He lately erected a 
fine barn fifty-six by thirty-two feet, and has 
plenty of sheds, with wells, windmills, etc. 

Mr. Gibson was married in 1891, to Miss 
Sadie Brown, daughter of John Brown, a farmer 
and native of Scotland, who settled in this lo- 
cality many years ago, her mother's maiden 
name was Agnes Brown. To Mr. Gibson and 
his good wife have been born the following chil- 
dren : John, Frank, Irene and Pearl, who form 
a most charming family group. 



206 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Our subject gives all his time to the building 
up of his home and management of his ranch, 
and everything he now has is due to his own 
imaided efforts, as he had absolutely nothing 
to start with when he began for himself, and he 
deserves much praise for his success. He has 
also aided materially in the development of the 
region where he has spent many years, and is 
one of the leading old-timers. 



CAPT. I. H. DEMPCY. 

Captain I. H. Dempcy, a leading citizen of 
Arapahoe, Nebraska, holds the office of justice 
of the peace and notary public, and is well 
known in this locality as a man of sterling char- 
acter and integrity. Mr. Dempcy is a native of 
Delaware, born in 1833. His father, Thomas 
Jefferson Dempcy, settled as a pioneer in Cham- 
paign county, Ohio, on an Indian reservation, 
originally coming from Lancaster county, Penn- 
sylvania, his father, James Dempcy, grandfather 
of our subject, having taken part in the Revolu- 
tionary war. .\fter having settled in Iowa in 
1856 with his family, I\Ir. Dempcy farmed there 
for several years, then came to Nebraska in the 
early days of this state, and the homestead on 
which our subject located was crossed many 
times by bands of Sioux Indians who traveled 
north and south on their way to fight other 
tribes, but that was about the last of the Indian 
scares in this part of the country. Mr. Dempcy 
came to Arapahoe in 1872 and took a homestead 
in Arapahoe precinct, which he still owns, and 
since then has added to it until he is proprietor 
of 240 acres of good land here. ]\Tost of this is 
used for hay and pasture land and he has it 
stocked with good graded stock and is engaged 
in raising and shipping stock. The farm is lo- 
cated on Muddy Creek. Mr. Dempcy has al- 
ways taken an active part in local affairs, and 
has been on the school board ever since coming 
here, and nearly always has been justice of the 
peace. He has helped to build two school 
houses, fine brick buildings, also two brick 
churches for the M. E. church society, acting 
on the building committee in both instances. 
.^bout the year 1873 he was elected county 
treasurer, when two sets of officers were elected 
in the county seat fight. Mr. Dempcy cast the 
first presidential vote for U. S. Grant that was 
cast in this precinct. He served for three years 
in tlie civil war with Company I. Fortieth regi- 
ment, from Iowa, and was mustered out as cap- 
tain. He took part in the \'icksburg campaign. 
Sixteenth army corps, then in the Seventh armv 
corps under Banks and Steele, was on the Red 



river expeditions. Then was promoted to sec- 
ond lieutenant and soon afterwards recommend- 
ed for post of first lieutenant, but before he 
received this office he became captain of his 
company. He is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and for twelve 
years was commander of the post at Arapahoe 
and one year in Fitzgerald, Georgia. 

I\Ir. Dempcv was married in 1856 to I\Iiss 
Hannah Wilson, who died in 1860. In 1863 
he married Hattie A. Gregory. Mr. and Mrs. 
Dempcy have two sons, namely: T. M. Dempcy, 
engaged in the banking business, also ranching, 
owner of one thousand two hundred acres near 
Curtis ; and I. N. Demcy, in the ranching and 
stock business on a two thousand four hundred 
acre ranch in Lincoln county, Nebraska. 
Mr. Demcy 's mother was ]Miss Jane Prichard, 
daughter of James and Elizabeth Prichard. 



GEORGE C. SNOW. 

George C. Snow, editor and proprietor of 
The Chadron Journal, published at Chadron, 
Nebraska, is one of the rapidly rising young 
newspaper men of western Nebraska. He has 
made a success of the work in his locality, and 
since taking charge of the above paper as sole 
manager has doubled the plant and circulation 
of the paper and added many improvements 
thereto. 

Mr. Snow is a native of De Kalb county, 
Illinois, born on a farm in 1874. He is a son 
of Beecher and Estella Lyon Snow, the former 
a farmer and early settler in Nebraska. Our 
subject is the oldest in his parents' family of 
four children, and he was reared in Illinois, 
attending the common schools and later the 
academy at Franklin, Nebraska. After com- 
ing to Nebraska he was a student at Doane 
College, located at Crete, and graduated from 
there with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. 
.\fter leaving college he taught school for two 
years in Chadron, and was for two ){ears a 
teacher in Washington, afterwards spending 
one year in Kansas. He holds a life teacher's 
certificate in Nebraska, and is one of the best 
known young educators in this section of the 
country. 

In March, 1906, Mr. Snow bought The 
Chadron Journal and is now editor and sole 
proprietor of this, which is the oldest paper 
in Dawes county. The first issue of this paper 
was published in a lumber wagon in 1884, es- 
tablished and edited by E. E. Egan, who was 
also proprietor of the paper at that time. Dur- 
ing: all this time there have lieen nine other 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 207 



papers established here, and this is the only 
one which has survived, and is now the only 
newspaper in Chadron. It has a large circu- 
lation throughout the county and vicinity. 

Mr. Snow was married in 1901 to Miss 
Mary Battey, of American stock, native of 
Minnesota. Mrs. Snow graduated from the 
same college as her husband, at the same time, 
and also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and 
followed teachirtg for several years. Mr. and 
Mrs. Snow are the parents of three children — 
Clayton, Mildred and George. 



CHARLES S. PETTIT. 

Among the early settlers in western Ne- 
braska who have given the best efforts of their 
lives to the development and upbuilding of the 
commercial and agricultural interests of this 
section, the gentleman above named occupies 
a prominent place. Mr. Pettit resides in Keya 
Paha county, in the town of Springview, where 
he has established a comfortable home and 
business, and is prepared to enjoy the fruits 
of his many years of labor. 

Charles S. Pettit was born near Red Oak, 
Iowa. June 16, 1872. His father, Edmund F. 
Pettit, was a pioneer settler in Keya Paha 
county, coming to this locality in 1883, where 
he took up a homestead southeast of Spring- 
view, the family living in a shanty built of sod 
and boards for several years. Here our sub- 
ject was reared; from the time he was old 
enough he was compelled to assist his father 
in the hard work of carrying on the farm, and 
early learned to care for stock, help with the 
planting of the crops, and followed this until 
his nineteenth year, then learned the black- 
smith's trade and followed this as an occupa- 
tion for a period of ten years. He owned a 
shop in Springview for several years, and aft- 
erwards worked at this trade in Bryant, South 
Dakota. In 1901 Mr. Pettit went into partner- 
ship with S. S. Allen in the hardware business, 
the latter having previously established this 
business in 1899. They were associated to- 
gether for five years, our subject buying Mr. 
Allen's interest in 1906. It is now the only 
general and exclusive hardware store in 
Springview, and its proprietor has an extensive 
trade all over Keya Paha and the surrounding 
country. The business occupies a large corner 
building, including warerooms, and is an up- 
to-date place in every respect. 

Mr. Pettit was married October 10, 1900, 
to Miss Stella Carr, whose father, John F. 
Carr, is an old settler in this county. Her 



mother, prior to her marriage, was Amelia 
Schulte. Mr. and Mrs. Pettit have a family of 
three children, namely: Clarence A., Frank 
F. and Carl S. The family is highly esteemed 
in the community and Mr. Pettit recognized 
as a leading business man and worthy citizen. 
He is a Republican in politics and a member 
of the Masonic and Pythian fraternities of 
Springview. 



C. ANDERSON BURG. 

C. Anderson Burg is a native of Sweden and 
was born in the year 1839. He brought his 
family to America and settled in Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, in the spring of 1886, where 
he located, being now in Kimball county. He 
chose his homestead in section 30, township 
15, range 53, and by thrift and careful farming 
together with judicious stock raising he has 
gathered many broad acres and accumulated 
a goodly share of this world's goods. He now 
owns sixteen hundred acres of fine land and 
runs about one hundred and fifty head of cattle. 

C. Anderson Burg was married in 1866 to 
Caroline Gustason, by whom he had seven 
children: lima, married; Carl, married; Os- 
car, married ; Nannie, married ; Conrad, Arvid 
and Edith, the last three mentioned being sin- 
gle. C. Anderson Burg's second wife was 
Tilda Swanson. to whom he was married in 
1884, in Sweden. There were no children by 
this union. 

In politics Mr. Burg is a Republican and 
always casts his vote for the furtherance of 
the principles of that party. 

Arvid Burg lives on the home ranch with 
his father. The land of his birth was Sweden 
and his natal day was September 9, 1880. Ar- 
vid came to Nebraska with his father while yet 
a child and has lived at home a great portion 
of the time, aiding in improving and building 
up the home place. He located and proved up 
on a homestead, the northeast quarter of sec- 
tion 6, township 14, range 53. He is a young 
man of sterling qualities and is esteemed by all 
who know him. 



JOHN GUMB. 

John Gumb, who owns a fine farm of about 
five hundred acres in sections 4. 5 and 9, town- 
ship 22, range 15, Garfield county, has been 
a resident of this region for the past twenty 
years. Mr. Gumb is an enthusiastic admirer 



208 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of this part of the country, and thinks that a 
workingman's chance for making a good liv- 
ing and becoming independent in this country 
is much better than in the eastern states, and 
a great deal better than in England, which is 
his native country. He is of the opinion that 
the same amount of labor for ten years here 
gives a man more returns than in twenty years 
in England. ]\Ir. Gumb was born in England 
and came to America in 1887, going first to 
Pennsylvania, but only remained there a few 
months, and then hearing of this rich western 
country decided to come here, the same year 
locating in Holt county, Nebraska, where he 
took up a claim of one hundred and sixty 
acres as a homestead. He remained there up 
to 1904. when he sold out and removed to Gar- 
field county, again taking up a homestead of 
four hundred acres, which he uses as 
a grazing farm, also raising wheat, corn. oats, 
rye and barley. He keeps quite a number ot 
stock, principal!}- cattle, hogs and horses. 
Since coming here Mr. Gumb has raised good 
average crops. While living in Holt county 
he was mostly engaged in stock raising, and 
used a large part of his farm for hay and pas- 
ture, but since settling in Garfield county has 
run mostly to raising small grains, as he finds 
the soil in this section best suited for this pur- 
pose. During the dry years, in 1893 and 1894, 
he raised a small corn crop, but his hay was a 
fair yield, and cured itself on the prairies ; also 
carried his stock through the winter in good 
shape. Some of the farmers near him rented 
feed farms at five dollars per head for their 
stock in the middle of the summer, thinking 
their hay was all ruined, but subsequently 
found they lost money, as the hay cured itself 
nicely and their stock fed out well through the 
winter. 

Mr. Gumb is a bachelor. He comes of good, 
sturdy English stock, is conservative in his 
views, and a practical and progressive farmer. 
He has taken an active part in local affairs 
since coming here, serving several terms as 
school treasurer while living in Holt county, 
and since locating here has given liberally in 
all movements for the public benefit. Polit- 
ically he is a Republican. 



FRANKLIN J. AUSTIN. 

Franklin J. Austin, one of the leading citi- 
zens of Franklin county, is a prosperous mer- 
chant of Franklin, widely known as a gentle- 
man of good business ability and true public 
spirit. He is a son of William E. Austin, born 



June 23, 1815, and reared on his father's farm. 
At the age of twelve years his father died, and 
in 1863 he sold his farm in Massachusetts and 
moved to Iowa, where he lived up to 1872. 
then came to Logan township, Franklin county. 
Here he was one of the first settlers. He was 
a native of Massachusetts and the fifth in a 
family of ten children born to John and Lo- 
demi (Daniels) Austin, whose parents were all 
born in Massachusetts, as was also our sub- 
ject's grandfather. The mother was a daugh- 
ter of Dan Daniels, whose father was com- 
mander of the British fort at Boston, but being 
a liberty-loving man, he deserted the British 
and joined the Colonial forces. A prize was 
ofTered for his capture by the British, but he 
kept out of their way and used his great wealth 
in cashing Colonial script and equipping sol- 
diers for the colonists. Dan Daniels, men- 
tioned above as his son, also served in the Rev- 
olutionary war as a courier. He was captured 
and tried, but escaped the death penalty. 

Their name was originally MacDaniels, but 
Dan dropped the "Mac." He was a justice of 
the peace in Massachusetts for sixty years, 
which was the longest time any man ever 
served in that capacity there. W'illiam E. Aus- 
tin came to this county in 1872. took up a 
homestead and started a small store as well. 
He was one of the foremost public-spirited cit- 
izens, and assisted materially in developing his 
home place into a handsome home and fine 
farm, and during the hard years was generous 
to his less fortunate neighbors, giving credit 
to all who came to his store, and is gratefully 
remembered by many. 

In 1845 he married Miss Emelinc Clark, 
daughter of Alex. Clark, of Massachusetts, and 
they were the parents of four children : Wil- 
liam H., John Franklin, our subject, Ed. L. 
and Charles F., who died young. William H. 
is postmaster at Franklin and a man promi- 
nent in all local affairs. Franklin J. began his 
business career in his father's postofiRce. the 
latter having succeeded in establishing a postal 
station in 1873, which he named "Macon," 
and in this place our subject opened a small 
store, one of the first in the county. In 1879 
he was elected county treasurer, then moved 
to the county seat at Blooniington. After serv- 
ing two terms he came to Franklin and opened 
a general mercantile business, which, under 
his management, assisted by his two sons, has 
grown to be one of the largest and most pros- 
perous in the county. 

Mr. Austin was married at Macon to Miss 
Mary Dake. She is a daughter of Calvin C. 
Dake, an early settler in Macon, locating there 
in 1872, and who is well known throughout the 



COMPEXDIUxAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



209 



locality, having served as county commissioner 
for several terms. Mr. Austin was the or- 
ganizer of a union Sabbath school in !Macon, 
started in 1872. 



WILLIAM W. BABCOCK, SR. 

Among the leading citizens of Cherry 
county, none stands higher in the minds of 
his associates than the gentleman here named. 
For many years he has been a resident of this 
section and has developed a fine farm and with 
his family enjoys the comforts of a fine rural 
home and the esteem of all with whom he 
comes in contact. 

William W. Babcock was born in Potter 
county, Pennsylvania, October 14, 1834. His 
father, William Babcock, was born in Living- 
ston county. New York, September 7, 1798, and 
the family lived in a lumber camp when our 
subject was born, the father having followed 
the life of a lumberman for many years in the 
east. They lived in Pennsylvania until Wil- 
liam was a lad of eighteen years, then moved 
to Steuben county. New York, and from there 
came west, locating in Hardin county, Iowa, 
in pioneer days, where he started farming for 
himself. On June 13. 1861, he enlisted in Com- 
pany G, First Iowa Cavalry, and was ordered 
south with his regiment, going directly to St. 
Louis, then to Memphis, Tennessee. He went 
to Austin. Texas, on the Rio Grande, and also 
was at Little Rock, Arkansas, where he re- 
enlisted January 5, 1864, serving in all four 
years and eight months. He saw some hard 
service in many battles, but escaped without 
any serious wounds. After receiving his dis- 
charge from the army he returned to Iowa and 
followed farming in Hardin county up to 1891, 
excepting a period of about four years, which 
were spent six miles northwest of Kingsley, 
Iowa, where they farmed heavily and made 
money. In the latter year he came to Gordon, 
Nebraska, and started farming, but during the 
first two years suffered heavy losses on ac- 
count of crop failures due to drouths, etc., and 
lost considerable money. He worked hard to 
get along, and managed to succeed fairly well, 
with the help of his sons and his wife, who 
aided him all in their power, and the latter 
especially deserves much credit for her faith- 
ful efforts with her husband in building up a 
home for themselves. They lived on that farm 
for seven years, at which time Mr. Babcock 
took up his present homestead, on section 8, 
township 28, range 36, bringing with him nine- 
teen head of cattle, which he has now in- 



creased to a herd of 300. Here he has a fine 
property, improved with good buildings, all 
fenced, and is one of the progressive and up- 
to-date ranchmen of his locality. 

Immediately after returning from the war 
Mr. Babcock was married in Iowa, to Miss 
Katherine Rhodes, the wedding occurring in 
the fall of 1866. Mrs. Babcock is of German 
descent, and a daughter of Peach Rhodes, her 
mother's maiden name Elizabeth Crouse, the 
former a prominent farmer in Iowa. Our sub- 
ject and his estimable wife have a family of six 
children, who are named as follows : Suell R., 
Albert J., Jessie C, William W. Jr., Nellie M. 
and George A. The sons all have Kincaid 
homesteads in the vicinity of their father's 
place, and each is industrious and earnestly 
working to accumulate a nice property and are 
worthy citizens of their community. 



HON. JOEL HULL. 

Joel Hull was born in Meigs county. Ohio, 
in 1831, and was reared there. In 1872 he 
came to Nebraska and went to the end of the 
Burlington & ]\Iissouri railroad then at Lowell, 
and on June 30th of that year located at 
Lowell, Kearney county. At that time there 
were no settlers there except on the river 
bottom, east and west of Lowell. The county 
was organized June 20, 1872, and Mr. Hull at 
once began as a merchant, purchasing a store 
from A. A. Andrews, and did an immense busi- 
ness, selling $130,000 worth of goods in twen- 
ty-four months. Purchasers came from Red 
Cloud, and west to the Colorado line, also from 
Kansas, many traveling one hundred and sev- 
enty-five miles to do their trading. The town 
of Hastings was not in existence at that time, 
and only two or three houses composed the 
town of Kearney, which did not boast of even 
a depot. After September of the year 1874 the 
river bridge was completed, and nearly all the 
trade then went to Kearney, which left Lowell 
a dead place. 

In 1874 Mr. Hull took up a homestead lo- 
cated four miles north of where Minden now 
stands, and in 1876 the town was organized 
and a committee of seven including our sub- 
ject, chose Minden as the county seat, sub- 
mitting the question to the people in Novem- 
ber of that year and was favorably voted on, 
as it was a geographical centre, and admirably 
located. The land was bought by Mr. Hull 
and he offered it to the county, but it was de- 
clined. The following year he laid out the site 
of the town and named it Minden, and began 
building a temporary court house and a hotel. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



He left a space in the north end of the town 
for the depot and in November, 1883, the Bur- 
lington and Missouri railway came in, and 
four years later the Kansas City and Omaha 
built in and took the south end of the town for 
their depot site, just as Mr. Hull had laid out 
the plans. 

In 1878 Mr. Hull had been admitted to the 
bar, and since that time has continuously 
practiced law. The population of Minden in 
1882 was just two hundred and eleven people, 
and in April of that year it was made a village, 
growing very rapidly from the time the rail- 
road was built through the place. During the 
panic throughout this section the town went 
backward, and not Until 1896 did it begin to 
pick up, and now has a population of about 
2,300, and still growing. In 1889 Mr. Hull was 
city engineer and surveyed for the location of 
the canal. 

The county surveyor now does the engin- 
eering work for the new $80,000 court house. 
Mr. Hull has always been active in all affairs 
of the town. He was county judge for some 
years, and since 1855 has voted the Republican 
ticket, in 1852 voting for General Scott, the 
Whig candidate for president. During the civil 
war he served in the Ninety-first Ohio Infan- 
try as second lieutenant, Company B, and was 
first lieutenant and adjutant of his regiment, 
and afterwards resigned as adjutant and as- 
signed to Company K, as first lieutenant, and 
appointed acting assistant adjutant general of 
the second brigade, second division, army of 
West Virginia. Our subject is a charter mem- 
ber of the Grand Army of the Republic post 
at Minden and has held all the offices in that 
post. 

In the early days when the settlers first 
began to come to this region many did not 
know how to break the land and put in their 
crops, and a few hit it right and raised good 
crops, but many met with failures, and those 
who were fortunate soon got rich. 

Mr. Hull is a son of Hiram Hull, whose 
father, Joel Hull, was born near Boston, 
Massachusetts, in 1776. He received a college 
education and became a merchant, spending 
several years in New York state, and in 1816 
settled in Meigs county, Ohio, where his 
death occurred in 1827. Tie married Miss 
Mary Wallace, a native of Bennington, Ver- 
mont, born in 1779, and she died in Adams 
county, Illinois, in 1859. She was a Free 
Methodist, and a woman of much intelligence. 
Our subject's father was the youngest of ten 
children, and was born in Utica, New York, 
in September, 1812. In 1831 he left the family 
farm, settling in Chester, Ohio, where he en- 



gaged in the mercantile, tannery and boat 
building business. In 1852 he moved to Dela- 
ware, Ohio, in order to educate his children, 
sending them to the Ohio Wesleyan Univer- 
sity at Delaware. In 1872 he came west set- 
tling in Buffalo county, Nebraska. He lived 
for two years at Lowell, Kearney county, then 
at Kearney, where he was engaged in the 
merchandise trade and later in the real estate 
and brokerage business. Our subject's mother 
was, prior to her marriage. Miss Luna Bos- 
worth, of Meigs county, Ohio, daughter of 
Hezekiah and Huldah (Pearce) Bosworth, of 
WHiitehall, X. Y., who settled in Meigs county, 
Ohio. Her father was a Methodist preacher, 
also a teacher and farmer, who lived to be 
eighty-nine years of age, his death occurring 
February 23, 1859, his wife dying in 1863 at the 
age of eighty-eight years. Our subject is the 
eldest child of his father, born November 23, 
1831 ; the second son, Wyman, was born 
;\Iarch 27. 1835; third child. Catherine, is the 
wife of William K. Goddard, of Dane county, 
Wisconsin ; fourth, Helen, wife of William L. 
Kidd, of Oakland, California; fifth, Marinda, 
wife of S. W. Switzer, of San Diego, California. 
Mr. Hull's great-grandfather was William 
Hull, of Massachusetts. During his young 
manhood, our subject was educated at Ohio 
Wesleyan University, and there studied law 
with Sweetzer and Reid, of Delaware, both of 
whom are eminent lawyers, and both at one 
time members of congress. In 1862 Mr. Hull 
recruited a company for the Ninety-first Ohio 
and was commissioned a lieutenant of Company 
B. He was at the battle of Lynchburg, also 
at Winchester, battle of Bunker Hill, in the 
Shenandoah valley, and led the skirmish line 
of 1,300 men against 7,700 of Early's men. 
This force of 1,300 took more prisoners than 
their own number, besides capturing all of the 
enemv's artillery. For his part in this action 
Joel Hull was promoted to adjutant general of 
the brigade, commanded by General Crook, 
which brigade won at the battle of Winchester. 
In 1864 Mr. Hull was commissioned by the 
governor of Ohio to the colonelcy of a new 
regiment, but the closing of the war caused 
this to be countermanded. 

After the war. in 1869, Mr. Hull went to 
Toledo, Ohio, where he engaged in the tan- 
nery and leather business up to 1872, under 
the firm name of Joel Hull & Co., and in that 
year came to Kearney county, Nebraska, 
where he laid out the town of Minden and 
built the first four houses, presenting a lot 
to each of the seven religious denominations, 
also gave a fourth of a block for the first 
school building. 




THOMAS MULLALLY. 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Hull was married at Newark, N. J., in 
1855, to Miss Mary E. Frisbee. They 
had a family of children, namely: Arthur E., 
George H., Frances E., wife of R. L. Marsh, 
and Carrie A. Mr. Hull was married the sec- 
ond time in 1879 to Mrs. Elsie E. Granger, 
daughter of Robert and Mary S. Scott, |nd to 
this union four children were born, namely: 
Joel L., Walter Scott, Otis H. and Jessie A. 



LOUIS METZLER, JR. 

Louis Metzler, Jr., a highly respected citi- 
zen of Chadron, Nebraska, was 'born in St. 
Joseph, Missouri, in 1872. He comes of old 
German stock, his father, Louis Metzler, and 
his mother, who was Miss Kate Rice, having 
been early settlers in western Nebraska. Their 
family consisted of four children, of whom our 
subject was the second member, and he grew 
up in the city in which he was born, learning 
the trade of a cigarmaker in his father's shop 
when he was a boy. At the age of nineteen 
he left home and spent five years in Chicago 
and Naperville, Illinois, working at his trade, 
and has made his own way in the world since 
then. 

Mr. Metzler came to Nebraska in 1896, 
locating permanently at Chadron. he having 
visited the place in 1894. His father was en- 
gaged in business here, and he worked in his 
shop up to 1901, then purchased the place and 
started in on his own account. He has built 
up a good business and his trade extends all 
over this part of the country, where he is well 
known as an industrious and energetic worker, 
and a shrewd and capable business man. 

In political sentiment Mr. Metzler is a 
Republican, taking an active and leading part 
in party affairs throughout the town and 
county. He is now on the town council and 
has served as a member of that board for five 
years. 



JAMES N. McCLAIN. 

The subject of this review is one of the 
successful younger farmers of Keith county, 
Nebraska, and resides on an excellent farm 
located in section 26, township 13, range Z7 . 

James N. McClain is a native son of Ne- 
braska and was born in Cass countv March 
24, 1881. His father, Nathan C. McClain, was 
a farmer by occupation and a native of Chris- 
tian county, Illinois. The mother's name was 
Mary McClain. however no relation of her hus- 



band's before marriage ; she, too, was born in 
Illinois. The parents of our subject were 
among the earliest pioneers of eastern Ne- 
braska, where they settled about 1877 and en- 
gaged in farming and hog raising. In 1885 
the family shipped their goods to North Platte, 
whence they moved by teams thirty-five miles 
to a homestead on section 12, township 12, 
range 35, about eleven miles southeast of the 
village of Paxton. They had a good sod house, 
cemented inside and out, a barn, with a shed 
attached, to which they added first-cIass im- 
provements from time to time. There the 
family lived for thirteen years, engaged ex- 
tensively in farming. There were eight boys 
in the family, which enabled the father to farm 
very extensively, having so much good help. 
But the results from the crops were very poor 
for eight years owing to drouth and other 
causes, and the losses fell heavily upon the 
family. 

James N. McClain started out for himself 
in 1900, working out for a while and farming 
rented land. He located a homestead on sec- 
tion 26, township 13, range 37, where he now 
lives, and has improved it with good build- 
ings. He has three hundred and twenty acres, 
with half of it capable of cultivation. 

Mr. McClain was married March 21, 1906, 
to Susan Knowles, born and reared in Keith 
county, Nebraska. Her father, David Knowles, 
deceased, was one of the early pioneers of Ne- 
braska; the mother was Melissa Spurgeon. 
Mr. and Mrs. McClain have one son, Elmer. 

As a boy and man Mr. McClain has had 
great opportunity to witness the development 
of the region in which he lives, having come 
here with his parents in the pioneer days of 
1885. He is making a success of life and will 
soon have a fine farm in productive operation. 
He has been honored with several political of- 
fices, among them being that of assessor for 
Logan precinct. He is a Republican in poli- 
tics and fraternally is a member of the Paxton 
camp of Modern Woodmen of America. 



THOMAS MULLALLY. 

Thomas Mullally, a retired farmer of Har- 
lan county, Nebraska, who now resides in 
Alma, is the proprietor of a fine property and 
one of the wealthiest men in this locality. A 
portrait of him is presented on another page 
of this volume. 

Mr. Mullally is a native of Longford coun- 
ty, Ireland, born in 1836. He came to America 
when a youth fourteen years of age, settling 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in Dutchess count}^, New York. He first saw 
-Nebraska in I861, on his way to Pike's Peak, 
Colorado, where he stayed until 1863, then 
returned to this state, settling on a ranch on 
the south side of the Platte river, fifty miles 
west of Fort Kearney, and here he started 
a general store and hotel, also dealing in cat- 
tle and horses. The California trail was lined 
with wagons on their way across the plains 
to Denver, Salt Lake, Montana, Oregon, Mex- 
ico and every point throughout the western 
states, and for weeks and months the trail 
would be covered with cattle, horses and 
wagons. He remained on this homestead un- 
til 1867. then went to Cheyenne, as he was 
caused much annoyance by the travelers con- 
tinually passing his home here. In 1861 a 
band of Indians who were roving over the 
country entered his yards and drove oflf nine- 
teen head of horses and mules, and at Plum 
Creek, fifteen miles east of his ranch during 
the same year Indians attacked a party of 
travelers, including six covered wagons, fam- 
ilies on their way west, and out of this little 
band of people all were murdered excepting 
one woman, who was made captive by the 
redskins. He lived in Wyoming for three 
years, and in 1871 came back to ^Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Harlan county on the Turkey creek. 
Mullally township was named after our sub- 
ject, and Harlan cimnty was named after Tom 
Harlan, who came to Nebraska from Cheyenne 
in company with Mr. Mullally. While he lived 
on Platte Ranch at Willow Island he came to 
what is now Harlan county on a hunting expe- 
dition. The country was overrun by game — 
wild turkey, bufifalo. deer, elk. antelope, etc. — 
and was the best hunting field in all western 
Nebraska, owing to the fact that there was 
plenty of wild grass and water, and small tim- 
ber. When he went to Cheyenne he naturally 
told of the fine hunting grounds and fertility 
of soil to be found in the Republican Valley 
(then so called), and in 1870 he with a num- 
ber of others organized a party and the fol- 
lowing year they came down to Turkey creek 
in this county. There were seventeen men in 
the party, named as follows: Bill Carr. now of 
Alma; Tom Sheflfery, Harlan county; Tom 
Harlan, now residing in Michigan ; Mark Coad 
and John Coad. who had lived here "prior to 
this, and had built a dugout; Tom Murrin. de- 
ceased ; Alex Burk, deceased ; Charles Syden- 
ham, a brother of Mose Sydenham; Dick Mc- 
Donahue, Mike Morrissey, Jim Ryder and 
others, and besides these a party drove over- 
land with teams and wagons. Mr. Mullally 
remained here and homesteaded on three hun- 
dred and twenty acres situated on Turkey creek 



and lived on his farm until March, 1905, en- 
gaged in farming and raising cattle and horses 
and other stock. W'hen he sold out his hold- 
ings he had seventeen hundred and twenty 
acres of land in one block, for which he re- 
ceived thirty-one thousand dollars. He made 
a success of his farming and stock raising, and 
he is now one of the leading citizens of his 
locality. 

In 1857 Mr. Mullally was married to Miss 
Maggie IMurphy, a native of Dubuque, Iowa. 
They have a family of six children, as follows: 
Thomas, a farmer living in Turkey township; 
Joseph, a farmer of Mullally township ; Kate, 
wife of James Laird, of Mullally township; 
Lizzie, now Mrs. August Heffer, residing in 
Friend, Nebraska ; Maggie, located in San 
Francisco, California, and Mary, married to 
Arch Palmer, of Los Angeles, California. Mr. 
and Mrs. Palmer narrowly escaped the earth- 
quake which worked such destruction in San 
Francisco in 1906. They left the city at three 
o'clock in the morning, bound for a short trip 
on the water, and the quake occurred at five 
a. m., and undoubtedly they would have lost 
their lives had they been at home, as at the 
place where they were living over one hun- 
dred people were killed. 

]\Ir. Mullally and his family are members 
of the Catholic church. Politically he is a 
Democrat. He takes commendable interest in 
party politics, but does not seek public prefer- 
ment. Mullally township is a strictly Demo- 
cratic settlement, never having had a Repub- 
lican officeholder. At one time there were only 
three men who voted the Republican ticket in 
the whole township. 



ARTHUR N. CASE. 

Arthur N. Case, of Brown county, has by 
dint of general industry, reliable character and 
straightforward business methods, built up for 
himself a name and a standing second to no 
man in this part of Nebraska. He is still in 
the full maturity of his powers, and commands 
a host of friends wherever he is known. His 
word is his bond, and both as an agriculturist 
and a carpenter and builder he is pushing and 
aggressive in his cfl^orts to reap the best re- 
sults and render the largest and most satis- 
factory returns for all thought and money in- 
vested in his time and labor. 

Mr. Case belongs to an old American fam- 
ily long established in the state of New York, 
where he was born on a farm in 1854. He 
was the second born in a family of three chil- 



COMPENDIU-M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENXE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



213 



dren, and was reared and educated in his na- 
tive community. As he grew into manhood he 
was set to learn the carpenter trade, which he 
thoroughly mastered under his father's watch- 
ful eye and careful instruction. In 1875 he 
came west, and for a period of years devoted 
himself to his trade in Lapeer county, Mich- 
igan. There he was married in 1881 to Miss 
Adath Westover, a native of Canada, who had 
come with her parents into that county in 
1875. To this happy union have come two 
children, Leona and George, both of whom 
were born in Michigan. 

Mr. and Mrs. Case removed to Brown 
county, Nebraska, in 1887, where he at first 
engaged in farming on a pre-emption claim 
some eight miles from Ainsworth. Here he 
constructed a sod house, which was unusually 
well built, and though primitive in its mate- 
rial was really very comfortable, and is now 
remembered pleasantly by the family. It was 
indeed a return to nature, as coyotes could be 
heard close at hand every night, and for a time 
game of all kinds was abundant. After the 
passing of six years the rapid growth of Butte 
seemed to present an exceptional opportunity 
for the skill and labor of the carpenter, which 
Mr. Case was quick to see, and accordingly he 
transferred himself and interests to Boyd coun- 
ty in 1891. For four years he followed his 
trade, with Butte City as a center, and had 
much to do with the construction of many 
homes and business buildings during that pe- 
riod. In 1895 he worked as a carpenter for 
some four months in Arkansas, and then made 
a home in the Ozark mountains in JMissouri, 
where he lived about three and a half years. 
In 1899 he returned to Ainsworth, and here 
put up for himself an attractive residence and 
a large shop for the steady pursuit of his oc- 
cupation as a builder and contractor. He soon 
had a large and grov^'ing patronage, and as he 
attended to it faithfully and well it is in every 
way creditable and satisfactory. Later they 
moved to the Aloon Lake region. IMr. Case is 
a member of the fraternal order of the Modern 
Woodmen of America. 



HORACE C. DALE. 

Amons' the old settlers who have watched the 
growth and development of western Nebraska 
from the earlv pioneer davs. who has ahvavs 
taken an active part in its history from the 
very besrinnins" and helped to advance its com- 
mercial and agricultural industries, the gentle- 
man above named holds a foremost place. Mr. 



Dale resides in Rushville, where he is engaged 
in the banking business. 

Mr. Dale is a native of Bellefont, Pennsyl- 
vania, born in 1859, on his father's farm. He 
was raised in his native state, assisting his 
parents until he was seventeen years of age, 
spending five years at the Pennsylvania State 
College, from which he graduated in the class- 
ical course. He also took a special course in 
civil engineering, and for three years worked 
in this capacity for the Pennsylvania Railroad 
on construction work. He afterwards followed 
land surveying for one year. In 1886 he came 
to Sheridan county, landing here in June, and 
soon after settling entered into partnership with 
M. P. Musser and J. K. Wohlford in the bank- 
ing business, establishing the Citizens' Bank. 
He remained with this concern up to 1897, 
then disposed of his interest in the bank and 
opened up the Stockmen's Bank, incorporating 
this institution in September, 1898. He has 
been cashier of the bank from its organization, 
with A. M. Modisett as president and H. A. 
Dawson as vice-president. In 1906 the bank 
erected a fine home building covering a space 
25x56 feet, two stories and basement, built of 
granite and cement, fitted in the most modern 
style. This bank will be converted into a na- 
tional bank about July 1, 1908. 

Mr. Dale has the management of the in- 
tricate affairs of the bank of which he is cash- 
ier, and is a gentleman of ability and excellent 
business foresight. He has succeeded in build- 
ing up an immense business and gained the 
confidence of his fellow-men through his strict 
honesty and integrity. 

In 1885 Mr. Dale was married to Miss Lil- 
lian E. Satterfield, of old American stock, 
whose parents were early settlers in Penn- 
sylvania. Five children have been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Dale, who are named as fol- 
lows: Helen M., George S., Edwin E., Hor- 
ace Albert and James Leland, all born in Rush- 
ville. In poHtical sentiment Air. Dale is a Re- 
publican. 



W. J. CRUSEN. 

W. J. Crusen, residing in North Platte, Ne- 
braska, was passenger engineer on No. 9 and 
10, fast mail train between North Platte and 
Sidney, which makes a run of one hundred and 
twenty-three miles in one hundred and seven- 
teen minutes. Mr. Crusen came here in 1880 
and ever since that time has been connected 
with the Union Pacific Railroad. He is well 
known all through this localitv as a man of 



214 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCE^XE AND BIOGRAPHY 



sterling character and integrity, and is promi- 
nent in all local affairs. 

Mr. Crusen was born in Licking county, 
Ohio. His father, Thomas Crusen, settled at 
Terre Haute. Indianft, with his family in 1861. 
There were thirteen children, of whom only 
three are now living Our subject began work- 
ing on the railroad prior to 1861, and in that 
year enlisted in the Twelfth Ohio Regiment. 
Company E, recruited from Newark, Ohio, and 
served with this company for three years and 
three months. He took part in the battle of 
Antietam, where he saw late President McKin- 
ley, who was then a sergeant, serving hot cof- 
fee to the firing line in which the former was 
a private. Mr. Crusen was also at Winches- 
ter, South Mountain and all the battles through 
that section. In Tennessee he received a shot 
in the leg, and as soon as he was able to walk, 
ran an engine out of Nashville, Tennessee. His 
train was derailed and he was taken prisoner 
by the bushwhackers, the McNary's gang, who 
ordered him to blow up the engine, and when 
he let the steam off at the valve the natives 
were so badly frightened that they ran away 
and left him. Soon after a relief train arrived 
from the Union lines, and assisted him in getting 
away with his charge. After the close of the 
war he went back to railway service, and has 
since traveled all over every state in the Union 
in his work, never having had an accident. He 
is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers, a prominent Mason, also Grand 
Army of the Republic man, well known in 
these dift'erent organizations. Mr. Crusen is 
now retired by the Union Pacific Railroad and 
is pensioned by that company. This makes it 
possible to attend more to religious work and 
he often fills out for different pastors in their 
pulpit work. Mr. Crusen is also proprietor of 
a fine farm of one hundred and fifty acres lo- 
cated near the city of North Platte, on which 
he makes a specialty of vegetables of all kinds 
and all his spare time is devoted to overseeing 
the work on this farm. 

Mr. Crusen was married in 1868 to Miss 
Elizabeth McCandless, of Philadelphia. They 
have one child, now Mrs. York Hinman, of 
North Platte, and a sketch of Mr. W. M. Hin- 
man appears in this volume. One brother, 
James, resides with Mr.- Crusen and his wife 
in their pleasant home here. 

Mr. Crusen is deeply interested in religious 
matters, is a member of the Methodist E])is- 
copal church, and a licensed preacher in the 
same. In 1896 he was a delegate from Ne- 
braska to the general conference of that church 
at Cleveland, Ohio. He has attended interna- 
tional Y. M. C. A. conventions at Topeka, 



Kansas ; Buffalo, New York ; Detroit, Michi- 
gan ; also has attended all state conventions in 
Nebraska. The Y. M. C. A. of North Platte 
was organized by Mr. Crusen and Mr. Nash, 
the state secretary. 



JAMES J. GRAGG. 

James J. Gragg, who has a valuable estate, 
is one of the foremost- residents of Hooker 
county, Nebraska, and has for the past fifteen 
years taken an active part in the political and 
social affairs of that locality, known far and 
near for his active public spirit and liberal 
views on every matter of importance to his 
community. 

Mr. Gragg is a native of Oakland county, 
Michigan, born in 1870. His father, James T., 
was born at the same place, and later came to 
Nebraska, and was an early settler in Red- 
willow county. The mother, who was Miss 
Amy Carey, was also born in the same county 
in Michigan as her husband and they lived 
there up to 1881, engaged in farming. The 
family first settled in Redwillow county after 
arriving in Nebraska, and lived in that vicinity 
for about thirteen years, and our subject was 
raised in that county, attending the country 
schools as a boy, and at the same time assist- 
ing his parents in carrying on the home ranch, 
in this manner acquiring a thorough knowl- 
edge of the ranching business, remaining at 
home until he was twenty-one years of age. 

Mr. Gragg came to Hooker county and lo- 
cated on his present ranch, which he took as 
a homestead, in the spring of 1895. This is 
situated in section 22, township 21, range 35. 
He started on a very small scale, his sole cap- 
ital being a few dollars in money, one cow and 
a calf, and to make matters worse the calf 
died. Now he has a finely improved ranch. 
The Methodist Episcopal church is located on 
his ranch a short distance from his residence. 
Prior to settling in this locality he had expe- 
rienced some very hard times in Redwillow 
county, losing six hundred and forty acres of 
crops in 1894. so after coming here he deter- 
mined to devote his entire efforts to the stock 
raising business and not try to farm. He gath- 
ered together a lew head of cattle at first, 
and from the start had very good success. He 
put up good buildings as he was able, im- 
proved his ranch, cultivating about one hun- 
dred and fifty acres, on which he raises good 
crops, and besides raising stock and farming 
he owns a good threshing outfit and was one 
of the first to operate an outfit in this region. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



215 



He has done well in this venture, and in fol- 
lowing the work has become widely known 
throughout the entire country. 

Mr. Gragg was married in 1893 to Dollie 
A., daughter of Joseph Downs, one of the 
earliest settlers in Redwillow county. They 
are the parents of four children, who are 
named as follows: Jessie R.. Sylvia M., Amy 
A. and Vira J. The family is highly esteemed 
in the community as worthy citizens and good 
neighbors, and they have a comfortable and 
happy home. 

^Ir. Gragg has taken an active part in local 
affairs, serving as county commissioner for 
six years and also as county assessor for one 
term and precinct assessor for two terms. In 
political sentiment he is a Republican. 



IRA REED. 

To the early settlers of Box Butte county, 
Nebraska, the name of Ira Reed is well known. 
He has been a resident of this section for the 
past twenty years and is one of the prosperous 
business men of Alliance, having been engaged 
for many years past in the horse business and 
is considered an authority in all matters per- 
taining to that business. 

Mr. Reed was born in Northumberland 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1859. His father, 
Amos Reed, was a farmer, of Pennsylvania 
Dutch blood, as v\'as also his mother, and both 
died in that state. When our subject was 
twelve years old his mother died, and the fa- 
ther died in 1889. He was raised and edu- 
cated there, and at the age of fifteen years be- 
gan on his own account, renting his father's 
farm, which he carried on for three years. At 
that time he left Pennsylvania and came west, 
locating at Boone, Iowa, there engaging in the 
flour and feed business. He remained one 
year, then came to Nebraska, settling in the 
town of Superior, and opened a meat market, 
which he ran for three years. In 1887 he 
moved to Box Butte county, locating in Al- 
liance but taking up a pre-emption and timber 
claim situated thirty miles from the town, on 
the Niobrara river. \Anien he came here he 
drove from Superior, camping out on the trip, 
and as soon as he reached his destination start- 
ed to build a house, which was 16x24 feet, 
made of sod. He lived on the farm for four 
years, building up a good home and ranch, 
then moved to Hemingford and again started 
in the meat business, which he ran for three 
years, and also ran a livery barn for the same 
length of time. He did a good business and 
got along in good shape, but decided to go 



back to the ranching business, so settled on 
a farm sixteen miles northwest of Alliance and 
lived on that place for six years. During these 
years he was engaged in the horse business on 
a large scale, shipping a large number in and 
out of the state each year, and he handled some 
of the finest animals ever brought to this sec- 
tion. He has been most successful in his 
various ventures, and accumulated a nice prop- 
erty, all of which is due to his own efforts, as 
he had nothing to start with. He was one of 
the early settlers in Chadron, and helped de- 
velop that town in many ways. In 1907 he es- 
tablished his present business, dealing in real 
estate and insurance, and his knowledge of this 
part of the country, land values, etc., will en- 
able him to build up a large business. 

Mr. Reed is a Populist in political senti- 
ment, and has always taken an active part in 
politics, attending numerous county and state 
contentions. He was elected sheriff in the fall 
of 1901, and re-elected the following term. 
This necessitated moving his family to Alli- 
ance, where they have lived since with the 
exception of the year 1906, which he spent in 
the gold mines in South Dakota. 

Mr. Reed was married in 1879 to Miss 
Lizzie Savage, daughter of Henry and Anna 
Savage, of Northumberland county. Pennsyl- 
vania. Mrs. Reed died in 1884, leaving him 
with two children, Clayton C. and Delia M. 
In 1889 he was married again to Miss Sarah 
C. Dailey and he had two children by this mar- 
riage, namely: Ray E. and Elmer L. 



BENJAMIN WELLINGTON HARVEY. 

The gentleman Avliose name heads this re- 
view is a native of Iowa, being born in Cal- 
houn county in 1867. His father, Benjamin 
Harvey, whose biography appears elsewhere 
in this work, is one among Loup county's ear- 
liest pioneers. The mother's maiden name was 
Mary E. Ham. 

Benjamin W. Harvey was reared on a farm 
on the frontier in Nebraska and was with his 
father during the pioneer days when he learned 
to perform all the varied forms of farm work. 
He assisted his father in improving the home 
farm, driving ox teams and making many trips 
for supplies for the family to St. Paul and 
North Loup. In July, 1890, he went to Cus- 
ter county, taking a homestead, on which he 
lived a bachelor's life for eight years. He 
underwent many hardships, was far from 
neighbors and had to haul water for all pur- 
poses for a period of five years. 



CO.MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In 1898 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Ella Daman, who died in 1901, leav- 
ing two children — ^^'ayne and Claris. In 1904 
Mr. Harvey was married to Miss Angie 
Thompson, daughter of Pembroke S. Thomp- 
son, a farmer and old settler of Loup county. 
Her mother died in 1905. 

Mr. Harvey and family lived on the Custer 
county homestead until 1904, busily engaged 
in improving and making it a valuable prop- 
erty. He then proved up and sold out. and in 
1905 he purchased the farm where he now 
lives in section 12, township 21, range 17, it 
being the old homestead of his father-in-law, 
Pembroke S. Thompson, in Loup county, a 
splendid place of four hundred and eighty 
acres, in a good crop region of the country. 
He has about two hundred acres under culti- 
vation, the balance being pasture and hay land. 
There are nice improvements, house, barns, 
three wells and windmills, and the east farm is 
thoroughly fenced with cedar posts that were 
gotten out during the pioneer days of Loup 
county. Mr. Harvey is especially proud of his 
fine grove of forest trees and the orchard. Our 
subject has accomplished a great deal on his 
farm in the few years he has lived there and it 
has taken a vast amount of labor and expense 
to bring it about. He has taken a leading part 
in the afifairs of the community and has wit- 
nessed with pleasure the splendid growth of 
the country in the past twenty years. Mr. 
Harvey is a progressive citizen and has the 
respect of his associates and friends. 



EVERETTE L. DAUMGARDNER. 

Everette L. Baumgardner. one of the promi- 
nent business men of Perkins county, is engaged 
in the real estate business with offices in Grant, 
and is well-known throughout the county as a 
man of exceptional ability and straightforward 
principles. 

Mr. Baumgardncr was born in Page county. 
Iowa, in 1871. He first opened his eyes in an 
humble log cabin on a farm. His father was an 
early settler in Iowa, and later a pir)ncer in 
Perkins coimty, homcstcading here in 1886. Our 
subject lived at liomc mitil he was twenty-two 
years of age, helping him develop a good farm 
and build up a good home, going through all the 
pioneer exi)eriences familiar to the old residents 
of western Nebraska, wlien there were no wells 
and people were obliged to haul water many 
miles, and he well remembers when he had to 
drive thirty-two miles for drinking water. Dur- 
ing those years Mr. Baumgardner built twenty- 



two sod houses in the county for settlers who 
came in. In 1887 he began railroad construction 
work, helping build the C. B. & Q. Railway 
through Perkins county, and was overseer of a 
gang of men for a few miles of the work. In 
1893 he started farming on his own account, for 
a few years living in the Sandy Valley, southeast 
of the town of Grant, and there was engaged in 
farming and ranching, raising principally hogs 
and cattle. He continued on that ranch up to 
1898, then worked as a live stock shipper, buying 
and selling hogs and cattle. Later was employed 
as a shipping clerk at Marshalltown, Iowa, and 
for two years travelled on the road as a salesman. 
He next entered the ministry and followed that 
for some time, becoming a successful preacher 
and evangelist, but finally throat trouble com- 
pelled him to give up this work. After this he 
traveled all through the states west of the Mis- 
sissippi river except Texas, and saw every phase 
of life and the different countries, but found no 
region where the opportunities were better or in- 
ducements greater to the poor man or small in- 
vestor than this part of Nebraska. There is no 
better climate anywhere considering all things, 
and they here also have the best water on earth, 
getting the proper rainfall during the crop-grow- 
ing seasons, and he further states: "That there is 
ho country where a man can grow a horse suc- 
cessfully without feeding a kernel of grain, ex- 
cepting Nebraska, which is done here, and horses 
weighing one thousand five hundred to one 
thousand eight hundred pounds matured in this 
way are plentiftd throughout the state." Mr. 
Baumgardner is of the opinion that the day is 
not far distant when this region will be eagerly 
sought after as a health resort by the wealthy, 
as it has the finest summer climate to be found 
on account of the cool nights in summer, and 
mild winter weather, making this part of Ne- 
braska a very enjoyable region. 

In the fall of 1893 Mr. Baumgardner was 
married to IMiss Ethel Clark, daughter of John 
W. Clark, a prominent pioneer of this region. 
One child was born to them, Nellie May, now 
thirteen }ears of age. The family have a very 
pleasant home, and enjoy a host of friends. 

Mr. Baumgardner well remembers the last 
herd of buft'alo that was seen in this part of the 
country, and witnessed their extermination. He 
has been largely instrumental in the development 
of this part of the country and in its financial and 
agricultural progress. He is a self-made man in 
every sense of the word, becoming thoroughlv 
well read and a fluent conversationalist by his 
own efforts, as he received only a very scanty 
.schooling when a lad, and is now known as one 
of the leading men of his county, enjoying the 
esteem and confidence of his fellowmen and asso- 
ciates. 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



217 



CLIFTON F. STOCKWELL. 

The above named gentleman is well known 
to the residents of Rock county, Nebraska, as 
the genial and popular postmaster at Bassett, 
Mr. Stockwell was first appointed to this po- 
sition in June, 1894, served for one term, and 
was again appointed on January 3, 1905, taking 
charge the 7th of February of that year. He 
is one o*^ the leading public men of the county, 
and a citizen of true worth, highly esteemed 
by all with whom he comes in contact. 

Mr. Stockwell is a native of Vermont, born 
near Brattleboro, August 28, 1865. His fa- 
ther, Francis Stockwell, was a farmer and old 
settler in western Nebraska, coming here in 
1879 with his wife, who was Miss Harriet E. 
Hale, and family of seven children, of whom 
our subject is the fourth. They settled three 
miles north of Long Pine, and there he grew 
to manhood, going through all the pioneer ex- 
periences with his parents and brothers and 
sisters. During the winter of 1880 and 1881 
the father made five trips to distant railroad 
points for supplies, at times traveling over a 
hundred miles and return. Our subject was 
one of those who organized the first school 
here, and his sister taught the first term. At 
the age of eighteen years Mr. Stockwell be- 
gan the study of pharmacy in Long Pine and 
Valentine and in 1886 became a registered 
pharmacist, going into business at Bassett the 
following year. He later took up chemistry, 
'nd is now a member of the American Chem- 
ical Society, serving two terms as vice-presi- 
dent of the Nebraska section of this society, 
in which he is considered an expert. His drug 
store in Bassett was the pioneer store of its 
kind here and he has continued to do a large 
business during the years he has been located 
here. 

In 1886, after leaving school, Mr. Stock- 
well was married to Miss Mina Tweed, daugh- 
ter of William Tweed, an old settler in this 
part of Nebraska. He is a member of the 
Methodist church and of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen of Bassett. 



ERIC A. WIKLUND. 

Eric A. Wiklund is one of the self-made 
and prosperous pioneer farmers of Kimball 
county, Nebraska, where he settled in March, 
1888. He is a native of Sweden, his birth 
occurring July 15, 1849. Coming to America 
in June, 1882, he sailed from Goettenberg to 
Hull, and thence by rail to Liverpool, where 

15 



he embarked on the "Alaska," and after a 
voyage of seven days landed in New York on 
the 27th. 

He_ first went to Osage City, Osage county, 
Kansas, but thinking to better himself, he 
turned back to Chicago, where he found work 
in a foundry and later was similarly employed 
in Batavia and Aurora, remaining in the state 
of Illinois until March, 1884, when he came 
to Nebraska. He took a homestead in Octo- 
ber, 1887, and bought a relinquishment on a. 
tree claim a year later on the south half of 
section 4, township 16, range 53, which is now 
the home farm. He has a splendid home and 
a well equipped and up-to-date farm. He runs 
a bunch of cattle and horses. All the build- 
ings on the place are of his own construction. 
He has a blacksmith and wagon shop, and 
builds his own conveyances. A buggy of his 
construction has not needed a resetting of the 
tires in twenty-three years. December 19, 
1875, occurred the marriage of Eric A. Wik- 
lund to Miss Anna Elizabeth Kling, a native 
of Sweden, who came to America a year after 
her husband, and by a coincidence on the 
same vessel, the "Alaska." Their parents are 
all dead. Mr. Wiklund is a stanch Repub- 
lican and votes with his party. He is active 
in local aflfairs and is a public-spirited citizen. 
He was reared in the Swedish Lutheran 
church. 



ROBERT F. GILLASPIE, Deceased. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history was probably one of the best 
known and best loved of the residents of 
Cherry county, Nebraska. He had resided in 
this region since 1883, and was one of the 
first settlers here, watching the growth and 
aiding in the development of the commercial 
industries of his community from its earliest 
beginning. He was familiarly known all over 
this part of the country as "Arkansas Bob," 
and was admired and respected by every one 
who knew him for his sterling qualities of 
heart and mind. His death occurred at his 
home in Gillaspie precinct, June 19, 1906, and 
his cortege was probably one of the largest ever 
assembled in this part of Cherry county. If 
any man in the county was without an enemy 
it was "Arkansas Bob." His disposition was 
most affectionate, also his love for children and 
the tenderness for his wife and mother. Even 
in his affliction of total blindness his cheer- 
fulness did not desert him and during his stay 
in the hospital he kept them laughing all the 
time with his jokes. 



2l8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Gillaspie was born in Clark county, 
Arkansas, October 11, 1861. His father. Wil- 
liam Gillaspie. was of Scotch stock, and a 
farmer by occupation. He died when our sub- 
ject was a lad of eight years old. There were 
five boys in the family and he was the second 
in number, being brought up to all sorts of 
farm work and early became accustomed to the 
life of a farmer. When he reached the age of 
twenty-two he came to Cherry county, trailing 
a herd' of stock all the way from Arkansas, and 
being six months on the. way. He afterward 
worked as a cowboy here on the^ Metzler 
ranch for several years, as well as in New Mex- 
ico, Texas and Wyoming, and had the reputa- 
tion of being the best stockman in the coun- 
try. He served for a time as foreman on the 
Arkansas ranch, the brand of which he later 
purchased, and in 1887 he started in business 
for himself, taking what is called the T. O. 
ranch located at Chesterfield. He filed on a 
tree claim and homestead in Gillaspie precinct, 
w-hich w-as named after him, and was success- 
ful in this venture from the start, building up 
a fine ranch of from fourteen to fifteen quar- 
ter sections of land, all well stocked. 

In 1900 Mr. Gillaspie was married to Mrs. 
Leila S. Gillaspie, a widow of his brother, a 
native of Arkansas, being born in Clark county. 
She was the daughter of C. R. Stone and Eliz- 
abeth (McMinnas) Stone. There were three 
sons and five daughters in the Stone family, 
but she was the only daughter who ever came 
west to live. Two children were born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Gillaspie. named as follows: Alice 
Marie and Roberto Fern. 

Mrs. Gillaspie was married again Septem- 
ber 16, 1907, to Mr. Joseph Jennette. an as- 
sociate of her former husband, and they are 
living on the V Z ranch, which is leased for 
a number of years, and here each is running 
herds of cattle and horses which are increas- 
ing very rapidly from year to year. A view of 
the residence and surroundings is showp on 
another page of this work. 



DR. FREDERICK NASH DICK 

(DeCE.'VSED.) 

The gentleman named here was a promi- 
nent physician of North Platte, born at Green- 
borough, North Carolina, in 1844. Mr. Dick 
was in the southern army, enlisting at the age 
of fifteen years, and served all through the 
war. in 1863 being taken prisoner at Johnson 
Island. He served in a North Carolina regi- 
ment under Colonel Bingham and a brave and 
gallant soldier. 



Dr. Dick located in North Platte in 1868. 
He was a graduate of the Medical College at 
Baltimore, ^laryland, and was the first doctor 
to locate in North Platte, practicing here up 
to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1896, at the age of fifty-three 3'ears. He was 
appointed surgeon for the Union Pacific Rail- 
way in 1870 for the division from North Platte 
to Ogden, Utah, and east to Omaha. This terri- 
tory was afterwards cut down, and he ran from 
Cheyenne to Omaha. He held this post during 
his lifetime, and also was county physician for 
two years, and coroner for several years. 

Dr. Dick's father, John AlcClintock Dick, 
was judge of the supreme court of the state 
of North Carolina for many years, and his 
brother, Robert P. Dick, also held that hon- 
orable position. One brother, James Dick, 
was an attorney, and two others, William and 
Jonathan, were physicians. 

Dr. Dick was married. May 2, 1871, to Miss 
Ella A. Webb, of Auburn, New York, daugh- 
ter of Z. L. Webb and Polly Maria (Hoffman) 
Webb, both of pioneer families in New York 
state. ]\Irs. Dick and Airs. Peniston, whose 
husband's sketch appears in this volume, are 
sisters. Dr. and Mrs. Dick were the parents 
of five children, who are named as follows: 
Parthenia N., wife of Albert Shaw, a ranch- 
man of North Platte; John L.. engineer on the 
Union Pacific Railway, residing in North 
Platte ; Leslie E. Dick, night express agent of 
the W'estern Pacific company here ; Anna R., 
at home, and Robert P., still attending school. 
Dr. Dick's memory is held in great reverence 
by all who knew him. He filled an honorable 
position as a citizen and physician who was 
a thorough master of his professian. Mrs. 
Dick came here and went through a regular 
pioneer life as the young bride of her husband, 
and is highly esteemed by all. Dr. Dick was 
the owner of an extensive ranch located near 
this tow^n, and also was the first man to start 
a drug store in North Platte. He took an ac- 
tive interest in politics, was a strong Demo- 
crat, and elected as county commissioner in 
1874, serving for two terms. He was also a 
member of the school board, and a devout 
Episcopalian. 



J. J. KLEIN. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sona! history resides in Center township. Buf- 
falo county, and is owner of the White Bridge 
Pajk Farm. locate<l on Wood river, five miles 
from the town of Kearney. Besides success- 
fully farming one hundred and sixty acres Mr. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



_M9 



Klein is developing a fine park and summer re- 
sort to be used by campers and "picnickers." 
The river affords, with the six-foot dam which 
he has built, a constant flow of water for boat- 
ing for a distance of half a mile above the 
dam. and there are plenty of boats for hire and 
extensive fishing grounds, tennis, croquet 
plats, etc., which will furnish amusement for 
all ages and tastes. Mr. Klein has graded the 
banks and put in a fine driveway to extend all 
through the grounds to the river, on one side 
a quarter of a mile long, then crossing the 
river and back on the other side. 

This drive leads through a beautiful piece 
of timber land, the road being above the high- 
water line. There are eight acres of woods, 
ash, elm, box elder, etc., affording plenty of 
shade, and will make an ideal amusement 
park. The waterfall is six feet high, and this 
with its music adds greatly to the charms of 
the resort. Mr. Klein has a state right to take 
water for irrigation purposes for four acres, 
and he has built a fish pond twenty-two feet 
higher than the river, and to this he raises the 
water by a breast wheel. Pipes lead from this 
pond, keeping all in a beautiful green state. 
The grounds are planted with flowers, fruit 
trees and shade trees in abundance, which 
makes it a pleasing spot to the eye. During 
1906, up to August 1, the resort had twelve 
hundred visitors, while the previous year but 
four hundred were entertained, which shows 
the grateful appreciation the public bestows on 
Mr. Klein's eft'orts. Everything is planned 
for the comfort and pleasure of his patrons, 
and it is bound to become one of the most pop- 
ular amusement resorts in this section of the 
country on account of its location and the 
natural beauties of the spot. Also, a first- 
class resort of this kind is uncommon in this 
region, and affords a constant source of pleas- 
ure to the people of the locality. In the fall 
of 1908 a railroad was surveyed near the place, 
crossing Wood river at Mr. Klein's place, and 
he expects to have a station at the summer 
resort. 

Mrs. Klein is greatly interested in this 
work with her husband, and upon her shoul- 
ders falls most of the business management. 

A few years since Mr. Klein obtained from 
the Ladies' Home Journal a twenty-five-dol- 
lar prize for a photograph of the bridge in this 
park, as it then appeared, with a faded coat 
of red paint, disfigured by all sorts and conditions 
of advertising signs. He secured permission 
to remove these unsightly things and painted 
the bridge white and afterwards sent another 
photograph of "The White Bridge," from 
which the park derives its name. 



ROLLO L. CAROTHERS. 

Prominent among the younger members 
of the business circle in Grant is the gentle- 
man whose name heads this review. Mr. Ca- 
rothers is a young man of exceptional educa- 
tion and business ability, and is making a suc- 
cess in his chosen field of work. He has a 
drug store on the principal business street of 
Grant, and is enjoying a good patronage and 
rapidly becoming one of the substantial citi- 
zens of his community, taking into considera- 
tion the length of time which he has been in 
business, which is but a few years. 

JNIr. Carothers is a native of the state or 
Illinois, born in the town of Norwood, Mer- 
cer county, in 1874. Both parents were born 
in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, settling in Illi- 
nois in the early days, where they followed 
farming for many. years. When our subject 
was eleven years of age the family came to Ne- 
braska. A sister of our subject, Miss Vir- 
ginia Carothers, was county superintendent 
for six years, and is well known through the 
entire locality. She was one of the early 
homesteaders in Perkins county, as were also 
three brothers of our subject, namely: Vance, 
William and Robert. The parents of Mr. Ca- 
rothers settled near Madrid, and there they be- 
gan their pioneer life in a sod shanty, during 
the first summer living in wagons in which 
they had made much of the journey west. 
They were obliged to haul all water for do- 
mestic use for a distance of fifteen miles, and 
their nearest postoffice and trading station 
was Ogallala, thirty-two miles from their 
homestead. In 1893 Rollo went into Missouri, 
and after a short stay there returned to Mad- 
rid and entered school, after a time going to 
Gothenburg, Nebraska, and securing a posi- 
tion in a drug store, remaining there up to 
1903, when he went to Creighton College, 
Omaha, and took his first year ; then to Des 
Moines and entered the Highland Park Col- 
lege, remaining for one year, and in August, 
1907, became a registered pharmacist and pur- 
chased his present establishment. Mr. Ca- 
rothers is regarded as one of the rising young 
men of Perkins county, and none are more 
highly esteemed or enjoy the confidence of its 
citizens to a more marked degree than him- 
self. 

In 1903 our subject was united in marriage 
to ]\Iiss Ethel Burson, born in Fairmount, Ne- 
braska. Her parents were old settlers in Fron- 
tier county. Mr. and Mrs. Carothers have one 
daughter, Marian G., born January 7, 1908. 
Politically Mr. Carothers is a Democrat. 

Miss Virginia Carothers, a sister of our 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



subject, above mentioned, was the first school 
teacher in the district where the family set- 
tled on coming to Nebraska. She is now en- 
gaged in missionary work, having spent sorne 
time in Portland. Oregon, about two years in 
Spokane. Washington, and for the past five 
vears has been located in Pittsburg. Pennsyl- 



H. L. HUMMEL. 

H. L. Hummel, residing on section 11. 
Sheridan township. Phelps county, is one of 
the representative farmers of his locality. He 
was for eight years supervisor of his town- 
ship, first elected in 1898 and re-elected for 
two succeeded terms, and also in 1904. 1905 
and 1906. He is a member of the county board 
and a strong Republican, and one of the lead- 
ing citizens of the county." 

' Mr. Hummel was born in Ogle county. Illi- 
nois, and grew up on his father's farm in Kane 
county, near Batavia. He is a son of Rev. 
H. Hummel, a minister in the Evangelical 
church, who purchased a farm for each of his 
four sons in Richardson county. Nebraska, all 
but our subject still residing in that county, 
two farming and the third a banker at Hum- 
bolt. Nebraska. Their father was born and 
educated in Germany and came to this coun- 
try about 1833. In 1892 our subject came to 
Phelps county and bought three hundred and 
twenty acres located in south one-half sec- 
tion 11, building a good house and barns on 
the land. This year (1906) he has had erected 
one of the finest farm residences to be found 
in western Nebraska, and, in fact, in outward 
appearance, finish, decoration and convenience 
is surpassed by no city home. This forms a 
wonderful contrast to the sod shanties and 
later the modest frame houses which first 
served the pioneers of this section only a few 
years back, and illustrates the degree of prog- 
ress and success to which the American farm- 
er has attained, also the skill of our artisans 
in adapting water systems, sewers and the 
heating and lighting to the limitations of the 
farm, removed as it is from the systems devel- 
oped in cities. For months prior to building 
their home Mr. and Mrs. Hummel read and 
consulted along these lines, with the perfect 
result which has been obtained. There is a 
large cistern of rain water which supplies the 
bath, also hot water reservoirs and basins, to- 
gether with an air pressure boiler in the cel- 
lar capable of two hundred pounds' pressure 
with air and water pump, supplies the water 
and force at the same time, thus doing away 



with the roof tank and the laborious hand 
pump to feed it. The plumbing is open and 
fixtures of the latest design. The house is 
heated by a hot air furnace, with lift from 
cellar to pantry, thus saving the women of the 
household many steps, and even the labor of 
carrying in the corncobs for the kitchen stove 
is avoided, for an immense bin is filled through 
an outside window, opening into a chute in 
the kitchen opposite the stove. The commo- 
dious back porch is screened in with wire 
so that flies will be an unknown quantity, 
while the kitchen doors and windows can be 
left wide open. The work in such a home will 
be a positive pleasure, and shows a marked 
contrast to the drudgery of the ordinary farm 
house devoid of any such conveniences. We 
describe this model farm and home in full in 
order to incite other farmers in western Ne- 
braska to go and do likewise in imitating the 
taste and desire for home comforts and en-' 
joyment exhibited here. With such homes as 
this, the desire of the boys and girls of west- 
ern Nebraska to get into the city will disap- 
pear, and they will be perfectly contented to 
remain on the farms. 

After varied experience in farming, both in 
Illinois and eastern Nebraska, Mr. Hummel 
prefers Phelps county to any other place. He 
bought his land here in 1889 at eighteen dollars 
per acre, and now it is worth seventy-five. In 
Kane county, Illinois, land is worth from one 
hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars, 
while here the soil is as good, and much easier 
worked. Except the year 1894, Mr. Hummel 
has had the best of success with wheat, oats 
and corn. He advocates the fall sowing of 
alfalfa, and has ]iut this in practice on his own 
farm with good success. He has raised a 
quantity of registered Poland-China hogs, for 
which he finds a profitable home market. One 
year he exhibited this stock at the county fair 
and took away all the prizes with the classes 
shown. He is now going into the cattle busi- 
ness with registered Shorthorns, considering 
this breed the best. He has also raised good 
Percheron horses, and is well posted on this 
subject as well as all matters pertaining to 
]>rogressive farming. Mr. Hummel finds it 
profitable to feed from two to three cars of 
cattle every winter, and considers no place bet- 
ter fitted for feeding cattle for the spring 
market, starling them in October and giving 
them a five or six months' feed. 

Mr. Hummel was married in 1889 to Miss 
.\nnah Clark, of Humboldt, Nebraska, daugh- 
ter of George W. Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Hum- 
mel have one son. H. L. Hummel. Jr.. and a 
daughter. Mabclle .\niia. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



JACOB H. JACOBSON. 

Jacob H. Jacobson, for the past twenty 
years a prominent representative of the ranch- 
ing community of Box Butte and Cherry coun- 
ties, Nebraska, has a pleasant home in section 
20, township 29, range Z7 . He is one of the 
worthy citizens of that region, and his suc- 
cess and good name are well merited. 

Mr. Jacobson was born in Moedom, Nor- 
way, in 1855, where he grew to the age of 
five years, then with his parents came to 
America, the family settling in Houston coun- 
ty, Minnesota, on a farm, and were among 
the pioneers of that part of the state, the fa- 
ther's death occurring there in the fall of 1871, 
and the mother died in that state March 25, 
1907. Our subject grew to manhood in Min- 
nesota, following farming all the time, after 
the death of his father assuming entire charge 
of the home farm, carrying it on for two years, 
when he left the state, taking with him a yoke 
of oxen, covered wagon and personal effects, 
and drove through to Madison county, Ne- 
braska, where he settled on a farm. There he 
went through many discouragements, witness- 
ing grasshopper raids and suffered severely- 
from crop losses, but stuck to the place for 
eighteen years, and succeeded in building up 
a good farm and home. From there Mr. Ja- 
cobson went to Box Butte county, where he 
picked out a location southeast of Hemingford, 
landing there in 1886, having driven through from 
Newman's Grove, a distance of two hundred 
and fifty miles. 

After working hard to put in crops the 
first season on his new farm, our subject was 
dried out, losing even the seed he had planted, 
and being convinced that he was unable to 
make a living on that farm he decided to try 
another location, so came to Cherry county in 
the fall of 1890, picking out a location on Gor- 
don creek, where he started in the cattle busi- 
ness, beginning on a small scale and gradually 
increasing his herd, and has a fine ranch with 
plenty of pasture and range land for his stock, 
the place consisting of eighteen quarter sec- 
tions deeded, besides a good deal of leased land. 
He sold out his Box Butte ranch about six or 
seven years ago, after being here in Cherry 
county some time. He claims he sold out a 
little too soon, as land advanced rapidly since 
his selling out in Box Butte county. 

'Sir. Jacobson was married in 1883 to Miss 
Kristiane Stensrud, who was born in Norway 
and came to America in 1880. Mr. Jacobson's 
brother Charles married a sister of our sub- 
ject's wife, Josephine Stensrud, and the two 
families are closely associated in the ranching 



business. The brothers have been in partner- 
ship ever since locating in Box Butte county, 
and together they have built up a splendid 
property, being counted among the leading 
ranchmen of the county, who take an active 
part in the affairs of their community and are 
highly esteemed by all who know them. In 
politics they are Republicans. 



AUGUST HELMBOLD. 

August Helmbold. a leading old settler in 
Nebraska, resides in a pleasant and comfort- 
able home in Rushville, and is well known and 
highly esteemed in the community in which 
he lives. 

Sir. Helmbold is a native of Germany, born 
in 1853 on a farm in Saxony. His father, 
Henry Helmbold. died in his native land about 
1878.' Our subject grew up in his native 
country, starting to learn the butcher's trade 
at the age of fourteen years, and continued at 
this work up to the time he left Germany, 
which was in 1881. He crossed the sea and 
landed in New York with his wife, whom he 
had married in the fatherland in 1879. They 
had one child, a boy, Edward, and in 1902 Mr. 
Helmbold had the sad misfortune in the death 
of his wife, who had been a true helpmeet in 
his labors in the new world, assisting him in 
building up a honae and sharing all his fail- 
ures and successes here. After landing in this 
country Mr. Helmbold came to Ida Grove, 
Iowa, residing at that place up to 1885, work- 
ing at the butcher's trade, then came on to 
Rushville in July of that year, where he opened 
the first meat market in that place. Here he 
took up a homestead and proved up on it, op- 
erating this farm in connection with his other 
business and being very successful from the 
start. 

Sir. Helmbold has conducted his meat mar- 
ket here for over twenty-two years, and has 
with him his son Edward, who is interested 
in the business also. He had practically no 
capital when he started here in 1885, and has 
gained all he has through his own efforts, de- 
voting his untiring energy to the building up 
of his trade and always running a first-class 
market. He also owns a farm of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, on which he runs one 
hundred and twenty-five head of cattle and 
fifteen horses. He owns his house and lot in 
town, besides the building in which he has 
his meat market. 

Sir. Helmbold was married the second time 
in 1903 to Mrs. Emilia Milbrandt, who was 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a widow with two children, both girls, named 
Mary and Bertha. 

In political faith Mr. Helmbold is a stanch 
Republican and takes a commendable interest 
in all local alt'airs. 



PETE RASMUSSEX. 

Pete Rasmussen. one of the patriotic and 
public-spirited citizens of Sioux county. Ne- 
braska, is a strikingr and impressive representa- 
tive of his section of the country. He is well 
known to all as an old settler and influential 
man, held in the highest esteem hv his fel- 
low-men. 

Mr. Rasmussen was born in Denmark in 
ISfiO on a farm. His father. Rasmus Jensen. 
a weaver by trade, lived and died in his native 
country, and our subject was raised and edu- 
cated there, learning the tailor's trade as a 
young man. and also assisting his father in 
carrving on the farm work. In lcS81 he came 
to America, and after landing in New York 
City came directly west to Dakota City. Ne- 
braska, remaining there for three years. In 
1I^R5 he came to Dawes county, driving from 
Dakota City with a team and wagon, spend- 
ing the nights camped out along the road, the 
journey taking a whole month. He was ac- 
companied by his brother Nels. and after ar- 
riving at their destination took up a home- 
stead twelve miles from Crjiwford. where they 
built a log house and "batched it" for two 
years. They began breaking up the land, part 
of our subject's time being spent in eastern 
Nebraska. They lived on the homestead for 
two years, going through the usual pioneer 
experiences in handling ox teams, freighting, 
etc. Mr. Rasmussen also took up a pre-emp- 
tion in Dawes county and lived there for about 
eleven years, building up a comfortable home 
and farm, then was overtaken by the drouths 
and meeting with much loss and discourage- 
mi-nt decided to leave, and taking his fourteen 
head of cattle he rented a farm in the county 
on which he remained for one season. He had 
made but little money on his place, and was 
obliged to make a fresh start, so he took 
charge of the head gate of the Crawford Irri- 
gation Canal and held that position for four 
years, at the same time running a sriiall bunch 
of cattle. In 1900 he purchased his present 
farm in section 1. township 31, range 5.^. Sioux 
county, also took up a homestead adjoining 
this land and began in the stock raising busi- 
ness quite extensively, in partnership with J- 
E. Porter, of Crawford. Here he runs over 
four hundred head of cattle and carries on 



mi.xed farming on sixty acres of highly culti- 
vated land. He has a fine patch of forty acres 
of alfalfa, and has added many improvements 
on his farm, and it is one of the valuable prop- 
erties in the region. He located on a line of 
the Dead Man's Telephone Company, and gets 
connection with Crawford, Harrison and Chad- 
ron right from his house. His residence is on 
Dead Alan's creek. 

In 1887 Air. Rasmussen was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Anna Madsen, a native of Den- 
mark, who came to this country when a girl, 
settling in Dawes county, Nebraska. Mr. and 
Mrs. Rasmussen are the parents of seven chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Christina, 
Hans. Alinnie, Clara, Anna, Martha and Grace. 
The family are popular in their community, 
and are true and worthy citizens, enjoying a 
peaceful and happy home surrounded by a 
host of warm friends and kind neighbors. 



JOHN BREXNAN. 

The gentleman herein named is one of the 
largest ranchmen of western Nebraska, hav- 
ing his home in Alliance, his extensive ranch 
being in Deuel county. He is a leading old 
settler of western Nebraska, and has been in 
this part of the state since the early days, 
watching the region grow from its beginning 
to be the prosperous country it is today, and 
has been largely instrumental in its develop- 
ment and growth. 

Mr. Brennan was born at Stratford, Onta- 
rio, in 1860. His father. Martin Brennan. was 
born in Ireland, and married Mary Fitzgerald, 
also a native of Ireland, they coming to Amer- 
ica when quite young with their parents, and 
were married in Canada. The father was a 
lumberman, and when our subject was five 
years of age the family came to Michigan and 
located in the lumber district, where he was 
raised and educated, working in the woods in 
winter as soon as he was old enough, being 
employed on the log drives in the spring. For 
a time he was under sheriff of Bay county, 
Michigan, this office being the same as deputy 
sherifl-' in Nebraska. In 1887 he came to Ne- 
braska, driving from Haj' Springs to Box 
Butte county by stage, then to Nonpariel, 
where he took up a pre-emption and proved 
up on it. In the spring of the following j'ear 
he came to Alliance and here established a cat- 
tle ranch in the sand hills southeast of the 
town about thirty-five miles, in Deuel county, 
Nebraska. His first buildings were of sod, 
and he put in nearly all of his time on that 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



223 



place up to 1904 and still operates it as a cat- 
tle ranch. There are three thousand acres of 
land in the place, of which two thousand is 
deeded, and he runs fifteen hundred head of 
cattle. This is one of the most valuable es- 
tates in the county, and through his good man- 
agement and business judgment it has become 
one of the best equipped ranches in the entire 
region. 

In 1903 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Margaret Ready, whose parents lived 
near Detroit, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Bren- 
nan have one child, Margaret. 

Mr. Brennan has been numbered among 
the prominent 'citizens of his community -since 
locating here. He has seen the country grow 
from almost a vast wilderness to the prosper- 
ity it now enjoys, and has aided materially 
in that growth and development, also taking 
part in the organization of the county, and 
witnessed the fights which took place during 
the time the county seat was located. 



F. AI. KIMMELL. 

Among the very well known and highly re- 
spected citizens of the city of McCook, Ne- 
braska, a prominent place is accorded the sub- 
ject of this review, F. M. Kimmell. He is an 
old settler in this section of the state, and is 
familiar with the growth and development of 
the locality, and gives his best aid in the up- 
building of its commercial and educational in- 
terests. 

Mr. Kimmell is a native of the state of 
Pennsylvania, born and raised in Somerset, 
Somerset county, and after receiving a good 
education he entered upon newspaper work, 
obtaining employment with a local paper, and 
has followed that profession almost continu- 
ously since engaging in it in his young man- 
hood. At the age of nineteen he started -out 
for himself, and came west in 1881. locating 
in Columbus, Nebraska, and at once associ- 
ated himself with one of the leading newspa- 
pers in that city. He also was appointed dep- 
tity city clerk, which position he held for a 
year, and was an efficient and popular official. 
The Tribune, a leading newspaper of western 
Nebraska, was established in 1882. and the fol- 
lowing year Mr. Kimmell purchased this pa- 
per and took entire charge of the business, set- 
tling in McCook. where he has since resided. 
The Tribune is a weekly paper, devoted to the 
cause of Republicanism, and has a wide cir- 
culation all through Red.willow and adjoining 
counties. The plant has a splendid job depart- 



ment, and is an authentic and interesting news 
medium. It has always stood stanch advocate 
of the interests, development and betterment 
of this locality, and Mr. Kimmell as its ed- 
itor and manager has the confidence and es-" 
teem of the entire community. In 1898 he was 
appointed postmaster of McCook, and at the 
expiration of that term was again appointed, 
and after serving two years of his third term 
Mr. Kimmell resigned to devote himself en- 
tirely to the newspaper business. The city has 
grown so rapidly during the past few years 
that the ofifice has been raised to a second-class 
one, handling a large amount of business. In 
1888 Mr. Kimmell was married to Mabel M.^ 
?ileserve. This union has been blessed with 
one child, a son. 

Air. Kimmell has the distinction of having 
been elected the first city clerk of McCook, 
and served from 1883 to 1885, proving a very 
capable public official, and since then has held 
different local offices. He is a prominent mem- 
ber of the Masonic lodge at JMcCook, and is 
an earnest worker in the Congregational 
church here. 



DANIEL PRATT. 

Prominent among the enterprising and pro- 
gressive citizens of Brown county, Nebraska, 
and among the number who have been asso- 
ciated with the very early history of this part 
of the state, their connection with it running 
back to frontier times and days, is Daniel 
Pratt, of Ainsworth. While not old in years, 
and still in the m'aturity of his manly powers, 
he has seen Brown county as a dry and thinly 
settled wilderness, and has witnessed the pro- 
gressive steps of its conversion into the pros- 
perous community now the delight of the 
west. Daniel Pratt was born in Cook county. 
Illinois, not far from Chicago, October 7, 1857,, 
where his boyhood and earlier youth were 
passed. He was given such educational op- 
portunities as the means of his parents af- 
forded. His father, John B. Pratt, a native 
of New York, was a farmer, who, in 1884, 
removed to Nebraska. The mother, Ellen 
O'Connell, was of Irish parentage. The sub- 
ject of this narration was the second member 
of a family of seven children born to their 
union. Daniel Pratt spent part of his youth 
in Lee county, Iowa, and in early manhood ac- 
companied his father on his removal to Ne- 
braska. Here he remained at home and 
worked for his father until his death, which 
occurred in 1886; after that the subject of this 
writing followed farming for a couple of years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



He then established a business in ice, doing 
in connection a dray and teaming business, in 
which he has been very successful. In No- 
vember, 1907, he disposed of his draying in- 
terests, retaining- only the ice business, in 
which he continues. He owns a neat and 
pleasant home in Ainsworth, also barns and 
ample accommodation for all his hauling out- 
fit. He is now enjoying a competence which 
he has acquired by honest and hard work, and 
which all who know him are g' \d to see in 
his possession. 

Mr. Pratt was married July 9, 1896. when 
Miss Emma Meyers became his wife. She was 
born in Danville. Illinois, and comes of Irish 
and German stock. They have four children : 
Ray, Joseph, Clara Berdetta and Joseph Fran- 
cis. Mr. Pratt votes the Democratic ticket and 
affiliates with the Masonic, the Odd Fellows 
and the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
of Ainsworth. 



WILLIAM TURNER 

One of the leading men in Blaine county 
afifairs is the gentleman whose name appears 
at the head of this sketch. He operates a very 
large ranch and is one of the most substantial 
farmers of the territory. He has always been 
prominent in politics and has held the office of 
county judge for the past nine years and in 
all matters pertaining to social and econom- 
ical welfare of his community he has exhibited 
rare qualities of wisdom and judgment. 

William Turner is of English nativity, his 
birth occurring in Gloucesfershire, England, 
March 1.'?. 1859. His parents. Samuel and 
Emily fGibbons) Turner, were English people. 

When our subject was eight years of age 
the whole family came to America and set- 
tled on a farm in Dane county, Wisconsin, 
where they lived for three years, and then 
moved to Mitchell county, Iowa, where they 
were among the early settlers. Here our sub- 
ject remained for about nineteen years, re- 
ceiving his quota of hard work, as most farm- 
ers do. and when he was twenty years old 
started out for himself. 

In March, 1879. Mr. Turner was married to 
Miss Lucy Pike, daughter of Edwin and Diana 
Pike, natives of England and farmers by oc- 
cupation. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have been 
the parents of eleven children : William, Joe, 
Scott. Ester, Mark. Emily, Ruby, Pike, Fred, 
John and Harry. 

In the fall after his marriage our subject 
came west to Blaine county. Nebraska, and 
located nine miles northeast of Dunning. His 



first crop was destroyed by drouth and 
hail ruined things in 1891, and our subject had 
a hard time to support his family, but pluck 
and endurance won at last, although it was 
several years before better days dawned. In 
1891 he located on the North Loup river, 
where he engaged in farming and stock raising 
for sixteen years. He has had many hard experi- 
ences. Once during a terrible windstorm his 
windmill was blown down, his wagons injured 
and the roof of his house was lifted, but was 
fortunately not blown off. Our subject has a 
splendid ranch of twelve hundred and eighty 
acres and operates altogether about four sections 
of land. He has been successful beyond all his 
early hopes and he is now enjoying the fruits 
of many long days of hard and painstaking la- 
bor. In politics Mr. Turner affiliates with 
the Democratic party. He helped establish 
his school district and has been school director 
for si.xteen vears. 



PERRY S. MAILEY. 

Perry S. Mailey. well and favorably known 
as a prosperous and successful young farmer 
of township 24. range SO, in Box Butte county, 
has met with decided success in his chosen ca- 
reer as an agriculturist, and is the proprietor 
of a pleasant home and a well improved farm. 
A portrait of Mr. Mailey appears on another 
page. 

Mr. Mailey was born in Nevada, Missouri, 
on a farm, in 1874. His father was a native 
of New York state who came west and settled 
in M^issouri, where he went through pioneer 
experiences, and the father and mother died 
in Trenton, Mis.souri, when our subject was an 
infant. Perry S. was thus left without a home 
in a land where all were strangers, so was 
adopted and taken to raise by John H. Mailey, 
who is well known as an old settler in Ne- 
braska, locating in the eastern part of the 
state in 1884 and living as a pioneer near 
Broken Bow. He improved quite a large tract 
of land in that vicinity, and in 1887 came with 
his family to Box Butte county. Mr. J. H. 
Mailey and Perry drove to this region by 
team with wagon containing their household 
goods, etc.. the trip taking two weeks, and 
while on the journey spent the nights camped 
out on the ground. After arriving here they 
settled on a farm about twelve miles west of 
where Alliance now stands, although at that 
time there was no thought of a town on that 
spot. Mr. Mailey began to improve his place, 
putting up a rough building as a dwelling, and 





PERRY S. MAILEY. 



CO^IPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



both father and son helped construct the Bur- 
lington Railroad through that section. They 
worked faithfully and managed to get along 
in pretty good shape, although they were 
obliged to content themselves with the usual 
disappointments in the way of failure of crops, 
etc., and as our subject grew up he gradually 
assumed the entire management of the home 
farm, and was very successful during later 
years. During this time he had also filed on 
a homestead and proved up, so is at this time 
the owner of a fine ranch of six hundred and 
forty acres, all fenced and with good buildings, 
wells, plenty of trees and good water, etc. Mr. 
Mailey is engaged principally in stock raising, 
but does a little farming. His place is kept 
up in fine shape, and he is considered one of 
the well-to-do men of his locality, a thor- 
oughly up-to-date agriculturist, and gives his 
whole time and attention to operating his 
farm. 



ORVIL KIDWELL. 

Orvil Kidwell. a prosperous and much re- 
spected citizen of the vicinity of Hemingford, 
in Box Butte county, Nebraska, much de- 
serves the abundant success that has come 
to him as a reward of industry, economy and 
thrift. Mr. Kidwell resides on the southeast 
quarter of section 18, township 27. range 49, 
about a half mile south of Hemingford, where 
he has built a fine house and barn and made 
other improvements. 

Mr. Kidwell was born in Plymouth, Mar- 
shall county, Indiana, November 15, 1849. His 
father was a wagon maker, who died in 1873, 
and his mother was, prior to her marriage, 
Charlotte Belangee, she continuing to live in 
Indiana after her husband's death, where she 
reared her family. Our subject worked on the 
home farm up to the time he was twenty-one 
years old, receiving a common school educa- 
tion, and only a limited one at that, as he was 
obliged to help support the family and could 
only attend school for a few months in each 
year. He began working hard when he was 
but twelve years old, and learned to do all 
sorts of hard work, assisting at home and also 
working out by the day and month in the 
vicinity of their home. 

In 1871 he went to Berrien county, Mich- 
igan, and was married there three years later, 
to Miss Mary Ann Hawkins, of English ex- 
traction, born at St. Johns, New Brunswick. 
They have no children. 

Mr. Kidwell farmed in Michigan up to 
1885, then came to Nebraska and filed on a 



homestead and tree claim in Box Butte coun- 
ty, locating in section 1, township 26, range 
50. Here he put up sod buildings, hauling the 
lumber for them fifty miles, over the roughest 
roads, from Camp Clark, from which point he 
did the first teaming. He lived on that farm 
for about thirteen years, then was overtaken 
by the drouth periods, losing his entire crops, 
and from 1890 to about 1895 was unable to do 
more than make a living for himself and fam- 
ily, so gave up the struggle, left his farm and 
moved to another location. This was in 1896, 
and here he did well. His farm consists of 
one thousand one hurxired and twenty acres, 
and he erected good buildings and put every- 
thing in first class shape. He farms about 
one hundred and eighty acres, keeping the 
balance for hay and pasture land. Mr. Kid- 
well only owns four hundred and eighty 
acres now, having sold six hundred and forty 
acres from his tracts of land. When he first 
struck this locality he freighted from Valen- 
tine, and during those days everything was 
very high in the way of provisions and feed, 
corn selling up as high as five cents a pound, 
and as his crop which he had planted the first 
season was entirely destroyed, he was unable 
to get a pound to sell. 

Mr. Kidwell is one of the influential men 
of his locality and has always done his share 
in building up the region, helping to establish 
schools, etc., and at different times has held 
local office. He is a firm believer in the prin- 
ciples of the Republican party. 



ERNEST G. GRAY. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing and ranching community of township 23, 
range 28, Thomas county, the gentleman whose 
name heads this article occupies a prominent 
place. He is a voung man of industrious habits, 
who has exercised good judgment in the opera- 
tion of his estate and has been well repaid for 
his labors in the possession of a valuable estate 
and pleasant home in section 11. 

Ernest G. Gray was born in the eastern part 
of Canada in 1874. His father, George Gray, 
was also a native of that country, and a well- 
known farmer and ranchman, who came with his 
family to the United States when Ernest was a 
boy of seven years, settling in Dawson county, 
Nebraska, where they went through pioneer ex- 
periences in building up a home. The father filed 
on a homestead, and there our subject was 
reared, attending the common schools and assist- 
ing his father in carrying on the farm, living 
there up to 1890, when they came to Thomas 



226 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county and started a farm. Ernest started for 
himself, taking up sjovernment land, on which he 
lived until 1904, then sold the old homestead 
and moved to his present location, which is situ- 
ated a short distance east of Thedford. Here he 
has a ranch of many acres, which is all dee'^ed 
land, and he leases six hundred and forty acres 
of school land, engaging almost exclusively in 
, cattle raising. He has the entire ranch fenced, 
and has good buildings and improvements of 
every kind for operating a model ranch. 

In 1907 Mr. Gray married Miss Elsie Ernst, 
whose parents are old settlers in Nebraska, now 
residing in Cherry couifty. Mr. and Mrs. Gray 
have one baby girl, Rosie, now three and a half 
months old. 

Mr. Gray is active in local affairs, and is a 
public-spirited citizen. He has been assessor of 
his township for two terms. 



LARS C. CHRISTENSEN. 

To the pioneers of a country is due most of 
the credit for the prosperity enjoyed there in 
after years, .\mong those who went to western 
Nebraska and have remained to enjoy prosper- 
ity, a prominent place is accorded the gentleman 
here named. He braved the hardships of pioneer 
life and, despite losses and discouragements, 
worked steadily and earnestly, and is now one 
of the substantial citizens of Kimball countv. Ne- 
braska, where he has a valuable farm. He has 
not only witnessed the growth of the agricultural 
resources of that region, but has been a potent 
factor in bringing about the same, and well 
merits his success and high standing. 

Lars C. Christensen. whose portrait ajipears 
on another pag,e. was born in Denmark, .\prir 
16. 1864, and lived there until he was fifteen 
years of age. The whole family came to .Xmer- 
ica at that time, settling in Douglas county, Ne- 
braska. There were three girls and himself, and 
they all went to work with a will to build up a 
home in the new country. The father homestead- 
ed in Holt county. Nebraska, and eventuallv 
proved up on a tract of land, whicli they con- 
verted into a comfortable home and improved a 
rood farm. The father died in Holt countv in 
1891, and our subject's mother is now residing 
in Fremont, Neb., with a daughter, while one 
daughter is married and lives at Loup City, Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Christensen settled in Kimball countv in 
1889. taking a homestead in section 10, township 
16, range 34, proved up on the hnd, and has 
since added to his original farm until he now 
owns one and a lialf sections of sjilendid land. 



He has it all improved in good shape, cultivat- 
ing about one hundred and fifty acres, and is en- 
gaged quite extensively in the stock business, 
running one hundred head of cattle and other 
stock. He has good buildings of all kinds, and 
every improvement for the proper operation of 
his ranch. Mr. Christensen is unmarried. He is 
a Republican, has held school offices, and has also 
served as road overseer for some time. 



A. \V. FLEMING. 

A. W. Fleming, born in Cook county, Illinois, 
came to Phelps county, Nebraska, in 1892, 
purchasing the southeast quarter section 28. and 
resided on it and farmed from that time up to 
1904, when he rented out his land but still occu- 
pies his pleasant home with his family, consist- 
ing of himself, wife and two daughters. He is a 
son of A. \\'. and Margaret (Scott) Fleming. 
His father was an active and leading citizen of 
his community, and strong anti-slavery advocate, 
dying when still a young man. The widowed 
mother, imbued with the beliefs of her husband, 
was an ardent worker during the late war in 
support of the soldiers and devoted her time to 
relieving their pressing wants in the way of 
clothing and supplies, and in this she was assist- 
er by our subject, then a mere lad. Both parents 
of our subject were born in Scotland and came 
to America when young people. 

At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Fleming 
left his home, then in Bureau county, Illiliois, 
and settled in Champaign county, w^here he 
bought a 160-acre farm and operated it success- 
fully up to 1892, then sold it out and came to 
Nebraska. Since coming here he has built up a 
fine property, and is perfectly satisfied with con- 
ditions. He greatly prefers the clear, bracing 
and healthful climate of Nebraska with its 
abundance of pure water from deep wells, and as 
he has just returned from a visit to Illinois where 
he has spent three weeks of the month of .August, 
states that he could scarcely breathe there owing 
to the oppressive heat. Illinois land is now selling 
all the way from S175 to $200 per acre, and the 
land here at S60 and S80 jier acre is just as pro- 
ductive and much easier worked. althou.gh in his 
oninion, our farmers need give heed to better 
tilling of the soil and consequent farming of less 
acres than has been the rule. In Illinois there is 
practically no wheat grown, while here wheat. 
corn and oats as well as alfalfa can be success- 
fully grown, which luakcs Nebraska a veritable 
"promised land." Mr. Fleming is married: his 
wife was in maidenhood Miss Louisa House, 
daughter of .■\bsali~)m House. Mr. and Mrs. 




LARS C. CHRISTENSEN. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



I'ZJ 



Fleming are the parents of two daughters. Ida 
and Maggie, both pupils of the Holdrege High 
School. The family are members of the M. E. 
church of Holdrege, of which Mr. Fleming was 
a trustee for a long time. 

Mr. Fleming is an active Republican, and has 
been a delegate to state and county conventions 
at different times. He is a man of wide experi- 
ence, and takes an active interest in all local 
affairs. 



HARRY Y. DOWNING. 

Harry V. Downing, one, of the prosperous 
ranchers of township 29, range 37, owns a fine 
ranch of seventeen hundred acres on section 30. 
and adjoining section, and is a progressive and 
industrious member of his community. 

2\Ir. Downing was born in Jones county, 
Iowa, in 1868. Henry A. Downing, the father of 
our subject, was an old settler in Cherry county, 
Nebraska, and a prominent veteran of the civil 
war, passing through the state of Nebraska and 
other western states with the United Staes troops 
during the early days on Indian campaigns, and 
was one of the leading old-timers of the region. 
He passed many years in Iowa, where Harry was 
reared and educated, and when he was a lad of 
twelve the family came to Butler county. Ne- 
braska, where the father homesteaded and proved 
up on his claim, and after a short residence there 
returned to Iowa. In 1888 our subject come to 
Cherry county, traveling by way of a covered 
wagon from Iowa, spending six months on the 
trip, camping out along the way, their first loca- 
tion being twenty-two miles east of the town of 
Gordon. Mr. Downing first worked all over that 
country as a cowboy, and finally took a home- 
stead, "batching it" for several years, and proved 
up on the place, and established his first ranch. 

In 1894'Mr. Downing came to his present lo- 
cation, this ranch having been established in 
1888. which was the property of Mrs. Jasen H. 
Cole, who was an old settler in the county, she 
owning part of the ranch in her own right. This 
has been improved in splendid shape by our sub- 
ject, all fenced, and a fine set of buildings which 
he has erected. He has bought other land from 
time to time and now the place contains about 
one thousand seven hundred in all. He culti- 
vates twenty acres only, using it almost exclu- 
sively as a stock ranch, and has met with splen- 
did success along these lines. At times since 
locating here Mr. Downing has suffered severe 
losses caused by blizzards, his greatest loss being 
in 1892, when property and stock destroved 
amounted to 40 per cent. In May, 1908, Mr. 



Downing purchased the Gates & Ganow ranch, 
containing one thousand six hundred acres join- 
ing his present ranch on the southwest, one of 
the best hay ranches in the county, yielding about 
one thousand to one thousand one hundred tons 
each season. 

In 1897, Mr. Downing married Mrs. Sadie 
Cole, widow of Jasen H. Cole, whose maiden 
name was ^McCawley. By her first marriage she 
was the mother of two children : Jay and Ray 
Cole, now attending the high school at Hastings, 
Nebraska. Jay expects to graduate this session ; 
and of her second marriage two children have 
been born, George, now aged eight years, attend- 
ing school at Kings. Cherry county, Nebraska ; 
and Doris, aged three years. 

Mr. Downing is identified with the Republi- 
can party politically, and is one of the leading 
men in local aft'airs. 



T. B. MESSNER. 



The gentleman above named, living a retired 
life in Minden. Nebraska, is one of the oldest 
settlers in Nebraska, having come to Richardson 
countv in 1876 where he bought a farm for five 
dollars per acre, and after farming it for one 
vear sold it for one thousand four hundred dol- 
lars, an advance of over six hundred dollars 
over what he paid for it. He then bought an- 
other farm, for which he paid two thousand dol- 
lars, improved with house, and aft^r keeping this 
for four vears and adding some improvements, 
disposed of the place at a profit of four thousand 
dollars. He was most successful in every un- 
dertaking, and everything he touched seemed to 
turn to money. In 1883 he came to Hastings, 
where he purchased three hundred and twenty 
acres, paving for this land five thousand eight 
hundred dollars, and after holding it for a year 
sold it for eight thousand, then came to Kearney 
countv two years later and bought a farm of one 
thousand and eighty acres in May township 
which he used for a stock ranch. He also bought 
one hundred and sixtv acres at Hartwell. and 
made that his home for several years, engaged 
in the cattle feeding and shipping business, with 
Omaha as a market. He left there in 1893 and 
moved to Perkins county, then returned to Kear- 
nev in Februarv of that year and has since that 
time farmed in this locality. In 1901 he came 
to Minden and has resided in that town since 
that time. He owns a farm in Phelps countv, 
also one in Clay county and one hundred and 
sixtv acres which adjoins Clay Centre. 

Mr. Messner was born in Dauphin county, 
near Harrisburg. Pennsylvania, and is a son of 
• Tohn Messner. who came to Ogle countv, Illi- 



228 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



nois, in 1847, from Dauphin county, Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Before coming to Nebraska Mr. Messner 
farmed in Henry county, Illinois, and states that 
a man can make inore money here than in that 
state, considering the amount invested. He 
raises fullv as good crops here and the yield is 
as large and prices obtained equally as good. 

While living in Illinois Mr. Messner enlisted 
in the 92d Illinois Infantry in 1862, and served 
up to May, 1865, participating in the battle of 
Cumberland and in all of the battles of that regi- 
ment until after the fall of Atlanta, and was 
discharged at St. Louis on account of sickness. 
He was at Chattanooga. Chickaniauga. Lookout 
Mountain, the Resaca raid around Atlanta, and 
many other famous battles, and during all that 
time was never wounded. 

In 1903 Mr. Messner was married to Mrs. P. 
J. Merrill, who came with her first husband, P. 
J. Merrill, from Bradford county, Pennsylvania, 
settling where Newark now stands in Kearney 
county, in 187S. Mr. ^lerrill was engaged in 
the grain business at that place. He was county 
commissioner about 1888 and Democratic candi- 
date for county clerk previous to 1883. He died 
in 1893 at the age of forty-two years, leaving a 
widow and four children, Lena, Reye. Scott and 
Mason. Her maiden name was Hattie Sinsa- 
baugh, all of her relatives residing in Pennsyl- 
vania, when she came west, and after coming to 
Nebraska she saw the first house ever erected 
in Minden, which was moved here from Lowell. 

Mr. and Mrs. Messner are members of the 
M. E. church and he is one of its trustees. He 
is also a member of the G. A. R. post at Minden. 



DAX. W. HUGHES. 

Dan. W. Hughes, one of the well-known 
citizens of Box Butte county, Nebraska, is a 
prosperous and well-to-do business man of Alli- 
ance, where he has lived for many years. 

Mr. Hughes was born in Youngstown. Ohio, 
in 1865. His father, James Hughes, was born 
in Wales, and followed the occupation of a miner 
and farmer. He married Lydia H. Jackson, of 
English descent, after settling in .\merica, and 
when our subject was seven years old, the family 
moved on a farm in Oliio, wJierc he was reared, 
and in liis boyjinod attended the same school that 
our late President William McKinley did wJien 
he was a boy. He later attended the Oliio .State 
L^niversity and received a good education. In 
1886 he ca'me to Box Butte county, driving out 
from Hay Springs, and took up government land 
located two miles south of the site of .Alliance, 



and put up his first building, which was a sod 
shanty. Here he "batched it" and worked out, 
later taking up a homestead west of Broncho 
Lake, and proved up on it. He was in this part 
of the state for about eight years, then went back 
to Ohio where he worked his father's farm for 
four years, when the latter died, then returned 
to Nebraska. During the year 1898 he worked 
for his father-in-law, who was in the ice business 
at Alliance, and the following year he bought 
the business and has run it ever since, and has 
an extensive trade. For one year he was in the 
livery business here, also spent a short time clerk- 
ing in the postoffice, and one year railroading. 
He is a man of industrious habits and good busi- 
ness ability, and has been successful in his differ- 
ent enterprises, always giving his best efforts to 
whatever he has in hand, which is the secret of 
success in any line of work. 

In June, 1894, Mr. Hughes married Miss 
Mary Fenner, daughter of Rosell Fenner. one of 
the pioneers of Alliance, settling in the town in 
1888. His famil}- came in on the first emigrant 
train that came here, and he took up government 
land which he afterwards proved up on. Mrs. 
Hughes' mother was Miss Merica E. Chritton, 
and the family were originally from Illinois. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Hughes one child was born, 
Estelle. 

Mr. Hughes is a Republican, takes an active 
interest in politics and for the past several years 
has served as a delegate to different conventions 
and on the central committtee. He is a member 
of the school board, and has the distinction of 
being the youngest man and oldest member of 
that board. Mr. and Mrs. Fenner, parents of 
Mrs. Dan. Hughes, have been married forty-two 
years and are still quite active at their present 
advanced age. ^Ir. Rosell Fenner served 
about four vears in the civil war. 



JACKSON IlILLETER. 

Jackson Billeter. long familiar to the people 
of -Ainsworth, Brown county, where his fortunes 
have been cast for many years, is a striking rep- 
resentative of those sturdy qualities and manly 
virtues that somehow peculiarly marked the pio- 
neer settlers of Nebraska. His career demon- 
strates the value of persistent and well directed 
effort and the competence which he has ac- 
acf|uircd stands for hard and faithful work. Mr. 
Billeter was born on a farm in Clay county, In- 
diana, April 25. 1851, and comes of a family in 
whose veins flow mingled English, Irish, Scotch 
and Welsh blood, and the combination in part 
may account for the vim and energy he is wont 




OLP iioMJ-: /Lixr// ox <x.i/ih: j/r] /■://. 




J 



UKSIDiC.XCK OF EXOS R. BARNES, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to display. His father, Penthus Billeter, was a 
farmer, and died in Iowa, after having tried set- 
tlement in Nebraska in 1855, but remaining here 
onlv a year. Indians were then at the height of 
their insubordination, and in 1856 he betook 
himself to Harrison county, Iowa, and the year 
following to Shelby and for more than thirty 
years was identified with Iowa interests and oc- 
cupations. 

Jackson Billeter found life on an Iowa farm 
full of hard work, and grew to manhood familiar 
with toil. He was married May 11, 1874, to 
Miss Sarah E. Kniss. She was a native of Wa- 
bash county, Indiana, a daughter of Abraham 
and Margaret (McMurlen) Kniss, the former 
born in West Virginia, the latter in Pennsylvania. 
They have two children, William E. and Orval 
K., born in Nebraska. 

For some two years after their marriage, the 
Billeters pursued farming in Iowa, but in July, 
1877, came into Cass county, Nebraska, on their 
way to Texas. Mrs. Billeter however, was in 
such poor health that they could not continue the 
journey, and stopped in Cass county, making 
their home with relatives for a time. Mr. Billeter 
came into Brown county in 1882, reaching Ains- 
worth on the twenty-fifth day of April of that 
year. The long journey from Cass county across 
country was made in a covered wagtm, and re- 
quired some six weeks for its completion. There 
were four families who came together, and thus 
formed a company that relieved the trip of much 
of its tedium. Mr. Billeter made a homestead 
entry in section 8, township 30, range 22. where 
he constructed a shanty, which the following 
year gave place to a sod house, much more 
roomy and comfortable. 

Good fortune has waited on honest effort and 
Mr. Billeter has acquired title to a half section 
of land, of which about two hundred and twentv 
acres are under thorough cultivation, improved 
with a good farm house, barns and sheds. 

The good character, integrity and industry 
of the subject of this article have won him the 
kind opinion of the public. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 



BENJAMINE E. BROTHERS. 

Benjamine E. Brotliers, one of the influential 
stock growers of Kimball county, resides on a 
fine ranch in section 28, township 16. range 53. 
Mr. Brothers was born September 18. 1852, in 
Richland county, Illinois, and was the third of 
eleven children in his father's family. Three 
sisters are living, the others are now dead. 

When our subject was about seven vears of 



age, the family removed to Logan county and 
from thence to Dewitt, Illinois, remaining there 
until the spring of 1888. At that tinie Mr. 
Brothers came to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, lo- 
cating in what is now Kimball countv, arriving 
here at 9 o'clock February 18, 1888. He took 
a pre-emption in the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion 8, township 16, range 53, and located a 
homestead on section 22. in the same township, 
and now has land in section 28 of this township. 
He has a splendid ranch of four hundred and 
eighty acres, cultivating 65 acres and using the 
balance for hay and grazing purposes. The farm 
contains good improvements and is well-equipped 
for stock raising. He runs about one hundred 
head each year. He also runs a good bunch of 
horses. 

Benjamine E. Brothers was married August 
16, 1874, to Miss Lizzie L. Henderson, a na- 
tive of Dewitt county, Illinois, where the wed- 
ding was performed. Mr. and Mrs. Brothers 
have five children: William, now married and 
living on the northeast quarter of section 8, town- 
ship 16, range 53 : Minnie, now Mrs. D. K. At- 
kins : Charles, single ; Cora L., single ; and 
Emma, now Mrs. Charles Stanton, living in 
Xheyenne county. 

Mr. Brothers is a Democrat in politics and is 
active in public matters. Mrs. Brothers is post- 
mistress at Bethel postoffice. This office was 
located on our subject's farm in 1906. He cast 
his lot here on wild prairie land, and with but a 
small start succeeded in building a comfortable 
home and farm. i\lany antelope were to be seen 
in this region in those days and at times bothered 
to such an extent that he had trouble in keeping 
them out of the garden. Mr. and Mrs. Brothers 
have witnesed the hard times of those early days 
and know well by experience the hardships of 
frontier life. Mr. Brothers had to be awav a 
good part of the time, as he was engaged in rail- 
road work, and at these times his "wife had the 
care of the place alone. 



ENOS R. BARNES. 

Enos R. Barnes, a prominent stock raiser of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, was born on a farm in 
Fillmore county, Minnesota, September 30, 
1860. His father, Alvah E. Barnes, was a 
farmer, and his mother was Miss Cornelia Mc- 
Millan, both of good old American stock. 

Enos R. Barnes was the second in a family 
of five children. When our subject was 11 years 
of age the family settled in Butler county, Iowa, 
where he was raised and educated, and there 
learned to do all kinds of hard farm work. At 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the age of twenty he came to Niobrara City, Ne- 
braska, and made settlement, taking a homestead 
in Holt county. His first house was a dug out, 
and here he "batched" it for four years, his ex- 
periences being many and varied, handling ox 
teams, and meeting with all the phases of life 
on a range. 

Mr. Barnes proved up on his homestead, and 
in 1886 was married to Miss Fluttie Sherman, a 
native of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Her father, 
Theodore Sherman, was a farmer and old set- 
tler in Holt county, Nebraska, who was married 
to Mary Galbraith, a native of Ohio. To this 
union five children have been born, who are 
named as follows : Elmer, Myrtle, wife of Walter 
Gooden, Howard, Alvah (now dead), and Eva. 

In the spring of 1887 the family moved to 
Cherry county, locating on the Snake river, thirty 
miles from a railroad, and there went through 
hard times and the usual pioneer •experiences. 
Much of our subject's time was spent in cutting 
fence posts which he hauled to Cody and sold for 
eight cents each, or collecting bones from the 
prairies and selling at the same place. This 
was their only source of "grub stake." 

^Ir. Barnes started in life with a very small 
amount of capital, but with a strong constitu-*^ 
tion and any amount of energy and perseverance. 
He encountered many obstacles in his struggle, 
was often compelled to camp out doors nights, 
and many times found himself without even the 
necessaries of life. His first habitation in 
Cherry county in 1894, was built of logs with a 
dirt roof, and was made without a nail. A better 
house was later constructed in which the family 
lived until the fall of 1905, when he took Kinkaid 
homestead of four hundred and eighty acres, lo- 
cated in section 2, township 30, range 34, of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, which is his present 
home. He now has fifty acres of cultivated 
land, and altogether owns nine hundred and sixty 
acres. He is engaged principally in stock rais- 
ing, having a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, 
and has met with great success in this direction. 

Mr. Barnes is considered one of the success- 
ful men of the county, and enjoys the esteem and 
respect of all who know him. In politics he is a 
Democrat, and a member of the Cody lodge, 
Modern Woodmen of .-Vmerica. 

A view of the family residence will be found 
elsewhere in this work. 



LESTER B. WEAVER. 

For many years past the gentleman above 
named has been a part nf the growth of the com- 
mercial and agricultural interests in that part of 
Grant county near and in the town of Whitman, 



and has been largely instrumental in the success 
of that thriving town, where he now makes his 
home, engaged in the lumber and general mer- 
chandise business, and is one of the prominent 
men in the place, giving his personal aid and in- 
fluence in every movement which is started for 
the advancement of the locality. 

Lester B. Weaver was born in Winnebago 
county, Illinois, in 1857. His parents settled in 
that state in 1852. the father, George, following 
farming all his life. He was a native of New 
York state, of Holland Dutch stock. He mar- 
ried Mary E. Moore, of English descent, born in 
]\Iassachusetts, and her ancestors were of that 
distinguished colony who came to America in 
the Mayflower in 1620. Lester was raised in 
Illinois, spending a part of his boyhood on the 
farm, and the balance in the city of Rockford, 
working at the carpenter's trade. When he 
was twenty-three years of age he left home and 
worked as a carpenter, following that trade for 
seven years. He came west in 1887, driving 
through different parts of Nebraska looking over 
the country in search of a desirable location, fi- 
nally pre-empting a claim on June 1st, of the 
latter year, situated seven miles northeast of 
Whitman, at that time Weir being the nearest 
shipping point. When he came into the vicinity 
there were seven cars of emigrants, whole fami- 
lies coming to make settlement, scattering all 
over this region. Our subject started to do car- 
penter work and built up many homes in and 
around Hyannis and \\'hitman. In the fall of 
1898 he secured employment as a clerk in a 
general store and continued in the work up to 
1901, when he was appointed postmaster of the 
^^'hitman village. During that time he also pur- 
chased a dru£;- stock and carried on the business 
for a time, disposing of it in 1902. In the lattter 
part of 1901 he bought an interest in the Whit- 
man Lumber Yard and soon added to this coal, 
builders' hardware, farm machinery, barbed wire, 
etc., and has developed a splendid trade. He 
has lately established a general store, has a big 
stock of goods, representing about eight thou- 
sand dollars worth, and is doing a large business. 

Mr. Weaver was married in 1879, to Miss 
Viola Phipps, whose parents were old settlers in 
Michigan, Three children were born to this 
marriage, but they all died of diphtheria within 
a week in November, 1889. Their names and 
age at death were as follows : Emma, aged nine 
years : Mena, aged six years ; and Sadie, aged 
three years. 

Mr. Weaver is one of the leading citizens in 
local afifairs. having held dififerent offices for 
many years past, serving as county judge, jus- 
public. He has taken an active part in establish- 
tice of the peace, and for eleven years as notary 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing and building up the schools in his section, 
and by his deep interest in the welfare of his 
community holds a high place in the esteem of 
his fellownien. He is a prominent member ol 
the Aiodern VVoodmen of America Lodge, and 
has been clerk of that organization tor tne past 
eleven years. He is also an i. U. U. t\ and has 
held otnce in that lodge since lyUO. 



JOHN I. DAVIS. 

Among the energetic and prosperous busi- 
ness men of Harrison, Sioux county. Nebraska, 
none stands higher in the estimation of his 
community than John I. Davis, who has de- 
voted many years of his career to the pur- 
suit of agriculture and helped develop this sec- 
tion of the state into the fertile farming com- 
munity it now represents. He has met with 
pronounced success in the ventures he has 
made along all lines, and is now in a position 
to enjo}- the result of his hard labors. 

Mr. Davis was born in Washara county, 
AMsconsin, in 1860. His parents were both 
of old American stock and were early pioneer 
settlers in ^linnesota, where they spent about 
fifteen years. They then came to Valley coun- 
ty, Nebraska, in 1877, where they bought land 
and started to build up a farm. Later they 
moved to Sioux county, arriving January 3, 
1887, and filed on a homestead near Harrison, 
the county seat. Our subject's father was an 
old soldier in the Civil war, enlisting in Min- 
nesota in 1862 and seeing hard service up to 
1865. His hard campaigning left him in bad 
health and never afterwards was what you 
could call a well man. He ran the Commercial 
Hotel in Harrison at one time, and was post- 
master under the Harrison administration up 
to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1891. 

He went through all the pioneer experi- 
ences in this section, having a hard time to 
get his farm started, and during those days 
worked as a clerk in different business houses 
in Harrison. He held the office of county 
treasurer for one term, receiving the election 
in 1901. In 1903 he began in the mercantile 
business in Harrison, purchasing the business 
from ]\Iarsteller Bros. The business was es- 
tablished in 1886 by D. H. Griswold. Mr. 
Davis carries a full and complete line of 
goods, conducts his store on strictly business 
principles and has one of the best houses of 
its kind in Sioux county, enjoying a very lu- 
crative patronage from all over the county. 
He handles furniture, dry goods and all kinds 
of merchandise. 



In October, 1885, Air. Davis was married 
to Miss Alice Hutchins, who shared with him 
the early hardships and privations they met 
with on first settling here, and together they 
have enjoyed the prosperity which has come 
to them in later years. They have an inter- 
esting family of three sons and three daugh- 
ters, namely : Archie, Dan, Edna, Rosseta, 
John and Vv'anda. 



HON. J. A. WILCOX. 

Hon. J. A. Wilcox, who occupies a promi- 
nent place among the worth}^ citizens of ]\Ic- 
Cook, Nebraska, is one of the best known men 
in this section of the country. 

Mr. Wilcox is a native of Canaan, New 
York, his father, Sylvester C. Wilcox, hav- 
ing been a practicing physician in Columbia 
county. New York, for over forty years, and 
his brother, Joseph Wilcox, was a sgldier in 
the War of 1812, having participated in the 
battle of Sackett's Harbor. Our subject has 
always been a Republican, and his first vote 
in 1864 was cast for Abraham Lincoln. At 
this time he was serving in the Army of the 
James. He had enlisted in Company A, One 
Hundred and Twenty-eighth New York Reg- 
iment, at Hudson, New York, in 1862, and 
served in the same up to 1864, when he was 
promoted to first lieutenant of the Thirty- 
eighth colored troops and went with his com- 
pany to Texas, where he was adjutant of the 
regiment for ten months, and was mustered 
out at Richmond, \''irginia, about January 15, 
1867. He was provost marshal and aide de 
camp. Second Brigade First Division, 
Twenty-fifth Army Corps ; also commanded 
the company about ten months under Sheridan. 

After the war closed he moved to Oilman , 
Illinois, and in 1870 entered the mercantile 
business there. He came to McCook in 1884 
and opened a mercantile and grocery business, 
and has been in this ever since under the firm 
name of A'N'ilcox Bros., or Wilcox & Fowler, 
or J. A. Wilcox & Son, the latter, E. J. Wil- 
cox, now being clerk of Redwillow county, 
serving his third term. In 1888 our subject 
was elected a member of the Twenty-first ses- 
sion of the Nebraska legislature, and it was 
in that session the law was passed to amend 
the constitution so as to submit liquor licenses 
to be voted on by the people, which was car- 
ried in the legislature but lost in election. 
E. J. "\^'ilcox served as city clerk, and also 
as city treasurer of McCook for many years, 
and in the year 1894 was a candidate before 
the state convention for secretary of state. 



232 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. ^^"ilcox was married in 1882 to Miss 
Callie Smith, of Washington, Illinois, and 
they have two children, E. J., above men- 
tioned, and one daughter, now Mrs. C. R. 
Woodruff, of McCook. 

Mr. Wilcox is a prominent member of the 
Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Command- 
ery; belongs to the Woodmen, Ancient Order 
of United Workmen and the Maccabees. He is 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and president of the board of trustees, which 
office he has held since its organization in 
1884. This was the first church built in west- 
ern Nebraska, and cost nearly twenty thou- 
sand dollars. He is also first commander of 
the Grand Army of the Republic post of this 
district, and past commander of the district 
and post. 

He takes a general interest in all matters 
of national, state and local affairs, and is a 
man of much activity of mind and a citizen of 
true worth. He has two brothers also living 
here, both successful stock and ranchmen, a 
sketch of F. S. \\'ilcox appearing on another 
page of this volume. 



BENJAMIN F. RAY. 

Benjamin F. Ray, one of the prominent 
business men and deservedly esteemed citi- 
zens of Rushville, Nebraska, is a man of ex- 
ceptional business capacity, who has met with 
a great measure of success as an artist and 
photographer. He established his present gal- 
lery, in May, 1900, and is thoroughly compe- 
tent in this line of work. 

Mr. Ray was born in Rushville. Indiana, 
in 1858. His father, William H. Ray, now 
seventy-five years of age, was a carpenter by 
trade, and his family of nine children, of whom 
our subject is the eldest, were raised in their 
native state. At the age of twenty-one he 
came to eastern Nebraska, where he lived for 
three years and followed the profession of a 
teacher in the Saunders county schools. From 
there he went to Ottertail county, Minnesota, 
and after taking up a homestead continued 
teaching and remained until he proved up on 
his farm, then went back to his old home in 
Indiana. 

In 1891 he came to Crawford, Dawes coun- 
ty, Nebraska, and taught school for eight 
years. During these years he devoted a great 
deal of time to the study of photography, and 
spent some time in Chicago learning retouch- 
ing and becoming familiar with all branches 
of the work. In 1893 Mr. Ray took a special 



course while residing in Chadron attending 
the Chadron Academy. 

In 1881 ]\Ir. Ray was married to Miss Har- 
riet Rowe, whose father was a farmer of Ger- 
man descent, an old soldier in the Union 
army and an ardent Republican in politics, 
who used to say "he always voted as he shot." 
Two children were born of this union, Ernest 
and Erwin, and the mother forfeited her life 
in giving birth to them. 

Mr. Ray married again in 1898, this time 
to ]\Iiss Amy Leek, whose father was Rev. 
William Leek, a minister of the Baptist 
church of Missouri and one of the pioneers of 
that state. This marriage occurred in Chad- 
ron, Nebraska, where Mr. Ray met Miss Leek. 
She was also a school teacher in Dawes coun- 
ty. Three children have been born to them, 
namely: Dorothy, Harold and Margaret. The 
family have a pleasant and happy home and 
are popular residents of the town. 

Mr. Ray has always taken an active in- 
terest in politics in the county and is classed 
among the public-spirited men of his commu- 
nity. He is now serving as one of the dep- 
uty assessors of his district. 



SHERIDAN WILLIAMS. 

Sheridan Williams, one of the prominent 
early settlers of Harlan county, Nebraska, re- 
sides at Alma, where he has a comfortable 
home and a large circle of friends and acquaint- 
ances. He is widely known in this section as 
a successful, prosperous farmer and stockman. 

Mr. Williams is a native of Illinois, and 
was born in 1867. His father, Weyman W. 
Williams, came to Nebraska from Adair coun- 
ty, Missouri, locating in Harlan county with 
his family in 1886. He served for over four 
years during the war in the Sixty-fourth Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry, Company D. This 
regiment was made up from volunteers of 
Hancock, Illinois, and saw hard service in Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia, 
and was with Sherman in all his campaigns. 
Mr. Williams was in many battles, including 
the battles of Vicksburg. Shiloh and Corinth, 
also at Atlanta and other famous actions, and 
never received a wound. The Williams fam- 
ily originally came from Kentucky, settling 
in Illinois in the pioneer days of the state. 
Our subject's mother was a Miss Annie Fort- 
ney, native of Pennsylvania. 

In 1886 Mr. Williams came to Nebraska 
and settled in Harlan county. He first rent- 
ed land, and later bought a farm in Eldorado 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



township, consisting of four hundred and 
eighty acres, selling of? three hundred and 
twenty acres after a short time. In 1904 he 
moved to Alma, purchasing ten acres on Cook 
creek, an ideal feeding place. This is sup- 
plied with plenty of water and many trees, 
and is a very valuable piece of property. On 
this stands the remains of Cook's log house, 
where one of the first terms of court in the 
county was held. 

Mr. Williams is starting a herd of pure- 
bred Poland-China hogs, and is now feeding 
three hundred and twenty head of cattle. He 
also keeps a thoroughbred jack and has a Mc- 
T.aughlin Brothers imported horse worth three 
thousand dollars. 

In 1892 our subject was married to Miss 
Dora Keiser, daughter of Elijah Keiser, who 
settled on a homestead in Harlan county in 
1872, and still lives on the farm he home- 
steaded then. The Keisers originally came 
from Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have a 
family of four sons, namely: Howard, Harry, 
Lawrence and Paul. 

Mr. Williams has been a member of the 
county board for two terms, and was candi- 
date for sheriff in 1905, representing the Inde- 
pendent party, but lost out and has taken more 
or less active part in politics ever since. 



PEARL H. DAVIS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the prominent residents 
of Rock county, Nebraska. Mr. Davis was born 
in Corning, Adams county, Iowa, on Septem- 
ber 5, 1879. His father, Harry P. Davis, was 
a contractor and builder at Corning, still main- 
taining that business and address. He is of 
American stock, and married Miss Josephine 
Ritchie, of English descent, American-born, 
whose family was among the pioneer settlers 
in Adams county. There was a family of six 
children, and of these our subject was the 
third in order of birth, reared and educated in 
his home town. In the summer of 1899 he came 
to Newport and became cashier of the Rock 
County State Bank, remaining in that position 
for five years. 

In 1903 Mr. Davis was elected county clerk 
and was re-elected in 1905. On completing his 
second term in 1907 Mr. Davis opened a real 
e tate ofifice in Newport, in which he is pros- 
pering. In politics he is a Democrat, and has 
always taken an active interest in party pol- 
itics, being recognized as a man of superior 
intelligence and judgment, and commanding 



the respect of all with whom he comes in con- 
tact in a business or social way. Mr. Davis 
owns a three hundred and twenty-acre farm 
in this county, most of which is in hay land. 
In 1902 Mr. Davis was married to Miss 
Cora Berry, daughter of John H. Berry, a 
prominent resident of Newport. To ]\Ir. and 
Mrs. Davis have been born the following chil- 
dren : Gerald and Glenn. Mrs. Davis was a 
music teacher prior to her marriage, and had 
a large class of pupils from both Rock .and 
Holt counties. Mr. Davis is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, with lodge affiliations at 
Bassett, which he has served as master. 



• JOHN -D. HOPKEN. 

The subject of this sketch, John D. Hop- 
ken, is an example of what German thrift and 
perseverance will accomplish. He was born 
in Germany, in the northern part of Olde^i- 
burgh, February 16, 1853. His father, Johan 
Herman Hopken, was a baker and merchant, 
and his mother was Elizabeth Knudson, both 
born in Germany. Mr. Hopken's youth was 
spent in the old country in various occupa- 
tions. He followed the occupation of farm- 
ing for a time and served in the German army 
during the war with France and was with his 
command on French territory for twenty-three 
months. After leaving the army he was fore- 
man on a government farm for about seven 
years, and five years were spent as foreman in 
a coal mine. 

Our subject came to America in 1883, sail- 
ing from Havre on the "Elbe," and after a 
voyage of eleven daj-s landed in New York 
City on February 17. He came direct to Lin- 
coln and thence went to Seward county, where 
he remained for two ^^ears, farming on rented 
land. He came to Oga-llala in 1885 and took 
a homestead southeast of Ogallala, building a 
frame shack on the homestead. He had five 
dollars and one horse when he settled on his 
homestead, and from this small beginning he 
has built up the success which is now his. In 
1893 he was in good circumstances, but in the 
big fire of that year he lost twenty-nine head 
of cattle, his home, barn, granary, harness and 
furniture and was obliged to borrow money to 
start anew. He also worked out by the day. 
So complete was the loss that they used pine 
sticks in place of forks for a meal or two after 
the fire ; everything was destroyed except their 
potatoes. Their crops were failures for sev- 
eral years, but Mr. Hopken. although greatly 
discouraged, did not give uii. and when, in 



234 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIIXISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1907. he sold out, he had a ranch of seven 
hundred acres on the South Platte river, all 
finely improved with good buildings and ma- 
chinery. He received ten thousand dollars 
as the price, and with this he bought his 
present livery business and a residence in Ogal- 
lala. and also has sixty head of horses and one 
hundred head of cattle. 

Mr. Hopken's first wife died some time ago 
and left one son, J. H. Hopken. Mr. Hopken 
was married a second time in 1907 to Mrs. 
Mary Kildare, a native of Ireland, who came 
to America with her parents in 1883. sailing 
from Liverpool to Boston. She owns a fine 
ranch of five hundred acres, with sixty head 
of horses and a hundred cattle. 

Our subject is one of the oldest settlers 
of Keith county and has done his share in 
making the county what it is. He has had 
many discouragements, but, in spite of all, he 
has persevered and attained his present wealth- 
He is a member of the Lutheran church, while 
ilrs. Hopken is a Catholic in faith. 



CARL A. JOHNSON. 

Carl A. Johnson, when but four years of 
age, settled with his parents in Nebraska in 
1879, locating in Colfax county at that time. 
His father was one of the prominent pioneers 
of that county. He has gone through all the 
experiences of the old timers in western Ne- 
braska, and has watched its growth and prog- 
ress through the different stages of its devel- 
opment, lending his aid willingly and liber- 
ally at all times for the bettering of conditions 
in his locality. Mr. Johnson now resides on 
section 8, township 22, range 15, Garfield 
county, where he has a well developed farm 
and comfortable home one mile cast of De- 
verre postofifice. 

Mr. Johnson was born in 1874 in Wiscon- 
sin. He came of Norwegian stock, his father 
and mother having come to this country from 
Norway in 1867. settling in Wisconsin, where 
their family of eight children were born. They 
all came to Nebraska in 1879. The father 
bought one hundred and twenty acres in Col- 
fax county and started to develop a farm 
there. He met with good success and then 
came to Garfield county, Nebraska. In 1901 
our subject left home and settled in Garfield 
county on a homestead of one hundred and 
sixty acres, where his father owned a farm ad- 
joining. Mr. Johnson has always employed 
progressive methods in his operations, has all 
of his land under cultivation, raising wheat, 



oats and corn principally, running only enough 
stock for his farming and domestic purposes. 
During 1906 Mr. Johnson raised ten hundred 
and eighty bushels of oats from thirty-five 
acres of ground, and thirteen hundred bushels 
of corn from forty acres, and states that this 
is much better than could be done on any land 
in the eastern part of the United States, and 
it is only a fair average for Nebraska. He 
is of the opinion that a poor man's chances are 
the same as two' to one between this country 
and the east. Mr. Johnson came here with 
but very little capital when he first started 
out for himself and has built up a good, farm 
and valuable property in a very short time. 
His place is well supplied with good water, 
supplied from deep wells with windmills and 
supply tanks. The place is situated on the 
tableland and he has no cause to worry about 
floods, and has never had a water spout or 
cyclone since living in this region. 

Mr. Johnson is a bachelor, a worthy citi- 
zen and good friend, belonging to the Lu- 
theran church of Burwell. Politically he is a 
Republican, but has never aspired to office. 



WILLIAM WEYGINT. 

William W'eygint, retired, of McCook, Red- 
willow county, Nebraska, came to this county 
in 1872, in April of that year, accompanied by 
Lewis Korn, Judge Hill and George Hunter, 
the last mentioned three all coming from Ta- 
bor, Iowa, and our subject from Vernon, On- 
eida county. New York. During the first year 
Mr. W'eygint squatted on land here, and in 
1873 he took up a homestead where Indianola 
now stands. There he had one hundred and 
sixty acres, and he was the first white man 
to plow a furrow in this region. He had good 
luck with corn and potatoes on the sod, hav- 
ing a yield of forty bushels per acre. He 
built a dugout for a house on Boone creek, 
and in 1874 his wife joined him, also the fam- 
ilies of the other men who came here with 
him, and the four families all settled near to- 
gether, forming a sort of protection for each 
other. Soon afterwards ten other families 
came in, and there was quite a settlement made 
up. Mr. Weygint lived on that place for twelve 
years, then the B. & M. Railway came in and cut 
his land in two pieces, so that part of it was 
inside the corporation of Indianola, then the 
county seat. He then sold out the place and 
moved to Frontier county, locating on a ranch 
of six hundred and forty acres, and went into 
the stock business. 




MARIAVILLE POST OFFICE, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 




WILLIAM WEYGINT. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Weygint was born in 1820 in Oneida 
county, New York. His father, Tobias Wey- 
gint, served six years and seven months in the 
Revohitionary war and died in 1847 at the age 
of ninety-six years. The Weygint family orig- 
inally came from Holland, our subject's mother 
being prior to her marriage Miss Unis Tower, 
born in New York state, of Scotch descent. 

In 1862 Mr. W^eygint enlisted in the Tenth 
New York Cavalry in the Army of the Poto- 
mac, and was saddlery sergeant of his regi- 
ment. He was in the W^ilderness campaign 
and at Gettysburg, and in all took part in 
sixty-three regular engagements where artil- 
lery was used, and in twenty-four skirmishes, 
and escaped without receiving a scratch. At 
ditterent times he had two horses shot out 
from under him, and can tell any number of 
interesting anecdotes relating to his experi- 
ences while a soldier. After the war he lo- 
cated in Cortland county, New York. He 
had married in 1844, in that county. Miss So- 
phronia Blanchard, daughter of William 
Blanchard, who was born in Vermont, set- 
tling in Cortland county with his parents when 
he was four years old. He served in the War 
of 1812 in the New York militia. William 
Blanchard married Laura Taylor, of Cortland 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Weygint h9.d a family 
of seven children, as follows: Mrs. Frances 
Campbell, of McCook, now dead; Mrs. Antoi- 
nette Warner, of McCook ; William B. Wey- 
gint, of Antelope county, retired farmer and 
ex-soldier of the late war, having served in 
the Tenth New York Cavalry ; H. D. Wey- 
gint, of Meadow Grove, Nebraska, commer- 
cial traveler ; Mrs. Eva Starbuck, of Salt Lake, 
Utah ; and Mrs. .Martha Stewart, of McCook. 
Jessie died at the age of four years. 

;\lr. \\'eygint was a member of the Whig 
party, but in i856 became a Republican, and 
was sent as a delegate from Cortland county 
to Syracuse, where the first state convention 
qf that party was held. There were three del- 
egates from his county. He has always been 
active in political affairs, and has campaigned 
throughout the state of Nebraska for his party 
to a great extent. After coming to JMcCook 
he was justice of the peace in Frontier county, 
and later was active in the organization of 
Redwillow county. At the first election, held 
in 1876, there were one hundred and twenty- 
seven voters, and eighty-four of these were vet- 
erans of the Civil war, and Mr. \\^eygint is 
of the opinion that the war fitted these men 
for the pioneer hardships and work of this 
new west, and that the best and most suc- 
cessful business men and farmers were sol- 
diers for the Union, showing that war does 



not spoil, but makes men where the material 
was right. At the age of eighty-eight years 
he is still active and hearty, attending person- 
ally to his property interests and his home. 
The family are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church here and are highly es- 
teemed. He is a member of the Grand Army 
of the Republic post. A portrait of Mr. Wey- 
gint appears on another page of this work. 



L. E. FURRY & SONS. 

The members of the above firm are among 
the successful business men of Franklin, where 
they are recognized as the leading grain and stock 
shippers of that locality. They are a reliable, 
hustling concern, and the members are held 
in the highest esteem as business men and 
worthy citizens, their trade extending all over 
that section of the country, buying over a 
thousand cattle each season in the west, which 
they sell to the feeders in this vicinity. Be- 
sides these, they feed about five hundred head 
annually on their farm of one hundred and 
fifty acres, located near Franklin, and one hun- ' 
dred and sixty acres of pasture a short dis- 
tance from town. 

L. E. Furry is a native of Pennsylvania. 
He came to Nebraska from Bedford, Penn- 
sylvania, where he was engaged in the milling 
business, settling here in 1887, starting at once 
into the grain and live stock business, and has 
continued at the work ever since. He is ably 
assisted by his sons, T. R. and C. J. Furry, 
and they buy stock all over this state, Colo- 
rado and Kansas, and ship each year from one 
hundred to one hundred and fifty cars from 
Franklin to the markets. Their grain ship- 
ments amount to one hundred thousand bush- 
els of corn annually, and they also buy and 
ship wheat, although this is more of a corn 
and cattle country. Farmers in this section 
of the country raise too much wheat, and 
should put in larger crops of corn, as it is 
in better demand and feeders are obliged to 
have large amounts shipped in from neighbor- 
ing states. The soil is admirably adapted to 
the cultivation of this grain, and big crops 
are raised. The state should raise enough to 
supply the feeders and farmers instead of im- 
porting the sixty thousand bushels annually 
needed to supply their demand. 

The Furrys are this year feeding four hun- 
dred cattle and a large number of hogs, and 
they arC' satisfied that this is one of the best 
feeding countries to be found in the west. 
There are more hogs raised and shipped from 



236 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tliis region than any other part of the state, 
and good prices are obtained for them at the 
nearby and Chicago markets. The people in 
this vicinity are realizing the importance of 
getting better grade stock, and many are start- 
ing good herds, and it is generally conceded 
that the pure-bred Shorthorn cattle are the 
best for all purposes, while the Poland-China 
hogs are preferred to any other breed. 

Our subjects own an alfalfa farm of one 
hundred and eighty acres adjoining the town 
of Franklin, and they also own three hundred 
and twenty acres of good land in Trenton, 
Hitchcock county. Nebraska. 

Franklin is recognized as the best shipping 
point on the B. & M. Railway between Den- 
ver and the ^lissouri river, and the farmers are 
generally prosperous. It has a population of 
twelve hundred and fifty, has two banks, with 
deposits of five hundred thousand dollars, near- 
ly all of this being farmers' money, which 
shows the prosperity of the people. In the 
past twenty years land has advanced from ten 
dollars to eighty dollars per acre, showing a 
gain cf four hundred per cent, in that time. 



GEORGE W. FREEMAN. 

Among the successful self-made men of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, may be truly noted 
George W. Freeman. He came to that region 
when it was but sparsely settled with white 
men. and has endured many hardships to se- 
cure the fine property of which he is now 
owner, and can recount many thrilling e.xpe- 
riences of pioneer days in the state. While 
building up a comfortable home and product- 
ive farm, he has also been one of the foremost 
public-spirited citizens of this locality, and 
has added in marked degree to the general 
welfare of the community where he resides. 
His residence is on section 7, township 29, 
range .1", and he is held in the highest esteem 
by his associates. 

Mr. Freeman was born in Lampassas coun- 
ty, Texas, in 1863. He was raised on a farm, 
his father, .Andrew Freeman, following farm- 
ing all his life. His mother's maiden name 
was Missouri Lucky. The family lived in 
Texas until George was about eighteen years 
of age, he working on ranches as a cowpuncher 
for several years, and rode all over that part 
of the state in rounding up cattle, etc. In 1884 
he went to Wyoming, where he followed range 
Wf>rk for about twelve years, working for dif- 
ferent cattle outfits, also spent some time in 
Nebraska, and was all along the Powder river 



in Montana. He came to Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, in 1896, at that time being connected 
with the Spade ranching outfit, working as a 
cowboy, and continued with that company for 
about three years, then took a claim under 
homestead rights, locating on the land in 1900, 
during the spring of that year. He at once 
started to develop a farm, putting up build- 
ings and breaking up land for crops, and 
worked faithfully until he proved up on his 
place. He began raising cattle and 'is now 
owner of a good herd, with plenty of good 
pasture and hay land. His ranch contains two 
thousand six hundred and forty acres alto- 
gether, and he uses it almost exclusively as 
a stock ranch, cultivating only about forty 
acres. 'Mr. Freeman runs about fifteen hun- 
dred head of cattle, seventy-five head of horses, 
has five windmills and five flowing wells, and 
puts up about fifteen hundred tons of hay each 
season. There are several fine lakes on the 
ranch and plent}- of wild ducks and geese are 
to be found on the lakes, making it fine for 
sport during the hunting season of the year. 



JAMES DOUGHERTY. 

Although a comparatively recent settler in 
Alliance, the gentleman whose name heads this 
personal history is one of the old-timers of 
Box Butte county, settling in the county in 
the spring of 1886. and is well and favorably 
known to the residents of this part of the 
country. 

Mr. Dougherty was born in Canada, near 
New London, in 1863. His father, Michael 
Dougherty, was born in Ireland and came to 
Canada when a lad, where he was raised, and 
the mother was also a native of Ireland. When 
our subject was eight years of age the family 
left Canada and came to Iowa, locating at Du- 
Inique, where they lived for five years. From 
there they went to northeastern JN'ebraska arfd 
then to Dakota county. When still a young 
boy James started out to make his own way 
in the world, locating in Box Butte county. 
He drove here from Hay Springs, camping 
out nights on the trip, and after coming here 
he ran a bunch of cattle on a ranch, owned 
now by R. M. Hampton. He took up a home- 
stead situated six miles west of Alliance and 
proved up on it, and was in the cattle busi- 
ness on a large scale for a number of years, 
and also worked as a cowboy for years 
through the western part of the state. To- 
gether with a brother he owns a ranch at Lake- 
side, which thev have leased for a term of five 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



237 



years, and he has done exceedingly well in a 
financial way since settling in this region. In 
1904 he moved to Alliance and has since made 
this his home, where he has bought good prop- 
erty in the western part of town, has built a 
fine brick house and made other improvements, 
He has been a prominent member of his com- 
munity, and taken an active part in local pub- 
lic affairs, serving as marshal for two years, 
and also was assessor for one term. He is a 
Democrat and a strong advocate of the princi- 
ples of that organization. Our subject's fa- 
ther is about seventy-five years of a%e, but 
stands erect and is as active as a boy. His 
mother is deceased. 



DE LAFAYETTE FANCHER. 

Mr. De Lafayette Fancher, an energetic 
young farmer of Ainsworth precinct, Brown 
county, Nebraska, was born October 11, 1874, 
at Floyd Corners, Oneida county, New York, 
a son of Edward Fancher, a man of promi- 
fience in that state. He was a soldier in the 
Union army during the Civil war. After re- 
siding in Iowa and eastern Nebraska for a 
number of years he removed to Brown county, 
Nebraska, in 1880, making his home in Brown 
county, where he settled on a homestead in 
section 11, township 30, range 23, where he 
died four years later. The family came from 
eastern Nebraska in a covered wagon and were 
about six weeks on the way, enduring the 
usual discomforts of movers in the early days. 

Mr. De L. Fancher, the third of a family of 
seven children born to his parents, was a lad 
of six years when the family moved to Brown 
county and here he was reared and educated 
in the early schools of the day, living for a time 
in a log house. He has memories of the priv- 
ileges and privations that come to hearty, 
healthy youth on the frontiers. He remained 
under the parental roof until his marriage, 
though he spent some ten months in the Black 
Hills four years prior to this interesting event. 

Mr. Fancher and Miss Ada Dwyer were 
married in Ainsworth, December 30, 1900, and 
she has proved a most helpful and companion- 
able wife. She was born on the home farm 
near Glenwood, Mills county, Iowa, a daugh- 
ter of Chester L. and Leonora (Warren) 
Dwyer. The former was a native of Vermont, 
and a settler in Iowa at a very early day. In 
1884 he located in Brown county, Nebraska, 
settling on a homestead under a soldier's claim. 
Mrs. Fancher remembers Brown countv before 
schools or churches were established, and 



largely received her education at the hands of 
her mother, who was a highly educated lady. 
She became a teacher, too, and was engaged 
in the work of public instruction for some nine 
years prior to her marriage. She also secured 
a homestead, upon which she has proved up, 
and now holds a clear title. It lies in section 
4, township 29, range 25, of Cherry county. 
That she has been able to sustain herself as 
an applicant for this homestead and meet all 
the requirements that were thrown around its 
acquisition by the land office, argues much 
strength of character and great persistence. 
Air. and Mrs. Fancher are the parents of three 
children — Ruth, Violet and Eunice. 

Mr. and Mrs. Fancher made their location 
on the farm where they are found at the pres- 
ent time in 1900. It is in section 17 and was 
originally a tree claim, constituting a part 
of the family estate inherited from his father. 
In political views Mr. Fancher is a Democrat, 
is a member of the Methodist church and af- 
filiates with the Modern Woodmen of America 
of Ainsworth. 



SAMUEL J. HEDGES. 

Samuel J. Hedges, whose labors in Chey- 
enne county entitle him to a foremost place 
as one of the developers of the agricultural 
interests of the locality, resides on an elegant 
farm in township 15, range 50. He is a pio- 
neer of that region, his wife and himself com- 
ing into the county by ox team from Buffalo 
county with a covered wagon containing all 
their earthly possessions, leading two cows 
and having several pigs and a few chickens 
to start their new farm with. When they 
finally arrived at their new location all the 
money they possessed was thirty-five cents, 
and from this beginning he has carved out a 
considerable fortune, and is one of the pro- 
gressive and well-to-do farmers of the com- 
munity. • 

Mr. Hedges was born in Lansingburg, New 
York, nine miles north of the city of Albany, 
on December 28, 1853. He grew up there, his 
mother dying in 1866. His father was a sol- ' 
dier in the Civil war, and lived in New York 
state up to the time of his death, which oc- 
curred in 1893. When our subject was twenty- 
six years of age he came west, locating in Buf- 
falo county, Nebraska, later moved to Wash- 
ington county, where he farmed for three 
years, then returned to his first location, fol- 
lowing farming up to 1886, then came to Chey- 
enne county, filing on a homestead on section 



^38 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



24. township 15, range 50. He constantly im- 
proved his farm, adding good buildings, fences, 
and gradually got into the stock business on 
quite a large scale, and has done exceedingly 
well, owning at the present time half a sec- 
tion of good land, of which he cultivates two 
hundred and fifty acres and keeps fifty head of 
cattle. 

Mr. Hedges married on March 28. 1883. 
Mary E. Allen, a native of Pennsylvania, born 
in Erie county. Her mother is now living in 
Lincoln, Nebraska, while the father is dead. 
Four children have been born to our sub- 
ject and his estimable wife, named as fol- 
lows: Allen \V.. Edgar M., Lucy J. and Roy 
T. The first mentioned has a homestead on 
section 2, township 16. range 15, on which 
he resides, while the others live at home. 

Mr. Hedges is prominent in local affairs, 
also in all matters of importance pertaining to 
his countv and state, voting the Prohibition 
ticket. 



A. H. GERICKE. 

A. H. Gericke, a well-to-do farmer, ener- 
getic and industrious, a typical representative 
of the sturdy German race, who came to this 
country to establish a home and accumulate 
a competence for his old age, resides on his 
fine estate in section 6. township 22, range 
15. Mr. Gericke is one of the old-timers of 
western Nebraska, settling in Cuming county 
in 1878, and since coming to this part of the 
country he has taken a leading part in every 
movement for the benefit of his community. 
He now lives in Burwell. having traded his 
farm in the spring of 1908 for a hardware and 
implement business. He is working up a fine 
trade in this place. 

Mr. Gericke was born in Germany in 1864. 
and grew up there, remaining with his par- 
ents until he was a boy of seventeen years of 
age, when he left his native country and 
struck out for himself, coming ta America Au- 
gust 31, 1878, and on landing in New York 
City came direct to Nebraska, as he had rela- 
tives who had settled in this state some years 
previously. He lived in Cuming county for 
quite a time after coming here. Ijut as this 
county was becoming so thickly settled and 
the land was getting very high, he decided to 
leave, and moved to Garfield county, purchas- 
ing one hundred and sixty acres of land in 
section 6. township 22. range 15. and has since 
added to his original possessions until he is 
proprietor of about four hundred acres, en- 
gaging principally in raising grain, growing 



corn, wheat, oats and rye. He keeps quite a 
number of stock, including cattle and hogs, 
with enough horses for his farming purposes. 
Here he has made considerable money, mak- 
ing a splendid success of his different enter- 
prises. After locating here he was able to 
obtain some very cheap land on account of 
some of the settlers here becoming discour- 
aged during the poor years and who left their 
homes to return to the east, and Mr. Gericke 
thinks that a man's chances here are as twenty 
to one as against those in that part of the 
L'nited* States. He has always been lucky 
about his crops, and has never had a total fail- 
ure since coming here. He has plenty of wa- 
ter for every purpose, having good, deep wells, 
fitted with hydraulic force pumps and supply 
tanks, as have most of the larger farmers in 
this section, and he has never been out of 
water since having his well put down. 

Mr. Gericke was married in 1889 to Au- 
gusta Moritz, also a native of Germany, who 
came to this country with her parents in 1878. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Gericke have been born nine 
childien. named as follows: Lewis. Lizzie. 
Henry. Rudolph. John. George. Dick. Sussie 
and Annie. The family are active members of 
the German Lutheran cliprch and well liked 
by all in their community. 

Mr. Gericke is numbered among the 
wealthy residents of his locality and is a prom- 
inent citizen. He has held the office of road 
overseer for several years. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics. 



FRANK NIEHUS. 

For the past twenty-five years the gentle- 
man above named has been prominently iden- 
tified with the farming interests of Keya Paha 
county. He resides on section 5, township 
34, range 21. which he took as a pre-emption 
when he first settled here, and since that time 
has alwaj'S been found supporting public in- 
terests and lending his aid toward the devel- 
opment of the social and commercial life of 
his home community. He is one of the lead- 
ing men of his precinct and county and highly 
esteemed by all who know him. ^ 

Mr. Niehus was born on a farm near the 
town of Ehiishorn. Hoistein. Germany, July 
20, 1860. His father, Clans Niehus, never came 
to .\nicrica except for a visit during the 
World's FaiY in 1893. spending three montlis 
here, then going back to his native country, 
where he died in lOQO. The mother never left 
Germany, where she still resides at the age 




■ICAGIJO HOCK KAXCII.- lil 
Kcya I'alia 




OF FRANK MEHUS, 
braska. 



CO:\IPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



239 



of seventy-seven. When our subject was six- 
teen years of age he started out to make his 
own way in the world, coming to America in 
1876, saihng from Hamburg on the "Fresia," 
and after a voyage of eleven days he landed 
in New York on May 23. He came directly 
to Nebraska, joining his brother at Grand 
Island. For three years he traveled all over 
the west, working for the Oregon Short Line, 
then returned to this state, and in the spring 
of 1883 located on his present farm, at the 
same time taking a tree claim adjoining it. He 
first built a small shanty, where he "batched 
it" for a few months, then was married July 
9, 1884. to Miss Katherine Graham, born in 
1866. Her parents came to this country from 
Scotland when they were young, the mother 
crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel, the voy- 
age lasting six weeks and three days. They 
first located in Wisconsin, and came to Grand 
Island in 1865, where both her father and 
mother died a few years ago. After our sub- 
ject's marriage, he and his bride took a wed- 
ding trip from Grand Island to Springview, 
traveling in a covered wagon to their home, 
camping on the way. An unusual wedding 
trip, even in the west. When he settled on 
this place there was not a tree to be seen, 
but he planted a large number and now has 
five groves of forest trees, comprising forty 
acres, with an orchard of twenty-five apple 
and pear trees, besides other small fruits. Dur- 
ing the earlv days he herded cattle and worked 
on the railroad, saving his earnings, from 
which he has accumulated all his large estate 
of today. He owns eight thousand acres of 
land, with five hundred acres in cultivation, 
all lying about twelve miles northwest of 
Springview except a tract of seven hundred 
and sixty act ;s, with two hundred and fifty 
acres under the plow situated on the Niobrara 
river. He keeps about six hundred head of 
cattle and fifty horses, besides other stock. 
Twenty-five acres are seeded to alfalfa, which 
yields in abundance every season. There are 
three tenant houses on the ranch. At one time 
Mr. Niehus had a lumber yard and livery 
barn in Bassett, both of which he operated 
with success, but sold them to advantage. 
For some years he was engaged in buying and 
selling cattle, first in Bassett and then from 
Ainsworth, and has for, a year or two been 
operating four threshing machines with gaso- 
line engines. 

Mr. Niehus has a nice home in South Oma- 
ha, where the family resided that the children 
might have the advantages ofifered by the 
city schools. In 1907 he built a large, fourteen- 
room frame dwelling, fitted with running wa- 



ter, bath room and other conveniences, being 
the finest country residence in the county. A 
view of this elegant home and surroundings 
is presented on another page. 

Mr. Niehus had a family of seven children, 
five of whom are living and reside with their 
parents, named as follows: Pearl E., Marie 
Augusta, \'\'illiam F.. John and Frances G. 

In 1899 Mr. Niehus revisited his native land, 
crossing on the "Persia" and returning after 
three months' absence on the "Russia" in 1900. 

Mr. Niehus is a Democrat politically, al- 
though he cast his vote for Roosevelt at his 
last election. In 1908 he gave his support to 
Bryan, returning to his old allegiance. Mr. 
Niehus was reared in the Lutheran church. 
Fraternally he affiliates with the Masons, the 
Knights of Pythias, the Eagles and the An- 
cient Order of L'nited Workmen. 



HON. WILLIAM S. PENISTON, Deceased. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history was born in 1834 at Yorkshire, 
England. He came to Nebraska in 1859, and 
bought a ranch opposite Willow Island, where 
he built a log house and store on the old Cal- 
ifornia trail and carried a general stock of 
supplies for overland travelers. In the year 
1866 he moved his store and dwelling to Front 
street. North Platte, this being the first store 
in that place. On the opening of the Union 
Pacific Railway for one year this town was 
the terminus of the road. Soon after our sub- 
ject located here Jack Marron moved his store 
here also. Mr. Peniston's partner at this time 
was A. J. Miller, who now lives at Rawlins, 
Wyoming, where the former owned a store in 
the early days of that territory, which was 
managed by Barney McDonald. 

In an early day Mr. Peniston was appoint- 
ed United States commissioner and afterwards 
was representative in the territorial legisla- 
ture of Nebraska. He held the former office 
over thirty years ago and occupied the office 
up to the time of his death. He was elected 
county judge for several terms, and was also 
county treasurer for two terms. Held the of- 
fice of justice of the peace for several years 
and to the time of his demise. He was elected 
a member of the territorial legislature and 
served several terms. He took up the first 
homestead in this part of the country, and this 
was afterwards included in the town of North 
Platte. Peniston's addition to the town was 
made by him, and his homestead was included 
in the site. 



240 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Peniston came from his native land 
(where he was born at Peniston, a place named 
after his father's family) with his parents, the 
family settling in Quebec, Canada. His fa- 
ther was Richard Peniston. Our subject re- 
ceived his education at Quebec in the higher 
branches, and later came to the United States. 
In 1865 at Auburn. New York, he married Miss 
Anna A. Webb, daughter of Z. L. Webb and 
Polly :\Iaria Hoffman Webb. The young cou- 
ple immediately struck out for the west. Mrs. 
Peniston and ilrs. Dr. Dick, now of North 
Platte, are sisters, and a sketch of Dr. Dick 
appears in this work. At one time when our 
subject and Air. Aliller were running their 
store they were driven away by the Indians, 
and again in North Platte the redskins went 
on the warpath and entered their place and 
shot up the lamps and created general con- 
fusion. 

Mr. Peniston's death occurred in October, 
1906, and he left a family as follows :_ His 
widow and eight children, namely: William, 
a ranchman and stock raiser, of Rawlins, Wy- 
oming ; Charles, a stockman ; Mrs. Catherine 
Blood, of Cheyenne; Airs. Carrie Alarti. of 
North Platte ; Miss Alary E. Peniston, of this 
town: Airs. Ann Gaunt, also of North Platte; 
Airs. Nellie Bennett, of Rawlins, Wyoming, 
and Airs. Elsie House, of Rawlins. Air. Pen- 
iston's death left a vacancy among the pio- 
neers of western Nebraska that is keenly, felt. 
He was an educated man and a gentleman in 
all his relations, private and public, and his 
widow and children have the sympathy and 
respect of all. 

Air. Peniston was a member of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, 
and in Alarch, 1906. his lodge presented him 
with a handsome token of their esteem in the 
shape of a jeweled pin. He was in this order 
for twenty-five years. Politically he was a 
Democrat. 



THOAIAS GUYNN. 

Thomas Guynn, a prosperous farmer of 
Phelps county, owns a valuable estate in sec- 
tion 28. Sheridan township, where he has re- 
sided since 1902. He first settled in this coun- 
ty in 1890, purchasing a half section of land 
located west of Holdrege, and later sold that 
and bought one hundred and sixty acres south 
of that place. In 1901 he .sold this out and 
moved to Kansas, where he bought a farm 
in Butler county, near Barton, remaining on 
that place for two years. He did not like 
that country, was unable to raise very good 



crops, and so came back to Nebraska, and 
he considers that Phelps 'county is far ahead 
of Kansas in every way. 

Air. Guynn is a native of Tyrxine county, 
Ireland, coming to this country when nine 
years old, with his father and mother, who 
were also natives of Tyrone county. The an- 
cestors of our subject on both sides originally 
came from Scotland to Ireland. In 1861 Air. 
Guynn enlisted in the Seventh Illinois Infan- 
try, and served with his regiment up to Au- 
gust, 1865. He was in the Army of the Cum- 
berland under General Sherman, Logan Corps, 
and his first fight was at Fort Henry. He then 
was at Fort Donaldson, on the march to Nash- 
ville, at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, also 
Corinth, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Lookout 
Alountain, Atlanta, also on the march to the 
sea and at Altoona, where his company was 
detailed to guard the rations. Here the Sev- 
enth Illinois lost one-half of their number 
in the gallant and stubborn defense of the 
army supplies from the fierce onslaught of 
the rebels. 

During the last fight, which took place 
at Benton, near Raleigh, North Carolina, was 
a terrible struggle, and although shells burst 
all about him and the bullets pierced his 
clothes, he was never struck and escaped with- 
out a scratch. 

After leaving the army he returned to Illi- 
nois, and from 1867 to 1890 farmed in Logan 
county, where he owned one hundred and 
twenty acres, then came to Nebraska, where 
he likes it much better, as he has been in 
good health ever since settling here and it is a nni. 
farming countr3\ Here he has built up a fine 
farm and home, just outside the limits of 
Holdrege, and has everything in the best pos- 
sible shape. 

Air. Guynn was married in 1886 to Aliss 
Ida Dalbow. daughter of Isaac and Liza (AIus- 
tard) Dalbow, of Pike county, Illinois. There 
are three children in their family — two sons, 
Frank and Carl Guynn, who assist their fa- 
ther in carrying on the farm, and a daughter, 
Leigh, also living at home. 



CHRISTIAN JULIUS PETERSON. 

Christian Julius Peterson, one of the young- 
er residents of section 12, township 29, range 
38. is nevertheless entitled to the distinction 
of being one of the leading old settlers of 
Cherrv countv, and has taken an active part 
in its "history and helped materially in building 
up his community. He resides on section 12, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



241 



where he owns a well improved ranch of over 
eight hundred acres and his estate bears evi- 
dence of good management, thrift and pros- 
perity. 

]\Ir. Peterson is a native of Denmark, born 
on a farm July 17, 1872, and he grew up there, 
following farm work with his father up to his 
twentieth year, at which time his father's 
death occurred, and soon afterwards the 
mother came to America with her family, land- 
ing in Philadelphia in 1894, settling in Omaha, 
Nebraska, but remained there only a short 
time, then came to Cherry county. Christian, 
together with a brother, took homestead, and 
during the first year'witnessed very hard times. 
They went back to Omaha and spent the first 
winter, returning in the spring, driving both 
ways. The brother, Peter, was about four 
years older than our subject, and he had set- 
tled in Nebraska in 1888, following ranching 
from the first. His ranch was situated thirty- 
five miles south of the town of Alerriman. He 
was married in 1898, his wife's maiden name 
being Emelia Jansen, a native of Denmark. 

Our subject rapidly improved his present 
homestead, taken in 1899, putting up good 
buildings, fencing the land, and started in the 
stock raising business, meeting with many 
discouragements in the way of losses by severe 
storms, also crop losses, but stuck to his farm 
through it all, and has been most successful 
during later years. His ranch is beautifully 
located on Clififord creek, is w-ell supplied with 
water, lakes and wild game, has many trees 
on it, and altogether is a valuable property. 
He cultivates about thirty acres. He has 
really improved two places since coming to 
Nebraska, his first homestead having beep 
sold about 1898. 



HERMAN KREIZENBECK. 

Herman Kreizenbeck is a resident of Ains- 
worth. Brown county, and has so lived and 
labored that he is well worthy of a prominent 
place in any record of the men who have done 
and dared so much in the making of Nebraska. 
It is said that but a moment's reflection is 
enough to convince any one, as to the great 
weight of obligation this country bears' to- 
wards its children from German homes, who 
have brought art and literature, science and 
learning and all the high gifts of a lofty civ- 
ilization in their train, as they have ever 
moved to the westward. It is certainly a 
deeply interesting chapter of our national his- 
tory that tells the achievements of many thou- 



sands wdio have confronted helpless and hope- 
less conditions in the Fatherland, and have 
journeyed across the waters to find opportu- 
nity in a new and a strange country. That 
they have done so, and have prospered on 
every hand, becoming influential and rising to 
any station, shows something of what the 
United States has been to the world. 

Herman Kreizenbeck w'as born near Essen, 
in the Rhine Province, Germany, July 21, 1851. 
The parents, Johan and Elizabeth (Winkleman) 
Kreizenbeck, lived and died on a farm in Ger- 
many. Here young Herman was reared and 
attended scho'ol until he was seventeen years 
of age, graduating from the high school, or 
"gymnasium" taking Latin and French. He en- 
tered the army in 1869 as a volunteer in the 
light Hussars, and remained with the colors 
until the fall of 1872, his service thus including 
the Franco-German war, in which he fought 
from start to finish as a cavalryman. At the 
expiration of his military enlistment he came 
home to take a position in Elberfelt, as book- 
keeper and traveling salesman with a whole- 
sale house, a position he held until 1876. That 
year he was married, and became bookkeeper 
for a coal mining company in Heisengen, 
where he continued until 1880, his father's 
degjth at that time calling him home to the 
settlement of the family estate. The following 
year, with one child, he sailed from Antwerp 
in the steamer "City of Alontreal," on Decem- 
ber 31, and landed in New York January 18, 
1882. Alaking his way to Crete, Nebraska, 
where for some time he visited his brothers, 
he sent for his family, the wife and remaining 
child coming in June, on the steamer "John 
Bridle," from Antwerp. 

After taking a somewhat hurried study of 
the field in which he was placed, he went to 
Omaha, and for a time was in the employ of 
Tom Murray, a real estate dealer and specu- 
lator. In the spring of 1883 he removed to 
Brown county, and located fourteen miles 
north of Ainsworth, almost on the Niobrara 
river. There he secured a homestead, and 
started as a farmer. At first the family dwelt 
in a log house, narrow and cramped for room, 
but an extensive addition of sod much in- 
creased the comfort of all. It was difficult 
making the beginning, and Mr. Kreizenbeck's 
aft'airs progressed but slowly. In 1888 he lost 
a crop — and this was repeated again in 1894 
and the following year. The winters were 
warm and clear, with but little or no snow, and 
good grazing so the cows were about the only 
means of living. Here our subject remained 
until the spring of 1896, when he removed to 
a rented farm close to Ainsworth, that the 



242 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



children might have a better opportunity for 
schooling, not to be found in the first location 
as there were but two families then in the 
school district, the Kreizenbecks and that of a 
Mr. ^lead. In 1901 Mr. Kreizenbeck bought 
a ranch six miles southwest from Johnstown, 
but the following year came back to Ains- 
worth. and bought his present farm of one 
hundred and sixty acres in section 16, town- 
ship 30, range 22. in 1903. It is fenced and 
well improved. Here, fortune has smiled upon 
him ; and though he lost his barn and contents 
by fire in 1905, he is making his way, and is 
acquiring a comfortable competence. 

Mr. Kreizenbeck has passed through many 
experiences that have called for all his nerve 
and courage. In 1888 he was caught in the 
great blizzard that swept the country far and 
wide. All the ravines were filled with snow 
and tumble weeds, and on the surface there 
was nothing to mark solid earth or deep gul- 
lies. While he w^as out hunting he broke 
through a crust of snow over one of these ra- 
vines and was precipitated perhaps forty feet 
down into the snow. Fortunately he remem- 
bered his directions, and after tunneling about 
a hundred feet through the light snow and 
the weeds, he once more regained the surface. 

For many years Mr. Kreizenbeck was affil- 
iated with the Democratic party, but later be- 
came a Populist, and was elected assessor for 
several terms. In 1894. he was candidate of 
his party for sheriff, and in 1905 for the office 
of county clerk. For several years he has 
taken an active part in political affairs, and 
his character and ability give him much in- 
fluence. 

Mr. Kreizenbeck was married near Essen, 
February 6. 1877, to Miss Matilda Stoetgen. a 
daughter of Heinrich and Katharine ( Stroet- 
er) Stoetgen. Of their eight children, the 
two elder were born in Germany, the others in 
Nebraska. They are: Herman A., Elizabeth 
B., Bertha M., Matilda F.. Katharine M.. Anna, 
Franz \V., and Karl \\'. The three elder girls 
are graduates of the Ainsworth high school, 
and are teachers of the county. The members 
of the family are communicants of the Cath- 
olic church. 



WESLEY PRINGLE. 

Wesley Pringle, a popular and much re- 
spected business man of Perkins county, Ne- 
braska, is a resident of Grant, where for many 
years he has been engaged in business, and 
still has large interests in the farming com- 
munity surrounding the thrfving town. Mr. 
Pringle has now retired from all active busi- 



ness, and is prepared to spend his declining 
3'ears in peace and comfort, content that he 
has spent usefully his allotted time of more 
than three score and ten. 

Mr. Pringle was born near Richland, in 
Keokuk county, Iowa, in 1842. His grand- 
father, together with two brothers, came to 
the United States from Wales, in the begin- 
ning of the history of this country, all three 
taking part in the Revolutionary war, and 
the family has always been prominently con- 
nected with the history of their adopted land, 
the former settling in Ohio in the early days 
of that state, where our subject's father was 
born and reared, he finally settling in Iowa in 
1836. He married Rachel St. John, a native 
of England, who came to Canada with her 
parents, the}- locating in Warren county, In- 
diana, at an early day. Mr. Pringle's grand- 
father, Seth St. John, was county judge in that 
county for many years. John P. St. John, 
who was the presidential nominee on the Pro- 
hibition ticket, from Kansas, is a cousin of our 
subject. Wesley Pringle received but a lim- 
ited schooling, attending the district schools 
during those times of year when he could be 
spared from the work on the home farm, but 
obtained in all a good practical training, fitting 
him well for his after years of hard work and 
shrewd management, starting out for himself 
at the age of sixteen years. He bought a team 
of oxen and begun farming on his own hook, 
then at the beginning of the war enlisted as a 
private in Company K, Third Iowa Cavalry at 
Knoxville, Iowa, in August, i861. He was sent 
south to St. Louis with his regiment, and saw 
service all through the west, being at Vicks- 
burg, Guntown, Pea Ridge, and was detailed 
with the guard of Jefif Davis after his cap- 
ture. Our subject was in the service until the 
war closed.' and during that time was twice 
wounded slightly, receiving an honorable dis- 
charge at Atlanta, Georgia. 

After the war Mr. Pringle returned to 
Iowa and lived at Knoxville for a time. He 
was married there on January 28, 1867, to 
Margaret A. Totten, daughter of Captain 
Paris T. Totten. captain of Company I, Thir- 
ty-third Iowa Infantry. After his marriage 
Mr. Pringle farmed in Iowa up to the spring 
of 1872. During the previous year he had 
homesteaded on section 30. township 11, range 
6, and there he subsequently built up and de- 
veloped two farms, both in Hamilton county. 
In 1888 he came to Perkins county, locating in 
Grant and there established himself in the 
grain business, building an elevator, and con- 
tinued in the business up to 1905, succeeding 
in building up a splendid patronage, and 
accumulating a nice property through his in- 



CO-MPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



243 



dustry and good management. In the latter 
year he sold all his enterprises of which he 
was active manager, and retired from active 
work. For several years he has been pro- 
prietor of the Grant Lumber Yards, and also 
has owned considerable land in the farming 
community around Grant, and at different 
times engaged in the stock raising business in 
partnership with his son, William P. Our 
subject still owns a farm consisting of one 
hundred and forty-six acres adjoining Grant 
and still carries this on, although he does little 
work himself, merely superintending the opera- 
tion of same. 

Mr. Pringle is a stanch Republican. He 
has been elected justice of the peace several 
times, but would never consent to qualify, 
devoting his entire time to his business enter- 
prises. For the past twenty years he has 
served on the Soldiers' Relief Commission, 
and is a prominent Grand Army of the Republic 
man. He has always given his best efforts to the 
advancement of his locality, and one of Grant's 
most enthusiastic and loyal citizens having re- 
sided here when the town was incorporated, and 
also was a member of the first village board. 

Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Pringle. three of whom are still living, namely: 
William P., Jessie I., and Cora B. 



CALVIN J. WILDY. 

Prominent among the successful business 
men of Hemingford, Box Butte county, is the 
gentlemen above named. Mr. \\'ildy has been 
one of the foremost men of this section in 
building up and developing the financial in- 
terests of his locality, and is a gentleman of 
sterling character, highly esteemed b}- all who 
know him. 

Mr. Wildy is a native of St. Clair county, 
Illinois, born in 1861, on a farm. His father, 
John Wildy. was a native of Switzerland, and 
mother of German descent. The father met 
his death in an accident when our subject was 
a lad three years of age. Our subject was 
reared on the* home farm in St. Clair county, 
Illinois, near Lenzburg, where he early learned 
to do all kinds of hard work, attending the 
common schools where he received his early 
education, and later was a student at the Nor- 
mal L^niversity of Illinois, taking a three years 
course. After leaving college he taught school 
in Illinois for one year. \^^hile at school he 
worked for his board to help along in his ex- 
penses. Our subject was engaged in business 
for several vears in Lenzburg. Illinois, under 



the firm name of Wildy Brothers. In 1887 he 
came to Nebraska, locating in Cheyenne coun- 
ty, where he took up a pre-emption, thirty-one 
miles southwest of the town of Hemingford, 
hauling his first supplies from Sidney, his first 
team being a yoke of oxen, which he used for 
one year trying to start his farm. In 1888 
he opened a little store at Nonpariel, now 
extinct, the firm being C. J. Wildy and H. K. 
Zapp, and ran this for two years, when 3Ir. 
Zapp died, and Mr. C. J. Wildy moved to 
Hemingford and started in the mercantile 
business, and has since been operating a store 
in this place, being one of the pioneers in the 
trade, in fact, the oldest general merchant in 
the county. He went through hard times dur- 
ing the early years, but through good man- 
agement and constant efforts has succeeded in 
a remarkable degree, and now has a good 
trade and splendid business. He has a store 
100x60 ft. with four front doors, and carries 
a complete line of general merchandise and 
lumber, building material, etc. Besides his 
store property Air. Wildy owns a ranch of sev- 
eral thousand acres in the southwestern part 
of the county and has a fine two-story, modern 
dwelling in the town of Hemingford. 

In 1900 Mr. Wildy was united in marriage 
to Miss A. E. Neeland, daughter of J. F. Nee- 
land, of Irish descent, who was one of the 
pioneer ranchmen of Dawes county. Prior to 
her marriage Mrs. Wildy was a school teacher, 
and for four years was county superintendent 
of schools in Box Butte county, having grad- 
uated from the Chadron Academy, making her 
own way through school. When Mr. and Mrs. 
Wildy were married they took an extended 
trip to Europe, going to Switzerland, Ger- 
many and Ireland, visiting relatives on both 
sides of the family. Mr. and ]\Irs. Wildv have 
been blessed with three children: Lois'. Ruth 
and Frieda. 



JOSEPH A. RANKIN. 

Joseph A. Rankin holds an important place 
in the aft'airs of Blaine county and is known 
all over the country as one of the most suc- 
cessful and largest ranchers of the territory. 
He is engaged in sheep, cattle and horse rais- 
mg on his fine ranch which exceeds two thou- 
sand five hundred acres. He has an excellent 
home and is counted among the leading old 
settlers. Mrs. Rankin is postmistress of^Ran- 
kin postoffice. which was established on our 
subject's farm in 1904. 

Joseph A. Rankin was born in 1848. in 
Washington county, Pennsylvania, and is of 



244 



COMPENDIU^I OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather, 
James, was born in Ireland and, coming to 
America, he was a soldier in the Revohition- 
ary war. Our subject's parents, Thomas and 
Catherine (Wright) Rankin, were farmers in 
Pennsylvania. 

Joseph Rankin was reared on a farm in his 
native state and was given good educational 
advantages. Later he entered Monmouth 
College, at Alonmouth, Illinois, where he com- 
pleted his junior year. 

When our subject was twenty-two years 
of age, in 1871, he came west to Nebraska and 
became one of the early pioneers of eastern Cass 
county. The entire family came at this time and 
our subject conducted his father's farm and 
business for years. He made trips to western 
Nebraska as early as 1882 and helped estab- 
lish a large ranch in Blaine county. North 
Loup was the nearest railroad town at that 
time and Air. Rankin had a long way to go for 
supplies and material, eighty-five miles. Many 
a night on these weary trips he has slept 
under his wagon in all kinds of weather and 
miles from the nearest habitation. 

Joseph A. Rankin and Miss Elizabeth 
Peart were married in 1891. She was the 
daughter of. Samuel and Esther (Gibson) 
Peart, who were Pennsylvania farmers. 

After his marriage our subject spent one 
year in Cedar county. In 1900 he came to 
Blaine county and settled on his present ranch 
on the North Loup river, entering a home- 
stead and buying other land. His good house, 
barns and other improvements, prove that he 
has laid the foundations of permanent wealth 
and prosperity. Mr. Rankin is a man of ex- 
cellent business qualifications and education 
and wields a strong mfiuence for public good. 



ELMER JOHNSON. 

Prominent among the younger agricultur- 
ists of Kimball county is the gentleman above 
mentioned, who is owner of a well-improved 
estate in Kimball. His postofiFice address is 
Crossbar, which is located on his farm, and 
Mrs. Johnson is the present postmistress, fill- 
ing the office to the satisfaction of all. 

Elmer Johnson was born in Sweden, June 
1, 1877, and at the age of three years came to 
America with his father, mother, three broth- 
ers and one sister. They first located in east- 
ern Nebraska, arriving there in the spring of 
1880, remained for six years, then moved to 
Wyoming. While living in Saunders county, 
Nebraska, the family suffered a sad loss in 
the death of one daughter and one son. 



In 1888 our subject came alone into Kim- 
ball county, and in 1899 filed on a homestead 
on northwest quarter section 26, township 13, 
range 58, proved up on it, and later took a 
Kinkaid homestead in the same section. He 
worked faithfully, and by good management 
and industry succeeded in building up a good 
home and farm. He now has sixty acres un- 
der cultivation, raises good crops of small 
grains, vegetables, etc. His place is well im- 
proved and equipped with first-class buildings. 
He deals in stock to quite an extent, running 
at the present time forty-five head of cattle 
and seventy-five horses. He has a fine prop- 
erty, and richly deserves his success and high 
standing. 

Air. Johnson was married at Kimball, Ne- 
braska, on February 6, 1901, to Lillian Deach- 
er, who was born in northeastern Nebraska 
and reared there. Mrs. Johnson's parents are 
now living in Oklahoma. To our subject and 
his wife have been born the following chil- 
dren : Rena, Kenneth, Mamie and Andry, all 
bright and interesting youngsters, who bid 
fair to be a great help to their parents when 
they grow up. Portraits of both Mr. and 
Mrs. Johnson will be found on another page. 

Air. Johnson's father resides in Pine Bluffs, 
Wyoming, while his mother is dead. Our 
subject is a Republican in politics, and is 
active in local affairs, having served as coun- 
ty assessor for two terms, from 1901 to 1903, 
and in 1907 was elected county commissioner, 
entering upon his duties as such January 1, 
1908. 

One brother of our subject, Eric Johnson, 
is also a resident of Kimball county, coming 
here in 1906, locating on a Kinkaid homestead 
on section 10, township 13, range 58. He is 
married and has three children, while another 
brother, Conrad, residing on section 22, town- 
ship 13, range 58, is unmarried, and the pos- 
sessor of a good farm. All are held in the 
highest esteem as worthy citizens and good 
neighbors. 



CAPTAIN HENRY W". -SHORT. 

To the present visitor of the agricultural 
district of western Nebraska, a pleasant sight 
in the well improved farms and highly culti- 
vated tracts, greets the eye, and it is hard to 
conceive of the transformation that has taken 
place in the country within the past quarter 
of a century. The gentleman above named, 
settled in Saunders county in 1871. and the 
following year homesteaded in Marshall town- 




MR. AND MRS. ELMER JOHNSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



245 



ship. Clay county, taking up one hundred and 
sixty acres, also three hundred and twenty 
acres as tree claim, and on the latter planted 
13,778 trees, this being the third tree claim to 
be taken up in Nebraska. He has been one 
of the foremost men in the region and much 
of the prosperity which has come to the resi- 
dents of the locality has been brought about 
through the efiforts of just such men as Mr. 
Short ; men who have given liberally of their 
time, money and influence in building up and 
developing the natural resources of the coun- 
try. 

Air. Short is a native of Leicestershire, 
England, and came to America in 1848. and 
after landing in New York spent two years 
there. He then came west and was educated 
at the schools of Chicago, where his parents 
settled. They took up their residence at the 
corner of Clark and Harrison streets, and the 
district, which is now one of the busiest and 
most closely congested spot in that city, was 
then occupied by small cottages inhabited by 
families from foreign countries who had set- 
tled there, and many of them laid the founda- 
tion of good fortunes. 

Our subject attended the public schools of 
Chicago, and early read law, as he was ambi- 
tious to make that his life work. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar in Nuckolls county, Ne- 
braska, in 1876, opened an office at Nelson, 
and practiced there for twenty-five years, up 
to 1903. 

In 1862 Mr. Short enlisted in the First 
Illinois Light Artillery and served in this in 
the Fifteenth Army Corps. He was with the 
Army of the Tennessee, and took part in twen- 
ty-two battles, from Vicksburg to Nashville. 
His regiment lost one thousand four hundred 
and eighty-one men during' the war. At the 
close of the war he was transferred to Bridges' 
battery. 

After the war he returned to Illinois. Mr. 
Short settled in Franklin county, Nebraska, in 
1871. He organized the Alexander Guards and 
was captain of this company, called Company 
H. First Nebraska, until after the Pine Ridge 
and Wounded Knee Indian outbreaks, his reg- 
iment taking an active part in these wars. 

Captain Short's son, Ed. M., attended the 
state university of Nebraska and was admitted 
to the bar before he was twenty-one years of age. 

Our subject has a good practice through- 
out Franklin and the adjoining counties, and 
he is a well-read, conscientious, safe and hon- 
est councillor and trial lawyer, gaining the 
confidence of all by his sound judgment and 
good advice. 

In 1866 our subject was married to Miss 



Fanny E. Smelt, of Ogle county, Illinois, and 
to them have been born the following chil- 
dren : Ed. M., i /now superintendent of 
schools for this county, this being his third 
term. He was formerly principal of the schools 
of Franklin for seven years, and also a teacher 
in Nuckolls county. The second son, Henry 
E., resides at Topeka. Kansas. Mary, wife of 
Rev. Keefer, was also a teacher before her 
marriage. George Ernest, of Nelson, Nebras- 
ka, is in the mail service at that place. Carroll 
W., a pharmacist, living at Los Angeles, Cal- 
ifornia. Grace, wife of P. M. Snyder, of Bur- 
well, Nebraska, now of Okanogan, Washing- 
ton, formerly a teacher in this vicinity, and 
Leslie, a graduate of the Franklin high school, 
now at home. 

Captain Short is a prominent Grand Army 
of the Republic man, also an Ancient Order of 
L^nited Workmen and Woodman, and mem- 
ber of the Mystic Legion. He has been notary 
public for many years, and an active Repub- 
lican, and is now serving his second term as 
citv attornev. 



JOHN K. ENGELHORN. 

John K. Engelhorn, one of the best known 
early settlers in western Nebraska, resides on 
his valuable estate in Hays township, Kearney 
county, Nebraska, retired from all active pur- 
suits. Mr. Engelhorn has resided in this sec- 
tion for the past thirty years, and during this 
time has become one of the representative cit- 
izens of the community, highly esteemed by 
everyone. 

Mr. Engelhorn is a native of Baden, Ger- 
many, born in 1842. He came to America 
with his parents. Matthias and Anna Engel- 
horn, who settled in Allemakee county, Iowa, 
on a farm. There he was raised, and in 1863 
enlisted in the Civil war. joining the Ninth 
Iowa Cavalry, Company E. He served as a 
private until February 4, 1866. and after the 
close of the war was on the detached service 
for the government, performing outpost duty 
in Arkansas principally, and afterwards in 
Texas. Nearly all of the time he was engaged 
in the service of the government he was con- 
stantly in skirmishes, and never received a 
wound, but his health suffered from the rough 
life of a soldier and hardships to which he 
was exposed and he was unfortunate in having 
lost the sight of his left eye through an over- 
dose of medicine. Two brothers. Matthias 
and Thomas, were also in the war, the former 
a member of the Twelfth Iowa Infantry, and 



240 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the latter in the navy. After the close of the 
war he returned to Iowa and engaged in farm- 
ing for several years, then came to Nebraska, 
settling in Sherman township, Kearney coun- 
ty, in 1878. Here he homesteaded one hun- 
dred and sixt)' acres and broke this up, remain- 
ing on it for nine years, then moved to Min- 
den in 1887. where he bought forty acres in 
Hays township. He sold his farm in Sherman 
township in 1895. While living there he was 
supervisor of his township, also served on the 
county board for many years, and since com- 
ing to ^linden has acted in the same capacity 
for three terms, also held the office of assessor 
for two years. 

Mr. Engelhorn was married in 1867 to Miss 
Sophia \\'illch, daughter of Philip and Eliza- 
beth W'illch, natives of Hesse, Germany, and 
the parents never left that land. She came to 
this country in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Engelhorn 
have no children. 

Mr. Engelhorn is a member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic post in Minden, and has 
passed through all the chairs of that society, now 
acting as assistant conductor. His. wife belongs 
to the Women's Relief Corps here and both are 
members of the Lutheran church. 



PAYSON B. BIGELOW. 

Payson B. Bigelow, one of the best known 
residents of Harrison, Sioux county, Nebraska, 
is classed among the prominent old settlers of 
that region. Mr. Bigelow is an enterprising 
merchant of that town, carrying on a flourish- 
ing general merchandise business, and has 
built up an excellent trade throughout this 
locality. 

Mr. Bigelow is a native of Rock Island, 
Illinois, born in 1851. His father, Benjamin 
F., was from Vermont, of good old "Yankee 
stock," and he married Rachel Fairly, both be- 
ing of American blood. When our subject 
was a boy of one or two years of age. the fam- 
ily moved to Iowa, settling in Davenport, 
where our subject grew up and received a 
good education. When Payson was fourteen 
years old, he went to Jasper county, Iowa, 
with his parents, where they lived up to 1880, 
and from there to Adair county, most of this 
time being spent in following farm work. In 
1888 Mr. Bigelow came to Sioux county and 
filed on a homestead, pre-emption and tree 
claim, all located about six miles from the 
town of Harrison. His first house there was a 
log cabin, and there he worked hard to im- 
prove his property and build u]) a home. He 



had ex]jerienced all kinds of hard times during 
the early days in this section, losing crop after 
crop by the drouths and meeting with dis- 
appointments in plenty. He became pretty 
well discouraged, and was at times tempted 
to give up the struggle, but determined to 
stick to his farm, and so kept on improving 
his place, slowly at first, but gradually getting 
ahead a little. In 1893 he had the misfortune 
to be burned out, losing almost everything, 
so that he was obliged to start all over again. 

Mr. Bigelow was from the first quite heav- 
ily engaged in the cattle business, and in this 
way managed to make a living and lay by a 
little money after the poor years had passed. 
He lived on the ranch for about eleven years, 
then sold the place out and came to Harrison, 
locating here in 1899. He established his 
present business, and has done well since 
starting here, in the nine years he has been 
operating, building up a good patronage and 
has gained an enviable reputation as a worthy 
citizen and good business manager. 

In February, 1892, Mr. Bigelow was mar- 
ried to Miss Emma E. Stewart, of Greenfield, 
Iowa, daughter of John and Minerva Stewart, 
both of American stock. They have no chil- 
dren. Our subject and his family occupy a 
pleasant and comfortable home, and are high- 
ly esteemed in their locality and liked by all 
who know them. He is prominent in local 
affairs, and has held office at different times, 
serving as village trustee for a number of 
years. He was one of the original organizers 
of the Republican party in this section, acting 
as chairman of the Republican county commit- 
tee for sev'cral years. 



ROBERT G. HALL. 

The nfifice of county judge of Rock county, 
Nebraska, was bestowed upon this gentleman, 
and he discharged the duties of the position 
with rare fidelity and ever-increasing popular- 
ity. !\Ir. Hall was appointed in 1906. and was 
deservedly honored and esteemed by his fel- 
lowmen. He held the office until January, 
1908. 

Mr. Hall is a native of this state, born in 
Blair. January 17. 1885. Tic is a son of James 
Hall, a contractor, farmer and ranchman, who 
settled in Nebraska in 1860 and built up a good 
home here. He located first in Washington 
and was in Omaha several years. He is of 
Irish stock, a native of Pennsylvania. His 
wife was Miss Lucinda Gorton, a descendant 
of English settlers who came to .America dur- 
ing colonial times. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINIS,CENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



247 



Our subject is the second member in a 
family of three children, and when he was 
seven years old his parents settled in Rock 
county, where they afterwards lived in differ- 
ent parts of the county, he receiving a good 
education. 

Mr. Hall, although a very young man to 
hold such an important ofifice, gained the re- 
spect and confidence of the people by his strict 
integrity and sterling qualities, and bids fair 
to become one of the leading public men of 
this section of the country. He is now asso- 
ciated with his father in the contracting busi- 
ness and lives at Bassett, Nebraska. He is a 
Republican in politics, and fraternally, belongs 
to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Ancient Order 
I'nited Workmen, and Modern Woodmen of 
America lodges of Bassett. 



WILLIAAI H. WINTERER. 

William H. Winterer was born in the city 
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 11. 1858. 
His father was Anton Winterer, a native of 
Baden Baden, Germany, where he was reared 
to young manhood and then emigrated to 
America, while his mother, who was Barbara 
Hirsch in her maiden days, was a native of 
Bavaria. They were married in Philadelphia 
about 1852. The family came to Milwaukee 
in the fall of 1863 and later settled in the thick 
hardwood timber country in Vernon county, 
^^'isconsin, and lived there during the civil 
war. in which the father served as a member 
of the Forty-seventh Wisconsin Volunteer In- 
fantry during the last eighteen months of the 
war. He resides in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, re- 
tired from active life. They were among the 
very earliest pioneers in the locality where 
they settled. The woods were so thick that 
they had to cut a way through a mile of tim- 
ber for the wagon to pass, there being only a 
footpath to their destination. Here our sub- 
ject was reared on a timber farm, becoming 
inured to the hard work of grubbing and log- 
ging. Schools were few and far between, our 
subject being obliged to walk three miles to 
the school house and he therefore received 
only a limited common school education. In 
1879 he went to Rollins county, Kansas, but 
that country was evidently not satisfactory, as 
the next year he came to the North Platte 
river region in Nebraska. He engaged to 
work with several ''cow outfits" and was with 
M. Burk & Son, and also John Bratt & Com- 
pany for some time. His duties brought him 



to the vicinity of Keystone, Nebraska, and 
being pleased with the country, he decided to 
locate on a farm and build up a home. The 
country was very new and crude, but our sub- 
ject saw possibilities which he thought prom- 
ised great things if one expended energy and 
industry to develop them. He spent several 
years roughing it over western Nebraska both 
winter and summer and had ample opportunity 
to judge the country. He saw buffalo roam- 
ing the prairie in 1881 and wild game was 
abundant. 

]Mr. Winterer settled on his present farm 
in section 34, township 15, range 2>7, in 1883. 
He put up a sod house and a stable and made 
other necessary improvements. He worked 
out for the settlers, breaking prairie and put- 
ting up hay, thus earning enough for a living 
and a little more. He saved his monev and 
bought fourteen head of cattle, which was his 
start in the cattle business. He has now a 
fine bunch of two hundred and twenty-five 
head of cattle and fifty head of horses. He 
took land that other settlers seemed not to 
want and has made a grand success, having 
three hundred and twenty acres in the North 
Platte river valley, and one thousand two hun- 
dred and eighty acres back in the hills where 
our subject's home is located. He has nu- 
merous fine trees, running streams of water, 
has a good orchard of apple and plum trees 
and a variety of small fruits. His buildings 
are good and he has a house and ranch of 
which he is justly proud. 

W^illiam H. A\'interer was married Decem- 
ber 10, 1889, to Miss Louisa M. Cantrill, a 
native of Menominee, Dunn county, Wiscon- 
sin. She was the daughter of William Cant- 
rill, a ship carpenter and a pioneer of that 
state; he formerly resided in Halifax, Nova 
Scotia, and in New York. 

Our subject has had quite a varied expe- 
rience since locating in Keith county. He 
has had many discouragements and losses ; 
once he was burned out, losing barns, sheds, 
and out-houses, and then there were the pan- 
icy times of 1893 and later; also the years of 
drouth, when the grass grew so sparsely that 
it took miles of range to support his bunch of 
cattle and horses. In spite of all these un- 
fortunate events, however, he stuck *to his 
business and has attained fine success as the 
result of his labors. Once, when he was out 
in the Dismal river country, McPherson coun- 
ty, he found the body of a Mr. Board, one of a 
hunting party, who had become separated 
from his party and had died from fatigue and 
sickness. He had been missing for ten days 
and much fruitless search had been made for 



248 



COMPEXDIUAl OF HISTORY, RE.MIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



him. The body was buried in a plain wooden 
box by our subject and a few others. 

Mr. \\interer has been most activelv inter- 
ested in tlie affairs of his community and 
helped to establish the first school district on 
his side of the river. He has held various 
ofifices of trust and responsibility and has prov- 
en a capable and efficient public officer. He is 
a Democrat in politics. He is a member of 
the German Evangelical church, the ^lodern 
Woodmen, the Odd Fellows and with his wife, 
of the Rebekah lodge. He is a man of strong 
characteristics and a worthy citizen of the 
state. 



FRAXK P. FISHER. 

Frank P. Fisher, one of the representative 
agriculturists of Keya Paha county, X^ebraska, 
owns and operates a large farm in section 12, 
township 33, range 24, where he has built up 
a fine establishment and is recognized as one 
of the successful and prosperous citizens of 
the county. A view of the ranch house and 
numerous outbuildings, with grove and orch- 
ard are presented on another page of this 
volume. 

Mr. Fisher was born in the village of 
Studena, Bohemia, June 20. 1840. The father. 
Joseph Fisher, was a tailor by trade and in 
1856 the family sailed from Bremen in the 
ship Sophia, and after a voyage of thirty- 
eight days landed in Xew York. In October 
they reached Chicago, where the father sought 
in vain for work for some weeks and also had 
the same disappointment in Milwaukee. Re- 
turning to Chicago he secured a small amount 
of work, which was so well done that he was 
thereafter given only fine work to do. The 
next spring he removed with his family to 
Johnson county, Iowa, locating on a farm 
where he lived for twenty years and where 
our subject received a common school educa- 
tion until fifteen years of age. while assisting 
his parents in carrying on the farm. In 1884 
he came to Xebraska. settling in Keya Paha 
county, where he took a homestead. He ar- 
rived here in April, during a big snow storm, 
drivinsj from Ainsworth, and his first impres- 
sions of his new home were not altogether fa- 
vorable. Xot being able to sell his quarter 
section in Iowa to advantage until 1886 the 
family did not come west until that year. How- 
ever, he set to work at once putting up a 
frame house, and gradually improved his farm 
adding a timber claim, on which he also filed, 
proving up on both. He met with severe loss 
(hiring the drouth perinds. and two crops in 



succession were ruined in the years 1894-5. He 
went through hail storms when everything on 
his farm was beaten into the ground three 
dift'erent years. After these hard times he be- 
gan to have good crops, and engaged in stock 
raising in addition to mixed farming, and 
eventually developing a fine farm and home, 
building a_ substantial two-story house, numer- 
ous barns, sheds and outbuildings. He has six 
hundred acres of land in one piece, one mile 
southwest of Xorden, and one hundred and 
sixty acres in another piece located three 
miles northwest. He owns a house in the 
village where he has made his home for the 
past five years. 

Mr. Fisher was married in Johnson coun- 
ty. Iowa, October 19. 1871. to Miss Catherine 
Weyvoda. a native of Bohemia, whose father, 
Frank ^^'e^•voda, was a weaver and mason by 
trade in that country, and who came to .\mer- 
ica with his family in 1866. Children 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, who are as 
follows: Mary, married William H. Gunsul, 
and is living at Lake Andes, South Dakota, 
the mother of three boys. Harry, Frank and 
Ralph ; the second son, Frank Fisher, is farm- 
ing on the home place, is married, and has one 
child, Elinor: Emil. the third son, is a farmer 
living in Idaho, also married ; Will, married, 
engages in farming on the home place with 
Frank : Libbie, now Mrs. John G. Betsel, her 
husband being a merchant of Xorden : Francis 
and Edmund are living with their parents in 
Xorden. 

Mr. Fisher has always been one of the 
public spirited men in his locality. He helped 
to organize the first schools in the neighbor- 
hood, and bought the logs and helped to build 
the first schoolhouse. He served as school 
moderator for several years, and was also jus- 
tice of the peace for about nine years. He is 
one of the foremost men in all matters which 
tend to advance the agricultural and educa- 
tional interests of his community, and lends 
his influence for the betterment of conditions 
wherever needed. Politically, he is a member 
(if the Peoples Independent party and affil- 
iates with the Royal Highlanders of Sjiringview. 



ALBERT J. GRAGG. 

Albert J. Gragg. who is among the old 
settlers in western Xebraska, owns a good 
ranch which he has improved in splendid shape 
during the past ten years, and lie occupies a 
foremost pi.}sition among the well-to-tio and 
progressive farmers and ranchmen of Hook- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



U9 



er county. Mr. Gragg is well-known and high- 
ly esteemed throughout the community for his 
active public spirit and good fellowship. 

Mr. Gragg was born in Oakland county, 
Michigan, in 1873. His father, James T. 
Gragg, lived for many years in that locality, 
and was among the pioneers in western Ne- 
braska, coming to that state in 1881, settling 
on a farm in Redwillow county, near McCook, 
where the family lived up to 1894. At that 
time our subject left home and moved to Mc- 
Pherson county, there taking up a homestead 
on which he proved up in due time, and im- 
proved a good farm. He went through all the 
experiences of the early settler in that vicinity, 
suffering from many discouragements in the 
failure of crops, severe storms, etc., but man- 
aged to get along fairly well. He came to 
his present ranch in section 9, township 21, 
range 34, 'in April, 1901, and started a farm and 
ranch. He took the land as a homestead, and 
has put good building, fences, wells and wind- 
mills on it, devoting his entire time to its up- 
building, and is now proprietor of a ranch 
consisting of eight hundred acres, well stocked, 
and is making plenty of money. 

In June, 1897, Mr. Gragg was united in 
marriage to Miss Grace Swiggart, daughter of 
G. W. and Susie (Doyle) Swiggart, whose 
sketch appears in this volurne on another 
page. Our subject has one child, Dewey, born 
December 25, 1898. 

Mr. Gragg takes a commendable interest 
in local affairs, but gives all his time to his 
home and ranch. 



L. C. BARR. 



L. C. Barr, of Holdrege, Sheridan town- 
ship, settled in Phelps county in February, 
1878, taking up a homestead in section 28, 
and from that time on has resided here con- 
tinuously. He is, therefore, one of the oldest 
settlers in this part of the state, and has gained 
an enviable reputation as a worthy citizen and 
leading old-timer, highly esteemed by all. 

Mr. Barr is a native of Washington coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Jeremiah and 
Abigail Barr, the family being of German de- 
scent. In 1864 our subject enlisted in the 
Twenty-third Illinois Regiment, and served for 
eight months in the Second Division, 
Second Brigade, Twenty-fourth Army Corps. 
He was at Petersburg, Richmond, and at the 
surrender of Lee at Appamatox courthouse. 
After being mustered out Mr. Barr settled in 
LaSalle county, Illinois, where he farmed for 

17 



some years. He considers farming there more 
sure, but prefers Nebraska as it is healthier 
and we have better water with no waste lands 
and also good roads. For three years after 
settling in this state Mr. Barr was unable to 
raise a crop, owing to the hot winds that 
burned everything, and with his means ex- 
hausted and a wife and seven children to sup- 
port there were many times when want was 
keenly felt. Many times he walked for miles 
over the sparsely settled country, glad to find 
any kind of work and receive in return enough 
to carry home to his family the necessaries 
which they so badly needed. In the winter 
of 1881, when the snow reached to the tops 
of the corn stalks, he was obliged to dig 
down in the snow and cut the stalks which 
they used for fuel, and in this way kept his 
family from freezing to death. Remember- 
ing these times with a shudder, he also re- 
members the times when those brave pioneers 
met together and were cheerful and even 
happy in sharing a jack rabbit and other game, 
when they thought they were fortunate in hav- 
ing such a feast. During those years Mr. 
Barr owned an ox team with which he broke 
up his land and farmed his land, but one bit- 
ten by a poisonous snake and died, and then he 
was in pretty hard luck. 

However, he had a good trade as a plaster- 
er, and his brave wife agreeing to face the 
loneliness while he sought employment at his 
trade, he left his family, sold his ox, yoke and 
chains and with the proceeds started for Denver 
to find work. When he reached Loveland, Colo- 
rado, where he knew a friend lived, he started out 
for work. As he walked along the station 
platform he observed a man whose clothes and 
boots bespoke him a plasterer, and asked him 
for a job, and the man replied that in March 
there was but little work of that kind, but after 
telling the man of his condition and his suffer- 
ing family in Nebraska, he was given work to 
do and was kept busy all summer, sent money 
to his wife and saved some besides. Being 
called home by a sick child he bought a team 
and tools and started farming again with much 
better success this time. In 1882 he put in 
sixty acres of wheat, and got a crop of thirty 
bushels per acre, and a corn yield of eighty 
bushels to the acre. After that year he did 
not have another complete failure up to 1902 
at which time he sold his farm. When the 
country was new the land was looser and dried 
out quicker, and besides, the farmers did not 
then understand proper methods as they do 
now. In his opinion, this state, and especiallv 
Phelps county, is destined to become one of 
the best farming localities in the world. 



COMPEXDIU^I OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



After selling his farm in 1902 Mr. Barr 
again took up contracting and plastering, and 
does a fine business. Although he is now 
si.xty-two years of age he does a day's work 
equal to any younger man and without fatigue. 
He has never tasted liquor, and is possessed 
of a clear and intelligent mind, well-read and 
progressive along every line of thought. 

Mrs. Barr was Miss Harriet Amanda Ferry, 
and she is also in the enjoyment of good 
health. This estimable couple occupy a pleas- 
ant and happy home in Holdrege. The place 
consists of five acres of beautiful lawn, garden 
and shrubbery, and they are passing the de- 
clining years of their life in peace and comfort, 
justly proud of their family of bright children, 
whom we will now proceed to present to the 
reader, together with the part they take in 
life's history. Nettie, now the wife of Rev. 
H. B. Allen, of Aledo, Illinois, pastor of the 
Presbyterian church at that place. Prior to 
her marriage Mrs. Allen taught in the Hold- 
rege public schools for a long time, and was 
also principal of the schools at Bertrand, 
Phelps county. For three years she taught at 
Colorado Sprirtgs, and has a fine record as a 
teacher. The second daughter, Helen, is the 
wife of E. P. Montgomery, of Fort Collins. 
He was at one time superintendent of schools 
in this county, and J^Irs. Montgomery also 
taught a number of terms in Phelps county. 
Lois \\-as for several years a teacher in the 
Holdrege schools, and for three years at Colo- 
rado Springs, one year at Springfield, Mass- 
achusetts, and is now attending Columbia Col- 
lege at New York City, fitting herself for a 
high career in educational work. Jennie, wife 
of Dr. B. L. Doane, of Lincoln, Nebraska, fol- 
lowed the profession of a teacher for a num- 
ber of years prior to her marriage, at Mc- 
Cook, Fairburj', and also near Lincoln. Her 
husband is a surgeon for the camp at Calcite, 
Colorado. Mrs. Doane died in 1905, leaving 
an infant child, her death being due to the 
high altitude there. Edna, the fifth daughter, 
was a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of 
Music, afterwards taught music here, and is 
now the wife of Frank Love, of Lincoln, who 
is chief clerk of the chief engineers' depart- 
ment. One son of our subject, Edward, died 
during his last year at the State L'niversity, and 
two sons, Norman B. and Clinton M., were 
both teachers in this county. The family of 
seven children are all wonderfully bright and 
ambitious, all occupying a prominent part in 
tlie educational work of western Nebraska. 
During their early life they went through 
many hardships and struggles, and nothing 
hut indomitable pluck and energy could have 



surmounted the difficulties which beset them. 
\\'hen the times were the hardest and most of 
them were mere children, the family held a 
council as to whether they, as a family, should 
give their lives to reclaiming and farming and 
endeavor tO own acres and acres of prairie land, 
or to attaining an education, and suiting the de- 
sires and wishes of the stanch father and brave 
mother, they decided in favor of the education, 
planning that the eldest should have the ad- 
vantage, and each help the other down to the 
youngest. This they followed out to the let- 
ter, and the success which each attained, and 
the splendid work they have accomplished is 
evidence of their intelligence and integrity. 
Their parents now consider that the reverses 
and hardships which they encountered were 
the school that moulded their childrens' char- 
acters, although they would not care to go 
through the same experience twice in a life- 
time. 

During the pioneer days in this section 'Sir. 
Barr served as coroner, and was deputy sheriflf 
of his county for twelve years in succession, 
retiring in January, 1906. For many years he 
was a member of the school board. He has 
been an elder in the Presbyterian church at 
Holdrege ever since it was organized. 

One son, Clinton M. Barr, is principal of 
the schools at Wahoo, Nebraska. He was ed- 
ucated in the public schools of this county, and 
graduated from the state university. Rev. 
Norman, another son. is pastor of the Olivet 
Presbyterian church at Chicago. He is a grad- 
uate of the State L'niversity of Nebraska, also 
of the Presbyterian Theological College at 
Chicago. He has held the pastorate of Olivet 
church for seven years, and this was his first 
church. He is greatly beloved by his people, 
and is a leader in the Presbvterian sect. 



GEORGE A. ECKLES. 

Among the enterprising and successful pro- 
fessional and business men of Dawes county, 
Nebraska, none is better known or more uni- 
versally esteemed than the subject of this re- 
view. Mr. Eckles is one of the founders of 
the Chadron Academy, and was active in rais- 
ing the fir.st $12,000 'with which to build the 
institution, and after it was destroyed by fire 
in 1891, he was among those who assisted in 
raising ,$8,000 which was necessary to rebuild 
the school. He acted as secretary of the acad- 
emy since it was first started. 

Mr. Eckles was born in New Castle. Penn- 
sylvania. September 1, 18.^.3. His father. Jo- 



COiMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



seph Eckles. was a farmer by occupation, and 
an officer in the army during the civil war, 
and was killed in Kentucky, serving as an 
officer of his regiment at the time of his death. 
He was of American birth, originally of Eng- 
lish stock. Our subject's mother was Miss 
Margaret Patten, born in this country of 
Scotch parents. They had a family of ten 
children, he being the seventh child of his 
parents. When he was about five years of 
age the family moved to Indiana and lived 
there until he was seventeen. He then came 
to Nebraska and took up a homestead, locat- 
ing in Merrick county and proving up on his 
land. In 1877 he moved to Holt county and 
there settled on a ranch. He had previously 
studied law to some extent, and he associated 
himself with Judge Gerney, a prominent law- 
yer at Neligh, remaining with him for some 
time. During the spring of 1886 he came to 
Chadron and opened a law office, practicing 
up to January, 1899, then received the ap- 
pointment • of postmaster at that place and 
served his term. He was reappointed for a 
second term, and made a most efficient and 
popular public official. While practicing law 
here he was elected and served as county at- 
torney for two and a half terms. He always 
took an active part in politics, a strong Repub- 
lican, and served on the state Republican com- 
mittee for many years, attending all the con- 
ventions in the state for the past twenty-five 
years. At one time he was a prominent can- 
didate for state auditor, but failed to secure 
the nomination because the candidate for gov- 
ernor was chosen from his district. 

Besides these offices of public trust, Mr. 
Eckles had other large interests, having been 
extensively engaged in the sheep business, and 
owned a fine ranch in this county. A man of 
wide experience and good business judgment, 
his integrity and sterling character placed 
him among the most prominent and influential 
citizens of this section of the country. In 
July, 1907, Mr. Eckles moved to Omaha. 

I\Ir. Eckles was married when only seven- 
teen years of age, to Miss Eunice Paulins. of 
Fort W^ayne, Indiana, and they have a family 
of two children, Mrs. Cora G. Kelsey, of Ne- 
ligh, Nebraska, and J. Paul Eckles, of Omaha, 
Nebraska, 



FRED WITTIG. 

Should the reader of this volume ask for 
the name of a representative old settler of 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska — a man who came 
in mature years to brave the storms of the 



wilderness, and beyond the dreams of youth 
to hammer a home and fortune out of adver- 
sity — let him have the name that introduces 
this review. 

Fred Wittig was born in the village of 
Torna, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, Au- 
gust 7, 1853, and was raised there until he 
attained his majority, following the occupa- 
tion of a farmer and laborer up to his twenty- 
eighth birthday. The parents, Fred and Hen- 
rietta Wittig, lived and died in the old country, 
the mother passing away when our subject 
was six weeks old. Fred Wittig came to the 
United States in 1881, sailing from Hamburg, 
on the "Gellert," February 21st, and landed 
in New York March 8th, He joined three 
friends in Ohio where he worked, near Toledo, 
on a farm, remaining there for about a year. 
He next went to Coldwater, Michigan, where 
he spent three years working in a hotel. In 
1885, in company with a man by the name of 
Allen, our subject came to Nebraska and set- 
tled on a homestead in section 28, township 13, 
range 49, and remained through the pioneer 
days of that region, going through the usual 
hardships and privations of the early settler of 
those days. He had a hard time to get along 
in starting his farm, suffering from the drouth 
periods, hail and grasshopper raids which 
damaged this part of the country at different 
times, and had a hard struggle to make a 
living in the face of so many discouragements. 
Many years he was unable to raise much more 
than enough for seed, and was compelled to 
work out by the day and week at anything he 
could secure in the way of work to keep him- 
self and family, and while he often became 
almost ready to give up the struggle, kept up a 
brave spirit and continued to improve his place 
as fast as he was able. He came out victorious 
through the hard times, and has succeeded in 
accumulating a nice property. He is proprie- 
tor of the south half of section 28 and the 
northeast quarter of section 33, township 13, 
range 49, Sidney precinct, all of which is deed- 
ed land. He devotes about one hundred acres 
to farming purposes, keeping the balance for 
pasture for his stock. He has fifty head of cat- 
tle, and usually owns abfcut ten good horses. 

Mr. Wittig has a good set of substantial 
farm buildings on the ranch, including a com- 
fortable and commodious modern residence, 
and also every convenience for operating his 
farm in the way of the latest improved farm ma- 
chinery. 

On December 6, 1886, our subject was 
united in marriage at Sidney, Nebraska, to 
Miss Amelia Eichler, of German descent, 
whose parents were early settlers in Michigan, 



CO-MPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REAilXlSCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



where her mother still lives; the father died 
there about 1902. Air. and Mrs. Wittig have a 
family of five children, named as follows : 
Amelia, Fred, Jr., Emma, Frank, and Otto. 
The family are well liked in their community 
and enjoy a pleasant and congenial homelife. 
Air. Wittig has for the past many years 
been active in local affairs pertaining to the 
schools in his locality. In politics he is in- 
dependent and votes a mixed ticket according 
to his judgment of the men. The family are 
adherents of the Lutheran church. 



WILLTAAl T. PHTTJJPS. 

^^''illiam T. Phillips, one nf the prominent 
business men of Rassett. Nebraska, is a man 
of exceptional ability and superior intelligence. 
He has made for himself an enviable reputa- 
tion by his honest and energetic labors, and 
enjoys the esteem and confidence of his fel- 
lowmen. 

Mr. Phillips was born near Maquoketa. 
Jackson county. Iowa. January 6, 184.3. His 
father. William Phillips, was a native of Ohio, 
and a farmer by occupation ; and his father 
fought in the war of 1812. and his grandfather 
in the revolutionary war. Our subject's 
mother was. prior to her marriage, Miss Lydia 
\\'^hittaker. also a native of Ohio. His parents 
had a family of nine children, of whom he was 
fhc youngest. He was raised and educated in 
Iowa, growing up in Maquoketa, Jackson 
county, where he attended school. When he 
was seventeen years old he started out for 
himself, after his father's death, engaging in 
farming, in Iowa, until 1883. 

Mr. Phillips first came to Rock county, 
Nebraska, 1883. and settled on a pre-emption 
in the northwest corner of this county, putting 
up a log house two stories high, and lived in 
it for six years. He made a success of farm- 
ing, and in 1889 moved to P.assett where he 
has since resided. In the latter year he was 
elected county clerk, and held this office for 
five years. He was one of the organizers 
of Rock county, in 1889. and. being the first 
county clerk, transcrited from the books of 
Brown county everytning necessary for the 
records of Rock county.. From 1805 up to 1901 
he was engaged in the newspaper business, 
being editor and publisher of the Rock County 
Eagle, which he established tlie former year 
and disposed of in May of the latter date. 

On disposing of his journal he went into 
the real estate business in which he has pros 
pered. owning a great deal of town property, 
with business extending all over Brown, Keva 



Paha and Rock counties. He has done his 
share as an old settler and is recognized as one 
of the leading citizens and public-spirited men 
of his community, always ready to advance 
the interests of this locality by his influence 
and financial aid. 

Mr. Phillips was married in Storm Lake, 
Iowa, April 26, 1883, to Aliss Alaggie McCoy, 
of American stock, daughter of Clement J. 
AlcCoy, a native of Illinois, and an old settler 
in Iowa and Nebraska, whose death occurred 
November 29, 1890. Air. and Airs. Phillips 
have a family of four children, who are named 
as follows : Lottie, Cora, Nora and Charlie. 
Air. Phillips affiliates with Ancient Order of 
L'nited Workmen of Bassett. 



W. F. EVERIST. 

W. F. Everist, one of the influential cit- 
izens of Redwillow county, residing in Mc- 
Cook, has followed the ranching and stock 
business for many years, and is one of the 
substantial and prosperous residents of the lo- 
cality in which he lives. 

Air. Everist is a native of DeKalb county, 
Alissouri, and came to Nebraska in 1879. at the 
age of six years. He was raised on a farm, and 
has grown up in the stock business, and is one 
of the best informed men in this section of the 
country on the subject of ranching and stock 
raising and breeding. He has a brother, Eg- 
bert H. Everist, who is the owner and man- 
ager of a large ranch in this county, situated 
near the Kansas line. 

Mr. Everist started in the live stock busi- 
ness for himself in 1883. buying and shipping 
stock, and also raising cattle, horses and hogs, 
and has continued this ever since, making a 
success from the first. During the year 1897 
he handled 10,000 cattle, purchasing them and 
selling them over again to farmers in this 
and surrounding counties. Nearly all his 
feeders are imported from the west and south- 
west, and he has traveled all over the western 
states in his work, and is thoroughly familiar 
with conditions existing all over the country 
])ertaining to the stock business. His ranch 
is located on Driftwood creek, seven miles 
from the city of McCook. In three years he 
shipped five hundred cars of stock per year to 
Davis & Son, of St. Joseph, Alissouri. In Jan- 
uary of this year Mr. Everist organized the 
McCook Live Stock Company, and is manager 
of this concern. This firm has purchased the 
Allen ranch comprising three thousand acres 
of land in Redwillow county, and on this ranch 



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1 .'-^^^^A ^ 

1 ^H^^^^^^^V jLi 




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I^Bl 


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91 



MR. AMI MltS (HAHLES A. ERLEWIXE. 
(Photo taken the year Ihey homesteaded * in I'erkins County — 1S8C.) 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



253 



they have put two hundred and fifty white 
face cattle. They also have one hundred and 
twenty-five head grazing on the Sheridan 
ranch, this place containing two thousand 
acres. This concern will buy, raise, feed, ship 
and handle cattle, hogs and horses on a very 
large scale, and expect to make a great suc- 
cess in their venture. They have five hundred 
. hogs at present which they are getting ready 
for market, and our subject alone has one hun- 
dred head of horses. The headquarters of the 
firm will be at the Allen ranch, and the post- 
office address is McCook. 

Air. Everist firmly belie\-es that Redwillow 
county is the best place on earth for farming 
and stock raising. It is great in growing alfal- 
fa and beets, and all stock product can be fitted 
for market here cheaper per pound than in any 
other section of the United States. The cli- 
mate is immensely in its favor, being warm 
and dry all through the winter, and stock 
make a good gain when not exposed to severe 
weather. Mr. Everist always makes a special- 
ty of buying nothing but the best grades, and 
he also deals in mules to quite an extent. He 
has investments in McCook that are valuable 
and expects to make his home there. 

Mr. Everist was married January 1, 1887, 
to Miss Minnie Albright, of Cambridge, Ne- 
braska, and they have a family of four daugh- 
ters. 



FRED BORK. 



Left fatherless when only two years old, 
Fred Bork has had most of his own way to 
make among surroundings that require grit, 
hard work and persistent effort. In his native 
country he had some advantages for an edu- 
cation and attended the German schools. Fred 
Bork has made a success and it has been done 
through the qualities named above. 

Our subject was born on a farm in West 
Prussia, Germany, in 1855. His father, Gott- 
lieb, died when Fred was two years of age, 
and the mother, Caroline, died after the son 
came to America. 

Fred Bork came to America in 1880, land- 
ing in New York, from thence going to Illinois 
and later to St. Louis. After a short time he 
went to Wisconsin, thence to Minnesota, and 
from that state to Iowa, engaging in various 
occupations. Then in 1883, he came to Ne- 
braska, settling on a farm near Burwell. and, 
in 1885, he came to Loup county and located 
on his present farm in section 4, township 21, 
range 17. He had practically nothing to start 



with, other than an abundant capacity for hard 
work and a strong determination to make his 
prairie farm a good home and a means of liveli- 
hood. He made the first road from his neigh- 
borhood to the city of Burwell. He built a 
sod house and commenced the improvements 
on his land. He has done well and been suc- 
cessful in every way. His fine farm of three 
hundred and seventeen acres has been equip- 
ped with a good house and other buildings, 
and he cultivates about one hundred acres of 
land. He raises cattle and hogs, his sales of- 
cattle in 1908 bringing $600.00. and he still has 
forty-one head left, besides forty-six head of 
hogs, and is increasing his herds all the time. 
He is a very energetic hustler. 

Mr. Bork has built up a good business and 
is looked upon by every one as a man of en- 
ergy and enterprise. He has done his part as 
an old settler and has merited the respect of 
his fellow citizens. 



CHARLES A. ERLEWINE. 

Charles A. Erlewine. whose handsome and 
well-kept farm home is in section 22, township 
12. range 38, Perkins county, where he owns 
six hundred and forty acres of good land, is 
one of the old-timers of that region, and has 
passed through all the old Nebraska times. 
He was born in Monroe county, Ohio, .October 
27 , 1857. He is a son of Isaac Erlewine, who 
comes of German stock, and was one of the 
earliest settlers of Fremont. Nebraska, locat- 
ing there in 1872. He married Eliza McCoy, 
of Scotch stock, the family coming to Ne- 
braska together, and Charles A. grew up on 
a farm near Fremont, going through all the 
pioneer experiences, witnessing drouths, grass- 
hopper raids, etc. One instance of these times 
is well remembered by our subject, when he 
saw an entire field of corn completely eaten 
up by grasshoppers, the destruction consum- 
ing just two hours, and then the pests left the 
place. 

Mr. Erlewine lived with his parents until 
he was twenty-two years of age, then struck 
out for himself, following farm work. He 
took a homestead on section 22, township 12, 
range 38, built a sod house fourteen by twenty 
feet in size, lived in that for many years, and 
it still stands on the same spot. His start was 
a team of horses, wagon and two cows, and 
with these he began to develop a farm and 
build up a fortune. His nearest trading point 
was fjgallala. a distance of some fourteen 
miles, and he hauled all his supplies from that 



254 



:O^IPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



town for several years. During the years 1892 
to 1896, he witnessed drouths and had a hard 
time to raise any crops, often being out even 
the seed he put into the ground, but never 
thought of giving up his place, and as the sea- 
sons become more favorable he was able to im- 
prove his farm, constantly adding to his origi- 
nal homestead, and is now owner of a fine 
ranch of six hundred and forty acres, cultivat- 
ing about eighty acres and on which he raises 
good crops of grain, etc. He runs considerable 
stock, and besides his own ranch leases land in 
the vicinity which he uses as hayland and pas- 
ture for his stock. 

Mr. Erlewine was married in 1883. to Miss 
Ida Moore, daughter of Daniel Moore, a well 
known pioneer in Nebraska. They have a 
family of four children, namely: Eunice, 
Hazel, Rexford and Dale, all bright and intel- 
ligent young people and a credit to their par- 
ents' training. Our subject is an Independent 
in his political views, and has always taken 
an active part in local affairs, helping to es- 
tablish the schools of his locality, and lend- 
ing his influence at all times for good govern- 
ment. In about 1896 he was elected county 
commissioner, holding the office one term, and 
has held minor offices in his community. 

On another page of this work we present 
portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Erlewine. as they 
appeared in 1886, when they homesteaded in 
Perkins county. 



JOHN D. RICHARDS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the very oldest settlers 
of the west, and has experienced very phase 
of life on the frontier, and to his efforts not 
a little of the success and prosperity today 
enjoyed in different regions is due. He 
traveled all over the country, most of the time 
with pack horses, when the whole section was 
infested with Indians and wild beasts, and can 
relate many thrilling incidents connected with 
thr.se days. Mr. Richards is now owner of a 
good ranch, situated in section 18. township 
29. range 38, which he has improved in good 
shape, and is one of the foremost citizens of 
his community, and numbered among the truly 
substantial residents of Cherry county. 

John D. Richards was born near Canton. 
Ohio, in 1848. His father. Adam, was of 
American stock, and a farmer all his life. His 
mother's maiden name was Lydia Hayden. He 
spent his chihlhood days in his native county, 
and about 18.=!8 the family moved to Williams 



county, Ohio, where the old folks made their 
home for many years. In 1864 John enlisted 
in the Civil war. becoming a member of the 
One Hundred Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and his regiment was sent south. 
He saw active service in Alabama, Tennessee 
and Kentucky, serving in the Fourth Army 
Corps under General Thomas, also partici- 
pated at the following battles: The battle of 
Nashville, the battle of Franklin, Williamson 
county, Tennessee, and the battle of Columbia. 
He saw every side of a soldier's life, and the 
horrors of war, and was honorably discharged 
in April, 1865. 

After leaving the army Mr. Richards re- 
turned home, and afterwards went to Michi- 
gan, where he spent three years in the lumber 
woods of that state. He next struck out for 
the west, first going to California, where he 
worked on dift'erent ranches as a cowboy, rid- 
ing the plains for two years. He finally drifted 
into eastern Oregon, and engaged in the cattle 
and horse raising business, establishing a 
ranch of his own, and succeeded in making a 
success of the venture, remaining there for 
nine years and in that time building up two 
ranches, each time selling out when he had 
everything in first-class shape. In 1880 he 
went to the Big Horn Basin, Wyoming, and 
settled on a ranch which he operated for two 
years, and from there came to Hat Creek Val- 
ley, Sioux county, Nebraska, locating close to 
Pine Ridge, at the head of W"hitehead Creek. 
He started another ranch there, and lived on 
the place for four years, that being the fourth 
ranch he had opened up and improved. 

Mr. Richards first came to Cherry county 
and located permanently in 1889. taking his 
present ranch as a homestead, which is situ- 
ated in section 18, township 29, range 38, on 
which he erected sod buildings and gradually 
added good improvements. The ranch contains 
four hundred and eighty acres, the greater part 
of it being good hayland, and he uses the place 
principally as a cattle ranch. He has done ex- 
ceedingly well since locating here, although 
has suffered some stock losses, the worst j'ear 
being in 1892, when he lost thirty-five head of 
cattle through severe storms. 

While living in Wyoming. Mr. Richards had 
many bitter experiences with the Piegan Indi- 
ans. At one time they ran off six head of cat- 
tle from his ranch, and altogether the}' stole 
one hundred and fifty head of stock from the 
locality. .A party of ranchmen banded to- 
gether, our subject being one of the number, 
and they followed the thieves for manj' miles, 
but one by one the searchers became weary 
and discouraged, dropping out of the party, so 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



255 



that finally the hunt was abandoned and all re- 
turned to their homes, and gave up trying to 
recover their property, especially when they 
found that the cattle had all been eaten by the 
redskins durin? the cold weather. 



HEVNER & SONS. 

Messrs. Hevner & Sons, of Franklin, deal 
in stock and are the most extensive dealers in 
this business in that locality. The firm is com- 
posed of H. W. Hevner, banker and stockman, 
of Hardin, Missouri, and his two sons, C. W. 
and John Hevner, of Franklin, the former oc- 
cupying one of the finest residences in Frank- 
lin, and both highly esteemed by all. 

They located at Franklin in 1904, purchas- 
ing a forty-acre feed lot one mile east of the 
town, where they feed about 800 head of cat- 
tle each year, shipping them to St. Joseph, 
Kansas City and the Chicago markets. At 
Hardin they also feed about 600 each season, 
buying these feeders all over western Nebras- 
ka, Colorado and Kansas. The business at 
Hardin has been successfully conducted for 
the past twenty-one years, and they are widely 
known as the leading shippers in their section. 
Hevner & Sons feed also about as many hogs 
as cattle at each place, so that they prepare 
for market from 2,500 to 3,000 animals each 
season. In the fcmr years they have resided in 
Nebraska they have established a reputation 
as skillful feeders and expert judges of live 
stock, being among the best posted men in the 
business on the art of feeding and preparing 
for market, which is a profession needing care- 
ful study and attention down to the smallest 
detail. They weigh everything used, even the 
salt fed, and have a record of the increase in 
weight, the time taken, and cost, also the 
proper amount of feed, rotation, mixing and 
diet given their stock, and have reduced to a 
science each detail of the work. They now 
have on foot plans to increase their Franklin 
business to three or four times its present vol- 
ume in the near future, so that they will here 
feed from 2,500 to 3,000 cattle and as many 
hogs each season. The_v have already demon- 
strated that it pays better to ship cattle here 
from Missouri and to pay the freight here and 
then to market, rather than feed in that state, 
as they consider this the best feeding country 
to be found, there being less storms, better 
climate and plenty of alfalfa and corn. The}^ 
bu}- feed and ship it in here by train, hauling it 
to their vards themselves. They have recently 
bought four hundred acres located two miles 



east of Franklin on the river bottom, in addi- 
tion to their forty-acre yards. 

One brother, Clarence, came to Franklin in 
1908 ; he owns a farm of two hundred and fifty 
acres close to Franklin, and to an extent en- 
gages in the feeding business, and in partner- 
ship with the old firm, Hevner & Sons. He is 
married and has a family. 



JOHN M. COBLE. 

Among the prominent business men and 
old settlers of Keva Paha countv is John M. 
Coble. 

Mr. Coble was born in Elkhart county, In- , 
liana, December 14, 1856. His father, Abra- 
ham Coble, was an Ohioan of American stock, 
while his mother, Mary Miltenberger, a lady 
of German descent, was born in Pennsylvania. 
He is the second in a family of four children, 
all reared and educated in Indiana. At the 
age of eighteen years he began life for him- 
self, making several trips west, and in 1879 
settled on a farm near ^Vaterloo, in Douglas 
county, Nebraska, where he remained until 
1884, when he moved to Keya Paha county, se- 
curing a homestead on section 22, township 
33, range 21, where he erected a frame shanty. 
Here he hauled lumber twentj'-five miles, 
camping out nights under his wagon, a large 
part of the first summer. As soon as he set- 
tled here he began to break up part of his 
farm, and his first year's crop was a sod crop 
of corn-. He afterwards filed on a tree claim 
three-q.uarters of a mile west of Springview 
where he witnessed the devastating drouth 
periods, thereby sustaining heavy losses. 

In 1884 he was elected sherifif, serving for 
four years. This supplied him with ready 
money, and helped him pull through the dry 
years, and during this time he sold his home- 
stead, later buying a tract of land three miles 
northwest of Springview, which he still owns. 
This land comprises a ranch of one thousand 
and eighty acres, including three hundred and 
twenty acres of leased land, two hundred of 
which are ander cultivation devoted princi- 
pally to corn and oats ; the remainder is given 
over to stock raising. He has a sixty-acre tract 
adjoining Springview with several houses there- 
on and where he has resided since he was first 
elected sheriff. 

In 1893 he was appointed deputy U. S. 
marshal, under President Cleveland, and 
served three years. In "97 was again elected 
sherift', making a total in the sherifll's office 
of ten vears. Mr. Coble has alwavs taken an 



2-.6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



active part in the politics of Keya Paha county 
and although a Democrat has frequently carried 
a Reiniblican countv. 

In 1884 Mr. Coble was married to Miss 
Eliza Peany. daughter of Robert Peany, a na- 
tive of Ohio, of American stock, and a pio- 
neer farmer in Douglas county, where he has a 
ranch near Omaha. Mrs. Coble died in March, 
1889, leaving one child, Rena, now the wife 
of Emanuel Boshart, principal of the schools of 
Bellview, Nebraska. In 1890 Mr. Coble was 
married to Mar}'^ Hassed. a widow with two 
children, William, editor of the "Burton Inde- 
pendent" : and Walter, a practicing physician 
of Springview, 

Mr, Coble enjoys the close friendship of a 
host of people, and is universally respected. 
He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and 
the Royal Highlanders. He affiliates with the 
Democratic party. 



EDWARD J. BARRY. 

Edward J. Barry, a successful business 
man and ranchman of Alliance, Nebraska, has 
been a resident of Box Butte county for many 
years past. He is one of the leading old tim- 
ers of that locality and has always been fore- 
most in the development of the commercial in- 
terests of his community. 

Mr. Barry was born in New York state in 
1<%4. His father, Lawrence Barry, was a na- 
tive of Ireland, who came to this country when 
a young man, settling on a farm in • Dixon 
county, Nebraska. He married Bridget Ryan, 
who also was born in Ireland, and came from 
the same county. When our subject was a 
small boy his parents moved to Iowa and 
there lived in different places for several years, 
then, in 1877, came to Nebraska, and settled 
in Dixon county, where he grew to manhood. 
At the age of twenty-three years he left home 
and started out for himself, coming to Box 
Butte county, where he took up a pre-emption 
and tree claim and opened a ranch which he 
operated for a year. .Alliance was just start- 
ing at that time, and he put up the third build- 
ing at that town, erecting a hotel which was 
called "The Barry House." He owned and 
ran the hotel for three years, and also spent 
one year in railroading. The hotel is now car- 
ried on by his sister. 

Mr. Barry owns -a fine ranch located four 
miles from Alliance, and he is interested to 
f|uitc an extent in slock raising on that place. 
In 1899 he engaged in the saloon business at 
Alliance, and was proprietor of one of the 



leading places there. The town ''went dry" at 
the last election and saloons became a thing of 
the past. Besides these interests Mr. Barry 
owns considerable stock in the Black Hills 
mines. 

Mr. Barry was married in 1902 to Miss 
Lizzie Creason, daughter of Carl Creason, a 
prosperous farmer of Yolo county, California. 

In political sentiment Mr. Barry is identi- 
fied with the Democratic party, and is a stanch 
advocate of the principles of that organization. 
He takes an active part in all local affairs 
tending toward the improvement of conditions 
in his locality, and is universally respected 
and esteemed. 



RICHARD KRUEGER. 

Among the prosperous and enterprising 
farmers of Colton precinct, Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, none is better known or more high- 
ly respected than the subject of this review. 
Mr. Krueger has devoted many years of his 
life to the pursuit of agriculture in this reg- 
ion, and has been a potent factor in producing 
the present prosperity enjoyed in his locality. 
His home is on section 29, situated at Colton 
Siding, which he purchased from the Union 
Pacific company. 

Mr. Krueger was born in Prussia, Ger- 
many, a few miles from Berlin, April 19, 
1855. Lie came to America in 1856 with his 
parents, the family settling in Burlington, 
Wisconsin, where he spent his boyhood years. 
In 1879, after a short residence in Grand Island, 
Nebraska, he came to Cheyenne county and 
filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres located in section 32, township 14, range 
48, on which he proved up and to which he 
has since added many acres. Mr. Krucger's 
land is situatcrl along the banks of Lodgepole 
Creek, and is admirably located for all farm- 
ing and ranching purposes. He has put the 
whole tract in the finest shape possible, having 
on the place an artificial lake of ten acres 
known as Krueger lake, which he has stocked 
with fine fish. He has a good system of wa- 
ter works, irrigating about half of his farm, 
and has a good set of substantial stone farm 
buildings, including a handsome ten-room 
house, enlarged and remodeled in 1908, and 
a large stone bam. He is engaged in the ice 
business, cutting immense quantities during 
the winter months, and furnishes Sidney with 
its supply of ice in the summer, having built 
up an excellent trade ahmg this line. .About 
f)ne hundred of his one thousand three, hun- 
dred and twcnlv acres are umlcr cultivation, a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



257 



large portion being devoted to the raising of 
alfalfa, and many acres are in hayland and 
pasture, supporting about one hundred and 
twenty-five head of stock. 

Our subject was married January 1, 1887, 
to Miss Alice Carey, who is a native of Port- 
age, N. Y., and came to Nebraska in 1885 with 
her father, the mother having died in the East. 
Mr. Carey at present resides north of Sidney, 
in Cheyenne county. Mr. Krueger and his 
good v^-ife are the parents of seven children, 
named as follows : William F., Elmer T. ; 
Frank, who died in January, 1904; Jessie; 
Richard E. ; Grace E., and Chester G. The 
family comprises a charming and interesting 
group, and the home of our subject is one of 
the most hospitable to be found in the com 
munity. Mr, Krueger is one of the foremost 
citizens of his locality, and enjoys the confi- 
dence of all who know him. He is Republican 
in politics and is a member of the Odd Fellows 
and the Maccabees at Sidney. 



GEORGE W. VROMAN. 

George W. Vroman, of North Platte, Ne- 
braska, is well-known among railway men 
throughout the western part of Nebraska. He 
was passenger engineer for the Union Pacific 
railway on the Chicago & Denver special. 

Mr. \"roman is a native of Dane county, 
Wisconsin, born in 1841. His parents settled 
there in 1836, coming from near Syracuse, 
N. Y., of German descent. Our s,ubject came 
to Nebraska in 1869, in the year the Union Pa- 
cific railway was completed, the last rail being- 
laid on May 10th of that year at Promontory, 
Utah. He had been with the Wabash railroad 
for six years prior to this, beginning with them 
in 1862. He worked as a passenger engineer 
up to 1881, then was foreman up to 1884, hav- 
ing charge of the machine shops. After that 
time he resumed his place on the road as en- 
gineer. In April, 1877, he organized the first 
general committee of the engineers on the 
Union Pacific and was elected as chairman con- 
tinuously until 1905, with the exception of one 
term of two years. At first the jurisdiction of 
this committee extended from Omaha to Ogden 
on the main line, and over all the branches : i. 
e., the C)regon Navigation Company and the 
Colorado Central, but after 1891 these branches 
were put under another jurisdiction of the 
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. At 
the beginning of this organization there were 
only eight on the committee, and now there 
are over 500 engineers in this territorv. Mr. 



\*roman has attended as delegate, thirteen na- 
tional conventions of the brotherhood. He 
was salaried chairman from 1891 to 1894, with 
twenty-four lodges of engineers under him. 
When the Union Pacific was in the hands of 
a receiver in 1894, they issued an order reduc- 
ing the wages of the scheduled men on the 
road, our subject representing the engineers of 
this 8,000 miles of road, and really, as well 
representing the case of the firemen, conduct- 
ors, shopmen, brakemen and other employees. 
He took the matter before Judge Caldwell, at 
Omaha, in- the U. S. Circuit Court, and the 
evidence introduced by him covered forty-one 
pages of the record. The decision was that 
the old schedule was fair and proper, and the 
receivers' lov\'er schedule should not take ef- 
fect. This is the highest court that any labor 
question has so far reached, and this was one 
of labor's greatest victories. The case was en- 
tered in February and decided in April, 1894. 
The first case in America in which questions 
between railway employees and the company 
was arbitrated, was on the Union Pacific rail- 
way in 1879, at North Platte, with Mr. Vro- 
man as chairman of the committee of the 
Brotherhood, he taking the case before the ar- 
bitrator. Captain Rustin, on one day, and the 
next day the decision was given, favorable to 
the employees. From this time the employees 
never make a demand, but put their grievances 
or wishes in the form of statements and re- 
quests. These are fairly considered by the 
officials and the matters agreeably adjusted. 
On the day the first award was given, a daugh- 
ter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Vroman, and 
she was named "Arba T." 

The most thrilling experience Mr. Vroman 
ever had in his railway work was when his 
train was held up at Big Springs, Nebraska, 
one night in September, 1877, at 10:30 P. M. 
The train stopped at this way station, but the 
robbers had compelled the agent to put out a 
red light to make sure. There were eight of 
them in the gang, two appearing at the side 
of our subject's engine and one at the fireman's 
side. One was on the coal tender. As Mr. 
\'roman saw the gun from above pointed at 
him he ducked and the bullet struck the boiler 
head, put out the lights and filled his cab with 
smoke. In the confusion he went by the win- 
dow over the boiler to the other side, when 
the bandits called for a surrender and he 
would not be injured. They secured $63,000 
and got away, but five of them were mortally 
wounded in resisting arrest, and the other three 
never were apprehended. 

Mr. Vroman was married at Indianapolis, 
Indiana, to ^liss Marv Jordan, the marriage 



2^8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



taking place November 1, 1874. Six cliildreii 
were born of this union, who are named as 
follows : Blanche E.. Clarence, employed in 
the Union Pacific shops at Omaha: Walter J.", 
Cla}- \\'., in the U. S. mail service on the 
same railway: Arba T.. and Ralph W. 

In 1882 Mr. \'roman served one term in the 
town council. He is an independent voter. 
The family are members of the Unitarian 
church at North Platte. 



JOHN W. DYER. 

John W. Dyer, retired, is one of the best 
known and most highly esteemed citizens of 
Franklin county, Nebraska. He resides in the 
city of Franklin, where he has built up a 
pleasant home, surrounded bv a host of warm 
friends, and is regarded as one of the repre- 
sentative old settlers of this locality. He has 
crossed the continent from Atlantic to Pacific 
four or five different times, each time taking a 
different route. 

Mr. Dyer was born in Milo, Maine, and is a 
son of John Dyer, of Bridgewater, Massachu- 
setts, and Betsy Goodrich Dyer, who was born 
in Industry. Franklin county, Maine. Our sub- 
ject's uncle. General Nathan Goodrich, was 
one of the heroes of the Mexican war, and 
Commander Nathan Goodrich, a second cousin, 
was with Dewey at Manilla, on the gunboat 
Raleigh as assistant engineer for three years. 
In 1861 our subject enlisted in the Second 
Maine Infantry, Company I, and served with 
his regiment up to .August 5, 1862, and re- 
enlisted in the Second Maine Cavalry, Com- 
pany G. and with this regiment saw service 
through the Red River expedition, also in 
Florida, Alabama and Georgia under General 
Steele and later General ,'\. J. Smith, Sixteenth 
Army Corps. The regiment was mustered out 
at Barrancas. Florida. December 16, 186.S, a 
few months after the close of the war. While 
with the Second Maine Infantry he w?s in the 
battle which took place at Yorktow., .it Han- 
over Court House, Fairoaks or Seven Pines, 
and also in a number of exciting skirmishes 
under General Martin Dale, commander of 
the brigade, and General Porter was the divi- 
sion commander. .\t this time General Mc- 
Clellan was in command of the army. 

In 1872 Mr. Dyer came west to Smith 
county, Kansas, locating twelve miles south 
of Franklin, and October 1st of that year home- 
steadefl one hunderd and sixty acres and lived 
on it, farming until 1901. \^■hen he landed 
here, after filing on his homestead, he had just 



fort3--two dollars left with which to face the 
winter and supply himself, wife and two chil- 
dren with provisions, clothes, etc., so he and 
a companion went to Fort Dodge, Kansas, 
where thousands of buffalo roamed through 
the plains, and in four daj'S had killed and 
taken the hides from eighty buffalo, all the}' 
could carry on their wagon. After selling them 
at the nearest station he started for home with 
sixty-five dollars in his pocket and enough buf- 
falo meat to last him all winter, and dried 
meat which lasted throughout the following 
summer. At that time there were hundreds 
of hunters through that section of the country, 
and had it not been for the buffalo many of 
the pioneers could not have survived those 
times. During the first j'ears our subject's 
family lived in a dugout, then built a log house 
in which they lived for some time, and after 
being there for eleven j^ears they were able 
to build a good residence. He broke up his 
land gradually, and by dint of hard work and 
strictest economy on the part of himself and 
wife began to get ahead, purchasing more land 
as he was able until he owned three quarter 
sections. His home farm of three hundred 
and twenty acres was brought up to a high 
state of cutivation, and he had added improve- 
ments until it was one of the most valuable 
estates in the locality. He engaged largely 
in raising and feeding stock, which he shipped 
to market, each year disposing of a car of 
hogs and from fifty to one hundred steers, this 
netting him a verj- snug income. Mr. Dyer 
farmed in Jasj^er count, Iowa, for five years, 
coming there from Bureau county, Illinois, 
where he had farmed for about a A-ear, and in 
his opinion the Republican valley is a much 
better jilace for farming and stock raising than 
either Iowa or Illinois, as the climate is health- 
ier and there is no mud to contend with. Here 
the land is easier to work, so that one man 
can till as much ground as two men can do in 
those states, while the a\erage crops and prices 
obtained for them are equally as good. In ad- 
dition to his eastern experience. Mr. Dyer vis- 
ited California and Oregon twice in 1904. mak- 
ing a careful study of conditions there. He 
took his wife and children with him on the 
last trip, and all agreed that there was no 
country aheai! of Nebraska, so they returned 
to I'ranklin and intend to make this their per- 
manent home. In 190.^, after his return froin 
the west, he ])urchascd twenty-four acres of 
land located in the northwestern part of Frank- 
lin, and on this built a nice residence. He has 
the place in a very fine condition. In the fall 
of the same year he purchased eighty acres of 
second bottom land Iving about a mile west of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



259 



Franklin. Before he went to California Mr. 
Dyer bought thirteen acres located on the 
high grotmds overlooking Franklin and the 
river and valley, on which he erected a hand- 
some two-story house, planting trees and mak- 
ing it into a beautiful spot, then sold it. He 
also owned a farm of one hundred and twenty 
acres situated two miles northwest of Frank- 
lin, which he disposed of to good advantage. 
Mr. Dyer has the greatest faith in the possi- 
bilities of this country, and with good manage- 
ment and industry he has from a very small 
beginning worked up to a position of ease and 
prosperity. 

'Sir. Dyer was married in 1867 to Miss Anna 
Peterson, of Galesburg, Illinois, her parents 
being natives of Sweden. Eight children have 
been born to ^Ir. and ]\Irs. Dyer, named as 
follows : George W. Dyer, a prosperous farm- 
er of Smith county, Kansas, operating a farm 
of four hundred and eighty acres ; Addie !^Iay, 
wife of Seth E. Roath, of Smith Center, Kan- 
sas : John Clayton Dyer, owner of a fine one 
hundred and sixty-acre farm in Marion town- 
ship, this county; Grace, wife of William Gret- 
chell, a farmer of Smith county, Kansas; Na- 
than G. Dyer, living on his farm three and one- 
half miles northwest of Franklin; Anna P. 
Dyer, a graduate of the Franklin Academy, of 
marked musical ability, holding three diplo- 
mas and now teaching music in Franklin and 
neighboring towns ; Daniel E. Dyer, recently 
married, a farmer living eight miles from 
Franklin, and the youngest, Oliver R. Dyer, 
helping his father at home. 

Mr. Dyer is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic post here, and a 
man of active public spirit. He is a Republican. 



WINFIELD P. TOWNSEND. 

\Mnfield P. Townsend, Ainsworth. Nebras- 
ka, takes an honorable place among the early 
settlers of Brown county, and has enjoyed 
those rich rewards which agriculture is ever 
ready to render to those who engage in its 
pursuit with foresight and industry. He has 
had much to do with the early settlement and 
general improvement of this part of the state, 
and illustrates in his own experience the value 
of character, perseverance and industry as hab- 
its of life. 

Mr. Townsend was born June 22, 1849. 01; a 
farm in Muskingum county, Ohio, where his 
father, Jonathan Townsend, had long been 
established, not only being engaged in the til- 
lage of the soil, but also following the butcher 



and carpenter trades. About 1855 he moved 
to Yernon county, 'V\'isconsin, where he fol- 
lowed farming for years. He came to Holt 
county, Nebraska, at an early day, and died 
here in January, 1890. He came of \Yelsh 
and German lineage, and was a soldier in the 
Union army during the Civil war, serving as 
a member of Company D, 18th Wisconsin Vol- 
unteer Infantry. He married Martha Goldrick, 
daughter of an Irish blacksmith, who married 
a Welsh girl. Winfield P. was the fourth child 
in a family of eight born to his parents. 

^^'hen the subject of this sketch had reached 
the age of six years his parents removed to 
Vernon county, Wisconsin, where he grew to 
manhood, in the meantime attending country 
school and securing such educational training 
as the scanty opportunities of the times af- 
forded. He was familiar with hard work 
from his early youth, and was ready to start 
out in the world for himself at the age of 
twenty-two years. His marriage to Miss Vi- 
ola T. Chase occurred March 5, 1871. She 
was born in Vermont, and came from a family 
long associated with the early New England 
history. Her parents were farming people, 
and represent in their own history many of 
the best .traditions of that section where their 
fortunes had long been cast. To this mar- 
riage were born ten children, of whom 
are living: Julia A., wife of Alva H. Brobst; 
Alyrtle V. T., who married Burdette L. Lov- 
ett ; Clyde A., Lowell J., Alice L., Cornelia, 
William' A. L., and Leon E. M. The two old- 
er children were born in Wisconsin, and all 
the others in Nebraska. 

While the young couple lived in Wiscon- 
sin Mr. Townsend was engaged in farming, 
and at times "worked out" to sustain his fam- 
ily. In 1878 he removed to Nebraska, reaching 
Butler county the fifth of July, and settled in 
Clay county in the fall of that year, where 
he lived on rented land for three years, making 
his home in a sod house, enduring such priva- 
tions as were common to a new country. In 
1880 he came to Brown county, "to look over 
the country," and was so pleased with its gen- 
eral appearance that he made haste to cast in 
his lot with its earliest settlers. Renting land 
for one year, he took a homestead on section 
6, township 30, range 22. in the spring of 1882, 
and this he soon transformed into a neat and 
profitable farm, modern and up to date in ev- 
ery respect. Mr. Townsend in coming from 
southern Nebraska, drove across the country; 
reaching Brown county he installed his fam- 
ily in a "dug-out." which was their only home 
for two or three years. Now he has an es- 
tate consisting of two hundred and forty 



26o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



acres, on which he has erected a comfortable 
rural home, ample barns and other farm build- 
ings, a windmill and has provided an ample 
equipment of machinery for the operation of 
such a place. A picture of the place will be 
found on another page. 

The place is known as "\'ictory Farm," 
from his winning a nine years' contest before 
the land office, twice carrying the case up to 
the Secretary of the Interior. Secretary Noble 
settled the contest in favor of Mr. Townsend, 
November 16, 1892, giving him a clear title 
forever to the land now known as "Victory 
Farm." 

Mr. Townsend began bridge building in 
1892, and has since been actively engaged in 
this work on a very extensive scale. He has 
a complete outfit for bridge building, including 
a pile driver and all necessary machinery and 
he has built bridges all over the county. Air. 
Townsend is a staunch Democrat politically. 
He is a consistent member of the Methodist 
church. 



LOUIS F. HOE\'ET. 

Louis F. Hoevet, an old-timer nf Dawes 
county, Nebraska, has succeeded in building 
up a good home and valuable estate here 
through his industrious habits and sturdy per- 
severance. He resides in section 11, township 
31, range 51, where he has a comfortable home 
and is highly esteemed by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Hoevet is a native of Lake county. In- 
diana, born in 1860, on a farm. His father, 
Charles Hoevet, was a farmer, born in Ger- 
many, who came to Nebraska in 1880, first set- 
tling in Clay county, later settling in Dawes 
county in 1894, where he died January 6, 1904. 
He married Miss Elizabeth Ritter, born in 
Ohio in 1843, of German stock. A sketch of 
Charles Hoevet will be found on another page 
of this volume. Our subject grew up in Illi- 
nois, where the family had moved when he 
was a boy, and he attended the common 
schools during his spare hours, assisting his 
parents in the farm work. In the fall of 1879 
he came west to Clay county. Nebraska, the 
rest of the family coming out the following 
year, and there they were among the first set- 
tlers in the region. He farmed in Clay county 
for several years, then moved to Perkins coun- 
ty, where he took up a pre-eraption and proved 
up on the land. There he lived in a sod sliantv 
and went through all sorts of pioneer experi- 
ences, but stuck to it and succeeded in build- 
ing up a good home and farm and made money. 



In 1894 Air, Hoevet came with his family 
to Dawes county, having sold his pre-emption 
in Perkins county, and here settled on section 
11, township 31, range 51. He is owner of 
two hundred acres of good land, seventy of 
which is under cultivation, and the balance 
in pasture for his stock, of which he keeps 
quite a large number of cattle, hogs and horses. 
His place is well improved and he has every- 
thing in first-class shape, showing good man- 
agement and improved methods of agriculture. 

Air. Hoevet left home when he was twenty- 
six years of age. and at that time was united 
in marriage to Aliss Armenta Hiatt, daughter 
of Riley and Lementine Hiatt, early settlers 
in Appanoose county, Iowa. He was from 
North Carolina, and married Aliss Clementine 
Jones, born in Tennessee. Air. and Airs. Hoe- 
vet are the parents of three children, namely: 
Edna, Fay and Helen. 



CHARLES HOEVET, Deceased. 

Charles Hoevet, who was one of the prom- 
inent old settlers of Dawes county, died Jan- 
uary 6, 1904. He had been in failing health 
for some time and on the 30th of December 
he was seized with paralysis and from that 
time there was little hope for his recovery, 
and he gradually sank until the end came. The 
funeral was held at Bethel church and the 
services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Shull, 
of Crawford. The whole country turned out 
in respect to the memory of this highly es- 
teemed neighbor. 

Air. Hoevet was born in Alecklenburg- 
Schwerin, Germany, on the 3d day of June, 
1832, and consequently attained the ripe age 
of seventy-two years, seven months and three 
days. He was the youngest of nine children, 
all of whom he survived. In 1852 he emi- 
grated to America and for a few years resided 
in Indiana and afterwards settled in Kanka- 
kee county, Illinois, where he made his home 
until the spring of 1880. In that year he re- 
moved to Clay county, Nebraska, and in 1892 
to Dawes county, where he established him- 
self with his family upon a well improved and 
beautiful farm cast of Crawford, where his life 
was brought to a close. In 1859 he was united 
in marriage with Aliss Elizabeth Ritter, who 
was the daughter of Jacob and Sarah C Ham- 
mond) Ritter. The children of this union were 
nine in number, seven of whom, with the aged 
widow, survive tn ninurn the loss of a good 
husband and father, and all of whom were 
present at the deathbed and funeral. The liv- 



co:mpexdium of history, reminiscence and biography 



261 



ing children are: Louis. Charles, Delia, Otto, 
Edward, Albert and Floyd. 

Mr. Hoevet was one of the most substan- 
tial and respectable citizens of Dawes county 
and his death will be recognized as a dis- 
tinct loss to the community. 



CHARLES T. HOWARD. 

On the banks of the Lodgepole creek, 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, stands the hand- 
some residence of one of the leading citizens 
of that county. Among those who have en- 
dured many hardships and succeeded in spite 
of many discouragements which fell to the 
lot of the early settler of Western Nebraska, 
no one is more deserving of prominent men- 
tion than the gentleman who forms the sub- 
ject of this sketch. 

Mr. Howard was born in Plattsburg. New 
York, on September 14, 1845. He grew up in 
that locality, and at the age of eighteen years 
moved to Will county, Illinois, where he ac- 
quired an eighty acre farm one mile north of 
Manhattan. He first came to Cheyenne coun- 
ty in 1885 and filed on a homestead in section 
26, township 13, range 49, and spent eight 
years on that place, making good improve- 
ments. He then purchased and moved onto 
a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in sec- 
tion 31, township 14, range 47, situated on 
Lodgepole creek, and still occupies this last 
mentioned place. Here he has made a fine 
farm, and owns in all one thousand two hun- 
dred acres, which includes the original home- 
stead. He devotes about thirty acres to crops, 
and has sufificient pasture for the stock he 
owns. He has erected good farm buildings, 
fences and necessary wells and windmills for 
the care of about thirty head of cattle and 
fifty horses which he keeps. The family oc- 
cupy a fine modern residence, and every cor- 
ner of the place shows good management, 
prosperity and painstaking care in its opera- 
tion. 

Mr. Howard was married at Alokena. Illi- 
nois, on the 24th day of November, 1876, to 
Miss Alice Turner, a daughter of James and 
Abeygail (Crandle) Turner, born near Ashta- 
bula, Ohio. Six children blessed this union, 
named as follows: Harry (deceased); Lila, 
wife of Leroy Dyke, now living in Portland, 
Oregon; Winifred, who married Carl Homan, 
of Sedgewick, Colorado : Lee, Lucy and Pot- 
ter, the three last named all living at home. 
Mr. and Mrs. Howard are of a most hospitable 
nature, and have a family of intelligent and 



congenial children, making a happy family 
which it is a pleasure for one to meet. Our 
subject himself is a man of very pleasant 
personality, and a gentleman of superior qual- 
ities of mind and character. Owing to im- 
paired health, Mr. Howard spent the winter of 
1908 in southern California, in which place he 
rapidly recuperated. He has always voted the 
Republican ticket, and takes an active part in 
local and county afTairs. He is a member of 
the Odd Fellows, and with his family, of the 
Episcopal church. 



WILLIAM E. GAMEL. 

The gentleman above named is a leading 
merchant of Loomis, Nebraska. In 1899 he 
bought out the hardware business of D. T. 
Garrett, and has since that time successfully 
conducted the store, increasing his stock, and 
has more than trebled the business, so that his 
patronage extends all over the territory adja- 
cent to Loomis. Mr. Gamel has one of the 
largest and finest stores in this section, hand- 
ling hardware, furniture, harness, paints, oils, 
tin and kitchenware, stoves and ranges, 
plumbing and the last year adding automo- 
biles, and enjoys a great measure of prosper- 
ity and an enviable reputation as a business man 
and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Gamel is a native of Champaign coun- 
ty, Illinois, and is a son of O. J. Gamel, who 
came to this county locating in Lake town- 
ship with his family in 1888, his death occur- 
ing there in 1894, at the age of forty-eight 
years. He was the owner of four hundred 
and eighty acres of land in that township, and 
was a very successful farmer and agriculturist. 
He was by profession a druggist being a reg- 
istered pharmacist, and was engaged in that 
business, also the grocery business before com- 
ing to Nebraska. Prior to the time of our sub- 
ject starting in business in Loomis, he was 
engaged in the profession of a teacher here, 
having followed this for seven years, also 
taught in Lake township and the last three 
years spent in the Loomis public schools. 

Mr. Gamel was married in 1894 to Miss 
Helen Potter who, prior to her marriage, was 
a teacher in the Loomis schools, and a lady 
of much intelligence and charm. She was a 
native of Owego, New York, daughter of 
John O. Potter, now a resident of Denver, 
Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Gamel have two chil- 
dren. Mr. Gamel received his education at 
the Fairmont. Nebraska, high school, and 
later attended the Franklin Academy and Lin- 



262 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



coin Normal, receiving a state certificate. Mr. 
Gamel is a genial, intellectual gentleman, pop- 
ular in business and social circles, universally 
esteemed and respected. 



BERNARD J. McGUIRE. 

Bernard J. McGuire, who enjoys the com- 
forts of a rural home in section 10, township 
26, range 28, Cherry county, is one of the well 
known and wealthy residents of his locality. 
He is one of the old settlers there and his la- 
bors have become a part of the history of the 
county. 

Mr. McGuire was born in Roscommon 
county, Ireland, in 1865. His father, Michael 
McGuire, came to America several times on 
a visit, but spent his entire career in his na- 
tive land engaged in farming. He married 
Mary Buchanan, and they owned a good home 
and farm, on which our subject grew to the 
age of thirteen years, at which time he came 
to America by way of England, landing in 
Philadelphia. He spent five years in the east, 
then came to Nebraska. While in Pennsyl- 
vania he attended school, and also worked in 
the mines until coming west to Jefferson coun- 
ty, Nebraska, then went into the Black Hills 
and was there at the time of the Indian mas- 
sacre, taking part in subduing the insurrec- 
tions of the redskins. During that trip he 
slept on the ground and often awakened in the 
morning with his blankets covered with snow. 
He roughed it for two years in that vicinity, 
working as an engineer in a sawmill. As early 
as 1885 he came to Cherry county. 

Mr. McGuire was married at Fairbury, Ne- 
braska, January 31, 1891, to Miss Anna Shan- 
ley, daughter of Patrick Shanley, who was an 
old settler in Cherry county. After their mar- 
riage they went to Denver and remained in 
that city for five years, where Mr. McGuire 
was engaged in the ice business. He held 
considerable ranching property in Cherry 
county, having quite a herd of cattle and 
horses, which brought him in a good income. 
He acquired his present ranch in 1895, and the 
following year moved with his family on the 
place, which they have occupied ever since. 
At that time it was highly improved land, with 
good buildings, wells and windmills, and he 
has continued to improve it and keeps it in 
good shape. The place consists of one thou- 
sand nine hundred and twenty acres, all 
deeded land, and he also controls one thou- 
sand two hundred and eighty acres of leased 
land in the vicinity, using it almost e.xclusive- 



ly as a stock ranch, running a large bunch of 
cattle and other stock. Since coming to his 
present ranch the only bad luck he has expe- 
rienced was loss sustained through a cyclone 
which came along and blew the roof oft' his 
house and utterly destroyed a shed on the 
place, together with smaller damage. 

Mr. and Mrs. McGuire have a family of five 
children, named as follows: Michael B., Mary, 
Letta Beatrice, Berenice Rosetta and Patrick Leo, 
and they form a most interesting family group, 
all bright and intelligent, their home one of the 
most pleasant to be found in the community. 
They have a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances who enjoy their hospitailty. Most 
of Mr. McGuire's time is devoted to his family 
and the interest of his ranch, and while he 
takes a commendable interest in local att'airs, 
has never sought public oftice. 



D. C. SHETLER. 

For the past twenty-five years the gentle- 
man above named has been an important fac- 
tor in the development and progress of the 
section lying south of the Platte river, cover- 
ing Phelps and Kearney counties, Nebraska, 
He came to Nebraska in 1879, from Johnson 
county, Iowa, locating at Wilcox. Nebraska, 
and in 1886 engaged in the lumber busi- 
ness at Wilcox, which he conducted for five 
years. He was the first chairman of the village 
board of Wilcox, organized in 1889. and held the 
position of postmaster of that town for five years. 
Wilcox now has a population of fi\e hundred, 
and boasts two banks, two papers, three ele- 
vators and a number of fine stores. Our sub- 
ject is at present occupying the position of 
cashier of the Exchange Bank of Wilcox. This 
institution was established by him in 1905, 
with a capital and surplus of $12,000, and since 
its organization the bank has built up a pros- 
perous and growing business. It now owns 
and occupies a fine new brick building, and is 
one of the most reliable banking institutions 
of Kearney count}-. For the past twelve years 
Mr. Shetler has owned the Wilcox Herald, for 
which he has recently erected a substantial 
brick building and installed a new, up-to-date 
press and job ofiice, supplied with a gasoline 
engine, new press, and everj^ improvement, at 
a total cost of $3,500 for the plant. This 
paper has a wide circulation in the four coun- 
ties of Phelps. Harlan, Kearney and Franklin, 
the town of W'ilcox being located at the cor- 
ner of these counties. The paper is managed 
by J. B. Lane. Mr. Shetler also is interested 




D. C. SHETLER. 



co:mpendium of history, reminiscence and biography 



263 



largely in the real estate, loan and insurance 
business, with his headquarters and office at 
Wilcox, and has sold large .tracts of farming 
lands in the four counties above mentioned, 
amounting to millions of .dollars. His is the 
largest agency of its kind in this section, and 
has located hundreds of farmers in Nebraska, 
and is constantly advertising its advantages. 
Land in this vicinity has advanced 200 per 
cent, in the past fifteen years. Our subject 
is now owner of two thousand five hundred 
and twenty acres of fine farm land, three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of this being located 
near the town of Wilcox, one thousand six 
hundred acres in dilTerent parts of Nebraska 
and six hundred and twenty-five acres of it 
in Iowa. All of these lands are under rental, 
and he derives a substantial income from this 
source. He also owns five hundred head of 
Duroc Jersey pure-bred hogs, from the best 
strains in the country, and one hundred head 
of Shorthorn cattle. He has fed from five to 
ten cars of cattle and hogs annually for the 
past ten years, which he ships to the markets. 
The past year he raised one hundred acres of 
wheat which netted him $1,739 after paying 
expenses of $533. He is a strong advocate of 
sowing fall wheat at the end of August. He is 
also a firm believer in the state of Nebraska as 
a banner crop producer. Mr. Shetler also has 
large interests in Holdredge, where he now 
lives. 

He was married in 1876 to Ella Garey. and 
they have been blessed with three children : 
Ethel, Fay and Louise. ^Ir. Shetler was born 
in Ohio. 

A portrait of Mr. Shetler will be found on 
another page of this volume. 



ANTON UFIRIG. 

The gentleman above named was one of 
the first to settle in Box Butte county, and 
has, since the earliest days of settlement in 
this section, taken a leading part in the public 
affairs of the section, having been the first 
mayor of Hemingford. Mr. L'hrig is held in 
the highest esteem by all who know him, and 
his name will figure prominently in the his- 
tory of the development and growth of this 
part of the country. He occupies a pleasant 
and comfortable home adjoining Hemingford, 
and is one of the substantial and worthy cit- 
izens of the town and township. 

Mr. Uhrig was born in Nassau, Germany, 
in 1847, and his father was a merchant at that 
place, who spent all his life in his native 



country, his death occurring there in about 
1873. Our subject was reared in the old 
country, learning the harness-maker's trade 
and followed the work for six years there, and 
when he was twenty years of age he came to 
America, landing here in 1867, and came di- 
'rectly west to Illinois, locating in Carlyle, 
where he followed his trade for about two 
years, and later spending a short time at St. 
Louis. He then went to Council Bluft's and 
Omaha, working at his trade in both cities, 
then went to ilondamin, Iowa, where he 
opened a harness shop of his own, manufactur- 
ing and selling harness. 

Mr. Uhrig next moved to a farm in that 
vicinity, and after farming for one vear left 
the place and located in Mexico, Missouri, 
where he attended school for one year, striv- 
ing to gain a better knowledge of the English 
language to help him in his business career. 
He later engaged in the furniture business at 
that place, being manager of the store for over 
a year, and then begun as a traveling salesman 
for the firm of Heller & Hoft'man, chair, and 
other furniture manufacturers, and continued 
in that work for three years, traveling prin- 
cipally through western Iowa and Nebraska, 
having been the first salesman the concern 
had ever employed in the territory of western 
Nebraska. 

In 1884 Mr. Uhrig took a pre-emption and 
a tree claim, both proved up on later, and later 
a homestead three and a half miles southwest 
of Hemingford, and part of that town is now 
located on what was his tree claim. He sold 
the first carload of furniture that was shipped 
into Rushville, and in the fall of 1885 made 
another trip on the road. 

Air. Uhrig started farming in the year of 
1885, in addition to his other business enter- . 
prises, and the following year opened his store 
in Hemingford. dealing in furniture, hardware 
and saddlery, and he had the first stock of 
hardware and saddlery that was ever brought 
into the town. He located here before the 
railroad was built in and also when the county 
seat was located, and was one of the men who 
went to Lincoln to interview the railroad offi- 
cials and ofifer inducements to the company 
for bringing the road to his town, part of his 
tree claim being presented to the railway com- 
pany as a bonus for locating here. 

Since coming to this locality Mr. Uhrig has 
been remarkably successful, and has accumu- 
lated a fine property through his good man- 
agement and steady perseverance. He is 
owner of six hundred and two acres of land 
near Hemingford, also two blocks, a part of 
the town site. He has a fine store building 



264 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



twenty-five by sixty feet, with a basement and 
second story, on one of the main streets of the 
town. 

In 1886 Mr. Uhrig was united in marriage 
at Mexico. Missouri, to Miss Augusta Basse. 
Mr. and Mrs. Uhrig are the parents of the fol- 
lowing children : Nettie, Frank, Ida, Otto, 
Winfred, George and Margaret. 

Mr. Uhrig is a Democrat and a strong party 
man. 



CARMEL E. CHENEY. 

Carmel E. Cheney has been intimately 
identified with the early history of Brown 
county, Nebraska, and is known in the vicin- 
ity of Ainsworth as one of the most reliable 
and prominent representatives of its best 
farming circles. He owes his present forward 
position to honest purpose, fair dealing and 
industrious habit. His father, John Cheney, 
was a native of New England and achieved 
a competence in Nebraska by dint of thrift 
and labor. Carmel E. Cheney, born near the 
line of Lynn and Delaware counties, Iowa, 
December 29, 1860, was the third in his fa- 
ther's family and grew to manhood in his na- 
tive state, where his characteristics early in- 
dicated a substantial success in whatever oc- 
cupation he might address himself. His pa- 
rents resided in Lynn and Delaware counties, 
Iowa, until he reached the age of fifteen. They 
removed to Marshal county about 1876 and to 
Crawford county a year later. In the spring of 
1882 the entire family came into Nebraska, 
and made a home in Brown county. Here the 
subject of this sketch located on his present 
farm property, taking it under the pre-emp- 
tion law, later making it a homestead claim, 
upon which, in due time, he made all the legal 
proofs and acquired a clear title. In the be- 
ginning it was a raw prairie, and all the im- 
provements that now make it sightly and 
pleasant owe their existence to the indefatig- 
able labors of Mr. Cheney. For a time he 
"batched," and then lived with his father until 
his marriage, April 8, 1896, when Miss Ellen 
McKeever became his wife. She was born in 
Iowa of American antecedents, and was a 
lady of more than the usual gifts and graces. 
Before her marriage she had taught school 
for some years in Boyd county, Nebraska. 
This union has been blessed with four chil- 
dren : Zenas D., Bessie M., Cordelia C. and 
Earl V. 

Mr. Cheney is the proprietor of a well ap- 
pointed farm of one hundred and sixty acres. 
It is all fenced and devoted to both grain and 



stock farming. The Cheneys take a very 
active part in school matters, and have been 
very instrumental in the successful operation 
of literary societies, and other intellectual 
stimulants in the neighborhood in which they 
live. ■ In politics Mr. Cheney is a Democrat 
and is a member of the Independent Order oi 
Odd Fellows of Ainsworth. 



JOHN Z. VAN HOUTEN. 

An honorable position among the pioneer 
settlers of Loup county is readily accorded to 
this gentleman, better known as "Jack Hou- 
ten," by every one with whom he is acquainted. 
He occupies one of the large and well-im- 
proved ranches of the county, and is greatly 
respected in the community where he has 
lived for so many years. 

JNIr. Van Houten was born in Ogle county, 
Illinois, in 1857. His father, John Van 
Houten, was born in the state of New York, 
a farmer by occupation and was of Holland- 
Dutch and Scotch ancestry. The mother was 
a native of Rhode Island, and her name, be- 
fore marriage, was Cornelia Johnson. 

The subject of our sketch lived in Illinois 
until 1862, when the family moved to New 
York state, where they resided for about six 
years, at the end of which time they came west 
to Humbolt county, Iowa, where our subject 
grew up on a farm and attended the country 
schools. In 1879 the family drove through 
with team and covered wagon to Loup coun- 
ty, Nebraska, and our subject settled on a 
homestead in section 27, township 21, range 
17. He built the regulation sod shanty and 
prepared for the experiences of pioneer life. 
He had a team and drove to St. Paul. Ne- 
braska, for supplies and materials. He re- 
mained on the farm, and, although there were 
three successive failures of crops during the 
drouth years, he stuck to his work and now 
has a fine farm of four hundred and seventy 
acres along the North Loup river. His pa- 
rents lived and died in the county and they 
were respected and revered by all who knew 
them. 

In 1881 Mr. Van Hontei. was married to 
Miss Carrie Renifl, daughter of Philo and 
Mary (Wickson) ReniflF, old settlers of Ne- 
braska. The father was a native of New York 
state. Mr. and Airs. Van Houten have eight 
children: Burt, Harry, Horace, Jack, May, 
Peter. Mattie and Ella. Before her marriage, 
Mrs. Van Houten was a school teacher of good 
abilities and she has always been deeply in- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



26; 



terested in the educational affairs of the dis- 
trict. 

Mr. Van Houten has been an active par- 
ticipant in local political affairs, has been pre- 
cinct officer, assessor, road overseer and has 
held other minor offices. He is outspoken and 
frank in all things and his stand for advance- 
ment along all lines is firm and decided. 



CHARLES H. SAILOR. 

Charles H. Sailor, a leading citizen of Gor- 
don, Nebraska, is a prosperous merchant, 
widely known as a gentleman of good business 
ability and true public spirit. 

Mr. Sailor was born in Hancock count}-, 
Illinois, in 1864. His father, Richard A. Sail- 
or, was a native of Kentucky, reared and edu- 
cated in Missouri, and followed farming as an 
occupation all his life. Of a family of seven 
children our subject was the third member, 
and he was raised in Illinois until he reached 
the age of twenty, attending school until 
eighteen years of age, when he started to learn 
the carpenter's trade. In 1883 he came to Ne- 
braska and settled in Antelope county, where 
he remained for two years. In July, 1885, he 
moved to Gordon, where he took up a home- 
stead situated ten miles south of the town on 
Niobrara river. His first dwelling was a log 
house, and he lived in this for five and a half 
years, proving up and improving the place. 
He had early learned the carpenter and build- 
er's trade, and in 1891 moved to Gordon and 
followed this work for several years. He did 
well at this, and in 1901 begun to deal in farm- 
ing implements and has gradually increased 
his business until he is now' enjoying a lucra- 
tive trade. He established himself in his pres- 
ent location in 1903 and now handles all kinds 
of farming machinery, pumps, windmills, 
pianos, organs, sewing-machines, etc., his pa- 
tronage extending all through Sheridan and 
the adjoining counties. He and his son now 
have the finest hardware store in Sheridan 
county. 

Mr. Sailor was married in 1885, during the 
month of October, to Miss Lydia Wyman, of 
American stock, whose father, Charles M. 
A\'yman, was a farmer. Mr. and ]\Irs. Sailor 
have a family of five children, namely: Ralph, 
Ray, Hallie, Chester and Dwight, all born in 
Sheridan county. 

Mr. Sailor is prominent in all local affairs 
that tend to advance the commercial interests 
of his locality. He has acted as president of 
the Sheridan county agricultural association 



for six 3'ears, and has served as county as- 
sessor for the past four years. He was a mem- 
ber of the school, board for about five years, 
and for ten years was village clerk. He has 
aided in the bettering of conditions in his 
town, as when he first came here Gordon had 
thirteen saloons and about three stores, and 
since then the town shows wonderful growth 
and improvement. He is a strong Republican. 



WILLIAM G. FERNAU. 

\A'ilIiam G. Fernau, one of the earliest set- 
tlers in Brown county, Nebraska, is a prosper- 
c:ius farmer of this locality, and has gained a 
comfortable competence and enviable reputa- 
tion as a worthy citizen. 

Mr. Fernau was born on a farm in Wash- 
ington county, Wisconsin, March 10, 1855. 
His father, John Fernau, was a shoemaker and 
farmer, who came to this country from the 
province of Hesse Cassel, Germany, while a 
young man, settling in Wisconsin, where our 
subject was reared, receiving a common school 
education. He was the sixth member in a 
family of eight children, and during his boy- 
hood days assisted his father in the farm work, 
and thus grew up accustomed to good hard 
labor. In 1885 he came to Nebraska and set- 
tled on a homestead, and the first building he 
put up was a small shanty, in which he lived 
for some time. He went to work improving 
his farm, but the dry years came on and his 
crops were all ruined by the drouth and hail 
storms, and this discouraged him so greatly 
that he gave up trying to do anything, and 
left his homestead, going to Chicago, de- 
termined to change his occupation. He re- 
mained there for a year, working in a furniture 
factory and a cooper shop, saving his money, 
and then returned to Brown county and 
started over again ; from that time on 
he plodded along, slowly but surely, building 
up and improving his farm, in the hard times 
being very careful of expenditures, until now 
he is the owner of five hundred and twenty 
acres of good farming land, of which all but 
sixty acres are under cultivation and improved 
with a good house, barns, and other buildings, 
all his land being fenced, and well stocked 
with cattle, hogs and a number of horses. The 
land is well adapted to potatoes, of which Mr. 
Fernau is an extensive cultivator, having some 
years five thousand bushels at the digging. 
A view of the home and surroundings is pre- 
sented on another page. 

In 1879 Mr. Fernau was married to Miss 



266 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Lavina E. Eye, a native of Wisconsin, whose 
father came of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and 
her mother of German descent. They are the 
parents of seven children, who are named as 
follows : John, Emma, George, Edward, 
David, William and Warren. The two eldest 
were born in Wisconsin, and the younger five 
in Nebraska. 

!Mr. Fernau deserves much praise for the 
substantial success which has attended his la- 
bors. Beginning with the most modest capital, 
he has worked his way up to the competence 
he now enjoys, and is an exemplary member 
of the community in which he chose his home. 
In politics he is Democratic, and with the 
family, a member of the Congregational 
church of Ainsworth. 



WILLIAM E. ROUDEBUSH. 

\\"illiam E. Roudebush, who for the past 
many years has resided in Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, is the possessor of a fine estate and 
one of the highly esteemed citizens of Chap- 
pell, where he now makes his home. 

Mr. Roudebush was born in Henry county, 
Iowa, in 1871, and was raised on a farm. His 
father, Jacob H. Roudebush, was a native of 
Pennsylvania, of old American stock, and later 
was one of the early settlers in Deuel county, 
Nebraska. He married Anna H. Brown, born 
in Indiana, of American blood. When our 
subject was a lad of fifteen years he came to 
Deuel county with his parents and has lived 
on the frontier since that time, being familiar 
with every phase of ranch life, helping his 
father build up his extensive ranching inter- 
ests, and is a thorough judge and master of 
the business from start to finish. When a 
ver}' young man be began in the cattle busi- 
ness on his own account, taking a homestead 
on section 9, township 20, range 44, built a 
shanty and roughed it for several years. The 
town of Alliance, thirty miles away, was his 
nearest railroad station, and from there he had 
to haul all his supplies. He lived on this 
ranch until -1900, building up a valuable es- 
tate, then sold out and nioveil to near r)shkosh, 
still running his ranch himself. He owns in 
all one thousand si.x hundred acres, which is 
devoted to stock raising. 

In 1905 Mr. Roudebush was elected treas- 
urer of Deuel county, served his term and 
was re-elected in 1907, still occupying the 
• office. He moved to Chappcil several years 
ago and has a pleasant home here. 

Our subject was married in 1896, at Al- 



liance, Nebraska, to ]\Iiss Mary Applegarth, 
daughter of Henry Applegarth, an old settler 
of this county. He located here in 1888 and , 
is well and favorably l-mown throughout the 
vicinity. Mr. and ^Irs. Roudebush have a 
family of three children, named as follows : 
Claude, aged ten; Elma, aged five, and Myron, 
a baby of three years, and they form an inter- 
esting and charming group. 



WILLIAM WILSON. 

Among the old settlers and prominent resi- 
dents of Chadron, Nebraska, the name of Wil- 
liam W'ilson deserves a foremost place. Mr. 
Wilson is well known all over the western 
part of Nebraska as a successful ranchman 
and farmer, owning valuable property in 
Dawes county, and he is one of the public- 
spirited citizens of his community, at present 
making his home in the town of Chadron. 

Mr. Wilson was born in ilorgan county, 
Indiana, in 1833. His father was Alexander 
Wilson, of American stock, owner of a fine 
farm in the timbered region, and was owner 
of a large sawmill plant ; was killed there in 
August, 1862. His mother was Mary Max- 
well, also of American blood. William grew 
up on his father's farm on the frontier, and 
was married in that neighborhood in 1856, to 
Miss I\Iary A. Hollis, whose parents were 
American born. Our subject entered the serv- 
ice of his country in 1862, enlisting in Com- 
pany H, Seventy-ninth Indiana Infantry, and 
served in Kentucky and Tennessee. He was 
at the battle of Stone River, Tennessee, and 
Perryville. Kentucky, seeing actual service, for 
many months. The following year, 1863. at 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, he received his dis- 
charge and returned to his native county 
where he remained for several years, then 
came to Missouri and settled on a farm in 
Ilarrison county, on which he lived with his 
family for twenty years. There he opened up 
as fine a farm as was to be found in that part 
of the country, within two miles of Ridgeway, 
Missouri ; that town being established many 
years after he settled there. When he first 
came the country was all open prairie. Mr. 
Wilson's whole life has been spent on the 
frontier in Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska. 

Mr. Wilson first came to Dawes county in 
1889, settling on a ranch six miles east of 
Chadron. and he built up that place and op- 
erated it for eighteen years. He had three 
hundred and twenty acres of good range land, 
part of which was cultivated, and made a sue- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



167 



cess of the work from the beginning. Mr. 
Wilson was township treasurer in Missouri for 
years, in which capacity he collected the 
money and hired and paid the school teachers 
of the township ; and he has been treasurer 
of the first agricultural association of Dawes 
county. Nebraska. He moved to the city of 
Chadron in 1903, and has since made that city 
his home, and where he has a fine residence. 
He is police judge of Chadron, having held 
that office for four terms. He is well known 
and esteemed as a leading citizen and politi- 
cian, a man of high character and progressive 
ideas. 

Mr. Wilson suffered a sad bereavement in 
June, 1906, in the death of his wife, who left 
the following children : William A. ; Lovica, 
wife of Peter Tanner, residing in Missouri on 
a very fine farm ; Grace, now Mrs. J. P. Owen ; 
Jennie, now Mrs. E. R. Whetstine ; John T. ; 
Dolly, now- Mrs. R. A. Bowes ; Fred K. ; Hen- 
rietta, wife of C. B. Owen, all settled in this 
vicinity except Lovica. as stated above. 



I. A. GIBSON. 



J. A. Gibson, one of the leading citizens of 
Alma, Harlan county . was born in Marion 
county, Illinois, in 1848. He is a son of James 
and !\Iargaret (French! Gibson, the former 
born in Monongahela county. West Virginia, 
the latter of Champaign county, Ohio. The 
family moved to ]\Iarion county. Iowa, in 1854, 
where the father became one of the active 
pioneer settlers in that part of Iowa. Our 
subject's grandfather, Hugh Gibson, came 
from Kennykajig, in the north of Ireland, 
early in the seventeenth century, and settled 
at the mouth of the Cheat river. West Vir- 
ginia, then A'irginia. He married Miss Peggy 
Foreman, of Jamestown, Virginia. 

In 1864 our subject enlisted in the Forty- 
seventh Iowa Infantry, at the age of sixteen 
years, and served until the close of the war. 
He was with his regiment all through Mis- 
sissippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, taking part 
in the battle of Big Creek, Arkansas,, and in 
other engagements of that division. He had 
two brothers in the war, serving in the Ninth 
Iowa Cavalry. 

Mr. Gibson came to Nebraska and located 
in Harlan county in 1878. He drove here in a 
covered w-agon, accompanied by his wife and 
three children. They took up a homestead 
situated north of Alma, and resided on this 
farm until 1892, when they removed to the 
town of Alma, where Mr. Gibson engaged in 



the grocery and produce business. He op- 
erated this store up to 1894, and since that 
time 'has conducted a feed and poultry busi- 
ness here. He has built a fine residence and is 
one of the prosperous business men of this 
section. Mr. Gibsoij has held diii'erent local 
offices, having served as justice of the peace 
and township supervisor. He was a candidate 
for sheriff on the Republican ticket. Later 
he was appointed sheriff and filled an unex- 
pired term. He is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic post at Alma, and 
past master of the Masonic lodge here. 

In 1871 Mr. Gibson married Miss Margaret 
Wilson, a resident of Sheridan. Iowa, at the 
time. They have a family of six children 
living, who are named as follow^s: Mary, wife 
of J. R. Punshon, of Morton, Kansas ; Clara, 
now Mrs. Kirkpatrick, of Colorado Springs, 
Colorado ; Nellie, now Mrs. Moore, als'o of 
Colorado Springs : Mrs. A. L. Burkey, of 
Alma : John L. Gibson, of Alma, and Bessie 
Gibson, living at home. They also have two 
adopted children, taken from the New York 
Orphans' Home. Bennie and Ida Jones. 



GEORGE D. BERRY. 

Among the prosperous and wide-awake 
business men of Bassett, Nebraska, who has 
been in this section since the pioneer times, 
we mention the name of George D. Berry. 
He has been intimately identified with the 
upbuilding of that locality and is widely and 
favorably known throughout Rock county. 

i\Ir. Berry is a native of Juneau county, 
^^'isconsin. born September 5, 1854. His fa- 
ther, also George Berry, was born in England 
and emigrated to this country when a young 
man, settling in Wisconsin, where he farmed 
for many years, prior to establishing himself 
in Iowa, where he died. When our subject 
was five or six years of age his parents set- 
tled in Corydon, Wayne county, Iowa, where 
he attended the common schools, receiving a 
fair education. At the age of thirteen years 
he began working for himself, being employed 
as farm boy for a time. In 1884 he came to 
Nebraska and located in Rock county, wdiere 
he secured a place in a grocery store as a 
clerk, and continued at this work for several 
years. He came to Bassett in 1884 and settled 
on a homestead south of the town, clerking 
in Long Pine for some time. After settling 
here he opened a grocery store in Bassett on 
his own account, and in 1899 traded his home- 
stead for a lot and building: in the town. He 



268 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



made a success of the business from the start, 
and built up a profitable trade among the resi- 
dents of Bassett and all over the surrounding 
country by his strict integrity and honest and 
fair treatment. He has accumulated a com- 
fortable property and is regarded as a success- 
ful business man and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Berry was married in Iowa September 
5. 1886. to Miss Sadie C. Stewart, a native of 
Iowa, born at Henry. Her father, Charles 
Stewart, was a farmer by occupation, born of 
Irish stock, while her mother, Susan Ireland, 
was of Yankee and Dutch blood. Two chil- 
dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Berry, 
namely: George Milo and Harve}^ Park. 

Mr. Berry is a Republican in politics, and 
a member of the Odd Fellows and \\'orkmen 
at Bassett. 



willia:\i c. dugger. 

Another of the well-to-do residents and old- 
timers of western Nebraska is found in the 
person of the gentleman above mentioned, 
who is owner of a valuable estate in Chey- 
enne county. 

William C. Dugger was born in Scott 
Cdunty, Illinois, on December 10, 1857. His 
father was a native of Pennsylvania, and his 
mother born in England, the latter dying in 
1864, and the former is also deceased. They 
lived in Illinois until William was seven years 
of age, then, after the mother's death, the fa- 
ther went to Kansas with his children, settling 
in Clay county, where he lived for about thir- 
teen years. From there he moved to Linn 
county, that state, and came to Cheyenne 
county in 1886, landing in the region April 
22(1. He first took a pre-emption and home- 
stead, the latter on section 11, township 18. 
range .^1. which now forms the home ranch. 
There are four hundred acres lying along 
Pumpkin creek and three hundred and twenty 
acres on Middle creek, all good range and 
farm land. He has one hundred acres culti- 
vated, raising small grains, and he runs about 
one hundred and twenty head of cattle and 
twenty horses. There are good buildings and 
imjirovements on the place and Mr. Dugger is 
one of the leading men of his locality. 

On June 2, 1877, our subject was united 
in marriage in Linn county, Kansas, to Miss 
Avilla J. Millsap, who was born in Iowa, and 
reared there. They raised a family of six 
children, named as follows: Grace A., mar- 
ried to J. W. Nunn, living near her father's 
ranch, mother of four children : .\nianda mar- 



ried W. J. Cochran, and they have one child; 
Marion A., Thomas, Florence and Naomi, the 
last mentioned four living at home. The 
mother died September 22, 1907, leaving many 
sorrowing friends to mourn her loss, as she was 
a most estimable lady, greatly beloved by all 
who knew her. 

Mr. Dugger is president of the Court 
House Rock Telephone Company, and is 
active in all local matters of public benefit. 
He is serving as moderator of school district 
143 at the present time. In political views he 
is a stanch Republican, and was elected county 
commissioner in 1905, and re-elected for the 
following term, which will expire in 1910. 



TAMES P. SWEENEY. 

Tames P. Sweeney, a prosperous agricul- 
turist and one of the leading citizens of town- 
ship 28. range 7\7 . Cherry county, is called one 
of the old settlers of western Nebraska, al- 
though he is one of the younger men in his 
locality. 

Mr. Sweeney was born in Oil City, Penn- 
svlvania, in 1876. His father, Michael 
Sweenev, was a farmer and teamster of that 
state for manv years, later a pioneer in west- 
ern Nebraska, where he settled with his family 
in 1885. locating at first in Holt county, and 
from there moved to .Sheridan county, where 
he lived for a number of years. He was one 
of the well known men of the region, and 
died on May 2d, 1907. in Cherry countv. Ne- 
braska, leaving his widow, whose maiden 
name was Miss Mary R. Zink, and five chil- 
dren, namely: Kate, married: Toe B. : James 
P. four subject) ; Ed. and Rose M. In 
1895 James came to Cherry county with the 
family, landing here in the spring of that year, 
his father taking up a homestead on section 
28. township 28. range y? . The place has been 
improved in good shape, is all fenced and our 
subject is engaged in stock raising principally, 
and is making a splendid success of the work 
with his two brothers, Joe and Ed., they 
being equally interested in the r^mching busi- 
ness. The mother and his sister. Rose M., 
both live with our subject. The ranch con- 
tains nine quarter sections of deeded land and 
is one of the most valuable estates in the coun- 
ty. .\11 the children have I<Cincaid home- 
steads adjoining their mother. They have 
three flowing wells, five windmills, and six or 
seven lakes aboiuiding with fish, ducks, geese, 
etc. They put up annually about two thou- 
sand tons of hay. They run large herds of cat- 
tic and horses each \-ear for the markets. 




RESIDENCE OF T. V. JAQUES, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE .\ND FAMILY OF W. C. SOLI.FNUERGFR 
Alliance, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



269 



iMr. Sweeney is an honest, industrious 
young man, who gives his entire time and at- 
tention to the operation of his extensive in- 
terests, being associated with his two broth- 
ers as before stated, and is on the high road 
to success. All three are strong Bryan Dem- 
ocrats. 



THOMAS V. JAOUES. 

Thomas V. Jaques, one of the leading old 
settlers of Keya Paha county, resides on a 
well-improved farm in Custer precinct, and is 
thoroughly conversant with agricultural pur- 
suits and is a successful and progressive mem- 
ber of the farming community of this section 
of the country. 

JMr. Jaques was born in Burlington Plain, 
near Hamilton, Canada, ]\Iarch 18, 1849. His 
father, Thomas Jaques, was a native of Eng- 
land,' of French ancestry, who came to Canada 
when a young man, and in 1871 came to the 
states and settled in Greene county, Iowa, 
with his family, consisting of his wife, who 
was Miss Margaret Bird, of English stock, 
and their eight children, of whom our subject 
was the fourth member. At the age of twen- 
ty-one years he started out for himself, follow- 
ing farm work, as his boyhood years had all 
been spent on a farm and he had had plenty ot 
hard work to do in assisting his parents on 
their home farm in Iowa, where they located. 
In 1884 he came to Keya Paha county, set- 
tling on a homestead one mile from Spring- 
view, and lived on the place for ten years. He 
then bought his present home, located on sec- 
tion 1, township 33, range 21, which was part- 
ly improved at that time. He is considered 
one of the leading old settlers of this county, 
having built up two farms here, also planting 
many trees and groves on his own and others 
places, having on liis own farm ten acres of the 
finest grove to be found in the county. He 
has nine hundred and sixty acres of land, 
njostly in pasture, keeping one hundred and 
eighty head of cattle and some horses and 
hogs. At no time during the distressing 
drought periods were the crops of his farm a 
total failure. 

Mr. Jaques was married, November 4, 1874, 
to Miss Lavina Clopton, whose parents were 
among the early settlers in Iowa, where they 
still reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Jaques have 
been born the following children : Marshall 
B., Joseph F., William A., Ralph B., Guy D., 
Nettie Pearl, Bessie 0., and Ethel L, all 
grown up. 

In political faith Mr. Jaques is a Repub- 



lican. although he does not take any active 
part in politics. He is a member of the Meth- 
odist church and the Royal Highlanders of 
Springview. 

A picture of Mr. Jaques' place will be found 
on another page of this volume. 



WILLIAM C. SOLLENBERGER. 

\\'illiam C. Sollenberger, one of the well- 
known and highly esteemed farmers of town- 
ship 24, range 30, is one of the substantial cit- 
izens of his community, and owner of a large 
tract of valuable land in Box Butte county, 
all of which he has acquired since taking up 
his residence in this region, and is the result 
of his earnest labors and good management. 

]\Ir. Sollenberger was born in Montgomery 
county, Ohio, in 1862. His parents were of 
Pennsylvania Dutch blood and followed farm- 
ing all their lives. Our subject was reared in 
Ohio until he was a young man of nineteen 
years, during his boyhood doing all kinds of 
hard farm work, receiving but a limited edu- 
cation through attending the country schools. 
He went to southeastern Kansas, and re- 
mained for one summer, then to Indian terri- 
tory and remained one winter. He next moved to 
Missouri, then to Iowa, remaining there up to the 
spring of 1885, then came to Nebraska, locat- 
ing in Box Butte county and taking up a 
homestead four miles southwest of where 
Hemingford now stands. During the first 
summer he hauled timber which was used for 
the first buildings put up in Nonpariel and 
Hemingford. He had a team of mules, har- 
ness and wagon, breaking plow, and went to 
work breaking land in the vicinity of his claim, 
working for his neighbors who had no teams, 
and also built a number of shanties for others. 
He lived there until the spring of 1888, then 
moved to the southwestern part of Box Butte 
county, and settled on his present ranch. This 
is situated eighteen miles from Alliance, on 
section 29. He improved the place in fine 
shape, built a fine house of concrete, together 
with good barns and other buildings. He has 
planted plenty of trees, both fruit and shade va- 
rieties, and everything is kept up in the finest 
possible condition, and is one of the show places 
of the county, Mr. Sollenberger is an up-to-date 
agriculturist and progressive stockman, ener- 
getic and industrious. He has done consider- 
able experimenting in growing different kinds 
of crops, striving to get the best possible re- 
sults from the soil and conditions in the sec- 
tion. 



2/0 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Our subject was united in marriage in 
1886, to Emma Scofield, whose parents were 
old settlers in Iowa, where she was born and 
reared. Children have been born to this 
union, named as follows: Marion, Ward, 
Agnes, Emma, Freda and Kenneth. They 
form a most interesting and charming family, 
and their home is one of the most hospitable 
in the locality. A picture of Mr. Sollenberg- 
er's residence and family is presented on an- 
other page. 

When Mr. Sollenberger first came to this 
region he drove out from Valentine through 
the. Sand Hills, camping out along the way. 
He was one of the organizers of the first 
schools established in this locality, and took 
an active part in every movement started for 
the building up and developing of the coun- 
try. In politics Mr. Sollenberger is a Repub- 
lican, and he has always been active in local 
affairs, serving as assessor, also as justice of 
the peace for a number of years. In school 
affairs he takes a leading part, acting as 
treasurer and director for his district. 



HON. T. S. CANADAY. 

Hon. J- S. Canaday. ex-state senator for 
Kearney. Phelps and Harlan counties for two 
terms, resides in Hays township. Kearney 
county, and is well known all over the west- 
ern part of the state of Nebraska as a man 
of active public spirit, and one of the fore- 
most citizens of this region. He was county 
superintendent of education for Kearney coun- 
ty from 1892 to 1896. and has been a member 
of the Farmers' Alliance since 1890. He is 
now serving as president of the Farmers' Lo- 
cal Co-operative Association, and is secretary 
and treasurer of the Farmers' Co-operative 
Grain and Live Stock State Association, hav- 
ing held the latter ofifice for three years. He 
was the first president of this organization, 
elected in 1903. anti re-elected to the office in 
1906. Mr. Canaday is a state lecturer in this 
organization, the object of the society being to 
keep the local elevators of farmers alive and 
active. These local elevators have been of im- 
mense benefit to the farmers here, and our sifb- 
ject is one of the active members of the society 
and on the legislative committee, looking after 
the laws and every interest of the farmers in 
tliis region. 

Mr. Canaday is a native of Indiana, born in 
1861. His great-grandfather was the only one 
of his family who escaped being massacred 
by the Indians in Kentucky during the time of 
Daniel Boone. 



Mr. Canaday came to Nebraska in 1883, 
locating in Seward count3% from Clark county, 
Illinois. His family originally came from 
Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1884 he came with 
his parents to Kearney county, settling south- 
east of the town of Minden. He had received 
a good education during his young manhood, 
attending the country schools in Illinois, and 
after locating in Nebraska taught school in 
this county for several years. He is the own- 
er of a fine farm of one hundred acres in sec- 
tion 13, Hays township, and the family occupy 
a beautiful home here. 

In 1890 Mr. Canaday married Miss Mary 
Jane Winters, of West York, Illinois. They 
have two sons and a daughter, named as fol- 
lows: Ralph, \^'aIter and Mary Goldie. Mr. 
Canaday has two sisters living in this county, 
and he is their only brother. They are mem- 
bers of the Christian Science church, giving 
generously of his time and monev to this be- 
lief. 

^Ir. Canaday is a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, and was active in the society of the 
Knights of Labor. He was district master 
workman for the fifth congressional district in 
about 1894 and 1895. In politics he is an In- 
dependent. ^Ir. Canaday was a candidate for 
state auditor of Nebraska in 1904 and again in 
1906, on the Fusion ticket. 



JOHN H. BARTELL. 

John H. Bartell, one of the prominent resi- 
dents of section 5, township 31, range 55, 
Sioux county, Nebraska, has spent many years 
in this part of the country and is well known 
as a man of energetic habits and sterling 
qualities. 

Mr. Bartell is a native of Jackson county. 
Iowa, born in 1854, on a farm, and grew up 
there, following farm work during his boy- 
linod. His father, John, of American stock, 
was a farmer all his life. In 1875 our subject 
went into western Iowa and settled in Adair 
county, where he followed farming for several 
years. He did very well there, but decided to 
try Nebraska, so came to Sioux county in 1888 
and located on a homestead near Harrison, 
and there engaged in mixed farming and stock 
raising and proved up on his land and has 
made a success here, building up a good home 
and farm. He had seen hard times, going 
through the drouth periods when he was un- 
able to raise a crop for several years, and just 
managed to get along and keep his farm 
going. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In 1897 Mr. Bartell moved to Harrison and 
established a mercantile business, starting here 
in February of that year in a little store with 
a small stock of general goods. He succeeded 
exceedingly well and his trade grew so that 
he was compelled to seek larger quarters, so 
in 1902, bought his present store, situated on 
one of the best corners in Harrison, having a 
fifty foot frontage, and here he has a fine store 
and does an excellent business. This is now 
one of the best equipped stores in Harrison, 
and he conducts it along the latest business 
methods and carries a complete, up-to-date 
line of merchandise. 

In the fall of 1904 Mr. Bartell filed on four 
hundred and eighty acres under the Kincaid 
law, located four miles east of Harrison, and 
he makes this his home. He is improving this 
place in splendid shape, putting up fine build- 
ings, and intends to devote it to ranching pur- 
poses. 

Mr. Bartell was married while living in 
western Iowa, in November, 1879, to Lorenia 
Bricker, whose father, David Bricker, was a 
farmer and stock raiser of that section. Her 
mother was Henrietta Cherrington, of Gales- 
burg, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Bartell have a 
family of ten children, namely : Dotha. George, 
John and Maud, born in Iowa, and Fred, Ber- 
tha, Edith, Lula. Harry and Floyd, born in 
Nebraska. George, Bertha and Floyd are de- 
ceased. 

In the fall of 1901 Mr. Bartell was elected 
county judge of Sioux county, following an 
appointment of one year in that capacity. He 
has held the office of justice of the peace for 
a number of years past, and also served his 
community in numerous capacities. Political- 
ly he is a Republican. 



WELBY B. ALLISON. 

Welby B. Allison, who lives on section 1, 
township 9, range 35, is a well and favorably 
known citizen of Perkins county, where he 
has spent a large part of his career as an 
agriculturist. He has passed through all the 
early Nebraska times and has done much in 
the way of helping in the advancement of his 
region, incidentally building up for himself 
a comfortable home and good farm. 

Mr. Allison was born in Floyd county, 
Iowa, in 1863. His father. Perry Allison, was 
born in the east and married Levina Dawley, 
who is of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, and 
they lived on a farm in Iowa for a number of 
years, where our subject was reared and edu- 



cated, remaining at home until he was twenty- 
two years of age, then went west in company 
with a party of men who were seeking new 
homes. He had his own team and covered 
wagon, and traveled through the country, 
camping out on the plains, finally landing in 
Lincoln county, Nebraska, where he took a 
homestead on section 31, township 10, range 
34. During his first summer in that locality 
he freighted from North Platte to different 
parts of the country and made long trips, 
roughing it and suffering many hardships and 
privations while on these journeys, but con- 
tinued at it for several months, in the fall 
of the year building a sod shanty on his claim 
and started to develop his farm. His shanty 
was a small rough affair, about twelve by 
fifteen feet, with a brush roof, and there he got 
his own meals and batched it for about a year, 
working hard to get a start and meeting with 
many discouragements. He proved up on his 
land and lived on it up to 1897, then moved to 
Perkins county, coming to his present location 
in 1906. During his residence in Lincoln 
county he went through hard times, witness- 
ing drouths and other setbacks, several sea- 
sons losing his crops, and at different times 
was obliged to work out in order to get along. 
Since coming to Perkins county he has met 
with better success, and has a quarter section 
of deeded land besides controlling consider- 
able leased land. He has improved his farm 
with good buildings, fences, etc., and has a 
very good home. 

Mr. Allison was married in 1888 to Miss 
Laura F. Jack, who was born and raised in 
Iowa, her father being well known at Phebe, 
Nebraska, where the family spent a good many 
years. J. F. Jack carried the mail from North 
Platte to Phebe Postoffice, which was estab- 
lished in 1885. Mrs. Jack acted as postmis- 
tress and Laura Jack as assistant. In connec- 
tion with the postoffice Mr. Jack carried a 
stock of groceries and provisions, which he 
freighted from North Platte. Mr. and Mrs. 
Allison have five children, named as follows : 
Royal, Mabel, Esther. \Mlma and Clarence. 
Our subject is a strong Republican and active 
in local afifairs. He has served as justice of 
the peace in Perkins county. 



JOHN MURRAY. 

One of the highest tributes to be paid to 
a citizen is to say that he is a leading old set- 
tler, and the gentleman named here is cer- 
tainly entitled to this honor, richly deserving 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a foremost place in the list. 'Mr. Murray 
came to Nebraska in 1869, a member of the 
Fifth Cavalry. United States army, at Fort 
McPherson. He had enlisted with his regi- 
ment in 1858. at New York city, and served 
for ten years, all through the civil war. He 
was with the Army of the Potomac through- 
out the whole war, and his regiment was in 
the advance at the first battle of Bull Run. 
Afterwards he took part in the battle of An- 
tietam and many smaller battles and skirmish- 
es, his regiment earning a great reputation 
as a fighting squad, and each commander al- 
ways wanted them when detailed on a hard 
emergency call. Mr. Murray called General 
J. B. Stuart the night he left Fort Washington 
at midnight to join the rebels, and at the bat- 
tle of the Wilderness Stuart was killed. Our 
subject's regiment was practically fighting all 
through the war, and at Malvern Hill took 
part in the charge against the Jackson 
brigade, which took place at sundown. After 
the fighting was over he found thirteen spent 
balls imbedded in the rubber coat which was 
rolled up on the saddle in front of him. In 
1868 he re-enlisted in Company G, Fifth Cav- 
alry, and \\as made sergeant of it. He comes 
of good, old fighting stock, being a native of 
county Westmeath, Ireland, which has fur- 
nished thousands of brave soldiers for the 
Union army. He has fought in Indian bat- 
tles here, when for two weeks the Fifth were 
in the saddle night and day, fighting the bands 
of Indians who would appear in war paint 
near North Platte, three to four hundred 
strong, breaking into fifties and leading the 
soldiers a merry chase round and round, all 
the time being close to the Indian village and 
did not know it. At last, by a night march the 
Fifth caught them in the village and succeeded 
in breaking up the gang as far as depredations 
were concerned in this part of Nebraska. 
W bile pursuing them the soldiers did not dare 
build fires at night, and were often without 
food or water, thus suflfering much privation. 
General Carr was in command of this Indian 
expedition. Mr. Murray afterwards served for 
fourteen months in Arizona, and in 1872 left 
the army and settled on a ranch near Fort Mc- 
Pherson, in Lincoln county, and remained on 
this ranch until his removal to North Platte 
in 1906, where he is retired from all active 
business and enjoys a life of peace and quiet, 
after so much adventure and hard work. 

The Murray family are members of St. 
Paul's Roman Catholic church of this place, 
and highly esteemed as worthy citizens and 
good neighbors by all. 

Mr. Murray is a man of wide intelligence 



and varied experience, and can tell many in- 
teresting incidents connected with his life on 
the frontier. He is now strong, erect and 
hearty, and a splendid specimen of physical 
manhood. 



ENOCH PROCTOR. 

Enoch Proctor, residing on section 29, 
township 22, range 15, Garfield county, Ne- 
braska, was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1832, 
and was reared in that country. In 1877 he 
came to Michigan and remained there until 
1884, when he moved to Iowa, spending one 
year in that state, then left there and struck 
out for Nebraska, landing here in 1885. He 
settled on a homestead of one hundred and 
sixty acres in section 7, and lived there up to 
1893, following farm work. He became dis- 
satisfied with conditions here at that time and 
sold out, going to Oklahoma with a view of 
settling in that country, but after looking 
around did not like it very well, so returned 
to Nebraska and purchased a timber claim, 
which he has developed into his present home. 
He has tried different states and has come to 
the conclusion that the chances for a poor 
man are much better here than in the east, 
or almost any other state, and is glad he lo- 
cated here. Mr. Proctor has a good farm, and 
the one great trouble in the earlier days was 
the insufficient water supply, but he has of 
purpose on his farm and in his home. 

One thing Mr. Proctor says is a drawback 
here, and that is that this is not a very good 
country for fruit, as apple, peach, cherry and 
pear trees do not thrive well, but there are 
plenty of smaller fruits, such as wild black- 
berries, etc. Also, the fuel is rather a scarce 
article, as coal is hard to get, especially from 
the railroads, and in many localities corncobs 
are used extensively for fuel, as the corn is 
all shelled. When our subject first came to 
Nebraska there were quite a number of deer 
in the vicinity where he settled, and lots of 
prairie chickens, quail, snipe and wild ducks, 
although now the latter are not so plentiful 
during the springtime of the year. 

In the year 1894 he had a total failure of 
crops, due to the hot winds which swept his 
section of the country, but ever since that time 
has had good success. His principal crops 
are corn, oats, wheat and rye. He keeps quite 
a good deal of stock for domestic purposes, 
but does not aim to raise any great amount 
for market. 

Mr. Proctor, although seventy-five years of 





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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 273 



age, is hale and hearty, and although he has 
never been much of an athlete, has never in 
his life been sick enough to call a doctor. He 
is of a cheerful disposition, and is still capable 
of doing considerable work. He has an ex- 
cellent memory, is -well read and keeps fully 
posted on all the current topics of the times, 
as he is an inveterate reader. He has always 
taken an active interest in county afifairs and 
willing at all times to do all he can for the 
betterment of conditions locally. He is well 
known throughout Garfield county, and every 
one who knows him is his friend. 

In 1865 Mr. Proctor w^as married to Miss 
Dora Garbutt, a native of Canada, and they 
are the parents of three children, one son and 
two daughters, the latter having died during 
young womanhood, aged seventeen. The son, 
Ira, is a well-to-do farmer of Garfield county. 
The family have always been members of the 
Congregational church of Burwell, and are 
highly esteemed in the community. Our sub- 
ject is a Republican and a strong party man. 
He was elected county judge in 1892 and re- 
signed his office when he left Nebraska to go 
to Oklahoma. 



JAMES H. BURNS. 

Among the prominent railroad men con- 
nected with the B. & M. Railway in western 
Nebraska, James H. Burns occupies a fore- 
most place. He resides at McCook, where he 
is well known and highly respected as a citi- 
zen and business man. 

Mr. Burns is a native of Mifflin county, 
Pennsylvania, and was raised and educated 
there. He came west in 1882, previously hav- 
ing been connected with the Pennsylvania 
Railroad on the Pittsburg division for one 
year. He is the oldest employe in point of 
service with the B. & M. and has been a 
conductor on that line since 1884. For a year 
he was trainmaster at Sterling, Colorado, and 
all the rest of the time has been at McCook 
continuously. He had charge of the special 
train which carried President Harrison from 
Hastings to Denver while on a trip through 
the west, and remembers this incident with 
great pleasure. He ran the first automatic 
brake train over the line from Hastings to 
Denver, this being the Westinghouse test 
train. All the old-time officials were on this 
train watching the test, and it was one of the 
great events in railroad history. He also had 
charge of the world record train on the main 
line, which for fourteen and a half miles be- 
tween Akron and ]\IcCook made 96.66 miles 



per hour actual time. From Denver to Ray 
it made up forty minutes on one run. In 1882 
while on a run when near the Colorado line 
he saw the last herd of bufifalo which roamed 
through this country grazing in the distance, 
watching them while the train was speeding 
along. Mr. Burns was treasurer of Division 
95, B. & M. Order of Railway Conductors, for 
three years, and is one of the best informed 
men in the railroad service. He has a brother, 
W. J. Burns, who was connected with the me- 
chanical department of the Pennsylvania Rail- 
way for many years. He is a prominent mem- 
ber of the Masonic lodge at McCook and takes 
an active part in all local afifairs. 



SQUIER JONES. 

Prominent among the successful farmers 
and ranchmen of Brown county, the gentleman 
here named occupies a foremost place. Mr. 
Jones resides in Ainsworth precinct, where he 
has a large and valuable estate, well improved 
and his entire attention is devoted to its care 
and management. 

Mr. Jones is a native of Harrison county, 
Iowa, born March 3, 1869. His father, John 
M. Jones, was a farmer and stock raiser of 
Welsh descent, American born, and his mother, 
whose maiden name was Sophia Swift, was 
also of American stock. His parents were old 
settlers in Bon Homme countv. South Da- 
kota, where they moved in 1871, and it was 
there that our subject was reared, attending 
the country schools of the neighborhood. He 
was a strong, sturdy youth, and assisted his 
father in carrying on the farm work, plowing 
corn at the age of ei^-ht years. When he was 
fourteen his father died, and he then started 
out to make his own living, going to the Black 
Hills, where he remained for six years, work- 
ing on different cattle ranges in that vicinity. 
He came to Nebraska in 1890, having made a ' 
trip through Holt, Rock, Brown, Cherry, Sher- 
idan and Dawes counties before deciding upon 
locating here. He looked the ground over 
thoroughly, camping out at night and roughing 
it for some time, becoming used to this no- 
madic life through his experience '-^" '■^'^ "■''- 
tie ranges, where he had spent the entire sum- 
mer outdoors: in fac*. nad at times slept in 
the open the greater part of the year. On 
coming to Brown county he filed on a home- 
stead in section 24, township 29, range 22, 
and built a sod house, in which he lived for 
three years. All his farm buildings were of 
the same construction. He at once began 



274 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



farming an'd stock raising, in 'which he was 
successful from the beginning, and gradually 
added to his land until he now owns a farm 
of fifteen hundred and forty acres. Eight hun- 
dred of this he has in hay land and two hun- 
dred cultivated, with the balance in range and 
pasture. He has a fine property, with good, 
substantial buildings, and has twenty-four 
miles of fence on his land. There are four 
wells and windmills, wiUi concrete tanks, and 
one flowing well, which is now in the bed of 
a fine pond from which the summer's suppi}' 
of ice is harvested. An elevated supply tank, 
also of concrete, supplies the bath room and 
kitchen sink with an abundance of excellent 
water. 

Mr. Jones, although a young man, has ac- 
complished a good deal in the time he has been 
here, and owes everything he has to his in- 
dustry and good management, and well de- 
serves his success. The numerous barns and 
buildings look like a small village : a black- 
smith shop makes ordinary farm repairs a mat- 
ter easily managed : an ingenious device for 
handling wild stock, breaking them to the halt- 
er and making them tractable, is one of the 
most ingenious inventions to be found in the 
state. A concrete dipping vat is not the least 
of the excellent conveniences of the ranch. 

On December 31, 1889, Mr. Jones was mar- 
ried to Miss Viola Steele, daughter of Daniel 
Steele, an old settler in Cherry county, the 
family locating there about 1885. Six chil- 
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, name- 
ly: Margareta, Velma. Garnett, Katie, Dale 
and Glenn. 

Mrs. Jones died April 8, 1903. A second 
marriage was contracted November 9. 1907, 
with Miss Edith A. Gross, a native of Shenan- 
doah, Iowa, where she attended the State Nor- 
mal School. Later a business education fitted 
her for responsible positions in the west. She 
had been teaching in Brown county prior to 
her marriage. Mr. Jones is a Democrat po- 
litically and a member of the Modern Wood- 
men of America at Ainsworth. A fine view of 
his home place may be found on another page. 



E. M. BENSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a leading farmer and stockman 
of Riverton, who has had wide experience in 
this line of work and has thoroughly mastered 
the art of getting the best possible results 
from his operations. Mr. Benson was born in 
Darke county. Ohio, in 1840. 



He is a son of James and Susan (Murray) 
Benson, both natives of [Maryland. He grew 
up in Ohio with his brothers, John W., James 
M. and Ephraim B., and all four served 
through the Civil war. Our subject enlisted 
in 1861 in Company G. Forty-fourth Ohio, the 
regiment being under the command of Colonel 
S. A. Gilbert, and served for three years, first 
in the Army of Fremont, Virginia, then un- 
der Burnside at Knoxville. His third year 
as a soldier was spent in General Sheridan's 
army. 

In later years, after settling in Nebraska, 
Mr. Benson was first lieutenant of Company 
H, First Nebraska National Guards, and served 
two years. In this time he helped settle the 
strike in Omaha in March, 1882. His experi- 
ence in the Civil war gave him his position as 
lieutenant, and because of this experience he 
was given a responsible position during the 
Omaha strike. It was during this strike that 
a man named Armstrong was killed and Mr. 
Benson was placed in command of the guard 
at that time. 

Mr. Benson came to Nebraska in 1873, set- 
tling in Nuckolls county, where he took up 
a homestead and farmed for twenty years, 
and during nearly all that time served as jus- 
tice of the peace there, and was one of the 
leading old settlers. 

In 1893 Mr. Benson came to Riverton, pur- 
chasing a farm four miles from the town. 
There he carried on mixed farming for sev- 
eral years, and in 1901 he went into the stock 
business, buying, selling and shipping, and 
has been very successful, shipping thirtj^-five 
carloads per year. One year he shipped forty- 
five carloads. He is also engaged to quite an 
extent in the real estate and land business, 
and handles a great deal of farming lands in 
Franklin and the adjoining counties. Since 
July. 1908, Mr. Benson has retired from an 
active business life and intends to take a well 
earned rest. In 1901 Mr. Benson was united 
in marriage to Miss K. A. Crilly, daughter of 
Hugh Crilly, a pioneer settler of Franklin 
county, who came to this country in his 3''0ung 
days from the north of Ireland. 

Mr. Benson has the following children: 
J. H., who lives on the homestead of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres near Riverton ; W. H., 
who enlisted in the Third Nebraska during 
the late war with Spain, and who was the first 
one of his regiment to die at Jacksonville, 
Florida: J. A., "who died in 1904, "aged thirty- 
four years. He was a farmer ; Myrtle L.. now 
Mrs. Tom Glenn, of Riverton, and Mrs. Char- 
ity Susan Merritt. of Altoona. Kansas. 

Mr. Benson has alwavs been a man of ac- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



275 



tive public spirit, and has assisted materially 
through his labors and example in the up- 
building of the farming interests of his com- 
munity, well meriting his high standing as a 
good business man and worthy citizen. For 
five years he held the office of assessor of 
Grant township, and takes a deep interest in 
all local affairs. He has been past commander 
in the Grand Army of the Republic posts at Riv- 
erton and Nelson, and for 'a long tmie was ad- 
jutant in that body in both these towns. Mr. Ben- 
son is now serving as commander of the Franklin 
post. 

Mr. Benson became converted in 1857 in 
Ohio and united with the First Christian 
church, and since coming west he has joined 
the Congregational church and holds the of- 
fice of clerk in this organization. He has 
taken an active part in religious work for years. 



HUGH P. SLAWSON. 

The g'entleman above named resides on a 
fine estate and is one of the well known old- 
timers of Cheyenne county, where he has 
passed about twenty-five years, and has seen 
all of the stag-es of the growth and develop- 
ment of that region. Mr. Slawson is engaged 
in dairying on a large scale, and has a finely 
equipped dairy place on his ranch in section 
30, township 14, range 46, and ships large 
quantities of cream and other products to 
Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

Hugh P. Slawson was born in Elmira, New 
York State, on the 21st day of March, 1854. 
and when a small boy his parents moved to 
Pennsylvania, where he grew up, his father 
being engaged in the lumbering business in 
that state. During his boyhood he learned the 
blacksmith's trade, and later went into the 
piano, organ and sewing machine business, fol- 
lowing that up to 1884, when he came west, 
locating in Cheyenne county. He at once filed 
on a homestead in section 20, and after farming 
for several years there sold the place and took 
up his present ranch, now being proprietor 
of three hundred and twenty acres, one hun- 
dred and sixty of which was acquired by home- 
stead rights and the balance by purchase. Here 
he cultivates one hundred acres and runs quite 
a large number of cattle and horses, at pres- 
ent having seventy head of cattle and fourteen 
head of horses. Connected with our subject in 
the dairying business is his son, Fred N. Slaw- 
son, and together they are doing a fine trade. 
The son is now occupying the ranch home with 
his father, he being married and having one 
son, Hugh, born Tanuarv 5. 1900. 



On July 4, 1873, Mr. Slawson was united 
in marriage to Alice E. Brooks in Pennsylva- 
nia, she being a native of Potter county, that 
state. Two children were born to them, named 
as follows : Fred N., who is with his father 
on the ranch, and who owns three hundred and 
twenty acres adjoining, thus making six hun- 
dred and forty acres in one body. The other 
is Rho, married and living in Council Bluffs, 
Iowa, engaged in the mail service, also carry- 
ing on a grocery business there. He has two 
sons, Rho, Jr., born April 9, 1901, and Ken- 
neth Brooks, born September 13, 1904. The 
parents of both our subject and his wife are 
now deceased. In political matters Mr. Slaw- 
son is an independent voter. 

Mr. Slawson was indeed a pioneer in the 
new country in which he settled in 1884. He 
built the first frame building in the town of 
Lodge Pole excepting the railroad buildings 
and the little school house. His new building 
stood on the site of the present Park Hotel. 
He afterwards went on his homestead in sec- 
tion 20, township 14, range 46, and built a 
home for his family, which consisted of four 
sod walls (with the luxury of a floor), the roof 
being boards bent over a piece of timber, sod 
and dirt being freely applied to shut out cold 
and storm. That year his children attended 
school in town, two and one-half miles away, 
that, by the way, being their nearest neigh- 
bor. The next year Mr. Slawson was active 
in organizing a school district. No. 35, and as 
it was the tirst of its kind it was called the 
"Pioneer" district. The school house was'built 
of sod, 16x20, minus a fioor. Here his boys 
attended school, while his wife taught the 
school two years after the district was formed. 
Mr. Slawson drilled the first well that was 
ever drilled on the north divide, erecting the 
first windmill. Afterward drilled many wells 
and put up mills in the surrounding country. 



ANDREW J. ROBBINAULT. 

Andrew J. Robbinault, one of the oldest 
settlers of Blaine county, Nebraska, lives on 
a fine ranch of eight hundred acres on the 
North Loup river. He was born in Crawford 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1860. His father, 
Jeremiah Robbinault, was of Pennsylvania 
Dutch stock, and was a pioneer of western Ne- 
braska. The mother, Margaret Gillespie in her 
youth, was of Irish parentage. 

When our subject was six or seven years 
old the family came west, locating in Craw- 
ford county. Iowa, where they were among 



276 



COMPEXDIUiM OF HISTORY, RHMiXlSCHXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



the earliest settlers on a farm three miles 
from the town of Denison. Our subject grew 
up accustomed to plenty of hard work. He 
remained with his father until he was twenty- 
six years old. 

Andrew J. Robbinault was married in 1887 
to Miss Ella A. Golson, who w-as reared in 
southern Nebraska. She was the daughter 
of J. C. Golson and Delia (Trainer) Golson, 
pioneers of Blaine county, Xebraska, where 
they settled in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Robbin- 
ault have two children — Delia, now Mrs. Por- 
ter C. Riggs, and Joseph. 

Our subject and one brother came to Ne- 
braska in 1883, picked out land and located 
a homestead on the Little Wild Horseshoe 
Flats, later called Edyth Valley. They drove 
through from Iowa with team and covered 
wagon and were two months on the road, do- 
ing some carpenter work at Cedar Rapids, 
Nebraska. The brothers put up sod shanties, 
very rudely constructed, and their first good 
house was built of prairie sod. The same year 
another brother-in-law came out and in the fall 
the father joined his sons. They all drove 
through in covered wagons, bringing all the 
stock they could. The nearest railroad town 
was Xorth Loup, eighty-five miles away, and 
from this town all the supplies were hauled. 

When Blaine county was organized Mr. 
Robbinault was elected the first sheriff of 
the county and was widely known as the "boy 
sheriff." He, with his brother as deputy, cap- 
tured the notorious criminal Yocham. Since 
those days our subject has participated in 
political affairs, holding various political po- 
sitions with honor to his community and credit 
to himself. He has been a constable and also 
a justice of the peace. He is now United States 
mail carrier from Dunning to Prichard, Blaine 
county. 

Mr. Robbinault's first ranch was ten miles 
from Brewster, where he lived until proving 
up on his land in 1893. He then went to Cal- 
ifornia, locating twenty-two miles from Los 
Angeles, living there fourteen months. From 
thence he went to Dickinson. Texas, where he 
remained a year, thence to Houston, where he 
lived six months, and then he returned to 
Blaine county, Nebraska. 

Our subject has had many trying ordeals 
through which to pass, among them the de- 
structive fire which burned him out in 1893, 
destroying barns and buildings on his Ne- 
braska ranch, at which time he lost six fine 
horses in the flames. In spite of all the set- 
backs, however, our subject has constantly 
made headway and has established his for- 
tunes on a safe and gratifying basis. His fine 



ranch of eight hundred acres is well improved 
with a good home, barns, wells, fences and 
trees, and he has some of the finest hay land 
in the county. He cultivates only about sixty- 
five acres, giving almost all his attention to 
stock raising. Mr. Robbinault occupies a 
prominent and influential place in the affairs 
of his county and is looked upon as one of the 
most progressive and well-to-do old-timers. 



willia:\i e. stilson. 

Although the gentleman above named is 
still a young man, he has spent considerable 
time in the pursuit of agriculture in western 
Nebraska, and during that time has managed 
to accumulate a nice property by dint of in- 
dustry and good management, and is classed 
among the successful citizens of his commu- 
nity. Air. Stilson resides in section 4, town- 
ship 27, range 36, Cherry county, where he 
has a pleasant and comfortable home, and is 
highly esteemed by his associates. 

\\^illiam E. Stilson was born in La Salle 
county, Illinois, in 1870. He is a son of Sam- 
uel E. and Melissa Ferguson Stilson, both of 
Scotch descent, the former both in America and 
the latter in Canada, they having been mar- 
ried in 1869 in Illinois. There was a family 
of six children, our subject being the eldest. 
The others ate Cora. Gertrude, Sarah. Samuel 
and Grace, and they all grew up in Illinois, 
coming to Aurora, X'ebraska, about 1885, 
where they were among the earliest settlers, 
the father engaging in the grain and milling 
business. They lived there for five years, then 
removed to Hyannis, arriving there on Decem- 
ber 20, 1890, bringing with them fifty-three 
head of cattle and their household goods, driv- 
ing in a covered wagon. They took a home- 
stead six miles south of Hyannis and started 
to develop a farm, proved up on the claim 
and remained for six years, then sold the place 
at a profit, having improved it in good shape 
with substantial buildings, etc. They went 
through hard times while living there, and Mr. 
Stilson was obliged to hunt grouse for a liv- 
ing, worked as a cowboy on ranches in the 
neighborhood, and did anything that would 
bring in a little money to help in the support 
of the family. They next rfioved to a ranch 
north of Hyannis. and farmed for three years, 
coming to his present location in July. 1900. 
This is situated on section 4. township 27, 
range 36, his ranch consisting of about sixteen 
sections, located thirty-eight miles north of 
the town of Hyannis, which is devoted prin- 



COMPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REAIIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



277 



cipally to the ranching business, running about 
seven hundred head of cattle at the present 
time. He makes a specialty of breeding and 
raising Aberdeen Angus cattle, and has a fine 
bunch of these animals at the present time. 

The father of our subject was a prominent 
and public-spirited citizen in his section of the 
country, having been elected county judge for 
three terms, and was the third man to hold 
that pflfice in Grant county. He had traveled 
all over western Nebraska on hunting trips 
during the very early days, and while engaged 
in the grain business made manv heavv ship- 
ments of grain into the countv. 



LOUIS K. MOTE. 

Louis K. Mote, one of the best known pio- 
neers of Dawes county, Nebraska, was one of 
the first settlers of that region, and is a busi- 
ness and public man of more than ordinary ca- 
pacity, conducting numerous extensive enter- 
prises during his career. He is possessed of 
wide and varied experience and a character of 
the highest integrity. ^Nlr. l\Iote resides in 
Chadron, and is now filling the office of sheriff 
of Dawes county, elected in 1905 by the Re- 
publican party. 

Mr. Mote was born in Miami county, Ohio, 
on May 15, 1859. He is a son of Samuel and 
Anna (Macey) Mote, the former a farmer of 
American blood, who settled in western Ne- 
braska in 1891, coming here from Marshall 
county, Iowa. They are both still living at 
the advanced age of eighty-two and seventy- 
three years, respectively. Our subject was 
reared in Iowa, where his parents had settled 
on a farm in Marshall county in 1865. and his 
boyhdod days were spent in assisting his fa- 
ther in the hard work on the home farm. He 
received a good education, attending a Quaker 
school, and later the academy at Le Grand, 
Iowa. 

In January, 1886, ]\Ir. Mote came to Chad- 
ron, where he took up a homestead and for 
seven years farmed and engaged in the ranch- 
ing business. In 1893 he left his farm and 
moved into the town of Chadron, where he en- 
tered the business world, opening up a feed 
and transfer establishment and ran this for 
several years, selling out his holdings in 1905. 
He had been appointed deputy sheriff in 1901, 
and held the office for four years, then was 
elected sheriff and is still acting in that ca- 
pacity. His services to the county which he 
represents have been invaluable, and of such 
a character that he has become universally 



esteemed and admired by his fellow-men and 
associates. 

Mr. Mote was married March 4, 1886, to 
Miss Carrie E. Giiford. daughter of William 
P>. Gifford, now a resident of California, the 
family coming from Albany, New York, where 
?ilrs. IMote was born. To this marriage six 
children have been born, namely: Walter, 
who is bookkeeper in the First National Bank 
in Chadron ; George, Esther, Howard, Anna 
and Francis. 



C. L. GRANLUND. 

C. L. Granlund, of Holdrege, Nebraska, 
deputy county treasurer of Phelps county, is 
one of the honored public officials of the county 
and a business man of enterprise and capa- 
bility. 

Mr. Granlund was born in Sweden in 1861. 
His parents, John and Caroline Granlund, 
were born in Sweden and came to the United 
States when j'oung people, locating in Por- 
ter county, Indiana, where they settled on a 
farm near Porter Station, later removing to 
Illinois. The father was a successful farmer, 
and in 1879 the family came to Nebraska, set- 
tling in Laird township, this county, taking 
a homestead in section 8. Here they broke 
up the land and farmed one hundred and sixty 
acres, the father dying in 1891 at the age of 
fifty-eight years. Our subject remained on 
the homestead up to 1887, then started in for 
himself clerking in stores. Mr. Granlund 
finally sold the father's property in Laird town- 
ship, which he had previously bought from 
the heirs. During the years 1891 to 1902, in- 
clusive, Mr. Granlund was engaged in the gen- 
eral merchandise business at Loomis in part- 
nership with C. E. Magnuson, and the firm 
did an extensive business. 

Mr. Granlund located in Holdrege in 1902 
and since coming here has been one of the 
leading men in public affairs, being elected 
county treasurer of Phelps county in the fall 
of I9OI and 1903, serving two terms. He is 
a strong Republican and one of the best known 
men in this locality, popular with all classes 
and enjoying an enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen and good neighbor, always 
lending his influence for the betterment of mat- 
ters in his community. He was deputy county 
treasurer of Phelps county for one 3'ear. 

Mr. Granlund is a member of the Swedish 
Mission church here, and while living in 
Loomis served as secretary of the church at 
that point. He has one brother, Andrew E. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Granlund, a successful and prosperous farmer 
of Center township. 

Mr. Granlund was married in 1885 to Miss 
Emma Anderson, of Laird township. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Granlund four children have been 
born, namely: Minnie \'., Agnes Luclla, Carl 
Bennett and Evald Ferdinand, and the family 
have a pleasant home and enjoy the friendship 
of a host of people. 

Since January, 1908. Mr. Granlund has been 
in the hardware business in Holdrege. 



BURT E. CHENEY. 

Burt E. Cheney is one of the progressive 
young farmers of Brown county, Nebraska, 
and counts a host of friends at Ainsworth and 
the vicinity, where his manly and upright 
character, his push and energy have brought 
him well to the front. The occupation to 
which he has addressed himself is a noble 
one, and the price it demands for success, hon- 
esty, integrity and industry Mr. Cheney is 
ready to pay. 

The subject of this writing was born in 
Lynn county, Iowa, December 3, 1875, where 
his father, John Cheney, was engaged in farm- 
ing. He was born in Milford, ]\Iassachusetts, 
coming with his parents when a boy to Jack- 
son county, Iowa. After his marriage he 
bought a farm in Dubuque county. He came 
to the state at an early day, living succes- 
sively in Lynn, Delaware, Alarshall and Craw- 
ford counties prior to moving to Brown coun- 
ty. He settled on a homestead in section 16, 
township 30, range 22. 

The first house which he constructed for 
his family home was a rough log cabin, which 
later gave place to a one and a half story log 
dwelling, which was afterwards covered with 
siding reseml)Iing a frame house. 

Burt E. Cheney was seven years old when 
the family sought a location in Nebraska, and 
here he was reared and educated. He re- 
mained at home as long as his father lived. 
and when he died took charge of the paternal 
estate. In 1898 he bought it, and here he has 
since made his home. 

Mr. Cheney and Miss Emma Baker were 
united in marriage December 19, 1897. She 
was born in southern Nebraska, a daughter of 
Samuel Baker, a pioneer in Brown county, 
where he settled in 1884. The union of Mr. 
and Mrs. Cheney has been blessed with three 
children — Freda I.. Nicl B. and Floyd A. 

They own a choice farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres, all fenced and in fine condi- 



tion, with a large new barn replacing the log 
structure which in earlier days served as a 
dwelling. In political views Mr. Cheney is 
Democratic. 



SWAN ANDERSON. 

Through exceptionally good management 
and persistent labors the gentleman .here 
named has acquired a well developed farm, 
and is enabled to enjoy the comforts of mod- 
ern farming. He is of a progressive nature 
and has had a wide experience in farming and 
every detail of his work is looked after and 
personally supervised by himself. His estate 
is situated in section 25, Westmark township, 
Phelps county, Nebraska. A portrait of him 
will be found on another page of this volume. 

Mr. Anderson was born in Wormland. Swe- 
den, in 1852, and came to this country in 1880, 
bringing his mother with him to this state, 
where she died in 1903. His father died when 
he was an infant. After landing in this coun- 
try he came to Chicago and worked for three 
years in the IMcCormick Reaper Works, and 
there are now hundreds of his Swede coworkers 
employed there, and all of them put together 
could not raise sufficient capital to buy the 
land and stock owned by our" subject, and this 
is one of the strongest arguments in favor 
of able-bodied men quitting the cities and 
wage work and getting onto farms, and young 
men to get out in the country and take hold of 
the breaking plow. Mr. Anderson's judgment 
and foresight realized this and he acted on his 
convictions, bought a team with his last money 
and came west, and the old saying, "He came, he 
saw, he conquered," holds good here. He 
landed in Phelps county in 1883, and bought a 
homestead claim of one hundred and sixty 
acres in Center township, improving it. put- 
ting up a house, barn and other buildings, 
planted over seven thousand trees, and soon 
afterwards bought one hundred and sixty acres 
in Anderson township. These two pieces of 
land he exchanged for four hundred and eighty 
acres on which he now resides ; also bought 
eighty acres adjoining that, and has bought 
several pieces more, so that his farm consists 
of six hundred and forty acres, and also has 
property in Holdrege. He also has three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of pa.sture land in Cot- 
tonwood township and a six hundred and forty 
acre ranch in Dawson county, where he rents 
an additional one hundred and five acres. In 
1905 he sold six cars of cattle and one car of 
hogs, which netted him seven thousand dol- 
lars. He now has thirty-five horses, one hun- 




SWAN ANDERSON 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



279 



dred hogs and two hundred and thirty-five 
head of cattle, the latter all raised by him for 
market. From the above it will be seen that 
he is one of the most successful farmers in 
this county, and he can say that it was all 
made since coming to Nebraska, by his own 
unaided work and hustling along intelligent 
lines, for he is a man of cast-iron constitu- 
tion, full of "go" and energy. He is well 
posted on farming, stock, markets and local 
and national affairs, in all of which he takes 
a keen interest, shrewdly recognizing what 
makes for success and general prosperity, and 
expressing his views with force and reason. 
He is owner of a threshing machine, wdiich he 
uses on his farm, doing only a limited amount 
of outside work. This year (1906) he raised 
four thousand bushels of wheat, thirteen hun- 
dred bushels of barley and oats and two hun- 
dred and thirty acres of corn, which promises 
a yield of fifty bushels to the acre. He had 
a large crop of hay also. He markets very 
little of his crop, preferring to make the profit 
by feeding it and selling the resulting fat 
cattle, hogs and colts. When he first came 
here he could not even harness a team prop- 
erly, but was not discouraged, as "Where 
there's a stout heart, strong arms, and a will, 
there's always a way," and he has certainly 
proven that it pays to go at a thing right 
and stick to it. 

Mr. Anderson was married in 1900 to Miss 
Emily Swanberg, and has a family of four chil- 
dren, as follows: Elmer, Ruth, Priscilla and 
Phoebe. The family are members of the Free 
Mission Swedish church at Phelps Center, and 
Mr. Anderson is a trustee of the same. For the 
past several years he has been a school treasurer 
for his section. He is a Republican, and takes a 
lively interest in all local and state aflfairs of his 
party. Our subject was burned out in 1906, lost 
barn, granary and corn cribs, and six horses and 
other valuable property. He has rebuilt and 
has better buildings and also added to his house. 



LOUIS AUFDENGARTEN. 

Louis Aufdengarten, a well and favorably 
known resident of Paxton precinct, has the 
honor of being the oldest settler now living in 
Keith county, Nebraska. Mr. Aufdengarten 
was born in Prussia, April 17, 1847. His fa- 
ther, Herman Aufdengarten, was a farmer and 
linen manufacturer, who spent his entire life 
in Germany, as did also his mother, who was 
Mary Witt'e. 



\A"hen our subject was fifteen years of age 
he left home and took passage at Bremen the 
middle of September on an emigrant steamer, 
the "Hansa," for America, landing after a 
stormy passage of seventeen days in New 
York City, and went direct to Toledo, Ohio, 
where he lived for about two years, employed 
in a sash, door and blind factory, the latter 
part of the time as shipping clerk. He then 
went to Omaha, Nebraska, ascending the Mis- 
souri by steamer from St. Louis. He spent 
four years in Omaha as a clerk in a grocery 
store. After that he went to Julesburg, Colo- 
rado, which was then the old town and sit- 
uated six miles from where the present town 
of Julesburg is located. In 1869 Fort Sedg- 
wick was moved from old Julesburg to Sidney, 
and he located at Ogallala, where he estab- 
lished a store, the first opened in that town. 
He also wa's the first man to erect a resi- 
dence in Ogallala, and his son Henry was 
the first white child born in the locality. He 
put in a small stock of general goods, dealing 
principally., with the Pawnee Indians and 
scouts, and with the white soldiers in the re- 
gion. The bufifalo soon began roaming through 
the region and then the hunters came in large 
numbers, which increased his business to a 
great extent. Soon after this period the ranch- 
men and cowboys began to settle in the coun- 
try, and he was obliged to constantly enlarge 
his stock, so that he carried a stock of $20,000 
to $25,000, and had the biggest establishment 
in that part of the state. He carried on this 
business until 1876, when he sold out and 
went into stock raising, which he tried for 
three years, then went back to the mercan- 
tile business, continuing until 1886, but as his 
health began to fail he was obliged to quit, 
starting a mill, the first in Ogallala. The mill 
was burned in 1894. 

In 1898 Mr. Aufdengarten came to his pres- 
ent location, which he had taken as a tree 
claim in the early days, .and he then began to 
build up a farm. He improved it rapidly, and 
now has a tract of three hundred and twenty 
acres, with irrigated meadow land, pleasant 
premises, good buildings of all kinds, etc. He 
has ten acres devoted to fruit, having apple, 
peach, plum and cherry trees, besides grapes 
and other small fruits. There are over two 
hundred grape vines bearing splendid fruit, 
and his is one of the finest equipped and best 
cultivated farms in the vicinity, having the 
finest grove to be found in the region sur- 
rounding a dwelling. 

Air. Aufdengarten has been a leading citi- 
zen of Keith county since locating here, and 
was one of the men who helped organize it 



28o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



as a count)' in 1873. He was appointed the 
first county clerk and held tlie office for eight 
years. Later he served as county treasurer 
for four years, and has held other important 
offices in the region. In politics he is a Dem- 
ocrat and is a member of the Ancient Order of 
United \\^irkmen. 



PATRICK HENRY O'ROURK. 

Patrick Henry O'Rourk. one of the best 
known residents of Sheridan county, is hon- 
ored as a public-spirited citizen and one of 
the ablest attorneys in western Nebraska. He 
lives in Gordon and for the past thirteen years 
has followed his profession here, building up 
an extensive business, and is one of the in- 
teresting characters of this section of the 
country. 

Mr. O'Rourk was born in Granville. Mil- 
waukee county, ^^'isconsin. His father, Mich- 
ael O'Rourk, was born in Ireland, as was also 
his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth 
Rogers, both coming to the United States 
when quite young, locating in Syracuse, New 
York, where they were married by the Rev. 
Father Hayes. Our subject was the second 
member of his parents' family of twelve chil- 
dren, and grew up in Wisconsin, attending the 
common schools, and has made his own way 
in the world since he was a small boy. He 
was an apt scholar and at the age of sixteen 
years began teaching school, and at the same 
time kept up his studies in law, graduating 
from the law department of the University of 
^\'isconsin, receiving the degree of Bachelor 
of Laws and being admitted to the bar of the 
supreme court of \\'isconsin before he was 
of age. He tried his first case in the courts 
of law when he was nineteen j^ears of age. 

Mr. O'Rourk early developed marked abil- 
ity as a public speaker and was elected to the 
lower house of the \\'^isconsin legislature, be- 
ing the youngest member in the assembly, and 
the first man born in the state elected to the 
legislature of the state. He was afterward 
elected to the senate of Wisconsin and served 
two terms in that body, and while serving as 
a senator, Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, 
styled him "the Marc Antony of golden-edged 
oratory." Mr. O'Rourk built up a prosperous 
law practice and was attorney foi' John Fitz- 
gerald, an extensive railroad builder, and he 
handled cases for this gentleman in the Da- 
kotas, Nebraska and several other western 
states. 

In 1873 he acted as reporter for ciit^crent 



papers in the east and traveled through the 
West Indies and Australia, and was also in 
some of the western states in this capacity, and 
it was during this year that he first traveled 
through the Platte valley. In 1893 he came 
to Gordon and located, opening a law office, 
and has since made this his permanent resi- 
dence. For some j^ears he was a lecturer and 
earnest worker in the cause of temperance, and 
lectured on the subjects of "John Weslev and 
the Methodist Church," "The Soldier and His 
True Dignity" and "Sisters of Charity." 

He has done a great deal of newspaper 
work in past years, and had become so thor- 
oughly conversant with conditions throughout 
the west that his writings of this section of 
the country influenced immigrants to these 
states to a large extent. 

Mr. O'Rourk is widely known throughout 
the western states as "Senator" O'Rourk. and 
through his varied experiences has met many 
of the leading men of the times, among whom 
he is accorded a prominent ]5lace. 



ALONZO S. BARKER. 

For many years past the gentleman whose 
name heads this review has been one of the 
prosperous farmers of Brown county. Nebras- 
ka, where he has built up a fine home and farm 
through his industry and good management. 

I\Ir. Barker is a native of Albanv county. 
New York, born July 13, 1862. His father, 
Nathaniel Barker, was a carpenter by trade, 
who moved to Ford county, Illinois, when our 
subject was a boy, and there on a farm Alonzo 
learned to endure the hard work of the farm 
in his younger days, receiving a common school 
education. In 1884 he came to Brown county 
with his parents, where they located on a farm 
on Long Pine creek. The father died in Fill- 
more county in 1898. 

Alonzo, on reaching maturity, took up a 
pre-emption in section 18, township 31. range 
20, and proved up on his claim, living on that 
place for two years. He then homesteadcd his 
present place in section 17. at that time a bar- 
ren tract of land. He built a log cabin and 
other buildings, adding improvements as he 
could and purchasing more land as he was 
able, until he now owns a fine farm of two 
hundred and forty acres, with a good dwelling 
and sufficient barns, sheds, cribs and other 
buildings. He has thirty-five acres under cul- 
tivation and engages principally in stock rais- 
ing, which lias proved very profitable to him. 

Mr. Barker operates in all, with leased land, 




RESIDENCE OF A. S. BARKER, 
Brown County, Nebraska. 




cP 



''^M*.jse;&, 



RESIDENCE OF HENRY H, GANOW, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



281 



three hundred and fortv acres, being recog- 
nized as one of the progressive citizens of the 
county. When he first came to this locality- 
he met with many reverses, losing three crops 
in succession, beginning with 1898. through the 
ravages of chinch bugs and by hail. 

On March 1, 1886, Mr. Barker was married 
to Miss Minnie Miller, whose father, Horace 
G. Miller, is an old settler in Brown county. 
His sketch appears on another page of this 
work. Mr. and Mrs. Barker have a' family 
of three children, all of whom were born in 
Brown county, named as follows: Nellie, Au- 
drey and Dale. 

Mr. Barker takes a commendable interest 
in all local affairs that tend to better condi- 
tions in his community and is held in high 
esteem by his fellow-men. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics and a member of the Royal 
Highlanders at Long Pine. On another page 
of this volume will be found a view of Mr. 
Barker's residence and the surrounding build- 
ings. 



CAPTAIN TOHN F. MORGAN and MRS. 
MARY R. MORGAN. 

The esteemed couple above named are 
prominent residents of Alma, Harlan county, 
Nebraska, having made this town their home 
for the past quarter of a century. Captain 
Morgan is a native of Ohio, born near Ur- 
bana, Champaign county, in 1842. He is a 
son of John and Sarah (Foster) Morgan. Mrs. 
Morgan was born at New Lexington, Ohio, 
and is a daughter of Andrew Ashbaugh, the 
families of both having been pioneer settlers 
in their respective states. Mrs. Morgan's 
great-grandfather, Ebenezer Donaldson, was 
killed in the Wyoming massacre in Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Captain Morgan came to Harlan county in 
1878 and located on a homestead in Fairfield 
township. He remained there for two years, 
then removed to Alma, renting his farm. He 
served all through the late war, having en- 
listed October 14, 1861, in Company A, Sixty- 
sixth Ohio Regiment, under Colonel Charles 
Candy. This was a company of volunteers 
from Champaign county, Ohio, and they saw 
service in many large battles. He remained 
with this regiment up to December 16, 1863, 
then re-enlisted on Lookout Mountain. In 
October, 1862, he had been made sergeant and 
filled this post with honor. June 20, 1865, he 
was commissioned first lieutenant of Company 
A. He was in Virginia at the battle of Win- 
chester and Port Republic. Also at Cedar 



Mountain and Antietam. and at the latter 
place he received a severe wound which forced 
him to the Baltimore hospital for several 
months. He took part in the battle of Chan- 
cellorsville. and also in the battle of Gettys- 
burg, this battle lasting for three days, and 
the horrors of that famous action are still fresh 
in our subject's mind. He was then ordered 
to Chattanooga, Tennessee, with his regiment, 
having been transferred to the western army 
Here he participated in the battles of Mission- 
ary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Resaca, Ring- 
gold, Dallas and Pumpkin A'ine Creek, where 
there was continual fighting between the Fed- 
erals under General Sherman and Confeder- 
ates under Johnston. He participated in the 
ten days' siege at Kenesaw Mountain, at Peach 
Tree Creek and at the siege and capture of At- 
lanta. He was with Sherman on his march 
to the sea. at the siege of Savannah, and 
through South and North Carolina, and at the 
battle of Richmond and later at the grand re- 
view at Washington, D. C. 

Captain Morgan has been a member of 
the Grand Army of the Republic since 1878, 
and of Van Meter Post No. 94, as a charter 
member, and for a number of terms has held 
the office of commander and adjutant. He wa^ 
on Captain Henry's staff while department 
commander and in 1905 on the staff of Corporal 
Tanner, major general and commander-in-chief 
of the Grand Army of the Republic, and others. 

Mrs. Morgan is one of the leading members 
of the X^'oman's Relief Corps of Alma. On 
May 11, 1886, she became a charter member 
and first president of Van Meter Relief Corps, 
and has been one of the hardest workers in 
that body. She was appointed press corre- 
spondent for the-Department of Nebraska, and 
assistant national inspector in June, 1886; 
served for two years as president of the De- 
partment of Nebraska, and was for two and 
a half years treasurer of that department, one 
year was department secretary, and is now 
serving as department counselor. She was the 
national secretary for the years 1905 and 1906, 
and at the present time is acting as chairman 
of the national executive committee of the 
Woman's Relief Corps. In this order there 
are over one hundred and fifty-five thousand 
members in the United States. 

In 1888 Captain and Mrs. Morgan edited 
and published "The News-Reporter," of Alma, 
an independent paper in the interest of the 
temperance cause, and this had a wide circu- 
lation in western Nebraska. They sold out 
their interest in this organ in 1900. Both Mr. 
and Mrs. ^lorgan are active in public affairs 
all through this section, the latter having 



282 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



served from 1881 to 1888. inclusive, as county 
superintendent of education for Harlan county. 
Captain Morgan is a prominent member of 
the Masonic order and an active worker in 
Harlan Lodge No. 116; also an Independent 
Order of. Odd Fellow, being a charter member 
of Alma Lo'dge No. 81. which was the first 
of this order organized in Harlan countv — in 
1878. 

He is an active Republican and has held 
the office of assessor, township clerk and treas- 
urer of the town of Alma, and many other local 
offices. Captain Morgan has now retired from 
all active business interests and his time is de- 
voted to his family and in the enjoyment of 
his comfortable home, surrounded by a host 
of warm friends and acquaintances. 



AL^■IN M. MILLER. 

A leading old-timer of Box Butte county 
ivho has watched the growth of that part of 
the county since its early beginning, resides in 
Hemingford, where he is engaged in the mill- 
ing and lumber business and is one of the 
prosperous and successful business men of 
the town. 

Mr. Miller was born in McHenry county, 
Illinois, in 1844. His father, Worthington Mil- 
ler, was of American birth and his mother 
was Miss Harriet Everett before her mar- 
riage, and who died when he was six years 
old. When he reached the age of twelve years 
our subject started out for himself, working 
on different farms in Kankakee county, Illi- 
nois, for a number of years, and at the break- 
ing out of the war he enlisted in the Seventv- 
sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company F, 
and saw active service along the Alississippi 
river and in Florida. He took part in the siege 
of Vicksburg; also at the siege of Mobile and 
spent three years in a soldier's life. He was 
in the last battle of the war, fought at Fort 
Blakely. His company went into the war 
in 1862 with one hundred men, and at the close 
of the war only twenty-two men answered the 
roll call, while the company had been recruit- 
ed to the extent of fourteen men during that 
time. At the battle of Fort Blakely there were 
thirty-three men who went to the front, and 
after the battle came out with a loss of eleven 
men. After the close of the war he came back 
to his old home and went to farming and re- 
mained in Illinois up to 1880, moving to Che- 
banse, Illinois, in 1879, where he was engaged 
in the creamery business for five years. In 
the spring of 1885 he came to Hay Springs, 



Nebraska, locating on a homestead -iive miles 
from Hemingford, and here his first building 
was a sod house, at first occupying a tent for 
a few months after landing, with the tent 
pitched in the road. During the first years 
here he hauled wood and timber from Pine 
Ridge, and worked at different things to make 
a living and get a start on his farm, and broke 
up some land, proving up on the homestead 
after two years, using his soldier's right. 

About the year 1891 our subject moved to 
Hemingford, where he started in the milling 
business, purchasing an interest in the Hem- 
ingford Flouring Mills. This mill was built 
in 1890 by Schlunts & Thomas, who operated 
it for a time. The mill has a capacity of sev- 
enty-five barrels per day, and has been a suc- 
cess from the start, and Mr. Miller was con- 
nected with the business for sixteen years, and 
is now sole owner of the establishment. He 
also handles lumber and coal, and has a wide 
patronage throughout the town and county. 

Besides his business interests in Heming- 
ford, Mr. Miller owns a farm of two hundred 
and eighty acres in Iroquois county, Illinois, 
which was operated under his personal super- 
vision for fourteen years, and he still spends 
much of his time at the place, although giving 
much of his attention to the milling and lum- 
ber business in Hemingford. Mr. Miller owns 
about one hundred and sixty acres adjoining 
the town of Hemingford, which is well im- 
proved. 

Shortly after returning from the war Mr. 
Miller was married in Illinois to Miss Addie 
Pearson, and they are now the parents of two 
children, namely: Melvin L. and George A. 
Melvin L. is in Iroquois county, Illinois, on 
the farm, and George A. is in Hemingford. 

Mr. Miller was elected county treasurer of 
Box Butte county in 1895 and 1898. holding 
that ofifice for two terms. He has been on 
the town board for a number of years, and has 
always taken an active and leading part in lo- 
cal affairs of his communit}-. He is a Re- 
publican. 



HENRY H. GANOW. 

Henry H. Ganow, one of the pioneers of 
western Nebraska, is known throughout 
Cherry county as a prosperous and energetic 
ranchman and farmer. He has been closely 
identified with the development of this re- 
gion since 1880, when the family moved into 
this part of the wild west, and his name will 
occupy a place in the making of history of 
this part of the country. He resides on sec- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



283 



tion 15, township 32, range 38, where he has 
a vakiable estate of eight hundred acres, im- 
proved with a good house and barns, larger 
and better than the average in this part of 
the west. 

Mr. Ganow was born in Fort Collins, Col- 
orado, June 13, 1871, where almost the entire 
population were Indians, and he grew up amid 
the excitement of a wild and dangerous peo- 
ple,- witnessing many uprisings of the red- 
skins. 

Mr. Ganow's father, Mallory B. Ganow, 
was a prominent old-timer in the west, com- 
ing to the plains many years ago. He acted 
as pilot for large herds of cattle and sheep 
driven from Texas and Mexico into this sec- 
tion, some times having as high as twelve 
thousand in a drove. He had a contract for 
ties and lived in the Colorado mountains for 
three years without seeing anything of civil- 
ization. There were six children in the fam- 
ily, of whom our subject was the fourth mem- 
ber, and he was raised in Colorado and Ne- 
braska, coming to this region in June, 1881. 
His parents settled on White Clay creek, north 
of Rushville. Sheridan county, on a ranch, and 
it was there that Henry began his career as a 
cowboy when but nine years of age. He after- 
wards rode all over this part of Nebraska and 
into South Dakota, leading a typical life of 
the wild west, camping out nights and expe- 
riencing many rough and dangerous times, and 
of his many narrow escapes that of a bear 
fight, while a friend, his brother and himself 
were on the Big White river, was the most 
exciting. The Bruin referred to was one of 
the largest ever seen in this territory. In 
1899 he settled on a homestead, which he still 
occupies and on which he has resided con- 
tinuously since. His first house was destroyed 
by a cyclone on August 3, 1900, in which 
everything was demolished. He has since 
erected a good set of buildings, a commodious 
frame dwelling, barns and sheds 26 feet by 
80 feet in extent, wind mills, irrigation reser- 
voir, fences, etc., making it one of the best 
equipped farms and ranches in that part of 
the country. 

His ranch contains eight hundred acres, 
with sixty acres under cultivation, and he has 
it well improved with a fine orchard and many 
kinds of small fruit. 

In July, 1900, Mr. Ganow was married to 
Miss Kathenka L. Beck, a native of the vil- 
lage of Nyckjobing, Denmark, and a daughter 
of James P. and Hannah M. (Elsberg) Beck. 
They came to America in 1874, sailing from 
Copenhagen in the Humboldt. The father was 
an expert machinist and traveled in Denmark, 



where his work carried him. He died in the 
old country. The mother with her little fam- 
ily came to America and settled in Chicago, 
where Kathenka attended kindergarten and 
school. Later on coming to Omaha she be- 
came forewoman in a mattress factory and 
nurse for a wealthy family who traveled a 
great deal. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ganow have a family of four 
children, namely: Laurine B., Harold E., Va- 
lerie M. and Curtiss C. Mrs. Ganow is edu- 
cating her children personally, there being no 
schools nearby, and is instilling into them re- 
finement and love for books not common in the 
ranch country. She is teaching them music 
as well as the ordinary branches of elemen- 
tary learning and for politeness they are not 
excelled by children city bred. Mr. Ganow 
is a Republican and takes a lively interest in 
all local and state party aft'airs. He is a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America. A 
view of the family residence, with its surround- 
ings, is to be found on another page of this 
work. 



CHARLES E. ELL. 

The gentleman above named resides in 
North Platte, Lincoln county, Nebraska. He 
holds the post of passenger engineer on the 
L^nion Pacific Railway, and has a record as one 
of the most successful engineers on the road, 
his work being of such a high order that he 
is chosen by the railroad officials for the most 
of the special runs requiring skill, nerve and 
a cool head. He is very popular ^n railway 
circles, and has the esteem and friendship of 
a host of people. 

Mr. Ell is a native of Columbus, Ohio, son 
of John P. Ell, who came to Lodgepole, Ne- 
braska, in 1868 with his family. The father 
enlisted in the Eighteenth United States In- 
fantry, and served all through the Civil war 
in the Army of the Potomac under General 
Phil Sheridan, taking part in all the great bat- 
tles of the war. When the barracks were built 
at Omaha he was sent there, then being a 
member of the^ Twenty-seventh United States 
Infantry. He also served in the Mexican war 
with the Ohio troops, and owing to his expe- 
rience in that war was ofl^ered promotion in 
the Civil war, but declined the honor. In 1870 
he came to North Platte and resided here up to 
the time of his death, which occurred in June, 
1882, aged sixty-four years. 

Our subject began with the Union Pacific 
Railroad here in 1870, working in the round- 
house wiping engines, then was a fireman from 



284 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Inly, 1871, to November, 1876, and since that 
time lias been an engineer. He has the record 
of having made the fastest runs west of here, 
taking his train from Sydney to North Platte, 
one hundred and twenty-three minutes, in one 
hundred and nine minutes. The train was late, 
and this is tlie record run for this division. He 
was engineer from Sidney to North Platte on 
the celebrated run made'by E. H. Harriman, 
president of the Union Pacific, and Mr. Harri- 
man had a record of this trip made and framed, 
sending a copy to each conductor and engi- 
neer who took part in it. ]\Ir. Ell is a mem- 
ber of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- 
neers, joining that lodge in 1877. 

Mr. Ell was married in February, 1876, to 
Miss Maggie McGinn, of Pittsfield. Illinois, 
and they have a family of two sons — John, a 
conductor on the same road his father is with, 
and George, brakeman on that road. 



JOHN W. McLERAN. D. D. S. 

Dr. John \V. McLeran, a rising young den- 
tist of Springview. has gained the confidence 
and respect of a large circle of acquaintances 
as a skillful practitioner and worthy citizen. 

Dr. McLeran was born December 7, 1873, 
in Marshalltown, Iowa, and is the son of Sam- 
uel R. McLeran, a prominent resident of Mar- 
shalltown, who has served as clerk of the dis- 
trict court in Marshall county for fifteen years. 
He was born in \'erniont, of Scotch-Irish par- 
ents, served in the Civil war, and is widely 
known in political circles. His mother, who 
was Theresa P. Jones, died at the time of his 
birth. 

Our subject was reared in Marshalltown, 
and after graduating from the high school 
there entered the State University at Iowa 
City, and afterwards the dental department 
of the Northwestern University, in Chicago, 
Illinois. After receiving his diploma he re- 
mained in Chicago for two years practicing his 
profession, and from there went to Boston, 
where he spent two years. In 1899 he located 
at O'Neil, Nebraska, practicing^ in that town 
for four years, then removed to Springview, 
where he has since been located. He is build- 
ing up a splendid reputation and practice and 
is one of the solid men of Springview. 

On May 3, 1905, he was married to Miss 
Lena McKnight, whose father, Dr. McKnight, 
is a prominent old settler of Brown county, a 
sketch of whom appears in this volume. One 
daughter, Ruth, has been born to them, her 
nativity occurring at Long Pine. 



The Doctor is a Republican in politics. He has 
served the Masonic lodge at Springview as 
master since the institution of the lodge, and 
also afifiliates with the W'orkmen. He deals 
extensively in real estate, has served as county 
surveyor and as editor of the local paper. 



S. I. DUNN. 



S. J. Dunn, one of the leading citizens and 
foremost public men of Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska, is a worthy representative of an old 
Nebraska family. He is a brother of I. J. 
Dunn, who has the honor of having nominated 
William J. Bryan for the presidency in Den- 
ver July 9, 1908. The Dunns are all well 
known in politics and have taken leading parts 
in the upbuilding and progress of western Ne- 
braska from its early settlement. 

Our subject was born in Omaha, May 14, 
1862. living there until he was four years of 
age, when his parents removed to Sarpy county, 
where he grew up on a farm. Of the children 
in the family there were six sons and two 
daughters, and S. J. was the second oldest. 
The father is now dead, but the mother occu- 
pies the old farm in Sarpy county. 

Mr. Dunn came to Cheyenne county in 
1895, arriving here in May of that year, and 
immediately took up a homestead on section 
18. township 19. range 48, which he proved 
up on and has since added land to his original 
tract, owning at the present time three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, which he uses for 
grain and stock raising, running quite a bunch 
of cattle and horses. 

Mr. Dunn has been very successful in his 
ventures and is one of the well-to-do residents 
of his township. He has a pleasant home and 
well improved farm, and is up-to-date and pro- 
gressive in his method of farming. Politic- 
ally he is an Independent. 



WARREN G. TOWNSEND. 

In driving through the farming district of 
Brown county. Nebraska, many well kept, 
highly cultivated and splendidly improved 
places are seen, but none is more carefully con- 
ducted or successfully operated than that 
owned by the subject of this review. Mr. 
Townsend has spent many years on this farm 
and has become well versed in all modern 
methods of agriculture, and bj' experience and 
observation has acquired a wide knowledge, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



285 



to which his success is in a large measure clue. 

Mr. Townsend was born in Vernon county, 
Wisconsin, October 22, 1857. He is a son of 
Jonathan Townsend, a farmer of Pennsylvania 
German origin, and Martha Goldrick, who was 
also a native of the Keystone state. He is the 
seventh member of a family of eight children, 
was reared on a farm, beginning at an early 
age to assist his father in the hard work of 
which every one who has ever lived in the 
country knows there is much. He received a 
common school education, and after attending 
the state normal school began teaching in his 
native county. At the age of twenty-one he 
left home and began a career for himself. Com- 
ing west he first settled in Hamilton county, 
Nebraska, in 1871, where he followed teaching 
for two years. In 1880 he came to Brown 
county and remained there through the severe 
winter of 1880-81, having taken a homestead 
in the northwest quarter of section 11, town- 
ship 30, range 23, where .he put up a two- 
story dwelling built of hewed logs, and 
'"batched" it for several years. In 1890 this 
house burned and. all his household goods were 
lost. During these years all his supplies had 
to be hauled from Oakdale and Neligh, a dis- 
tance of about one hundred miles, and in mak- 
ing these trips he was obliged to spend sev- 
eral nights camping out on the road. He was 
employed part of the time during the early 
years here in teaching the district school in 
his locality, and has since first coming always 
taken a deep interest in all educational mat- 
ters in the county, for two terms serving as 
superintendent of schools of Brown county. 
In 1894 he purchased his present home, lo- 
cated in section 12, township 30, range 23, 
moving on it in the same year. This was en- 
tirely unimproved property, and he went to 
work building up a good farm, and now has 
a complete set of substantial and comfortable 
buildings, with windmill, fences, etc., which 
makes it one of the best farms in the locality. 
A view of the home and surroundings may be 
seen elsewhere in this work. He enjoys peace 
and prosperity and his pleasant home is sur- 
rounded by all the comforts of country life. 
He engages principally in grain raising, which 
he finds very profitable, also keeps quite a 
goodly number of stock. 

!Mr. Townsend was married November 15, 
1887, to Miss Leona Hagerman, a native of 
Wisconsin. Her father, Calvin Hagerman, is 
an old settler in this county, and a sketch of 
this gentleman's life will be found in this 
volume on another page. Mr. and IMrs. Town- 
send have a family of four children, who are 
named as follows: Glen R., Lura B., Lvndon 



E. and Lisle ]\I. They are a happy family, 
and highly respected in the community in 
which they reside. 

Mr. Townsend has been a man of success- 
ful endeavor, and is now numbered among the 
substantial and prominent citizens of this lo- 
cality. In political faith he is a Democrat 
and affiliates with the Ainsworth camp. Wood- 
men of the World. 



DR. HAL. C. SMITH. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
well known and highly esteemed residents of 
Franklin, Nebraska, where he has practiced 
medicine for the past two years. He is a 
young man of exceptional intelligence and good 
judgment, and has fitted himself for the pro- 
fession which he has chosen for his life work 
by a superior education and years of hard 
study and close application. Dr. Smith is a 
native of Pike county, Illinois, a son of Rev. 
John T. Smith, a well known minister of the 
Christian (Disciples) church, and our subject 
grew up in Illinois. He was educated at the 
Nebraska City high school and later the Lin- 
coln Medical College, graduating from the lat- 
ter institution in 1904. He then took a post- 
graduate course at the Chicago Polyclinic Col- 
lege and attended Pratt's Course in Chicago 
during 1905 and Northwestern L'niversity the 
following year. Dr. Smith is also a graduate 
of Neiswanger's School of Electro-Therapeu- 
tics, and in 1908 he attended the surgical clin- 
ics at the Post-Graduate ]\Iedical School and 
Hospital of Chicago and also Dr. Pratt's 
Course the same year at Herring Medical 
School. In addition to this, he spent some 
time at Dr. Mayo's Hospital, Rochester, Minn., 
and has thoroughly prepared himself for his 
career. In May. 1904, he located at Browns- 
ville, and came to his present location in 1906, 
where he is now enjoying a large practice, and 
rapidly gaining recognition as a master of the 
work. 

Dr. Smith is a Mason and Shriner, also a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows. He is a member of the Republican Val- 
ley and the Nebraska State Medical Associa- 
tions, also secretary of the County Medical 
Association, and special examiner here for the 
New York Mutual Life Insurance Company, 
the Bankers' Life, of Lincoln, and the Security 
Mutual Insurance Company, of Lincoln, be- 
sides acting also for the Middle West, of Lin- 
coln, and the L^nion Central, of Cincinnati, 
Ohio, and State Mutual Life Assurance Com- 



286 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



pany, of Worcester, Mass. He is a member of 
the Modern Woodmen of America and Ancient 
Order of United Workmen. 



ALLEN G. FISHER. 

Allen G. Fisher, whose name is familiar to 
all acquainted with the business men of North- 
western Nebraska, was born in Coshocton 
county, Ohio, in September, 1863, of Scotch- 
Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch and English blood. 
His father, George W. Fisher, senior, is a 
Presbyterian minister, still in charge of the 
First Presbyterian church of Trenton, Illinois, 
of which he was made pastor in 1868. 

Our subject was educated at McKendree 
College, Lebanon. 111., where though youngest 
he took third honor in his class with the de- 
grees of A. B., LL. M. and A. M. In 1884 he took 
third honors and degree of LL. B. at Washing- 
ton University, St. Louis. He served as deputy 
clerk of Cumberland county, Illinois, for twenty- 
eight months, and May 1. 1886, located at 
Chadron, where he was a member of the firm of 
Fall, Spargur & Fisher, the first lawyers in Chad- 
ron. He has practiced law there continuously 
since, except 1898, when he w-as in the army. 
He took a homestead in section 32, township 30, 
range 56, in Sioux county, Nebraska, and still 
owns this and other lands. His practice ex- 
tends all over central Wyonvng and Black 
Hills, and all over Nebraska. He is a Republican 
and from January, 1897, to June, 1898, was 
county attorney of Dawes county, being 
elected by the same majority that the county 
gave Bryan, and Holcomb for Governor on the 
fusion ticket. For three years he served as city 
attorney of Chadron. Having been since 1887 
a member of the National Guard, he was com- 
missioned captain for services in Sioux war in 
1891, and in 1898. at the declaration of war with 
Spain, he raised Company H, Second Regiment. 
Nebraska Volunteer Infantry, and was elected 
captain and commissioned as such and went 
south with it to Chickamauga Park, Georgia. 
They were mustered out with this regiment at 
Fort Omaha, October 24, 1898, at the end of six 
months' service, and he was offered a similar 
commission in the Philippine army, but the war 
being ended, declined this. During this service 
the county board removed him from the office 
of county attorney as a political stroke, but he 
was placed on the ticket as candidate for rep- 
resentative, after his muster out, to fill vacancy, 
by declination of Republican nominee, and he 
carriefl the district (then and later fusion by 
more than 800 votes) by a substantial majority. 



Mr. Fisher was married in 1884 to Miss 
Flora Yanaway, also a native of Ohio, and 
they are parents of six living children: John G., 
a Sioux county rancher; Bessie \'. and Winnie, 
both graduates of Chadron High School and 
Wesleyan students at L'niversity Place ; William 
Allen, Alice Regina and Charles Andrew, who 
survive their brother, George, who died in 1905. 



JOHN N. STANDT. 

Among the business enterprises which con- 
tribute in a marked degree to the prosperity of 
Holdrege, Phelps county, Nebraska, is the 
wholesale bakery and confectionery establish- 
ment of John N. Standt, sole proprietor and 
manager. 

^Ir. Standt is a native of Bundenbach, 
Rhineland, Germany. His parents having died, 
our subject left his native land with an uncle 
when only a boy, going to London. England, 
and he there learned the baker's and confec- 
tioner's trade, working at it up to 1885. and at 
that time came to the L^nited States where he 
has been in the same business ever since. 

In 1889 he came to Holdrege and began 
in business, starting in on a small scale as he 
had not much capital, but he made a success 
from the start, and his good bread, cakes and 
confectionery brought him an ever increasing 
trade and he is accounted one of the leading 
business men of the town. He now turns out 
from one thousand five hundred to two thousand 
loaves of bread per day, and his cake and candy 
utput is correspondingly large, employing four 
bakers all the time. He sends his goods all 
through the western part of Nebraska, also into 
Colorado. He does not keep any solicitors to sell 
his goods, but sells them entirely on their merits. 
Mr. Standt owns his store and factory building, 
which is located on one of the main corners of 
Holdrege. 

Mr. Standt is one of the active public- 
spirited men of his community, and takes a 
leading part in all matters that tend to the 
advancement of commercial and educational 
affairs. He has been city treasurer for the 
past eight years. At different times has held 
the office of chairman and secretary of the 
county central committee of the People's In- 
dependent party of Phelps county. He is an 
active member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, the 
Highlanders, the Mutual Protective League, 
also the National Protective League, besides 
other fraternal and .social organizations. He 
has a genial, social disposition and pleasing 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



287 



personality which makes and keeps him friends 
in all walks of life. 

Mr. Standt was married in 1901 to Miss 
Anna K. Standt and they have one child, John 

N. Standt. Jr. 



JOHX L. ROSEBERRY. 

John L. Roseberry, residing on section 25, 
township 28, range 35, Cherry county, was born 
in Green county, Pennsylvania, January 18, 
1866. His father was a farmer and a veteran 
of the Civil war, who died in 1865 from the 
eflfects of his service during his career as a 
soldier. The mother's maiden name was Julia 
A. Stewart, and both parents were American- 
born, descendants of old American stock. 

Mr. Roseberry was reared in Pennsylvania 
on a farm, living at home until he was twenty- 
one years of age, then started for himself, com- 
ing west and locating in Clay county, Nebras- 
ka, where he spent two years farming. He 
then came to the western part of the state 
and took a tree claim on Dismal river, re- 
turned to Pennsylvania and spent a year,, then 
back to Nebraska, this time settling in Cherry 
county, taking a homestead here in 1890, which 
he has occupied ever since. He was the first 
white settler to begin improving land in the 
Dismal country and put up some of the first 
buildings, making the first fence in the locality. 
His buildings were all of sod, and his teams 
were oxen, which did all his farm work for a 
number of years. He got together quite a 
herd of cattle and other stock, and during the 
severe storms which swept the country in 1892 
lost one hundred and forty-five head of stock, 
and for a few years went through very hard 
times, losing crops, stock, etc. He used his 
old tree claim as a summer pasture for his cat- 
tle, farming a small portion of his homestead, 
and about 1895 sold the former and afterwards 
leased land and ran stock for others, forging 
ahead slowly and bettering himself as he was 
able. He gradually added land to his original 
claim and is now possessor of three thou- 
sand three hundred and sixty acres of deeded 
land, besides leasing four sections, all of which 
is used for a stock ranch, having plenty of pas- 
ture and hay land. 

Mr. Roseberry has a fine ranch house 36x 
40 feet, two stories, and water piped through- 
out the residence, a good barn, workshop and 
other buildings, wells, wind mills, three flow- 
ing wells, and has built sixty miles of fence. 
He also has a fine fruit orchard, has seven 
hundred apple trees bearing the finest fruit, 



also plums, cherries and small fruits. He has 
eighty acres of alfalfa, and cultivates one hun- 
dred acres, raising small grain of all kinds. 
Mr. Roseberry has done considerable experi- 
menting with grasses and different grains, in 
order to ascertain which is the best adapted 
to the soil and climate, and the past year has 
tried raising Mexican peas, and shipped a crop 
of five hundred pounds. He has also 
given much time to the patenting of a hay 
stacker, which proved to be a success, and on 
which he took out a patent on February 21, 
1905, called the Roseberry Stacker, which is 
in quite common use in the western states, 
claimed to be one of the best on the market, 
and has made a nice income for the inventor. 
Mr. Roseberry deals heavily in cattle and 
horses, running annually from twelve hundred 
to fifteen hundred of the former, and at pres- 
ent has eighty horses. His ranch is one of 
the best equipped and finest in the west, he 
devotes his entire attention to its management, 
and deserves the success which has come to 
him. 

Mr. Roseberry was married in 1893 to Miss 
Oscee G. Garrett, daughter of James H. and Alice 
(Hamm) Garrett, well known in Nebraska as 
one of the pioneer families here. They have 
the following children: Ira L., Ray, Paul T., 
Alice, Mabel, Oscar, Irena and a baby, Gar- 
rett. 

Our subject has always taken an active 
part in local affairs, serving as justice of the 
peace at dift'erent times, and was county com- 
missioner for one term. He is president of 
the Hooker and Cherry County Telephone 
Company, organizer of that company and was 
active in getting the line established through 
the section. 



OSCAR E. FORSLING. 

The office of sheriff of Kimball county has 
been bestowed upon this gentleman, and he 
is discharging the duties of the position with 
rare ability and increasing popularity. He was 
elected in 1907, 'and prior to that time had 
served as deputy sheriff for four years, in that 
time becoming thoroughly familiar with the 
work, and he is deservedly honored and es- 
teemed by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Forsling was born near the city of 
Gothenberg, Sweden, on July 19, 1873. His fa- 
ther was a native of that country and followed 
farming as an occupation, also was for eight- 
een or twenty years a government officer, be- 
ing well and prominently known in this part 



288 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of the country. He was a very wealthy man, 
owner of two extensive estates, and a very in- 
fluential citizen. In 1883 he came to America 
with his family, locating^ in Kimball county, 
Nebraska, in 1885. He took a homestead and 
built up a comfortable home and became one 
of the prominent residents of that locality, 
known all over the section as one of the very 
old-timers and successful stockmen in that 
part of the state. A sketch of Mr. Forsling 
appears in this volume on another page. 

Our subject left home and started for him- 
self at the age of thirteen years, beginning as 
a cowboy, and at a very tender age rode the 
range all over the western part of Nebraska 
and the adjoining states, "punching" cows dur- 
ing the summer months and hunting and trap- 
ping through the winters. A considerable por- 
tion of his time was spent in Wyoming, Da- 
kota, Montana and Colorado, and he roughed it 
during summer and winter, camping out on 
the ground wherever he happened to stop in 
his travels. He finally settled permanently in 
iKimball county, and is now living in the town 
of Kimball, where he has a good home and is 
one of the leading citizens. 

On November 25. 1900, :\Ir. Forsling was 
married to ^liss Ethel Whitman, who is a 
daughter of F. M. Whitman, proprietor of the 
leading hotel in Kimball. Mrs. Forsling is a 
very charming and estimable lady, and their 
home is one of the most hospitable in tovvn. 



EARL R. BATTY. D. D. S. 

The gentleman above named is among the 
rising professional men of Alma. Nebraska. 
He has gained an enviable reputation in his 
line during the comparatively short space of 
time in which he has practiced, and is regarded 
as a man of sterling qualities, well qualified 
for the work he has undertaken, and has the 
support of a large patronage. 

Dr. Batty is a native of Illinois, and is of 
English descent. He is a son of E. H. Batty, 
who settled in Alma in 1887, who was engaged 
in the real estate, and later the flour, feed and 
grocery trade, and now resides at Hastings. 
He invested largely in farming land, which he 
sold at a good round figure, and now owns 
considerable business house property in dif- 
ferent towns in this section. He was for a 
time owner and publisher of the .Alma Record, 
which was the Republican organ of the county, 
and still owns this paper, but leases it to other 
parties. He came to Nebraska from Jo Da- 
viess countv, Illinois, in 1886. with his familv. 



locating in Alma, where our subject was 
reared, graduating from the Alma high school 
in 1896. After finishing high school he worked 
under Dr. Hill of this place and later studied 
dentistry at the Kansas City Dental School, 
and graduated from that institution with the 
class of 1901. He at once established an of- 
fice at Alma, and is the oldest dentist in length 
of time practicing in Alma at the present time. 
His clientage extends all over Harlan and the 
adjoining counties, and has made an immense 
success in his profession. One brother, Dr. 
A. J. Batty, is in the same profession, with 
ofifice at Wilcox, Nebraska. 

Dr. Batty was married in 1905 to Miss 
Anna Stewart, daughter of C. W. Stewart, a 
merchant of Alma. 



EVERETT :\r. ELDRED. 

.\m0n2r the old-timers in western Nebraska 
who have watched the development and growth 
of this part of the country from the time of the 
organization of the counties, and who has been 
an important factor in the upbuilding of this 
section, the gentleman above named holds a 
prominent Dlace. He resides on section 9, 
township 21, range 45, Deuel county, where 
he has a fine ranch and valuable estate. 

^Ir. Eldred was born in Jones county, Iowa, 
in 1864, and raised in that locality. He is a 
son of E. J. Eldred, a native of New York 
state, who was among the first settlers in 
Jones county, where he settled on a farm. 
Our subject is the second member of a fam- 
ily of four children, all boys. At the age of 
sixteen years he left the home of his uncle 
with' whom he was then living and came to 
Saline county. Nebraska, where he followed 
farming, working out on ranches in that vi- 
cinity, and afterwards was engaged in the liv- 
ery business for some years. He remained 
there up to 1888. when he moved to Deuel 
county, taking a homestead, which is the farm 
he now occupies. When he struck here he had 
very little capital, but he went to work build- 
ing a set of sod buildings and began to start 
his farm. His brother Edgar came with him, 
and they had brought about one hundred and 
fifty cattle, and from that start gradually 
worked into the stock business, and have been 
engaged in this ever since. He batched it on 
his claim for ten years, constantly adding to 
his land, until he now owns a ranch of si.v 
thousand acres, on which he runs three thou- 
sand head of cattle and about two hundred 
horses. A large number of the horses are used 
in hanflling the cattle, as he re(|uires five men 



^ ^ :^^k&mfm,ir>4i^^-^-^^^^'^'-'"7^^ 



v^ "^fSS^S^ ^Si 





Is**' 



K. M. LLDKtD 
Part of Iiis ranch and stock, Deuel County. Nebraska. 





RESIDENCE OF E. M. ELDRED. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



289 



to assist him in the care of this stock and 
operate the ranch. His place is well improved, 
and his hay land, of which he has a large tract, 
is all fenced. He has never been through any- 
thing like hard times, and has been success- 
ful from the beginning. In 1906 he had about 
five hundred tons of hay which he was unable 
to cut on account of the valley where it was 
grown being wet, and this was quite a severe 
loss to him. He built a comfortable frame 
house in 1893, but this was burned down in 
1895, and he then erected a brick adobe and 
plastered with cement. This is well finished 
off inside and has a fine porch around it. He 
has a pleasant home, burns coal for fuel, which 
is rarely done in this locality, and is a great 
believer in having the comforts of life. He is 
well contented here, but intends to move to 
town in the near future, as his wife wants to 
leave the hills. 

Mr. Eldred was married to Miss Mary El- 
len Avery in 1898. She is a daughter of ilr. 
and Mrs. Sylvenus Avery. Mr. and Mrs. El- 
dred have no children. 

Mr. Eldred is an independent voter, believ- 
ing it best to give the best man on any ticket 
the chance, and has never taken an active in- 
terest in politics, although he always gets out 
to vote. He has made a great success since 
coming to this country, and is satisfied with 
the result of his ventures in the cattle busi- 
ness. The nearest mail station from his ranch 
is at Orlando, a distance of one and one-half 
miles. His nearest trading point is Alliance, 
thirty miles distant. Lakeside, in Sheridan 
county, on the B. & M. Railroad, twenty-five 
miles distant, is his shipping point. 

Some interesting pictures are presented on 
another page showing some of Mr. Eldred's 
property. 



ALEX. LOWRY. 

Alex. Lowry, who is an old settler and 
highly estemed citizen of Harrison. Sioux 
county, Nebraska, and the owner of a neat 
little restaurant and confectioner's store at that 
place, is a man of good business judgment and 
sterling character. He is well known through- 
out his community as a man of energetic hab- 
its, and is well-to-do and one of the leading 
citizens in local aft'airs. 

Mr. Lowry was born in New Lenox, Will 
county. Illinois, in 1856. His father, J. W. 
Lowry, was a farmer all his life. He married 
Jane Davis and the family lived in different 
parts of Illinois during our subject's boyhood 
days. In July, 1861. the family went to Iowa. 



where they remained about eighteen months, 
then back to Illinois in the spring of 1863, re- 
maining two years ; then to Canada for a year, 
and in 1866 they returned to Illinois. In the 
spring of 1877 he again moved to Iowa and 
farmed there for four years in Warren county. 
From there he went to Calhoun county, Iowa, 
in 1881. purchasing a farm on which he lived 
up to 1892. Soon after leaving the last men- 
tioned place Mr. Lowry came to Harrison, and 
here filed on a homestead situated three and 
a half miles east of the town, and improved it, 
living on the place until he proved up on his 
claim. He then rented land near Harrison and 
farmed for ten years, also was interested in 
the live stock business to quite an extent. In 
August, 1903, Mr. Lowry left his farm and 
came to Harrison to reside permanently, open- 
ing up a restaurant and confectionery store, 
purchasing the building which he now occu- 
pies. He has done exceedingly well and has 
built up a good trade, carrying a nice line 
of goods, and has his place fitted up with all 
modern appliances for the proper handling of 
his business. 

While living in Illinois Mr. Lowry was 
married, October 19, 1876, to Miss Alice Cor- 
win, daughter of Nathan and Eliza (Cole) 
Corwin. Mr. and Mrs. Lowry are the par- 
ents of three children, namely: Mabel. Delia 
and John. The family occupy a pleasant home 
and are popular in their neighborhood as 
worthy citizens. 

Mr. Lowry was elected sheriff of Sioux 
county in 1900 and at the expiration of his term 
was again chosen. He proved a most capable 
and efficient public officer and served in all 
five years in this capacity, lacking about ten 
months of serving three full terms. 



HUGH BOOTH. 



Hugh Booth, a respected and successful 
farmer of Brown county, Nebraska, has a home 
and a habitation near Long Pine, where his 
cheerful countenance and genial ways have 
long been known and welcome. The vast 
farming interests of northern and central Ne- 
braska have long been suspected, but it has 
taken the labors of men like Mr. Booth to show 
something of what might be done in this, so 
long a barren and dreary waste. For many 
years he has been associated with pioneer ex- 
periences, and in any record of what has been 
done "out west" to make a garden out of a 
wilderness the name of Hugh Booth will de- 
serve a prominent place. 



290 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Booth was born at Forest Lake, Sus- 
(luchaiina county. Pennsylvania, November 6, 
1830, where his father. William Booth, was 
at the time engaged as a miller. William 
Booth was a native of England, near Nottmg- 
ham. in Derbyshire, where he married Hannah 
Wheatcrott and where his first two children 
were born. r -i 

Hugh Booth was the seventh in a family 
.if eight children born to his parents, all of 
whom are now living. He spent his childhood 
and youth in his native state, where he se- 
cured his education by attending the public 
schools. W'hen he reached the age of twenty 
years he started for himself. After sorne years 
spent in various occupations, mostly in farm- 
ing, he settled in 1882 at West Point, Cum- 
ing county, Nebraska, where he resided five 
years, then moved to Keya Paha county, team- 
ing from Cuming countv to their new loca- 
tion, the trip consuming ten days. Mr. Booth 
and his family made a location on a home- 
stead near the Keya Paha river, and their first 
home was a sod house. Here Mr. Booth lived 
until his election as sheriff five years later._ He 
was the third to be elected to that position 
m the new county. While sheriff he made his 
home in Springview, where his wife died. His 
wife was Mary Whiteman, to whom three chil- 
dren were born — Fred, Mary and Hugh, Jr. 
In 1892 he was married to Mrs. Eliza Hains. 
Three children have blessed this union — Oscar, 
Stella and Rose. By her first marriage Mrs. 
I'.ooth bore three children— Alice, John and 
Fern. In 1892 Mr. Booth removed to Brown 
county, where two years later he settled on a 
farm in section 1, township 30, range 22, which 
he sold in 1907 and bought one hundred and 
sixty acres in section 24. 

He is a true type of the best American 
farmer, upright and manly, industrious in his 
habits and of a kindly heart. Politically he is 
a Bryan Democrat. 



ED. T. ROSS. 



Ed. T. Ross, one of the early settlers in 
the western part of Nebraska, resides in Gor- 
don, Sheridan county, where he is widely 
known as a successful ranchman and business 
man. Mr. Ross was born in Fayette county, 
Texas, in 1862. His father, Anderson Ross, 
was a prominent merchant and cattleman, who 
lived on a large ranch in southern Texas, 
where our subject was raised. He was the 
fifth in a family of five children, and his fa- 
ther died wiien he was a small boy, leaving 



his mother, who was Mary Page Ligon be- 
fore her marriage, to rear her large family of 
children. There was plenty of hard work to 
be done in carrying on the farm, and he as- 
sisted in this until he reached the age of 
twenty, then left Texas and came north to 
Nebraska, helping to drive a bunch of horses 
to that country. He with his companions 
camped out during this trip and traveled over 
the spot where Gordon now stands in 1882. 
After coming to this state he worked on the 
E. S. Newman ranch, called the "N" Bar ranch, 
up to 1885. then moved to Montana, where he 
remained until 1889. 

In 1891 Mr. Ross came to Gordon and set- 
tled on a homestead twelve miles northeast 
of the town. He proved up on his claim and 
bought adjoining land until he owned a large 
tract, then sold it all out and purchased an- 
other ranch located eighteen miles northeast 
of Gordon. He is now proprietor of nineteen 
and a half quarter sections, and is extensively 
engaged in the cattle business. He has a very 
valuable estate and has been most successful 
in all his ventures since coming to this re- 
gion. He personally superintends the ranch- 
ing business, although he resides in Gordon, 
having built a fine residence there in the fall 
of 1897. 

Mr. Ross was married in 1888 to Miss Bes- 
sie Arnold, of Texas. Her father, J. C. Ar- 
nold, was a farmer of Fayette county, and her 
mother was of English descent. Seven chil- 
dren resulted from their marriage, named as 
follows: Roy, Jessie, Alary (deceased), Eva, 
Anderson (deceased), Hope ai)d Robert. 

Mr. Ross is a stanch Republican and takes 
a leading part in the ali'airs of that party. 



ADAM SCTTTMKA. 

Among the successful self-made men of 
Cheyenne countv. Nebraska, may be truly 
noted .Adam ^chimka. He came to the new 
world from his mother country when but a 
mere bov. and since his residence here has 
displayed an enterprising spirit and the ex- 
ercise of good judgment in a manner that com- 
mends him to all as one of the prominent and 
worthy citizens of his commnnitv. He now 
resides in section 4. township 12. range 48, 
and is a prosperous agriculturist and active, 
public-spirited resident. He settled in the re- 
gion as a pioneer and has accumulated a fine 
property, now possessing three hundred and 
twenty acres of deeded land, also controlling 
thirteen hundred and twenty acres under lease. 
Mr. .^chimka has closely applied himself to 



rOMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



291 



the study of his calling-, is well versed in the 
same and possesses what years of experience 
teach to the observing only. 

Mr. Schimka was born in Bohemian Aus- 
tria on the 24th of December, 1859, and grew 
to the age of thirteen years in his native coun- 
try, then came to America, landing in New 
York City on June 1. 1872. He came to Mis- 
souri and settled in Benton county, remaining 
there until March 1, 1875, then moved to Wil- 
ber, Saline county, Nebraska, and lived in that 
place up to 1887. From there he removed to 
Lodgepole, Cheyenne county, arriving there 
April 9 of that year. He filed on a homestead 
in the southeast quarter of section 4, township 
12, range 48, and developed a good farm, put 
up good buildings, etc., and still occupies the 
original homestead. He cultivates about one 
hundred and seventy acres and uses the bal- 
ance of his ranch for range and pasture, keep- 
ing about one hundred and fifty head of stock, 
mostly cattle. Mr. Schimka has been most 
successful during later years, but in the early 
days of his residence in this region he went 
through many crop failures and became dis- 
couraged, but determined to remain and has 
become one of the most successful ranchmen 
of the county, and especially prominent among 
those who have come to America from the old 
world and succeeded in building up a valuable 
estate and comfortable home. 

Mr. Schimka was married September 28, 
1882, at Wilber, Nebraska, to Mary Novak, 
born in Bohemia, and who came to the United 
States in that year, then a girl of twenty years 
of age. Mr. and Mrs. Schimka are the par- 
ents of seven children, who are named as fol- 
lows: Edward, now living at Colorado; Mary, 
wife of Joe Brown, of Sidney; Emma, Rose, 
Joe, Ella and James, the last five all living at 
home. Three children, two boys and one girl, 
died in infancy, and both our subject's and his 
wife's parents are dead. 

Mr. Schimka is prominent in local affairs. 
He has been assessor of Colton precinct for 
a number of years. Politically he is a Dem- 
ocrat. 



WILLIAM KACKMEISTER. 

Among the successful self-made men of 
Brown county may be truly mentioned the 
gentleman whose name heads this review, lie 
came to the new world from his native coun- 
try when a very young man, and since his res- 
idence here has displayed an enterprising spirit 
and the exercise of good judgment in a man- 
ner that commends him to all as a worthy citi- 



zen. Mr. Kackmeister was born in the village 
of Kissdorf, Holstein, Germany, October 25, 
1857. His father, Claus Kackmeister, served 
in the German army during the war of 1848 
against Denmark and again in 1852. Our sub- 
ject was the fourth member in a family of five 
children, and was reared on a farm, receiving 
a common school education, and grew up as- 
sisting his father in all the hard farm work. 
At the age of twenty-one he entered the army, 
serving six months. In 1881 he came to the 
United States, sailing from Hamburg on the 
steamer Pennsylvania, landed in Philadelphia 
April 29. Here he remained for one year, 
working in a village near Reading, then came 
west to Omaha, securing employment on a 
farm near the city. He worked at this for a 
short time, then began railroading on the Union 
Pacific Railway, but soon became dissatisfied 
and quit that. He next bought a team and 
rented a farm near Omaha, but only remained 
on this place one year and one on a farm in 
Sarpy county, then moved to Howard county, 
there renting land which he worked for three 
years. From there he moved to Cherry coun- 
ty, where he settled on a homestead on the 
Xorth Loup and engaged in the cattle busi- 
ness. Here he lived in a sod shanty, twenty- 
five miles from a railroad, proved up on a pre- 
emption claim and took a homestead. He re- 
mained on this homestead until 1893, and then 
came on to Brown county, settling on rented 
land and farmed for nine years, when he 
bought his present farm, located in section 33, 
township 30, range 21. He at once went to 
work improving this property, and now is 
proprietor of four hundred acres of land in 
one piece, with eighty acres three miles north 
of this farm and a tract of one hundred and 
sixty acres south of the home place. His farm 
buildings are substantial and conveniently ar- 
ranged, and he has a good supply of water the 
year around. He has a fine apple orchard and 
other small fruits nicely growing, surrounded, 
as are also the buildings, by a thrifty grove 
of forest trees. He is progressive in his farm- 
ing methods, and is one of those who has done 
a great deal towards securing good schools in 
this locality. A view of the premises will be 
found on one of the illustrated pages of this 
volume. 

Mr. Kackmeister was married June 3, 1879, 
to Miss Sophia Schuman, a daughter of Jo- 
seph and Katharine (Goetch) Schuman, who 
was born and raised on a farm near his old 
home. Ten children have been born to them, 
named as follows: Henry, Annie, Willie, Au- 
gust, Tillie, Mary, Sophia, Tohn. Katie and 
Xellie. 



29- 



:OMPENDlUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPH\ 



When Mr. Kackmeister first came to 
Cherry county his sole possessions were a cov- 
ered wagon and eighteen head of cattle and 
from this small beginning he has watched his 
fortunes and reputation expand and broaden 
until today he is the proud possessor of every- 
thing which goes to make up the comfort of 
a peaceful and happy home. He enjoys the 
friendship and esteem of a large circle of peo- 
ple, and is perfectly contented to remain in 
this locality the balance of his life. He is a 
Republican in politics and a member of the 
Lutheran church. 



LEE YaxVOORHIS. 

Lee VanVoorhis, the efificient and popular 
postmaster of Crawford. Nebraska, is a pros- 
perous and successful business rnan of that 
thriving town. He is one of the progressive 
and consequently esteemed men of his commu- 
nity, and has built up a home of more than 
usual comfort through his energy and good 
business foresight. 

Mr. VanVoorhis was born at Oxford Mills. 
Jones county. Iowa, in 1861. He is a son of 
Garrett Van\''oorhis. a native of New York, 
and Lottie Smart VanVoorhis, also a New 
Yorker. The family moved to central Iowa 
when our subject was born and there he was 
raised, learning the miller's trade, and also 
spending some time in a hardware store in 
Union, Iowa, where he acquired a thorough 
knowledge of that business. In the spring of 
1S85 he came to Hay Springs. Nebraska, where 
he opened the first and only hardware store in 
the place, and his store was the second frame 
building ever erected on the main street. He 
ran this business for two and a half years, 
and in the fall of 1887 sold out there and 
moved to Crawford, settling here on January 
2 of the following year. He then purchased 
the W. F. Rockwell hardware store and con- 
tinued this business up to 1896, then sold out 
and opened up a fruit and confectionery store, 
at which he did well, building up a nice trade 
in the town. 

On February 11, 1903, Mr. X'anVoorhis was 
appointed postmaster, served one term and 
was reappointed January 31, 1907, proving a 
most capable man for the position, well liked 
by the general public for his accommodating 
manner and thorough fitness for the work. He 
has been active in local affairs from the time 
of locating here, serving on the village board 
for several terms, also a member of the school 
board for a number of years. He is a strong 
Republican. 



Mr. VanVoorhis was among the earliest set- 
tlers in this locality, coming here before the 
C. & N. \V. Railroad was laid as far as Chad- 
ron. When he first arrived he took up a home- 
stead and built a sod house in which he lived 
for about three years. This place was three 
miles from Hay Springs. 

In 1878 Mr. VanVoorhis was married to 
Miss Mary O. Humeston, whose parents were 
early settlers in Iowa. To them have been 
born five children, named as follows: Lottie, 
Roy, Garrett, Edna and Josephine, the last 
named having died in December, 1891. 



HENRY E. ERICSON. 

Henry E. Ericson, treasurer of Phelps 
county, elected in 1905, resides in Holdrege, 
where he has a fine residence and is highly 
esteemed by a host of people. Air. Ericson 
has been engaged in farming for many years 
of his life, and has met with pronounced suc- 
cess in this line of work. He has also taken 
an active interest in public affairs, and is one 
of the leading citizens of his community and 
county. 

Our subject is a native of Chicago, Illinois. 
The family resided in Iowa prior to settling 
in Nebraska, and his brother, A. S. Ericson, 
is well known throughout Phelps county, as 
he served as county clerk and resided at Funk, 
Divide township, for some years. (See sketch 
in this book.) The father. Andrew Ericson, 
homesteaded here in 1884 and farmed for many 
years. Our subject now owns six hundred 
and forty acres in section 19, Sheridan town- 
ship, and has his farm improved with fine 
buildings and every modern improvement for 
the proper running of a model farm. He has 
given close attention to good stock, has one 
hundred head of Shorthorn cattle and a num- 
ber of fine Perchcron and Clyde horses, con- 
sidering the first mentioned the best animal 
for the farmers in this vicinity, as it is good 
both for farm work and general purposes, 
whereas the Clydes are only good on the farm. 
He has pure bred Jersey hogs, and prefers 
this breed to any other for this section. Owing 
to the high price of land here the farmers will 
be compelled to work into the higher grades 
of stock for which best prices are obtained, 
otherwise it would not pay to encumber the 
land with poor stock. Alfalfa is a great boon 
to this county. Four hundred and fifty acres 
of Mr. Ericson's farm is under cultivation, 
seeded to wheat, oats and corn, and his wheat 
crop in 1906 showed a yield of thirty-three 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



293 



and one-third bushels per acre. The average 
each year is about twenty-five bushels, and 
corn from forty to sixty, and has gone as high 
as seventy-five bushels per acre. Twenty- 
eight years ago our subject's father bought 
land at two dollars and fifty cents an acre, 
and the same land is now worth seventy-five 
dollars. 

Mr. Ericson was clerk of his township for 
eight years, also has served as treasurer of 
the school board in this district for several 
years. He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and a prominent Mason, and 
he is a popular and worthy citizen as well as 
a good neighbor and friend. In political faith 
he is an independent voter. In 1891 Mr. Eric- 
son was married to Miss Amanda J. Carlson. 



NEIL PHILIP EASTMAN. 

Through exceptionally good management 
and persistent labors the gentleman here 
named has succeeded in building up a well de- 
veloped farm and comfortable home, and is 
enabled to enjoy the comforts of modern farm- 
ing. He is of a progressive nature and has 
had a wide experience in farming, and every 
detail of the work is carefully looked after 
and personally supervised by him. He resides 
in Rock county, Nebraska, where he is widely 
known and highly respected. 

Mr. Eastman was born in Madison county. 
New York state, March 22, 1860. His father, 
Neil Eastman, was a farmer and interested in 
the oil business ; he was born of Scotch-Irish 
parents. The mother, whose maiden name 
was Ellen Cassady, was of Irish descent. Our 
subject is the eldest member in a family of 
four children, and was reared and educated in 
the state of his birth. At the age of nine years 
he lost his mother by death and at that time 
began life for himself, having ever since made 
his own way. He drove a canal boat on the 
Erie canal for several years, and part of the 
time was engaged in working out on a farm. 
When he was fifteen he served an apprentice- 
ship of three years in a blacksmith shop, thor- 
oughly mastering that trade, at which he 
worked in his native state for two years, 
then came west to Iowa, where he followed 
that trade in Cass county and other parts of 
the state, spending some time in Des Moines. 
He first came to Nebraska in 1884, locating in 
Rock county, where he took up a homestead 
and tree claim. He immediately began im- 
proving his farm, put up a sod house as his 
first dwelling place, and lived in this for six 



years. He still followed the trade of black- 
smith, driving each day to Bassett, where he 
had a shop. Continuing this for years, he 
prospered reasonably well, escaping many of 
the hardships usual to pioneer experiences. In 
1888 a terrible blizzard swept over that region, 
causing them much suflfering and loss, as did 
also the drouth periods. He operated the farm 
up to 1905. at the same time continuing at his 
trade in Bassett, whither he had previously re- 
moved with his family, and in the last named 
year traded his farm for a hardware store lo- 
cated in Edgar', Nebraska. Soon afterwards, 
however, he disposed of this business, and the 
same year bought his present farm of eight 
hundred acres, mostly in hay land. Here each 
year he mows and bales many tons of excel- 
lent hay for shipment to the eastern markets. 

Mr. Eastman was married in 1886 to Miss 
Lida Hunter, of American stock, born in 
Champaign county, Ohio. Her father. James 
Hunter, lived for fourteen years in Champaign 
county. Illinois, before moving to Nebraska to 
become an old settler in Keya Paha county, se- 
curing a farm there in 1884. Prior to her 
marriage Mrs. Eastman taught the first school 
in the district near their home. The school 
house was a log cabin, with rude benches for 
seats, and no modern paraphernalia to assist 
her in her work. She was one of the pioneer 
school teachers in that locality, and her ex- 
periences were many and amusing. Mr. and 
Mrs. Eastman have a family of six children, 
wdio are named as follows : Ellen L., James 
N". (deceased), Grover C, Amy B., Laura G. 
and Jessie M. The family is well known and 
highly esteemed throughout the community in 
which they reside, and enjoy a pleasant and 
comfortable home, surrounded by a large cir- 
cle or friends. They are members of the 
Church of God. 

Mr. Eastman has risen from a start of 
practically nothing to his present prosperous 
state, and well deserves much credit for his 
success. He has been one of those who helped 
build up this region, and is one of the regular 
old-timers in Nebraska. He is a Democrat 
politically and fraternally a member of Bassett 
camp, Modern Woodmen of America. 



JOSEPH E. WATKTNS. 

In a countv as well settled as Perkins 
county. Nebraska, it would be difficult to name 
the most prominent citizen, but a high station 
is willins'ly accorded the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal review. He has re- 
sided here manv vears and is alwavs found 



294 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



standing on the side of right and justice, and 
has been one of the leaders in the develop- 
ment and upbuilding of his community. 

Joseph E. Watkins was born in Will coun- 
ty, Illinois, in 1867. His father. Peter Wat- 
kins, was born and raised on a farm in Eng- 
land, came to the United States when a young 
bov. and died in Illinois in 1881. He married 
Miivy Phillips, also born in England, who came 
to America when a child. When our subject was 
twenty years of age. the family came to 
Perkins county, the mother taking a home- 
stead on section 25, township 9. range 41, and 
Joseph also a pre-emption and proved up on it. 
They built a dugout and sod house on the 
mother's farm and improved the place as rap- 
idly as possible, although during the first few 
years it was rather uphill work, as condi- 
tions were not favorable for the raising of 
good crops, and they had many setbacks. Jo- 
seph remained at home up to 1902, helping run 
the home ranch, then settled on his own farm 
and improved it in good shape. In 1907 he 
bought his mother's old homestead and now 
runs the place, operating a farm of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres in all. He has about 
one hundred acres cultivated, and keeps quite 
a bunch of stock. The farm is well fenced, 
has good buildings and improvements of all 
kinds, and he is classed among the progressive 
and up-to-date agriculturists in his locality. 

Mr. Watkins was married in 1905 to Miss 
Florence Smith, whose father was a prominent 
pioneer of Perkins county. To them has been 
born one child, Goldie, a very charming baby. 
Mr. Watkins is a Democrat and takes a com- 
mendable interest in local and county affairs. 

In 1905 the vicinity of our subject's farm 
was swept by a very disastrous prairie fire, 
and he suffered severe loss. The head fire 
came within a few feet of his buildings and it 
was only by the hardest kind of fighting that 
they were saved. As it was, he lost several 
horses, some hogs, seventy-five tons of feed 
and other personal property. 



FLOYD JENKINS. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing fraternity of Brown county, Nebraska, 
is the gentleman whose name introduces this 
article. He has set a high mark of efficiency 
in the following of his chosen profession and 
means to be a successful farmer in the best 
sense of the term. Familiar with the condi- 
tions that attend the tilling of the soil in what 
was once the eastern verge of the great Amer- 



ican desert, and having passed through storm 
and drouth, he knows Nebraska farming from 
beginning to finish, and under his cultiva- 
tion the soil smiles and puts forth abundantly. 

Mr. Jenkins is a son of Benjamin Jenkins 
and was born on a farm in Carroll county, 
Illinois, February 23, 1879. His father is an 
old settler in Nebraska, a sketch of whose life 
and career appears on another page. Floyd 
Jenkins is the third member of a family of 
ten children born to his parents, and his youth 
and early manhood were spent in this part 
of Nebraska. Plenty of hard work was dealt 
out to him, and but little schooling, as the 
country was very new and the schoolmaster, 
as yet, hardly abroad in the land. At twenty- 
three he left home and taking upon himself 
the burden of his own support began life as 
a farm laborer in Burt county, Nebraska, 
where he worked for about a year. His next 
move was to buy a farm in Brown county, 
settling on a homestead in section 24, town- 
ship 30, range 23, where he has six hundred 
and fbrty acres in addition to two hundred 
acres of deeded land. 

Mr. Jenkins was married in 1903 to Miss 
Pearl Homan, daughter of Palmer Homan, 
an old settler in this state, and a man highly 
respected for his sterling worth and indus- 
trious habits. Mrs. Jenkins is the mother of 
one child, Goldia. 

After their marriage the young couple de- 
voted themselves to the improvement of their 
place .and have converted it into one of the 
best to be found in the county. It comprises 
some eight hundred and forty acres, as above 
stated, one hundred and twenty being under 
the plow and the balance devoted to meadow 
and pasturage. Here they have a good house, 
a roomy barn and other farm buildings with 
such machinery as the successful operation 
of the place may demand. Mr. Jenkins is in- 
dependent in politi.cs. 



A. H. MATTSON. 

Among the most successful men in Phelps 
county, Nebraska, may be mentioned A. H. 
Mattson, a prominent farmer and stockman of 
Laird township, and a leading citizen of this 
locality, a portrait of whom appears on an- 
other page. 

Mr. Mattson is a native of Sweden. He 
lived near Oneida, Knox county, Illinois, and 
came to Nebraska in 1885, locating on one 
hundred and sixty acres in section 17. He 
built a comfortable home, and soon afterwards 




A. H. MATTSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



295 



bought the adjoining one hundred and sixty 
acres, also homesteaded one hundred and sixty 
acres, on which he now Hves, adjoining Loom- 
is on the northeast. He has resided on this 
farm for eighteen years, and now owns eight 
hundred acres of land located in BuiTalo coun- 
ty, which he uses for pasture and hay land. 
Since settling here he has been a heavy buyer 
and shipper of stock, also a breeder of Short- 
horn cattle and Poland China hogs. He has 
had a drove of forty head of thoroughbred cat- 
tle on his home farm, and from two to four 
hundred graded cattle in the past. He raises 
and also buys and sells stock for the market, 
so that his herds vary constantly. For years 
he has had control of the hog market at Loom- 
is, shipping from one hundred and fifty to three 
hundred cars per year. He has been partly 
succeeded in this business by his son, Ed Matt- 
son, also a resident of Loomis. Mr. Mattson 
prefers the Poland Chinas to any other breed 
of hogs, both for shipping and farm use, as 
they are the easiest to fatten and get ready 
for market, and it takes less feed to keep them 
than other breeds. He also has a preference 
for Shorthorn cattle as good feeders, milkers, 
beef and all general purposes. He has been 
very successful in his ventures, both farming 
and stock raising and shipping. His posses- 
sions consist of a seven hundred and twenty- 
acre farm in Phelps county, besides the ranch 
of eight hundred acres located in Buffalo 
county, and has his place well improved. He 
has lately sold two hundred and forty acres 
of land, leaving twelve hundred and eighty 
acres he now owns. 

Mr. Mattson was married to Miss Carrie 
Bjorgland, who died, and our subject was mar- 
ried again, taking to wife .\nna Johnson. Mr. 
Mattson has one son and two daughters, 
namely: Ed, mentioned in the foregoing; 
Mrs. Charles Sansted. of Holdrege, and Han- 
nah, who lives at home. The last daughter, 
Hannah, is by the second wife, the other 
two from the first marriage. 

During his business career here Mr. Matt- 
son has won the respect and esteem of all 
with whom he has come in contact through 
business dealings, and is recognized as one of 
the sharpest business men and best citizens 
of the county. 

WILLIAM FOSKET. 

William Fosket, retired, is one of the old 
settlers and former prominent ranchmen of 
Box Butte county, where he has lived for 
many years past, and built up a valuable 



property through his industry and energy. Mr. 
Fosket now resides in Hemingford, where he 
has a comfortable home, and is held in high 
esteem by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Fosket was born in Tazewell county, 
Illinois, in 1844, on a farm. His father, Alvin 
Fosket, was of Scotch-Irish stock, a native 
of New York, and he married Miss Maria 
Shaw, of Pennsylvania German descent. Our 
subject grew to manhood in Mason county, 
Illinois, where he attended the country schools 
and helped in the work of carrying on the 
home farm up to 1864, then enlisted in Com- 
pany C, Second Illinois Cavalry, and went to 
Florida with his regiment, where he saw hard 
service, and also in Alabama, Louisiana and 
Texas, in actual service up to the close of the 
war. He was mustered out in San Antonio, 
Texas, and after leaving the army returned to 
his old home in Illinois, where he followed 
farming for a number of years. In 1871 he 
came to Gage county, Nebraska, settling on 
a homestead located south of Lincoln, and 
there started to build up a farm and home, go- 
ing through the experiences of the early pio- 
neers in that section. He sold this place 
out prior to moving to Perth, Nebraska, where 
he was engaged in the livery business for 
fourteen years, and in 1885 came west to what 
is now Bo.x Butte county, settling on a claim 
twelve miles northeast of Hemingford. There 
his first house was a dugout, in which he lived 
for one year, then built a sod house, hauling 
all his supplies from Hay Springs. He spent 
seventeen years on this ranch, and was in the 
cattle and horse business principally, control- 
ling three sections of land at the time he left 
the locality. He had put good buildings and 
improvements on the property, and made a 
great success of the enterprise, and in 1906 
sold out the ranch for a good round figure. In 
1902 he had taken up his residence in the town 
of Hemingford, and has since resided here. 
For the past thirty-five years Mr. Fosket has 
been an auctioneer, and is widely known all 
through this section of the state. He has also 
for many years past dealt in horses, buying 
and shipping out to the different eastern and 
western markets. 

While living in Mason county. Illinois. Mr. 
Fosket was married to Miss Mary Piper, 
whose father, Ed T. Piper, was a well known 
physician and army surgeon. Mr. and Mrs. 
Fosket are the parents of six children, who 
are named as follows: Addie. married, now 
the wife of Ralph Jackson; Grove D., Orrian, 
Blanche, .'\lmeda and Earl. 

Mr. Fosket is one of the leading pioneers 
of both eastern and western Nebraska, and 



296 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



has clone his share in the building up of both 
sections, helping to establish schools and has 
always taken an active interest in local pub- 
lic affairs. In political views he favors the 
Republican i)arty, and is a strong party man. 



FIRTH BOOTH. 

Firth Booth, one of the prominent farmers 
of Lodgepole precinct, Cheyenne county, who 
resides on his fine estate in section 29, town- 
ship 14, range 47, is one of the earliest pio- 
neers of that locality, and has during his 
residence there passed through all the 
changes that have taken place in the county, 
watching its growth and development from 
the time of its early settlement. During his 
residence here he has manifested true public 
spirit and gained the esteem and respect of 
his associates by his industry and persistent 
labors. 

Mr. Booth is a native of England, born in 
1852. He grew u]j in his native country, and 
spent the first nineteen years of his life in 
the village of his birth. The parents resided 
there until death. Our subject quit England 
in 1872 and started for the new world, tak- 
ing ])assage on a steamer bound for the United 
States. His first employment was as a ma- 
chinist in the locomotive works at Paterson, 
Xew Jersey, where he remained for about one 
year. In 1874 he came west and settled in 
\\'isconsin and remained for a number of 
years, engaged in farming in Waukesha coun- 
ty. He then came to Xebraska, arriving in 
Cheyenne county in January, 1880, and short- 
ly after took up a homestead in section 
20, township 14, range 47, where he spent a 
number of years, and developed a good farm. 
Me ne.xt moved to section 29 in the same town- 
shi]), where he has built a large, commodious 
home, lie is now proprietor of a ranch con- 
sisting of over three thousand acres, all lying 
along or near LodgeiJole creek, nearly all of 
it being in one body, admirably situated for 
farm and ranching purposes. He has three 
hundred and twenty acres under irrigation and 
raises sjilendid crops of potatoes and grain. 
There is also a fine lot of hay land and pas- 
ture, and he handles at times one hundred and 
fifty head of cattle each year and from twenty- 
five to fifty horses. He owns in all about 
three sections of grazing land, and has one 
of the finest places in the county. He has a 
complete set of good ranch buildings, fences, 
etc.. and is considered fine of the wealthiest 
men of tliis section, lie is i)riil),il)l\ ihc carH- 



est settler in the valley between Sidney and 
Lodgepole who has remained on his land. 

In 1888 Mr. Booth was married to Miss 
Essie L. Loomis, a native of Metamora, Wood- 
ford county, Illinois. Our subject and his es- 
timable wife have a family of eight children, 
all living at home at the present time. They 
are named as follows: James Eli, George M., 
Esther Ann, Louise, Leah Elizabeth, Firth, 
Jr., Paul and Eunice Lockwood. They are a 
happy and congenial family and have a pleas- 
ant and comfortable home, surrounded by a 
large circle of warm friends and acquaint- 
ances. 

Mr. Booth is prominent in aff'airs of his 
township and county, and is among the lead- 
ing public-spirited citizens who have always 
been found ready and willing to lend their 
best efforts for the improvement of condi- 
tions in their immediate community In polit- 
ical sentiment he is a Republican. 



REV. BAZEL HUNT. 

Prominent among the leading citizens of 
Cherry county is the gentleman whose name 
heads this jiersonal history. Mr. Hunt is well 
known all over this part of the country as an 
old-timer and one who has done everything 
in his power to aid in the upbuilding of this 
region, giving liberally of his time and influ- 
ence in every instance when he could be of as- 
sistance to his fellow-men. 

Mr. Hunt was born in Harrison connly, 
Missouri, September 10, 1851. His father, Jo- 
seph Hunt, was a farmer and nurseryman, and 
his mother was Flora Ensley, both of Amer- 
ican stock. There was a family of ten chil- 
dren, of whom he was the seventh in order 
of birth. He was reared in his native state, 
and his early years were spent in assisting 
his parents in the work of their farm, attend- 
ing the country schools during the winter 
months. He started for himseif at the age 
of fourteen years, at which time his father 
and mother both dic-cl. and he had to aid in 
taking care of the younger children. Mr. Hunt 
first came to Cherry county in 1890, landing 
here November 13, and his object in coining 
was to establish a home and farm of his own. 
He settled on Missouri I'lats. thirteen miles 
.south of Merriman, and his first dwelling place 
was a dugout, so familiar to the pioneers of 
this state. -He soon afterwards built a sod 
house 36x20 feet in size, which was of large 
proportions compared with the usual settler's 
home. During tlie first year< lie handled ox 




RESIDENCE OF B. HUNT, 
Cherry Countv, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF PETER JERMAN, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



297 



teams and did freig"htin£^. working" out on 
ranches in the vicinity, at the same time build- 
ing up his farm, and succeeded in proving up 
on his claim. He then invested in land twelve 
miles west of Cody and lived there for four 
years, later taking up a Kinkaid homestead, 
which he now lives on, in section 9, township 
34, range 35. This was unimproved property, 
and their first home was a tent. He soon 
had a good house erected, and all other farm 
buildings, putting down a good well and fenc- 
ing his land, etc. He farms twenty acres, rais- 
ing good crops. 

Mr. Hunt is of a strongly religious nature 
and early became interested in religions work. 
He was licensed as a local preacher in Mis- 
souri and in 1896 was ordained by the Meth- 
odist Episcopal conference at Chadron as a 
circuit preacher in this section. He has since 
preached at Conley Flats in addition to serv- 
ing his denomination at Merriman, Cody and 
La Vaca at diiiferent times. He is beloved by 
all in every community in which he has 
worked. A view of the family residence will 
be found on another page in this work. 

Mr. Hunt was married February 12. 1871. 
to Miss Melinda V. Koger, of Worth county, 
Missouri, and they have a family of ten chil- 
dren, named as follows: Mary, Ulysses, Bar- 
bara, Jessie R., James L., Amy, Ransom, Del- 
sina, Alcy and Lulu. 

Mr. Hunt is a member of the Modern 
W'oodmen and of the Odd Fellows lodges. 



LUDWIG P. ^^^\LTER. 

To the men of perseverance and stalwart 
determination who went to Nebraska when 
that region was in the early stages of devel- 
opment as an agricultural and commercial sec- 
tion, the present prosperity enjoyed there is 
due. Among the early settlers of Cherry coun- 
ty, who has been intimately identified with 
its development and has gained an enviable 
reputation as a citizen, may be mentioned Lud- 
wig P. Walter, a successful and leading farm- 
er and ranchman of his precinct. 

Air. Walter was born in Germany, in AVur- 
temburg, in 1857. He was reared there and 
served in the German army the time required 
by every loj'al subject. When he was fifteen 
years of age he came to America, but returned 
to Germany and remained until he was twenty- 
five years old, then made his second trip to 
this country. 

Our subject was married in 1884 at Tay- 
lor, Loup county, Nebraska, to Miss Paulina 



Lotzen. a native of West Prussia, Germany, 
and she was raised there. After their mar- 
riage they located on their present homestead, 
coming into the region with a team and cov- 
ered wagon, as did most of the pioneer set- 
tlers here. At that time Long Pine and Ains- 
worth were the nearest trading points, and 
many trips had to be made to those towns for 
supplies, the journey taking considerable time, 
the nights being spent in camping out along 
the way under their wagon, and many times 
Mrs. Walter and her children were forced to 
spend the night in a storm which overtook 
them. During the first years they were able 
to raise fairly good crops, but as soon as the. 
dry seasons struck the country they met with 
severe losses, one year losing their entire 
crops. In one particular instance they had 
forty acres of corn standing in the finest shape 
and in one day the hot winds totally destroyed 
the crop. They experienced many hardships 
and privations in order to keep their home- 
stead, and were obliged to dispose of a big 
drove of hogs, selling the best shoats for fifty 
cents each in order to get a little money, and 
because he had nothing to feed them on. They 
lived for many years in a sod house which 
they had built when first coming here, and sub- 
sequently built others of the same material. 
Of late they have erected a fine frame dwell- 
ing. Mr. AValter worked out at anything he 
could find to do, railroading, etc., during the 
vears 1894-95, the family living at Halsey 
v.hile he was employed as a section hand. He 
kept on trying to farm, gradually got into the 
stock business, and constantly improved his 
ranch as he was able. In the early days he 
has made trips taking seven or eight days in 
search of poles for a barn roof, and when the 
hard times were being experienced ift his vi- 
cinity he burned chips for fuel. He also had 
different severe fires, losing fence posts, hay, 
grass, trees, etc. His ranch now contains 
eleven hundred and twenty acres, situated on 
the Loup river. He has sixty acres cultivated 
and raises good crops, having a nice bunch 
of stock. There is a fine grove of trees which 
he himself planted, and many fruit trees are 
growing near their residence. There are sev- 
eral running springs and the water is pumped 
by windmills for all purposes. 

Mr. and Mrs. Walter have five children, 
named as follows: Elma A., now a teacher 
in the schools in Thomas county; Katie, mar- 
ried to C. Florey. and Frank, Mabel and Ray- 
mond at home with their parents. Mr. and 
Mrs. Walter are strong believers in the edu- 
cation of their children. 

AVhen our subject settled in this vicinity 



298 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



there were only four families in the section, 
and during those times their only church serv- 
ices were held in a sod building. Since then 
they have seen the county grow to be one of 
the most fertile and thriving communities, and 
have the satisfaction of feeling that they have 
been a part and parcel of this growth. 



PETER JERMAN. 

Peter Jernian. one of the prosperous ranch- 
men of Cherry county, is an old settler of 
Merriman precinct, and has a wide circle of 
acquaintances in the community in which he 
resides. He has built up a good home by his 
industry and honest dealings, and enjoys a 
comfortable income from the fruits of his la- 
bors. 

Mr. Jerman was born in Jackson county. 
Iowa, March 10. 1852. His father, Peter Jer- 
man. -Sr.. a French Canadian, was a miner. 
He was accidentally killed four months be- 
fore our subject was born, leaving a wife (who 
was Mary .Ann Flathers, of Irish descent), and 
a family of two small children to support. Our 
subject lived with his uncle, Thomas S. Flath- 
ers. in Center county, until he was thirteen 
years of age. then struck out and hustled for 
himself, making his own way ever since. Dur- 
ing his earl}^ life he attended school three 
months in the year, having to return three- 
fourths of a mile at noon to do the chores and 
get his lunch. He severely froze his feet the 
winter he was ten years old. He took a man's 
place in the harvest field at nine years of age. 
following farm work in different parts of Iowa. : 
part of the time being spent grubbing and 
clearing new land, which was rather rough 
work for a boy of his years. He was also. em- 
ployed on a railroad for nine months, after 
which he went to farming and continued at 
that for two years. .At the end of this time 
he gave it up and went to work for a lime man- 
ufacturer in Iowa, having charge of three lime 
kilns at Marpioketa. remaining at that work 
for the following eight years. In ISS.^ he first 
landed in Cherry county, and located on sec- 
tions 18 and 19, township 33. range 36, on the 
Niobrara river. When he struck this place all 
the capital he had was one cow and a calf, 
one pig and eight dollars in cash. He lived 
here for nearly three years, proved up on a 
pre-emption, and then took his ])resent home- 
stead in section 29, township 34, range 37, 
where he has lived continuously ever since. 
This farm comprises eight hundred acres of 
good land, including homestead claims, and 



he has a hundred acres under cultivation, and 
on this raises "banner" crops. Most of his 
land excepting the new homestead is valley 
land. He has sixty head of cattle and other 
stock. The place is well improved with build- 
ings and fences, has a large number of young 
trees planted, and all machinery for conduct- 
ing a model ranch and farm. In addition to 
his ranching Mr. Jerman has for a number 
of j'ears been employed on section work for 
the Northwestern Railroad at Merriman. 

Mr. Jerman was married November 1, 1875, 
to Miss Mary Ann Greener, born in Dulnique, 
Iowa, in 1856. Her father, Joseph A. Green- 
er, was born in Bohemia, was reared there un- 
til twenty years of age and then came to this 
country, where he was married in Garrone, 
Jackson county, Iowa, to Rosa A. Clark, of 
American stock. Mr. and Mrs. Jerman have 
five children, named as follows: Joseph W., 
Mary R., a successful teacher of Cherry coun- 
ty; Flora E.. wife of E. G. Ward; Florence G., 
wife of Ira Rose; and Francis. Mr. Jerman 
and his family are now in position to enjoy 
the fruits of their hard labor. They have a 
pleasant home and farm, and he is glad now 
that he stuck to Nebraska, although he has 
seen some hard times, often felt discouraged 
and ready to give up, but is satisfied that he 
could not have done as well in any other place. 

He takes a commendable interest in all lo- 
cal aflfairs and has served his community as 
constable for a number of years. He has never 
held any political office, as he says he has had 
too many other things to engage his atten- 
tion. He is a Democrat, and with the family 
an adherent of the Catholic faith. On another 
page is shown a view of the residence of Mr. 
Jerman and family. 



JOHN H. LACY. 

John 11. Lacy, one of the foremost business 
men of Harrison, is a member of the firm of 
Lacy & I^ieckman, handling hardware, har- 
ness, lumber, grain, coal and machinery, and 
they conduct one of the largest stores of its 
kind in Sioux county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Lacy was born in Ontario. Canada, in 
1867. on a farm. His father, Patrick, was alsc 
a native of that country, of Irish blood, and 
his mother was Elsie Hudgin, born and rearec 
in Montreal. When our subject was a lad oi 
about eight years the family left Canada and 
settled in Iowa, where he was raised and ed- 
ucated in the country schools, assisting his 
father in the work of carrying on the home 




A. G. JOHNSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



299 



farm. A\nien he became of age he went to Ida 
count)-, in western Iowa, and there worked on 
farms for about six years, and at the end of 
that time began farming on his own account 
and remaining there for about two years. 

Mr. Lacy came to Sioux county in 1895, 
taking up a homestead located seven miles 
northwest of Harrison, and proved up on his 
land, improved it in good shape and putting 
up good buildings. The farm contained one 
hundred and sixty acres of good land and he 
lived on that place for about seven years. He 
was principally engaged in raising small grains 
and also in the stock business on a small scale, 
and did fairly well, but finally gave it up and 
bought a ranch farm in Kansas and spent one 
year and a half in that state. In 1903 he came 
back to Nebraska and purchased his present 
business, and has made his home here contin- 
uously since that time. The firm have im- 
proved the store considerably, putting in a 
large stock of goods and have built up a good 
trade. (A sketch of the life of Mr. Lacy's 
partner, John Dieckman, who came into the 
business in 1906, will be found in this volume 
on another page.) 

Our subject is also owner of a Kinkaid 
homestead consisting of four hundred and 
eighty acres in section 6, township 31, range 
55. He has put over three thousand dollars' 
worth of improvements on this place and is 
still engaged in farming and ranching to quite 
an extent. 

In 1892 Mr. Lacy was united in marriage 
to Matilda Dieckman, a sister of his partner. 
Mrs. Lacy's father, Henry Dieckman, is an 
old settler and well known resident of this 
county. Four children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Lacy, namely: John H., William H., 
Elsie and Chester, 

Mr. Lacy takes a commendable. interest in 
all local political and school affairs, and has 
held school ofifice for many years and done 
his full share as a citizen. He is a Democrat. 



A. E. JOHNSON .\ND A. G. JOHNSON. 

Albert E. Johnson, President, and A. G. 
Johnson, Cashier of the Farmers' State Bank 
of Loomis, Phelps county, Nebraska, are con- 
spicuous examples of the success attending the 
Swede settlers who come to this country to 
carve out for themselves a home and fortune. 
This bank was organized in 1900, and pur- 
chased by the two gentlemen above mentioned 
in 1905. The entire management falls upon 
A. G. Johnson, who was educated in the pub- 



lic schools. He qualified himself as a thorough 
accountant by a correspondent course with 
Bryant and Stratton College, and by strict ap- 
plication and hard work became an expert in 
his line of work. 

The father of our subjects was a native of 
Sweden who came to America when a young 
man, settling in Kane county, Illinois. He 
was married in Sweden previous to coming to 
America but all of his children were born in 
America. In 1880 they came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Phelps county, homesteading a quarter 
section in section 6. Laird township, and so 
well did they plan and work that at the death 
of the fatlier, which occurred April 24, 1901, he 
left four hundred eighty acres of fine land, 
each son thus receiving an ample estate. 

As an instance of the prosperity of this 
county, A. G. Johnson states that in 1896 the 
total deposits in Loomis banks was $6,000, and 
at the present writing, the deposits amount to 
over $250,000. The stockholders of the Farm- 
ers State Bank are James 'McClymont, Presi- 
dent; A, G. Johnson, Cashier; Lynn Snodgrass, 
Vice-President; A. L, Johnson and Albert E. 
Johnson. 

A portrait of Mr. A. G. Johnson will be 
found on another page of this volume 



T. B. CAMPBELL. 

T. B. Campbell, the popular and efficient 
train dispatcher for the Republican Valley 
division, resides at McCook, Nebraska, and 
is well known all through this locality as a 
citizen of true worth. 

Mr. Campbell was born at Sheppard, Isa- 
bella county, Michigan, in 1858, and removed 
to Mansfield, Ohio, with his parents when a 
small boy. His father, Samuel J. Campbell, 
was county clerk of Isabella county and a 
native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and 
family originally coming from the north of 
Ireland, where our subject's grandfather, John 
Campbell, was born. His mother was Jane 
A. Barnett, daughter of James Barnett, an old 
resident of Philadelphia, who was a manu- 
facturer of edge tools. The Barnetts came 
from Holland to this country, locating in New 
York, and were in the Revolutionary war, A 
brother of our subject, J. W, Campbell, is 
assistant cashier of the 'Frisco Railway, lo- 
cated at Memphis; Tennessee, and another 
brother, J. B, Campbell, is a banker at Yuma, 
Colorado. When he was eighteen our sub- 
ject began for himself, obtaining employment 
with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Mansfield, 



300 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Ohio, in 1876. and ran from there to Fort 
Wayne. Indiana. Two years later he went 
to the superintendent's office, where he learned 
train dispatching:, and the following year was 
attacked with malaria fever and was compelled 
to ,s:o west, and settled in Nebraska, and since 
that time his health has been perfect. During 
the year 1880. from April 25 to June 1. he was 
on tiie construction force of the B. & M. Rail- 
way from Lister to Table Rock, and at this 
time the telegraph outfit was moved from 
Pawnee City to Fremont Butte, five miles 
south of Akron. In 1882 there was one pas- 
senger train per day each way. and now there 
are in all eight heavy passenger trains in a 
day. Between 1882 and now' the freight rec- 
ord is: Then one freight train per day. and 
now there are four or five each day. and one 
of the trains now would have made four of 
that time, and this business has increased easi- 
ly twenty-four per cent, in twenty-six years. 
Todaj' there are more operators in the Mc- 
Cook office than there was in 1882 on the 
whole line. At that time T. G. Rees was 
chief dispatcher and J. F. Forbes, J. F. 
Kenyon and our subject were trick men be- 
tween Hastings and Denver. Today there are 
nine trick men. two chief dispatchers and one 
relief man. 

The most exciting experience that Mr. 
Campbell ever had in his work was in IMarch. 
1886. when twelve cars loaded with coal were 
bhjwn out of the Akron yards onto the main 
line and sent east on the down grade. The 
first intimation he had of this accident was a 
message from Hyde. Colorado, that these cars 
had just passed there at sixty-five miles an 
Imur. The St. Louis passenger for Denver, 
with every seat taken, should just at that mo- 
ment be taking water at Haigier. Engineer 
lloag was in charge, who in the strike of 1887 
was chairman, for the B. & M. division. Mr. 
Campbell called Haigier and No. 39 had just 
pulled out. This passenger train was sixteen 
miles east of Wray and the freight cars run- 
ning wild thirty-four miles west, so our sub- 
ject laid his plans at once. He called the agent 
at U'ray and told him to get the night operator 
at once, and for the agent to go to the west 
switch, and the night man to the east switch, 
and put whichever train came first onto the 
siding and let the other one through on the 
main line. He also ordered the section men 
at W^ray to go to the curve or siding and to 
ditch the freight cars if the passenger train 
did not get on the siding and clear. The wind 
was l)lowing at a terrific rate, so that the sec- 
tion men had just before been obliged to aban- 
don their work, but they obeyed the orders. 



The first to come was the passenger at full 
speed. The night operator threw the switch 
and signaled to take it without a slow-down. 
In it rushed, and at that moment the runaway 
cars rounded the curve at a terrific rate, and 
the agent gave them the main line, and in 
a moment they had cleared the station and 
rushed on down the track. The engineer, con- 
ductor and passengers were horror-struck 
when they saw the terrible engine of destruc- 
tion pass them and realized what they had 
escaped by a few seconds, for the whole train 
would have been ground to atoms, and hardly 
a person could have hoped to escape a horrible 
death. It was just twenty-one minutes from 
the first message to the time of safety. The 
superintendent stood by our subject breathless 
during this time, watching him operate the 
wires, and both seemed to grow years older in 
those few moments. An east bound freight 
was put on sidings at Benkelman. and the en- 
gine took after the runaways, when they went 
by. They overhauled the car^ in an eight mile 
run and the fireman jumped from the foot- 
board to the car and going to the farther end 
applied the brakes and brought the cars in 
without any mishap. Years later this incident 
was written up for Harper's Magazine by 
Spearman, and was regarded as one of the 
hairbreadth escapes among railroad incidents. 

Mr. Campbell was married in 1881 to Miss 
Ella M. Alter, of Parnassus, Pennsylvania, 
whose family were well-known pioneer settlers 
in that state. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have 
three children, named as follows: Harry A., 
with the B. & M. Ry.. employed as timekeeper; 
Mrs. E. J. Kates, residing at Plattsmouth, 
Xebraska. and Ruth, at home. 



CLARENCE A. RIPLEY. 

Charles A. Ripley, one of the pioneers of 
Kcya Paha county, has served his conntv ui 
dift'erent capacities for many years, and enjoys 
the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Riplej' was born in Lockbridge. Jeff- 
erson county. Iowa. February 20. 18.^8. the 
eldest in a family of three children. His father. 
\Vm. E. Ripley, now deceased, was a well- 
known merchant descended from Yankee 
stock: his mother. Miss Isabella Vanwinkle, 
was liorn in Indiana of .American parents. The 
family removed to Osceola county. Iowa, 
where the boy remained until twenty-two years 
of age when he returned to Jeft'erson county 
and entered the eniplo}'' of the C. B. & Q. Ry., 
as telegraph operator at Lockridge, remaining 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



301 



with that company for three years. In 1882 
he was married to Miss Hester L. Cutshall, 
daughter of Eli Cutshall, of Pennsylvania 
D.utch stock, an old settler in Buchanan county, 
Iowa. Seven children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Riplev, named as follows: Jessie B., 
Bessie j\I., Wifliam E., Hazel D., Madge E., 
Sterling M., and Genevieve. After his mar- 
riage Mr. Ripley farmed in Iowa for two years, 
and in 1884 came to Keya Paha county and took 
a homestead in section 14, township 32, range 
21, and for seven years led the life of a farmer. 
In 1891 he moved to Springview and estab- 
lished a livery business, continuing in this for 
a year when he was appointed postmaster of 
the village, holding this office for about six 
years. In the fall of 1899 he was elected 
county clerk on the Republican ticket, and 
twice re-elected, performing his duties faith- 
fully and well. Mr. Ripley is a public spirited 
citizen, takes an active part in both local and 
state politics, and has represented his county 
at several state congressional conventions. He 
has been engaged in the abstract and real es- 
tate business and in August, 1907, purchased a 
lumber yard in Springview, to which he is de- 
voting his energy ; he also has extensive 
farming interests, owning several bodies of 
land aggregating one thousand one hundred and 
twentv acres, of which three hundred and forty 
acres are under cultivation. He is recognized 
as an able and efficient business man who well 
deserves a place among the makers and build- 
ers of Keya Paha county. He is actively inter- 
ested in the Masonic, the Pythian and tlie 
Woodmen lodges of Springview. 



AUGUST G. NEUMANN. 

Among those who have passed through all 
the early Nebraska times in building up a home 
and establishing a reputation for themselves, 
this gentleman deserves special mention as a 
worthy and substantial citizen of his commun- 
ity. Mr. Neumann is an active public-spirited 
man, and has held many important positions 
since becoming a resident of Deuel county, 
many years ago. 

Our subject was born in the Province of 
Rosen, Germany, in 1854. When he was an 
infant his parents came to America, the father 
settling in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, and 
there he was raised and educated, attending 
the common schools and assisting his parents 
in the work on the home farm. When a young 
man of twenty-five years he came to Nebraska, 
locating in Sidney, and purchased a ranch near 



Lodgepole, making that his home for eight 
years, engaging in the sheep business and car- 
ried it on all of that time, during the first four 
years living all alone, roughing it most of the 
time, camping out winter and summer. After 
leaving that ranch he came to Deuel county, 
settling on a ranch three and a half miles 
southeast of Chappell, and there began raising 
cattle and horses. He put up good buildings, 
planted trees and fenced the place, improving 
it as rapidly as possible, and finally became 
owner of two thousand six hundred acres, which 
lies along Lodgepole Creek for a distance of 
two miles, making it an ideally situated ranch. 
He occupied the place up to 1893, then moved 
to Chappell and took possession of the old 
Johnson House, and was proprietor and man- 
ager of the hotel for thirteen years. He be- 
came a familiar figure in public afifairs, and was 
known far and wide to the traveling public 
as a genial and popular host, his house being 
hberally patronized by all the commercial men 
going through this part of the state. Mr. 
Neumann was married in 1884 to Miss Mary 
Barrett, whose father, Harry Barrett, was a 
pioneer in Western Nebraska, and who helped 
in the construction of the Union Pacific Rail- 
way when it was built. Our subject is the 
father of four children, who are named as fol- 
lows : Guy, Grace, Harry and Mary. 

Politically Mr. Neumann is a Republican, 
and is now serving as County Commissioner, 
this being his second term. During 1885-'87 he 
held the same office in Cheyenne county. He 
has helped establish the schools in his com- 
munity, and held various school offices, at 
present being a member of the School Board 
of Chappell. 



HON. W. G. COIE. 

Honorable W. G. Coie, residing in Hays 
township, Kearney county, retired farmer, is 
proprietor of a fine estate adjoining Minden, 
where his family occupy a beautiful new resi- 
dence. Mr. Coie was elected on the Demo- 
cratic and Peoples party to represent Kearney 
county in the state legislature for 1896 and 
1897. He has always been active in political 
affairs here, having been assessor of Sherman 
township for five years, and also township 
clerk for several terms. 

Mr. Coie is a native of Columbiana county, 
Ohio. His father, Robert Coie, was born in 
Donegal, Ireland, and came to America when 
a young man, settling in Ohio, where he met 
and married Miss Marv Elder, who resided 



302 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in Coshocton county. She was one of a family 
of nineteen children, her father also a native 
of Ireland. In 1872 our subject came to Neb- 
raska, locating at North Bend. He came here 
from Iowa, where he had farmed in Munroe 
county and later in Ringgold county. His 
brother, John Coie. was a member of the Iowa 
state legislature elected on the Republican 
ticket from Ringgold county to represent his 
district. One brother lives in Columbiana 
county, Ohio, and two others, Thomas and 
Samuel, served in the Union army for four 
years, the latter dying during the war. He was 
wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro. 

In 1884 Mr. Coie came to Sherman .township, 
where he bought one hundred and sixty acres 
of school land and farmed there up to 1906, at 
which timo he met with a serious accident through 
being kicked by a horse. He then sold out 
his farm and moved to his present place. 
While farming, he dealt largely in stock, mak- 
ing a specialty of pure bred hogs and fine 
horses and cattle, and was the owner of a num- 
ber of as fine animals as could be found in this 
part of the state. 

In 1873 Mr. Coie was married to Miss 
Margarette J. Dunlop. of Mount Ayr, Iowa. 
They are the parents of five children, namely: 
Nannie, William R., Mabel O., a teacher in the 
Minden schools ; Mary and Una. The family 
arc members of the United Presbyterian 
church, and are highly esteemed throughout 
the community as worthy citizens and good 
neighbors. 



W^ILLIAM H. KKTCHAM. 

William H. Ketcham, an enterprising and 
energetic business man and worthy citizen of 
Crawford, Nebraska, is one of the pioneers in 
this section of the country. 

Mr. Ketcham is a native of Northumber- 
land, Penn.sylvania, born in 1841. His father. 
Lorenzo Ketcham, was a prominent man of 
Northumberland, of American descent; his 
mother's maiden name was Catherine Criss- 
man. He was reared in his native state until 
he reached the age of fourteen years, then went 
with his parents to Washington city and from 
thence to Philadelphia, where he learned the 
printer's trade. He afterwards worked on 
newspapers in diflferent cities, including New 
York, Pittsburg, Louisville, Chicago and St. 
Louis, and for twelve years worked on the 
morning papers in different cities. In 1875 
he settled in Indiana where he started a paper 
called The Gosport Gazette, and ran this for 



four years, then went to Kansas for a short 
time. In 1881 he came to Pawnee county and 
established the Argus Tabarock, but soon sold 
out and moved into Holt county, locating in 
Stuart and there started the Stuart Ledger, 
which was the first paper printed at that place. 
He was editor and proprietor for about four 
years, and built up a large circulation and 
made a success of the enterprise. 

In 1886 Mr. Ketcham landed in Crawford, 
and began working on a newspaper, the Cres- 
cent, which he ran for a year, then established 
what is now called "The Tribune." This is 
one of the principal papers of the town and 
has a wide circulation, surviving twenty-nine 
competitors since its start. Mr. Ketcham has 
a complete, up-to-date job and printing office 
and does all kinds of work in this line. 

In 1898 our subject was appointed post- 
master of Crawford under President Mc- 
Kinley, and re-appointed at the end of his 
term, but resigned to devote his entire time to 
the management of his business. He takes an 
active interest in matters of local importance, 
politically and otherwise, has always been a 
strong Republican, and an ardent anti-railroad 
and corporation control man. 

Mr. Ketcham was married in 1871 to Miss 
Sierra Navader Brannock, a native of Cali- 
fornia. They have a family of four children, 
namely: Roy, Nellie, Willie and Harry. 



C. A. EDWARDS. 

Among the leading public spirited citizens 
of Kearney, Buffalo county, Nebraska, the 
name of C. A. Edwards merits a foremost 
place. He is a business man of more than 
ordinary ability and has gained the esteem and 
confidence of all with whom he has had to 
do since locating in Nebraska. 

Mr. Edwards was born in Moline, 111. He 
was educated at Valparaiso, Indiana, and from 
1894 to 1902 held the position of manager and 
engineer of the Gothenburg Water Power and 
Irrigation Company, located at Gothenburg, 
Nebraska. He built for this company twenty 
miles of irrigation ditch, also the orchard and 
alfalfa ditch at Cozad. In 1902 the Gothen- 
burg company sold out all their interest to the 
Platte Valley Cattle Company. From 1887 to 
1891 he was county surveyor of Dawson 
county, and he was the engineer in the build- 
ing of the Kearney & Black Hills railway, 
from the former place to Callaway. Prior to 
coming to Nebraska our subject was a resident 
engineer on tjic Burlington, Cedar Rapids and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



303 



Northern railway. He has platted many of 
the town sites through the western part of 
the state of Nebraska, and he has calls from 
all over this part of the state for his services. 
He has followed his profession as civil engin- 
eer and surveyor for the past twenty-four 
years in this part of the country, first coming 
to Nebraska in 1885, when he located at 
Guernsey, near Sumner. In 1902 he was 
elected county surveyor of Buffalo county, 
also city surveyor of Kearney, and has filled 
both of these positions with credit, and met 
with marked success in every undertaking. 
Mr. Edwards is also interested in agricultural 
pursuits to some e^vtent, and is the owner of a 
fine farm in Dawson county. He was married 
April 14, 1885, to Miss Alvina Lulen, a native 
of Dows, Iowa. They have five children — 
Florence, Gordon, Herbert, Gladys and Frank, 
all at home. 



f; a. carrier, 

E. A. Cprrier. who owns and operates one 
hundred and sixty acres of land on section 16. 
township 20. rangre 51. is one of the substan- 
tial farmers and hic-hly esteemed citizens of 
his community. He is a pioneer of his county, 
and has devoted his entire career to farming 
and .ranching, making a success of the business. 

Mr. Carrier was born in New York state 
February 11th. 1859, and lived there until he 
was seven years old, when his parents emi- 
grated to '\A''isconsin. They farmed there about 
three years, then came to the eastern part of 
Nebraska, where our subject was reared. 
^^'hen he was twelve years old, his father died, 
and in 1887 E. A. left his mother's home and 
came to Cheyenne county, taking up a home- 
stead on section 14. township 18. range 50. 
which he proved up on. developed it into a 
good farm, and then sold. He then acquired 
by purchase a quarter section of land on sec- 
tion 16, township 20, range 51, which he has 
(mproved in good shape. All of this is under 
litch, and consists principally of hay. land. He 
has good buildings, plenty of water and every 
convenience of modern farming. 

The father and mother of our subject are 
both dead. On November 30th, 1880, he was 
united in marriage at Arlington, Neb., to 
Melissa Lamberson, who was born and reared 
in Stark county, Ohio. To them have been 
born seven children, named as follows: Laura, 
married to Robt. E. Davis, they living at Bay- 
ard ; C. C, who is married, and R. L. S., Myron, 
Florence, Myrtle and Julia, who are living at 
home. 



They have a very pleasant home and form 
a most interesting and congenial family circle. 
Mr. Carrier is a man of exemplary character, 
most pleasant and cheerful disposition, held in 
the highest esteem by his fellowmen. He is 
director of School District No. 44. 



ED. COLLINS. 



Among the leading merchants of Merri- 
man, the gentleman above named is accorded 
a first place by reason of his industry and in- 
tegrity, through which he has built up a splen- 
did patronage and gained the esteem and re- 
spect of all with whom he has ever had any 
dealings. Mr. Collins has made Nebraska his 
home since his early boyhood, and is thor- 
oughly familiar with the entire western part 
of the state, and is one of the substantial citi- 
zens of his community. 

Mr. Collins is a native of LHster county. 
New York, born December 29, 1869, on a farm. 
He is a son of T. H. and Louisa (DePew) Col- 
lins (the latter dying in New York while Ed- 
ward was a small child). T. H. Collins came 
to western Nebraska in the spring of 1885 with 
his family of three children, taking up a home- 
stead in Dawes county. The family drove from 
Sidney on the Fort Robinson and Black Hills 
trail into that county to their homestead, the 
trip consuming many days and nights, the lat- 
ter spent in camping out in a tent. Mr. Col- 
lins built one of the first frame houses ever 
put up in this region. In 1890 our subject 
started out for himself, going to Bessimer, 
Wyoming, where he worked at the printer's 
trade, then went to Casper and was employed 
on the Casper Derrick, remaining there for 
two years. He next went to Whitney, Ne- 
braska, his old home town, where he opened a 
store and was in business there for a number 
of years. In 1900 he sold out this store and 
came to Merriman, purchasing the general 
store of Frank E. CofTee, who had established 
the enterprise about two years previously. 
Mr. Collins has built up a large trade and car- 
ries a complete and up-to-date line of goods. 
His store occupies a floor' space 24x74, his suc- 
cess being due to his good management and 
thorough knowledge of the business. 

On June 13, 1894, Mr. Collins was married 
to Miss Grace Canfield, at Whitney. Her 
father, S. G. Canfield, was a pioneer in Dawes 
county, and a prominent citizen and politician, 
having served as county judge of Dawes 
county. Mrs. Collins was a teacher prior to 
her marriage, a graduate of the Chadron 



304 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



schools. Four children came to bless this mar- 
riage, named as follows: Edna, Florence, Har- 
old and Doris, the first three born in Dawes 
county, and the youngest in Cherry county. 

:Mr. Collins takes an active part in all local 
affairs, and is a member of the town board. 
He is a Democrat in politics and a member 
of the Modern Woodmen of America at Mer- 
riman. 



W. P. HUXXICUTT. 

W. P. Hunnicutt, who resides on section 31, 
Laird township, is one of the prosperous farm- 
ers of Phelps county. Nebraska, and has gained 
a valuable estate and enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen through his industry and enter- 
prising labor. 

Mr. Hunnicutt is a native of Indiana, reared 
and educated in Randolph county, where he as- 
sisted his father in running his farm, and from 
his experience in that and other states prior to 
coming to Xebraska. is of the opinion that the 
latter is superior to almost any place as a farm- 
ing region. In Indiana the soil is nearly all 
clay and wears out quickly, while the greater of 
this state has loamy soil and is richer and lasts 
better, and one man here can do as much as two 
men there. He first came to Xebraska in 1882, 
and in the fall of 1884 purchased his present 
farm. Since locating on this place he has gone 
in mostly for grain raising, but always keeps 
a number of head of good stock — from thirty 
to fifty head of Red Polled cattle and about four- 
teen fine Xorman horses for use on his farm. 
He also runs from fifty to one hundred hogs 
most of the time. He prefers the Red Polled 
cattle as best for all general purposes, being 
good milkers, beefers and gentle, having no 
horns. Mr. Hunnicutt raises fine crops of corn, 
the grain averaging forty to sixty bushels pel 
acre, and oats from thirty-five to sixty bushels. 
Wheat is also a good crop with him, yielding 
twenty-five to forty bushels per acre, and Al in 
quality. For three years, from 1882 to 1885, he 
farmed in Seward county, but likes it better 
here than there. He has three sons who assist 
him in carrying on his farm, and each cultivates 
one hundred and eighty acres of land, keeping 
it in first-class shape, where in Indiana it would 
take four or more men to work the same num- 
ber of acres. \\'hen Mr. Hunnicutt first located 
on his place there was only forty acres broken 
up. and only two frame houses between his place 
and Hoidrege, and the development and growth 
of this region has been very rapid since that 
time. He has a fine large grass jiasture. He 
also has a nice ten-acre patch of alfalfa. 



Mr. Hunnicutt was married in January, 
1885, at Louisville, Indiana, to Miss Susan Bin- 
ford, of Henry county, Indiana, and they hav^e 
a family of three sons, namely : Frank B., 
Charles A. and Jonathan Raymond, all at home 
with their parents. The good wife died Septem- 
ber 28, 1908, mourned by all the family and a 
host of warm friends. She was a model mother 
and home-maker and is intensely missed by the 
members of the home. 

Mr. Hunnicutt's father was a native of Vir- 
ginia, settling in Indiana when a boy, and died 
there in January, 1907, at the advanced age of 
ninety-one. 

Our subject belongs to the Independent 
People's party, and was for some years on the 
county central committee, attending all the 
conventions as a delegate. He was also on the 
district school board for nineteen years. He and 
his family are members of the ^I. E. church at 
Pleasant View, and Mr. Hunnicutt acts as a 
trustee of that church, also is superintendent of 
the Sabbath school. He is one of the foremost 
citizens in all matters of local importance, and 
recognized as a leading public-spirited member 
of the community. 



CATA'TX E. HAGFRATAN. 

Calvin F. Hasferman is one of the oMor 
residents of Brown countv. Nebraska, and is 
widelv known around Ainsworth as a m,nn 
"•hn is to ^e rcsppcted alike fnr liit; plain P'nl 
honest rhamctcr. his UDriirht life and his lone 
qorvice in the I^nion armv during the war of 
the STcat Rebellion, when he bore arms for lib- 
erty and law. Now that his day is nearing 
the sunset of life it is his privileee to look back- 
ward over a long and useful career and to feel 
that he has done something for the world and 
the welfare of man. 

Mr. Hagerman was born on a farm in the 
state of New York. February 18. 18.^.^: h's 
parents were also born in that state, thonn-h 
his father came of Fncflish ancestry, while liis 
mother was of German descent. He was one 
of a family of eighteen children that blessed 
their union, eleven of whom reached mat^urity. 
He was reared in Michigan, whitlier his par- 
ents removed in 1836. being numbered amon? 
the first pioneers of the state. He was reared 
in Lenawee county, of that state, and secured 
limited school privileges until he was ten years 
of age; schools and teachers were not plentiful 
in a new country, and the young lad was 
early thrown on his own resources. While still 
a boy he made a trip in 1852 to Wisconsin 
working on farms but roturne(I to Lenawee 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



305 



county, to remain until he was twenty-three 
years of age. In 1856 he made a permanent 
settlement in Bad Axe county, now Vernon 
county, Wisconsin, and for three years was in 
the employ of a brother in that state. In the 
meantime the country had gone wild over the 
stories of gold in the Colorado mountains, and 
our subject started for Pike's Peak in search 
of this fabulous wealth. But like many another 
craze, the closer he drew to the scene the less 
real it appeared and meeting over five hundred 
teams returning, before he reached the moun- 
tains, he had determined, after camping three 
days on Turkey Creek, near the Kansas-Colo- 
rado line, to turn back, as the chances seemed 
all against him. It was during this delay he 
enjoyed his first buffalo hunt. Starting out 
on foot, he met a herd coming his way. Hid- 
ing in the grass, he waited until they were in 
range, and then fired at a big bull but the shot 
missed. However, a second shot grazed the 
bull, which enraged him, and he started to hunt 
the hunter. The enraged bull was rapidly 
nearing the young hunter, who discovered at 
this juncture that his gun was useless. This 
was a serious matter, as he had only a hunting 
knife left with which to defend himself. For- 
tunately for our subject, the herd alarmed by 
the strange actions of the bull, stampeded, and 
in the wild scramble which followed, the bull 
was turned from his course. A bullet having 
lodged in the barrel of Mr. Hagerman's gun, 
he was unable to shoot at the now fleeing ani- 
mals. 

Shortly after this he went to ^Missouri, 
where he passed a year and a half. Then for 
the third time went to Wisconsin. This was 
in 1861, and in the meantime the war for the 
Union had . broken out, and Mr. Hagerman 
was among the first to enlist from Wisconsin, 
becoming a member of Company A, Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer Artillery. The battery very soon 
saw active service at Cumberland Gap and 
near the Cumberland and Kanawha. It passed 
through the Vicksburg campaign, and took 
part in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion 
Hill, and Black river, being sent the next year 
to the relief of the Red River expedition. 
Throughout the war they were employed 
much of the time in hard and dangerous cam- 
paigning. The captain of the company, J. T. 
Foster, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, became the 
colonel of the battery, and achieved a reputa- 
tion as one of the very ablest artillery officers 
in the service. About the time of his discharge 
Mr. Hagerman was sent to New York as one 
of the detail in charge of a body of rebel pris- 
oners. He was discharged at Madison, Wis- 
consin, on the expiration of his enlistment, in 



1864. The company started out with an equip- 
ment of light brass guns, but were soon sup- 
plied with twenty-pounders, and before the 
close of the war had two full batteries of the 
heavier cannon. 

When Mr. Hagerman returned to civil life 
he found work in a Wisconsin saw mill, and 
later was engaged in farming for several 
years. For a period of three years he lived in 
Iowa, and about 1880 settled on the Platte 
river in Nebraska. In 1882 he located in 
Brown county, having filed on a claim in Sep- 
tember, 1881, and partially constructed a sod 
house. They drove across country from the 
Platte, the trip occupying from February 9 to 
March 1, the day they reached their home- 
stead in what was then almost an unbroken 
wilderness for miles around. 

Mr. Hagerman was married November 2, 
1861, to Miss Sarah J. Crandall, a native of St. 
Lawrence county. New York, a daughter of 
Ezekiel Crandall, and a descendant of an old 
American family ; the mother, Jane Coburn, 
was of German descent. Her father was a 
farmer, and is remembered as an honorable 
and upright man. :\Ir. and .Mrs. Hagerman 
became the parents of the following children : 
Leona, Elmer (dead), Hattie, wife of George 
A. Smith. Oran (dead), Edgar, Melvin, 
Worthy and Grace, wife of Leve Lindquist. 

When Mr. Hagerman and his family came 
into Brown county to make their new home 
they drove overland from the Platte. The 
journey across the prairie was a hard one at 
this time of the year. They rested on the trip 
for three days at O'Neill before proceeding on 
their journey through the rain and snow. On 
arrival at their destination they found the only 
improvement on the place consisted of a sod 
house with but half a roof and no floor. A 
start had been made, however, and after some 
six years the sod house was replaced with 
a better home. Mr. Hagerman was always im- 
proving and today has a fine establishment. 
He began with ox teams, and at first all the 
money he secured was from the sale of cedar 
posts, which he cut in the canyons and sold at 
the railroad station. At the present writing, 
1909, Mr. Hagerman owns nearly a section of 
land, of which some three hundred and twenty 
acres are under active cultivation, and here it 
is said that he has the finest set of farm build- 
ings in the county. The farm house is a fine 
and imposing two-story structure, with one 
story addition. Here he, has cultivated a con- 
siderable orchard, one hundred and eighty 
apple trees and many cherry and plum trees. 
The small fruits are plenty, and his front lawn 
is regarded with admiration by all who see it, 



3o6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ornamented as it is with deciduous trees and 
evergreens, interspersed with flower beds. He 
has a supply tank for irrigating and the house 
is equipped with two telephone lines. The ge- 
nial hosts dispense their hearty hospitality in 
true western style. A full page view of this 
elegant country place is to be found on another 
page of this work. 



LIXD NELSON. 



Lind Nelson, one of the best known and 
most highly respected citizens of Franklin, re- 
tired, has been a resident of western Nebraska 
for over thirty-five years. He has acquired a 
valuable property through his industry and 
thrift, supplemented by good management and 
honest dealings, and well merits the success he 
has attained. 

Mr. Nelson was bom in Christianstadt. 
Sweden, in 1849, and in 1869 came to the United 
States, locating in Sangamon county, Illinois. 
He farmed there up to 1872, then came to Ne- 
braska, locating in Nemaha count}' and lived 
there for six years : then to Gage county, where 
he bought a farm which he lived on up to 1900. 
In 1895 he was elected sheriff of Gage county 
and served for two terms. The first time he ran 
for office the Republican majority in Beatrice 
was seven hundred, and the cry was to defeat a 
foreigner. Our subject went out among the 
Bohemians and Germans, who were Democrats, 
and succeeded in getting enough votes to offset 
his opponents and succeeded in capturing the 
office, and the following term was elected with- 
out any trouble at all. the cry being to "let that 
Swede alone." proving a most efficient and pop- 
ular official. He farmed two hundred acres, 
buying, feeding and shipping stock, and also 
raised grains, all of which he fed out on his 
farm and bought more besides. In 1899 he pur- 
chased four hundred and twenty-seven acres sit- 
uated on the river one mile east of the Franklin 
dejOTt, and engaged in mixed farming and stock 
feeding, running from three to four hundred 
cattle each year, and the same number of hogs. 
In one year his profits from this source alone 
was six thousand dollars. 

Mr. Nelson is a splendid specimen of the 
Swedes who have made prosperity for them- 
selves and the state of Nebraska by their per- 
severance and earnest eflForts to get ahead. He 
is a finely developed man of large frame, enjoy- 
ing perfect health, genial and generous in dis- 
position, well liked by everyone with whom he 
comes in contact. 

Our subject was married in 1874 to Miss 



Anna Miller, of Nemaha county, daughter of 
Simon Miller, a pioneer of that locality, orig- 
inally from Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Nel- 
son are the parents of seven children, who are 
named as follows: Carl, cashier of the State 
Bank, of Franklin ; L. C, formerly of Cody, 
Wyoming, connected with Buffalo Bill, and now 
at Belle Fourche, South Dakota : John, owner of 
a three hundred and twenty-acre farm at Elsie, 
Nebraska ; Austin, cashier of the State bank, at 
Naponee ; George, at home : Lena, also living 
at home, and Bessie, wife of C. C. Butler, of San 
Francisco. All of the children are graduates of 
the Beatrice or Franklin high schools, and are 
bright, intelligent young people, highly esteemed 
throughout their home community'. The family 
are members of the Christian church at Frank- 
lin. 

For three terms 'Sir. Nelson was supervisor 
of Glenwood township, and on the school board 
at O'Dell for eleven years. He is an active Re- 
publican and takes a keen interest in all affairs 
of a political or educational nature in his locality. 
He is a Mason and has been a member of that 
lodge for over thirtv vears, and is also an 
Odd Fellow. 



THOMAS H. McCANDLESS. 

Thomas H. McCandless. a well-known resi- 
dent of Hemingford. Nebraska, was for some 
years engaged in ranching in Box Butte county. 
He is well known throughout that section and 
is held in high esteem by his associates. Mr. Mc- 
Candless is now engaged in the practice of law 
at Hemingford. and also handles real estate, and 
is in the newspaper business to some extent. 

Mr. McCandless was bom in Mercer county, 
Illinois, in 1856. His father, ^^'i!liam. was a 
farmer, and was a soldier in the Civil war. and 
was. killed during the battle of Stone River at 
Murfreesboro. Tennessee. The father married 
Miss Sarah Ann Duncan, of Pennsylvania. 

Our subject was reared in Illinois, and was 
educated in the common schools, as a boy help- 
ing in the work of carrying on the home farm, 
after the death of his father being compelled to 
help support his mother and the family. When 
he reached the age of twenty he went to Iowa, 
locating in Page coimty. where he remained for 
four years, then to Leadville. Colorado, engag- 
ing in newspaper work at the latter place, work- 
ing on the Herald Democrat and other news- 
papers for many years. He spent one year in 
Cripple Creek. Colorado, and then came to Box 
Butte county in 1897. arriving here in July. He 
immediately went on a ranch and was engaged 
in ranching up to 1905. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 307 



In 1906 Mr. McCandless located in Heming- 
ford and engaged in his pre&ent business, 
handling real estate all through this section, and 
also practicing law. 

Our subject's mother came to this county in 
1886, accompanied by one son, Wm. J. Mc- 
Candless, a younger brother of Thomas, who 
was then a land locater in this section. William 
became well known in the locality, and went 
through pioneer experiences, also following the 
profession of a lawyer, and is well known 
throughout the count}-, his death occurring in 
1895, after witnessing Box Butte county's early 
development and growth. 



PERRY A. YEAST. 

In presenting to the public a history of Ne- 
braska, the list would not be complete without 
having mentioned the name of the gentleman 
above. Mr. Yeast is one of the leading old set- 
tlers and prominent ranchmen of western Ne- 
braska, having spent the past twenty years and 
more in the vicinity of his present homestead. 
He has always been engaged in ranching on an 
extensive scale, and has made a complete suc- 
cess of the work. 

Perry A. Yeast is a native of McDonough 
county, Illinois, born in December, I861, on a 
farm. His father was Adam Yeast, of Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch stock, and was an early pioneer in 
Illinois. Our subject grew up in his native 
county, where he followed farming', assisting 
his father os the home place, and at the age of 
eighteen left home and came to Nebraska, locat- 
ing in Saline county, forty miles from Lincoln. 
In 1883 he moved to Keith county, locating on 
the Platte river, and there went into the cattle 
business, working as a cowboy, rounding up 
herds o^ cattle, and seeing every phase of fron- 
tier life. About 1887, he came to Grant county, 
locating south of Hyannis, and has also spent 
some time in the vicinity of old Alkali Lake, 
twenty miles southwest of Hyannis. While 
there he did a great deal of hunting, as game of 
all kinds was plentiful in the early days in Ne- 
braska, and during his first year's residence on 
his present ranch a buffalo was killed on the 
place. He also freighted during those years, haul- 
ing stuff a distance of ninety miles, from 
Ogallala. 

At one time Mr. Yeast went into Iowa and 
bought a farm, starting in the cattle feeding 
business there and ran the place for several 
years. He has also bought and sold numerous 
ranches, and assisted in the establishing of 



Wyoming, where he ran cattle and made a suc- 
cess, having built up and operated three ranches 
in that state. He began in the stock raising 
business as soon as he settled permanently in 
Grant county on his homestead, which he im- 
proved in fine shape and still owns. In 1888 he 
began building up the Farm Valley Ranch, situ- 
ated twenty miles southwest of Hyannis, men- 
tioned above, which is also at present a valu- 
able piece of land. Aside from his own exten- 
sive ranching interests, owning in all three 
thousand four hundred acres, he manages and 
operates two ranches in Cherry county, which 
are the property of the Standard Cattle Com- 
pany, which contain in all about eighteen 
thousand acres of land. 

Mr. Yeast married, in 1883, Aliss Nancy 
Markland, daughter of W'm. R. ]\larkland. who 
is an early settler of Saline county, where he still 
occupies his original homestead, taken in the 
early Nebraskan days. Three children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Yeast, namely: Lillie, 
Frank and Ruth. 

Mr. Yeast may be truly called a veteran 
ranchman, and during the time he has been in 
this vicinity has done his full share in the build- 
ing up of the region. 



MELVILLE E. PRATT. 

What may be accomplished by industry, good 
management and honest dealings is demon- 
strated by the life of the gentleman whose name 
heads this review. For many years past he has 
been a resident of Keya Paha county, and by 
honest endeavor has acquired a valuable estate 
and an enviable reputation. He is an agricul- 
turist of intelligence and capability, operating 
his farm in a thorough and painstaking manner. 

Mr. Pratt was born in Solon, Iowa, July 24, 
1862. His father, Charles Pratt, was born in 
Elaine, and came to Solon in the early days of 
that vicinity, where he was a prominent mer- 
chant, until 1890, when he disposed of his busi- 
ness and moved to Iowa City, where he died in 
1906. He had settled in Johnson county, Iowa, 
in 1840, and during the gold fever in the early 
fifties, went to California. He married Miss 
Annie N. True, a native of Maine, and they had 
a family of six children, of whom our subject is 
the second member. At the age of twenty-one 
he started out for himself, working on farms 
in their locality. He went to Montana in 1884, 
herding cattle for a time, then returned to Iowa 
and worked his father's farm for four years. 
In 1891 he first saw Keya Paha county, coming 
here in April and locating on section 20, town- 



3o8 



COMPEXDIU.AI OF HISTORY, REMLXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ship 35. range i8, on which he "squatted" for 
eight years before filing on it as a homestead. 
When he landed here he had very little money, 
but has worked hard and now owns four hun- 
dred acres of good land, cultivating fifty acres 
of it. He keeps twenty horses and thirty mules, 
and has raised a good many of the latter ani- 
mals for the market during the last eight years. 
Prior to that time he dealt extensively in sheep, 
but gave them up as he thought mules could be 
made more profitable. His place is well im- 
proved with good buildings, fences, etc., and he 
is one of the foremost farmers in his section 
of the country, and has done his full share in 
developing the county and community. We 
present a picture of Mr. Pratt's place on an- 
other page. 

Although Mr. Pratt is a strong Republican 
and takes a commendable interest in local alTairs, 
he has never held anv office. 



JAilES EDWARD ESTLACK. 

A man's part has been played in the making 
of Rock county, and conversion of the shining 
prairies of Nebraska into fertile and well kept 
farms by him whose name begins this article, 
and whose home is in Kirkwood precinct. Plain 
and unpretending in his manner, he is honest 
and straightforward in his character, industrious 
in his habit, and has proved him-self reliable at 
every point as does become a man. 

Mr. Estlack was born in Morrow county, 
Ohio, April 7, 1859. and the farm on which he 
first saw the light was set in the depths of the 
towering beech woods. His father, Erwin Prter 
Estlack, was a farmer through a long and use- 
ful life: was of Dutch descent, and a native of 
Pennsylvania. His wife, Martha A. (Roach) 
Estlack, was born of Irish parentage, though na- 
tiv-^ to American soil. They had a famjlv of 
eight children, of whom Edward was the fifth. 
The year following his birth the family left Ohio 
and settled in Benton county, Iowa, making 
their home near Blairstown, where the father 
died. When he was eight years old the mother, 
with her family went to Sioux City, where pres- 
ently a very exciting experience was had with 
the Sioux City and Pacific railroad. Their 
coming to that place had preceded the coming 
to the railroad, and when the right of way for 
the first road was laid out it passed directly 
through the center of their little home. No 
agreement for compensation was reached, and 
suddenly the railroad hands swooped down on 
their house, and set it bodily out of the right of 
way. After this somewhat rough and ready 



experience the family spent three years in Sioux 
Citv, and then settled in Clay county. South 
Dakota, where the grasshopper plague fell on 
them in all its malignancy. No headway could 
be made against so complete destruction, and 
they returned to Sioux City, where James Ed- 
ward Estlack mastered the butcher's trade, and 
was in the employ of one man for a period of 
fourteen years. Rheumatism compelled a change 
of vocation, and for some six years he was en- 
gaged as express driver and messenger. Then 
for a time he was in the restaurant business for 
himself at Yankton, South Dakota, and in 1901 
came into Rock county, Nebraska. 

In 1902 ^Ir. Estlack was united in marriage 
with Mrs. iNIary Ellen Turpin, a pioneer settler 
of Rock county, and the widow of Robert N. 
Turpin, who came to what is now Rock county 
in 1878. 

Mr. Estlack now possesses a well-tilled farm 
of three hundred and ten acres, in the cultivation 
of which he takes much pleasure. He also owns 
one hundred and sixty acres farther to the west, 
and is pushing rapidly to the front as one of the 
leading stockmen and grain farmers of this 
western country. A view of the residence is to 
be found on another page. As a man and a cit-' 
izen, Air. Estlack enjoys the respect and confi- 
dence of the public, and taking, as he does, an 
intelligent and active interest in political affairs, 
his influence is exerted for the welfare of the 
towm and state. He has been a lifelong Repub- 
lican. 



PAGE T. FRANCIS. 

Perseverance and diligence are the stejiping 
stones to success. These characteristics, supple- 
mented by honesty and good citizenship, are 
among the many atttributes possessed by the 
gentleman herein named. Mr. Francis has re- 
sided in dift'erent jiarts of the state of Nebraska 
for the past forty years, and is one of the repre- 
sentative men of the west, highly esteemed by 
all who have met him either in a business or so- 
cial way. 

Mr. Francis is a native of Maine, Ixjrn on 
the 12th of February, 1843. His parents, Sam- 
uel and Naomi (True) Francis, lived in Andros- 
coggin county, where the former owned and 
operated a farm for many years. Our subject 
grew up in his native state and at the age of 
eighteen years enlisted in the Third Maine in- 
fantry. IHe partici]5atcd in the first battle at 
Bull Run. and was with the army of the 
Potomac for the first two years. He was in the 
Peninsula campaign, and was severely wounded 
at Fair Oaks, being discharged soon after on ac- 




RESIDENCE OF J. E. ESTLACK, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 




^^^^i-:i<t^i^!i^'*>>^*^:ii^^m£y 





RESIDENCE OF M. E. PRATT, 
Kfya Paha County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



309 



count of these wounds. In 1863 he re-enhsted 
in the Thirtieth Maine regiment and saw service 
in Louisiana. He was with General Banks, up 
the Red river, and was again wounded at Cain 
River Crossing, and transferred to the Veteran 
Reserve Corps, and during the balance of the 
war served in Pennsylvania, hunting deserters 
and clerking on court martials. 

In 1867 Mr. Francis came west, locating in 
Otoe county, Nebraska, as a pioneer. He bought 
government land, and soon sold this out and 
came further west, settling in Webster county 
in 1870, where he remained for two years then 
moved to Redwillow county. He hunted buffaio 
all through this section, and became thoroughly 
famliliar with all of the country. He went into 
the Black Hills from Sidney on the Union Pa- 
cific, from 1876 to 1880, and during the entire 
winter of '76 slept out doors under his wagon. 
He had always made his Redwillow- farm his 
home up to 1895, and then came to Dawes 
county where he took charge of the ditching of 
the Crawford Irrigation & Water Power Com- 
pany, and ever since that time has been identi- 
fied with that work. He is at present acting 
under the secretary of state, and board of irri- 
gation. In the early days Mr. Francis freighted 
lumber from Nebraska City to Lincoln before 
the railroad had reached this part of the country. 

Mr. Francis was married in i882 to Miss 
Betsy Johnson, and to them have been born four 
children, namely : Frank, a sheep rancher in 
Montana ; Ruth, working as a teacher in Chad- 
ron : and Bonnie and Grace, at home. 



BENJAMIN JENKINS. 

Benjamin Jenkins, Ainsworth, Nebraska, was 
very active in the settlement of Brown county, 
and is widely known as an earnest and reliable 
citizen, an energetic and hustling farmer, and a 
man who is to be relied upon and trusted in any 
and every circumstance. Coming here when 
northern Nebraska was a wilderness, and the 
coyotes close neighbors, he has seen the wilder- 
ness, and the wild beasts vanish, while blooded 
stock and alfalfa came into the land. 

Mr. Jenkins was born in New York in 1849, 
on a farm on which his parents had lived for 
many years. Coming of an old American fam- 
ily the best traditions of the east are preserved 
in his career. He was the only child of his 
parents, and when he was some four years old, 
his mother removed to Illinois and settled in 
Carroll county. His father had already died in 
New York. There he was reared to manhood, 
and given such educational advantages as the 



rural schools of the day afforded, finishing with 
a year at a more pretentious military school. In 
1870 he was married to Miss Nora Green, a 
daughter of an old American family, though her 
mother's people were Irish. This union has been 
blessed with eleven children : Lizzie, who mar- 
ried Louis Ponton : Frank, Floyd, Lydia, Maude 
Ethel, Nellie, Daisy, Clara Belle, Elmer, Earl 
and Harry. The first three of the children were 
born in Illinois ; the others were Nebraska born. 
Mr. Jenkins lived in Illinois for nine years after 
his marriage, and was employed part of this 
time by "the Diamond Jo" line, a noted Missis- 
sippi river transportation company. Before leav- 
ing that State he was also engaged in farming 
for three years. In 1878 he came to Nebraska, 
and lived for some three years in Hamilton and 
Merrick counties, before his removal to Brown 
county, which occurred in 1884. He made the 
trip acros^ the State in a covered wagon, and 
had many unique experiences on the way. He 
secured his present farm property as a tree 
claim. He began operations here on another 
farm, but finally made permanent settlement 
where he is found today. Here he has lived 
some fifteen years, and out of somewhat hard 
and unfavorable conditions has reaped a rich 
reward. He owns a half section of land, about 
two hundred acres of which are under a high 
degree of cultivation and the balance devoted to 
pasture and meadow, and commands the respect 
and confidence of the community as a fair and 
straightforward man and a citizen of good re- 
pute. 

In politics Mr. Jenkins is a Democrat. 



P. L. ]\IAIRS. 



P. L. Mairs, who is owner of a good ranch, 
is an old settler in Kimball county. He was 
born in Sullivan county, Missouri, on July 17, 
1862, and was the fourth member in a family of 
six children, having two brothers and three sis- 
ters. His father and mother were both born 
in Ireland, came to America when quite young 
and were married in Virginia, the father coming 
to the United States about 1840, settling in Jack- 
son county. West Virginia, and afterwards went 
to Kansas and located in Ness county, where he 
died in 1904. Our subject grew up in Missouri, 
following farming there up to 1900, then came 
to Kimball county, Nebraska, and at once settled 
on a homestead on section 18, township 12, 
range 53, securing in all one thousand two hun- 
dred acres, which is the home ranch. Here he 
cultivates about two hundred and fifty acres, and 
has met with splendid success. 



3IO 



COMPEIs'DIUM OF HISTORY, RE.MINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Mairs is progressive in his methods of 
operating his ranch, and has many improvements 
in the way of farm machinery, every kind of 
good buildings, etc. He deals extensively in 
sheep, running from four thousand to six 
thousand each year, and derives a. handsome 
income from the same. He runs from one 
thousand five hundred to two thousand on each 
of his three improved ranches, marketing his 
sheep ?.t Omaha. 

Mr. Mairs was married in Kirkville, Missouri, 
February 24, 1885, to Miss Ida W'ilks, who is 
a native of Missouri. They have two children, 
Charles Allen, who has taken up a hoinestead on 
section 12, township 12, range 54, adjoining his 
father's home place, farming in summer, teach- 
ing school in winter ; also Elsie Lee, who is at- 
tending school. Mrs. Mairs' mother is a resi- 
dent of Kimball, living with a daughter. Mr. 
Mairs has two sisters living in Kansas, one in 
Oklahoma ; one brother in Missouri and the 
other brother in Kansas. Mr. Mairs and his 
family occupy a comfortable residence in Kim- 
ball, but he gives his entire time to active man- 
agement of his ranch. He is a Republican and 
strong party man, is well and favorably known, 
and since coming to this vicinity has taken an 
active part in local affairs and has left his im- 
press on the history of his county. He is a mem- 
ber of the county committee, chosen in 1905. He 
was active in establishing a county high school, 
the first in Nebraska. 



JOHN v.. TILLINGHAST. 

John n. Tillinghast. an influential and reput- 
able pioneer of Loup county, lives on his com- 
fortable home farm in section 8, township 21, 
range 17. where he located in the year 1883. Mr. 
Tillinghast was born in the town of Exeter, 
Was'iiington county, Rhode Island, in 1853, his 
parents being Clark and Sarah (Brown) Till- 
inghast. His father was a farmer by occupation 
and was of old English stock, and he reared five 
boys, Clark, Frank, John, Thomas and Byron; 
also four girls. May, Sarah, Annie and Nellie. 
John and Thomas are the only ones that came 
west. Thomas remained until 1895, then went to 
■ Mississippi. 

John P>. Tillinghast was reared and educated 
in Rhode Island, and, later, followed farming in 
Rhode Island. He came west to Loup countv 
in 1883, and located on his present farm, and he 
has worked hard to improve his fine ranch of 
three hundred and twenty acres. He drove here 
with team and covered wagon and camped out 
several weeks on the way. His first buildings 



were built of sod, in the pioneer style, and he 
passed through many of the hard and rough- 
experiences that always come in the history of 
the pioneer. Drouth and hail storms worked 
havoc with his crops several years and then, to 
add to his troubles, fire came and destroyed his 
barns and harnesses, etc. But Mr. Tillinghast 
has weathered the storms of adversity and hard- 
ship and is now enjoying the well-earned fruits 
of his hard labor, and intelligent planning. 

Our subject has always been interested in the 
political movements of his community, and he 
has, by word and deed, sanctioned everything 
that tended toward the betterment of the vicinity 
in which he lives. He is an honored and a re- 
spected citizen. Mr. Tillinghast is surely one of 
the old-timers and it is a pleasure to meet him 
and hear his interesting reminiscences of early 
davs. 



JOHN R. CliALOUD. 

John R. Chaloud, whose biography forms an 
interesting page in the history of the early set- 
tlement of Nebraska, is a resident of section 22, 
township 28, range 29, Cherry county, where he 
has become widely and favorably known. He 
has developed a fine farm and ranch there, is 
one of the energetic and prosperous citizens, and 
enjoys a pleasant home and many warm friends, 

Mr. Chaloud was born in the province of 
Moravia, which is a province of Austria, in 
1872. Llis father was of German stock, born in 
Moravia, and when John was a child of three 
years the family came to America, settling at 
first in Colfax county, Nebraska, and were 
among the pioneers in eastern Nebraska. The 
father took a homestead and begun to build up 
a home, our subject attending the common 
schools as a boy, and assisting his parents in the 
farm work. When he was fourteen years old he 
left home and secured employment on farms 
and ranches in the vicinity of their home, and 
for the first four years gave all his earnings to 
his family. He came to Cherry county in 1887, 
and worked out on ranches for fourteen years, 
beginning as a stock ranger, and working 
himself up to be foreman of big ranches. He 
rode all over the western part of the state as a 
cowboy, camping out on the plains both winter 
and summer, and knew every bit of the country 
as well as a scout, in his work of rounding up 
cattle. He trailed herds of cattle from Wyoming 
.-ind Colorado into Nebraska, and has seen as 
much of western ranching life as any man of 
his age here. In 1903 he started in business for 
himself, his first location being on Goose Creek, 
where he lived for two vears, then came to his 




S. L. JAMES AND FAMILY. 




kANXlI OF S. L. JAMES 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



311 



present ranch, which is situated twelve miles 
northwest of Brownlee. Here he has worked 
hard to build up and develop a good ranch, and 
is now proprietor of one thousand two hundred 
acres which is all fenced, with good buildings 
and improvements. He has a fine grove of trees 
which he planted, also plenty of fruit trees for 
home use, and farms a small portion of his land, 
raising small grain and vegetables for his family. 
There is a good supply of water from wells, with 
wind mills, and everything is in the finest shape 
possible. His surroundings are very pleasant, 
and he is justly recognized as one of the lead- 
ing ranchmen of his township. 

Mr. Chaloud lived a bachelor existence up to 
1906, on January 26th of that year taking as 
wife Miss Helen Anderson, born in Sweden, and 
daughter of Herman Anderson, a prominent old 
settler in Omaha. Two children have been born 
to them. Delmer Luverne and Vera Christine. 

Our subject takes a leading part in township 
affairs and has done his share as a public-spir- 
ited citizen. 



STEVEN L. JAMES. 

Steven L. James, a successful and promi- 
nent ranchman and farmer of section 18, town- 
ship 25, range 31, Cherry county, Nebraska, was 
born in Alleghany county. North Carolina, close 
to the Virginia line, in 1853. His parents. 
James Y. James and Elizabeth (Scott) James, 
were of old American blood, farmers by occu- 
pation, and our subject was reared on the home 
farm, remaining with his parents up to 1880. 
In that y-ear he emigrated to Texas, and settled 
on rented land and tried to open a farm. He 
first started to raise cotton, but was unable to 
make a success of it, and after remaining there 
for seven years and not getting on very well 
gave up the struggle and came north to Ne- 
braska, filing on a pre-emption and tree claim 
in Cherry county. The first five years were spent 
in working hard to get his ranch started, break- 
ing up land, and also working out in the vicinity 
to help in getting a living, and went through all 
the pioneer experiences. 

In 1893 Mr. James took a homestead, built a 
sod house and started to develop the farm and 
ranch where he now resides, using a pair of oxen 
for all his work, and while he did pretty well, 
saw many hard times. He kept at it, however, 
and added improvements as he was able, and 
each year was able to raise some crops. He 
worked faithfully, gradually adding more land 
to his original possessions, until he is now pro- 
prietor of a fine ranch of six hundred and forty 



acres deeded and besides this deeded land con- 
trols and operates quite a big tract of leased 
land and also has a Kincaid homestead, engaging 
in cattle raising and mixed farming. He has 
built up a good home, with fine improvements, 
orchards, etc., and is numbered among the weli- 
to-do and progressive ranchmen of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. James was married in Gra3'son county, 
Virginia, to Virginia Boyer, daughter of John 
Boyer and Jane (Fielder) Boyer, both of whom 
died in Grayson county, on their old homestead. 
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
James, named as follows : Enice, Fay B., Loy, 
Lillian and Cora. Both sons are homesteaders 
and have good farms near the father's ranch, 
and are also extensively engaged in the stock 
business, and are energetic and successful 
ranchers. 

Mr. James is a leading citizen, active in local 
affairs, and is a prominent member of the In- 
dependent party. Portraits of Mr. James and 
his family, together with a ranch scene on his 
property will be found on another page. 



JOHN H. DIECKMAN. 

Among the prominent settlers of western Ne- 
braska we- mention the name of John H. Dieck- 
man as being one of the best l<nown from the 
fact that he has spent the past fourteen years 
of his career in this region, and during that time 
has devoted his best efforts to aiding in the de- 
velopment of the natural resources of Sioux 
county, and helped to build up the community in 
which he chose his home. He is now a resident 
of Harrison, where he occupies a pleasant home 
and is a partner in the firm of Lacy & Dieckman. 
handling hardware, harness, lumber, coal, ma- 
chinery of all kinds, grain, etc. 

Mr. Dieckman was born in Holstein, Ger- 
many, in 1871, and came to America with his 
parents, the family settling in Chicago, where 
they remained for about five years. They next 
moved to Iowa, and lived in Ida county up to 
1895, then came to Nebraska, locating in Harri- 
son, landing here on January 11th, of that year. 
John located on a homestead situated four miles 
southwest of Harrison, where he started a farm, 
"batching" it in a rude shack and began to im- 
prove the claim. He lived on this homestead foi 
five vears, then moved to Harrison and purchased 
a liverv business which he conducted for about 
five years, then sold out the establishment and 
returned to his ranch and farmed for two years. 
He moved back to Harrison at the end of that 
time and w-ent into the hardware and lumber 



31^ 



CO.MPENDILM Ul- HlS'iuRV, RE.MlXiSCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



business as a partner of John H. Lacy, and to- 
gether they have built up a good trade, and are 
doing well. Both gentlemen are first-class busi- 
ness men. and well liked by all with whom they 
have to do in a business or social way. 

Mr. Dieckman was married in 1904 to Myrtle 
Pontius. Mrs. Dieckman is a daughter of E. F. 
Pontius, one of the old settlers of this region, 
and he is at present serving as county clerk of 
this county. Our subject is the father of one 
child, Frank. 

Politically Mr. Dieckman is a Democrat. He 
is a member of the town board of Harrison, and 
takes a commendable interest in local and county 
affairs. 



CHARLES A. WEIR. 

Charles A. Weir, of Xorth Platte, is prom- 
inently known in railway circles in the western 
part of the state of Nebraska. He is conductor 
on the L'nion Pacific railway, western division. 
His father, James \\'eir, was connected with this 
road, at the beginning of its construction, and 
remained in this department up to the winter of 
1886. Weir Siding was named after him. Prior 
to coming here he was in Canada on the Grand 
Trunk railway, having come there from Ireland, 
where he was born in 1826. Our subject's 
grandfather, James Weir, died in 1898, aged one 
hundred and nine years, at Montreal, Canada. 

Mr. Weir was born at Julesburg, in 1868, 
and at the age of twenty began railroading at 
Sterling, Colorado, with the L'nion Pacific rail- 
way in 1884, employed as section foreman, then 
went west in the train service, and has been con- 
ductor on that road for the past ten years. He is 
a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, 
and past chief conductor of that lodge. He has 
five brothers, all of whom are. or have been, rail- 
way men nearly all their lives. W. J. Weir is 
trainmaster on the Midland \^alley raihvav at 
I'ort Smith. Arkansas: F"rank Weir, conductor 
on the El Paso & N. W. Railway, of Texas : An- 
drew \\'eir. retired conductor, residing at Col- 
orado Springs : Joseph W'eir, retired railway 
man. now a farmer at Sterling, Colorado, where 
the father also resides ; Robert Weir, with the 
L'nion Pacific, now conductor at Denver. Our 
subject's wife, who was Miss Kelker. of Pueblo. 
Colorado, had six brothers who were all railroad 
men. and two sisters who married engineers. 
Four members of her family have met death 
through railway accidents. One brother, John 
Kelker. is master mechanic at Lima. Ohio. Mrs. 
Weir is a (laughter of John Kelker. born m Leb- 
an<in, Pennsylvania. Her father as a young man 
M.nt tr, i!,,. Baldwin Locomotive Works, at Phil- 



adelphia, and became a traveling salesman. He 
took the first engines to the Rio Grand railway at 
Pueblo, and afterwards entered the service of 
that road, and for twenty-five years, up to 1903, 
was master mechanic of the first district of the 
Rio Grand system. He is now eighty j\-ears of 
age, hale and hearty, living at Pueblo. Mr. and 
Mrs. Weir have two children, namelv: George 
and Elizabeth. Mr. Weir's mother was, prior 
to her marriage, Elizabeth Granger, born in 
Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Mr. Weir was a delegate to the National 
Convention of Railway Trainmen, held at Gales- 
burg. Illinois, in 1895. He is a prominent Mason 
and at present senior warden of Xo. 32 lodge at 
Xorth Platte, having passed all chairs. He has 
served with the Union Pacific companv for 
twenty years, and has never received a demerit 
mark, and is justly proud of his record. 



CHARLES J. PORTREY. 

Charles J. Portrey. a Nebraskan born and 
!)red. is a typical westerner. He is an intelligent 
and progressive citizen of Cheyenne county, and 
classed among the successful farmers of Brown- 
son precinct. He is a gentleman of firm charac- 
teristics and his high standing as a worthy citi- 
zen is well merited. 

Mr. Portrey was born in Richardson county, 
February 20, 1865. His parents, Charles and 
Catherine (Santo) Portrey, were natives of 
Ohio, of French and Italian lineage respectively, 
though their parents were born in Germany. 
Both are now deceased. When our subject was 
five years of age the family moved to Kansas 
and made that state their home for many years. 
When he was about twenty-three years of age 
he left home and drifted around through Colo- 
rado. \\'yoming and the western states, finally 
locating in Idaho Springs. Colorado, where he 
spent about nine years, engaged in mining. 
In 1898 he came back to Nebraska, and settled 
in Cheyenne county, locating on the southwest 
quarter of section 12, township 14. range 51. 
where he filed on a homestead, and on March 
6, 1905, added an additional half section under 
the Kincaid law, all located in Lodgepole valley. 
He farms one hundred and sixtv acres, raising 
good crops of small grains and has plenty of 
pasture and hay land for about eighty head of 
stock. Mr. Portrey has succeeded in building 
u]i a good home, having erected a good set of 
buildings and jnit many improvements on the 
land since coming here. His residence is situ- 
ated near Brownson station on the Union Pacific 
railroad. 




RESIDENCE Dl 
Section 22, Township 30, Rani 




^'EYER. 

vn County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



313 



Mr. Portrey was married to Miss Eva An- 
drews on February 30, 1893, at Idaho Springs, 
Colorado. ]\lrs. Portrey was born in Wisconsin, 
a daughter of Warren and Sarah i^Ray) An- 
drews. Her parents now reside at Morrell, 
Scotts Bluff county, Nebraska. Seven children 
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Portrey, named 
as follows : Pence, Charles, Frank, Nellie, Ger- 
trude, Viola and a baby. Four are at present 
attending school, and all live at home, forming 
an interesting and congenial family. Our sub- 
ject is a man of energetic and industrious habits, 
prominent in all local aft'airs, always lending his 
best efforts for the improvement of conditions 
in his locality. In political views he is a staunch 
Socialist, using every eft'ort to increase the mem- 
bership of that party. 



JAMES H. DAVIS. 

Prominent among the old settlers in western 
Nebraska who have aided in the development 
and growth of this section from its early days, is 
the gentleman above named. Mr. Davis resides 
in Gordon, Sheridan county, where he is well 
and favorably known as an enterprising busi- 
ness man and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Davis was born in Union City. Darke 
county, Ohio, in 1856. His father, Andrew C. 
Davis, was of American stock, born in the south, 
and a railroad man by occupation. There was 
a family of eight children, our subject being the 
fifth in order of birth, and he was raised in Ohio 
and Indiana. 

In 1883 he struck out for the west, spend- 
ing a year in Kansas, then came to Valentine, 
Nebraska, driving from there by team to Gor- 
don, where he arrived September 30th, of the 
year 1884. He located on a homestead four and 
a half miles northwest of the small town of Gor- 
don, and there lived during the winter of 1884- 
'85, having a hard time to make a living those 
first days. He worked at freighting, teaming 
from Valentine to Gordon, and experienced 
many rough times. He lived in a sod house 
which he had put up on his place, and batched it 
for two years, and altogether spent five years on 
this farm. He then moved to Gordon and estab- 
lished a mercantile business and has since been 
engaged in this enterprise with the exception of 
two years. He engaged in the restaurant and 
hotel business at different times, also dealt in 
stock for a time, but finally went back to the 
mercantile business and he now has a fine gen- 
eral store with a good stock and is doing a large 
business. He had a hard time to get along dur- 
ing the vears from 1892 to 1900, but times grad- 
21 



ually got better and he has succeeded in a marked 
degree, enjoying an extensive trade all through 
this section. 

In 1890 Mr. Davis was married to Miss 
Carrie Parker, whose parents were among tlie 
early settlers in this region. 

Mr. Davis has done his full share in build- 
ing up the town of Gordon, and takes an active 
interest in all that tends to its value as a com- 
mercial center. He has served on the town 
board for three years, and is a leading spirit in 
all local affairs. He is a strong Bryan man, and 
has always voted the Democratic and Fusion 
tickets. 



JOHN WEYER. 

John \\'eyer. an honored veteran of the civil 
war out of which he came with scars and honor, 
is a Brown county pioneer settler and now a 
resident of Buffalo precinct, east of Ainsworth, 
where his high character and useful career com- 
mand public respect and confidence. Locating 
in this region in the very early days, he has 
passed through all the vicissitudes that belong 
to the frontier, but with grim determination he 
has held on, and long since passed from penury 
and want to comfort and plenty. In his declin- 
ing years he is enjoying a competence which he 
wrested from the soil by hard and unremitting 
labor, and many there are to say him "well 
done." 

John Weyer was born on a farm in Canton 
Berne, Switzerland, August 19, 1839, and was 
reared to an agricultural life in which his father, 
Benedict Weyer, had won success. In 1850 the 
family emigrated to America, sailing from 
Havre, France, and after a voyage of thirty-five 
days, landed in New York. The father settled 
with his family in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, 
on a farm in what was then very largely a new 
country. Here the young lad grew strong and 
sturdy, and imbibed from his first associations a 
great devotion to the welfare of his adopted 
country, and on the breaking out of the great 
rebellion was ready to take up arms to protect 
the union. Accordingly he enlisted in Company 
K, 80th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for three 
years was in the western army, seeing hard and 
dangerous service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mis- 
sissippi, and elsewhere, participating in the great 
battles of Corinth and luka and the siege of 
Vicksburg. He was also engaged in manv skir- 
mishes that in a less mighty struggle would have 
been dignified by the name of battles. In the 
spring of 1865 he was discharged, being at the 
time of the expiration of his enlistment on the 



314 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



"March to the Sea" and on arrival at Savannah 
lie received his mustering-out papers. 

The war-worn veteran, young in years but old 
in the lore of camps, returned to his old home, 
and in the spring of the same year went to 
Benton county, Iowa, where he resumed the 
peaceful vocation of farming. For three years 
he made his home in Benton county, and for 
fifteen vears was a resident of Webster county, 
wliere he farmed on his own land. There he 
was married in 1870 to Miss Elizabeth Swutzer, 
who was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, but 
reared in Bureau county. Illinois. Her father, 
Morris Switzer, was born in Switzerland, and 
made agriculture his life-long vocation. To this 
union have come five children: Edwin, Etta 
Lovelea, wife of George Wheeler, Brown 
county ; John LeRoy, Stephen M. and Frank 
Elmer. 

In February, 1884, Mr. Weyer and family 
came to Nebraska, and effected a location on 
what is now their comfortable and well culti- 
vated homestead, and at once constructed a small 
frame house, sufficient to meet their immediate 
needs, and devoted themselves to the preparation 
of the claim for cultivation the ensuing season. 
Here Mr. A\'eyer and his family passed through 
many trials, and only strength of character and 
persistent purpose enabled them to win out at 
the last. Several crops were lost in dry seasons, 
and more than once he has had to drive his cattle 
thirty miles into the sand hills that they might 
not perish for want of grass which in the fiats 
was parched and dry. While still in Iowa he 
w-as burned out, losing all his household goods 
and furniture, but that seemed almost a tame 
experience compared with what befell on his 
attem])t to make a home in Nebraska. 

Now Mr. Weyer owns a ranch of sixteen 
hundred acres of as rich land as lies in Ne- 
braska, and is largely engaged in both grain 
and stock raising. In 1906, he had four hun- 
dred acres under active cultivation. Here he 
has erected what is conceded to be the finest 
country residence in l]"own county if not in 
western Nebraska. It is supplied' with flowing 
water, bath, and other conveniences: heated by 
steam in winter and has a small steam engine 
installed for use on washdays and other times 
when hand power would otherwise have to be 
used. ( )tber buildings on the place are a large 
barn, a cow-shed, hog-house, two granaries and 
several smaller buildings. He is well provided 
with the machinery necflcd to carry on the culti- 
vation of jiis broad acres. Without question he 
is a thoroughly modern and up-to-date farmer, 
a wide awake and progressive citizen, and gen- 
erally one of the leading men of this cominunity. 
lie is Republican in jjolitics, a member of the 



Modern Woodman of America, and w-ith the 
family a communicant of the German Reform 
church. A double page view of Mr. Weyer's 
splendid place will be found elsewhere in this 
volume. 



DALLAS I-IENDERSON. 

As an old settler of Buffalo county, and an 
agriculturist of untiring energy and persever- 
ance and a worthy citizen, the gentleman here 
named needs no introduction to the people of his 
locality. He has spent over thirty years of his 
life in their midst, has gained a host of stanch 
friends, and incidentally acquired a good home 
and placed himself in position to enjoy his de- 
clining years in peace and quiet. He is a resi- 
dent of Centre township, section 9, township 9, 
range 15. 

Mr. Henderson was born in Centre town- 
ship. Buffalo county, Nebraska, and is a son of 
Abraham and Elenor Hender.son, who were the 
first settlers on the "Divide," on which the In- 
dians were then roaming in large numbers. The 
Hendersons came from Missouri, and started a 
farm here on which our subject grew up. attend- 
ing the public schools, and later the Military 
Academy at Kearney and the Normal University 
at Lincoln. Nebraska. In 1898 he enlisted in Com- 
]3any 1, First Nebraska Infantry, and was wnh 
the second expedition to the Philippines. There he 
took part in the capture of Manilla by land 
forces, and was with the company in defending 
Alanilla against the attack by insurgents, also the 
-San Juan fight, lasting from 9 o'clock a. m. to 
6 p. m. of the second day. The 1st Nebraska 
regiment was in the detachment that advanced to 
the water works. Mr. Henderson was also in the 
expedition which marched against Mololos. the 
insurgent capitol, and took part in all the battles 
of this campaign, from Manilla to AIololos. 
.-Vfter a .year's service there our subject entered 
the educational flejiartment and taught in the 
schools for four years, and he opened the first 
goverinnent night school in Manilla. He had 
seven hundred and fifty puj^iils, and five Ameri- 
can assistant teachers, also two native assistants. 
He was jirincipal of the day school with an en- 
rollment of four hundred and fifty pupils, and 
had two American and four native teachers un- 
der him. ^Ir. Henderson considers the Phili- 
ninos a fine race with great cajiacity for acquir- 
ing the language and good imitative nowers, but 
absolutely no initiative qualities. They would 
develo]) splendid clerical ability under proper 
training, and in time will equal the Japanese as 
students. After remaining two years in Manilla 
our subject was sent to San Fernando, which is 



lOAIPENDIUM of history, reminiscence and JJiUGRAFHV 



the largest city in the province, and there was ap- 
pointed principal which position he retained for 
two years, having one thousand eight hundred 
pupils, twelve native and two American teach- 
ers as assistants. \\ hile in the Orient Mr. Hen- 
derson travele'd all over the Philippines, also 
Japan and China during the time of the Boxer 
troubles, and there saw the "army of the na- 
tions." 

In 1903 Mr. Henderson returned to the 
states, and back to Nebraska, where he has since 
remained. He bought a fine tract of land on 
which he built a comfortable two-story frame 
residence, and put up substantial barns and has 
improved the place in fine shape. He was mar- 
ried in 1904 to Miss Mayme B. Williams. They 
are the parents of one child — Laura Marie. Mr. 
Henderson is an active Republican, and one of 
the public-spirited citizens of his community. 



JOHN J. HARVEY. 

In the person of the gentleman above named 
we find one of the leading old timers of Dawes 
county, Nebraska. Mr. Harvey came here when 
the country was in the earliest stages of devel- 
opment, and he has been an important factor in 
its growth, aiding materially in the upbuilding of 
its agricultural and commercial resources. • He 
resides in the town of Crawford, where he held 
the office of city marshal for seven years up to 
May 1, 1908, and is esteemed and respected by 
the entire community. 

Mr. Harve}' was born in Missouri, near Roa- 
noke, in 1852. He is a son of John H. Harvey, 
a farmer of Virginian stock, and Eliza A. Mark- 
land, a native of Kentucky. He was reared in 
his home county, assisting his parents m the 
work of carrying on the home farm, and had the 
misfortune to lose his father by death when he 
was a boy. At the age of eighteen he left Mis- 
souri and went to Montana where he freighted 
and worked with the Circle Dot Cattle Company 
up to 1874. In that year he went back to Mis- 
souri and remained for eleven years, engaged in 
the mercantile business at Armstrong. Mr. 
Harvey came to Nebraska April 18, 1886, tak- 
ing up a pre-emption five miles from where 
Crawford now stands, putting up a dug-out in 
which he lived with his family for some time, he 
having married ten years before. He proved up 
on this land and then began railroading on the 
C. & N. W. Ry. and followed this work of? and 
on up to 1900. Mr. Harvey moved to Crawford 
in 1900, with his family, and was appointed city 
marshal in the spring of 1901, serving for seven 
years. He has a wide acquaintance all over 



Dawes and the adjoining counties and is one of 
the leading public spirited men of the commun- 
ity, having always been active in local atiairs. 

i\ir. Harvey was marrieU in April, 16/0, to 
Miss inline U. Phelps, daughter oi William P. 
and Lizzie lunneil Phelps, ot American stock, 
io Mr. and iMrs. Harvey nine children have been 
born, rive of whom are now living, named as fol- 
lows : George, Ethel, i^ee, Guy and Alicia. 



A. S. ENNIS. 



A. S. Ennis, the gentleman who is the sub- 
ject of this review, is a young man of great push, 
and natural ability in his line of work, is a prom- 
ising business man who bids fair to be one of the 
leading contractors of western Nebraska. He 
located in Toledo, Tama county, Iowa, and came 
west to look the country over, locating in Mc- 
Cook, at Alma, taking the contract there for all 
the work of stone, brick and plastering to be 
done on the twenty-five thousand dollar high 
school, which is now completed, and is one of 
the finest buildings of its kind in this part of 
Nebraska. He also had the mason work on the 
Banbury high school, costing seven thousand 
dollars, and was the man who got the contract 
for all the stone, brick and plastering work to 
be done on the McCook high school which is 
to cost forty-five thousand dollars. This build- 
ing is to be completed by August 15, 1907, 
and will be a large and- fine building, of which 
the city may be justly proud. He has also put 
up a large store building at Orleans, Nebraska, 
costing ten thousand dollars, and a bank in 
Marion. Nebraska, making in all five big con- 
tracts which he secured in this year. Prior to 
his moving to Nebraska, he together with his 
brother had many big contracts all over the state 
of Iowa, and also in Illinois, and thev were very 
successful in every instance, giving the best of 
satisfaction in every way. He has decided to 
remain here permanently, and will shortly build 
a fine residence. 

Mr. Ennis was married in Iowa, to Miss 
Selma Studebaker, and they have one child. 

Mr. Ennis is a member of the Woodmen 
Lodge of McCook, and a worthy citizen of the 
town, highly respected by all who know him. 



GEO. H. WILLIAMS. 

Geo. H. Williams was born in Rice county, 
Minnesota, October 2, 1875, on a farm. His 
father, Edwin C. Williams, is one of the prom- 
inent old settlers and pioneers of Keith county, 
Nebraska, having settled there with his farn- 



3i6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ilv in 1885, his sketch appearing elsewhere in 
tliis volume. The mother was Roxalina' Wood- 
worth in her youth. 

Our subject was ten years old when the fam- 
ily came to Keith county, where he was reared, 
helping his father on the farm and receiving a 
limited education. He was in partnership more 
or less with his father in the cattle business, and 
located his present homestead on section 34, 
township 16, range 41, in 1899. He planted 
trees early and some are now twelve or fourteen 
inches in diameter and adorn and beautify the 
premises. Our subject has been industrious and 
progressive and has made a fine success. He 
has eight hundred acres with about seventy-five 
acres under cultivation, and also has other leased 
land which is needed in his extensive stock rais- 
ing on which he runs a hundred head of cattle 
and twenty-five horses. 

Geo. H. Williams was married May 22, 1899, 
to Miss Lena M. Thies, daughter of Peter Thies, 
a leading old settler of the county and whose 
sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Miss 
Thies taught school in the early days and has 
been deeply interested in the educational work 
of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have 
been blessed with three children : Lucy, Mar- 
guerite and Edwin. 

Mr. Williams has always taken a deep inter- 
est in affairs of general importance in his locality 
and has held various offices of trust and respon- 
sibility. He stands high in the regard of. his 
fellows as a successful and progressive farmer 
and a public spirited member of the community ; 
he is Republican in political beliefs. 



T. W. CAMPBELL. 

The gentleman here named occupies a first 
place among the prosperous ranchmen of west- 
ern Nebraska, and has built up a valuable estate 
in section 22, Deuel county, where he is well 
and favorably known. 

Mr. Campbell was born in Mills county, 
Iowa, in 1838, and raised on a farm in that lo- 
cality. His father, Adam Campbell, was a na- 
tive of Kentucky, of English-Scotch descent, and 
was a farmer by occupation. His mother, who 
was Sarah E. Rankin before her marriage, was 
also a native of Kentucky. Our subject is the 
seventh member in a familv of ten children, and 
when he was sixteen years of age his parents 
moved to Kansas, and he remained with them 
until he was twenty-six. His father was en- 
gaged in the stock business in Kansas, and our 
subject started in this line for himself at that 
time, in Norton countv. In the fall of 1885 



he came to Deuel county, Nebraska, with his 
family, and located on his present homestead, 
driving the entire distance, and bringing thirty- 
two head of cattle with them. Previous to this 
time, in the spring of that year, he had made a 
trip here looking for a ranch location, and had 
picked out this place. He went to work at once, 
built a sod house and barns and began improv- 
ing the place. During the first year he was 
obliged to haul all his supplies for the family 
use and also for his ranch from Ogallala, a dis- 
tance of eighty miles away, which was also his 
postofifice. The road for a part of the way was 
of heavy sand, which led through a wild country, 
the trips being hard to make and consumed quite 
a long time. Part of the way there were no 
roads at all, he being the first to travel that 
way. together with two other men who had 
settled in the hills during the same year. The 
neighbors were very far apart, and the settlers 
often went forty miles to see friends. \Mien he 
fiist came here there was a great deal more 
grass in the valleys than in these days. He 
at first tried to farm some, but soon saw that 
it would not pay and devoted all his attention 
to the stock business, always having had plenty 
of range for pasture and good hay valleys. He 
has found this good cattle country, and although 
he had been troubled considerably with cattle rust- 
lers in the early days, they have not bothered 
him much of late years. At one time they took 
twenty-one head from him, but he had been 
used to wild countries, Kansas having been new- 
ly settled when the family moved there. 

Mr. Campbell now has a ranch of one thou- 
sand and forty acres of deeded lands. luost oi 
this being valley lands. He runs four hundred 
head of cattle and about one hundred head of 
horses, and he, together with his son, does all 
the work of operating this place with the excep- 
tion of the haying season. He also keeps a few 
goats, and these pay out fairly well. He i.« well 
satisfied with this region and would not care to 
sell out until he gets what he thinks his place is 
worth. Would not care to go east to live, as 
here the family have always enjoyed the best of 
health and have everything that goes to make up 
a comfortable and pleasant rural home. 

Mr. Camiibell was married March 4. 1883. to 
Miss Josephine F. Stonehocker. born in Iowa. 
Her father. Perry Stonehocker. was a farmer, 
of German descent, also her mother. Mr. and 
Mrs. Campbell have five children, named as fol- 
lows: William T.. Sarah E.. Tesse O.. Mabel 
F.. and Perry, the two oldest born in Kansas, 
and the younger children in Nebraska. For 
four vears after settling here there was no school 
in their vicinity, but there is now a good school 
one-quarter of a mile from their home, and their 




T. W. CAMPBELL and FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPH' 



317 



nearest mail station is ]\Inmper postoffice. Mr. 
Campbell is a Democrat, but has never held 
any office except local, as he has devoted his 
entire time and attention to the building up of 
his farm and home. 

-May 26, 1908, Mr. Campbell sut¥ered the sad 
loss of his wife. Three of the children are liv- 
ing with him, and two are married, one living 
in California and the other adjoining his estate 
in Deuel county, Nebraska. On another page 
we present a picture of Mr. Campbell and 
familv. 



AUGUST E. ANDERSON. 

August E. Anderson, one of the prosperous 
business men of Holdrege, Nebraska, has 
gained his success by the e.xercise of business 
tact, supplemented b|y the strictest integrity of 
word and deed. He occupies a comfortable and 
pleasant home in Holdrege, and enjoys the es- 
teem and confidence of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Anderson is a native of Helsingborg, 
Sweden, where he was raised until he was nine- 
teen years of age. His father, Andreas Ander- 
son, came to America in 1882 and homesteaded 
land on section 24, Laird township, residing on 
that place up to about 1901. His death occurred 
in 1905, aged eighty-five years. Our subject's 
mother, who was Christine Erickson, was a na- 
tive of Sweden, and is now a resident of Hold- 
rege, aged sixty-nine. One brother, Charles 
Anderson, went to Colorado where he studied 
mining, working his way through the best 
schools there, obtaining the degree of AI. E. 
He afterwards went to Mexico where he en- 
gaged in mining, and through his business qual- 
ities and knowledge of the subject has made a 
success. He is now cashier of the United States 
Banking Company at Parral, Mexico. Another 
brother, Oscar Anderson, owns and operates a 
general store at Stamford, Nebraska, and al- 
though still a very young man, is a successful 
merchant and has established a large trade 
throughout that section of the country. ^^Ir. 
Anderson also has one sister, who is the wife 
of C. L. Granlund, deputy county treasurer of 
Phelps county, formerly county treasurer for 
two terms. Mr. Granlund and our subject now 
own a hardware store in Holdrege which en- 
gages theii time. This partnership was formed 
in January, 1907. 

Mr. Anderson went to Loomis in 1886, in the 
year the town started. He first engaged in buy- 
ing grain for the Scott Elevator Company, and 
continued at that business up to 1893, then 
formed a partnership with J. \\'. Jackson, en- 



gaging in the lumber-" business at Loomis. Since 
locating at Loomis he has been one of the active 
citizens of the county. He has been successful 
in business, and also owns land in Kansas. In 
January, 1907, he removed to Holdrege, where 
he now resides. 

Mr. Anderson has always been a strong Re- 
publican, active in party politics. For the past 
four years he has been a member of the county 
central committee. 



JACOB U. BRUNS. 

Jacob U. Bruns, who is proprietor of a fine 
estate in section 8, is one of the prominent and 
successful ranchmen of Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska. He has made this region his home for 
over twenty years past, and is well-known 
throughout the locality as a progressive and up- 
to-date farmer and one of the well-to-do citizens 
of the community in which he resides. 

Mr. Bruns was born in Germany, December 
25, 1859, and came to America when about ten 
years of age, the family settling in Hancock 
county, Illinois. There were ten children in his 
father's family, Jacob being the second in order 
of birth, and they settled on a farm where he 
grew up, while a mere boy learning to do all 
sorts of hard farm work. He received a com- 
mon school education, and remained in Illinois 
until he was about twenty-seven years of age, 
then came west, locating in Cheyenne county, 
landing here in March of the year 1886. He at 
once filed on a homestead situated in section 8, 
township 15, range 47, and went to work to 
build up a good home. He has succeeded re- 
markably well, although during the hard times 
that have struck the region has met with many 
discouragements and reverses financially, but 
finally was able to add many improvements to 
his farm, also has added to his original home- 
stead so that he now ov/ns a fine ranch of one 
thousand two hundred and eighty acres, which 
is used partly for farming and partly as a ranch. 
He has about one hundred and thirty acres culti- 
vated, plenty of hayland and pasture, and runs 
one hundrecl head of cattle and a small bunch of 
horses. He has good buildings of all kinds on 
the place, and altogether one of the best equipped 
ranches in the vicinity. 

Mr. Bruns was married on March 2, 1886, at 
Carthage, Illinois, to Hannah M. Wenhoner, 
who was born in Germany, and came to this 
country in 1879. Both of Mrs. Bruns' parents 
are dead, but our subject's father is still living 
in Hancock county, Illinois, the mother's death 
having occurred June 19, 1892. 



31^ 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. and Mrs. Bruns have a family of six 
children, who are named as follows : Ubbe J., 
Anna J., now wife of Harry Thompson, they 
residing in the county: Herman J.. Trintje. 
iNIetha J- and Mary J. 

The family have a pleaeant home, and are 
among the highly esteemed residents of the com- 
munity. Politically, Mr. Bruns is a Republican, 
and he takes an active interest in local affairs. 



HERBERT A. DANIELS. 

Herbert A. Daniels, one of the extensive and 
prosperous ranchmen of Cherry county, Ne- 
iDraska, is an old settler in that region. He 
is a man of wide experience, and by good man- 
agement and industry, supplemented by honest 
dealings, has acquired a valuable ]iroperty and 
become recognized as one of the substantial 
and worthy citizens of his county. He resides 
in section 26, township 29, range 29, where he 
has a pleasant and comfortable home located on 
Beaver Lake, Cherry county. 

Mr. Daniels was born in \\'hiteside county, 
Illinois, in 1863, where his father farmed for 
man>- years. The latter, David Daniels, was 
of Scotch blood, born in this country, and he 
married Mary Potter, who came of old Yankee 
stock. Our subject was reared in his native 
state until he was thirteen years of age, then 
went to Council Bluffs where he spent two 
years, and in 1878 came to Kearney county, Ne- 
braska. This was a drouth year, when everv- 
thing was burned out liy the hot winds, and he 
became discouraged at the prospects and only 
remained one year, returning to Illinois and 
later went to Wisconsin and Iowa, drifting 
around for three or four years. Also spent some 
time in .Arkansas and did not locate permanently 
until i886, then struck Cherry county, where he 
has remained ever since. He first located on 
Watts Lake, and when he landed there his sole 
capital was four dollars and fifty cents : but he 
went to work, put up a sod house and barn and 
begun to Ijreak up land for crops. His first 
team was a pair of o.xen, and for several vears 
he lived alone, floing his own cooking and get- 
ting along as best he could. During the early 
days he witnessed prairie fires, and about l8t<8 
was entirely burned out, losing crops, tools, 
grain, etc.. suffering a severe loss, as he had a 
hard time to get along anyway. He has fought 
fires for two or three days at a time, and used 
every possible means of saving his propertv. to- 
gether with others wJio worked hard with him. 
but usuallv were comnellcd tn abandon their 
efforts and sec everything swallowed up in the 
dest"nvinef fire. 



Mr. Daniels has a ranch of one thousand six 
hundred acres, a portion of which is leased land, 
which he uses principally as a stock ranch. He 
has plenty of good water on the place, with 
beautiful lakes filled with fish and game, and 
owns one of the finest homes in his locality. His 
property is situated near Beaver Lake, to which 
loca,tion he came in 1904, having sold his home- 
stead on ^^'atts Lake in the preceding year. 

In 1905 Mr. Daniels married Miss Lizzie 
Hays, whose parents were pioneers in Cherry 
county. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Daniels 
taught school in this county, and is a lady of 
superior education and charm. They have one 
child, ]\lav, aged sixteen months. 



JOHN T. JOHNSON. 

Some of America's best citizens claim their 
nativity in far off lands across the sea, and their 
immigration to the home of the stars and stripes 
has arlfled many strong, sturdy characters to our 
population. Such a one is John J. Johnson, who 
first saw the light in Sweden. May 21, 1859, 
\^erv soon after attaining his majority he sailed 
for the L'nited States, taking up his abode in 
Michigan where he remained for nine months. 
He then went to Chicago and engaged in various 
enterprises in that great city for about three and 
a half years. Then the call of the west came 
upon him and he came to what is now Kimball 
county, then Cheyenne county. Nebraska, and in 
November, 1885, located a homestead on the 
northwest quarter of section 34, township 15, 
range S3. He also took a timber claim in section 
28 and it was not long until he purchased all of 
section 27, township 15, range S3, which is now 
the home ranch. 

Mr. Johnson has ]5roven one of the most 
successful farmers of Kimball county, and his 
industry has placed him in a most prosperous 
condition. He bought all of section thirty-four, 
e.xcept fifty-nine acres, and now owns, all told, 
one tliousand three hundvoil and sixty-one acres, 
Mr. Johnson also owns a store at Dix iiostoflfice, 
and was postmaster from 1897 to 1900. His 
home ranch is well improved with a nice dwell- 
ing and good buildings f<'>r stock. On this ranch 
there are only about one hundred and twenty 
acres under cultivation, much of Mr. Johnson's 
attention being directed in caring for his herd 
of mixed breed of cattle, ninnhering about one 
hundred and twenty head, in addition to a small 
bunch of horses. .\t stockraising he has been 
very successful, ami has built up a goiid home 
and ranch. He has watched with untiring in- 
terest the growth of the western country. 

The subject of our sketch was united in mar- 




MR. AND MRS. JOHN J. JOHNSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



319 



riage June 27 , 1899, with Ida C. Standberg, also 
a native of Sweden. The wedding was a happy- 
one and was nicely celebrated at tlie Standberg 
home place near Sextorp postoffice. This union 
has been blessed with four children: Hilda 
Marie, Carl August, Alma Elizabeth and Len- 
nart Julius, all 9f whom are still at home. Mrs. 
Johnson's parents, who were old settlers in 
Cheyenne county, have both been called from 
earth to their eternal rest and this is also true 
of Mr. Johnson's father. His mother still lives 
in Sweden. Our subject stands high in the good 
opinion of his neighbors and he is recognized bv 
all as a broad-gauged, public-spirited citizen. 
His political affiliations are with the Republican 
party, of whose interests he is an active sup- 
porter. He is treasurer of school district No. 
I, and has helped establish and build up the 
schools of this region. He has also ser\'ed as 
assessor for two terms, and has taken an active 
interest in the affairs of the community. 

On another page of this volume will be found 
portraits of Mr. and IMrs. Johnson. 



NORBERT FROHNAPFEL. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
leading business men and prosperous citizens of 
Hemingford, Nebraska, where he is engaged in 
the merchandise business, and has built up a 
good trade throughout Box Butte county. 

Mr. Frohnapfel was born in Hesse-Nassau 
Province, in the town of Fulda, Germany, in 
1874. He grew up on his parents' farm there, 
and received a common school education, learn- 
ing the Uailor's trade when a young man. and 
followed it in Germany for several years, com- 
ing to America when he was seventeen years of 
age. After landing in New York he came west 
to Hemingford, arriving here April 23. 1892. 
He afterwards worked in Chadron, Crawford, 
and Fort Robinson, and while at the latter place 
enlisted in the United States arm,y, serving for 
five years and nine months in the Eighth In- 
fantry Band, at the same time following his 
trade. While he was in army service he was 
at Fort Russell, Fort Duquesne. Utah, and at 
Jackson Hole, Idaho, and was discharged from 
the service November 28, 1898. After retiring 
from the army he opened and ran a tailor shop 
at Cheyenne, Wyoming, for one year, and in 
1900 returned to Hemingford and opened a shop 
here, remaining just a year. He next went to 
Alliance where he engaged in the work there, 
also clerking for W. D. Rumer and W. W. 
Norton. In July, 1903. he came back to Hem- 
ingford and erected a store building, and is now 



engaged in the general merchandise business, 
occupying a floor space of twenty-four by eighty- 
four feet, carrying a complete line of goods. He 
has a large patronage in this section, and is 
one of the leading merchants, well-liked for his 
honest dealings and business ability. He is also 
engaged in the hotel and livery business at the 
present time. 

On May 27, 1898, Mr. Frohnapfel was mar- 
ried to Miss Lizzie Ehlers. of German descent. 

Our subject is a strong Republican, actively 
interested in party affairs. 



W. H. COLTRIN. 

^^^ H. Coltrin, whose biography forms an 
interesting page in the history of the early set- 
tlement of Nebraska, is a resident of Blooming- 
ton township, F"ranklin county, where he is wide- 
ly known and highly esteemed. He has develop- 
ed a fine farm and home there, and is one of the 
energetic and progressive farmers, well meriting 
his success and enviable reputation. 

"sir. Coltrin is a native of Ohio, where he 
was born in 1842. His father was Elisha Colt- 
rin, who settled in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, 
in 1852, going there from Berea, Ohio. In 1861 
our subject enlisted in the Forty-fifth Illinois 
Infantry and served up to 1864 with Company 
B, Seventeenth Army Corps, under General Mc- 
Pherson and then General Blair. He was at 
Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, Vicksburg, 
Corinth, Kenesaw Mountain, siege of Atlanta, 
and other battles until July 22. 1863, then was 
taken prisoner and thrust in Andersonville 
prison where he remained for two months, going 
through all the horrors of that place. He was 
then exchanged and rejoined his regiment, tak- 
ing part in the march to the sea, and was mus- 
tered out at Savannah, Georgia. After leaving 
the army he worked at brick masonry for some 
time, and in 1872 he came to Nebraska, home- 
steading in Hanover township, Adams county, 
on one hundred and sixty acres of land which 
he farmed up to 1886. There he was active in 
county affairs, serving on the county committee, 
and attending all the county and state conven- 
tions as a delegate. He was on the school board, 
also the township board, and for several years 
served as township clerk, being elected on the 
Republican ticket. He has always been active 
in Grand Army of the Republic circles, and a 
leading citizen wherever he has made his home. 
In 1886 he left Adams county and went to Brown 
county, where he bought a ranch of eight hun- 
dred acres, also renting a lot of government land, 
running from four to five hundred head of cat- 



320 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tie, good grade stock, and some thoroughbred 
Galloways, and made a success of the stock busi- 
ness. In 1903 he purchased his present home of 
one hundred and fifty-eight acres, improved with 
good buildings, fences, etc.. and is one of the 
leading farmers of the locality. He considers 
the state of Nebraska far ahead of Illinois, and 
the Republican valley, his present home, as the 
very best part of the whole state. 

Mr. Coltrin was married in 1882, to ]^Iiss 
.Marv Sinclair, and this union has been blessed 
with eight children : William H. is engaged in 
railroad work : Charles is attending Franklin 
Academy : Clara and Sarah are teachers. Mary. 
Dollie. Francis and Martha are the other chil- 
dren. Our subject and family are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church. 



MARTIN T. WEBER. 

Martin J. Weber, one of the early settlers in 
Dawes county. Nebraska, is well-known through- 
out the community in which he resides as a 
successful and prosperous business man and cit- 
izen of true worth. He has always taken a 
deep interest in the development of the locality 
in which he has chosen to reside, and he is 
widely known and universally respected and 
esteemed. 

Mr. Weber was born at Handler's Landing. 
on the Genesee river. New York, in 1863. His 
father, Frank \\'eber, was born in Germany, a 
furniture dealer by trade, and his mother was 
an American girl, of German blood. Our sub- 
ject grew up in New York, and at the age of 
eighteen came west to Nebraska, arriving here 
in 1880. He enlisted in the United States reg- 
ular army and served for five years, coming to 
Fort Robinson in the year i880, and saw service 
at Forts D. A. Russell, Fred Steele and Jefferson 
Barracks, being discharged at Fort Robinson 
in the latter part of 1884. He entered the serv- 
ice as a recruit, and when he received his dis- 
charge he held the position of first sergeant of 
his troops, and had a brilliant record as a soldier. 

After, leaving the army service he started 
ranching on the ^^"hite river, and followed this 
work up to 190.^. He has been all over the 
northwestern part of Nebraska, and in the early 
days camped out altogether, never knowing what 
it was to sleep in a bed for many months at a 
time. He was often out in heavy blizzards and 
rain Rtorms for hours and days at a time, and 
experienced much suffering from exposure, but 
in spite of all these hardships, enjoyed the wild 
life of the west. He had taken up a homestead 
in the first days of coming here on which he 



proved up, and had altogether eight hundred 
acres of land well improved with buildings when 
he sold the place out in 1905. In 1905 he estab- 
lished his present business, feed and grain store 
and elevator, and has built up a nice trade and 
made a ""marked success in this work. 

Mr. Weber was married in 1884 to Miss 
Mary Bendi.xon, whose parents are old settlers 
in Chadron. They have a family of three chil- 
dren, namely : ^lay, who is a teacher in the 
Crawford high school : Roy, attending the high 
school, and Frank, at home. 

Mr. ^^'eber has always been prominent in 
local affairs and lent his aid in all matters that 
tended to the advancement of educational and 
commercial interests of his locality. He is a 
Republican, and was county commissioner in 
Sioux county for six years, and helped to e.stab- 
lish the first schools in that countv. 



JOHN S. MYERS. 

John S. Myers, who is a prosperous and suc- 
cessful member of the farming community of 
Liberty precinct, Perkins county, takes high rank 
among the thrifty and honorable agriculturists of 
this part of Nebraska. He was born in Indiana 
in 1855. and grew to the age of seven years on 
the homestead in Putnam county. His grand- 
parents came from the old country, his father be- 
ing of English and German descent, while his 
mother was of French-Scotch blood. His father 
was a faVmer by occupation, and when he was 
a child the family settled in Illinois, living in 
Champaign county for two years. There the fa- 
ther followed railroading, and from the time 
John was eleven years until he reached the age 
of twenty-eight, he also worked at railroading, 
being on construction work all over the state of 
Illinois. He spent some time at carpenter work 
there, and also as a clerk in the mercantile busi- 
ness in Christian county. 

In March. 1886. Mr. Myers came to Perkins 
county, Nebraska, took up a homestead on sec- 
tion 8, township 10, range 38, and started to 
build up a home for himself. During the first 
months .here he worked in a lumber yard in 
Grant, employed by the firm of Russell & Pat- 
ton, also worked for the Brule Lumber Co. He 
came here with practically no start, and was com- 
pelled to work out, following his trade as a car- 
penter, also clerked in different stores for two 
years, in order to make a living and get a little 
money ahead and improve his farm. He has the 
distinction of having built the first house in the 
old town of Grant. He was appointed postmaster 
at Grant in 1803. and held that office up to 1897, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



then went back to his farm. He has lived on it 
continuously since that time, and now has eight 
hundred acres, well stocked and improved with 
good buildings, etc. Of this he farms two hun- 
dred and eighty acres, and uses the rest as a stock 
farm, having plenty of pasture and hayland. 

Mr. Myers was married in 1882, at Clayton, 
Adams count^v. Illinois, to Miss Louise C. Conn, 
and to them have been born two children, T. 
Wa_\Tie and Porter H. 

Politically, Mr. J\lyers is a Democrat, and has 
always devoted considerable time to the upbuild- 
ing of his locality and the good of his fellow- 
men. He has served in diiiferent capacities, hold- 
ing the office of township assessor during one 
year. Mr. Myers is now "building up" a second 
farm, this being for his son. Porter H., who was 
married November 15, 1908. 



BEXJA^IIN F. PRICE. 

Benjamin F. Price, a capable and prosperous 
farmer, is a gentleman possessed of a broad 
mind and excellent business ability, and has been 
prominent in agricultural circles in Box Butte 
county for over twenty years. He was born in 
Berrien county, Michigan, in i862. His father, 
John P. Price, was a farmer all his life descend- 
ed from Welsh-Irish stock, who married Kath- 
erine Hines, of Pennsylvania-Dutch blood. 

Our subject was reared and educated in his 
native county, and grew up on his father's farm, 
where he had plenty of hard work to do during 
his boyhood years, receiving his education at the 
country schools. Both parents died before he 
reached the age of fourteen years, and he was 
obliged to hustle for himself from that time on, 
following farm w-ork, hiring out by the month in 
the vicinity of his home, and he remained in 
Michigan until he was twenty-three years old. 
In the spring of 1886 he came west, and located 
in Box Butte county, filing on a homestead in 
Nonpareil precinct. When he landed here he 
had nothing to start with excepting $160.00. 
This money he h,ad brought with him from Mich- 
igan, and he used it in opening up his farm, at 
once building a ten by twelve frame shantv in 
which he lived for a time, then built a sod house 
and held down his claim until proving up on it. 
During this time he lived all alone, "batching it." 
and experienced some prettv hard times in get- 
ting a start. He occupied this place up to 1901, 
then sold out and went back to his native state 
where he spent nine months, then returned to 
Nebraska and purchased his present farm, sit- 
uated in section 11, township 27, range .^0. Dur- 
ino- the time he lived on his first farm in this 



region, he had several total failures of crops, and 
in the eight years he was there only raised 
enough grain to thresh twice. 

Mr. Price now owns a ranch of eight hun- 
dred and sixty acres, farming seventy-five acres 
of it, and keeping the rest for hay and pasture for 
his stock, as he raises cattle and horses for the 
market. He has erected good buildings, has a 
good well with windmills, tanks, etc., and every 
corner of his place kept in the best possible shape. 
Our subject has met with fine success in his 
agricultural ventures, and is numbered among 
the well-to-do men of his locality who have al- 
ways taken an active part in the history of this 
region from its early development and done their 
full share as an old settler in helping to build up 
the schools in his locality. 

j\lr. Price resides about three miles from the 
town of Hemingford, which place is his post- 
office address. A picture of Air. Price's ranch 
residence appears on another page. 

In 1890 Mr. Price was united in marriage to 
Miss Luzilla Best, also of Michigan, her parents 
being pioneer settlers of Box Butte county. The 
marriage was celebrated near Alliance, Nebras- 
ka. Two children were born of this union, Gail, 
aged eleven years ; and Merle, aged six years. 

Soon after JMr. and Mrs. Price were married 
they took stock, and found that their sole pos- 
sessions in the way of personal property was a 
team of horses and one or two cows, and they 
experienced a great deal of hardship and priva- 
tion during the hard times which swept their lo- 
cality in the dry years, fromi 1891 to 1896. For 
a time they gave it up, and went to Denver, 
where they spent a few months, but decided to 
come back and stick it through, and are now very 
glad that they did. 

Politically, Mr. Price is a Democrat. 



ADAM FRICKEY. 

Although one of the recent settlers in Phelps 
county, the gentleman herein named has gained 
the esteem and confidence of all with whom he 
has come in contact by his industrious habits, 
and honesty of dealing with his fellowmen. Mr. 
Frickey was born in 1854. His father, August 
Frickey, came from Somerset county, Pennsyl- 
vania, and settled in Illinois, where he farmed 
for many years. 

Air. Frickey came to Nebraska twenty-nine 
years ago, and later bought a farm in York 
county, in 1877, on which he lived for twenty- 
one years. He was engaged in the livery busi- 
ness at Benedict, and also in the horse business, 
dealing in imported animals. In 1905, our sub- 



322 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ject settled in Laird township, Plielps county, 
and liere lie has raised three as good crops as 
he ever saw any place, his wheat in 1906 running 
.thirty bushels and corn from fifty to sixty bush- 
els per acre. He states that farming is much 
■easier here, the soil is better and there are less 
obstacles to contend with in wet weather, the 
roads are better, as a man can drive a load over 
them at any time without any trouble. He in- 
tends to start in raising registered red hogs soon, 
as he thinks this an ideal place for the raising 
of hogs and sattle. He took a trip through the 
west some years ago, and of all the places he 
encountered says there is no better than this 
•county for farming and stock raising. 

ilr, Frickey was married in 1878 to Miss 
Regalia Troutman. To Mr, and Mrs. Frickey 
six children have been born, four sons and two 
daughters, namely : Lillian. \\'arren. Earl, 
Scott. Ford and Lucile. 

Politically, our subject is a stanch Repub- 
lican. 



JOSEPH HULIXSKY. 

Joseph Hulinsky, one of the best known men 
in \'alley county, Nebraska, is also one of the 
oldest settlers in his locality, having located here 
with his parents in 1880, and has lived here ever 
since that time. He now resides in section 6, 
township 20, range 16, owning a nice i:)roi)erty 
and enjo^ving a comfortable home. 

Mr. Hulinsky was born in Austria in 1871, 
He, with his parents, came to America when 
"he was a boy of eight years, the father, Albert 
Hulinsky. taking up a government tract as a 
liomestead in \'alley county, and proved up on 
it. and at the time of his death which occurred in 
1898. he owned a valuable farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres, all good land. The mother con- 
tinued to live on the home farm until she jilso 
died, in 1905, when it went to the children. 

Our subject is now proprietor of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of farm land, on which 
tie raises fine crops of corn. oats, wheat, etc. He 
also handles considerable stock each year, and 
has met with decided success in his different 
enterprises. He is a jiractical farmer, industrious 
and a good manager, as every appointment of 
liis farm and home bears evidence, and is classed 
among the well-to-do citizens of his locality. 

On another ])age will be found a jiicture of 
Mr. Hulinsky's residence, together with his 
family. 

In 1898 Mr. Hulinsky was married to Miss 
Mary Hosticka, also a native of Austria, who 
came to America with her parents in 1881. the 
familv settling in \'allev countv, Nebraska. Mr. 



and Mrs. Hulinsky are the parents of four chil- 
dren, one son and three daughters, named as 
follows : Annie. Frank, Mary and Agnes, The 
family are devoted members of the Bohemian 
Catholic church of \'alley county, Nebraska. 

Our subject has always taken an active part 
in local affairs and has done his share in advanc- 
ing the interests of his community. He has 
served as justice of the peace and township clerk, 
representing the Democratic party : has always 
voted that ticket since a young man, and is a 
supporter and admirer of William Jennings 
Brvan. 



JOHN A. :\fACrMDER. 

The above named gentleman is one of the 
prominent old-timers of Dawes county, Nebras- 
ka, where he has materially aided in the growth 
of that region. Mr. Macumber is familiarly 
known as "The Headlight of Bordeaux." the 
cognomen which was applied to him through the 
Alliance meeting. He is a warm friend and 
admirer of James C, Dahlman, the "cowboy 
mayor'' of Omaha, with whom he became ac- 
quainted when he first came to this country, 

Mr. Macumber was born in Gallia countv, 
Ohio, on April 8. 1852. His father, J. A. Ma- 
cumber, was also a native of Gallia county, 
and died January 23, 1907. having settled in 
JMadison county, Iowa, in 1853. when our sub- 
ject was but one year of age, he having been a 
twin, and one of a family of eight children by the 
second marriage of his father who also had four 
children by a first marriage. The homestead in 
Iowa where thev lived for manv years is sti'I 
owned by a nephew. Emory Calison. and it was 
there that the children all grew up. There John 
learned to ('o all sorts of hard farm work and as- 
sisted his parents in building uji a good home 
and farm, going through pioneer experiences 
when they were obliged to suffer many hardships 
and privations, handle ox teams, etc.. and at the 
age of twent\--one years started in for himself, 
following farm work. He ownc^l a two hundred 
acre farm there, and went through the panic of 
1873. coming out of the trouble in very good 
shape financially-. 

In 1886 Mr. .Macumber came west, arriving 
in Dawes count}- in the month of March: went 
back to Iowa, sold his farm and returned with 
his family on the 8th of Aoril. 1886. Thev lo- 
cated in sectiiin 34, township 34. range 48. on 
l')ordeaux creek, this stream also running through 
his land. He has plenty of natural timber on the 
place, and ninety acres is irrigated, on which he 
raises fine crons, and in all has one hundred and 









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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



323 



fifty acres under cultivation. The ranch con- 
sists of eight hundred acres, and is well supplied 
with good water, wild fruits, and he has many 
acres of good hayland and grass for pasture. 
The first dwelling put up on the farm was a 
dugout in which they lived for one year. The 
dry years followed soon after he located here 
and many were the losses and discouragements 
they experienced, and also in 1890 and 1891 they 
were occasioned much discomfort and anxiety 
through the Indian uprisings throughout this 
part of the state, but no one was injured. Dur- 
ing the first years here he broke up all his land 
and did all the farm work with the help of two 
yoke of oxen, and used these faithful animals 
for five years. The ranch is now all fenced and 
well improved, free from all indebtedness, and 
he has one of the valuable pieces of property in 
the county, Snd a comfortable home. 

Otir subject was married while living in Iowa, 
April 20, 1873, to JTiss Melissa Shearer, a native 
of Indiana, who settled in Illinois when a girl, 
with her parents, and in 1866 they moved to 
Iowa where they were among the pioneers of 
Madison county. Mr. and Mrs. Macumber are 
the parents of five children, named as follows : 
William H., Edward A., James W., J. A. Jr., and 
Alida B., all married except John A. Jr., who 
lives in South Dakota. James W. alsoTives in 
South Dakota. The balance of the family live 
in Dawes county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Macumber is a stanch Democrat, inclin- 
ing strongly toward Socialism, and has always 
worked along reform lines and been closely 
identified with all reform movements in his sec- 
tion for many years. He is a man of superior 
intelligence and progressive ideas, and one of 
the foremost citizens of his locality. A picture 
of the residence and family will be found on 
another page. 



ALBERT L. SCHNURR. 

Albert L. Schnurr. who occupies a prominent 
place among the younger business men of Har- 
rison, Nebraska, is a man of very pleasant per- 
sonality, well liked for his straightforward char- 
acter and genial disposition. 

Mr. Schnurr was born at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, 
in August, 1879. His father, William, was a shoe 
merchant at that place, a good business man and 
well known throughout that section of the coun- 
try. He married Rose Rukgaber, who was born 
in Richmond, Virgina, and reared in Iowa. Our 
subject's grandparents on his father's side were 
natives of Germany. Albert was reared and edu- 
cated in his native state, graduating from the 



Mt. Pleasant high school in 1896. later attended 
the Mt. Pleasant academy and graduated from 
the commercial department of the Iowa Wesleyan 
University in 1898. 

In 1899 Mr. Schnurr came to Omaha and en- 
tered the law office of W. A. Saunders, and 
studied law with that gentleman up to 1905, and 
in April of that year he came to Sioux county 
with the intention of engaging in the cattle busi- 
ness. He was admitted to the bar in 1906, and 
the following year was elected county judge of 
Sioux county, and is still serving in that capacity. 
He received the office by a vote of all parties, and' 
against his own personal wishes in the matter, 
and has proven a most capable official. 

Mr. Schnurr is secretary and treasurer of 
the Flarrison Real Estate & Loan Company, and 
is also organizer and promoter of that concern, 
incorporated in 1906, with officers as follows: 
E. F. Pontius, president; John A. Anderson, 
vice president : A. L. Schnurr, secretary and 
treasurer; R. B. Schnurr, assistant secretary. 
This firm deals in real estate, ranch and farm 
lands. The\- have handled immense deals in 
town properties, and their responsibility and 
financial standing is unquestioned. 

R. B. Schnurr, 'brother of our subject, was 
born in Iowa, April, 1886, and received prac- 
tically the same training and education as Albert, 
coming to Harrison to locate permanently in 
June, 1907, when he associated himself with the 
firm as above mentioned. 

Albert L. Schmirr is interested in consider- 
able ranching property in this county, and he has 
been very successful since locating here, gain- 
ing an enviable reputation as a worthy and enter- 
orising citizen of his communitv. 



FRED W. RIXCKER. 

Fred W. Rincker, owner of the book and 
music and stationery store at North Platte, came 
here in 1894, and has since resided at this. place, 
where he has a pleasant home and is highly 
esteemed as a worthy citizen. 

Mr. Rincker was born in McLain county, 
Illinois, in the town of Lexington, in 1857. He 
is a son of Dr. Rincker, a native of Germany, 
and early settler in Illinois, who received his 
education as a physician in his native country. 
Our subject was raised in Illinois, and began 
working on the railroad in 1880 at Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. He first was emplo\-ed by the L^nion 
Pacific railway as a freight brakeman. continu- 
ing at this for two years, then was given the 
position of freight conductor, and in 1887 was 
appointed passenger conductor, holding this po- 



324 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



sition continuously up to January 2, 1907. He 
was on the fast mail running from Cheyenne to 
Council Bluffs, from 1890 to 1894, and later on 
the limited train from North Platte to Cheyenne. 
Mr. Rincker is a member of the Order of Rail- 
way Conductors, and has been ever since 1883, 
filling all the offices in the local lodges, having 
held the post of chief conductor for several 
terms at different times. He was the second old- 
est conductor in the service up to 1907, and has 
never had an accident attributed to himself. He 
belongs to North Platte Masonic lodge. 

Mr. Rincker was married in 1884 to Miss 
Hattie \\'hite, born in Yankton, South Dakota. 
Her father, Clarence Sylvester White, went there 
in 1850 and located at Siou.x Falls, later at Yank- 
ton, where he was engaged in freighting in the 
earlv davs, in partnership with Colonel Laurence, 
also associated with W. A. Paxton, of Omaha, 
and he was well known throughout the western 
states among all the pioneers. He used a large 
number of teams and men in this business, and 
was at the head of a large force when he was 
killed from ambush. 

Mr. ^\'hite built the first house in Yankton. 
He came originally from \'ermont, first settling 
in Minnesota and driven out by the Indians, then 
moved to South Dakota. Mrs. Rincker's mother 
was, prior to her marriage. Miss Elizabeth B. 
Welch, a native of Vermont. Two children were 
born to our subject and his wife, namely: Ernest 
W., and Charles A. 



EDWARD \'. S. POMEROY. 

Edward V. S. Pomeroy, one of the promi- 
nent citizens of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, re- 
sides in Brownson precinct. He was born in 
Pittsfield. Berkshire county, Alassachusetts, Feb- 
ruary 11, 1865, and grew up there. His father, 
Edward Pomeroy, was also a native of that state, 
lived there for many years, and died in 1889. 
Our subject's mother, who was Lucretia Van 
Sanvoord, was born and reared in New York 
state, and she still lives on the old homestead in 
Massachusetts. 

Mr. Pomeroy left home in 1885, and came to 
Nebraska, settling in Cheyenne county, where he 
pre-empted a claim in section 26, township 15, 
range 51, which is his present home. He imme- 
diately went to work and proved up on the land, 
built up a good home, and has gone through all 
the pioneer experiences of the early days in this 
section. He started with a very small capital, 
worked with untiring energy and succeeded in a 
marked degree. He is now proprietor of a ranch 
containing three thousand and forty acres of 



deeded land, known as the "Montauk Ranch." 
and controls considerable leased land in addition 
to this. 

He erected a fine two-story stone house in 
1886, and has good substantial farm buildings 
and all necessary equipment for operating a 
model ranch, and is one of the leading ranchmen 
of his locality. He is a genuine lover of fine 
stock, and breeds good running horses, many of 
which have been trained for the race track and 
proved to be among the best racers on the turf, 
winning many ribbons in different events. He 
has a fine track on the ranch where his racers 
recei\-e their first training for the racing events. 
He IS also a lover of outdoor sports and in the 
earlier days of his ranching here devoted much 
time to hunting and fishing. 

Mr. Pomeroy has about two hundred a'cres of 
land cultivated, and raises grains, fruits, etc. He 
deals quite extensively in the cattle business, 
running about two hundred and fifty head an- 
nuallv, and keeps from one to three hundred 
horses on his ranch at all times. His ranch is 
beautifully located on Lodgepole creek, the main 
part of it lying north of the stream on the table- 
land. 

Mr. Pomerov was married in New York city, 
April 27, 1887, 'to Mary A. Piatt, of that state, 
whose parents lived there for many years. The 
mother is now dead, but the father still occupies 
the old home. Mr. Pomeroy and his good wife 
have two adopted children, whom they took into 
tlieir hearts and home when small, and they are 
named Lucretia Ely, and Hilary Ruthven Pome- 
roy. Mr. Ponaeroy has devoted much of his time 
and efforts to the upbuilding of his locality and 
is prominent in local affairs. He is a Republican 
and stands firmly for his convictions. He is a 
member of the Episcopal church. 



GRANT BIXLER. 

Grant Bixler, who holds a prominent place 
among the pioneer settlers of Cherry county, is 
a very successful stockman and farmer. Mr. Bix- 
ler was born near Minonk, Livingston county, 
Illinois, July 5, 1868, living there until he was 
seven years old. In 1875 the family moved to 
Panora, Iowa, later they moved to Berwin. in 
Guthrie county, where the father bought a farm. 
His father was Samuel Bixler, of Pennsylvania 
Dutch stock, was a farmer, and served in the 
Forty-seventh Illinois for four years and nine 
months during the war. Though he fought in 
two battles he was never wounded, and is now 
living in Gordon. His mother was Miss ^Nlary 
Desano, of English descent. ))orn in Pliiladclphia, 




RESIDEXCE OF SHERIFF G. A. EVANS, 
Taylor. .Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



325 



where Mr. Bixler now has relatives living. He 
is the second child in a family of six, and started 
in life for himself when eighteen years of age, 
following farm work. In 1884 he came to 
Broken Bow, Custer county, remaining here 
four years, and in 1888 moved into Cherry coun- 
ty and took pre-emption which he sold and took 
a homestead, in section 26, township 35, range 
Z7, still holding it as a ranch and has added to it 
until he now has six hundred and forty acres of 
deeded land, nearly all hay land excepting a 
small portion which is hilly range. On this ranch 
he runs about two hundred and fifty head' of cat- 
tle and a number of horses. He is also owner 
of some town property and makes his home there 
during the winter. Excepting for about two 
years in which he was engaged in the livery 
business, he has engaged exclusively in stock 
raising. 

Our subject was married to ]\liss Alice Pru- 
den in 1897, whose father was a farmer of Eng- 
lish descent. Four children were born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Bixler, named as follows : Lottie, 
Lottie, George, Clyde and Frost, all of whom 
were born in Cherry county. 

When Mr. Bixler landed in Cherry county all 
he had in the world was a horse, saddle and the 
clothes he wore. He has seen hard times, for 
several years working for difTerent ranchmen by 
the year for $14 a month. He now has his ranch 
well improved, all fenced, and has about thirty 
acres of broken land, and some tame grasses 
started. 

Mr. Bixler moved into town in order to give 
his children the benefit of the better schools. He 
has always worked hard and has met with suc- 
cess in the ranching business, but feels that his 
labor has not been in vain. In political faith 
he is a Republican, and is firm in his convictions. 
He is a member of the Merriman lodge of Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America. 



GEORGE A. EVANS. 

The subject of this review was born in Iowa, 
in 1863, and was reared on a farm, becoming 
accustomed to hard work of which there was 
plenty to do. His father, Hugh Evans, was born 
in Indiana, but was of Welsh ancestry. Our 
subject's mother was Susan Davis, native of 
Indiana. 

George A. Evans started out for himself in 
1884, engaging in agricultural pursuits. In 1886, 
he came west to Loup county, Nebraska, work- 
ing for a while in Taylor, the countv seat. In 
1887 he took a pre-emption claim in Blaine coun- 
ty, on the Loup river, and in 1890 he located a 
homestead three miles west of Tavlor. 



In 1890 Mr. Evans was united in marriage 
to Miss Nettie Hooper, who was reared in Loup 
county, where her father was one of the earliest 
pioneers. Her mother was Miss Mahaley Kin- 
ser before marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have 
four daughters : Cristie, May, Ina and Blanche. 

George Evans had only a team of horses 
when he made his start in Loup county, but he 
has proven a man of ability and enterprise by 
building up a fine farm and home. He bought 
the place where he now lives in 1898, and has 
three hundred and twenty acres with nice im- 
provements, good house, barns and fine trees. 
For three years he engaged in the implement 
business in Taylor and was active in the upbuild- 
ing of that city. He has been one of the promi- 
nent pioneer settlers and old-timers of Loup 
county and has done his share in advancing the 
interests of that community. 

George A. Evans has taken an active part in 
the politics of the county and has been honored 
with several offices in the gift of the people. He 
has been road overseer, assessor and has held 
other minor offices. For several years he was 
chairman of the county central committee of the 
Populist party. In 1901 he was elected sheriff 
of Loup county and was re-elected in 1903, 1905 
and 1907, and is the present incumbent of that 
office. 

On another page of this volume will be found 
a picture of ]\Ir. Evans' place. 



JUSTIN E. PORTER. 

Among the professional men of Dawes coun- 
ty, Nebraska, an able representative is found in 
the person of Justin E. Porter, an attorney of 
Crawford. He is a gentleman of broad mind 
and good practical training, and has built up 
for himself a good business and enviable reputa- 
tion as a lawyer and public-spirited citizen. Mr. 
Porter is at present serving as county attorney, 
having been elected in 1904 and re-elected in 
1906. 

Mr. Porter is a native of Prince Edward Is- 
land, Canada, born in 1866, on December 25th, 
being a Christmas gift to his parents, who were 
of Scotch-Irish descent, his father a leather deal- 
er in Canada. Our subject was reared and edu- 
cated in that county, attending an Episcopal 
school and was graduated as a barrister m Win- 
nipeg in 1891. In 1894 he came to Nebraska 
and settled in Crawford, where he opened a law 
office and has continued in that work ever since, 
building up a large and lucrative practice in 
Dawes and the adjoining counties. He has done 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



well since locating here, and has accumulated a 
good property by persistent and faithful efforts 
supplemented by good management, and is one 
of the leading attorneys of this region. 

Mr. Porter is a Republican politically, and 
has taken an active part in party politics since 
locating here. He has been chairman of the 
county central committee for two years, and has 
acted as city attorney off and on for many years 
past. 

Mr. Porter has a family of two children, 
namely : Waldo and Caroline. 



S. C. GOULD. 



The above gentleman, residing in Alma. Har- 
lan county, Nebraska, is the genial proprietor 
of "The Double Store," which carries the largest 
stock of general merchandise of any establish- 
ment of its kind in the county, amounting to 
$33,000. Mr. Gould began as a clerk in this 
county, mostly under his father, G. H. Goula, 
who for years managed a large mercantile busi- 
ness in Republican, and the former started in 
business in 1897, with a capital of $1,100, being 
successor of his father-in-law, Frank Shaffer, 
widely known as the pioneer settler and merchant 
of Alma. 

Mr. Gould is a native of Iowa, born in 1870. 
His father, Garvin H. Gould, of Republican, 
Harlan county, is a native of Lincoln county, 
Maine, born December 19, 1845, and is a son of 
Joseph and Mary E. (Hamilton) Gould, the for- 
mer born in 1815. He has one brother. Albert 
H. Gould, residing in Flarlan county. The Gould 
family moved from Maine to Handy Hollow, 
New York, then to Yeoman's Mills, Tioga cuuu- 
ty, Pennsylvania, having been engaged for at 
least two generations in the lumbering business 
in Maine, New York and Pennsylvania. At the 
breaking out of the civil war Albert fl. enlisted 
in the Eighty-sixth New York regiment, and 
served until April 2, 1862. He was<at the first 
battle of Bull Run. His father, Joseph Gould, 
also belonged to the same company of soldiers. 

After the war the latter came with his fam- 
ily to Marengo county. Iowa, and in 1871 came 
to Nebraska, locating in Harlan county, where 
he was one of the earliest settlers, his death oc- 
curring there in 1882. Gould Post, Grand Army 
of the Republic, of Republican City, was named 
after him, and he was the first probate judge 
of Harlan county. His son, Garvin H. Gould, 
entered the Elmira Commercial College in 1884. 
and engaged there in the grocery business as 
Gould Bros., remaining there until 1869, then 
came west settling in Marengo county, Iowa, 



and farmed for three years. At that time he 
came to Harlan county, taking a homestead in 
the Republican valley. He bought one hundred 
and sixty acres of land, also a fine farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres two miles west of Re- 
publican City. In 1874 and 1875 he was appoint- 
ed b_\- the state aid society to distribute relief 
over the east half of Harlan county, and has 
served on the local school board almost contin- 
uously since 1872. 

Mr. Gould's business extends over a section 
covering a radius of thirty-five to forty miles. 
He carries a full line of dry goods, clothing, 
boots and shoes, and ladies' and gents' wearing 
apparel of the best quality and most up-to-date 
styles. His whole time and attention is given to 
the management of this business, and his strict 
honesty in business methods, and honorable and 
square dealings win him many friends. He is 
of a frank and genial personality, and is great- 
ly admired and esteemed by the entire com- 
munity. 

Mr. Gould was married in 1895 to Miss 
Birdie Shaft'er, daughter of Frank Shaffer, of 
Alma, whose sketch appears in this volume. 
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Gould, namely : Clarence. Clayton and Harold. 
Mr. Gould was an only child, his mother's death 
occurring December 2, 1873. at Republican. Mr. 
Gould was educated at the Commercial College, 
located in Republican, having attended the coun- 
ty schools here during his boyhood years. He is 
one of the public spirited citizens of Alma, but 
has little time to devote to taking an active part 
in affairs. He is a member of the Masonic Blue 
Lodge, and a Knight of Pythias. 



JOHN F. HORN BECK. 

Among the most successful farmers of Phelps 
county, Nebraska, is the gentleman above named, 
who resides on section 35, in Laird township. 
He has a valuable estate and is one of the fore- 
most citizens of his community. 

Mr. Hornbeck is a native of Macon county, 
Illinois, born in 1854. His father, Abraham 
ITorn1)cck, was from Kentucky, and an early set- 
tler in Illinois, and there our subject was reared 
and educated. In 1888 he first came to this coun- 
ty and townshiji, where he farmed on rented land 
up to 1*'00, and at that time purchased the place 
and erected a fine house, barn anrl other build- 
ings on the place. He engaged in grain raising 
almost exclusively and was very successful from 
the start. The land has trebled in value since 
he bought it and he is perfectly satisfied with his 
efforts and the result of his hard work. He likes 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 327 



this country much better than Illinois, and thinks 
it is better for a poor man to get along and make 
money, as once a renter there, always a renter, 
while' here there is a better opportunity for a 
man to get ahead and own his own farm and 
home. The soil is also much easier worked here, 
one man being able to c'o as miuch as two can 
do in Illinois, while the crops are as good, and 
in most cases better. His wheat crop here runs 
thirty-five bushels to the acre, and corn sixty. 
He has also dealt in stock to quite an extent 
during the past few years, and finds this very 
profital?le, keeping red hogs, and high grade 
Shorthorn cattle, with enough horses for his 
farming purposes. Besides working his own 
farm Mr. Hoxnbeck rents land adjoining, 
operating about four hundred acres in all. 

Mr. Hornbeck has three children : Olive, 
owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land 
at Maywood, Nebraska ; Carl, owner of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of land at Trenton, Ne- 
braska, and Cecil, who owns one hundred and 
sixty acres at Elwood, Nebraska. 

Mr. Hornbeck is highly esteemed by all who 
have come in contact with him in a business or 
social way, and is one of the influential citizens 
of his community. He has gained an enviable 
reputation as an energetic and successful man, 
and is a fine example of what the settlers from 
Illinois in this region have accomplished. In 
political sentiment he is a Democrat. 



JAMES C. FOSTER. 

In the person of the gentleman above named 
we have one of the old-time Sand Hill ranchmen 
and cattlemen, who has been through all the early 
western Nebraska times, taking an active part 
in the upbuilding of that part of the state, and 
who has remained to see what time and progress 
has done to the country which was in its most 
primitive state when he settled there. Mr. Fos- 
ter now resides in Oshkosh, moving into that 
town in 1907, and is retired from active work 
on his large ranch, now occupying one of the 
finest residences in town. 

James C. Foster was born in Jefferson coun- 
ty. Pennsylvania, March 5, 1847, and grew to 
manhood there. At the age of about seventeen 
he enlisted in Company B, First Battalion Infan- 
try Volunteers of Pennsylvania, and later re-en- 
listed in the Seventy-fourth Regiment, and 
was mustered out at Clarksburg, West Virginia, 
in the fall of 1865. During his service as a sol- 
dier he was with his regiment on scouting expe- 
ditions, etc. His elder brother, Hiram T. Foster, 
had entered the army in 1861 and served for 



three years, then re-enlisted and was killed in 
action while marching from Petersburg to Rich- 
mond, prior to Lee's surrender. The father of 
our subject had enlisted during the first part of 
the war, but before the time came for him to 
join his regiment, he was taken ill and died. An- 
other brother, William M., was in service about 
two years, and was a prisoner in the famous- 
Libby prison, suffering all the tortures that be- 
fell those unfortunates who fell into the hands 
of the rebels. 

At the close of the war Mr. Foster returned 
home to Pennsylvania, and engaged in the lum- 
bering business in Clearfield county, on head- 
waters of the Susquehanna river, and also on the 
Big Mahoning river, continuing in that line of 
work up to 1876, then came west, locating at 
Pawnee, Nance county, Nebraska. He spent 
about twelve years there, ranching most of the 
time, and for four years worked in the vicinity of 
the Indian schools for George Willard, a ranch- 
man and farmer. He was proprietor of a ranch 
in Nance county, which he sold out, finally com- 
ing to Deuel county in 1886. Here he filed on a 
homestead on section 7, township 22, range 44, 
and became owner of eight hundred acres, which' 
he improved in first-class shape, equipping it 
with every convenience and stocked with cattle, 
making it one of the most valuable estates in the 
county. 

Mr. Foster married Miss Carrie M. Douglas, 
a native of Minnesota, their marriage occurring 
at Genoa, Nebraska, on May 2, 1881. They 
have six children, named as follows : Nettie,, 
wife of Edward jMiller, of Oshkosh ; Rosalie, 
wife of Green Ross, living in D.euel county ; 
Mary, Maude, William, and J. C, the four last 
named living at home on the ranch. 



B. J. BURT. 



Of the prominent and leading old settlers of 
western Nebraska, none are held in higher es- 
teem by their fellow citizens than B. J. Burt, who 
resides on section 12, township 14, range 59, of 
Kimball county. 

Mr. Burt was born in Essex county, Massa- 
chusetts, on the 8th of September, 1844, and' 
grew to manhood in that vicinity. He was one 
of a family of three children, two girls and him- 
self, and his father lived to the ripe old age of 
eighty-seven, his death occurring in about 1903. 
Our subject left Massachusetts in 1869, coming 
to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and there followed the 
range as a cowman for a number of years, in 
1887 coming to Kimball county, Nebraska, where 
he took up a homestead on section 12, township 



328 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



14, range 59. and also purchased railroad land in 
section 11. He proved>up on his homestead and 
has made a good home out of it, putting up 
good buildings, fences, etc., and runs a large 
bunch of stock each year, having at the present 
time one hundred and fifty head of cattle and 
quite a bunch of horses. He has a fine grove 
of trees on his ranch, a good water supply, and 
everything necessary in the way of machinery 
and improvements. ^Ir. Burt has about fifty 
acres of irrigated land, the ditch running through 
the farm east and west. This practically insures 
a hay crop each year. 

Mr. Burt was united in marriage October 28, 
1891. to Miss ^lary Ann Tracy, who was born in 
Iowa. She was a most estimable and charming 
lady, beloved by all who knew her, and departed 
this life on February 20, 1906. leaving a sorrow- 
ing family and many warm friends to mourn her 
death. She was the mother of three children. 
Isabelle Maude. Earl and Francis, all of whom- 
were born on the home ranch in Kimball county. 
and now living with their father. 

Mr. Burt is an active public-spirited citizen, 
well and favorably known throughout the region 
where he makes his home, and is one of the very 
few really old-timers left in this locality. He 
is a Republican and strong party man. At the 
present time he is serving as moderator of school 
district No. 7. 

On another page of this volume will be found 
portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Burt. 



WILLARD M. EVANS. 

Willard M. Evans, a well-to-do farmer and 
ranchman and a leading citizen of Box Butte 
county, whose residence is located on section 
14, township 28, range 51, presents in his own 
career a strikipg illustration of the field of op- 
portunity this new western county abundantly 
oflfers the ambitious, as well as the rich results 
that have long waited on industry and integrity. 
He was born in Freetown, Courtland county. 
New York, in 1840, a son of Benjamin and Cath- 
erine (Familiar) Evans. 

The boyhood days of Mr. Evans were spent 
in his native state, where he attended school and 
assisted his father in the cultivation of their 
farm. Realizing the opportunities the great west- 
em country oflfered the ambitious, Mr. Evans, at 
the age of twenty-five years, decided to seek his 
fortune there, and leaving his home came west 
into Michigan and Missouri, where he spent sev- 
eral years. It was in 1886 that he came to Ne- 
braska, settling in Dawes county. For a time 
he did teaming and hauling from Hay Springs. ' 



and assisted in some of the first work of con- 
structing the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail- 
road through this part of the country. 

Mr. Evans is now the proprietor of a fine 
ranch of from one thousand two hundred to one 
thousand four hundred acres of land located on 
the tableland south of the Niobrara river, three 
hundred acres of which he has under cultivation. 
The first building which our subject erected for 
his home was a sod house. Through years of 
adversity and prosperity he has held the handles 
of the plow, working out for himself a comfort- 
able home. He did not escape the hardships with 
which so many of the early settlers of this west- 
ern country had to contend. His ranch is now 
well fenced throughout, and the improvements 
with which it has been fittetd are modem in every 
respect. 

Our subject enlisted in Company F, Nine- 
teenth New York Regiment, and during the civil 
war served in the army of the Potomac and on 
guard duty at Washington, and took part in 
many hard fought battles. 

In 1866 Mr. Evans was married to Carrie 
Kellan, at Syracuse, New York. She was a 
daughter of E. L. and Dorothy Kellan, natives 
of Germany. Four children blessed this happy 
union, namely : Jennie C, Willie, who died in 
September, 1881 ; Charles H., and Lydia. Mr. 
Evans is a man whose career is a striking illus- 
tration of persistence, pluck and energy, and 
shows what possibilities this great western coun- 
try have opened to those who could see an op- 
portunity, and had the courage to embrace it. 

Mr. Charles H. Evans, the only living son of 
\\'illard M. and Carrie Evans, was married June 
15, 1908, to Miss Carrie Grant, daughter of Wil- 
liam and Mary Grant, of W'hitewood, South Da- 
kota. Mr. and Mrs. William Grant are Amer- 
icans by birth, being born in the state of Ken- 
tucky. Mr.' and Mrs. Charles H. Evans live on 
a ranch which adjoins the ranch owned by Mr. 
Evans' father. They have built up a fine ranch 
and have a very comfortable home. His farm is 
considered one of the model farms of the com- 
munity, as he has built some of the finest build- 
ings in the county. Mr. Chas. H. Evans' biog- 
raphy appears elsewhere in this volume. 



WILLI A.M II. HART. 

The gentleman above named, who came to 
Nebraska when he was a boy. is today one of 
the representative farmers of Rock county, where 
he owns and ojierates a large tract of land. He 
has reached Jiis present success through his own 
unaided efforts, and is numbered among the suc- 
cessful leading citizens of the county. 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Hart was born in Guthrie county. Iowa, 
June 19, 1867. His father, Daniel Hart, is an 
old settler in Nebraska, having come here in 
1879, with his family. Eight children com- 
pleted his family circle, of whom our subject is 
the seventh member. They settled on the Nio- 
brara river, in section 17, township 32, range 18. 
where they went through many pioneer hard- 
ships and privations in getting a home started. 
Their first building was a log house, and they 
lived in this for several years. During his 
young manhood our subject handled ox teams, 
which were generally in use at that time as it 
was almost impossible to keep horses on account 
of the prevalence of glanders in the section. All 
the supplies had to be hauled from Oakdale, a 
distance of over a hundred miles. It took eight 
days to make this trip and the way led over the 
roughest roads, often having great difficulty in 
getting to their destination. 

Mr. Hart was familiar with all that part of 
N'ebraska, and from boyhood has watched the 
growth of this section, aiding in its development 
and becoming one of the substantial citizens. He 
is now proprietor of a farm of five hundred and 
sixty acres of rieeded land, and engaged in grain 
and stock raising. 

In 1894 he was married to Miss Clara Wal- 
lace, a lady of American lineage, born in Iowa. 
Four children have come to bless this union, 
namely : Ethel, Belle. Roland and Amos. 

Mr. Hart always takes a commendable inter- 
est in local public affairs, and lends his influence 
and aid in the upbuilding of the community 
where he has made his home. He and his fam- 
ily are highlv respected, and their home is one 
of pleasant cheer and generous hospitalitv. His 
vote is usually cast for the Republican candi- 
dates : his lodge membership is with the .\ncient 
Order United Workmen at Carnes, and the In- 
dependent Order of (Jdd Fellows at Bassett. 



CARL WAGONER. 

Carl Wagoner, one of the prominent early 
settlers of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is 
one of the leading ranchmen of the region, 
also farms to quite an extent, and has met 
with marked success in his work. He is a 
gentleman of untiring energy, excellent busi- 
ness capacity and strict integrity, and well 
merits his high standing as a worthy citizen 
and well-known old-timer of western Nebraska. 

Mr. ^^'agoner was born in Coshocton 
county, Ohio, on December 14. 1857. He 
lived in that vicinity until he was ten years of 
age. one of a family of eleven children, and the 



parents are now living near Peru, this state. 
In 1864 the family left Ohio and came to Ne- 
braska, settling in Nemaha county, where the 
father took up land and began farming, im- 
proving a place with the aid of his children, 
and our subject remained at home until 1884, 
at that time coming into Cheyenne county, 
homesteading on section 26, township 19, 
range 48. He went through all the old Ne- 
braska times in getting started with a limited 
capital, and at times found it difficult to more 
than make a living on account of the failure of 
crops, etc., but managed to stick to his farm, 
and as the better times came on, succeeded in 
improving the farm in good shape, adding to 
his acreage as he was able, until he is now 
owner of a ranch containing one thousand 
eight hundred acres lying along the river. 
One thousand acres of the land is under culti- 
vation, the home ranch being in the Sand Hills, 
while his buildings are on section 21. township 
21. range 47. The place is known far and 
wide as the "^^'agoner Ranch," and is one of 
the valuable properties in the county. He has 
about seventy acres of sugar beets at the pres- 
ent time, and plenty of grain, hay, etc. His 
stock includes from 1,200 to 1.500 head of cattle 
and 100 head of horses. The entire ranch is 
well equipped with every building and con- 
venience. 

In the early days it was necessary to go 
25 miles to Camp Clark to get mail. This trip 
was made only about once a month, and in a 
busy time, once in two or three months. The 
nearest railroad town was Sidney, 35 miles 
away. The trip to town was made once a 
year, bringing supplies to last for that period. 
It was 25 miles to the nearest polling place, 
and churches and schools were unknown for 
many years in this country. 

Mr. Wagoner was married in ^larch, 18S1, 
to Mary Ann Durell, the event occurring in 
Nemaha county. Mrs. Wagoner was born and 
reared in Beardstown, Illinois. Her father is 
dead, but her mother resides in Oklahoma, her 
parents coming to Nemaha county in 1864, re- 
siding near Auburn until 1903. 

Our subject is a Republican politically, and 
active in local and countv affairs. 



WILBUR A. McNALL. 

The gentleman above mentioned is one of 
the prosperous 3-ounger members of the farm- 
ing and ranching community of Cherry county, 
Nebraska, whose entire career has been passed 
in this state, he being born here in 1874, on a 
farm in Seward countv, where his father was 



330 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a pioneer. The latter, Wilbur, sr., was well 
known in that vicinity, and died when our sub- 
ject was a child of six years, his death deeply 
deplored as a worthy citizen and progressive 
farmer, who did all in his power to help build 
u]) the section where he chose his home. He 
married Miss Mary Jackson, who. several years 
after the death of her husband, married the sec- 
ond time, to Hiram Edgar. 

When Wilbur was twelve years of age the 
family located in Cherry county, driving up 
the Loup River by team in a "prairie schooner," 
arriving in February. 1887, bringing with them 
a hunch of stock. They located on the North 
Loup, on section 8. township 26. range 27, and 
started to build up a home and ranch. Our 
subject lived at home until he was twenty-one 
years of age. farming, using ox teams, and they 
lived in a sod house during those years. He 
began for himself in 1900. taking a homestead, 
on which he proved up in good time, improv- 
ing it with buildings, and met with good suc- 
cess. He purchased an interest in his 
father's old ranch in 1895. and later bought the 
whole place, his parents removing to Valentine, 
where they now reside. When he first came 
to this region Johnstown was their nearest 
trading point, and remained so for several 
years, the towns being very far apart, and the 
pioneers were obliged to travel long distances 
for supplies, through wild prairie, when the 
country abounded in wild game, and Indians 
were by no means uncommon sights, and often 
met with exciting adventures. 

In 1901 Mr. McNall married Miss Lillian 
Correll, born in Greenville county, Tennessee, 
where her parents settled many years ago. 
Mr. and Mrs. McNall have two daughters. 
Hazel and Thelma. The family have a very 
pleasant home, surrounded with all the com- 
forts of rural life, and have a host of friends 
and acquaintances who enjoy their hospitality. 
The ranch consists of one thousand one hun- 
dred acres, with good buildings of all kinds. 
fine groves of trees and many fruit trees, all 
in the finest growing shape, and is one of the 
well-kept and best improved ranches in the 
county. 

Mr. McNall has always done his share as 
an old settler, active in local afifairs, and has 
held numerous township offices. 



WILLIAM LESSIG. 

For many years past Brown county has 
had a representative citizen in the person of 
William Lessig, the subject of this review. 
He has given the best years of his life to the 



development of the farming, and incidentally, 
the financial interests of the community where 
he chose his home. Success has crowned his 
efforts and he is deserving of all that has come 
to him in his business career. 

Mr. Lessig was born in the town of Fan- 
nettsburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, Sep- 
tember 7. 1844. His father, Jacob Lessig, was a 
farmer of German descent, and his mother, Maria 
Moore, of Scotch-Irish stock. He was the eldest 
member of his father's family of six children, and 
was reared and educated in Pennsylvania, re- 
maining there until after the war. Having 
served with the militia sixty days, in May, 1863, 
he enlisted in Company B, 22d Pennsylvania 
Cavalry, and afterwards was with the 2nd 
Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, being one of 
those who saw service with the Army of the 
Potomac. He was in the siege of Petersburg 
and Richmond, through the Wilderness and 
at Cold Harbor. During the last three years 
of this war he saw much hard service all the 
time, participating in many battles, and re- 
maining with his company until he was 
mustered out at City Point and received an 
honorable discharge at Philadelphia in 1866. 
After the close of the war he followed the 
carpenter's trade in his native town until 1879, 
when he came west, locating at Great Bend, 
Barton county, Kansas. Finding no work at 
his trade there he went to Leadville, Colorado, 
where he spent five years in the mines, the 
smelters, the stamp mills, prospecting and 
working at his trade ; he then returned to 
Pennsylvania, working at difYerent employ- 
ments for a year. In March, 1887, he again 
migrated west and came to Omaha, where he 
worked at his trade until July, 1888, having 
spent the winter at home, working as a car- 
penter; but becoming dissatisfied with life in the 
city, he came to Brown county and settled on a 
farm, near the mouth of Plum Creek, where 
he lived for a year, before securing his present 
farm in section 12, township 32, range 23, 
where he erected his first dwelling, a log 
shanty, which was his home until 1901. By 
this time he had accumulated a substantial 
amount, and began to improve his property, 
building a large two story house, barns, and 
cow sheds and stocking up the place with a 
herd of cattle. He is now the owner of four 
hundred and eighty acres of good land, part of 
which is irrigated and engages principally in 
stock raising. He has had experience in farm- 
ing on the "Table," in Garfield precinct, where 
he spent some little time. He now enjoys a 
pleasant home, surrounded by all the improve- 
ments and conveniences of modern farming, 
and is accorded a place among the foremost 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



331 



citizens of the community in which he resides. 
A view of the residence and surroundings, is 
to be found on another page. 

Mr. Lessig was married November 12. 1868, 
to Miss Sarah A. Jones, a native of Franklin 
county, Pennsylvania, where her parents, Sam- 
uel and IMary (Davis) died. Six children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Lessig, namely: Frank, 
Ortha, wife of Gaylord W. Hurlburt, Jacob. 
Ethel, Samuel J. and an infant. 

Mr. Lessig takes an active interest in all 
matters looking to educational advancement of 
his community, and has been instrumental in 
organizing different schools and assisting in 
the betterment of the social affairs of the lo- 
cality. He is a Republican, and for the past 
seven years has been committeeman in his 
township. With his family, he is a member 
of the Methodist church. 



A. A. WYATT. 



A. A. Wyatt, sheriff' of Minden, elected in 
1902, and re-elected in 1904, is one of the most 
popular citizens in this section. He is known 
all through Kearney county as a man of broad 
and liberal mind, and esteemed by all who 
know him for his active public spirit and a gen- 
tleman of strict integrity in every way. 

Mr. ^^'yatt is a native of ]\IcDonough 
county, Illinois, born in 1842. His father. 
Captain J. J. Wyatt, was a pioneer in that sec- 
tion, and a soldier in the Civil war. captain of 
Company I, 62nd Illinois infantry, serving 
through the entire war, his death occurring 
immediately after the close of the war in 1865. 
Capt. Wyatt was one of the underground rail- 
way conductors who assisted many negroes to 
escape to Canada during those times. He was 
a Kentuckian, his family originally comnig 
from Virginia, and his wife was Elizabeth 
Mayfield, of Tennessee. Three sons fought 
with him in the late war, one having lost his 
life in the service of his country. Our subject 
enlisted on May 24, 1861. in the 16th Illinois 
Infantry, and followed a soldier's fortunes 
through the entire war, taking part in the 
Army of the Cumberland, at Chattanooga. 
Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, and was 
with Sherman on his famous March to the 
Sea. He took part in the Grand Review at 
Washington. J\lr. Wyatt came to Nebraska 
in July, 1878, and located in Phelps county, tak- 
ing a homestead in Prairie township, and there 
farmed one hundred and sixty acres for sev- 
eral years. He then moved to Holdredge, and 
in 1879 was elected sheriff of Phelps county, 



serving for one term. He next went on the 
Burlington and Missouri Railway and for twelve 
vears was engineer on that road. In 1900 he came 
to Kearney county, locating at Wilcox, and was 
appointed deputy sheriff, serving for two years. 

Air. Wvatt was married at Roseville, Illinois, 
in 1871, to Miss Mary J. Sears, of Guernsey 
county, Ohio. 

Mr. Wvatt is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic in Minden, and 
has eone through all the chairs. 



CEPHAS ROSS. 

Cephas Ross is well known among the resi- 
dents of Dawes county, Nebraska, as one of 
the leading old settlers in this region. Mr. 
Ross now lives in section 19, township 33, 
range 51, where he has a comfortable and 
pleasant home surrounded by many warm 
friends and good neighbors. His health fails 
him at times and then he boards in Crawford, 
Nebraska. He spends a good deal of his time 
with his son Hiram, who owns a homestead 
adjoining the father's estate. 

Air. Ross is a native of Alontgomery 
county, • Pennsylvania, born in 1838. His 
father, John Ross, was a miller by trade, of 
American stock, his ancestors coming to the 
United States from the north of Ireland. Our 
subject's mother, who was Elizabeth Stoker, 
was of German-Welsh descent. He grew up 
in Pennsylvania on a farm, and at the age of 
twenty-three years enlisted in Company A, First 
New Jersey Volunteer Cavalry. He saw ser- 
vice in the Army of the Potomac and partici- 
pated in a number of engagements during 
the civil war. After the close of the war he 
returned to his old home and engaged in farm- 
ing on his own account, follpwing this up to 
1885. He had a nice farm of sixty-three acres, 
and was successful in operating it, but decided 
to go west, so sold out and came to Nebraska 
in 1886. He arrived at Chadron in March of 
that year, and took up his homestead in Dawes 
county. He at once went to work building 
up his farm and now owns one thousand one 
hundred and twenty acres, and for a number of 
vears has been engaged in stock raising on a 
liberal scale. His place is well improved with 
good house and farm' buildings, and he has 
been very successful in his undertakings since 
coming here, excepting that in September, 
1904, his dwelling and the contents were des- 
troyed by fire, and also in July, 1908, another 
fire destroyed his barns, sheds, corrals and a 
large quantity of hay. In 1906 he suffered the 



332 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



misfortune of a severe illness, and since that 
time has disposed of his interest in the stock 
on his ranch to his son. Hiram, who now oper- 
ates the land, and the father boards with his 
son most of the time when not boarding in 
Crawford, but Mr. Ross still owns his land. 

In Xovember, 1865. Mr. Ross was married 
to ^liss Johanna Carr. of Hartsville. Pennsylva- 
nia, who died there in 1882. In 1894 he married 
the second time. He has a family of three 
children, namely : Harvey and Hiram b\' his 
first wife, and Ma}-, by his second marriage. 

Mr. Ross has always taken a commendable 
interest in local aiifairs. He was elected county 
commisisoner in 1891 and served for one term. 
Politically he is a Republican. 



GEORGE E. FOWLER. 



George E. Fowler, one of the energetic and 
aspiring young farmers of Brown county, Ne- 
braska, who is taking a prominent part in the 
agricultural development of the countrv ad- 
jacent to the town of Ainsworth, has chosen 
a vocation in which lie many of the most 
pleasant features of life. Its independent char- 
acter pleases him. and he is ready to meet its 
demand for hard work and close application. 
Its free out of door activities stimulate his 
sturdy manhood and the winds that sweep 
across these broad Nebraska prairies are wel- 
come, as they tell a story of liberty, competence 
and opportunity not surpassed anywhere in 
the wide world. 

George E. Fowler was born on a farm in 
Jasper county. Iowa. October 15. 1867. and 
from his earlj- youth was familiar with hard 
work. His father was a farmer during his 
active life and an early settler in Brown 
count}'. He is still living in Ainsworth. a 
sketch of his career appearing elsewhere in 
this work. Of the five children born to his 
parents. George E. Fowler is the third in order 
of birth, and one of three now living. The 
father brought his family to Brown county in 
the spring of 1883. and made a homestead of 
the northwest quarter of section 20. township 
30, range 22, and here the subject of this nar- 
ration grew into manhood, having enough 
hard work to occupy his mind and strengthen 
his sinews. When he came into the county 
there were no .schools in the town, the first 
being established in the winter of 1883 and 
1884. The young George helped his father 
build up the family homestead and put the 
family fortunes on a solid foundation. He 



passed through some hard times at home, and 
found it difficult to maintain a stand against 
the disasters that followed in the wake of the 
drouth, but he remained at home until he was 
twenty-two years of age. and in after years 
had no regrets that he did so. 

George E. Fowler and^Iiss ^I;iry E. Bar- 
rett were married February 24. 1897. .She 
was more commonly known under the nick- 
name of "Lydia." She was born in Indiana, 
where her mother died when "Lydia," the nick- 
name by which Mrs. Fowler was commonly 
known, was nine years old. Her father. I. B. 
Barrett, was auditor of Bartholomew county, 
Indiana, at the time of death in 1898. I\Ir. and 
Mrs. Fowler have one child. Frank, born Feb- 
ruary 3. 1902. 

Mrs. Fowler came to Nebraska in 1887 to 
join her sister, Mrs. Dr. G. O. Remy, who had 
cared for her after the death of her mother. 
Illness for three years prevented her going 
west at the time the Doctor and his wife mi- 
grated to the frontier. 

After their marriage the young couple 
lived for some two years on old Fowler home- 
stead, but in 1899 built a house on their own 
land, where they have now a neat and attract- 
ive farm of one hundred and si.xty acres. 
-About ninety acres are under the plow, and 
the balance devoted to pasturage. In addition 
to his general farming ^Ir. Fowler is making 
much of stock raising, and more and more is 
throwing means and energy in that line. 

The family belong to the Congregational 
Church and Mr. Fowler affiliates with the 
Modern Woodmen of .America, of Ainsworth. 
In political faith he is Republican. 



E. G. WALLIN. 



E. G. Wallin was born in Sweden. March 
30, 18.=^7. Coming to .America, in 1880. he 
made his home in New York City for six years, 
but during that time he made a six months 
visit to his native land. In June, 1886, he came 
west to Nebraska, settling in Kimball (then 
Cheyenne) county. He took a pre-emption 
claim and homestead, and also a Kincaid home- 
stead later. His home is located on the south- 
cast (|uarter of section 4. township 15. range 
53. where he has surrounded himself with 
many evidences of wealth, prosperity and com- 
fort. He has been very successful with his 
farming operations and cultivates a consider- 
able portion of his land, having also a nice 
bunch of cattle and horses. He has good im- 
provements and his farm is well equipped in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



every way. In early life Mr. \\"allin was an 
upholsterer by trade and he has followed that 
business more or less in this country, for some 
time being engaged thereat in Denver, Colo- 
rado. 

March 12. 1881, in New York City, Mr. 
Wallin and Miss Charlotte Lindberg were 
married. She was a native of Sweden and 
came to America in August, 1879. Air. and 
Mrs. Wallin have six children, all at home : 
Ernest, Prince, Morgan, Hulda, Alfred and 
Herbert. The parents of Mr. and Mrs. Wal- 
lin are all dead. Of two children in his father's 
family, our subject is the sole survivor. 

Mr. E. G. Wallin has taken an active part 
in the local political matters of his community 
and is an advocate of the principles of the 
Republican party. He has been county as- 
sessor of Kimball county several different 
times and is regarded as a safe and capable 
oflficial. He knows well b\- experience the 
hardships of the early days in this western 
country, and many times his good wife had the 
care of the place alone while he worked out. 
Many times she was forced to buy water and 
get wood from the timber. They had no team, 
and much credit is due Mrs. \\'allin as well as 
our subject for the success they have attained. 



REV. JOHN A. SCAMAHORN. 

Rev. John A. Scamahorn, pastor of the 
iMethodist Episcopal church of Gordon, is 
among the well known ministers of this part 
of the state of Nebraska. He has traveled 
over most of the state in an official capacity, 
and has gained a host of friends, highly es- 
teemed by all. 

Rev. Scamahorn was born in Hamilton 
county, Ohio, September 25, 1831. His father. 
Rev. Jacob Scamahorn, was a minister 
in the United Brethren Church for forty years, 
also a native of Ohio, of Holland Dutch extrac- 
tion, the Scamahorn family having settled in 
New York in 1600. Our subject's mother was 
of Irish descent, and he was the second child 
in their family of three. His parents moved 
to Indiana in 1850, and settled in Spencer 
county. He began working on a farm during 
his young manhood days, and in 1861 enlisted 
in Company C, 42nd Indiana Volunteers, as 'a 
private, and with his regiment was ordered 
south, serving in the Army of the Cumberland. 
He followed a soldier's life for four years, and 
was in many skirmishes and saw hard service. 
He was all through Kentucky, Tennessee, 
Georgia and .\labama, was captured at Stone 



River. Tenn. and afterwards exchanged. Was 
in the battle of Chickamauga, taken prisoner 
and held for fifteen months, but managed to 
escape from prison and rejoin his regiment. 
He was promoted from private to orderly ser- 
geant, then lieutenant, then became captain of 
his company and later major. After the war 
had closed and he had received an honorable 
discharge, he entered the Hartsville University 
and spent one year and then was licensed as a 
minister in the United Brethren Church, serv- 
ing with them for two years. He was elected 
to the Indiana Legislature from Spencer 
county, serving one term, from 1866 to 1868. 
In 1870 he joined the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and has served a total of thirty-nine 
years in the ministry. He held several im- 
portant charges in the Indiana conference. In 
1884 he came to Nebraska at the head of a 
colony of 105 people from Indiana, settling in 
the vicinity of Gordon, Sheridan county, and 
soon afterwards organized the first Methodist 
Episcopal society in northwestern Nebraska, 
filling a number of charges in that part of the 
state, also serving as presiding elder in the 
Chadron district of the Northw-estern Nebraska 
Conference. In 1903 he took his superannu- 
ated relation in the conference, but still does a 
great deal of active work for the church. He 
was one of those who took an active part in the 
settlement of Gordon in the early days, and 
named the town, having been its first post- 
master. 

Rev. Scamahorn was married in 1853' to 
Miss Margaretta McCoUum, who died during 
the civil war. They had three children but 
none lived through their infancy. He was 
married the second time in 1866 to Mrs. Mary 
C. Radcliff, whose husband was killed in the bat- 
tle of Chickamauga. 



HORACE GREELEY MILLER. 

The gentleman herein named occupies a 
foremost place among the prominent citizens 
of Brown County, Nebraska. Air. Aliller is an 
old settler in this vicinity, and here he has 
become well known for his square dealing in 
a business way and by devoting many years 
of his life to his work, he well merits the suc- 
cess which he has attained. Air. Aliller was 
born in Union county,^ Indiana, August 12, 
1834. His father, Alartin Miller, was of mixed 
nationality, American born, settling in Indiana 
with his parents when he was but ten vears 
old. Our subject's mother, whose maiden 



3.-4 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



name was Cassandra Yeaman, was born at 
Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1805 of American stock; 
she become the mother of seven boys, of whom 
Horace Greeley is the fourth in order of birth. 
He was reared in the county in which he 
was born, attending the public schools and in 
his boyhood years became accustomed to hard 
farm work, going through many pioneer ex- 
periences even at that time. He learned the 
miller's trade when a young man, following 
in the footsteps of his father with whom he 
entered into partnership in the business, con- 
tinuing together until 1864. From that time 
to 1871 our subject ran the business alone, and 
then selling the mill, came to Hebron, Thayer 
county, Nebraska, there engaging in the same 
vocation. In 1874 he witnessed the grass- 
hopper raids in that region through which he 
met with heavy losses. He afterwards built 
several mills for ditterent parties in that vicin- 
ity, doing his share in the building up of the 
country. 

In the fall of 1875 he spent some time in 
Nuckolls county, where he conducted a store 
at Spring Valley, noiv Hardy Station, on the 
Union Pacific ; thence he moved to Brown 
county in 1882, driving across country by team, 
he and his family camping out on the way in 
a tent, driving a few head of cattle with them. 
He located at the junction of Bone and Pine 
creeks, built a dugout and lot cabin combined, 
in which they lived up to 1896, when it was de- 
stroyed by fire. In 1885 he began the erection 
of a burr-mill, which in 1891 he remodeled 
and improved, installing the roller system, now 
making patent flour. He also runs a saw mill 
in connection, running both by water power 
from Pine creek in which he has a good dam. 

In 1882 Mr. Miller took up a homestead in 
section 5, township 31. range 20, the tract on 
which the mill stands, and engaged in grain 
and stock raising, at both of which he has made 
a success. When he first reached Brown 
coimty, his capital was seventy-five dollars in 
money, his household goods and a few head of 
stock. Mr. Miller has been a pioneer in sev- 
eral states, always pushing out to the borders 
of civilization. 

Mr. Miller was married February 7, 1861. 
to Miss Barbara E. Miller, of American stock, 
born in Union county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. 
Miller have a family of seven children of whom 
three are living: Winfield S., Minnie, wife of 
Alonzo S. Barker, farming near Mr. Miller's 
j)lace, and Moulton. While living in Nuckolls 
county. Mr. Miller took quite an active part in 
politics, and served as county commissioner for 
three years. In establishing the postoffice of 
Winfield to accommodate the neighborhood sur- 



ruunding the mill, Mr. Miller was appointed 
postmaster, an office he efficiently tills. He is 
Republican in political faith. 

A picture of Mr. Aliller's residence and the 
mill will be found elsewhere in this volume. 



THOMAS LINDBERG. 

Among the early settlers in western Ne- 
braska who have watched the growth and aided 
in the development of this region from its 
start, the gentleman above named holds a first 
place. Mr. Lindberg lives on section 2, town- 
ship 34. range 33. Cherry county, where he 
has built up a good home and farm, and is 
recognized as one of the leading citizens of 
his community. 

Mr. Lindberg was born in Copenhagen, 
Denmark. August 30. 1859, son of Peter 
Lindberg, a harnessmaker by trade, and the 
youngest of a family of five children. He 
grew up in his native town, and at the age of 
eighteen went to sea, sailing to England, and 
afterwards made a trip all through Europe. 
He had learned his father's trade and worked 
at that from time to time. In 1878 he came to 
America, sailing from Liverpool in the steam- 
ship Baltic, landing in Portland, Maine, and 
from there came west stopping at Omaha 
where he worked for a few months, then began 
work on the railroad south from that city. He 
next went to Chicago and remained for five 
years teaming there ; later he was employed 
in Boston, Philadelphia and Hoboken, New 
Jersey. In 1887 he enlisted in the United 
States army at Park Row, New York City, and 
assigned to Company A, Eighth Infantry, serv- 
ing at Fort Niobrara for a time. During the In- 
dian outbreak at Pine Ridge in 1891, he was with 
his regiment there and also at Rosebud, Wound- 
ed Knee, and Fort McKinley. Wyoming, receiv- 
ing an honorable discharge June 26, 1891. hav- 
ing marched one hundred and sixty miles 
through the mountains, often camping in the 
snow. 

Mr. Lindberg had married prior to his dis- 
charge and on his return from the army rented 
garden ground near Hanson's bridge, east of 
\''alentine, which was not ])rofitable. He then 
rented a farm for two years in Nenzel precinct 
and in 1901 filed on a homestead of one hundred 
and sixty acres, since then taking up his addi- 
tional four hundred and eighty acres. Mrs. Lind- 
berg, prior to her marriage, had taken up a tim- 
ber claim on which the family now resides. Dur- 
ing the first years he worked on the section to 
sui)port his family, and saw many hard times, but 
conditions have improved and tlu-y are now 




RESIDENCE OF THO^IAS LINDBERG. 
Chcrrv County. Nebraska. 










MILL AND RESIDENCE OF H. G. MILLER, 
Winfield, Brown County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



335 



independent. He has been successful since 
starting here, gradually adding to his land un- 
til he is now proprietor of eight hundred acres, 
cultivating one hundred and ten acres of it 
and the balance in hay and pasture land. He 
has good wells and windmills, and his ranch 
is well improved and one of the most valuable 
properties in this region. A view of the resi- 
dence and surroundings will be found else- 
where in this work. 

On August 11, 1890, our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss Johanna Zirfas, a native of the 
village Baden, Nassau, Germany. Mrs. Lind- 
berg has presented her husband with three 
children, namely: Mary, born May 29, 1891, 
Peter, born May 28, 1895, and Joseph, April 
7, 1900. They are members of the Catholic 
church. Mr. Lindberg afifiliates with the Modern 
Woodmen of America and Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows of Codv. 



C. K. DAVIES. 



C. K. Davies, residing in Kearney, Nebraska, 
is one of the best known citizens of Buflfalo 
county. He came to Nebraska with his parents 
when a boy, and has never lived out of the state 
since 1867. Mr. Davies was born at Denver, 
Colorado, in 1862. His father, W. D, Davies, 
was a well known breeder of stock, and came 
to Nebraska from Denver. Our subject was for 
many years in the Shorthorn breeding business 
at Columbus, Nebraska, and in 1904 came to 
Buffalo county, establishing himself at Kearney. 
He has never exhibited his herd, but has sold 
many animals to farmers from all over western 
Nebraska, as when purchasing any of his stock 
they are sure of getting the very best that can be 
had. At the head of his herd is the "Goldendrop" 
strain. He paid $500 for the bull "Fame's Heir," 
sired by Imported Golden Fame, dam Imported 
Milkmaid. His Lancaster cow is the favorite in 
his herd, and the sum of $200 was paid for her 
daughter before she was a year old. Mr. Davies 
refused $200 for her last bull calf, which prom- 
ises to be one of the best of his kind. The best 
breeders from all over Iowa and Nebraska buy 
cows from Mr. Davies' herd, and he now has a 
herd of about one hundred and twenty-five, and 
runs a large dairy, from which he furnisljes most 
of the milk and cream used in Kearney. He 
prefers the Shorthorn cattle for all purposes. 
He states that western breeders have to cross 
their Herefords with Shorthorn stock, otherwise 
their herd will run out in a short time. The 
Shorthorn is A-1 for beef as well as milk, and 
this makes them the most desirable for both 



farmers and stockmen, and a Shorthorn bull will 
improve any strain or breed of cattle. 

At one time Mr. Davies was engaged in 
breeding Duroc Jersey hogs on quite a large 
scale, and is considered one of the best judges in 
this locality of these animals. He has no use for 
a pampered show pig, but selects those that have 
developed naturally, and followed that line in 
his work, his animals taking many prizes where- 
ever they were shown. He was offered $100 for 
Madam Banker, but refused to sell. The state 
industrial school select their stock of pure-bred 
hogs from his drove, which is the best evidence 
of their superiority over any others here. 

Mr. Davies has also been a breeder of horses, 
and his judgment of thoroughbreds is considered 
among the best. He owned Kitty Fenland, and 
at the state fair in 1903 she was first in her class, 
and her colt also took first prize. Both these 
animals were sold to James Barr, the leading 
horse breeder in Nebraska, to whom our subject 
also sold his eight hundred and eighty-acre ranch 
at Lomax, Nebraska. 

Mr. Davies has four sons, and all are inter- 
ested in ths stock business, following naturally in 
the footsteps of their father. George, who is 
liut twelve years of age, reared and cared for an 
animal which was pronounced by the best judges 
in the state to be the most fit thoroughbred ever 
shown as a yearling. This son also has a bunch 
of Rosecomb Leghorn chickens that are not sur- 
passed by any in the state. The other sons are 
Sumner, Alden and Jay. 



ANDREW McGINLEY. 

Prominent among the early settlers of west- 
ern Nebraska is the gentleman above named, 
who has taken part in the history of this region 
from the beginning, and has done his full share 
in its development. He was among the first of 
those to introduce the system of irrigation in this 
part of the country. He went through many 
hardships and privations, and during the year 
1876 was never inside a house from November 
until the following May. Mr. McGinley also 
had many exciting encounters with the Indians, 
and can relate many interesting anecdotes of the 
frontiersman's life in the pioneer days. 

Our subject was born in county Donegal, 
Ireland, in December of the year 1838. His 
parents were of Scotch-Irish blood. The father, 
William, was a blacksmith by occupation, who 
married Annie Porter. The whole family came 
to America in 1850. landing at St. Johns, New 
Brunswick, and soon afterwards came to Maine, 
where our subject was reared and educated. In 



336 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND L!I( -X^HAl-H V 



the vear 1857 Andrew went to work in the lum- 
ber woods of Maine and continued at that work 
for a number of years. In 1868 he came to Colo- 
rado, and teamed south from Cheyenne, being 
employed by the Union Pacific railway company, 
getting out ties for that road. The following 
vear lie did the same work for the Cheyenne and 
Denver railway. In 1870 he left the railroad and 
went into the stock Inisiness in Colorado, work- 
ing as a cowboy on a ranch of his own, and 
spent five years in that vicinity. He worked as 
a freighter in connection with his stock raising 
operations, and this brought him into the western 
])art of Nebraska. He located on a ranch twenty- 
five miles southeast of Harrison, in 1879, and 
made that his home up to 1899. and succeeded in 
building up an extensive ranch which was sit- 
uated on the Niobrara river. He sold out this 
property in that year for $20,000. The place 
contained about two thousand five hundred acres, 
a large portion of which was irrigated land, and 
was a valuable piece of land. His partner. 
W. C. Stovers, was a well-known ranchman and 
old settler, and these two men were in partner- 
ship for over twenty years. • 

In 1899 Mr. ;\IcGinley came to Harrison and 
bought his present farm, consisting of two hun- 
dred and forty acres, and here he has a nice place, 
with good improvements in the way of buildings, 
fences, etc. 

Mr. ^IcGinley was married in 1865 to Miss 
Laura Haven, daughter of Joseph Haven, a 
farmer of Hartson. Maine. Mrs. McGinley was 
born in Hartson. Maine, of Yankee stock. Our 
subject has always taken a leading part in the 
affairs of his community, and has held numerous 
offices, serving as county commissioner when 
Sioux county was first organized, and was also 
one of the men who helped form the county. He 
is a Republican. 



ORI.VL C. (;askill. 

-Among the prc.iminent ranchmen ami stock 
raisers of Rock county, the gentleman above 
named holds an enviable reputation. He is 
among the oldest settlers in this section of the 
country, and has aided materially in the growth 
and success ni the region where he chose his 
home. 

Mr. Gaskill is a native of Ohio, born in 
1848. His father, Thomas R. Gaskill. was a 
tanner by trade, and a native of the easterg 
states. Our subject is the second member in 
liis father's family of five children, and was 
reared in Ohii) until the age of fifteen years, 
when the whole familv left that state and 



moved to Wisconsin, in the fall of 1863, re- 
maining there for five years. He quit school 
before coming west, and had only had the ad- 
vantages of a common school education. After 
leaving ^^'isconsin the family settled in W'orth 
county, Iowa, and there he remained at home 
with his parents for three years, when he went 
to farming for himself. He followed this oc- 
cupation for about three years, then purchased 
a farm in Wright county and worked this for 
six years. In 1884 he came to Nebraska and 
located in Brown county, settling in what is 
now Rock county, eight miles northeast of the 
present site of Bassett. There he took up a 
homestead and remained on it for ten years, 
improving the place wonderfully with build- 
ings, fences, etc. He went through some hard 
times while on that farm, losing crops by the 
drouths, hailstorms, and other conditions, and 
became disheartened, so he sold out his hold- 
ings there and moved on his present farm, situ- 
ated in section 9, township 32. range 18. located 
on the banks of the Niobrara River. Here he 
has built up a pleasant home and fine farm. 
He has three hundred and sixty acres of land 
and engages in stock raising principally, and 
finds this one of the best places he has ever 
seen for that line of work. He has a valuable 
property, and well merits the success which he 
lias attained through his hard labors. 

While living in Iowa, Mr. Gaskill was mar- 
ried in 1878 to Miss Marion Boswell, an Amer- 
ican girl. Their marriage has been blessed 
with three children, namely; Arthur A., Lizzie 
and George. All of Mr. GaskilTs time is de- 
voted to the care and supervision of his farm 
and home, and he has the esteem and confi- 
dence of his fellnwmen. lie is a Repulilican 
politically. 



ELIX( )N .M. ROSE. 

Elinon .M. Rose, whose handsome home and 
well-kept farm lies on section 10. township 14, 
range 51, Cheyenne county, where he is owner 
of one hundred and sixty acres, beautifully lo- 
cated on Lodgepole Creek, is one of the ener- 
getic and persevering citizens of his community, 
and an old settler in Nebraska. He came to 
this part of the state in the early days of its 
development, and has secured for himself a 
good home and competence in this fertile an^ 
productive region. Air. Rose is a gentleman 
of broad mind and good practical trainjng, and 
he has gained an enviable reputation as a gen- 
tleman of sterling qualities, esteemed and ad- 
mired bv all who know him. 




vip:\\s c)\ ranch of frank black, 

Dawes CmnUy, Xcliraska. 



COMPENDIUJNI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



337 



Mr. Rose was born in Jasper county, Iowa, 
October 3, 1868, removing with his parents, 
Francis i\I. and Tabiatha (Flock) Rose, to 
Shelby county, that state, when he was about 
twelve years of age. His parents were highly 
respected residents of Cheyenne county, coming 
in 1885, and there they resided for twenty-two 
years, and now are living at Miller, Buffalo 
county, Nebraska. Our subject followed in 
April, 1886, and lived with his parents for about 
four years, then filed on a claim in section 4, 
township 14, range 46, upon which he proved up 
and sold in September, 1908. He purchased his 
present farm in March, 1907, an excellent prop- 
erty all fenced and with an unfailing supply of 
water in Lodgepole creek for stock and irriga- 
tion. He was very successful from the start, 
and although met with some discouragements, 
has, in the main, done exceedingly well, and is 
recognized as one of the progressive and prosper- 
ous farmers of his locality, a good business man 
and good manager. About sixty acres of his 
farm are cultivated, and he raises all kinds of 
small grains, using the balance for pasture and 
ranching purposes. The dwelling is of unusual- 
ly neat architecture being one of the prettiest 
residences in the Lodgepole valley. The grove 
soutli of the house is one of the tallest in the 
region. 

Mr. Rose was united in marriage March 20, 
1902, to ^Miss Phebe Stewart, whose parents, 
Augustus N. and Martha (Coats) Stewart, now 
reside in Keith county, Nebraska. Four children 
have been born of this union, who are named as 
follows : Velma Vesta, Viola IMildred, Vernon 
Lester and Georgia Anna (deceased) ; they form 
a most interesting and charming family, their 
home being one of the most hospitable in this 
section. Mr. Rose occupies a foremost position 
in the affairs of his locality, is active in local 
politics, and liked by all who know him. Po- 
litically he is a strong Republican. Our subject 
and his wife are members of the Methodist 
church. 



OR\TLLE R. R'lXS. 

The gentleman above named is prominent 
among the younger professional men of Craw- 
ford, Nebraska. Mr. Ivins is engaged in the 
practice of dentistry here, and has gained a large 
clientage through his skill and genial personality. 

Mr. Ivins is a native of Danlap, Iowa, born 
in 1880, of American parents. His father, Cy- 
rus Ivins, was a well-known resident of Dunlap, 
and a successful business man, working as a trav- 
eling salesman through the state of Nebraska 
during the early pioneer days when the region 
was very sparsely settled. His motlier was 



Martha (Johnson) Ivins. In 1885 the family 
moved to Fremont, Nebraska, where our subject 
was reared and educated, attending school in 
(3maha in 1894. In 1898 he enlisted in the Third 
Nebraska regiment and went to Cuba with his 
company, where he saw service in the Spanish- 
American war. After his return from the Span- 
ish-American war he returned to Nebraska and 
began his study of dentistry, taking a course at 
the Omaha Dental College, which is a part of the 
L'niversity of (Jmaha. He was a brilliant stu- 
dent and graduated from that institution in 1903 
establishing an office at Crawford in the same 
year, where he has built up a good practice and 
is considered one of the rising young men of the 
town. 

In 1904 Mr. Ivins was married to ]\liss 
Myrtle Hogel, whose father, J. H. Hogel, is a 
well known old resident of Crawford. Mr. and 
Mrs. Ivins have one child. Myrtle Louise. 

Mr. Ivins was elected a member of the city 
council in 1906, and is now serving on the vil- 
lage board. He is a Republican in politics. 



FRANK BLACK. 

Frank Black, for the past twenty-five years 
a resident of Dawes county, Nebraska, has iden- 
tified hiniseif with the interests of Western Ne- 
braska, and by building up a fine farm and lend- 
ing his influence for good citizenship he has be- 
come one of the deservedly successful and pros- 
perous citizens of his locality. 

Mr. Black was born in Henry county, Iowa, 
in 1854. His father, Lafayette Black, was a na- 
tive of Ohio, and among the pioneer settlers in 
Iowa. He married Annie Johnson, born in 
Kentucky. She is now seventy-four years of age 
and is living in Gentry county, Missouri. Our 
subject grew up in the latter state, where the 
family settled when he was about six years of 
age. He received but a limited schooling, at- 
tending the country schools, and much of his 
time was spent in assisting his parents in per- 
forming the farm work and helping build up 
their home. At the age of twenty he left home 
and started in for himself, following farm work 
for two or three years, spending some time in 
Madison and Henry counties, Iowa, and in the 
fall of 1876 came back to Missouri, where he 
was married and began farming on his own ac- 
count in the same county with his parents. He 
remained there for eight years, then came to 
Nebraska with the Sweat colony, arriving at Val- 
entine on April 6th. 1884, and teaming from that 
place to where he located, spending one month 
or more on the trip from Missouri. He took up 
a homestead, his present home, in section 23, 



338 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



township 32, range 48, and built a log cabin on 
the place, finishing same with a dirt roof, and oc- 
cupied this for two years, then building a good 
log house. He owned some ox teams and these 
he used in breaking up his farm and hauling tim- 
ber for different purposes. The first crop he put 
in was a sod crop of corn, potatoes and vege- 
tables, and had a very good yield. He went 
through the drouth years, but never had an en- 
tire failure of crops, although was often obliged 
to haul wood and sell it to obtain a living and 
make up for his short crops. He continued to 
build up his farm, however, and through indus- 
try and perseverance succeeded in getting to- 
gether a nice property, constantly adding to his 
acreage, until he is now owner of a fine ranch 
of 1.000 acres located on Big Bordeaux Creek, 
and besides this controls altogether two thousand 
six hundred acres. The farm is well supplied 
'with natural timber, wild fruits and good water, 
•and he has it well improved with good buildings, 
.and about twenty miles of fence. He raises con- 
siderable corn, and handles a great deal of stock 
each year. On another page we present an in- 
teresting picture showing views on Mr. Black's 
ranch. 

In January. 1879, ^Ir. Black was married to 
Miss Mary A. Green, daughter of Henry and 
Matilda Freeman Green, both born in London. 
England, who came to America in 1860, and 
w-ere early settlers in Missouri. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Black the following children have been 
born : .Sarah May, Thomas, Victoria, Samuel. 
Annie, Laura, William. Maude. Dickie and Ida. 
Georgie died at three years of age. 

Mr. Black takes a keen interest in local pub- 
lic affairs, at all times lending his aid and influ- 
ence for good government and the bettering of 
conditions in his community. He is a Repub- 
lican. 



JOHN DOE. 



John Doe, residing on section 36. Laird town- 
ship, is one of the successful agriculturists of 
Phelps county, Nebraska. He is a man of en- 
ergetic will and industrious habits and richly de- 
serves the success which he has attained here, 
and commands the respect and esteem of all 
with whom he comes in contact. 

Mr. Doe is a native of Illinois. His father 
originally came from Bangor, Maine, and his 
mother was a native of Troy, New York, the 
family coming west when our subject was a 
child and settling in Illinois, where he grew tip. 
The father later came to Nebraska, his death 
occurring in Phelps county in 1900, and the 
mother .still lives here. 



Father and son farmed in Bureau county for 
many years, the former living on one farm for 
forty years. This farm comprised one hundred 
and sixty acres, and while they were there raised 
good crops and accumulated quite a snug little 
property, but after coming to Nebraska found 
that the opportunities were much better here, 
and crops just as good as in Illinois, and climate 
more agreeable. Mr. Doe is engaged mostly in 
grain raising, and his wheat crops are of the 
best. He keeps only enough stock for farming 
and domestic purjjoses, and finds grain raising 
very profitable. For the past fourteen years he 
has owned and operated a threshing outfit, and 
threshes all over this part of the country, de- 
riving a nice income from this source. He is en- 
thusiastic regarding wheat raising, and thinks 
that winter wheat, if properly planted and taken 
care of, will make any man money. He came to 
his present farm in 1892. having purchased it 
six years previously, at that time the land being 
mostly wild, and he has broken it all up and 
now has it in a high state of cultivation. 

Mr. Doe has never married. 



JOHN M. SAMUELSON. 

John M. Samuelson. who lives on section i6, 
township 15. range 40, in Keith county, Ne- 
braska occupies an enviable position among the 
old timers and successful ranchers of the county. 
He was born in the province of Smolan. Sweden. 
June 23. 1853, his father being a mechanic and 
carpenter. Our subject grew up in his native 
land, where at an early age. he learned the cab- 
inet maker's trade, which business he followed 
in various parts of Sweden and Norway. He 
in the prosecution of his craft and was for some 
years connected with the government work of the 
two countries named, going at one time as far 
as Trondjam. Norway. 

In 1887. with his wife and five children, he 
came to America, sailing from Gottenburg for 
Hull, England, on the 14th of July; four days 
later he embarked at Liverpool in the Arabic 
and after a voyage of thirteen days, landed in 
New York the last day of July. Thence he came 
west to Nebraska, reaching Ogallala. August 5th, 
where he joined a brother and followed cabinet 
making for two years. During 1890 and 1891 
he lived in the city of Denver. Colorado, plying 
his trade, after which he returned to Keith 
coimty. settling on a farm two and one-half 
miles northwest of Ogallala, where he entered 
a homestead on section 26, township 14, range 
39. Here he put up good buildings and thor- 
oughly improved the homestead, living there un- 




^^^g^^H 


B*> 


^^^^^^H 




M 


[■[^^^^^^j^^^^^^B 



MR. AND MRS. FRED GUILDNER, 
(From photos taken when they were married.) 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



339 



til 1897, when he proved up on the homestead 
and came to his present farm in section 16, town- 
ship 15, range 40. He has a splendid ranch of 
two hundred and sixty acres of fine land, all of 
which is irrigable ; it is thoroughly improved with 
good house, barns, sheds, granary, corn-crib, two 
wells and wind mills and a nice grove of forest 
trees. He has taken special pains in growing a 
fine orchard of apple, cherry and peach trees. 
He also has some wild plum trees and an abund- 
ance of small fruit. His farm is one of the 
best in Keith county. 

Mr. Samuelson was married in Sweden, in 
March, 1875, to Miss Anna Johnson, who was 
also a native of the province of Smolan, in that 
country. Mr. and Mrs. Samuelson have had six 
children : Matilda, wife of Clarence Mahafy, 
ranching near Ogallala ; Charles J., who is men- 
tioned below ; Francis Oscar, engaged in farming 
four miles northeast of Ogallala ; Theodore, a 
blacksmith in the county seat : Martin, a teacher 
at Dodge, Nebraska, and Gustave, who still re- 
sides with the old folks at home. 

Mr. Samuelson had but little of this world's 
goods to start on when he landed in Keith county, 
having but $60 in money and being burdened 
with debts amounting to ninety dollars. But he 
was full of grit and determination to win and 
he has made a fine success of life. He has occu- 
pied a prominent place in the aftairs of his com- 
munity and is known everywhere as an upright 
and progressive citizen. He is a Republican in 
political affiliations and a member of the Luth- 
eran church. 

Charles J- Samuelson, son of our subject, is 
farming for himself on five hundred acres of his 
own land and has proven to be a successful 
farmer. Charles J. has a finely improved farm, 
on which he has good buildings, an orchard of 
splendid trees and all necessary improvements. 
He settled on his land in 1903 and his industry 
and good management have, in four years, estab- 
lished him on the road to wealth and prosperity. 



JOHN BERNEY. 

John Berney, county judge of Wheeler 
county, Nebraska, is one of the foremost men of 
his section. He was elected to his present office 
on the Republican ticket in 1905, and re-elected 
in 1907 to same office, and is now serving his 
second term. 

Mr. Berney is a native of Sheffield, Illinois, 
born in 1871. His father, James B., was born 
in 1842, in Scotland, at the age of four years 
coming to the United States with his parents, 
who settled in New York state. Our subject's 



mother was 2\Iary Henderson, born in New York 
state, of Irish descent, and she was the mother 
of nine children, John being the eldest of the 
brood. Both parents are still living and own a 
ranch of eight hundred acres in Wheeler county. 
When our subject was a young man of eighteen 
years he left Illinois and came west, settling in 
Platte county, Nebraska, where he bought a 
small farm. After operating that place for sev- 
eral years he sold out and moved to Boone 
county, where he worked at the printer's trade 
and remained there up to 1904. He next came 
to this county and established the \Mieeler 
County Independent, at Bartlett, the county seat, 
the only county newspaper published in \\nieeler 
county, Nebraska. In 1905 Mr. Berney was 
elected to his present position, and he is one of 
the most popular public officials the county has 
ever had, able and efficient in every respect. 

Mr. Berney is a member of the Modern 
Woodmen of America, and is active in every 
movement introduced for the improvement of 
his locality. He is familiar with every part .of his 
county, well liked and a man of sterling character 
and honesty of purpose. He is enthusiastic re- 
garding the possibilities of this section and thinks 
the opportunities for the average man are better 
here than in the eastern states, also considers 
western Nebraska superior to any other part of 
the state as an agricultural section, on account 
of the healthful climate, good water supply, etc. 
Mr. Bernev has never married. 



FRED GUILDNER. 

Fred Guildner, a prominent farmer of Lib- 
erty precinct, resides on his well-improved farm 
of eight hundred acres, and conducts the same in 
accordance with modern methods and scientific 
principles. He is one of the old settlers of 
western Nebraska, and has done his full share 
in the building up of his locality, incidentally ac- 
cumulating for himself a fine estate and valuable 
property in Perkins county. 

Air. Guildner was born in the town of Erford, 
Germany, in 1860. When he was a small boy 
his father died, and the mother came to America 
with her family when he was seven years of age 
and for a time they lived in New York Citv. then 
emigrated to Wisconsin where our subject was 
raised and educated. As a young man he spent 
considerable time in the lumljer business in Wis- 
consin, working in the lumber regions near Lake 
Superior. In 1881 he came to Nebraska, settling 
in Hamilton county, and lived there for four 
years. There he began in the well business and 
followed it up to 1885, then came to Perkins 



340 



compendiu:m of history, reminiscence and biography 



county. Ogallala was his nearest railroad town. 
He took a pre-emption, proved up on that, and 
also had a timber claim which he filed on in 1884 
but did not prove up on it until 1891. When he 
came into the country he drove through the vast 
country, where the settlers were few and far 
between. He at once built a sod house and went 
through the usual experiences of the pioneers in 
the far west. He had no water for domestic use, 
and was obliged to haul all his water and sup- 
plies from Ogallala, a distance of twenty-five 
miles. 

Mr. Guildner had a hard time getting started, 
breaking up his land for crops, and in 1893-'94 
had heavy losses due to drouths, etc. As the 
times grew better he was able to improve his 
place considerably, and in 1898 took his present 
homestead in section 23, township 10, range 38, 
and now has one of the finest ranches in the 
section. He farms about two hundred acres and 
has the rest in pasture and hayland for quite a 
large bunch of stock which he runs each year. 
He has good buildings of all kinds, having a fine 
story and a half house, fourteen by twenty-two 
and twelve by fourteen feet, which he moved 
from Grant, seven miles. This was one of the 
buildings sold in Grant during the hard times. 
Altogether he now has one of the pleasantest 
rural homes to be seen in the locality. Along with 
his farming Mr. Guildner has continued tlie well 
drilling business from the time he began in 1881 
up to the spring of 1908. He has put down wells 
all over this and adjacent counties and also in 
Colorado and has done his share as an old set- 
tler in building up the country. 

In 1892 ^ilr. Guildner was married to Miss 
Sarah Purintun. who is a daughter of Charles 
Purintun. one of the well known pioneers of 
Perkins county. Our subject has a family of 
seven children, namely : Harry, Lewis. \'irgil, 
Percy, Marian. Charles and Gretchen, who form 
a most charming and interesting group. Mr. 
Guildner is a Populist in political views. He 
was elected township assessor in 1908, and has 
always taken an active interest in local affairs. 

On another page wc present portraits of Mr. 
and Mrs. Guildner from a photograph taken at 
about the time of their marriage. 



CHARLES H. E\\\NS. 

Charles H. Evans, whose home is located in 
section H, township 28. range 3L Rox Butte 
county. Nebraska, is still in his early manhood, 
and his industry, economical habits and upright 
life are a credit to his race and blood. He was 
born on a farm in Michigan in lS7(i. His father 



\\'illard Evans, a prominent old settler of Box 
Butte county, and a sketch of whose life appears 
on another page of this volume, is a native of 
the state of New York. 

When our subject was four years old. the 
family moved to Missouri, where they settled on 
a farm and remained in that state for seven _\xars. 
In 1886 the family came to Box Butte county, 
Nebraska, and it was in this county, which Mr. 
Evans has made his home, that he grew into 
manhood. He received his education attending 
the countv schools, and for two years was a stu- 
dent at the Chadron Academy. He assisted his 
fatther in making a comfortable home for the 
family in Box Butte county, and in 1900 he se- 
cured some land of his own. From time to time 
he secured adjoining tracts of land, until he now 
has four quarter sections of deeded land. His 
ranch is located near the Niobrara river, and is 
well fenced and cross fenced. He has a home- 
stead of three quarters in sections 10 and 11, that 
he took in 1907. He has erected substantial 
buildings, has a barn thirty by sixty feet, and a 
fine dwelling. He has from two hundred and sixty 
to three hundred acres of land under cultivation, 
making the raising of small grain and potatoes a 
specialty. He also raises hogs, cattle and horses 
on a large scale. 

Mr. Evans gives the closest atttention to his 
work, and is becoming widely known as one of 
the progressive and up-to-date tillers of the soil 
in this county. His ranch is well handled, and 
he is proving himself a thoroughly alert and vig- 
orous farmer, and a business man of much sa- 
gacity as well. The many warm friends that he 
has made wish him well, and predict for him a 
bright future. 

Mr. Evans was married June 1.^. 1''08, to 
Miss Carrie Grant, daughter of William and 
Mary Grant, of Whitewood. South Dakota. Her 
])arents are natives of Kentucky. 



MATTHEW G. WALLS. 

Matthew (_;. Walls is one of the enterpris- 
ing business men of Springview. 

He was born on a farm in Putnam county. 
Missouri, June 10, 1856. His father, Robert 
C. Walls, was born in Indiana, of parents who 
emigrated from Ireland, locating in Missouri, 
where our subject was reared. At the age of 
twenty-two he struck out farther west, going as 
far as Morton county. Kansas, and remained in 
this part of the country three years, being there 
during the time of the Indian massacre in west- 
ern Kansas, experiencing some very e.xciting 
times. He then went to Lancaster county, f^e- 



:OMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



341 



braska. and settled down to farming, remaining 
there until 1884, when he moved to Oklahoma 
about the time the "boomers" were moving off, 
and was among the men who saw Oklahoma be- 
fore that territory had begun its development. 
He afterwards visited the Ozark mountains in 
Missouri, remaining there one summer before re- 
turning to Kansas, while for a year he engaged in 
mining at Pittsburg. In 1886 Mr. \\'alls first saw 
Keya Paha county, taking a homestead in section 
10, township 32, range 21, where he built his 
first log cabin. 

On June 20, 1878, he was married to Miss 
Effie Stalcup, whose father was an old settler in 
Kansas, of Swedish descent. They have one 
child, Inez, who is now Mrs. Lloyd Harris, of 
Ripple, Colorado. 

After settling in Keya Paha county j\Ir. 
\\'alls spent his first years hauling posts, freight- 
ing, etc., and then went to farming, which he 
followed for the next fifteen years. During this 
time he experienced many hardships and priva- 
tions, witnessing the drouth periods, through 
them losing two entire crops successively and 
others by hail, wind and storms. In 1902 our 
subject sold his farm and moved to Springview, 
there opening a restaurant and confectionery 
store, and is still engaged in this business, hand- 
ling groceries, confections, ice cream, etc.. and 
has a flourishing trade in this line. 

Mr. Walls is counted one of the solid busi- 
ness men of Springview, takes an active in- 
terest in all affairs pertaining to town matters, 
and has always done his full share towards the 
development of the financial interests of the com- 
munity where he has chosen his home. In po- 
litical sentiment he is a Republican. 



T. W. NUNN. 

J. \\'. Nunn, known throughout his com- 
munity as an energetic and progressive farmer, 
has been a resident of Che\enne county for the 
past twenty-five years. 

Mr. Nunn was born in Lewis county, Mis- 
souri, January 1, 1864, and at the age of five 
years went with his parents to Saline county, that 
state. There were fourteen children in his fath- 
er's family, and he was the ninth in order of 
birth, and has three brothers and two sisters still 
living. The father's death occurred on the home 
ranch September 21, 1907, and the mother died 
February 14. 1906. Both were highly respected 
old settlers of Cheyenne county, having passe 1 
through all the early Nebraska times, coming 
here in 1884, accompanied by our subject, thev 
homesteading a piece of land which was after- 
wards sold. 



Mr. Xunn now has his home ranch on section 
28, township 19. range 51. owning a ranch of 
one thousand six hundred acres situated on 
Pumpkin Creek. He has a small part of it culti- 
vated, but is engaged principally in the stock 
business, having at the present time one hun- 
dred and forty cattle. His place is well improved 
in every way, and he is a prosperous and success- 
ful citizen of his township. 

Mr. Nunn was united in marriage on ]\Iarch 
10, 1897, at Middle Creek, Cheyenne county, 
to Miss Grace Dagger, daughter of Wm. C. 
Dugger, a well-known and highly esteemed resi- 
dent of that locality. Five children were born 
to Mr. and Mrs. Nunn, named as follows: Alvin, 
Herbert (deceased), Esther, Henry and Francis, 
all bright and interesting youngsters, and the 
family have a pleasant and comfortable home. 

Mr. Nunn is treasurer of the telephone line 
of Bridgeport. He takes an active interest in 
local and school affairs, and is serving as mod- 
erator of District No. 106. 



ROBERT H. KOOXTZ. 

Among the residents of Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, none is more highly respected and es- 
teemed than the subject of this review, Robert 
H. Koontz. 

Mr. Koontz was born in Washington, Penn- 
sylvania. November 18, 1861. and came to Coun- 
cil Bluff's when but two years of age. His 
father, also Robert H. Koontz, was by profes- 
sion a lawyer, of German descent, and died sud- 
denly'just as the family were all ready to move 
to Iowa. His mother, who was Miss Mary A. 
Hunter, of Scotch-Irish descent, died in 1901 ; 
an only brother had passed away prior to this. 
Robert H. Koontz started out to make his own 
way at eighteen years of age, obtaining employ- 
ment in hotels, and at anything he could find to 
do, and in March, 1885, came to Cherry county, 
locating si.x miles west of Merriman. remaining 
there until 1899, when he sold out. He had been 
very successful and made some money in farm- 
ing and stock raising, but was obliged to give 
up all hard work on account of failing health. 
Our subject and Mr. A. Madder were the first 
white men to settle in this locality : together thev 
passed through all the pioneer experiences with 
its very hard times, but overcame all difficultie's 
and are now in comfortable circumstances and 
enjoy pleasant homes with hosts of friends and 
neighbors. 

In 1887 Mr. Koontz contracted a nervous 
trouble brought on by helping to lift a cow 
which had been stuck in the quicksands. After 



342 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



assisting at this work he was compelled to ride 
seven miles to his home in his wet garments and 
the next morning the disease started in his right 
toot and gradually affected his entire body, so 
that he is now almost an invalid. This affliction 
began twelve years ago, and although he has 
tried numerous doctors and all kinds of reme- 
dies has never been able to get any relief. He 
has the sympathy of every person in his local- 
ity in his affliction, and his neighbors and friends 
are always ready and willing to do everything in 
their power to assist him in every way possible. 
Since his illness he has moved to town and gone 
out of the stock business entirely. 

Mr. Koontz was married in 1884 to Miss 
Minerva A'eria, who died twenty years later, leav- 
ing no children. In 1906 he was married to 
Mrs. Carrie (Hunter) Brown, a native of Mon- 
roe county. Iowa, born in 1882. Her father, 
Frank Hunter, now living in \'alentine, was of 
American stock, by trade an electrical and sta- 
tionary engineer, and her mother was Louisa 
Allen, of Scotch descent. One son. Robert H. 
Koontz, third, has been born of the second mar- 
riage. In political faith. Mr. Koontz is a Repub- 
lican, as were his father and grandfather before 
him. 



ALBERT R. KENNEDY. 

Albert R. Kennedy, an old settler and pros- 
perous ranchman of Sioux county, Nebraska, re- 
sides at Crawford, Dawes county, Nebraska, 
where he is engaged in the grocery and meat 
market business. He is well known throughout 
the county, and has the esteem of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Kennedy was born in Ontario, Canada, 
in 1857. His mother's people were English. 
When he was about three years of age the fam- 
ily came to the United States, locating in east- 
ern Iowa where he was reared and educated, 
attending the common schools and putting in his 
spare time in farming. After he reached the 
age of twenty-one he begun farming in Cedar 
county and followed this up to 1884. then estab- 
lished himself in business at Greenfield. Iowa. 
In 1888 he came to Nebraska, settling on a 
homestead in Sioux county. He was the second 
settler in township 32. range 57, and went 
through all the hardships that fell to the lot of 
the pioneers of that section. He was obliged to 
haul water for ten miles to supply his family, 
they occupying a small frame shack twelve bv 
sixteen. He steadily built up his farm and 
home, and added to it until he owned three hun- 
dred and twenty acres. In 1893 he moved to 
Crawford, and for a time was engaged in the 



butcher business for others here. Later he 
started in business for himself, opening up a store 
in a room twelve by twenty-four, with a stock of 
groceries. He soon gained a wide patronage, 
and increased his trade to such an extent that 
he now occupies one of the finest store buildings, 
twenty-five by one hundred, in the town of 
Crawford, carrying a complete line of groceries, 
meats, confectionery, etc. He is a thoroughly 
up-to-date business man and has met with 
marked success. 

Mr. Kennedy was married September 6, 
1880, at Springdale. Iowa, to Miss Sarah A. 
Schooley. They have a family of six children, 
named as follows: Carroll, Nannah, Earl, Clara, 
Virgil and Avis. 

Mr. Kennedy still owns his homestead ranch 
on which he runs a large bunch of cattle, and his 
children also own considerable land in the vicin- 
ity of his farm. Mr. Kennedy was the man who 
put down the first well in the township he set- 
tled in. He has been a member of the city coun- 
cil for one term, and takes a commendable inter- 
est in all local aflfairs. 



JOHN M. LARSON. 

The gentleman above named resides on sec- 
tion 13. northeast, Sheridan township, and is 
one of the prosperous farmers of that region. He 
is a native of Sweden, and came to this country 
when a boy of fifteen. He landed in New York 
in 1852. and went to Andover. Illinois, where he 
settled on a farm, and farmed in Henry county, 
Illinois, for many years, having a farm of one 
hundred and si.xty acres there. 

In 1861, on September 1st, he enlisted in the 
Forty-third Illinois Infantry, Company C, and 
served for three years and twenty-six days, re- 
ceiving an honorable discharge on December 
26tli, at Little Rock, .\rkansas. He saw all 
phases of a soldier's life, and had participated in 
many battles and skirmishes, being at Fort 
Henry, Fort Donaldson. Pittsburg Landing, at 
Corinth, luka. Jackson and Vicksburg during all 
of the siege. Later was under Major General 
.'"Steele through Arkansas and Louisiana ; at 
Texas, Duvall Bluff, Brownsville, following the 
rebels all the time, and fighting every da^v. At 
the battle of Pittsburg Landing he was shot in 
the neck. 

After the war he returned to Illinois and 
farmed up to 1884. then came to Nebraska lo- 
cating in this county, where he bought one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of land from the railway 
company, paying three dollars and a half per 
acre. He built up his farm and improved his 




RANCH SCEM-.- \l i i i WD FAMILY. 

Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



343 



property in 1883 putting up a fine story and a 
half frame house and large barn later. His farm 
is in first-class shape, and he raises good crops, 
running quite a good deal of stock all the time. 

Mr. Larson was married to Miss Lena Pete.r- 
son, born in Sweden. She came to America in 
1868. To Air. and Mrs. Larson have been born 
the following children: Albert, living at Hold- 
rege, engaged in the automobile business ; Will- 
iam, a farmer, living at home ; Gilbert, who oper- 
ates a corn shelling and threshing machine ; one 
daughter, Mrs. Phoebe Nye, of Rawhide. Ne- 
vada : and Amos at home. 

Mr. Larson is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the RepubHc post at Holdrege, 
and one of the popular citizens of his community. 
Politically he is a Republican. 



ALEXANDER BURR. 

Alexander Burr, known throughout Cherry 
countv as a man of good citizenship and untiring 
energy, is a resident of section 26, township 28, 
range 36, where he owns and operates an exten- 
sive ranch. He has been identified with the up- 
building of that locality for many years, and 
while acquiring his valuable estate has also 
gained for himself an enviable reputation. 

Mr. Burr is a native of Canada, born in On- 
tario, in 1846. He is of Scotch descent, both 
parents having been born and reared in Scot- 
land, his mother's name being Isabella Gerry, 
and his father, also named Alexander, a farmer 
by occupation. Our subject .grew up in Canada 
where he saw plenty of hard farm work, remain- 
ing at home until he was twenty-one years of age, 
then started out for himself, following farm 
work. He came to the L'nited States in 1870, 
locating in Detroit, Michigan, and from there 
went to Kansas, where he was among the earliest 
settlers. ]\Iuch of his time was spent in work- 
ing on the railroad in that part of the country, 
and he remained there up to 1888. during that 
time making two visits back to his boyhood 
home in Canada. He farmed in Kansas part of 
the time, going through many crop failures- 
caused by dry weather and suffering from the 
pest known as "grasshopper periods" which were 
frequent in the west in the early years. 

In 1887 I\Ir. Burr came to western Nebraska, 
driving from Kansas with a team, camping out 
along the way. The trip took eighteen davs. and 
he and his family experienced many difficulties 
and suffered from exposure during the iournev. 
but the people of those days knew how to brave 
many hardships without murmuring, and they 
finally reached their destination, locating in Box 
Butte countv, about eighteen miles west of 



where Alliance now stands, and their nearest 
railroad station was Hay Springs, Sheridan 
county. Their first buildings were of sod. and 
our subject went to work to raise crops, im- 
proving the place in Box Butte county and lived 
on it for seven years. He was elected county 
commissioner of that county and served for one 
term, and also held the office of assessor for 
three years, doing his full share in the affairs of 
his community, and was one of the leading pio- 
neers of that locality. He farmed a little, but 
was engaged principally in stock raising, and did 
fairly well. 

Mr. Burr first came to Cherry county in 1894, 
locating on section 25, township 28, range 36, 
twenty-eight miles north of the town of Whit- 
man, Grant county, remained there for several 
years, building up a good ranch, then moved to 
his present location in section 26, settling here in 
1901. He is now owner of a good ranch, has it 
fitted up with good buildings and improvements, 
and has a splendid system of overflowing wells, 
which makes the place one of the most valuable 
in the locality. He has plenty of hay land and 
range for his stock, and has planted many trees, 
having a fine grove, and also many fruit trees, 
small fruits, and good garden. He has all of his 
children well provided for on good ranches, and 
has stocked them up with one hundred head of 
cattle each, giving them a good start as they 
commence life for themselves. 

Air. Burr was married in Kansas in 1872 to 
Miss Adelia Armsbury, whose parents were pio- 
neers there, coming from the New England 
states. Mrs. Burr died the 20th of August, 1907. 
Mr. and Airs. Burr were the parents of the fol- 
lowing children: Alex C, Elmer L.. James N., 
Frank G., Lewis, John H., and Isabella. Pull- 
man postoffice was established about 1887. and 
for the past four years the postoffice has been lo- 
cated on Mr. Burr's ranch, and he is postmaster 
also. 

In local affairs our subject has always taken 
an active part, and has held many public offices, 
being elected county commissioner of Cherry 
county, serving for one term, also was assessor 
for three years. He is a stanch Bryan Demo- 
crat, and stands firmly for his convictions. A 
picture of a ranch scene on Mr. Burr's property 
will be found on another page. 



JESSE P. GRIFFITH. 

Jesse P. Griffith, a prosperous and much re- 
spected farmer of Perkins county, deserves the 
abundant success that has come to him as the 
reward of industry, economy and thrift. He 
was born April 14, 1839, in Clay coimty, Illi- 



344 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



iiois, on a farm. The family were Kentuckians, 
l)oth parents born and reared in Newcastle, set- 
tling in Illinois as pioneers, where Jesse grew to 
manhood. In 1861 he enlisted in the Twelfth 
Illinois Infantry, and later served in the Thir- 
teenth Illinois Infantry, and served in the army. 
In 1867 he went to Missouri, and there was mar- 
ried to Isadore (Stearns) Carder, daughter of 
Williams and Margaret Lariinore Stearns, both 
(li the state of \'irginia. Our subject and his 
wife settled oii a farm in Missouri, lived there 
for several years, then went to South Dakota. 
After some years there Mr. Griffith came to Ne- 
braska, settling in Thayer county in 1886, and 
lived for one year, then moved to what is now 
Perkins county. He secured employment on the 
construction of the Chicago. Burlington and 
Quincy Railway, then being put through the sec- 
tion, and took up a homestead, settling on .^cc- 
tion 27, township 10, range 39, on ]\Iay 10, 
1887. The first summer the family lived in 
a tent, then put up a sad house in which 
they spent several years. Then caine on the 
drouth years and while he met with some 
losses, did fairly well, and was able to get 
along comfortably. He was always able to raise 
a good corn crop, and gradually succeeded in 
building up his place, (tutting up better build- 
ings, and getting considerable land under culti- 
vation. He now has a good farm of four hun- 
dred and eighty acres, and has eighty of this de- 
voted to diversified fanning, also runs consid- 
erable stock. 

There are nine children in our subject's fam- 
ily, named as follows : John. FJiza, Justin, Sam- 
uel. Whistler, Lovic and Katherinc, and two sons 
of ]\lrs. Griffith by a former marriage: James 
Carder and Joseph Carder. 



ISAIAH I'OWLER. 

Isaiah Fowler, an honored veteran of the 
civil war, and a highly esteemed citizen of Ains- 
wnrth. Brown county, Nebraska, was born on a 
farm in Harrison county, Ohio, in 1834, and dur- 
ing the course of a long and active life has dem- 
onstrated the possession in a marked degree of 
those high qualities and upright motiv-es that 
make the good American. He is familiar with 
the experiences of life on the frontier, and knows 
the privations that go along with i)ionccring ; and 
he has also enjoyed hcl])ing in the development 
of both Iowa and Nebraska into prosperous and 
orderly communities. Now as his years advance 
he has the confidence and respect of all who know 
him : _his years, character and patriotic service 
• Icinand no less. 



Garret Fowler, the father of Isaiah, was a na- 
tive American, and followed farming all his life 
in Ohio. His wife was also of American line- 
age, so that in the veins of our Ainsworth Fowler 
fiow currents of patriotic power that have spoken 
on many a field of struggle for the higher and 
better life of the land. 

I.saiah Fowler was the sixth in a fainily of 
ten or eleven children that blessed the marriage 
bond of his parents, and was reared on the Ohio 
farm to a life of hard work, and early taught 
to help and bear his full' share of the common 
burden. He attended union schools, though the 
family means were limited, and he had to do 
with but little school training. He was married 
in his native state in 1859 to Miss Marian Mc- 
Clintoc, her father being a native of Ireland, and 
her mother of Germany. She became the mother 
of five children, three of whom are living: George 
and Walter, who are now pursuing the occupa- 
tion of farming, and Adaline, who is living at 
liomc, comforting the declining years of her aged 
parents. 

W^hen our subject became of age. he left 
home to engage in life for himself, and in 1862 
enlisted in the Federal army, becoming a member 
of Company F, Ninety-eighth Ohio \'okmteer 
Infantry, a command that saw much active and 
hard service in Kentucky, Tennessee, and in 
contiguous territory for three long years. 

After being mustered out in 1865, Mr. 
Fowler spent a little time in his old home com- 
munity, but in the fall of the same year journeyed 
west to Jasper county, Iowa, where he secured a 
farm, and for eighteen years was actively en- 
gaged in its cultivation. In 1883 he moved still 
farther to the westward, and became a resident 
of Brown county, Nebraska, where he took a 
homestead, and built uj) a very fine farm, win- 
ning for himself a most creditable standing as a 
citizen, a farmer and a man. In 1899 he sold out 
his real estate and buying in .Mnsworth. has es- 
tablished a home there where he is enjoying that 
well earned ease and comfort that should prop- 
crlv attend the closing of a most honorable and 
industrious career. He is a member of the Con- 
gregational churcii and in jiolitical faith a Re- 
publican. 



AIlRAilAM PFXSF. 

Abraham Pense, long and prominently 
known to the residents of Keya Paha county. 
Nebraska, as one of the worthv citizens and lead- 
ing public sjiirited men of this region, resides on 
his well-imnroved farm in section 24. township 
34, range 22. Mr. Pense was born in Page 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



345 



county, Virginia, November 21, 1832. His 
father, Peter Pense, was a farmer by occupation, 
of German descent, and died when our subject 
was a lad of ten years. His mother, whose 
maiden name was Sophia Aleshire. was born, 
married and Hved her entire hfe in Page county, 
dying there about 1896. She was the mother 
of fourteen children, Abraham being one of a 
pair of twins ; he was reared and educated in his 
native county on a farm, and put in many days 
of hard work there while still a mere boy. He 
hoed corn many days when a child, receiving for 
this work six and seven cents per day. 

In 1857 Mr. Pense came west, locating in 
Cedar county, Iowa, where he started a farm 
and also worked out by the day and month, to 
make a living. He went into horticulture, work- 
ing for Hammond & Humphrey, nurserymen, 
where he learned grafting and horticulture to 
quite an extent, and followed this for some time. 
August 7, 1862 he enlisted at Tipton, Illinois, in 
Compan}' B, Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry, and 
saw service along the Mississippi river at Vicks- 
burg and other places. Owing to impaired health 
because of fever and ague he was on detached 
service nearly all of the time, guarding the Indian 
prisoners at Davenport, Iowa, up to the close of 
the war. 

Mr. Pense had five brothers serving in the 
confederate army, four of whom were killed, or 
died of exposure incident to camp life. After 
the war our subject returned to Iowa, again en- 
gaging in horticulture, remaining there up to 
1887, when he sold his property there, which con- 
sisted of an eight|y-acre farm near Roland, in 
Story county, purchased in 1875. He then came 
to Nebraska, settling on his present homestead 
in Keya Paha county, Alay 17, 1884, where he 
built a log house, in which he still lives, having 
covered it with weather-boarding. He went 
through the usual experiences of the pioneers of 
this region, losing his cattle, five of which died 
the first spring. He had a hard time to get 
started, and suflr'ered heavy losses from drouths, 
storms, and other causes, and often became 
heartily discouraged, but stuck to it, and now 
owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres, eighty of which are cultivated and the 
balance in hay and pasture. He has a fine or- 
chard containing all kinds of fruits, and his farm 
is one of the best-kept in his locality. 

Mr. Pense was married in Iowa. August 
15, 1862, eight days after he enlisted in the 
army, to Miss Sarah Eliza Humphrey, who was 
born in Tipton, Cedar county. Iowa. Her father, 
Aaron Humphrey, was a preacher there, and a 
native of Connecticut. It required courage for a 
bride of a week to see her young husband march 
away to battle and possible death. 



Mrs. Pense was a woman of much intelli- 
gence and good education, having taken a course 
at the State University, located at Iowa City. 
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pense, 
named as follows : Ernest E., married and living 
near Bonesteel, South Dakota, father of six chil- 
dren ; Ada, deceased ; Severn A., also married 
and living in South Dakota, father of three chil- 
dren; Etta v., married to Joseph S. Bingham, 
and mother of six children, residing in Keya 
Paha county ; Lenna, married to William Hast- 
ings, also living near her old home with one 
child ; George \V., residing with his family near 
Mullen postoffice, South Dakota ; Joy, a teacher 
in the county schools ; and Mary and Lillie E., 
both dead. 

Mr. Pense is a Populist, and is active in all 
local affairs. He has held office at different 
times, and also served on the school board. The 
first school organized in this vicinit}' was held 
in his house during the first two or three terms. 
Mr. Pense was reared in the German Baptist 
church and was at one time a member of the Odd 
Fellows and Good Templars ; the latter organi- 
zation he joined while in the army to avoid being 
urged to spend his time and money in drink. A 
view of his residence, orchards and groves, is to 
be found on another page. 



JULIAN E. PHINNEY, M. D. 

The medical profession of Sioux county has 
no more able representative than Dr. Julian E. 
Phinney, who has spent nearly all his life in 
the state of Nebraska, coming here with his pa- 
rents when a child of five years of age. 

Dr. Phinney was born in Walworth county, 
Wisconsin, in 1860, on the farm of his father, 
Calvin E. Phinney. The latter was a native of 
( jhio ; and he married Catherine Olp, of Penn- 
sylvania, of German blood. The father died in 
1873 ; the mother is still living at Utica. Ne- 
braska, aged seventy-three years. The family 
came west and settled in Utica, Nebraska, in 
1865. and were among the pioneers of that re- 
gion. There our subject was raised and re- 
ceived his early education attending the common 
schools, and when a young man of twenty-six 
entered Rush Medical College at Chicago, grad- 
uating from that institution as a physician in 
1889. Our subject's father served about five 
years in the civil war, acting as a scout a good 
part of the time. 

After his graduation, our subject immedi- 
ately begun the practice of his profession, estab- 
lishing an office at Utica, and remained there for 
three years, building up a good practice. In 
1893 he removed to Harrison, and has extended 



346 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, RExMlNISCENCE AND BIOGRai-'HV 



his patronage by his skilful labors as a physician 
and surgeon, throughout the whole county. He 
is a gentleman of pleasing personality, honest 
and sincere in word and deed, and has gained the 
confidence and esteem of his fellowmen, profes- 
sionally and socially. His practice extends a dis- 
tance of thirty miles from Harrison, and often 
he has been compelled to go into W'yoming to 
attend some patient who desired his services. 

Dr. Phinney was united in marriage De- 
cember 24. 1889, at Utica, Nebraska, to Miss 
Minnie Learned, of Utica, Nebraska. To them 
have been born the following children: Ernest 
].. Frank, Brownlee, Pearl and Ruby. Dr. 
Phinney and his son Ernest are joint owners 
of a large ranch in South Dakota, on which they 
keep a large number of horses and cattle. Our 
subject has devoted his entire attention to his 
professional duties, and his success is well 
merited. 



JOHN E. LAMB, SR. 

For over a quarter of a century John E. Lamb 
has resided in Nebraska, and has become well- 
known all over Rock county as a prosperous and 
progressive agriculturist. He was among the 
first to settle in this section and has watched the 
growth and development of this region from its 
early organization. 

Mr. Lamb was bom in Lafayette county, \\'is- 
consin, in 1849. His father, Curtis Lamb, was 
a farmer, of American parentage, born in the 
eastern states, as was also his mother, whose 
maiden name was Nancy Pycan. In 1850 the 
former started for California, spending the win- 
ter at Council Bluffs and in Woodbury county. 
Iowa, where he was a pioneer settler. He built 
the third house in Siou.x City, and this is still 
standing, a rude log hut, twenty-eight miles from 
the city. He was born in Indiana in 1818, and 
is still living. He has always been a strong Re- 
publican, and in his younger days was a prom- 
inent politician. There were twelve children in 
the family, of whom our subject is the fourth 
member. He was raised and educated in 
WViodbury county, Iowa, on his father's farm, 
w here lie was early taught to do all kinds of harvl 
labor. At the age of twenty years he struck out 
for himself. He spent two years in Kansas, then 
returned to Iowa, settling in Linn county. He 
remained there for several years, and in 1879 
came to N''ebraska. settling in Knox coimtv. 
where he took a homestead and lived for six 
years, proving up and building his farm and 
home up. He put up his first dwelling, which 
was a dugout, and the only light which entered 
the place came through half a window which he 



built in the side of the hut. He started in with 
a team and wagon, and twenty-six dollars in 
money. He was very successful on that place, 
and got a good start through his energy and per- 
severance, then came to Rock county in 1886, 
taking up a tree claim in southeast section 34, 
township 32, range 18. This was entirely unim- 
proved and he at once set out to build up a 
home. His first work was to build a house six- 
teen by twenty. He continued to improve tlie 
place, getting it partly under cultivation, and 
raised good crops on it. He never experienced 
any of the hardships and losses through the dry 
years that fell to the lot of so many of the old 
settlers, and altogether has been extremely for- 
tunate in every venture since coming here. Prior 
to locating here he had made a trip to the Black 
Hills by team. He went through the hills, then 
through South Dakota, coming back through 
Nebraska along the Niobrara river. This was 
in the seventies, and before there were any set- 
tlers in this section, and not a railroad within 
many miles of this region. His farm now con- 
tains six hundred and forty acres of fine land, 
and he is engaged in stock raising and mixed 
farming. He has a splendid bearing orchard on 
his place which supplies the family with all kinds 
of delicious fruit, and has also many fine forest 
trees all over his farm. 

Mr. Lamb was married at the age of twenty, 
while living in Iowa, to Miss Elizabeth A. 
Wright. They have a family of five boys, named 
as follows: John E., Jr., Curtis M., E. Dewitt, 
Warren D., and Willie E. They have a pleas- 
ant and comfortable home, and all of our sub- 
ject's time is spent in improving this and sur- 
rounding himself and family with all the com- 
fo-ts of a rural home. He is an Independent 
voter. 



GEORGE C. FISCHER. 

George C. Fischer, who, as a land owner of 
Cheyenne county, has done his share toward the 
development of the agricultural resources of that 
region, is a widelv known and universally re- 
spected citizen. He is a man of wide experi- 
ence, and his good business judgment and in- 
tegrity have placed him among the prosperous 
men of his precinct. 

Mr. Fisher was born in Switzerland on April 
24. 1845. and in that year his parents emi- 
'rrated .to .America with the family, sailing from 
Havre to New Orleans, then went by river to 
Nashville, Tennessee, thence by wagon to Mor- 
gan county, Tennessee, where thev lived until he 
was fifteen years of age. .At that time they 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



34- 



moved to Nashville, living there three years. 
Prior to their migration to Highland, Madison 
countv, Illinois, where they lived for many years. 
In 1884 our subject came to Nebraska, taking up 
a homestead in section 12, township 12, range 50, 
and settled permanently on the land the follow- 
ing year, where he has lived constantly ever 
since. This was raw prairie, but he at once be- 
gan improving and developing, and has made it 
one of the valuable estates in the locality, putting 
up good buildings and improvements of all kinds. 
He now owns about three hundred and twenty 
acres of good land, farming one hundred acres, 
and using the balance as hay and pasture land 
for his stock, of which he has a large number. 
He has at different times during the early years 
in this region met with losses, and had a hard 
time to get along, but has worked hard and 
faithfully, and is now recognized as one of the 
progressive and substantial farmers and ranch- 
men of his county, prospering through good 
management and strict attention to the details 
of his farming, and enjoys a comfortable rural 
home. Mr. Fischer was married in Madison 
county, Illinois, on the 30th of December, 1869, 
to Bertha Bossart, who is now the mother of 
seven living children ; one daughter, Mary, died 
August 31, 1897. They are named as follows: 
John Henry, Bertha, Lena, Edward, Eliza, Rosa 
and Amelia. Lena is now the wife of Edward Col- 
lins, and Rose married Elmer Bowman, both liv- 
ing in Cheyenne county, while Eliza married 
Will Young, at present residing near Crook, Col- 
orado. John H. Fischer, the eldest, born Janu- 
ary 13, 1873, is living at home, assisting his 
father in carrying on the home farm. 

Mr. Fischer is a respected citizen of his town- 
ship ; in political sentiment he adheres to the Re- 
publican party. 



THOMAS OUINN. 

Thomas Quinn, occupying a leading position 
in Hooker county, is one of the old timers there 
who has played an important part in its develop- 
ment and growth. He resides on his well-kept 
and valuable estate. 

Mr. Quinn is a native born Nebraskan, and 
was the first baby boy born in McPherson county, 
June 17, 1884, being born in a wagon. His 
father, John B. Quinn. was an old settler in that 
locality, coming there in 1883, he having been 
born and reared in Ireland. He married Mar- 
garet Elliott, also a native of Ireland, in Iowa, 
in 1882, then struck out for Nebraska to build 
a home for themselves, traveling by team to their 
new location. They raised a family of three chil- 
dren : \\' illiam J., Anna M., and our subject, 



Thomas. Their first location after coming to Ne- 
braska was on a homestead in sections 1 and 2, 
township 20, range 35, McPherson county, and 
there for three years, Mrs. J. B. Quinn never 
saw a woman. He worked hard on the home 
farm, having erected sod buildings, and on De- 
cember 17, 1899, the father departed this life, 
leaving to his widow and their children a good 
ranch and an untarnished reputation as a worthy 
public-spirited citizen. He had served as county 
commissioner for three or four terms in McPher- 
son county. The nearest trading point to the 
ranch for four years was North Platte, a dis- 
tance of seventy miles. They were extensively 
engaged in stock raising, the sons assisting their 
father in this work up to the time of his death, 
when Thomas took full charge of the ranch, 
also filed on a homestead of his own in section 
35, township 21, range 35, and has improved 
the place in fine shape. 

Our subject's mother is the owner of a ranch 
comprising fourteen quarter sections, add besides 
this she and the children own three Kincaid 
homesteads, making one of the largest and most 
valuable estates in the county, and indeed, in that 
part of the state. On the ranch there are from 
eight hundred to one thousand tons of hay cut 
each year, furnishing support for over eight hun- 
dred head of cattle. 

In 1906 Mr. Thomas Quinn was married to 
IMabel Sanders, daughter of W. T. Burnham, 
(Sanders being her step-father's narne). She 
taught school in Hooker county for some time 
prior to her marriage, and is a lady of good edu- 
cation and charming personality. Our subject 
has one child, Myra Josephine, now a baby of 
two years. 

While Mr. Quinn takes a commendable inter- 
est in public affairs locally, he devotes the larger 
part of his time to his family and home. His 
ranch is beautifully situated iri the vicinity of 
Cody Lake, and the old Colonel Wm. F. Codv 
( Buffalo Bill) ranch is comprised in his property. 



JOHN R. LEE. 



Among the leading old settlers in western 
Nebraska who has always done his full share in 
the development of the locality where he chose 
his home, and who has spent much of his fortune 
in aiding the public good, we mention the name 
of John R. Lee. now a resident of section 32, 
township 27, range 28, Cherry county. Mr. Lee 
has held many local offices since coming here, 
was the first postmaster of Brownlee and the 
first school director, justice of the peace, notary 
public and road overseer, and has alwa,vs been 



348 



COMPEi\DIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



held in the highest esteem as a good citizen and 
accommodating neighbor, and is one of the most 
popular men of his locality today. 

Mr. Lee was born in Ireland, in the town of 
Monaghan, in 1838. His father, Thomas, was of 
English blood, a farmer by occupation, who mar- 
ried Ann Martin, of Scotch-Irish descent, they 
coming to America with their family in 1849. As 
a small boy our subject attended school in Ire- 
land, and after arriving in the L'nited States he 
finished his education in the common schools, his 
parents settling in Wyoming county, Pennsyl- 
vania. They lived there up to 1854, then came 
to \\'isconsin where they spent three years, and 
next to eastern Nebraska. Soon after landing 
here John begun work as a freighter, and during 
the early days here hunted all over the state, 
shooting bufifalo on the plains in the western part 
of Nebraska, and also worked as an Indian trader 
for three years, much of his time being spent 
with the redskins in their camps, and he learned 
to speak their language as fluently as his own. 
He was always honest in his dealings with them, 
and they considered him a friend and was glad 
to have him come amongst them. 

In 1877 Mr. Lee went into the Black Hills 
and did government work at Fort Laramie, for 
several years leading the typical frontier life, 
traveling all over the plains and for months at a 
time did not sleep in a house. He was an eye 
witness of several battles between the Pawnee 
and Sioux Indians, himself taking part in some 
of these engagements. He has traveled all over 
Wyoming and Colorado, and since those years 
has been all over the Ignited States, engaged in 
different enterprises, and is a man of most inter- 
esting personality, well-read and intelligent, with 
whom it is a privilege and pleasure to converse, 
as he relates some of the most wonderful tales 
of life in the west during its early settlement. 

Mr. Lee finally returned to Nebraska, set- 
tling in Saunders county at \\'ahoo. which ti:)wn 
he named, and was the first white man to build a 
house there. He opened a store and blacksmith 
sho]i. and kept the first postoffice at the place, 
making it his home for about six years, and dur- 
ing that time was instrumental in having the 
county seat removed to Wahoo. In 1886 he 
came to Cherry county, landing here in Julv of 
that year, his first location being northeast of 
P.rownlce. where he lived for about a year, then 
moved into the town. Tie was the organizer of 
the town of Brownlee, naming the place after a 
Mr. Brown who was the first man to file on the 
land where the town was started, and himself, 
making the two names (Brown and Lee') into 
one. He established a general store there and 
continued in the business for eight years, also 
was postmaster of Brownlee. .Miout this time 



he brought a large bunch of cattle in the county 
and started in the ranching business, still mak- 
ing his home in the town with his family for 
about fifteen years, then moved to his present 
ranch on North Loup river. Here he is owner 
of nearly- seven thousand acres, which is one of 
the most extensive ranches in Cherry county, 
nearly all of it good hay land, and stocked with 
a large herd of cattle and horses. 

While living at Wahoo ^Ir. Lee was united in 
marriage to Miss Mary D. Olson, born in Den- 
mark. They have a family of six children, all 
filling honorable positions in the world, named as 
follows: Robert S.. William il.. Charles J., Mary 
Alice, Henry H.. and Roy. Of late years Mr. 
Lee has given the active management of the 
ranch over to his sons, who are all good ranch 
men and capable business men. 



WILLIAM S. BACON. 

W illiam S. Bacon, among the early settlers 
of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, has a well im- 
proved farm on section 8, township 34. range 24, 
Norden precinct, and is well known as an in- 
dustrious and energetic man. highly respected 
and esteemed in his community. 

Mr. Bacon was born in Sheffield. England, 
December 18, 1849. His father, William Bacon, 
came to this country in 1856 with his wife and 
child. The father was a preacher in the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, and his wife prior to her 
marriage was Miss Susanna ^^'amsley. also of 
English birth. The family settled on the iVIonon- 
gahela river in Allegheny county. Pennsylvania, 
in the village of Rock Run. and there our subject 
was reared and educated until the age of twenty- 
one, at which time he started out for himself, 
working in the coal mines, following that work 
for twenty-one years. He did very well at the 
mining and accumulated quite a comfortable 
amount of property, then left Pennsylvania and 
came west, settling in Cherry county, Nebraska, 
in 1887. There he liought a farm and lived on it 
for two years, in 1889 moving to Keya Paha 
county, locating on a farm in section 4. townshij) 
34. range 24. He made many improvements, and 
succeeded in building up a good home and farm, 
and s])ent seventeen years on that place. 

In 1906 Mr. Bacon took up his present farm 
as a homestead, the tract comprising three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, on which he is adding 
improvements all the time, and as it is beautifully 
situated, he will have one of the valuable estates 
in this section. A view of his dwelling, new 
barn and outbuildings is to be found on another 
page. 




j'Wsge^' 



RESIDENCE OF W. S. BACON, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM CHESTER. 
Brown County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



349 



Mr. pjacon was married in 1873, in Pennsyl- 
vania, to Aliss Xancy J. Alelki. and they have a 
family of five children, named as follows : Anna, 
wife of W. C. Jones, of Bruce, South Dakota : 
Oella, wife of Jacob Swim, of Keya Paha county ; 
Pearl, who married Porter Billings, living near 
home ; James, now at Bruce. South Dakota, and 
Linnie, wife of John Todd, of Homer, South Da- 
kota. 

Mr. Bacon is Republican in politics : he holds 
membership in the Odd Fellows, the Knights of 
Pytliias and the Improved Order of Red Men. 



FRANK SHAFFER. 

The gentleman above named came to Har- 
lan county, Nebraska, in 1873. In the spring 
of that year he built the first house on what 
is now the site of the town of .\lma, and in 
April a town site company was organized with 
Mr. Shafifer as president, Judge A. N. Cook. 
Captain JMurray. Mr. Richmond, Mr. \'anNess, 
Jack Young and Peter Londeville on the com- 
mittee. They laid out one hundred and sixty- 
acres, and staked off forty acres, and to those 
who would build they presented a lot. Dur- 
ing the following year a blacksmith shop was 
put up by Mr. Broadmore. and a store by Sap- 
pington & JMoore. The town began to grow 
gradually. Mr. Guyer building a store in 1874, 
and he was appointed the first postmaster. In 
the same year the county was organized and 
Alma was made the county seat, a big fight 
being made over this. In 1883 the railroad 
was put through the town, the population then 
being about three hundred, and from that time 
on the place grew more rapidly. Mr. Shaffer 
was then in the livery, hotel and implement 
business. He built the largest hotel west of 
Hastings, called the Shaffer House, and was 
the only implement dealer in this county up 
to 187.^. He had a large trade all over this 
section, selling an immense amount of ma- 
chinery to the settlers who came to the state 
arid engaged in farming, hauling goods from 
Beatrice, which is seventy-five miles east of 
Lowell and from Lowell fifty-five miles east. 
He continued in this business up to 1886, then 
sold his implement store to A. B. Laferty. and 
the latter was engaged in business here until 
1908. Our subject: sold his livery barn in 1888, 
and in the same year rented the hotel to J. B. 
Hamlon. and subsequently the place was de- 
stroyed by fire and a new hotel put up. • In 
1873 Mr. Shaft'er killed a huge buft'alo on the 
spot where the postofiice now stands. He 
bought farms all over this countv, and owned 



about twenty-two hundred acres at one time, 
devoting his entire time and attention to the 
farming and stock raising business. He 
raised, bought and shipped a great deal of 
stock. The Alma opera house was built and 
is now the property of our subject. He started 
the largest general store establishment in Alma 
in 1877, which was at that time the largest 
store in w^estern Nebraska, operating it up to 
1887. This was the Double Store, now owned 
and operated by his son-in-law, S. C. Gould, 
whose personal history appears on another 
page of this volume. Our subject now is en- 
gaged in farming west of Alma. The farm 
consists of one hundred and eighty acres of 
river bottom land and timber and fourteen 
acres of land in Alma, on which he resides. 
He is a successful breeder of Poland China 
pure bred hogs, and sells his stock at private 
sales. He also feeds from fifty to sixty head 
of cattle each winter. He breeds standard 
horses, and produces some fine animals. One 
month he sold five hundred and sixty-four dol- 
lars' worth of hogs, and is of the opinion that 
the hog business is much more profitable than 
cattle, as a man can turn hogs from three to 
four times per year, and' this state is an ideal 
place in which to raise and fatten them cheap- 
ly and quickly. 

Mr. Shaffer is a native of Pennsylvania. 
He is a son of Jacob Shaffer, a native of Som- 
erset county, Pennsylvania, who settled in 
Iowa and owned a large tract of land, includ- 
ing the site where Waterloo now stands. Our 
subject lived in Butler county, Iowa, prior to 
coming to Nebraska, and there held the office 
of deputy sheriff., at Parkersburg, which town 
he laid out, and was engaged in the livery 
business, also running a hotel from 1886 to 
1872. He enlisted at Waterloo in Company 
C, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, serving for 
three years and three months, and was ap- 
pointed sergeant and elected first lieutenant, 
but was so young would not qualify. Four 
brothers who entered the service were all 
killed. Our subject was ordered east with 
his regiment, and was at the famous battle of 
Shiloh, at Pittsburg Landing, on the Red 
River expedition (after Banks's defeat), un- 
der General A. J. Smith, when eighty men 
in his regiment were killed at Pleasant Hill. 
He was at \'icksburg. and later in Alabama 
at the battle of Nashville, then in the Atlanta 
campaign. He was mustered out at Trenton, 
Iowa, in September, 1865. 

Mr. Shaffer was married in 1872 to Miss 
Jennie Gutchus. daughter of Morris Gutchus, 
who at one time owned one hundred and sixty- 
acres of the land on which the citv of Chicago 



350 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



now stands, selling it for seventeen hundred 
dollars, and later moved to Iowa. Mr. Shaf- 
fer has ten children, namely: Elmer, a farmer 
in Prairie Dog township, Harlan county; Ed, 
a farmer in Floyd. Iowa: John, residing in 
Alma : Charles, living at home with his par- 
ents ; Alma, wife of S. C. Gould, a merchant 
at Alma ; Mrs. Mary Yokeman, Butler. Mar- 
vin, Jennie and Ethel. 

^Ir. Shaffer was second commander of the 
Grand Army of the Republic post at Alma, 
and is a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, belonging to the latter for the 
past thirty-five years. Also an Ancient Or- 
der of United Workmen and yeoman and dep- 
uty yeoman of all Nebraska south of the Platte 
river. He is a Republican politically, but 
would never accept any office. 



WILLIAM CHESTER. 

Among the leading old timers in Brown 
county, Nebraska. Mr. Chester is given a first 
place. Mr. Chester is a native of \Msconsm : 
born in the village of Pewaukee. Waukesha 
county. December 2. 1858. He is a son of Will- 
iam Chester, an old settler in that region, and a 
mason by trade. There was a family of eight 
children, of whom our subject is youngest : he 
was raised in his native county, and from boy- 
hood becalne accustomed to hard work, assisting 
his parents in the su])port of the family. He had 
little schooling, and is an entirely self-made man. 
Starting out for him.self at the age of twenty- 
five years, he came to western Nebraska in com- 
pany with his brother, L'rial Chester (deceased), 
and took up a homestead in section 3. township 
27 . range 22. Brown county, on which he put 
up a sod house and farm buildings, in which he 
lived for fifteen years. They were extensivelv 
engaged in stock raising from the start, liegin- 
ning with very small capital and gradually in- 
creasing their farm and holdings. He followed 
the life of a ranchman for twenty years, and had 
a well stocked, finely improved property at the 
end of that time, and was one of the prosperous 
men of the region. In 1904 he and his brother 
sold the ranch for a comfortable sum and re- 
tired to Long Pine. Here William Chester bought 
three hundred and eighty acres adjoining the vil- 
lage and engages extensively in raising hogs. 
The place is equipped with a comfortable house, 
numerous barns, hog houses and sheds and has a 
growing thrifty young orchard. .\ fine view of 
the premises is to l)e found on another page. 

Mr. Chester was married in I-ong Pine. Mav 
2(^. 1801, to Miss Lillie Wanker, a native of Clark 
county. Iowa. Her father, Ignatius Wanker, was 



a farmer and old settler in Nebraska, a sketch of 
whom appears elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. and Mrs. Chester have two children 
named Marcus and Lila. 

In politics he is Republican and is a member 
of the clan of Roval Highlanders of Long Pine. 



JOHN G. ANDERSON. 

The gentleman here named has for the past 
thirty years resided at North Platte, where 
he is well known as a man of industry and 
a citizen of true worth. Mr. Anderson is con- 
nected with the I'nion Pacific Railway and 
is one of the genial and trusted employes of 
that company. 

Mr. Anderson was born in Sweden in 1852. 
He came to this country when a boy and lo- 
cated at Chicago. Illinois, where he began 
working as a railroad man in his young man- 
hood. He was employed by the Northwestern 
road for six ^-ears, and afterwards by the Bur- 
lington, making his headquarters at Aurora, 
Illinois, from 1870 to 1874. In 1876 he came 
to Nebraska, locating at North Platte, Lin- 
coln county, and associated himself with the 
L'nion Pacific in 1877, and three years later 
was made conductor on a freight train, hold- 
ing that position for ten years, then was given 
the position of passenger conductor and con- 
tinued at this ever since. He is now running 
on the Los Angeles Limited, and has a splen- 
did record all through his career as a train- 
man. Mr. .Anderson is a member of the Or- 
der of Railway Conductors and a prominent 
Mason in the Blue Lodge. Chapter and Com- 
mandery, also a Shriner at Omaha. 

In 1880 'Mr. Anderson was married to Miss 
Mary B. Rose, a native of Sweden, and they 
have one daughter. Bessie, wife of F. ^V. 
Placek. 

Mr. Anderson is a fine specimen of the suc- 
cessful Swede, popular with his fellows, and 
held in the highest esteem as a citizen in his 
community and well known and liked through- 
out railway circles in this section of the 
coivntrv. 



JOHN N. BRUER. 

Among the prominent old settlers of Dawes 
county, John N. Bruer is accorded a fore- 
most place. He has been a resident of Craw- 
ford for many years ])ast and is well known 
and highly esteemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Bruer is a native of the state of Ohio, 
born at Toledo in 1861. His father, Jacob 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



351 



Bruer, was born in Germany and followed the 
career of a sailor during his younger days, 
coming to America in about the year 1858. 
When our subject was a lad of twelve years 
he left home and started out to make his own 
way in the world. He went to Iowa, locat- 
ing in Carroll county, and worked out on 
farms in that vicinity up to 1878, then went 
west to Colorado, obtaining employment on a 
railroad, which occupation he followed for a 
year. He next entered the government serv- 
ice, located at Fort Russell, Wyoming, re- 
maining there for about a year. In 1880 he 
started in the ranching business in Nebraska, 
settling on the Niobrara river, in what is now 
Dawes county, and followed ranching up to 
1890. He also took up a homestead and proved 
up on his land. He did well at the work, but 
went through some hard times and led rather 
a rough life, as did so many of the settlers 
here in those days. He spent many nights in 
camping out on the prairie, and when he lo- 
cated here there were only two ranches es- 
tablished between the Platte river and Pine 
Ridge agency. He came to Crawford in 1890 
and started in business, still retaining his 
ranching interests and personally superintend- 
ing the management of his property. Mr. Bru- 
er is engaged in the real estate and saloon 
business. 

Mr. Bruer was married in 1887 to ]\Iiss 
Minnie Rich, an estimable lady of German de- 
scent. To Mr. and Mrs. Bruer six children 
have been born, namely: Elinora, Flora, John 
H., Clara, Willie and Minnie. The family oc- 
cupy a pleasant home and are well liked and 
popular throughout the community. 

Mr. Bruer has always taken an active in- 
terest in all local affairs, and has done his 
share in the building up of his locality and 
the development of educational and commercial 
interests there. He is a Democrat in politics. 



WILLIAM HALSTEAD. 

As a citizen of integrity and true worth, 
and a man of industrious and energetic char- 
acter, the gentleman above named is well 
known to the residents of Brown county. Ne- 
braska. Mr. Halstead was born in Lynn coun- 
ty. Iowa, March 20, 1858. of American stock. 
His father, J. M. Halstead, is a carpenter by 
trade, and was a homesteader and early set- 
tler in Brown county, Nebraska, now resid- 
ing at Cripple Creek, Colorado. The Halstead 
family was among the pioneer settlers who 
landed in America from the old countrv dur- 



ing the early colonial days. Our subject was 
the eldest member in his father's family of 
five children, and was reared in Iowa on a 
farm, where he grew up accustomed to hard 
work during his boyhood years. At the age 
of eighteen he began railroading in his native 
state, and it was while he was engaged in this 
work that he had the misfortune to lose his 
right leg in an accident which occurred on 
the C. R. I. & P. Railway. This unfitted 
him for a railroad career, and he went to work 
in a brick yard, remaining for one year, and 
became an expert brick thrower. In 1880 he 
came west, locating in Dodge county, Nebras- 
ka, and the next four or five years were spent 
on a farm there ; then he left that place and 
moved to the northwestern part of Brown 
county, taking up a homestead where he lived 
for eight years, at the same time provmg up 
on a tree claim in the same locality. His first 
dwelling place was of the familiar dugout 
variety, and the second building he erected 
was a log house. Progress was slow at the 
start, as he had no capital to begin with, and 
the first years were spent hauling hay for ten 
miles over unbroken roads, through all sorts 
of weather, for an income. He also cut and 
hauled posts to help eke out a living for him- 
self and family. During these years he never 
shaved, but allow^ed his whiskers to grow to 
considerable length, and many times during 
the severely cold weather he was obliged to 
thaw the ice off his face before he was able 
to eat his meals. However, he stuck to this 
place through all kinds of hard luck up to 
1889. and then moved on his present home- 
stead located in section 32. township 30. range 
22. This property was improved with a log 
house and barn, and he at once began put- 
ting up fences and planting trees and making 
necessary improvements. His farm now com- 
prises one hundred and sixty acres of land, 
one-half of which is in a high state of cultiva- 
tion, and on this he raises fine crops. He 
rents other land, so that in all he has three 
hundred acres in operation, together with half 
a section of hay land. 

Mr. Halstead was married in Avoca, Iowa, 
July 24, 1880, to Miss Mary Ella Plum, a na- 
tive of the state of Illinois, born of American 
stock, her father being an old soldier and one 
of the pioneer settlers in Illinois. Mr. and 
Mrs. Halstead have a family of thirteen chil- 
dren, who are named as follows : Harp, Ha- 
zel, for three years a teacher in Brown county, 
now engaged in teaching in Montana ; Hollis, 
Hal and Hugh (twins). Mary, Heath, Hol- 
comb, Harold, Harry, Hope, William Harvey 
and Helen. All excepting the two eldest chil- 



352 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



dren were born and reared in Brown county. 
Mr. Halstead lias telephone connection in 
his house and everythint;- which goes to make 
up a pleasant and comfortable home. Much 
of his time is spent in literary work, and he 
is a writer of no mean ability. He is a Dem- 
ocrat politically, a member of the .Ancient Or- 
der of United Workmen and with his wife 
has taken the degree of honor of that order. 



CONSTANT GUENIN. 

The highly cultivated fields of Nebraska 
and well equipped ranch properties bear lit- 
tle semblance to the land as it was in the 
time of the pioneer settler, when he found it 
a vast wilderness or barren prairie, perhaps 
covered in parts witli brush or submerged. 
None of it was in shape for cultivation, and 
yet many of those who went to that country 
under these unpromising conditions have re- 
mained to become the owners of some of the 
finest farms in the state. Deuel county was 
one of the most unseemly farming regions of 
the state, and it is now one of the most pros- 
perous. .\mong those who have brought 
about this most pleasing condition is the gen- 
tleman above nam6d. Constant Guenin, who 
has a pleasant and comfortable home in Sugh- 
rue precinct. Mr. Guenin has opened up and 
developed a fine estate, and is one of the well 
known and highly esteemed citizens of his 
locality. 

Our subject is a native of Switzerland, born 
April 6, 1867, and grew to the age of twenty- 
five years there, following the life of an agri- 
culturist during his boyhood and as a young 
man. He landed in .America in 1892. settling 
at first in Scott county, Kansas, where he spent 
one year, then came to Deuel county, and in 
September, 1893, filed on homestead rights, 
built a dwelling anrl proved up on his claim. 
He went through many hardships in getting 
his home started, meeting with discourage- 
ments and partial failure of crops during the 
first few years, but stuck bravely to his work 
and gradually improved the land, erecting 
good buildings, etc. His home ranch is now 
on section 20, township 15, range 43, and he is 
the owner oi sixteen hundred acres, which he 
uses mostly as a stock ranch. He has about 
sixty acres unfler cultivation, and has a large 
bunch of stock, at present running two hun- 
dred cattle and a number of horses. His 
house is a comfortable one and he has starterl 
fine shade and fruit trees and has many im- 
provements which make it an ideal rural home. 



He has also a complete set of farm buildings 
and all necessary machinery and equipment 
for conducting a modern farm. 

Mr. Guenin was married while still liv- 
ing in Sw-itzerland to Miss Anna Guenin, the 
event occurring on January 10, 1891, and the 
young pair struck out for America to seek 
their fortune the following year. Mr. Gue- 
nin's father is dead, but his mother still lives 
in her native land, while both parents of Mrs. 
Guenin are dead. To our subject and his wife 
have been born the follow'ing children : Mark, 
born in April, 1892 ; George, born in March, 
1896; Morris, born in February, 1899; Walter, 
born in November, 1900, and Helen, born in 
May. 1904, all living at home. Mr. Guenin is 
a wideawake citizen of his community and 
politically is identified with the Republican 
party. 



RAUPH LEWIS. 

Ralph Lewis, residing on section 29, town- 
ship 35, range 19, is one of the old settlers and 
worthy citizens of Keya Paha county. Mr. 
Lewis was born in Farmersville, New York, 
April 3, 1842, and was raised and educated on 
his father's farm. The latter, Caleb Lewis, 
was born in Rhode Island, and his family were 
all killed at the Wyoming massacre except his 
father and grandmother. He tlied in 1856 
at the age of si.xty-six years. 

Our subject's mother, who was prior to her 
marriage Miss Johanna Wade, was a descend- 
ant of the Wade family of Ohio, whose ances- 
tors came to America and landed near New- 
ark, New Jersey, in the seventeenth century. 

In a family of eleven children our subject 
was the tenth member, and at the age of nine- 
teen years he started out for himself, enlist- 
ing in Company D, Sixty-fourth New York 
Regiment, in the .Army of the Potomac, and 
served for three years and three months, later 
enlisting in Hancock's corps, known as United 
States Veteran Volunteers, serving for one 
year. He took part in fourteen battles and 
many skirmishes. 

-After the war he began farming in New 
"S'ork, and continued at that up to 1878. He 
was employed in team contracting in McKean 
county, Pennsylvania, until the spring of 1882 
and for the following y?ar was employed in 
Warren county. Migrating west, he arrived 
in Keya Paha county in .April, 1883. Here he 
took up a homestead and pre-emption on the 
nurtli one-half of section 29, township 35, range 
19. and also took a tree claim, and still lives 
in that section. He went through the usual 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 353 



pioneer experiences, and lost considerable 
stock during the raids by the cattle rustlers, as 
he lived right on the line over which they 
drove their stolen stock. Mr. Lewis was one of 
the vigilantes during those times, and was one 
of the foremost in trying to suppress these 
thieves. He built up his place steadily and 
early planted trees, now having about one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of fine forest trees, in- 
cluding the natural timber on the river. His 
ranch, known as Clover Leaf Ranch, consists 
of sixteen hundred and forty acres of good 
land, and of this he cultivates two hundred 
acres, keeping the balance for hay and pas- 
ture. He runs over three hundred head of 
Hereford cattle and forty horses and uses a 
great deal of the grain raised on his farm at 
home. His place is well fenced and cross- 
fenced, and he has a complete set of good 
farm buildings, altogether owning one of the 
most valuable estates in the county. We pre- 
sent a page view of his extensive buildings, 
fine two-story dw-elling with its tasteful sur- 
roundings, which gives some idea of the beau- 
tiful scenery of the region as well. 

Mr. Lewis was married April 3, 1866, to 
Miss Emma Otto, born in Allegheny county, 
New York, July 25, 1844. To them have come 
the following children : Stilman O., Frank A., 
Harry O., Mary L. (w^ife of Frank J. Rhoades), 
Guy \\\ and Ernestine, wife of James Runyan, 
all now settled within eight miles of the old 
homestead. Seventeen grandchildren may be 
gathered into a family reunion, a record cred- 
itable beyond the usual family. 

Mr. Lewis is a Populist, or "Old Abe Lin- 
coln Republican." He has never taken a very 
active part in politics, except to act as dele- 
gate to county and national conventions, al- 
though he lends his influence and aid in the 
interest of good government. He was elected 
the first treasurer of Keya Paha county after 
its organization, but has not held office since 
that time, preferring to spend his time in the 
building up and improving of his home and 
farm. 



MISS MARY SHADIE. 

The estimable lady who bears the above 
name is well known and greatly esteemed by 
all who know her. IMiss Shadie has been a res- 
ident of Crawford, Dawes county, Nebraska, 
from the time the town was first started, and 
has since that time been one of the prominent 
citizens and an important factor in the de- 
velopment of its business interests. 

Miss Shadie is a native of Knox countv. 



Maine, and was reared and educated in the 
state of her birth. In 1884 she came west to 
Chicago and from there went to Pine Ridge 
Agencv, where she taught the Indian school 
for two years, then came to Nebraska. At that 
time all traveling was done by team, and she 
was obliged to drive through the country from 
Valentine, camping out for two nights on the 
trip. Miss Shadie moved to Crawford in 1886, 
and taught school for a year, and in August of the 
following year opened one of the first millinery 
stores in the place, buying out a Mrs. Russell, 
who had run a small store for a short time. 
She put in a first-class stock of goods^ and 
built up a good trade, running the business 
alone for a number of years. In 1903 she pur- 
chased an interest in the Crawford Mercan- 
tile Company, of Crawford, and three years 
later increased her interest in the business, so 
that she is now one of the principal stock- 
holders in the company, and the firm is doing 
a splendid business. This store carries a large 
stock of dry goods, shoes, millinery, etc., and 
is a thoroughly up-to-date and first-class es- 
tablishment, their trade extending throughout 
Dawes and the adjoining counties. 

j\Iiss Shadie is an alert and active busi- 
ness woman of marked force of character and 
a lady of tact and good business judgment, 
which is fully evidenced by her succe.ss in 
the work to which she has given her entire 
time and energy for so many years, and is 
one of tlie highly esteemed and worthy citi- 
zens of her communitv. 



JOHN A. NUGENT. 

John A. Nugent, who for four vears was 
the popular postmaster at Cams. Nebraska, is 
well known all over the county as a promi- 
nent citizen and capable business man. 

Mr. Nugent is a Canadian by birth, and 
he is a son of Edward Nugent, a mechanic 
by trade, and an old settler in Gentry, Mis- 
souri. Our subject was born April 1, 1863, in 
Hamilton, and came across the border with 
his parents when a child, settling in Gentry 
county, Missouri, on a farm, wdiere he was 
raised and educated, assisting his father in 
the farm work. The latter died when John 
was six years of age, and two years later he 
was obliged to get out and hustle for himself. 
He has made his own way ever since, remain- 
ing in Missouri up to 1881, then came to Ne- 
braska and settled in Clay county. Three 
years later he moved to Rock county, follow- 
ing farm work, being employed by the month 



354 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



until lie was twent)' years old, then learned 
the printing business, and afterwards was ed- 
itor of the Bassett Herald for one year. He 
was appointed deputy county clerk of Rock 
county, and he transcribed the Brown county 
records of Rock county when the latter was 
organized. In 1889 he went to \\'ashington, 
where he remained for a year, then came back 
to Rock county and acted as principal of the 
Newport schools for two years. In 1891 he 
was elected county superintendent of schools, 
and re-elected in 1893, serving for four years 
in this capacity. After this he opened up a 
farm and lived on it for three years, and also 
spent one year in White Cloud, Michigan. In 
April, 1903. he took charge, as manager, of E. 
L. Myers Mercantile Company at Cams, and 
in that year, on May 25th, was appointed post- 
master. He combined the two businesses and 
handled a large amount of merchandise each 
year. He resides on his homestead, which he 
took in section 23, township 32, range 19, in 
Rock county, and the farm comprises two hun- 
dred and sixty acres, situated on the Niobrara 
river. He is a hustler of the first water, and 
it is through his industry and good manage- 
ment that he has acquired the comfortable 
competence which he _ enjoys, and he well 
merits much praise for his success. 

I )n May 2. 1902, Mr. Nugent was married 
to Miss Ruth Kershner. They have one cliild, 
named Jennie. 

Mr. Nugent is a strong Republican and 
deeply interested in all party affairs. He is 
a member of the Ancient Order of United 
\\'orkmen lodge at Cams. 



WWRRl'IX L. jFA\ELL. 

^^'a^ren L. Jewell, who takes a leading part 
as an agriculturist in the affairs of Box Butte 
county, Nebraska, where his ranch of many 
broad acres shows hinfi to be both industrious 
and persistent, was born in Stratford, near 
Bridgeport, Connecticut, June 19. 1858. His 
father, George Jewell, was a butcher by trade 
and came of Holland Dutch stock. His 
mother, who was Elizabeth (Lewis) Jewell, 
was of English descent. The start of the Jew- 
ell family in America is dated from the set- 
tlement of three brothers, who located on the 
Hudsiin river back in colonial days. 

The boyhood days of Mr. Jewell were spent 
in Connecticut, wiiere he received his educa- 
tion attending the common schools. Here he 
remained until 1876. when he left his home, 
and coming west into Iowa, entered the drug 



business in Des Moines as a clerk. After 
gaining the necessary experience in this line 
he started in business for himself, opening 
a store in the same city. Here he remained 
for about ten years, during which time he en- 
gaged in dift'erent business enterprises. He 
also spent some time in Hamilton and Green 
counties. Iowa, where he was engaged in the 
mercantile business. 

The subject of this narrative came to Box 
Butte county in 1887, and the following year 
took a pre-emption claim on which he proved 
up. He had a dugout for two years, and lived 
the life of a bachelor for the first five years 
here. In 1892 :\Ir. Jewell and Miss Hattie 
Bass were united in marriage. Her father, 
Aloses Bass, was a pioneer of Box Butte coun- 
ty. Her mother, Elvira (Moberly) Bass, was 
a native of ^Missouri. One boy, George O., 
was born to this union. 

In 1895 Mr. Jewell returned to Iowa, where 
he spent four years in farming. He returned 
to Box Butte county in 1899. In 1902 he set- 
tled on the place which is his present home in 
section 2, township 27, range 52. He has 
added many acres of adjoining land to his 
original entry, and now has a ranch of eleven 
hundred and twenty acres, upon which he has 
constructed five miles of fence. He culti- 
vates one hundred acres, and engages exten- 
sively in the raising of horses, sheep, hogs, 
cattle, small grain and potatoes. He did not 
escape the periods of drought and the many 
hardships which confronted the early settlers 
in this western countr}-, but met the years 
of adversity with a determination which has 
resulted in grand success. 

Mr. Jewell votes the Republican ticket. He 
is prominently identified with the history of 
Box Butte county and has always taken a 
keen interest in local aft'airs. He devotes his 
time very closely to his ranch, and his many 
warm friends consider that he has done won- 
derfully well, and that his career in Box Butte 
county is to be regarded as a marked success. 



FR.V.XK 11. KIXG. 

In Frank H. King, of King precinct, Chey- 
enne county, we have one of the oldest set- 
tlers in that region, and a leading citizen of 
the locality in which he lives. 

Mr. King was born in Wisconsin. Septem- 
ber 2, 1855, and when a small boy his parents 
moved to Iowa, where they lived for two 
years, then to Missouri, where he remained 
until of age. He left home at that time and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



355 



spent two years in Texas. He "trailed" a large 
bunch of cattle from Texas into this country, 
it taking about three months with two Texas 
cow ponies; then returning to ]\Iissouri and 
going into the Black Hills. This was in 1876. 
and he traveled through the wild country by 
wagon, going through Kearney. One summer 
was spent in the hills, and it was about this 
time that the country was stirred by the in- 
cidents surrounding the killing of "Wild Bill." 
He next went to Red Cloud Agency, remain- 
ing there during the winter of 1877, this at 
that time being a part of Cheyenne county 
before its division. About 1885 he took a pre- 
emption and timber claim, and a short time 
later homesteaded on sections 5 and 6. town- 
ship 19. range 49. proving up on all three. Dur- 
ing the early years he passed through all kinds 
of hardships and privation in getting started, 
and no one is better acquainted with the early 
history of the state than himself. He is a 
genuine old-timer, who has through all time 
had the greatest faith in western Nebraska, 
evidenced by his continued residence here 
through the years of drouth and all hard times, 
and has come out successful and prosperous. 
He has a finely equipped ranch and farm, own- 
ing in all 'over six hundred acres of River 
ranch, which is under ditch, besides other land 
in the vicinity. One hundred acres are in 
alfalfa, and he cultivates one hundred and sev- 
enty-five acres in crops, also a fine large hay 
ranch. He has a large tract of leased school 
land which he uses for pasture for a large 
bunch of cattle and horses. He is owner of 
the old Brown Creek Ranch, which is famous 
for having had the first house built on it north 
of the river. There is every kind of improve- 
ment on the ranch, and he has a fine grove of 
trees, making it altogether one of the finest 
and most valuable in the region. 

On February 8, 1885,* Mr. King was mar- 
ried to Grace Raynes, at Humansville, Mis- 
souri. She was born in Washington, D. C, 
and when she first settled in. Nebraska on the 
Platte River Ranch she was the only woman 
within a radius of forty miles, which was a 
rather unique experience for one reared in a 
city. The father of both Mr. and Mrs. King is 
dead, while their mothers still live. Si.x children, 
all of whom are living at home, were born to our 
subject and his estimable wife, and are named as 
follows: Harry R., Fred A.. Grace C, Hazel, 
Frank H., Jr.. and Kathryn. a baby. They occup\- 
a fine ranch house, and usually spend the sum- 
mers there while the winters are spent in Sidney, 
where they have a handsome residence, and 
where the children have received their edu- 
cation. 



From 1898 to 1902 Mr. King held the office 
of sherifT of Cheyenne county. He has always 
taken an active part in county and state af- 
fairs, voting the straight Republican ticket. 
King precinct in Cheyenne county was named 
after him. 



FRED DUERFELDT. 

Among the successful and prosperous citi- 
zens of Gordon. Nebraska. Fred Duerfeldt is 
counted as worthy a prominent place. He is 
engaged in the lumber business here, and has 
built up an extensive trade through his strict 
integrity and honest dealings. 

Mr. Duerfeldt was born in Richardson 
county. Nebraska, in 1868. on his father's 
farm. He is a son of Fred Duerfeldt. Sr.. a 
native of Germany, and his mother was also 
born in Germany, coming to this country when 
young people, both having died when our sub- 
ject was a young lad. There was a family of 
nine children and he was the fifth in order 
of birth. He v.-as reared in his native coun- 
ty and since he was eight years old has been 
compelled to hustle for himself and also as- 
sist in supporting his younger brothers and 
sisters. In 1886 he first came to Sheridan 
county, remaining here for two years, then 
went, to \A'voming where he followed the life 
of a cowboy on dififerent ranches, being em- 
ployed by the Swan Land & Cattle Company 
for three years. He afterwards returned to 
Gordon and worked on a ranch thirty miles 
from town, employed by W. A. Margrave as 
foreman for eight years, putting in altogether 
ten years in his employ. 

In 1901 Mr. Duerfeldt came to Gordon and 
established a lumber yard, buying out one of 
his competitors. This yard is now owned by 
Margrave & Duerfeldt. and in addition to 
handling lumber, they deal in tank manufactur- 
ing, and it has come to be one of the largest 
business enterprises of Gordon. 

Mr. Duerfeldt was married in 1894 to Miss 
Mary E. Margrave, her father, T. E. Margrave 
being one of the old settlers in Sheridan 
county, and a pioneer ranchman. He is the 
senior member of the firm of Margrave & 
Duerfeldt. Mr. and Mrs. Duerfeldt have had a 
family of five 'children, one of whom. Fred- 
erick T.. is dead, the others named as follows: 
George M.. Catherine. Clifford and Leonard. 

In political faith Mr. Duerfeldt is a Repub- 
lican, and takes an active part in all local and 
county afifairs of his party. He is now serving 
as a member of the -town board, and for eight 



356 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



years held the office of assessor in the Spring 
Lake precinct. He is also president and man- 
ager of the Gordon Telephone companj', and 
occupies a high station as a citizen and man 
of affairs here. 



CHARLES T. BRADY. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the old-timers, and well- 
to-do farmers of his precinct, and his career 
has been interesting since he settled in the 
western country. He has not come to his 
present comfort and ease without passing 
through many trials and much privation in the 
early days. He is at present residing on sec- 
tion 1. and has taken an active part in the 
growth and development of this western 
country for twenty-five j'ears past. 

Charles T. Brady was born in Hills county, 
Texas, in the town of Hillsborough, in 1866. 
His father, Alexander, was a farmer and ranch- 
man in that county, and he married Elizabeth 
Todd, whose parents were plantation owners 
and had always resided in the south, being 
thoroughly familiar with the old slave days 
in that country. The family moved to Mis- 
souri when our subject was a baby, and he 
grew up there to the age of six, then they came 
to Nebraska, settling in the southern part of 
the state, homesteading in Nuckolls countv 
where they spent about seven years. Our sub- 
ject next located on the Loup River, in Custer 
county, where Charles started to work for him- 
self, remaining in that vicinity for a year, then 
came up on the Platte River to Lincoln county, 
where he worked as a horse breaker and cow- 
boy for a tnne. His next move was to what is 
now known as McPherson county, locating 
there about 1882, where he engaged in ranch- 
ing and led a typical cowboy existence, part 
of the time camping out on the plains, both in 
winter and summer, and seeing all sorts of 
rough life. Ho took a ranch of his own in 
McPherson county and made that his home up 
to 1802. running his own i)lace, also ^W^^" con- 
siderable work for John Bratt & Co. He sold- 
his ranch and moved to Grant county in 1894, 
Iricating twelve miles south of Whitman, where 
he run a herd o{ cattle, and remained there for 
about twelve years, and built up a good place, 
but finall\- left and moved to Pullman. Nebraska, 
where he worked as a mail carrier, for about a 
year and a half. He came to his present loca- 
tion in 1904, at first being employed by the 
Standard Cattle Company, then established 
hi^ r>wn ranch. whi.l> w v;t,,nted in section 1, 



township 26, range 34. Here he has all good 
buildings, the ranch all fenced and in good con- 
dition. He farms a small part of the place, 
but nearly his whole section is devoted to 
ranching purposes, running quite a large num- 
ber of stock. 

Some interesting pictures will be found on 
another page of scenes on the ranch propertv of 
Mr. Brady. 

In 1896 Mr. Brady married Miss Lottie 
Whitton, daughter of J. F. Whitton, a pioneer 
in Nebraska and Kansas, and whose sketch a]i- 
pears in this volume. They have a family of 
live children, named as follows: Esther, Flor- 
ence, X'ictor and Ruth, and Elizabeth, and 
form an interesting and charming group. The 
family is held in high esteem by all who know 
them, and they have a happy and pleasant 
home. 



EUGENE A. BIGELOW. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
oldest settlers of Sioux county, and one who 
has always taken an active part in its develop- 
ment since its earliest days. He has been 
prominent in the political affairs of his com- 
munity, and is well-known all over this sec- 
tion of the state. 

Mr. Bigelow was born in LeClair, Scott 
county. Iowa, in 1854. He is a son of Benja- 
min F. Bigelow, a farmer and stonemason, 
who spent many years of his career in Iowa. 
One brother, Payson B., has given a review 
of his life for this volume also, which will be 
found on another page. Eugene was raised 
in his native state, and grew up there to the 
age of eleven vears, then with his parents 
moved to Jasper county, and later to Adair 
county, remaining in Iowa up to 1888, follow- 
ing farming all of that time, most of the time 
working rented land. He came to Sioux county 
in the latter year (1888), starting at the bot- 
tom of the ladder, with very small capital, tak- 
ing up a pre-emption and later a homestead, 
and proved up on both : and in 1904 filed on 
additi'mal land as a Kincaid hdniestc.-iil. the 
latter located in section 18, township 32, range 
.^6. His first building here \\;is ;i r'>us.''h 
shanty, in which he "batched it" until his fam- 
ily (whom he had left in Iowa) could join him, 
then he erected a log house which they occu- 
pied for a number of years. During the first 
several years the two brothers were in iiartner- 
ship, their start being five head of cattle and 
sixty dollars in money on landing in the 
county. The first fall they were here Eugene 




RESIDENCE ON RANCH OF CHARLES T. BRADY, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 




STOCK SCENE ON RANCH OF CHARLES T. BRADY, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



had the misfortune to break a leg, and he was 
laid up by this accident all of that winter. 
He gradually improved his place and succeed- 
ed in building up a good home and is now pro- 
prietor of a ranch of one thousand one hun- 
dred and twenty acres, all deeded land, besides 
four hundred and eighty acres of Kincaid land, 
altogether controlling about one thousand nine 
hundred acress, all well fenced and improved 
with good buildings, etc. He uses one hundred 
and sixty acres for farming purposes and runs 
a large number of cattle, having plenty of 
good pasture and hayland. 

Mr. Bigelow was married at Newton, Iowa, 
in 1883, to Aliss Elizabeth C. Cope, a native 
of Illinois. Her father, Levi, was a wagon- 
maker by trade, who emigrated to Jasper 
county, Iowa, and lived in that vicinity for 
many years ; then went to South Dakota where 
he died in 1903. Five children have been born 
as a result of this union, who are named as 
follows: Mabel L., Lee Franklin, Delmar, 
Cleo, and Ray. Mr. Bigelow and his family 
spend the summers on their fine ranch, and in 
the winter occupy a handsome residence in 
Harrison, where their children have better ad- 
vantages for attending the city schools. Mr. 
Bigelow has for a number of years been an 
auctioneer, "crying" sales all over the county, 
and is well-known by every man in this sec- 
tion. In 1901 he was elected county commis- 
sioner, served his time and was then re-elected, 
still acting in that capacity. He is a Repub- 
lican. 



F. W. HARRIS. 

F. W. Harris, whose name is familiar to 
nearly all the residents of Franklin county, is 
a worthy representative of the progressive 
farmer of western Nebraska. He was one of 
the earliest settlers in this county, coming here 
in 1884, and has lived here continuously since 
that time. Mr. Harris resides in Blooming- 
ton, where he has a nice home and is highly 
respected and esteemed by his fellowmen. Mr. 
Harris is a native of Brattleboro, Vermont, 
born in 1848, and is a son of Olive Milton Har- 
ris, born at IMarlborough, Massachusetts, and 
his mother, who was ;\Iiss INIinerva A. Easter- 
brook, born at Brattleboro ; the latter de- 
scended from the Wells family, which settled 
on Long Island in 1644. The family removed 
to Pamfret township, Chautauqua ccnmtv, 
New York, where they lived for sixteen years, 
then came to Bureau county, Illinois, where 
they lived for nineteen years. Here our sub- 



ject farmed during his young manhood, and 
from his experience in the east and here, con- 
siders Nebraska far superior to any place he 
has been, as the climate here is better and the 
soil easier to work. The Republican Valley 
is one of the best feeding countries known, and 
in the future the farmers here will have to 
farm less land and till it more carefully, rais- 
ing the grade of stock, as the land here is get- 
ting too high priced to keep poor stock and for 
careless farming. 

In 1899 Mr. Harris bought the quarter 
section he lives on. adjoining the town of 
Bloomington on the north, for which he paid 
two thousand dollars, and could now easily 
obtain ten thousand dollars for it, but does 
not wish to sell. He keeps a drove of 
from seventy-five to one hundred pure bred 
Poland China hogs, which he disposes of at 
private sale to the farmers in this county and 
vicinity. In 1906 his sales of hogs amounted 
to $800. He does not exhibit his stock, but 
fixes fair prices and any statement he makes 
in regard to his animals can be absolutely re- 
lied upon. His hogs are of the old substan- 
tial Tecumseh strain, crossed by Expansion, 
which is one of the best. He also has some of 
the Perfection E. L. and also keeps quite a herd of 
cattle, milking from twelve to fifteen cows all the 
time, selling to the Bloomington trade. 

Mr. Harris has alwavs done his ]>art in 
local public afl:'airs, serving as road overseer 
in his precinct for some years, also as town- 
ship assessor several terms. In 1897 he was 
elected county clerk, serving for four years. 
He was nominated for the ofifice on the Fusion 
ticket and elected by a large majority. 

-\Ir. Harris was united in marriage in 1876 
in Bureau county, Illinois, to Miss Maggie 
Gingrich, daughter of Otto and -Anna Ging- 
rich, both natives of Germany, born near Hes- 
seldornstadt, who came to America in 1850, 
locating in Illinois, where they built up a fine 
farm and home. Mrs. Harris has a brother 
living in Washington township, engaged in 
farming, E. J. Gingrich, by name, also one 
brother, Otto Gingrich, living just over the 
line in Kansas, directly south of Riverton, 
Neb., also a farmer, who has lately built a fine 
new house and barn. Mr. Harris and his wife 
are the parents of the following children : 
Cora, wife of L. G. Bevis, of the firtn of Bevis 
Bros., loan brokers, of Mt. Ayr. Iowa : Lucv, 
at home, and Otto, of Bloomington, operating 
the home farm. 

The family is highly esteemed by all who 
know them, and Mr. and Mrs. Harris are en- 
joying the declining years of their life sur- 
rounded by all the comforts of modern times, 



358 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



which were gained from long years of labor 
during the pioneer days. They are genial, con- 
tented and happy, and richly merit the success 
which has come to them. 



JOHN H. CANNON. 

The well regulated farms and ranches in 
Keith county contribute largely to the wealth 
of that region, and the gentleman whose name 
introduces this review is proprietor of one of 
the valuable estates situated on section 22, 
township 13. range 39. in Paxton precinct. He 
is prominent in local aflfairs, and one of the 
substantial and esteemed citizens of his com- 
munity. . ^ 

[ohn H. Cannon first saw the light in New 
Holland, Pickawav countv. Ohio, July 18, 1843 
He is the son of Minas M. and Mary (Dawson) 
Cannon, who were old settlers in Ohio, the 
former a carpenter by trade, who died at Camp 
Point, Illinois, in 1869, and the latter departing 
this life in Ohio when John was a child four 
vears of age. The father settled in Brown 
countv, Illinois, as a pioneer, in 1850, and there 
our subject was reared and educated, follow- 
ino- farm work until 1861 ; in that year he en- 
lisled in Company E. Sixteenth \ olunteer 
Infantry serving for three months in state ser- 
vice, and re-enlisting May 24, 1861 at Kelly's 
Ferry, Tennessee, and serving for three years. 
He served in Missouri wMth his regiment for 
several months and later was with the Army 
of the Cumberland through the Chattanooga 
and Nashville campaigns, participating in the 
engagements around Atlanta and served under 
Sherman in the march to the sea. On Decem- 
ber 23, 1863 he re-enlisted as a veteran, re- 
mained in the army until the close of the'war 
and in all his service received but one slight 
wound, an injury to his thumb. He was in 
the ranks at the grantl review and returned 
to his home in Illinois full of honors. 

In 1865 Mr. Cannon went to Quincy. Illi- 
nois, and followed railroading on the Wabash, 
St. Louis & Pacific railway, employed in train 
service for twenty-one years. He came to 
Nebraska in May, 1886, settling in Keith 
county, where he filed on a homestead situated 
seven miles southwest of Ogallala, and there 
started a farm, building a sod house, breaking 
up land for crops, planting trees, and improv- 
ing the place as best he could during the first 
years; while meeting at times with losses 
through failures of crops, he was on the whole 
very successful. He also filed on a tree claim 
two miles nearer town, proving up on both 



tracts. Since locating here he has followed 
ranching and farming constantly, and now 
owns four hundred and eighty acres, all of 
which is irrigable, having one hundred and 
fifty under cultivation, and a large herd of cat- 
tle and other stock. He has a good house, 
substantial barns, \vells and wind mills. In 
1905, during April, he had the misfortune to 
lose his barn by fire, but replaced it with an- 
other and better building, although the loss 
was a heavy one to him. In February, 1906, 
he sold the homestead. 

In 1866 Air. Cannon was married to Miss 
Georgia Wright. One child was born to- them, 
Clarence, who married Miss Emma Reed, and 
resides in Green River, Wyoming. They have 
three children. The wife and mother died in 
Illinois in 1871. 

In 1873 he married again, taking as a wife, 
Miss Alaria E. Giddings, daughter of Austin 
R. and .-Metha C. ( Keller) Giddings. natives 
of Ohio and North Carolina respectively. Mr. 
Giddings was a nephew of Joshua Orr, for 
many years a senator from Ohio. 

Mr. and Mrs. Cannon have one adopted 
daughter, Grace L., who is a successful teacher 
in the Keith county schools. 

Mr. Cannon is a loyal Republican, and has 
always been prominent in county and national 
politics, holding local oflfice at various times, 
and for ten years served as justice nf the jieace 
in his township. 

The family are members of the Methodist 
church, while Mr. Cannon holds membership 
in the Grand Armv and the Workmen. 



HORATIO G. NEWCOMB. 

Horatio G. Newcomb, one of the leading 
old settlers of Dawes county, Nebraska, is 
known throughout that locality as a gentle- 
man of good business capacity and active pub- 
lic spirt. He is a resident of Crawford, where 
he has been one of the prominent citizens and 
foremost business men for many years. 

Mr. Newcomb was horn in Franklin county, 
\'ermont. in 1848. where his father was engaged 
in the butcher business. The latter was a native 
of Boston and married Charlott Sixby. bom 
in St. Armond, Province of Quebec, of Ger- 
man stock, she dying when our subject was 
but three years of age. He was reared in 
Montpelier, and while a young man learned the 
butcher's trade, working for different parties 
in his home town for several years. For a 
time he traveled extensively, going across the 
Isthmus iif Panama, and all -along the coast of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RKA'llNlSCKNCK AXD IlloCK M'tlN 



359 



Central Americi. and saw a great deal of that 
country about which he relates many interest- 
ing incidents. He also spent three years on 
cow ranches in California, and in 1875 went to 
Chevenne. ^^^•ominp■, where he worked as a 
cow puncher for T. A. Kent, a large ranchman 
and banker of Cheyenne. He also was em- 
ployed by Hy. Kelly and Butcher Phillips for 
some time, and became very familiar with that 
part of the country. In 1877 he started a 
ranch of his own on Reshaw Creek, Wyoming, 
and ran that for two years, then sold out to 
PTaniilton, Hall & McCrary and acted as 
ranch foreman for them for some time. He next 
moved to the Platte river, where he h'ved up 
to 1883. when he started in the sheep business 
on a large scale, and in that vear was unfortu- 
nate enough to lose 2.000 head of sheep, so 
he gave that up and went to Fort Laramie 
where he owned and ran a hotel for three 
vears. There he served as deputy sheriff for 
three years. 

In 1887 he left Fort Laramie, as the place 
was being abandoned, then had a ranch at 
Lnsk, Wyoming. He was among the early 
settlers at Chugwater, Wyoming, and there 
went throueh rough experiences in that new 
country. He landed in Crawford, December 
17, 1880, and followed the saloon business 
up to 1900, then got the Klondike fever, so 
went to that country and remained a year 
prospecting and looking over the country. He 
had a rough time while there, from July 10th 
'to September 15th. covering one thousand two 
hundred miles on foot, and soon got enough 
oi that place and came back to Crawford, 
where he has since remained, engaging in the 
saloon business ever since. 

Since coming to this country Mr. New- 
comb has seen all the pioneer exneriences of the 
earlv davs, witnessing the immigration into 
the Black Hills, and has been a potent factor 
in the building up of the region where he chose 
his home. 

In 1875 ]\Ir. Newcomb was married to Miss 
Martha Holsapple, a native of the state of New 
York, whose parents were early settlers there 
from Canada, her father being a farmer and 
cabinet maker. To Mr. and Mrs, Newcomb 
two children were born, namely: Jav F. and 
Jessie. 



SAMUEL S. FAIRHEAD, 

Samuel Fairhead is one of the most pro- 
gressive and enterprising ranchmen of Cherrv 
county, Nebraska. He resides in section 11, 
township 34, range 37, where he is the pro- 



prietor of a fine ranch and comfortable home 
and enjoys his well deserved success and high 
standing as a citizen. 

Mr. Fairhead was born in Sidney, New 
South Wales, Australia, and was of English 
stock. The family lived in Australia until 1860 
when they returned to England, living in the 
shire of Suffolk, where the father died in 
about 1870. At the age of thirteen, Samuel 
went to London, and secured employment as 
clerk, receiving at the age of sixteen years one 
pound sterling per month, large wages for a 
boy at that time. Resigning his position as 
clerk he embarked with his older brother, 
James, to Canada, living in Ontario for thirty 
years. The brother, James, engaged in the ice 
business from which he has accumulated a 
good fortune. In 1885 our subject, in companv 
with two brothers. Joseph and Garrold, came 
to Cherry county, Nebraska. When he landed 
here he did not know the first thing about 
farming or the care of stock, so went to work 
on the railroad, which was then in the course 
of construction, driving a team, working as far 
up as Buffalo Gap. He w-as unfamiliar with 
the value of land around here, and after a time 
went back to Canada and worked there a 
while, but was not satisfied with conditions 
there and became anxious to again go back 
to the frontier, so ten years later he returned 
to Cherry county, and since that time has 
never lived away from this locality. On his 
last arrival here he had just forty dollars in 
cash, and for five years worked on ranches in 
this vicinty. saving his money, and by being 
careful and industrious got a pretty fair start, 
nlthough had he been able to begin earlier he 
would have been much better of? today than he 
is. He only regrets that he did not stay in 
Cherry county when he first came here, in- 
stead of returning to Canada. He now owns 
a ranch of one thousand two hundred and 
eighty acres, well improved with good build- 
ings and fences, and keeps one hundred head 
of cattle and some horses. He has accumu- 
lated all this property in nine years, which is 
doing very well, and speaks well for his good 
judgment and business ability. 

Mr. Fairhead was married in Toronto. Can- 
ada, July 23, 1874 to !Miss Fannie Long, who 
was a native of Ontario, born in 1854, of Eng- 
lish stock. Mr. and Mrs. Fairhead have two 
children, namely: Alvin S., a plumber by 
trade, working all over the southwest, is mar- 
ried and now living in California ; and Laura 
M.. married to Percy St. Jean, of French de- 
'icent, living in Idaho. 

Mr. Fairhead takes a commendable interest 
in all public afifairs of local importance, has at 



36o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



different times held offices of trust, and at pres- 
ent is serving as roadmaster for his township. 
Politically he is a Republican. He is a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America, of 
Merriman. and with his wife, a communicant 
of the Methodist church. 



ELHANAN W. CARPENTER. 

One of the beautiful country places to be 
found in the farming districts of Dawes 
county, where everything- about the premises 
bespeaks care and pride in its appearance, is 
found in that of the gentleman above men- 
tioned. Mr. Carpenter's home presents a beauti- 
ful sight to the eye of the visitor in this sec- 
tion, having a comfortable and handsome 
house, fine lawns and beautiful shade trees all 
around it. also a fine fish pond, and everything 
about his home shows careful attention and 
good management. 

Mr. Carpenter was born in Chenango 
county. New York state, April 13. 1833. 
His father, Jesse K., was a blacksmith, a native 
of Windsor, ^'e^mont. and a veteran of the war 
of 1812, who married Polly Beckwith, also 
born in Vermont, in 1800. 

When our subject was a young boy his 
family came to Indiana, settling in Parke 
county, where they were among the pioneers, 
and there he grew up until he was about fifteen 
years of age, when his parents moved to Illi- 
nois. After living there a short time they 
came to Iowa, and again went through pioneer 
experiences in Clayton county and Elhanan 
remained in that vicinity up to 1855, when he 
moved to Washington countv, and lived up 
to 1885. again leading the early settler's life 
in that region. In the latter county he started 
a farm, and built up a good home and made a 
success of his venture. He was the owner of 
one hundred and twelve acres, and helped to 
establish schools. an<l aided in everv way pos- 
sible the advancement of the section, serving 
in numerous capacities as a public official, and 
was well and favorably known to all as a worthy 
citizen of the locality. In 1861 he enlisted in 
Company F, Eleventh Iowa Infantry, and saw 
service in the Army of the Cumberland, at the 
siege of Vicksburg, and in all participated in 
twenty-one hard-fought battles. He was all 
through Georgia, Florida. Louisiana, Tennes- 
see and Mississippi with his regiment and en- 
countered many thrilling incidents while in 
the service. .At the battle of Sliiloh he had 
three balls put through his hat at difTerent 
places inside of fifteen minutes, and at another 



time a ball was fired so close that it tore 
through his trousers while in the line of bat- 
tle. He was held a prisoner at Andersonville 
for nine months and eighteen days, and only 
released at the close of the war, and his ex- 
periences while at that terrible prison are most 
interesting to hear. He received his discharge 
at Davenport, Iowa, in 1865. 

After returning from the war Mr. Carpenter 
farmed for a number of years, then sold his 
farm in owa and came to Dawes county. Ne- 
braska, landing in this part of the state in 1885. 
He had been through the locality the year 
before and was favorably impressed with the 
location, so he settled on section 28, township 
34. range 47, as a homestead. Here his first 
building was a dugout, in which he lived for 
four oi; five years, and opened up a farm, pur- 
chasing good machinery and expending quite a 
sum for equipment, but was only able to raise 
one crop. The first year he planted some corn 
and this showed a yield of sixty bushels to the 
acre, then came on the dry seasons and he 
was unable to get a crop of any^ kind of grain. 
He gradually worked into the cattle business 
and devoted his efforts to building up that 
branch of the business, and met with good suc- 
cess. His ranch now consists of eight hun- 
dred acres, all of which is fenced, and he has 
good buildings, house, barns and every im- 
lirovement in his buildings to make easy the 
work of operating his place to the best advantage. 
He. has a fine fish pond which he had built in his 
front yard, and this is a pleasant sight for all who 
passes to view. His place is well supplied 
with timber, furnishing him with plenty of 
fuel and posts. 

Mr. Carpenter was married in Washington 
county. Iowa, in 1856, to Miss Charlotte Lay- 
ton, who was born and raised in Maine, of 
Yankee blood. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter have 
a family of five children living named as fol- 
lows: Marian. Martha. Delia G., Stephen W., 
and Edwin Francis. They have three chil- 
dren dead : Mary P., Ann N. and Daniel W. 
Portraits of E. \\\ Carpenter and family will 
be found on another page of this volume. 



ALBERT S. ENYEART. 

Albert S. Enyeart is a man who is widely 
and favorably known in Box Butte county as 
a farmer and stockraiscr of nuich skill and 
high personal character. He was born in \\'a- 
bash county. Indiana, in 1860. a son of William 
J. and Amy (^Slyter) Enyeart. and was the 
eleventh of a familv of thirteen children. His 




E. W. CARPENTER and FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



361 



father was born in Ohio of Pennsylvania Dutch 
stock and was a pioneer of Indiana, where he 
cleared the place upon which our subject was 
born. His mother, who was a Quaker of 
Scotch and Welsh descent of \'ermont. was 
also a native of Ohio. 

In 1866 the family moved to Missouri and 
settled in Sheridan county. Here our subject 
attended the country schools, and spent the 
early years of his life assisting his father in 
the work of making- a home in that state. He 
was the youngest living son of the family and 
remained at home, and for several years rented 
his father's farm. In 1892 Mr. Albert S. En- 
yeart came to Box Butte county, Nebraska, 
and located on a farm near Marsland, which he 
rented. Here he remained for two months. 
He then bought a farm in section 5. and home- 
steaded a claim in section 6, township 27, range 
50, where he has made his home ever since. 
There, were no other improvements on the 
place but a sod shanty and stable when he se- 
cured possession. He started the work of 
building a frame house, but owing to repeated 
loss of crops and lack of capital, he was un- 
able to complete the work he had started, and 
for seven years lived in the sod shanty. How- 
ever, he was not discouraged by these reverses, 
and his faith in this western country remained 
unbroken. He went to work with a determina- 
tion to succeed, and as the result of his untir- 
ing efforts, and the practice of thrift and econ- 
omy, he has attained a success of which he may 
well be proud. From time to time he added 
adjoining tracts of land to his original entry, 
which he has worked hard to improve, and 
now has a well appointed ranch of two thou- 
sand five hundred acres of good land together 
with about one thousand acres of leased land. 
He has built a substantial and commodious 
house, together with a good barn, forty by 
fifty feet, with a nine foot basement, erected 
at a cost of $1,000, irrespective of his own 
labor. He has fifteen miles of fences on his 
place. He also engages extensively in the 
raising of live stock, and is the owner of one 
hundred head of horses and eighty head of 
cattle. He engages largely in raising small 
grain, and makes potatoes a specialty. 

In 1882 occurred the wedding ceremonies 
of Mr. Enyeart and Miss Alice Bonds. Her 
father. Creed A. Bonds, a native of \'irginia. was 
a farmer, and a man who gave h's life for his 
country, having died while in the service of 
the union arm}' at St. Louis. Her mother, 
Elizabeth ( Grace) Bonds, was born in Indiana. 
Eight children came to bless this union, — Earl 
T.! U. May, Winnifred B., Herbert E., William 
J.. Thomas Ross, Alice Fay and Izetta Amy. 

24 



In 1897 Mrs. Enyeart passed away at their home 
in Nebraska. In 1898 Mr. Enyeart contracted 
a second marriage with Belle Martin, whose 
parents were pioneers of Illinois, where she 
was born and reared, and where she resided at 
the time of her marriage. 

In political matters Mr. Enyeart adheres 
to Republican principles. He is a n^an who 
has always been prominently identified with 
matters of local interest, and since the age of 
twenty-one years has held local offices of im- 
portance. Through years of adversity and 
prosperity he has left no stone unturned in 
working out for himself a comfortable home, 
and giving his energies to the upbuilding of the 
locality in which he lives. Upright and hon- 
orable in all his dealings he has manifested 
on all occasions a high integrity and a strict 
adherence to principle. 



OTTO KURZ. 



In reviewing the history of Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, the citizens who have con- 
tributed to her welfare must be given special 
mention, and a prominent place among this 
number is the gentleman above named. Mr. 
Kurz is a pioneer settler, and is perhaps one 
of the best known and most highly esteemed 
men of his localit}'. He is a prosperous farmer 
and large land-owner, and has gained his suc- 
cess b}' the exercise of business tact, supple- 
mented b}' the strictest integrity of word and 
deed. He has a comfortable stone dwelling 
in Bronson precinct, and enjoys the comfort 
and contentment of a peaceful rural home. 

Otto Kurz was born in Germany, at 'New 
Barnim. near Berlin, on March 14th, 1853. and 
grew up there, receiving a limited schooling 
as a boy, and at the age of fourteen, he was 
apprenticed to the builders trade, at which he 
v.-orked until coming to America at the age of 
twenty-eight years. Sailing from Bremen late 
in October, after a stormy passage of seven 
days, he landed in New York, early in Novem- 
ber. 1881. He came directly west, joining his 
brother at St. Louis, where he remained one 
year working at his trade. He then went to 
Scribner, Dodge county, Nebraska, and then 
in 1883, he came to Cheyenne county, where 
he secured work in a butcher shop at Sidney, 
and was thus employed for some eight years. 
In 1891 he took up a homestead on the south- 
east quarter of sec'tion 8, township 13. range 
50, and has followed ranching ever since. He 
owns a quarter of good land, leasing a section 
of school land, and is engaged principally in 



362 



COMPENDIUM OF HISIORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



stock raising, running about fifty head of cat- 
tle and twenty-five head of horses. He has a 
fine set of stone ranch buildings of all descrip- 
tions, and his place shows every evidence of 
good management and thrift in its operation. 

Mr. Kurz was married on the 6th day of 
June, 1891, in Cheyenne county, to Mrs. Caro- 
line (Marder) Wolf, who was born in Germany 
on August 21st, 1865: she resided there until 
at the age of twenty-one years she emigrated 
to the United States, coming directly to Ne- 
braska, and settling in Cheyenne county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Kurz have a family of eight children 
named as follows:* John. Pauline, Frank, 
Emma, Otto, Caroline, Catherine and Annie. 

In political views Mr. Kurz is a Democrat, 
and he takes a commendable interest in local 
and countv affairs. 



ARTHUR E. MOON. 

One of the reliable and successful citizens 
and business men of Taylor, Loup county, 
Nebraska, is Arthur E. Moon, who is a con- 
tractor and builder. He is a native of the state 
of New York, being born in Schuyler county in 
the year 1859. His great grandfather was a 
veteran in the revolutionary war and his 
grandfather saw service in the war of 1812. 
Our subject's father was Sylvester A. Moon, 
a native of the state of New York. His mother, 
borf in N(^\v York state, was Fannv A\'ickson 
in her youth. 

.Vrthur E. Moon was reared and educated 
in his native state, coming west to Nebraska 
in 1879. His parents came at the same time 
and were among the oldest settlers. The 
father died in 1887, and the mother died in 
1901. Our subject settled on land near Kent, 
on the North Loup river, after driving from 
Grand Island, from which city he hauled 
freight, etc., camping nights under the wagon 
in all kinds of weather. 

Mr. Moon was married in 1882 to Miss 
Clara P.. Truax. born in Nebraska, in Nemaha 
county, 1863. Her father, James M. Truax, 
was one of the pioneers of that county and 
was an honored and loyal citizen, having been 
a veteran of the civil war. Mr. and Mrs. 
Moon have seven children : Flora, now a 
teacher: Mabel, married: Harry. James, Fanny 
and Emma, both born in Indian Territory : 
and Wilbur, born in Taylor, Nebraska, all 
born in Taylor, Nebraska excepting Fannie 
and Emma. 

In 189.3, our subject left the farm and fol- 



lowed his trade of carpenter, going to Indian 
Territory where he was employed on govern- 
ment works and remaining in that section of 
the southwest for eight years. In 1901 he 
returned to Loup county and located his home 
in Taylor, the county-seat. He has been en- 
gaged in the business of contracting and build- 
ing and the evidences of his operations may 
be found in all parts of the county. Mr. Moon 
is a man of conscientious principles, is public- 
spirited and enterprising, and is widely and 
favorablv known. 



PROFESSOR ADOLPHE D'ALLEMAND. 

Professor Adolphe d'Allemand, of Arapa- 
hoe, Furnas county, Nebraska, is one of the 
oldest settlers in Nebraska, coming to Platts- 
mouth in 1870 from Kilkenn}^ College, Ireland, 
where he has been an instructor in the French 
and German languages for fourteen years. 
Prof. d'Allemand is a native of Strasburg, 
France, now Germany, and was born January 
27th, 1836. He received his education at the 
Strasburg College, and at Munich, Bavaria, 
and is a son of Indas d'Allemand, who for 
twenty years was connected with the Bible 
Society, in London, England. On the revis- 
ion of the Bible he was a distinguished Greek 
and Hebrew Sanscript scholar, and wrote a 
great deal on these subjects. After locating 
in Arapahoe, our subject owned, edited and 
published the "Pioneer" in that town for 
twelve years. After he came to Plattsmouth, 
he taught in the .Academy there, and in 1872 
was elected principal of the Plattsmouth High 
School, whicb position he held for one year 
before coming to Arajiahoe. In 1884 he was 
elected superintendent of the county schools 
of Furnas county, serving for three terms, 
up to 1890. In the meantime, during the year 
1874, he had taken a homestead pre-emi)tion 
and tree claim, four hundred eighty acres. 

Professor d'.\llemand was elected secre- 
tary and treasurer of the Farmers' National 
.Alliance and was for two years state master 
workman of the Knights of Labor. In 1891 
he was a candidate for state superintendent 
of education, and was elected regent of the 
.State L^niversity in 1802, but was coimted 
out and never held office. He is also a Mason 
iif high degree, having been a member of this 
iirder since 1870, and is Past Grand Patriarch 
of the Grand Encampment, Independent Order 
of ( )dd Fellows of Nebraska. When the Populist 
party was organized. Professor d'Allemand 
was an active worker in its development, and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



363 



campaigned for the cause in French and Eng- 
lish all through Nebraska. He has also been 
very successful in his farming operations, 
assisted by a large family, and engages prin- 
cipally in stock raising and mixed farming, but 
is now practically retired from active busi- 
ness. He holds the ofifice of president of the 
Farmers' Co-operative Grain Association, 
which company he helped to organize in 1904. 
He also built one of the largest and best ele- 
vators here, capacity sixteen thousand bushels, 
which has been of great benefit to the farmers 
in this locality. He is secretary of the Farm- 
ers' Business Association, organized in 1890, 
to ship their own hogs and cattle, and since 
its organization the regular stock buyers have 
left town. This association pays no dividends, 
but gets operating expenses out of the profits, 
the farmers getting all the rest. 

Prof. d'Allemand also holds the office of 
secretary of the Arapahoe Creamery Company, 
organized in 1898. This has been very profit- 
able, paying the stockholders seven per cent, 
and has been of great benefit to those who are 
in the dairy business. The Beatrice Creamery 
concern took Prof. d'Allemand all over the 
western part of Nebraska, speaking French 
and German for them to the residents of that 
part of the state. 

Prof. d'Allemand was married in England, 
at St. Helen, to Aliss Marion Wood, daughter 
of Thomas and Helen Edgar Wood, both of 
the Highlands, Scotlanr'. They have a family 
of nine children, named as follows: Charles, 
now living at Des Moines, Iowa ; Fred, of 
Louisville, Colo. ; Nellie, wife of William Hell- 
mann, now mayor of Arapahoe : .-Mbert, also 
a merchant of Arapahoe; David, of Loveland, 
Colorado, farmer by occupation ; Alfred, also a 
merchant of Arapahoe: Louise, wife of W. S. 
Curry, of this town : Libert, a farmer living- in 
this vicinity; and Benoit, connected with the 
Ignited States Forestry department at Santa Bar- 
bara, California, now at Garden City, supervising 
two hundred thousand acres of land. Alto- 
gether the descendants of Professor d'Alle- 
mand number forty members. He is an active 
worker in the Episcopal church, and is classed 
among the eminent and useful men in western 
Nebraska. 



W'lLLIAM M. LEE. 

In the person of the above gentleman we 
have a representative native born Nebraskan, 
and he is one of the prosperous and well- 
known farmers among the younger residents 



of section 6, township 17, range 28, Cherry 
county. 

William M. Lee was born in Saunders county, 
Nebraska, in 1880. His father, J. R. Lee, is 
one of the early settlers in western Nebraska, 
whose sketch appears in this volume on an- 
other page. When William was a boy about 
eight years of age the family came to the west- 
ern part of the state, settling at Brownlee, and 
there he was reared and educated, receiving a 
very good schooling through attending the 
grammar schools in the latter place, also be- 
came familiar with dififerent kinds of work, 
farming and ranching at different times during 
his younger years. He started out for himself 
in 1902, settling on his present ranch, which is 
situated four miles north of Brownlee, and 
had nothing to begin with in the way of cap- 
ital except his strong hands and brave spirit. 
He eventually proved up on the claim, working 
hard to improve the place, and has a ranch 
consisting of one thousand nine hundred and 
twenty acres, all of which is fenced, a complete 
set of good buildings and improvements. He 
cultivates about fifty acres, but engages prin- 
cipally in ranching, running quite a large 
bunch of cattle and other stock. For so young 
a man Mr. Lee has accumulated a remarkably 
valuable property, due entirely to his thrift and 
good management. He has passed through 
some few disappointments in the way of crop 
failures, but knows absolutely nothing of the 
hardships which assailed those who came lu the 
region in the beginning of its development as 
a farming community. 

In I9O2 Mr. Lee was married to Miss Cora 
Campbell, daughter of S. G. Campbell, who is 
an old settler here, and formerly were pioneers 
in Dawes county, Nebraska where she was 
reared. Her mother's maiden name was Liz- 
zie Kesterson. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are the par- 
ents of one child. Caldona, aged five years and 
a very bright youngster. They have a pleasant 
and comfortable home, and are surrounded by 
congenial neighbors, well liked by all. 



DR. A. A. MUNN. 

A. A. Munn, of Kearney, Nebraska, is a 
rising young veterinary surgeon of that local- 
ity. He is a gentleman of excellent education, 
and applies himself closely to the study of his 
profession, meeting with much success in his 
practice. He is a conscientious and thoroughly 
reliable man, and in the comnaratively short 
time he has been in that vicinity has gained the 
respect and esteem of everyone with whom he 



364 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



has come in contact, either professionally or 
in a social way. 

Dr. Munn is a native of Canada, born July 
29, 1879. His father, Duncan Munn, wasone 
of the old time captains and bridge superin- 
tendents of Ontario, Canada, who later on lo- 
cated on a ranch at Cambridge, Nebraska, 
wlierc he engaged in raising thoroughbred 
stock. An uncle of our subject, named Thomas 
Andrews, also of Cambridge, has one of the 
finest herds of thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle 
in the west, having come to this state from 
Canada in the early days. He is a gentleman 
of wide e.x-perience in the breeding and raising 
of cattle, and has established a wide reputa- 
tion as an authority in that line of business 
throughout the United States. 

Our subject is a graduate of the Ontario 
Veterinary College, Toronto, Canada, having 
completed his studies at that institution in 
1904. He immediately began practicing in 
Nebraska, and has built up a large patronage 
throughout this section of the country, his 
work extending from Minden and Kearney to 
the Colorado state line. He enjoys a large 
practice among the owners of the best thor- 
oughbred animals and also the graded herds, 
and he is regarded by all to whom he has given 
his services as a man of superior knowledge 
in his line of business, and has one of the finest 
hospitals in the state. He first located in 
Furnas county, later moving to Kearney. He 
is considered by all as one of the substantial 
and worthy citizens of his community. In 
1905 Mr. Munn was appointed assistant state 
veterinary for Nebraska, which place he still 
holds, and this fact speaks greatly in his favor 
for so young a man. He is a member of the 
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Brother- 
hood of Protective Order of Elks, Eagles, 
Fofresters. Woodmen of America and High- 
landers. 

Dr. Munn was married June 2. 1907, to 
Nellie Hull, daughter of H. J. Hull, state oil 
inspector. 

On one of the illustrated pages of this vol- 
ume we present the picture of a scene in the 
operating room in Dr. Munn's Kearney veter- 
inary hispotal. 



JAMES L. HOGLE. 

James L. Hogle. classed among the old- 
timers of Dawes county, Nebraska, is also one 
of the earliest settlers in western Nebraska. 
He has passed through many experiences on 
the frontier and endured many hardships in the 
early days, and as a result of his energy and 



perseverance has built up a comfortable estate 
and enjoys a pleasant home and numerous 
friends throughout his community. 

Mr. Hogle was born in Montreal, Canada, 
in 1860. of German stock. His parents were 
both born in Canada, and he was reared and 
educated fifty miles from Montreal. His father 
died when he was a child two years old, and he 
lived with his mother on a farm until he was 
twenty, then was married to Miss Eliza Hols- 
apple, also a native of Canada. The young 
couple came to the United States, going to 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, and landing there on 
May 20th, 1880. where they remained for a 
short time. Mr. Hogle then moved to Fort 
Laramie and engaged in the hotel business 
which he run successfully for some time. He 
ne.xt moved to Lusk, Wyoming, and spent nine 
years in that state. In 1889 he came to Craw- 
ford and established his present business. For 
five years he was proprietor of the Gate City 
Hotel, and this was one of the leading hotels 
in the place. He ran a first-class house and 
it was patronized by the best people, being the 
popular stopping place for commercial travel- 
lers, his success being largely due to his genial 
and pleasant personality which is so necessary 
to a man in the hotel business. Mr. Hogle 
has other interests in this vicinity, owning a 
large ranch situated ten miles east of Craw- 
ford, on .^sh Creek, besides his residence and 
business property here, and he is counted one 
of the prosperous citizens of the town. 

Mr. Hogle is an influentia! citizen of his 
communitv, taking a keen interest in all local 
affairs, but although he has many times been 
urged to accept office has repeatedly refused to 
serve, preferring to lead a private life and de- 
voting his entire time to business. He is a 
Democrat. 

Mr. Hogle's family consists of himself, 
wife, and one child. Myrtle, now Mrs. Ivins, 
wife of the leading dentist at Crawford. Ne- 
braska. 



WM. PARKER CARR. 

William Parker Carr, retired, a prominent 
citizen of Alma, Harlan county, Nebraska, 
came to this county before it was organized, 
in 1871, and has seen this section grow from 
a wilderness to one of the most prosperous 
communities in western Nebraska. He came 
here from Cheyenne, Wyoming, by train to 
Kearney, driving from the latter place with a 
team and wagon, locating in Prairie Dog town- 
ship, where he took up a homestead and pre- 
empted and farmed for sixteen years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



365 



Mr. Carr was born in Antrim, New Hamp- 
shire, in 1831. He is a son of William and 
Martha (Parker) Carr. His father served at 
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when the British 
were expected to attack that place in the war of 
1812. His grandfather, William Carr, also 
served for over seven years in the Revolution- 
ary war. The Carrs are of Scotch-Irish de- 
scent, coming to New Hampshire long before 
the latter war, and the Parker family were 
originally from England, coming to America 
in the early pioneer days of New England. 
Our subject was raised in the vicinity of his 
birthplace, and first came to Nebraska in 1853, 
crossing Bennett's Ferry with a freight outfit. 
Friel Nuckolls (after whom Nuckolls county 
was named), had a contract to supply corn to 
the troops at Forts Kearney and Laramie, and 
our subject together with Gideon Bennett, took 
a sub-contract, and made one trip with twenty- 
six wagons at Fort Laramie, completing the 
journey with perfect safety, going over the old 
California trail. They made two trips to Fort 
Kearney the same season. At that time corn 
was worth thirteen dollars per bushel at the 
former point, and nine dollars at the latter. 
In 1854 they had a contract to move the Otoe 
and Missouri Indians from Otoe, Nebraska, 
and from Rhulo, and outfitted there and worked 
the whole of both tribes, seven hundred in all, 
to the Blue, near Beatrice, on the Otoe Reser- 
vation. The outfit carried flour, bacon and 
blankets, and all supplies for the Indians. They 
traveled one day and issued five beeves and a 
large amount of flour, laying there until this 
supply was all eaten up, then would move the 
Indians on empty stomachs, telling them when 
the next feed would be, and they would move 
rapidly to the designated place. They carried 
about sixty head of beef, and kept a guard of 
fifteen men around the supplies, to keep the 
Indians from stealing the stuflf. Mr. Carr could 
speak the language of the Otoes, Missouri and 
Iowa tribes, and got on very well with the 
savages. At the Otoe reservation he had to break 
one hundred and sixty acres in 1854, receiving for 
this work six dollars per acre. The Indian agent 
traveled with the tribes all through the expedi- 
tion, and our subject spent all of 1855 on this 
reservation. In the following year the free soil 
agitation raged in Kansas near the reservation, 
and in these times no man ever opened his door 
wide until he was assured that it was a friend 
he was to admit, as the country was full of 
rough characters and unfriendly Indians. In 
1856 while returning from a point in Kansas, 
Mr. Carr passed the camp of Jim Lane ^nd three 
hundred abolitionists, fortv miles from the Otoe, 
and a little later about fiftv .'-^outh Carolinians 



forced Mr. Carr to lead them to Lane's camp, but 
seeing the latter's strength they released their 
captive and fled. Mr. Carr remained in this 
region up to 1861, then enlisted in the Second 
Kansas Cavalry, and served for two years 
under General Curtis, mostly in scouting at the 
battle of Carthage and other fights. In 1862 
he was discharged owing to disability, and 
went back to Kansas near the Otoe reservation 
where he was connected with the Overland 
Stage Company on the California trail for 
five years. These stages were robbed four 
times within four miles of the station, but our 
subject's stage was never robbed, although on 
one occasion, in 1864, on the Little Blue River, 
when he had one lady and two men passengers, 
with two guards with the United States mail, he 
was chased by a party of from twenty to twenty- 
five Indians, who were all on fleet-footed 
ponies. He pitted his four horses against 
these savages, lashing them into a run and 
they followed him so near the station that the 
guards heard the firing and came to his assist- 
ance, W'hen the Indians retreated. One guard, 
a boy of fourteen, all this time had stood on top 
of the stage, firing repeatedly at the Indians. 
One bullet from the Indians' guns struck the 
near wheeler's bridle and brought the horse 
to his knees, but only for a second when he re- 
gained his feet and sped onward. Another 
whizzed past the hind boot of the coach carry- 
ing the mail and lodged in the seat directly 
behind the driver, and the lamp which was 
fastened beside him was hit and smashed to 
pieces. It was an exciting chase, but no ser- 
ious results followed, and it has remained a 
strong memory in our subject's mind of those 
wild days. In 1853 he carried the mail from 
Nebraska City to Fort Kearney. The carrier 
who had traveled this route before he took it, 
had disappeared and never been heard from 
after starting out on a trip to the latter point. 
Soon after he started on these trips, one night 
the mule driven by our subject gave indication 
that there were Indians very near, and he rode 
for dear life and reached his destination safely. 
For some time he carried mail in Nevada, 
traveling between Rhulo and Hamilton City. 
He also spent some time at Bitter Creek, 
Wyoming, where he worked three teams and 
three men during the building of the Union 
Pacific railway, receiving eighteen dollars per 
day for his services. He contracted under 
Tom Majors, well known to all westerners of 
the pioneer days, and also was employed by 
the Union Pacific company in bridge building, 
for which he received six dollars per day. 

In 1867 Mr. Carr and Jos. Reed had charge 
of the stasre horses at a ranch located on the 



366 



LO.MPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Smoky River in Kansas. They had a negro 
who sliod the horses. At one time twenty or 
twenty-five Indians appeared at the stables 
and. showed fisht, when our subject and his 
companion escaped through a hack door of the 
barns, running to a buffalo wallow wdiich was 
about eighteen inches deep in the open prairie, 
thinking the Indians would steal the horses 
and take their departure, but instead they came 
after the three men and tried their best to cap- 
ture them, but were held at bay until darkness 
came on, when they managed to crawl to a 
place of safety. The negro was shot through 
the forehead during the early part of the fight, 
and his body was placed in front of the other 
two men serving as an additional guard, and 
.strange as it may seem, he came to after a 
time and did not object to the defensive use 
he had been put to. Much of Mr. Carr's time 
during these years was spent in the service of 
the government in driving stage, and he 
worked at this in Salt Lake. California and 
Nevada. He knew of the richness of the lands 
through the Republican \"alley. as in 1863 he 
had hunted there before the Indian raid of that 
time, securing buffalo, elk and deer for Ben 
Holliday. t1ie stage contractor, from Atchison. 
Kansas, to San PVancisco. so when the party 
was organized in Cheyenne to settle in Harlan 
county. Nebraska, he readily joined it. He 
located in .\lnia in 1888. and was the first coro- 
ner elected in Harlan county. He also owned 
a fine farm in Alma township. 

Mr. Carr was married in Harlan county, 
in 1873. to Miss Harriet Lucinda Ellenberger, 
a native of Iowa. Two children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Carr. namely: Mary 
Elizabeth, wife of Owen Carroll, a farmer of 
Prairie Dog township, this county, and James 
Jerome Carr, a resident of Alma. Mr. Carr 
has been a member of the Masonic lodge since 
1857. and is also a prominent Grand Army of 
the Republic man. 



JAMES HUGHES. 

James Hughes is a man whose name will 
figure as one of those who has watched the de- 
velopment and growth of the locality in which 
he makes his home, and where he has resided 
for many years past. Mr. Hughes was born 
near Howard. Center county, Pennsylvania, 
April 21. 1847. His father, Thomas Hughes, 
who married Nancy Gardener, a native of Penn- 
--ylvania. was horn in Ireland and came to the 
I'nited States when a young man, and after 
reaching the new world was for many years 



general overseer and foreman in the immense 
iron works at Howard. He also held respon- 
sible positions in the coal and iron mines at 
that place, and lived in Howard at the time of 
his death, which occurred in 1860. (jur subject 
is the third member in a family of ten children, 
and was raised in the town of his birth. At 
the age of fourteen years he entered the army 
enlisting at Howard in Company E, Fifth Penn- 
sylvania regiment, on June 8. 1861, and was 
mustered in at the state capital. They were 
ordered south, and joined the Army of the 
Potomac, serving in all the campaigns of that 
bod}'- of soldiers, enduring much hard service. 
He also belonged to the Pennsylvania Re- 
serves, and was one of the bravest men in the 
company, always at the front of the line and 
in the thickest of the fights. At one time he 
was one of a detail of eighteen soldiers on a 
scouting expedition, the night before the bat- 
tle of Antietam and out of this number he 
was one of onl}' three that lived to tell the 
story of the encounter. Lieutenant Petrican, in 
charge of the detail, being one of the slain. He 
remained with his company and served his 
country until after the battle at Fredericks-i 
burg under Burnsides. and in i-"ehruarv. 1864, 
was honorably discharged at Washington, re- 
turning to peaceful pursuits with the con- 
sciousness of duty well done, in spending three 
years of his life in the noblest war that men 
ever fought. After leaving the army he went 
to ^^'est Union, Iowa, remaining one year, then 
on to Bates county. Missouri, for six months. 
Here he suffered so severely from an attack 
of the ague that he was unable to remain, and 
traveled on to the western plains where he 
freighted from Hayes City on the Kansas Pa- 
cific railway in Kansas, to Camp Supply. Indi- 
an Territory, following this work for one year. 
At this time the country was overrun with 
buft"alo and Mr. Hughes joined a hunting 
party, handling thousands of dollars worth of 
hides during the three j'ears he remained at 
that occupation in that i^art of the countrv. He 
was compelled to live on the ojien jjlains in order 
to recover his health, which had been severcb- 
impaired through an attack of typhoid fever, and 
it was during this time that he lived the free and 
adventurous life of the plainsman, hunting buf- 
falo all over the state of Kansas. 

His next move was to Nebraska City, where 
he remained for two \ears. then he came on to 
Brown county in 1882, and on June 15th, lo- 
cated on a pre-emption claim north of Nio- 
brara river in what is now Keya Paha county, 
also took a homestead in the northwest quarter 
of section 2, township 29. range 22. He set- 
tled on this before the railroad had reached 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



367 



Ainsworth, and at once went to work in estab- 
lishing- a home, building a sod house and grad- 
ually improving his farm. He now has a grove 
of ten thousand trees planted on his home- 
stead with three hundred fruit trees, all nicely 
growing. He has since taken up a Kincaid 
homestead of four hundred and eighty acres 
with forty acres of deeded land, improved with 
good buildings, in section 14. township 24, 
range 21, near Long Pine. 

In January, 1867, Mr. Hughes was married 
at West Union, Iowa, to Miss Emily F. Nestle- 
rode, who was born at Beach Creek, Pennsyl- 
vania, of German stock, and died September 
20, 1902. Ten children were born to them, of 
whom seven are now living: Anna, wife of 
Charles Briggs, Nebraska City ; Nancy, who 
married John Tscharner, of Chadron ; Jose- 
phine, wife of Frank Weid of Chicago: ]\Iitchel: 
George; Blanche, who married William Wiltse, 
who is in business at San Francisco, and 
James. 

Mr. Hughes is a Republican in political 
faith. He has always taken a deep interest in 
all public affairs and is an upright citizen, en- 
joying an enviable reputation as one of the 
foremost men of his community. Fraternally 
he is a member of the Masonic order at Long 
Pine, the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
and Grand Army of the Republic, at Ains- 
worth. In Iowa he was formerly a member 
of the Odd Fellows. 



JOHN PIKE. 

John Pike, whose pleasant home in Loss 
Creek precinct bespeaks painstaking care in its 
management, is a pioneer settler of Deuel coun- 
ty and a well known agriculturist, stockman and 
business man of that region. He has met with 
pronounced success in his different lines of work, 
has accumulated a fine property, and enjoys the 
well merited prosperity and the respect and es- 
teem of his fellovvmen. 

Mr. Pike is a native of Bourbon countv, Kan- 
sas, born February 4, 1858. and is a typical west- 
ern man. He was raised and educated in that 
state, the family living there up to 1879, when 
father, mother and five sons (of whom our sub- 
ject was the second in order of birth), moved to 
AIcLean county, Illinois. The father died in 
Kearney, Nebraska, in 1898, while the mother is 
still living at that place. Mr. Pike came into 
Perkins county. Nebraska, in 1891, remained in 
that vicinity for about two years, then came to 
Deuel county and homesteaded on section 35, 
township 18. range 43, proved up on the claim. 



and then sold out. He afterwards took a Kin- 
caid claim on section 11, township 17, range 43, 
acquiring four hundred and eighty acres, and this 
is now the home ranch. He has improved it in 
good shape, has fifty acres cultivated, and runs 
some stock. One brother, Albert Pike, owns a 
ranch which adjoins his land on the south, and 
he has also met with decided success as a farmer 
and ranchman. 

Mr. Pike is one of the prominent and well- 
to-do bachelors of Deuel county. He is quite 
heavily interested in the real estate business in 
Oshkosh, owns a fine building located on one 
of the best business lots in the town, and has met 
with considerable success in this line. In his 
township he is one of the leading public-spirited 
citizens, taking an active part in school affairs, 
and has held the office of moderator of district 
No. 23. Politically, he is a Democrat, and 
although he has never sought public preferment, 
has held numerous local offices. He is vice- 
president of the Antelope Valley Telephone Com- 
pany, which he helped organize. He was also 
instrumental in the organization of the Antelope 
\'alley Horse Company, and has been its treas- 
urer for two years. 



FRANK CILEK, Jr. 

Prominent among the successful business 
men of Gordon, Nebraska, is the gentleman 
above named. Mr. Cilek is engaged in the re- 
tail meat trade, and has one of the finest and 
best equipped markets in Gordon. He has built 
up a good trade through his strict honesty, and 
his market is one of the best patronized here, 
catering to the best class of people. 

Mr. Cilek was born in Harvard county, Ne- 
braska, in 1882, and is a son of Frank Cilek, who 
came to Sheridan county in 1889, now a farmer 
in Dawes county. He had a family of four chil- 
dren, and our subject is the second member. He 
grew up in Dawes county, assisting his father 
in the hard work always to be found in carry- 
ing on a farm, and there received a good train- 
ing for his later years. In 1901 he returned to 
his old home in Harvard county, and thfere 
worked at teaming, and in the butcher business at 
St. Paul, Nebraska, for some time. He then 
went west and spent a year traveling through 
California and Oregon, and in 1903 came to 
Gordon, where he worked in a meat market here. 
In 1906 Mr. Cilek bought a half interest in this 
business, and since that time has taken over the 
entire management of the place, and is well liked 
by everyone with whom he comes in contact in a 
business or social wav. 



368 



CO.MPENDIUIM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Cilek is a young man of sterling charac- 
ter, industrious and energetic, and well deserves 
the success he has met with since beginning in 
business. His market is a model of its kind 
and he enjoys a good patronage. 



WILLIA.M H. SELLERS. 

William H. Sellers, residing on section 6, 
township vil, range 35, is one of the old settlers 
of that region, and by his efforts he has aided 
materially in the development of the agricultural 
resources of Cherry county. He is a gentleman 
of good character, worthy citizen and kind neigh- 
bor, and has a wide circle of friends. 

Mr. Sellers was born in Berks county, Penn- 
svlvania. November 18. 1846, and reared and 
educated on his father's farm, moving to Ver- 
million county, Illinois, with his parents in 1861 
where they remained for twenty years. His 
father was Cyrus Sellers, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, born of American stock, for many years 
a forgcman and later a farmer. Our subject is 
the third member in a family of five children, 
and at the age of eighteen years began working 
for himself and also assisted in the support of 
his parents until he was twenty-nine years old. 

In 1880 he moved to Harlan county, Nebras- 
ka, where droughts ruined his crops so that he 
was unable to make even a living and, leaving 
there, he went to Otoe county, where he farmed 
for three vcars. followed by two years' residence 
in Holt county. In 1886, he first came to Cherry 
county, where he took a homestead on the Nio- 
brara river above the mouth of Bear creek, on 
which he lived for eight years, making some im- 
provements, his one and a half-story log 
house being at that time the largest in this region 
and the favorite resort for dances and frolics. 
He soon aft-erwards sold this and then took up 
a tree claim which he improved with buildings. 
After proving up on this and securing title, he 
sold at a good figure and in 1904 took his present 
homestead of four hundred anrl eighty acres, 
of which he is making a fine place, putting up 
good buildings, enclosing all with substantial 
fences and having a goodly portion unrler culti- 
vation. He has trees, brome grass and alfalfa 
growing thrifty, and keeps considerable stock. 

When he first came to Cherry county he had 
a hard time getting started, losing several suc- 
cessive crops through severe storms and drouth, 
hut has 'Vine well since the good years came on 
and likes the region immensely now. His first 
house was a dugout, and the family lived in this 
for a time, before a goor] log house could be 
erected. 



In 1875 Mr. Sellers was married to Miss 
Hanna Alice Crane, born in Fountain county, 
Indiana, in 1858. Five children were born to 
them, namely: Nora H., wife of George W. 
Seller; Guy W., Charles P., Erastus Lee, and 
Artie Leela, the three elder born in Illinois and 
the younger two in Nebraska. Mrs. Sellers died 
February 12, 1891, and in her loss the family 
suffered a sad bereavement and she was sincerely 
mourned as a good mother and wife by them. 

Mr. Sellers is one of the foremost citizens 
of his locality in all matters of public interest, 
and does all he possibly can to advance the best 
interests of his community. He is generally a 
Democrat, but votes for the best man in local 
elections. When General Grant was a candidate 
for president the first time, our subject cast a 
vote for him, showing a liberal spirit, such as 
all Americans should cultivate, and which 
makes for better citizenship. 

On another page of this work will be found a 
view of the residence of Mr. Sellers. 



JOHN D. BEEMAN. 

The gentleman whose life history is here 
presented is widely known as one of the oldest 
settlers and most influential citizens of Keya 
Paha county. Mr. Beeman was bom in White- 
side county, Illinois, July 16. 1853, and reared 
and educated on a farm where he endured a great 
amount of hard farm work as a boy. \\"hen 
seven years of age he moved with his parents to 
Crawford county, Iowa, remaining there until 
1867; then the family came to Nebraska, settling 
in .-\ntelope county. The father, Aaron N. Bee- 
man, was of American stock, and devoted his 
entire time to farming ; our subject's mother was, 
prior to her marriage. Miss Nancy Powers, born 
in Indiana: she had a family of seven children, 
of whom our subject was the fifth member. He 
began life for himself when seventeen years of 
age, harvesting in Dakota for a season, then fol- 
lowed threshing below Sioux Falls. In the spring 
he secured a position on a steamer running be- 
tween St. Louis and Fort Benton. In 1873. the 
boat attempted to make a third trip which, owing 
to low water, was not finished until the next sea- 
son, the boat being frozen in sixty miles above 
Fort Burford. .-\fter three years on the river he 
secured a place as cook for General Custer, but 
after a month, secured a place as a scout and 
followed that vocation for over eighteen mcmths, 
quitting the service about a year before the bat- 
tle of Wounfled Knee. Had it not iieen for his 
brother-in-law's influencing him to come to Keya 
Paha. Mr. Beeman would have been in that fa- 




RESIDEKXE OF WILLIAM H. SELLERS, 
Cherry Countv. Nebrafka. 




RESIDENXE OF JOHN BEEMAN, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



3*^9 



nious battle and might have been one of the num- 
ber killed. He came into Keya Paha county in 
the summer of 1879, locating on section 23, town- 
ship 32, range 20, and still occupies this farm. 
There are about sixty acres of natural timber on 
the place, out of which he hauled cedar posts in 
the early days to Neligh, where he sold them for 
twenty-five cents each, a method of supplying 
provisions for the family, quite common in those 
days. He sold ofif his home place seven thousand 
of these posts. Mr. Beeman gradually improved 
his place and added to the acreage, now owning 
two hundred acres, all low farming and hayland 
except forty acres. He has under cultivation 
about sixty acres, on which he raises good crops, 
and keeps about fifty hogs, with enough cows 
and horses for farm' use. He has an orchard of 
seven hundred and fifteen fruit trees, all in fine 
growing order, and from these he gets all the 
fruit he can use and also sells considerable in 
the home market. Nearly the entire tract is irri- 
gated by a good stream, so a dry year has no 
terrors for the owner of this fine estate. There is 
still an abundance of fine timber on the place 
that is increasing rather than diminishing. 

C)n July 4, 1883, ]\Ir. Beeman was married to 
Miss .Susan Rickman, whose parents, Samuel N. 
and Mary (]\lash) Rickman, were early settlers 
in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Beeman have 
been born the following children: Albert D., 
Nancy, wife of Ebba Jackson, of Herring, South 
Dakota ; Gussie and Nellie, the two latter still 
living at home at the present time. 

Mr. Beeman is the oldest settler in Keya 
Paha county at this time, and has always taken 
a leading part in its development and growth, 
and witnessed its advancement from practically 
a wilderness to its present prosperity. He has 
always voted the Republican ticket and taken a 
commendable interest in local aflfairs in his com- 
munitv, but has never sought office. 

-A. picture of Mr. Beeman's place appears on 
another page of this volume. 



GEORGE W. DAVIS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a prominent ranchman of Sioux 
county, Nebraska. He was one of the early set- 
tlers of that region, and has made many friends 
since his residence here, by all of whom he is 
highly esteemed. 

^Ir. Davis was born in Jackson county. Iowa, 
in 1863. His parents lived on the Mississippi 
river, at the town of Bellevue, and there George 
was reared and educated. His father. Henrv, 
was of German descent, the mother being of 



Irish birth. The father was a soldier in the Civil 
war, and met his death at the battle of Vicks- 
burg, on July 4, 1863. 

Our subject's mother, whose maiden name 
was Katherine O'Connor, after being left a wid- 
ow, raised her family of children, of whom our 
subject was the second member, and had a hard 
struggle to get along. She died in 1871, in Jack- 
son county, Iowa. After the mother's death, 
George was sent to the Soldiers' Orphans Home 
at Davenport, Iowa, until he was thirteen years 
of age, when he left that institution and struck 
out for himself, from that time on making his 
own way in the world. 

Mr. Davis came to Cambridge, Nebraska, 
where he spent two years, then became a cow- 
puncher on a ranch in that vicinity and later 
worked on a ranch near North Platte city, being 
employed by several different cow outfits, sub- 
sequently working mostly along the South Loup 
river. In the spring of 1881, Mr. Davis and a 
partner came to a ranch near where the town of 
Crawford now stands and remained there for 
about a year. In the following year he trailed a 
large bunch of cattle in Montana, and during that 
trip was obliged to live almost entirely on buffalo 
meat. He saw every phase of the frontiersman's 
life in those early days, when his cow-punching 
experiences reached from the city of North 
Platte, Nebraska, to Tongue river, Montana. In 
1883, our subject located near Chadron, connect- 
ing himself with the Half Diamond E. outfit, and 
remained with the company for about a year, and 
the following three years were spent in Montana 
employed by different ranching outfits. 

Air. Davis finally got tired of roaming around 
and decided to settle down permanentlv, so re- 
turned to Nebraska and took up a homestead 
twenty-five miles northwest of Harrison, in the 
fall of 1888. He proved up on his land in due 
time and operated his ranch for sixteen years, 
then purchased a tract of land situated four and 
a half miles south of Harrison, and here he has 
improved a good farm and ranch, having five 
hundred and twenty acres, engaging in cattle rais- 
ing principally. He has put up good buildings 
and improvements, all of his place is fenced 
and cross fenced, with good' wells and windmills. 

Mr. Davis was married March 26, 1890, to 
Miss Elizabeth Sutton, daughter of Lewis C. 
Sutton, who was a veteran of the Civil war, his 
death occurring in 1882, at Jerseyville, Illinois. 
Mrs. Davis' mother was Helen Terrill, of Henry 
county, Missouri, and now lives at Jerseyville, 
Illinois. As a result of the above marriage, three 
children were born, who are named as follows: 
Cora, Lewis and Helen. Mrs. Davis' grand- 
mother was among the early settlers in Sioux 
county, driving overland when coming here, from 



37C 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Greenfield, Iowa, in a wagon containing all their 
possessions. 

Mr. Davis occupies a foremost position as one 
of the leading old-timers of his locality, and has 
aided very materially in the development of this 
region. 



WILLIAM LISCO. 

William Lisco, residing in Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, is a genuine old-timer of that region, 
and one of the picturesque type of western pio- 
neer cattlemen who was prominently connected 
with the early life on the plains. He has been 
largely interested in ranches owned by the Lisco 
Brothers, which are now merged into the concern 
known as the Pine Creek Land and Cattle Com- 
pany. 

Mr. Lisco was born in Canada in 1851, com- 
ing into the states when quite small, his parents 
settling in New York at first, and remaining for 
several years. They then went to Iowa, and next 
to Nebraska, landing in this state in 1872. Our 
subject was in Colorado for about two years, and 
in 1876 came into Cheyenne county, arriving here 
in February of that year. He was subsequently 
employed on different big ranches in the vicinity, 
following the range up to 1885, then located on 
a homestead on section 29. township 18, range 
46, this tract being situated on the Platte river, 
the home ranch consisting of four hundred and 
eighty acres. He started in the ranching busi- 
ness at once, and succeeded in a marked degree, 
building up a good place, and gradually extend- 
ing his possessions until he is now classed among 
the wealthy men of the county. Besides his 
ranching interests he engages in farming on a 
small scale, having about forty acres in crops, 
and the balance in hay land. At the present time 
he is running seventy head of cattle and fifty 
head of horses. Two hundred and eighty acres 
are under ditch, and all of his ranch is valuable 
land. 

Mr. Lisco was married at Chappell, Deuel 
county, Nebraska, in 1896, to Miss Myrtle Nor- 
ton. They had one child, Gladys, born in 1898, 
and the mother died here in 1904. 



TAMFS J. COOPER. 

One of the leading old-timers of the state of 
Nebraska may be found in the person of James 
J. Cooper, the gentleman whose name heads this 
personal history. He settled in Rock county 
where he now resides in 1(^84. and has seen ail 
the changes which have taken place since the 
carlv davs, and flone bis full share towards mak- 



ing the history of this part of the state of 
Nebraska. 

Air. Cooper was born in West Troy, New 
York, March 10, 1838. He is a son of James 
Cooper, who was a cattle driver and farmer, and 
his mother was of Scotch descent, her maiden 
name being Sarah Kinkade. When our subject 
was two and a half years old the family moved 
to St. Lawrence county, New York, where they 
were among the pioneer settlers. He is the 
youngest member in a family of seven children, 
and was reared and educated in St. Lawrence 
county on his father's farm, where he assisted 
his father and brothers in carrying on the farm 
work. He spent eleven winters in the pineries, 
and in his young manhood learned the mill- 
wright's trade in W'innebago county, W'isconsin, 
following that occupation for twenty-two years. 
He lived in different parts of the Badger state 
during those years, employed in equipping a 
large number of the mills in that state. 

When the war broke out our subject enlisted 
during 1861 in the Thirty-fifth New York Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and saw service with the Army 
of the Potomac. He participated in twenty-two 
big battles during his service as a soldier, be- 
sides numerous skirmishes. He saw three stands 
of colors shot to pieces from the heads of this 
regiment. When he entered the regiment he 
went in with one thousand men, to which were 
added six hundred recruits, and when the regi- 
ment disbanded there were but four hundred and 
eighty left. During different battles men on both 
sides of him were shot down and killed, while 
he escaped without receiving any severe wounds 
through all the time he spent in the army, which 
was over two years. 

In 1884 he came to Nebraska and located in 
Rock county, taking up a tree claim in section 
33. township 32, range 18, and proved up on it. 
He has improved one timber claim, put u]i a num- 
ber of buildings, and acquired three hundred 
and twenty acres of land, all fenced with over 
forty-five acres of plow land. This he sold in 
the fall of 1907, after a series of accidents, in- 
cluding a stroke of lightning and a headlong 
fall from a hay stack, incapacitating him for man- 
ual labor. He has been verv successful since 
coming to Rock county, both at farming and the 
carpenter's trade, having put up many houses in 
the town of .Stuart, and a number of school- 
houses in the county. He was employed in the 
building of the Rock county courthouse, in 1893. 
the one which was destroyed by fire. 

Mr. Cooper was married November 17, 1866. 
at DePere, to Miss Christina Randow, whose 
parents came to American shores from Prussia 
in 1848. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have a family 
of four children, two of whnm, the oldest and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



37i 



youngest, are living : Myrtle, widow of William 
BuUard, and Henry. James and Lilly are de- 
ceased. The family live in a comfortable cot- 
tage in Bassett, whither they removed after the 
sale of the farm. Mr. Cooper is a Republican 
in politics, and with his family is a member of 
The Church of God. 



WILLIAM M. STEVENS. 

Energetic effort and intelligence go hand in 
hand in the building up of one's fortune, re- 
gardless of the vocation to which they are ap- 
plied. One of the well developed and highly 
improved estates of Perkins county is that owned 
and operated by William M. Stevens, who re- 
sides in Sawyer precinct, and the possessor of 
three thousand and forty acres, situated five miles 
northwest of Madrid. The comfortable circum- 
stances enjoyed by this gentleman have been 
brought about by the exercise of judicious labor 
and painstaking care, and every appointment of 
the place bespeaks good taste and splendid busi- 
ness ability. 

\\'illiam M. Stevens was born in Hancock 
county, Illinois, in 1861. his birthplace being the 
town of Hamilton. His father. Joseph, was a 
merchant, born in Maine, an early settler in 
Butler county, this state, his family being the 
second to settle in David City, locating in Butler 
county in the fall of 1870. The mother was a 
native of Pennsylvania, born in Philadelphia. 
During the first week of their residence in Butler 
countv a band of seven hundred Indians came 
through that part of the country, and there was 
some uneasiness regarding their presence there, 
although they were at peace with the settlers and 
made no disturbance. 

Our subject was raised on the frontier, going 
through all the pioneer times, witnessing grass- 
hopper raids, drouths, etc., and saw every phase 
of life on the plains. In 1885 he came to Per- 
kins county and took a homestead on section 24, 
township IL range 38, and started to build up 
a farm. Ogallala was then the nearest trading 
point and postofifice. In the spring of the fol- 
lowing year Mr. Stevens built a sod shanty 
twelve by fourteen feet, and in this began his 
bachelor existence, continuing to live alone for 
five years. During the first few years he worked 
at whatever he could get to do in the vicinity 
of his homestead, being employed at contract 
work on the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy rail- 
way, constructing six miles of the road during 
the winter of 1886-87. He went through ox 
team experience, and as late as the fall of 1890 
drove into Deuel county with a team of oxen. 
\Mien the drouths struck the section he left his 



farm and went to eastern Nebraska, and also 
spent one season in Montana. 

Mr. Stevens located on his present homestead, 
which is situated on section 26, township 11, 
range 38, in tlie spring of 1891. Here he has 
put many improvements in the way of good 
buildings, fences, etc., and is engaged in mixed 
stock raising and farming, for the past few 
years devoting his time and efforts principally to 
the former. For the past six years he has held 
an auction annually, selling off considerable stock 
which he raises constantly, and these sales are 
largely attended from all parts of the country 
near him, as he has the reputation of handling 
high-grade animals, and is known to^ be a good 
judge of stock. 

Mr. Stevens was married in 1890, to Mrs. 
Mary Beatty, who was born in Beaver county, 
Pennsylvania. The family consists of the fol- 
lowing children: Cora and John, both married 
and living near the home ranch ; these two are 
Mrs. Stevens' children by a former marriage. 
Harry, Alinnie, Morgan, Kittle, Leonora, Lela 
and Grace, all of whom are willing assistants to 
their parents in running the ranch. In 1905, 
the wife and mother departed this life, and since 
her death, which was deeply lamented by her 
sorrowing family and a host of warm friends, 
Minnie has had charge of the home. 

A picture of Air. Stevens' residence will be 
found on another page. 



HON. ATCTOR ANDERSON. 

Hon. Victor .Anderson, who represented his 
county in the legislature from 1901 to 1905, 
elected on the Fusion ticket, is one of the promi- 
nent men of that region. He has resided in this 
part of the state of Nebraska for many years, 
and is held in the highest esteem by his fellow- 
men. 

Mr. Anderson was born in Kane county. Illi- 
nois, in the city of St. Charles. His father, N. P. 
A. Ander.son. was a native of Smoland. .Sweden, 
who settled in Illinois, and later in Iowa. He 
was a man of good education and followed farm- 
ing as an occupation, coming to Nebraska in 
1875, taking up the homestead on which our sub- 
ject now lives. He died at the age of seventy 
years, his death occurring May 23, 1906, and 
was highlv esteemed by all who knew him. He 
left a family of three children. Our subject's 
mother. Mary S. Anderson, died on the farm 
February 7. 1908. One son. Emil. also lives with 
them as well as a sister of our subject. Josie. and 
they operate a farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres, renting out three hundred and twenty 
acres. He is proprietor altogether of six hun- 



37^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. KE.MIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



dred and forty acres of land, all cultivated and 
well improved, handling also a large number of 
cattle and some pure-bred Poland China hogs, 
also raising considerable wheat and corn. Among 
the farm equipment is a modem automobile. He 
is a most successful farmer and employs modern 
methods in operating his land. In 1902 his wheat 
yield was thirty-eight bushels per acre, and his 
corn crop ran sixty bushels per acre in 1889. He 
raises about ten thousand bushels of grain each 
good crop year, and uses the greater part of it 
on his farm. He keeps from seventy-five to one 
hundred head of hogs on an average. Our sub- 
ject became a stockholder and director in the 
Kearney County Lumber Company in 1907, and 
still is interested in the business. 

In 1904 Mr. Anderson was nominated for 
senator from Kearney, Phelps and Harlan coun- 
ties. He is at present acting as president of the 
Kearney County Mutual Fire and Lightning In- 
surance Company, having been elected to this 
office in 1904. He has been director of his school 
district since coming of age. Mr. Anderson is 
a very popular young man, of off-hand, sociable 
manners, and one of the most intelligent and 
progressive citizens in this section of the country. 
He has a host of warm friends and admirers, and 
highly esteemed as a man of excellent character 
and good business judgment. He belongs to the 
Swedish Lutheran church, and gives freely of 
his time and support. 



GEORGE H. PRl'DEN. 

George H. Pruden, proprietor of a valuable 
ranch in Merriman precinct. Cherry county, is 
comparatively a recent settler in this locality, 
but has become very well known as a worthy 
citizen and prosperous ranchman. He is a man 
of strict integrity and persistent industry, and 
well merits his high standing and financial 
success. 

Mr. Pruden was bfirn in .Sidnev. Ohio, Octo- 
ber 20, 1869. His father. Peter W. Pruden. was 
a farmer of American stock who came to Ne- 
braska in 1888. During the civil war he served 
three years in Company F, Eighty-third Illinois 
regiment, and was in many different battles and 
skirmishes. After locating in Nebraska he 
farmed near Chadron for some years until the 
drouth struck that locality, and his crops were 
ruined and he lost everything lie had. He died 
January 23. 1903, leaving a wife who still lives in 
Nebraska, and a family of seven children of 
whom our subject is the fourth member. At 
the age of eighteen he started out to make his 
own living, working on different ranches in the 
vicinitv of his home for twelve dollars and a 



half a month, and was very glad to get that. 
He also broke horses for ranchmen, and was able 
to earn fifteen dollars per month by this labor, 
continuing in this work for the following nine 
years, then together with his brothers, established 
himself in the cattle business. They succeeded 
very well in this venture, and now have a ranch 
of four hundred and eighty acres, besides each 
having good homestead lands. 

In November, 1890. ^Ir. Pruden came to 
Cherry county, and on landing here, there was 
altogether in the possession of the family just 
one hundred dollars in cash, and added to this 
small start, for the first two years their crops 
were a total failure. During the first winter they 
were obliged to buy the potatoes for the family 
supply, and paid one dollar per bushel for them. 
However, they stuck together, our subject and 
his brothers securing work by the day or month, 
and in this manner supported the family, and 
after the hard times had passed they were very 
successful in their farming operations and ac- 
cumulated a nice property, now being counted 
among the prominent and substantial residents of 
Cherry county, all interested in the ranching 
business. The ranch is improved with a complete 
set of good farm buildings, all fenced and fitted 
with all the equipment necessary for conducting 
a model ranch. They have a fine drove of three 
hundred head of cattle, and quite a number of 
horses. October 7, 1907, Mr. Pruden purchased 
a meat market in Merrimac, which he operates 
in connection with his ranch. 

In 1903 Mr. Pruden was married to Miss 
Martha K. Herbaugh, a native of Nebraska, born 
in 1880. Her father, John W. Herbaugh. served 
in the Civil war for four years, as a member of 
an Indiana regiment. Mr. and Mrs. Pruden have 
one child, John Clark Pruden. 

Mr. Pruden is a Republican, but takes no 
active part in politics, devoting his entire time 
and attention to the building up of his home, sur- 
rounding himself and family with all the com- 
forts and conveniences of a mode! farm home. 



IRA A. HAMMOND. 

.■\mong the leading old-timers of the state of 
Nebraska, none is better known or more highly 
respected than the subject of this review, Ira A. 
Hammond. Mr. Hammond is a native of Tama 
county, Iowa, born Novemlier 15, 1838. His 
fatlier. Matthew Hammond, born in Vermont, 
was of American lineage. He came to Tama 
county, Iowa, about 1856, and while here, served 
as postmaster of the postoffice which was located 
on his farm. The family consisted of twelve 
children, of whom our subject was the tenth 



COMI-'EXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



376 



member in order of Ijirth. He was raised in 
Tama count}- until four years of age, then his 
parents moved to McDonough county, IIHnois, 
where Ira grew to manhood. He was taught to 
do all kinds of hard farm labor, attending the 
country schools during the winter months, and 
in this way received a common school education. 
He lived with his parents assisting them until 
the death of his father, which occurred in 1890. 
then supported his mother until her death, in 
1902. In 1885. Mr. Hammond came to Brown 
county, settling on a farm two and one-half 
miles west of Johnstown. Here he built a dug- 
out, or sod house, which was the first building 
ever erected on his farfn, and in this he lived 
for some time. He lived here up to 1891. when 
he sold out his propertv and moved to Ains- 
worth. plving his trade as a mason, at which oc- 
cupation he has worked constantly since coming 
to Ainsworth. After two years in Ainsworth he 
rented a farm and worked this besides working 
at his trade when there was masonry to do. In 
1901 he bought his present farm of two hundred 
and eighty acres, the north half of section 31. 
township 30, range 22. This property is im- 
proved with a good set of farm buildings, fences, 
etc.. and he engages in stock raising and mixed 
farming. In the earh^ days he often had a hard 
struegle to get along, but he has steadily pushed 
forward, has a comfortable home and now en- 
joys a nice income from the fruits of his labor. 

In the spring of 1907. Mr. Hammond began 
the manufacture of concrete brick and cement 
blocks, and is extensively engaged in concrete 
paving in Ainsworth and elsewhere in Brown 
county. 

Mr. Hammond was married December 25. 
1889, to Miss ]\Iary C. ^Murraj-, born in Illinois, 
whose father. John Murray, is a farmer and old 
settler in Brown county. Mr. and Mrs. Ham- 
mond are the parents of five children, who are 
named as follows: Vernie L., Leslie M.. Mary 
E. (deceased), Grace I., and Fred. 

Mr. Hammond votes the Republican ticket, 
and takes a commendable interest in all party 
affairs. He is a member of the Ancient Order 
of United ^^'orkmen of Ainsworth. 



MORGAN J. WILLIAMS. 

A typical pioneer of western Nebraska is 
represented bv the gentleman above named. Mor- 
gan J. Williams. He has lived many years in 
this section of the country and has been a part 
of the grov\'th and development of this region, 
building up for himself a substantial home and 
fortune by his perseverance and thrift, and has 



come to be one of the foremost citizens of Dawes 
county. 

?^Ir. Williams was born in Sparta. [Monroe 
county. Wisconsin, in 1858. He is a son of 
Morgan ^^'ilIiams, of Welsh descent, born in 
Waukesha count3^ Wisconsin, and of Mary 
Jones, a native of England, born of Welsh 
parents. Our subject was reared in Wisconsin, 
and came west about 1871. going first to Nebras- 
ka, then to Colorado, and was there at the time 
the railroad was built from Cheyenne to Denver. 
He saw Leadville when it was known as Cal- 
ifornia Gulch, and those were the days when 
Leadville experienced its liveliest times. Mr. 
Williams was prospecting and mining at that 
time, and spent six or seven years in that state, 
witnessing many wild times there. He was also 
in Wyoming, and was the first white man to 
build a house in Douglass, that state. He after- 
wards came to Fort Robinson, where he did 
contracting, moving to Crawford about 1889. 
Previous to this he had been in Big Horn Basin, 
Wyoming, and had helped build half of the towns 
of Glenrock and Casper. From 1889 up to 1895 
he ran the onlv brickyard and contractor's busi- 
ness in Crawford, and in the latter year estab- 
lished a lumber yard there, and has been in busi- 
ness here since that time continuously. When the 
Burlington railroad came from Alliance he 
boomed the towns along that line and put up 
buildings, etc. x\t Owensville, a now extinct and 
once tough town, he erected an immense dance 
hall, completing the place in one day. and this 
was a gathering place for all the tough characters 
of the country, and was under the management 
and control of a famous and successful dance 
hall man. Besides his business interests in Craw- 
ford. Mr. Williams boomed different towns along 
the lines of the Chicago & Northwestern railway, 
also the Chicago. Burlington & Ouincy, and was 
successful in making considerable money out of 
these different enterprises. 

During the early part of his career in the west 
^Ir. \\'illiams worked as a cow-puncher, running 
large herds of cattle over the western part of 
Nebraska. He has been all through the western 
states, and has watched the growth and develop- 
ment of this section from the very start. 

Mr. Williams was married in 1879 to Miss 
Ida Jane Vincent, born in Illinois, and they have 
a family of eight grown children, and are grand- 
parents to several youngsters. Mr. and Mrs. 
^^'illiams"s children are named as follows: 
Maudie, Cora, Clarence. Arthur, ^^'innie. Lena, 
Homer and Francis. 

Mr. Williams has always taken an active part 
in the politics of his home town, acting as a 
delegate in representing the silver Republicans 
at the national convention which nominated Wil- 



374 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



liam Jennings Brj'an the second time in 1900, 
but he did not get there. He has been on the 
village board for seven years, and takes a leading 
Dart in his communitv. 



HEXRY C. HENDERSON. 

Henry C. Henderson, an agriculturist of 
prominence in Cheyenne county, resides in Bron- 
son precinct, and is one of those substantial cit- 
izens whose integrity and industry, thrift and 
economy, have added so much to the material 
wealth and growth of Nebraska. Agriculture 
forms the basis of wealth in that part of the 
country, as, indeed, in most sections of the 
United States. It is. therefore, of great im- 
portance that the class of people who inhabit 
the great farming regions of the country should 
represent those elements of sterling worth so 
prominently displayed by the majority of the 
early settlers and their descendants. Mr. Hen- 
derson is a veteran of the Civil war, a worthy 
citizen and a good neighbor, and richly deserves 
all the success which has come to him. 

Mr. Henderson was born in Vermillion town- 
ship, \"ermillion county, Illinois, on the 21st of 
June. 1842, and lived in that vicinity for fifty 
years. He enlisted in \"crmillion county, in Com- 
pany C. Seventy-third Illinois Volunteers, on 
July 5, 1862. and was mustered in, nine days 
later, at Indianapolis, Indiana. During active 
service at the battle of Chickamauga. he was se- 
riously wounded and was sent to the hospital, 
where he remained for six months, and then 
was transferred into the \>teran Reserve Corps, 
from which he was mustered out July 5, 1865, 
just three years to a day from the date of his 
enlistment. 

Our subject returned to Illinois after being 
discharged from the army, and farmed there up 
to 1892. then came west to Buffalo county, Ne- 
braska, farming in \'alley precinct about twelve 
years in that locality before removing to Chey- 
enne county, where he has since resided. Reach- 
ing Sidney March 20, 190.^, he filed on a home- 
stead in section 18. townshij) 13, range .^0. nnd 
began to develop a home. The place is well sit- 
uated and contains as fine land as is to be found 
in this region. One of the natural curiosities of 
the region. Tower Butte, is situated but a few 
rods from the dwelling, and is ime of the land- 
marks of the region. 

Mr. Henderson was married in \'ermiIlion 
county, Illinois, March 7, 1872, to Mary F. Jones, 
a widow, whose maiden name was Lough. ;\Frs. 
Henderson was born in Ritchie county. West 
\'irginia, in 1849, and she had one child bv her 



first marriage. Dora M., who married Abraham 
Long, and resides in Kimball county. Mr. and 
Mrs. Henderson have a family of six children, 
who are named as follows : Druzilla E.. now 
Mrs. Charles Stafford, of Sidney ; John R. Hen- 
derson, now living in Kimball county ; James F. 
Henderson, of Buffalo county; Donna M., wife 
of \\'illiam Davis, of Kimball countv : E. C. Hen- 
derson, of Cheyenne county. One son, Nathaniel 
Beeson, is living at home, and assists his father 
in carrying on the home ranch. While living in 
Illinois the family were all members of the Cum- 
berland Presbyterian church, and Mr. Henderson 
was a comrade in the Grand Army of the Re- 
public. He is a Republican in politics. 



PETER REHDER. 

Peter Rehder, a prominent farmer and stock- 
man living on section 20, township 22, range 15, 
is well known throughout Garfield county as a 
progressive and successful agriculturist, highly 
esteemed by all with whom he has had to do. 

Mr. Rehder is a native of Germany, born in 
1854. He grew up in his native country, and 
in 1881 left home and struck out for the new 
world, arriving in America in May, 1881. After 
landing in New York he came across the country 
locating in Davenport. Iowa, where he remained 
for a time, then emigrated to Nebraska in 1885, 
on account of the land there being cheaper and 
the better chances a ])oor man had for gaining a 
competence, locating in Garfield county on a 
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres. Here 
he succeeded in developing a good farm, engaged 
in mixed farming and stock raising, and now 
owns about two hundred and fifty acres of good 
land, half of it under cultivation, raising sjjlendid 
crops of corn and oats, with some wheat and rye. 
He has a good supply of water from deep bored 
wells, and his place is well improved with good 
buiUlings and a comfortable residence, fine 
groves, orchards, etc. 

Mr. Rehder is of the opinion that the average 
man here is much better off financially than in 
Iowa, as the land here costs less ami crops grow 
just as well with less labor, one man taking care 
of a hundred acres as easily as he could fifty in 
Iowa. Since locating here he has had fair suc- 
cess every year with the exception of 1894, when 
his crops were burned out by the hot winds, and 
that \ear everyone suffered some bad luck; but 
after the coming of the better years he was very 
fortunate, and has accumulated a nice property. 
The only disadvantage here is the poor schools, 
but these are now being improved wonderfully, 
and it will only be a short time before they will 




FRED \V. JOHANSEN^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



375 



be as good as can be found anywhere. The 
school section embraces about twelve square 
miles. 

Mr. Rehder raises and feeds stock for the 
market, mostly cattle and hogs. He has a small 
orchard, and for the past two years, 1906 and 
1907, has had excellent crops of apples. The 
trees do not do so very well here, but he states 
that with good care and close attention they can 
be made to produce-very fair crops, and there are 
plenty of blackberries growing wild in the vicin- 
itv of his farm, which is sufficient for their home 
use. 

Mr. Rehder is a typical German farmer, hon- 
est and industrious and a hard worker. He has 
made considerable money since settling here, and 
is classed among the wealthy residents of his 
section. 

In 1884 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss ]\Jaggie Mohr, also a native of Germany, 
who came to America with her parents in 1881. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Rehder four children have been 
born, two of whom, Fritz, aged fourteen, and 
Rudolph, aged seven, are still living. Two 
daughters died in 1892. 

The family are members of the German 
Lutheran church. Mr. Rehder is a Democrat, 
but has never held office, as he has never had 
any time to worry over politics, preferring to 
devote his whole attention to the building up 
of his liome. 



CHRISTIAN M. PEDERSEN. 

Christian M. Pedersen, a progressive farmer 
and ranchman of Cherry county, is owner of a 
fine estate of eight hundred and eighty acres in 
township 28, range 29. His residence is on sec- 
tion 22, of the above township, and he is the pro- 
prietor of one of the most valuable ranches in the 
section as a result of his good business ability 
and untiring energy. 

Air. Pedersen was born in Denmark, on a 
farm, in 1869. His father was a carpenter by 
trade, and follovs'ed that in connection with his 
farm work, and was also handy at many different 
occupations, making a good living for his family. 
Our subject was reared in his native village, as 
a boy learning the miller's trade, and, in 1891, 
came to America, arriving in New York city on 
December 13th of that year. He went directly 
west to Nebraska, settling in Nuckolls county, 
but only remained for about eight months, then 
came up the North Loup and next to Thedford. 
He secured employment on a ranch and followed 
that work up to 1894, when he moved to Swan 
Lake and filed on a homestead, later went to a 



homestead on Goose creek. Cherry county, and 
proved up on the latter place. He "batched it" 
during all this time and worked throughout 
the region, operating a well outfit which he pur- 
chased, and became familiar with many of the 
old settlers in the county and surrounding coun- 
try. Two springs were spent in Wyoming and 
Montana shearing sheep, and during these times 
he managed to lay by considerable money, finally 
returning to Nebraska and spending about two 
years in Brownlee, where he was engaged in the 
well business. In 1904 he went into South Da- 
kota, driving through the country with a team 
and covered wagon, locating near the mouth of 
Pielle Fourche river on the Cheyenne river, but 
did not like the country and only spent one sum- 
mer there, then came back to Nebraska with his 
family, settling on his present homestead, which 
is situated nine miles northwest of Brownlee. 
Here he has improved a good place, having two 
hundred acres broken up which he uses for grain 
raising, and is constantly breaking more ground, 
as he intends to devote most of his time to 
farming. He has good buildings, wells, wind- 
mills, several miles of fence, and keeps quite a 
bunch of stock. When he took the ranch there 
was simply an old sod house which was ready to 
tumble down, and he has lately erected a good 
residence, and has every kind of farm machinery 
and improvement for the proper operation of 
a model farm and ranch. 

In 1901 Mr. Pedersen was married to Miss 
Kate L. Auguston, wdiose father was born in 
Denmark and her mother in New York state, of 
German stock. Three children have been born 
to them, John, Herman and Peder. Mr. Peder- 
sen is classed among the leading old-timers in 
the region, as he has taken an active part in the 
development of the commercial and agricultural 
interests for the past eighteen years. 



FREDERICK WILLIAM JOHANSEN. 

F. W. Johansen, a prominent business man 
of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is a young man of 
exceptional energy and ability, and his success 
in the enterprises in which he has been engaged 
from time to time is due to these characteristics 
combined with his sound business judgment. A 
portrait of him is presented on another page. 

Mr. Johansen was born on a farm near Yank- 
ton, South Dakota, on the 24th day of June, 
1876. His father, Christian A. Johansen, of 
Danish descent, is a ranchman and farmer in 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, having settled there 
in the spring of 1883, with his family, his wife's 
maiden name having been Anna Wortman, whose 



376 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



parents were of German descent. There were 
ten cliildren in his father's family and Fred 
is one of the twins, his twin lirother's name 
being Ferdinand J. Johansen. 

Fred was raised on a farm and ranch com- 
bined, in Sheridan county, attendino^ the country 
schools during: liis boyhood, and later the normal 
school at Rushvijle. After leaving school he 
followed teaching for three years in Sheridan 
county, then went to Chadron. Nebraska, where 
he attended the academy for a year and follow- 
ing that, five terms at Fremont Normal College. 
graduating from that institution in the scientific 
course with the degree of Bachelor of Science 
in 1899. 

He again took up teaching and taught in 
Sheridan and Dawes counties. After this he re- 
turned to the Fremont Normal College and re- 
ceived the degree of Bachelor of Pedagogy, 
graduating in the didactic course in 1902. He 
was then principal of the public schools of Gresh- 
am, Nebraska, in the year 1902-03. In the sum- 
mer of 1903 he established an implement store at 
Hay Springs and realizes a profitable trade from 
the surrounding townships. He also sells many 
pianos, and is a successful real estate dealer. 

In the fall of 1903. the People's party tend- 
ered him the nomination for county superintend- 
ent of public instruction. There were three tick- 
ets in the field that fall, namely: Republican. 
Democratic and People's party, consequently his 
chances for election were few. Although not 
elected, he was the youngest of all candidates 
and was often termed the "Boy Candidate." 

The following year, on September 3, 1904, 
he purchased the Hay Springs Leader, a weekly 
newspaper, and changed its name to the Hay 
Springs Enterjirise. This paper was established 
in January, 18S7, and has changed hands several 
times, and it has been run under different names 
also. This paper is of the Democratic and Popu- 
list faith, and is one of the reliable mediums of 
this section. 

F. W. Johansen \§ a man of marked character, 
showing a determination to do right in all cases 
whatsoever. He has always been much opposed 
to intemperance anrl he now enjoys, above every- 
thing else, the distinction of having been the first 
person in Sheridan county to start and to sign a 
remonstrance against the liquor traffic. He now 
lives in a quiet, progressive town, which has had 
no saloon for the past three years, and there is 
none at present in all Sheridan county. Mr. 
Johansen delights in Christian work also; at 
present he is one of the deacons of the Congrega- 
tional church, and su]5erintendent of the Sunday- 
school. He has served the Christian Endeavor 
as president for a number of years, and was 
among the first to organize Sheridan County 



Sunday-School Associatioli, and has served it at 
different times as secretary, treasurer and presi- 
dent : the same is true of the Sheridan County 
Anti-Saloon League. He was its first secretary 
and foremost organizer. For three years he was 
scribe of the Congregational churches of north- 
west Nebraska. 



ERASMUS PETERSON. 

A striking example of what may be accom- 
plished by the exercise of industry, perseverance 
and good management, is found in the life of the 
gentleman here named. Mr. Peterson had a verv 
small start, and he is now one of the successful 
and ]jrosperous agriculturists of Sheridan countv, 
Nebraska, highly esteemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Peterson was "oorn in Denmark in 1857 
and was raised on a farm there. His father and 
mother never left the old country, and he 
remained with them, the sixth member in 
their family of eight children, until 1873, when 
he struck out for himself and crossed the ocean, 
locating in Kasson, Dodge county, Minnesota. He 
had partly learned the mason's trade in his na- 
tive land, and he followed it in Minnesota for 
nearly- nine years. In 1882 he went to South 
Dakota, settling in Yankton, where he worked 
for two years, and in the fall of 1884 first came 
to Nebraska. The following spring he .took up 
a claim in section 13, township 31. range 46, and 
the first summer lived in a covered wagon, later 
building a log house, in which he lives, hav- 
ing sided it over and plastered it inside, making 
a very comfortable dwelling. He went to work 
breaking up his farm and ]nit in twenty acres of 
corn and raised a good crop. Bv the time the 
dry years came on he was farming quite heavily, 
and for three years his crops were a total loss, 
so that he never cut them. He became discour- 
aged and went to work for the Homestakc mines, 
following his trade of a mason for nearly seven 
years. During the last four years he has gone 
back to farming, and raised good crops, but still 
does quite a lot of mason work. He has added to 
his homestead until he now owns eight hundred 
acres of good, rolling farm land, and of this he 
cultivates about two hundred acres, keei)ing about 
one hundred head of cattle and twenty-six horses. 
He has experienced his share of hard times in 
the earlier days and would not care to go 
through the homesteader's life again, although 
the first years in this section were the best the 
family ever saw. At one time he would have 
sold out if he could have persuaded his wife to 
si'jn th.e ]iapers. but is glad he stuck to it. and 
now intends to make this his permanent home. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



0// 



He has every convenience on his farm and in 
his home, with telephone connection and rural 
mail delivery. 

He was married in Yankton, in ISSc, to Miss 
Flora Johansen. a native of Effingham, Illinois, 
who moved to Yankton with her parents in 1873. 
Her father, Christian A. Johansen, was born in 
Denmark, and came to this country at the age of 
eighteen years. He was a farmer and cooper m 
the old country. :\Ir. and Mrs. Peterson have 
one child living, Charles, who resides with his 
parents. He graduated, in 1908, from the high 
school at Hay Springs. They have lost two chil- 
dren, one who died in infancy, and Roy, at the 
age of sixteen, the death of the latter being 
caused by the kick of a horse. Mrs. Peterson is 
a great money maker, as well as her husband, 
keeping her own bank account. She sells large 
quantities of poultry, eggs, butter, etc. 

Mr. Peterson is a strong Democrat and an 
ardent admirer of the Bryan faction. He has 
never held any except local offices, and states 
that he is not even boss of his own house. The 
family have a pleasant home, and enjoy the 
friendship of a host of people in their locality, 
who frequently partake of their general hospi- 
talitv. 



FERD. J. JOHANSEN. 

Ferd. J. Johansen, one of the leading business 
men and highly esteemed citizens of the thriving 
town of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is a young man 
of exceptional business ability. He is a man 
of enterprising spirit and strict integrity, and 
has gained the confidence and respect of his 
associates. 

Mr. Johansen was born near Yankton, South 
Dakota, June 24, 1876, and was reared in Sheri- 
dan county from the time he was nine years 
old, attending the common schools and later the 
Rushville Normal and Chadron Academy, grad- 
uating from the Fremont Normal College in 
1899. After leaving school our subject taught 
school in Sheridan and Dawes counties for sev- 
eral years. 

In 1899, Mr. Johansen became manager of 
the Hay Springs Creamery Company, and from 
that gradually drifted into the prodtice business 
and later into the general merchandise business. 
On October 1. 1906, he formed a partnership 
with Herman E, Clements in establishing a large 
general store, and they have built up a good 
trade and made a success of the venture. Mr. 
Johansen is also agent for the DeLaval Sepa- 
rator Company, also for a threshing machine 
company, and for the Waltham automobile. 

In 1901 Mr. Johansen was married to Miss 



Levina May Bolin, daughter of Elridge Bolin, an 
old settler in this county, who, prior to her mar- 
riage, was a teacher in the schools in this county, 
and a graduate of the Hay Springs high school, 
class of '99. Mr. and Airs. Johansen have a 
family of four children, who are named as fol- 
lows: Enona Dell, Ethelyn Flora, Burnetta May 
and ^^iva Anna Johansen. 

Air. Johansen is a young man of great prom- 
ise, and has already accomplished a great meas- 
ure of success in the different enterprises with 
which he has been associated. He is an active 
member of the Peoples party. 



CHRISTIAN A. JOHANSEN. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a native of Denmark, born in 
1841. He is a son of Peter Johansen, a Dane, 
who came to America in 1859, settling in Illinois, 
where he remained up to the time of his death, 
which occurred in 1865. Our subject is the fifth 
member in a family of twelve children, of whom 
but eight were living at the time the family came 
to this country. At the age of twenty-one he 
started in on a farm for himself, as he had al- 
ways assisted his father in the work on his va- 
rious farms and was early accustomed to this 
business. He remained in Illinois, living near 
his father's farm up to 1873, when he left that 
state and went to Yankton, South Dakota, where 
he took a farm and operated it until 1886, but 
he had hard times there, grasshoppers destroy- 
ing his crops during the first years and sustain- 
ing many financial losses. He liked Dakota and 
would -have remained there, but for the fact that 
he wanted to get where his children could get 
free land as they grew up, so bought a relin- 
quishment in Sheridan county. Nebraska, on 
which he field as a pre-emption and began to 
build a home. There was an old sod house on 
the place when he came, but this soon went to 
pieces and he then put up a frame house, putting 
in a large basement and made a very comfortable 
dwelling. He began breaking up the land and 
put in some crops and just got nicely started 
when the dry years came along and caused him 
severe losses which put him back considerably. 
Mr. Johansen was married in 1862 to Miss 
Anna Wortman, a native of Ohio, born in 1843, 
of German descent, whose parents come to this 
country when the}' were both ver\' young. Ten 
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Johansen, 
who are named as follows : Flora, Edward, 
Caroline. Alice, Ferd J. and Fred W. (twins), 
Dora, Emma. Albert and Arthur, all of whom 
live near their parents' homestead except one 



378 



COiMPEXDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



daughter, who resides in Iowa, and all are on 
the telephone lines. 

^Ir. Johansen has had the experiences of a 
pioneer settler in two new countries, both in Da- 
kota and here, and states that were he young 
again he would not mind trying it over. He had 
a large family to support, and his labors were 
hard and they suffered much hardship during 
some years, but his heart was in the work and 
thev were happy together, and through all the 
trials he enjoyed himself and has no fault to find 
with those times. He has done well and accu- 
mulated a fine estate, his farm now comprising 
three hundred and twenty acres of good farm- 
ing land, cultivating about two hundred acres, 
and runs sixty head of stock. He does not feed 
much through the winter, but roughs them 
through, and also keeps some stock on shares. 
In addition to operating his own land he leases 
a school section which he uses for hay and pas- 
ture for his stock. He milks a good many cows, 
and derives a snug income from this source, and 
it was due to this that he was enabled to get 
through the drv seasons with so little financial 
loss and suffering. He also manufactured a 
large amount of cheese which he shipped ana 
for which he received a good price. He has 
improved his farm, and has good buildings and 
fences, also a large number of trees growing 
nicely. He says that he hardly knows where he 
saw the hardest times, whether in South Dakota 
or Nebraska. In the former state he did not 
have much to start with, but it was harder to 
make a living, and since coming to Nebraska, 
has had more money but always had a large fam- 
ily to support. His children have been a great 
help to him since growing up, however, and at 
one time he had seven children engaged in teach- 
ing in .Sheridan county. 

Mr. Johansen is an independent voter in local 
affairs, but in national matters leans toward the 
Populists. Although he takes a keen interest in 
all matters of county and state he has never had 
time to devote to party work, and never cared to 
seek office. 



JOHN .SAUERWEIN. 

Among the successful self-made men of I'ox 
P)Uttc county, Nebraska, may be mentioned John 
Sauerwein. who came to the United States from 
his mother country, Germany, when he was a 
young man twenty-three years old, and since his 
residence here has displayed an enterprising 
spirit and the exercise of good judgment by the 
manner in which he has forged ahead, that com- 
mands tlie rcs])ect anrj esteem of all who know 



him. He now resides in section 13, township 27, 
range 50, and is one of the prosperous farmers 
of his locality. 

Mr. Sauerwein was born in 1860, in the 
Province of Hessen, Germany, on a farm. His 
father. Jacob, farmed all his life in his native 
land, assisted by his sons, who lived at home up 
to 1883, and after his father's' death, which oc- 
curred in 1877, our subject carried on the home 
farm alone, and was the mainstay and support 
of his mother. ;\Ir. Sauerwein left his native 
land in 1883 and started out to seek his fortune m 
the new world, and after landing in New York 
went to Pennsylvania, where he worked in the 
mining regions, employed in the car shops as a 
carpenter and at odd jobs around the plant. 

Our subject came to Nebraska, locating in 
the eastern part of the state and followed farm 
work for about six months, then in the fall of 
1885 came to Dawes county, making his first set- 
tlement seventeen miles west of Hemingford, on 
the Niobrara river. There he built a log house 
and worked in the timber regions, hauling wood, 
etc. He handled ox teams and worked on his 
place, and for seven years hauled water from the 
Niobrara river. He lived in Dawes county for 
about eleven years and succeeded in building up 
a good farm and ranch and accumulating a nice 
property there, although he suffered many fail- 
ures of crops during the dry years, and during 
several seasons was only able to raise enough of 
the different grains he planted, to get the seed 
back. He sold his place there and moved to Box 
Butte county in 1896. Here he bought the place 
he now occupies and has built up a fine farm and 
ranch, owning altogether seven hundred and 
eighty acres, and farms about one hundred and 
sixty of it, using the balance as hay and grass 
pasture for his stock, as he runs quite a large 
herd of cattle on the ranch. He also raises quite 
an amount of small grain and makes raising po- 
tatoes a specialtN' 

Mr. Sauerwein w'as married in 1886 to Mary 
Marchen, a native of Germany, who came to 
America as a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Sauer- 
wein had a family of four children, namely: 
Jacob, Amelia, Anna and Susie. In 1893. the 
mother departed this life, and after three years, 
our subject married the second time, taking as 
his wife Emma Hoffman, daughter of Rudolph 
Hoffman, one of the oldest settlers in Dawes 
county. She was reared and educated in Ger- 
many. ( )f this union seven children were born, 
named as follows: Birdie, Eliza, Minnie, Fritz, 
Hattic, Ruth and Albert. 

Mr. -Sauerwein is of the Seventh Day .\d- 
ventist religion and has followed this faith close- 
ly, adhering strictly to the rules of the sect by 
observinsr the seventh dav of the week alwavs 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



as the Sabbath day. Politically, our subject is 
a Republican, taking an active part in local af- 
fairs since he located here, and has served his 
township as road overseer for two years. 



ELISHA C. RICE (Deceased). 

The gentleman above named was for many 
years one of the leading citizens of Keith coun- 
ty, and to his efforts were due much of the pros- 
perity enjoyed in that region. He was a man of 
strong character, and during his lifetime enjoyed 
the esteem and respect of all with whom he came 
in contact, and his memory is cherished by a 
host of warm friends throughout the country. 

Elisha C. Rice was born in Springfield, Mas- 
sachusetts, January 31, 1834, and grew up in 
that state, during his young manhood being en- 
gaged in newspaper work. He was business 
manager of the "Norwich Morning Bulletin" 
for fifteen years, and later established an evening 
paper at Norwich, of which he was editor and 
proprietor. On account of ill health he came to 
Nebraska in 1885, locating in Keith county, in 
company with his father-in-law, John C. Palmer, 
and they were partners in establishing what was 
called the "Lone Tree Ranch." situated on the 
North Platte river. On this tract they put fine 
improvements, and the old "Lone Tree Ranch" 
will be long remembered by old settlers in these 
parts as a place of large cattle operations. The 
buildings are all on section 26, township 14, range 
36, and the house on the place is today the largest 
ranch house in Keith county. The tract contains 
two thousand acres lying along the river, and 
is a valuable property. 

About the year 1890 Mr. Palmer established 
a bank at Paxton, which was one of the first 
banking institutions in the county. Both he and 
Mr. Rice were active in building up the com- 
mercial resources of the region, and thev were 
largely instrumental in getting the first church 
and Sunday-school established in the eastern part 
of the county. 

Mr. Rice was niarried April 22, 1874, at Nor- 
wich. Connecticut, to Mrs. Susan A. Mason, onlv 
daughter of John C. Palmer, above mentioned, 
who, in his younger life, was a wholesale provi- 
sion merchant at Norwich. His wife was ]\Iiss 
Louise Brown, and all are natives of Newport, 
Rhode Island. Mr. Rice had been previously 
married and had three children, namely: Elmer 
P. Mason. Kittie L. Mason, now married and liv- 
ing at Springfield, Massachusetts, and Julia Mav, 
now deceased. To our subject and his good wife 
were born two children : Leon C. Rice, presi- 
dent and manager of the Ogallala and Kevstone 



telephone line, and Grace M., now married to 
George P. Boardman, a merchant of Paxton. Mr. 
Rice departed this life January 17, 1896, and 
Mr. Palmer died on December 30, of the same 
year, leaving the entire management of the ranch 
and other large interests to Mrs. Rice, who at 
once saw that she could not handle the extensive 
herds successfully, so she had a sale and disposed 
of the greater part of them. She afterwards im- 
ported some pure blood Shorthorn cattle, and 
was one of the first ranchowners in this part of 
the state to begin the raising of registered stock 
for the market. By this move, in reducing the 
size of her herd by one-half and improving the 
quality of her stock, she has made a decided suc- 
cess, and in the present year, 1908, she has begun 
to dispose of the entire herd and intends retiring 
from the active management of so large a busi- 
ness. The same year the ranch was divided into 
farms and sold, leaving Mrs. Rice free to spend 
the winters in the south and summers in the east 
with her children. 

Mr. Rice was a Republican in politics and a 
strong advocate of prohibition. He was a life- 
long member of the Baptist church, and while in 
the east affiliated with the Masonic order, as did 
Mr. Palmer. 



L. SCHMITT. 



The gentleman above named, residing in Gor- 
don, Nebraska, has won for himself a good 
standing, where he is highly respected for his 
many excellent qualities and manlv worth. 

Mr. Schmitt was born in Germany in 1852, 
in the village of Poppenrod. His parents were 
farmers and never left the fatherland. Our sub- 
ject was raised there until he was nineteen years 
of age, then came to America, and located in In- 
diana where he remained for a short time, then 
went on to Chicago where he obtained employ- 
ment as a bricklayer, having learned tliis trade 
during his young days in Germany. He left Illi- 
nois in 1877 and wandered to South Dakota, 
settling west of the city of Yankton, there tak- 
ing up a homestead and began to build up a 
home. He first put up a frame shantv and lived 
in this for some time, breaking up his land and 
doing teaming for a living, and, in fact, anything 
that he could get to do. After remaining there 
for eight years he struck out for Nebraska and 
landed in Sheridan county in 1885, driving here 
by team. He located in Gordon, and was one 
of the first men to enter into business in that 
town, opening up a mercantile establishment. He 
began on a verv small scale, in a store twenty bv 
twenty-six feet, and he has gradually increased 
his trade so that he now occupies a building 



38o 



CU.MPENDlUAi OF HISTORY, RHAilNlSCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



twenty-five by one hundred feet, carrying a large 
general stock of merchandise. He has a wide 
patronage from the farmers all through the 
county, and is one of the prosperous and suc- 
cessful business men of the place. In addition 
to conducting this enterprise he is interested in 
the land business, and owns thirty-two quarter 
sections in Sheridan and Cherry counties, and is 
engaged in farming to quite an extent. 

Mr. Schmitt was married in 1880 to Miss 
Elizabeth Kirsch, born in Wisconsin. They 
have a family of eight children, named as follows : 
Carrie, Rose, Anna, Mamie, John, Helena, 
George and Raymond. The family have a pleas- 
ant and comfortable home in Gordon, and are 
well and favorably known. 

Mr. Schmitt takes an active part in all local 
ailfairs, and has been a member of the town board 
for years, and is at present serving on the school 
board. He is numbered among the old settlers 
of this region, and his name will occupy a prom- 
inent place in the early history of Nebraska. 



JOHN L. SMITH. 

Among the prominent old-timers of western 
Nebraska who have done their full share in the 
building up of the region in which they chose 
their home in the early days, the gentleman above 
mentioned is recognized as a leading spirit. Mr. 
Smith has a nice farm in section i2, township 35, 
range 24, of Keya Paha county, where he is pre- 
pared to enjoy the fruits of his many years of 
labor, surrounded by his family and a host of 
good friends. 

Mr. Smith was born in Saginaw county, 
Michigan, February 14, 1865. His father, John 
L., Sr., was a farmer : the mother was Ermina 
Rhodes in youth. The father died in 1864, and 
shortly afterwards the latter married Ezra J. 
Smith, born in Pjuffalo. New York, who settled 
in eastern Nebraska in 1875. Our subject was 
reared in the eastern part of Nebraska on a farm, 
where he became inured to hard work during 
his boyhood years, remaining at home and com- 
ing witli his parents to Keya Paha county in 
1889. Here he took up and improved a home- 
stead, whicli is his ])rcsent home. Here he has 
built up a good farm, consisting of one hundred 
and sixty acres of deeded land, with one hun- 
dred and fifteen acres held under lease. He 
went through the dry years when for several 
seasons he was unable to raise a crop, and during 
that time was compelled to work out to make a 
living for himself. When he first took this place 
he had two cows a'; a start in the cattle business, 
which he had increased to seventv head at the 



time he disposed of them to discontinue cattle 
raising. His dwelling is a commodious grout 
house, with substantial out-buildings, good well 
and windmill. A fine view of them is to be 
found in this work. 

Mr. Smith is a strong Republican, and has 
held the oftice of assessor of his district for the 
past three terms. 



JOHN N. FERGUSON. 

John N. Ferguson, one of the representative 
citizens of Brown county, Nebraska, was born in 
Richland county, Ohio, April 18, 1838. His 
father was a farmer of Scotch descent, and his 
mother, who was ^Margaret Snook, was of Amer- 
ican blood, German descent. In a family of six 
children he was the second member, and when he 
was three xears old the family came to Jefferson 
county, Iowa, where they were among the pio; 
neers of that state. Our subject was reared on 
the frontier, where he became accustomed to all 
kinds of hard farm work, receiving but scant 
schooling in his boyhood days. At the age of 
twenty he went to Des Moines, where he attended 
school for a time. In 1861 he enlisted in Com- 
pany D, Second Iowa Infantry, and saw service 
in Missouri during the first year of the war. He 
was at the battle of Belmont, and with Grant's 
army during the winter of 1862 and 1863, guard- 
ing prisoners at St. Louis. He also participated 
in the charge on Fort Donelson. at the battle of 
Shiloh, the advance on Corinth and later the 
Ijattle there. He also took part in the .Atlanta 
campaign, then through Savannah and to 
Washington in the grand review, and was mus- 
tered out in 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. He 
served in the army for four years and three 
months, taking ]3art in thirty-one battles, and in 
all that time received only one slight wound. 

After the war closed he went into Montana 
and spent one year in the mining regions, then 
to Iowa, where he bought a farm in Taylor 
county and farmed for six years. In 1880 he 
came to Neliraska, bringing his family with 
liim in a team and covered wagon, settling at 
Blue Springs, in Gage county, where he opened 
an office and was engaged in the real estate busi- 
ness for four years. In the spring of 1884 he 
purchased his present farm in section S. town- 
ship 31. range 24. moving liis family here in 
the same way thev had come into tlie state, by 
team and wagon, driving through during a season 
of heavy rain storms, much of tlie time com- 
pelled to camp out during the night. His was 
the first white family who came to Porter X'^alley, 
and fnr three or four years they occupied a rude 




Ki-'.siDi-.xci-; (ii jDiix X. i-i:K(,rsi)N, 

Brown County, Nebraska. 



a«Bi. 







^^'^^'^^^SSHSiUSB^- 



RESIDENCE OF JOHN L. SMITH, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



381 



sod shanty, at the end of which time they erected 
a log house. The dry years came on, but he 
managed to raise fairly good crops and got along 
pretty well, later engaging largely in stock rais- 
ing. He has accumulated a splendid property, 
his ranch containing two thousand eight hundred 
and forty acres, which includes homesteads of 
his sons, Frank and Charles, and a section of 
leased school land. He has summer pasture for 
one thousand head of stock, and farms some of 
his land. He has erected a good set of farm 
buildings and has altogether one of the most val- 
uable estates in Brown county. When he first 
came here Wood Lake had only one small store, 
and the town of Johnstown boasted of just -a 
section house. He helped to build a house and 
organize the first school, and was for many years 
director, also treasurer for two or three terms. 

Mr. Ferguson was married in Iowa, Septem- 
ber 3, 1868. to Miss Alice Slatten, who died in 
October, 1879, leaving one child, Guy, now liv- 
ing in Kansas City, Missouri. Our subject mar- 
ried again, May 2, 1880, Miss Ida C. McCasky, 
daughter of Reuben ^NlcCasky, of Scotch descent, 
born in Pennsylvania, and an early settler in 
Ohio and Iowa. Five children were born of this 
union, namely : Francis V.. Charles ]M.. Nellie, 
Fred and Winnifred (deceased). Mr. Ferguson 
adheres to the Republican party and affiliates 
with the Masonic lodge at Wood Lake. 

A fine view of his home appears elsewhere in 
this work. 



ROBERT D. TAYLOR. 

Probably no citizen of Franklin township, 
■Franklin county, has shown a more active public 
spirit, or done more for the upbuilding of the 
better interests of his commimity, than the gen- 
tleman whose name heads this review. Mr. Tay- 
lor has resided in Franklin county for the past 
thirty years, where he has formed a wide ac- 
quaintance and is held in the highest esteem 
as a progressive agriculturist and worthv citizen. 
He is a man of unquestionable character, and 
well merits his success and enviable reputation. 

Mr. Taylor is a native of Scotland, born in 
May, 1847. He grew up there, and during his 
young manhood was a conductor on the Cale- 
donian railway there. 

In 1878 he came to America, coming direct to 
Nebraska, after landing in New York, and 
bought his home place from the railroad com- 
pany, paying five dollars and fifty cents per 
acre for the land. The same land he now values 
at seventy-five and eighty dollars per acre, which 
is a pretty good gain. He owns two hundred 
and thirty-six acres in the home farm. 



On his place he has a herd of thoroughbred 
Shorthorn cattle, and some pure-bred Poland 
China hogs, raising from one hundred to three 
hundred hogs each year. He used to keep about 
one hundred and seventy-five head of cattle dur- 
ing the earlier years here, but later marketed but 
one carload a year. At the present time he has 
sold all stock. He has done exceedingly well 
here, and is well satisfied with what he has 
accomplished. 

In 1904, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage 
to Mrs. Jane Simpson, also a native of Scotland, 
daughter of Alexander Murray, now of Rhode 
Island, L'nited States of America. Mr. Taylor 
has three nephews with him, namely : William, 
David and Robert. Mr. Taylor is one of the 
pioneers in Nebraska. When he came to Nebras- 
ka, antelope, deer and all kinds of wild game 
was plentiful. 

Our subject was county supervisor for three 
terms, elected the first time in 1893, and for a 
second term in 1901, and again in 1903, serving 
six years altogether. Mr. Taylor and his wife 
visited Scotland in 1906. They are held in the 
highest esteem by the people of their locality, 
and enjoy a pleasant home and many friends. 



FRED. A. MACOMBER. 

Fred. A. Macomber, prominent among the 
progressive farmers of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
is a young man of sterling character and strict 
integrity. He is energetic and industrious and 
has gained a valuable estate and has a pleasant 
home in section 27. township 32, range 52, and 
is highly esteemed by his associates and well 
merits his success and enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen. 

Mr. Macomber was born in Bennington 
county, \'ermont, in 1860. His father was a me- 
chanic, of Vermont. When our subject was a 
small boy the family moved to New York, where 
he grew up, and at the age of twenty-one came 
west to Iowa, where he spent two years, then 
came on to Nebraska, locating in Brown county, 
but only lived there one year. In 1883 he ar- 
rived in Dawes county, driving from Valentine 
by team, with three other men who wished to lo- 
cate in the section. Here he "batched it" for 
several years, living in a log house and during 
the first few years went through many hard times 
and much privation. He was severely afifected by 
the drouth periods, when he could not raise a 
crop, but kept on building up his farm and home 
as best he could, and finally succeeded in getting 
together a little property. He gradually added 
to his acreage, and now owns a ranch of one 



382 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



thousand acres, five hundred of which can be 
irrigated, and is counted among the prosperous 
and successful farmers of the county. The ranch 
is finely located and well supplied with good 
water and natural timber, and is a valuable prop- 
erty. 

In 1889 Mr. Macomber was married at Con- 
way, Iowa, to Miss Emma Rowland, who was 
born in Illinois. Mrs. Macomber died in 1901, 
leaving a family of two children. Arunah and 
Prudence. 

Mr. Macomber is a Democrat in political 
views. 



JAMES G. JOHNSTON. 

James G. Johnston, who for the past many 
years has been successfully pursuing agriculture 
in Phelps county, Nebraska, is a gentleman of 
energetic spirit and capable mind. Mr. Johnston 
has a pleasant home in Prairie township, and 
there is enjoying the fruits of a well-spent career. 

Mr. Johnston is of Scotch-Irish descent, born 
in Pike county, Illinois. The familv came from 
Fermanaugh county, Ireland, in the early days. 
His father, Ezekiel Johnston, owned a good tarm 
in Logan county, Illinois, on which he was 
reared, and as he is thoroughly familiar with 
farming conditions in that state, is capable of 
good judgment in comparing the two sections, 
preferring Phelps county as an agricultural and 
stock raising proposition. A young man can not 
get land in Illinois as they can here, and those 
who were tenants and remained there are ten- 
ants still, whereas tenants from there who set- 
tled in Nebraska now own fine farms. When 
he first came here, in 1887, he paid two thousand 
dollars for a quarter section, and the same land 
is now worth five or six times that amount. He 
l)rought with him good stock and has bred and 
handled Clydesdales and Shires ever since, also 
gone in for thoroughbred Poland China hogs 
and Shorthorn cattle. His farm comprises two 
hundred and eighty acres in section 26. The 
land is all im])roved. and he has a nice residence, 
barns, orchard and altogether owns one of the 
show places of the county. His thoroughbred 
horses have been famous. Jubilee Roberts taking 
first prize at the Nebraska State fair. He also 
C)wns lams Roberts, who took second premium at 
the Harvest Jubilee held at Holdrcge in 1903, 
and is the sire of two first prize winners at the 
same show. He is also sire of a two-year-old 
filly which beat a registered filly that sold for 
three hundrerl and forty dollars. His hogs are 
equally well-known, and he has some out of Old 
Expansion, and a number of fifty dollar pigs, 
keeping altogether about one hundred and fifty 



hogs all the time. He keeps from five to eight 
brood mares all the time and breeds for the 
market, making more monev from the colts than 
from the horses. 

Mr. Johnston is a director in the Farmers 
Elevator Company, and was the only organizer 
and a director until recently of the Phelps County 
Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is an Inde- 
pendent in politics and has never sought public 
preferment. To show the advantage to the farm- 
ers of the organization of the Elevator Coinpany, 
before this elevator was built, all they received 
for their product was thirty-six cents per bushel 
for wheat, and after the elevator was in opera- 
tion the price jumped to fifty cents. 

In 1884 Mr. Johnston was married to Miss 
-Sarah E. Keys, a native of Pike county, Illinois. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Johnston the following children 
have been born : Elmer. Silas James. Ernest Paul, 
Ethel Dell. Susan Jane and Bertha Mav. 



C. K. LA\\-RENCE. 

C. K. Lawrence is a bright and pushing >oung 
business man of Potter. Cheyenne county, where 
he is engaged in the lumber and hardware trade, 
and is bidding very successfully for his share of 
the public patronage. The firm is known as 
The Potter Lumber Company, and was estab- 
lished in 1907. For a number of years Mr. 
Lawrence was a well-known educator, and was 
engaged in teaching in this vicinity. 

Our subject was born in Racine. Wisconsin. 
June 9, 1872, and during his boyhood lived in 
that city and Milwaukee with his parents, and 
received his early education there. The family 
located in eastern Nebraska in 1880, spending 
some time in Seward county, also made Lincoln 
their home for about twelve years, where he at- 
tended school most of the time. They next came 
to Cheyenne county, landing here about 1892, 
and bought a large tract of ranch land and en- 
gaged in the stock business, following the work 
for a number of years, but Mr. Lawrence finally 
sold out his interest to a brother, although he 
still owns about fifty head of horses which he 
runs on the ranch. He is a progressive and up- 
to-date business man. and is making a success in 
his line of work. 

On June 9. 1904, Mr. Lawrence married 
Juanita Maud Rose, in Bayard, this county. The 
event was the occasion of a double wcdrling. a 
sister of Mr. Lawrence being inar:ied at the 
same time to Mr. Ben W'agner, of Redington. 
Mr. Lawrence's wife is a native of Shelby, Iowa, 
and both brides are charming and accomplished 
young women. The jiarents of Mrs. Lawrence 




RESIDEXCE AXD FAMILY GROUP— A. H. SMITH, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



383 



are now living at Miller. Nebraska. Our sub- 
ject's father resides in Fremont, Nebraska. 

Mr. Lawrence is active in local affairs, and 
is fast becoming one of the leading men of his 
town, and enjoys the esteem and confidence of 
all who know him. • 



FRED. H. ROBINSON. 

Fred. H. Robinson through his long 
residence in Cherry county. Nebraska, and his 
wide experience in farming has become thor- 
oughly versed in the growth and development of 
that region. He is one of the leading citizens 
in his community, and has acquired valuable 
possessions by his industry and good manage- 
ment, supplemented by honesty and integrity. 

Mr. Robinson was born in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, in 1864, and raised there. His father. Rev- 
erend Hugh G. Robinson, was connected with 
the English Endowment School Commission of 
England and Wajes, and served on this commis- 
sion for nearly twenty years. Later he was on 
the commission looking toward the higher edu- 
cation of Wales, and while in this position was 
associated with some of the best known and 
most prominent men of Europe. His mother, 
who was Miss Emma Chamblers, is a secorid 
cousin of Mrs. Wm. E. Gladstone. She is still 
living, and at the advanced age of eighty years 
is hale and hearty, and spends a large part of her 
time in climbing the mountains in Wales, where 
she resides. They had a family of nine children, 
all but one of whom are now living. 

At eighteen years of age our subject left his 
parents' home and came to America, locating with 
Hughes' English Colony in Tennessee, remaining 
there for two years. In 1881 he went to Den- 
ver and was employed on different ranches there 
for three years, then came to Nebraska, and lo- 
cated northeast of Chadron. engaging at first in 
ranching, and later in farming to some extent. 
When the drv years came he lost what he had 
worked so hard to gain, and in 1891 gave up try- 
ing to farm and moved to Cherry county, taking 
a homestead near his present place, and engaged 
in the cattle business. Since coming here he 
has been very successful, and is now the proprie- 
tor of a ranch comprising fifteen thousand acres, 
two thousand of which is good hay land. He has 
about eight hundred head of cattle and sixty 
horses. When he first came to Nebraska he went 
through some hard times, living in a sod house 
where he "batched" it for several years. He was 
obliged to go one hundred and fifty- miles for 
his supplies during those times, and although he 
does not regret the time and ha"d labor spent in 



the building up of his home, he would not care 
to go through the same experiences again. His 
ranch has all the improvements of a model farm, 
and he has a fine grove of trees which he planted, 
plenty of water, and everything that goes to 
make up a comfortable rural home. 

Mr. Robinson was married in 1896 to Bessie 
Taylor, born in Alabama in 1874. and raised in 
California. Her father. Captain M. F. Taylor, of 
good old American stock, was on General Robert 
E. Lee's staff' during the civil war. and is now 
manager of W. R. Hearst's estate in California. 
Her mother was a daughter of Colonel Thornton. 
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have two children, 
namely : Butler B., and Frederick Hampden, 
both born and raised in this locality. Mr. Rob- 
inson is a Democrat, always voting for the best 
man on the ticket. 



ANTHONY H. SMITH. . 

Among the early settlers in the western part 
of Nebraska who came here when the place was 
still practically a wilderness and out of its wild 
state has succeeded in building up a good home 
and valuable possessions, is the gentleman above 
named. Islr. Smith has spent many years of his 
life in this region, and has now reached an inde- 
pendent position after his hard struggles and 
endeavors to acquire a competence by industry 
and strict integrity, and is recognized as one of 
the leading old timers and worthy citizens of his 
locality. 

JMr. Smith was born in Jackson covmty, Ten- 
nessee, in 1838. His father, Calvin M. Smith, 
was of American stock, who followed farming 
all his life, and he married Miss Susan Penning- 
ton, also of .American blood. Our subject grew 
up in his native state until he was thirteen years 
of age. then, with his father, came to Iowa in 
1851. where they were among the pioneers, lead- 
ing frontiersmen's lives and building up a farm 
there. In 1870 Mr. Smith came to York county, 
Nebraska, and again went through pioneer ex- 
periences, remaining there for seven years, when 
he moved to Furnas county and took up a pre- 
emption and lived on it up to 1894, building up 
a good home and farm, and was most success- 
ful in his operations in that county. In the latter 
years he sold out his holdings in Furnas county, 
Nebraska, and came to Sheridan countv, same 
state, settling in the Sand Hills forty miles ea.st 
of Alliance, and started in the stock business, 
ranching it for six years. In 1900 he came to 
Dawes county and purchased his present farm, 
located in section 10. township 31. range .^0. this 
being a partly improved place. He now has a 



384 



CU.MPEXDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRArHY 



ranch of one thousand four hundred acres, one 
hundred of which are luider cultivation, and he 
is engaged in the ranching and stock business. 
He has some fine horses and a large herd of cat- 
tle. The place is admirably adapted to his busi- 
ness, as Indian Creek runs through the ranch, 
furnishing plenty of living water the year around 
for his stock. 

Mr. Smith was married in Iowa, December 
15, 1859, to Miss Missinda Criddlebaugh, who 
is a native of North Carolina, daughter of Will- 
iam Criddlebaugh, a farmer and shoemaker by 
trade. ^Ir. and 'Sirs. Smith have two children, 
Chelesta, born in 1860. and Celia, born in 1875. 
On another page we present a picture of the res- 
idence and family group. 



CHAS. H. NEWMAN. 

Among those who have contributed to the 
prosperity of Sioux county, Nebraska, in no 
small degree, and whose pushing energy and 
well-directed industry have brought individual 
competence, mav be mentioned the name of 
Charles H. Newman, whose valuable estate in 
section 12, township 30, range 56, evidences his 
success. 

Mr. Newman is a native of Ontario, born on 
April 21. 1866. His parents were of English 
blood, born in Canada, the father a wagon-maker 
by trade. The family left Canada and came to 
the United States, settling in Greenville, Michi- 
gan, in 1871, and our subject grew up there until 
he was about ten years of age. At the age of 
ten years he left home and began working on a 
farm, and from that early age has made his own 
way in the worlil. The whole family moved to 
South Dakota in 1881, locating in Bon-Homme 
county, where they were among the pioneer set- 
tlers, and five years were Spent in that vicinity. 
In 1886 our subject came to Chadron, Nebraska, 
walking through the country to Sioux county, 
and upon arriving here had just seven dollars in 
money in his pocket. He immediately went to 
work on a ranch as a cowboy and followed that 
work for several years, going through many 
hardships and privations, when for months at a 
time he slept on the ground through all kinds of 
rough weather. During a part of this time he 
worked at freighting, and managed to make a 
living and lay by a little money. He traveled on 
horseback ail over the western part of Nebraska 
and into \\'yoming, and for a time drove stage 
into Lander, Wyoming, from Casper, and trans- 
ferred to the Rawlings line, and was in that vi- 
cinity of the country at the time of the Indian 
outbreak. In the vear 1896 Mr. Newman filed 



on a cl.iim in the Sand Hills, situated thirty miles 
from Harrison, and there put up a rude shack 
and other rough buildings, and started in the live 
stock business. About eight years were spent on 
this ranch, and he then sold the place for eleven 
thousand five hundred dollars, left the country 
and opened a hardware store in Harrison, hand- 
ling in addition to his hardware stock farming 
implements, and succeeded in building up a good 
trade, conducting the business for about two 
years. He sold out his interests in the busi- 
ness in 1904. and purchased the ranch on which 
he now resides, located in section 12, township 
30, range 56. This place contains one thousand 
one hundred and twenty acres, all fenced, having 
in all about fourteen miles of good fencing. 
There are good buildings and improvements on 
the ranch, and he is extensively engaged in the 
stock and grain raising business, cultivating 
about one hundred acres, and running one hun- 
dred head of cattle, and other stock. 

Mr. Newman was married September 14, 
1898, to Miss Catherine Christensen, who was 
born and raised in South Dakota, whose parents 
were natives of Denmark, the father. Claus. com- 
ing to this country when a young man and set- 
tling in Sioux county, Nebraska, where he is 
well and favorably known as a worthy citizen 
and prosperous farmer, a sketch of his life ap- 
pearing elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs, 
Newman have a family of four children, named 
as follows : Arthur, Lottie, Harry and William. 
Mr. Newman is one of the oldest settlers in 
the county, and has always taken an active part 
in local affairs tending to the betterment of con- 
ditions in his locality. In jjolitical views he is a 
Democrat. 



CHARLES A. SKOOG. 

Charles A. Skoog, residing on the east one- 
half of section 15. Prairie township, is the owner 
of nine hundred and sixty acres of fine land, six 
hundred and forty acres of this being in one block 
and the balance near by. Mr. Skoog has 
abiding faith in this country and his sterling 
(lualities in a business and social way coupled 
with great thrift and industry, have made 
him a prosperous citizen. He came here 
at the age of eighteen, in 1876, with his 
father, Charles P. Skoog. and on coming 
of age, in 1878. homesteaded the quarter 
section of land on which his fine residence now 
stands, surrounded by a fine orchard and grove. 
He also took the adjoining quarter section as a 
tree claim, beginning with no capital, and there 
were some years of disappointment, hardships 
and struggles, which is the penalty paid in all 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



385 



new settlements for the privilege of occupying 
the virgin soil. Mr. Skoog states that they did 
not know the country nor how to crop and till 
the soil until they had been here some time and 
learned by bitter trials and experience. Every 
one went in for small grains, with spring wheat 
as the leader, while mixed farming would have 
produced better results, as they now know. 

During the first years our subject met with 
heavy losses, in 1880 one entire crop being de- 
stroyed, and another in 1894, but the last four 
years have been exceptionally good and he has 
been most successful. When the railway was 
being built in here in 1884, a number of Mr. 
Skoog's relatives and friends were tempted by 
the one thousand six hundred dollars and one 
thousand eight hundred dollar prices offered for 
their land, and sold out and moved to other parts, 
and the result proves his wisdom in remaining 
and refusing all offers. He has never offered 
an acre of his land for sale, but, as he prospered 
has bought more at prices constantly increasing, 
showing his judgment in keeping what he had. 
He purchased a half section in 1898 and since 
that time another quarter and an eighty. This 
year — 1906 — has been one of the best for years, 
and his yield was twenty-five to forty bushels 
per acre, of A-1 quality, although there was no 
rain from April until after harvest, which shows 
how the soil here stands a prolonged dry spell. 
Again, in a very wet season crops are very good 
and do not drown out as in some sections of the 
country. 

Mr. Skoog devotes a great deal of his atten- 
tion to stock raising, always keeping a good 
grade of cattle, and he now has a few head. His 
imported Belgian horse, Sacratiff, cost three 
thousand dollars. Last year he searched the en- 
tire country for two imported fillies, and selected 
them from a number of others, paying one thous- 
and dollars for them. As yearlings they weighed 
one thousand four hundred and eighty and one 
thousand five hundred and ten pounds, and are 
both splendid animals. He now has twenty work 
liorses on his farm, and a number of fine colts 
He keeps about one hundred and fifty pure-bred 
Poland-China hogs. 

For several years Mr. Skoog has owned one 
of the best threshing outfits and corn shellers. 
operating them each season with great success, 
contrary to the old adage, "Run a threshing ma- 
chine until all your money is in." On this ac- 
count he keeps a good share of his land in pas- 
ture and does not farm on so large a scale. He 
was one of the organizers of and has been presi- 
dent for twelve years, of the Phelps County Mu- 
tual Insurance Company, fire and lightning risks. 
He is also a shareholder and director in the 
Farmers Elevator Company, and of the Ander- 



son Grain Company, both successful and strong 
companies. The former has its elevators all paid 
for and the investors have their money back, and 
it has been the means of keeping up the price ot 
grain in local markets and a great boon to the 
farmers of the county. 

Mr. Skoog was born near Johnshipping, in 
Smoeland, Sweden, in 1856, and came to this 
country at the age of ten years. In 1882 he mar- 
ried Miss Sophia Bergstrom, a native of 
Sweden, and they have a family of eight chil- 
dren, named as follows: David, Melvin, Alvin, 
Alfreda, Esther, Carl. Leone and Iva. 

Mr. Skoog takes a commendable interest in 
all local and public affairs, is an independent in 
politics, and was one of the first to join the re- 
form movement and very active in that party, but 
did not care to hold office. For the past twenty 
years he has acted as school director in his dis- 
trict, and is a member of the Swedish Mission 
Church. 



EDWARD RILEY. 

For the past quarter of a century the gentle- 
man whose name heads this personal history has 
been a resident of Keya Paha county, and has 
aided materially in the development and growth 
of the agricultural section of the county. He is 
among the oldest settlers in western Nebraska, 
and is familiar with all the early history of these 
parts. 

Mr. Riley was born in County Cavin, Ire- 
land, March 16, 1832. He was reared on a farm, 
and learned to do all kinds of hard work there, 
which experience stood him in good stead dur- 
ing his later years. He came to America at the 
age of eighteen years, sailing from Liverpool on 
the "Siddons," a sailing vessel and after four 
weeks landed in New York City in 1850. He 
went direct to A^ermont to join a brother and sis- 
ter who has preceded him and there he obtained 
employment in the marble works, remaining for 
four years : he then came west and settled in 
Grant county, Wisconsin. He spent eight years 
there working in the lead mines during the win- 
ter, and in the summer season worked on farms. 
From there he went to Minnesota, locating at 
Stillwater, and rafted there for two years in the 
lumber woods. After this he went into the 
lumber region of Arkansas and remained a 
winter, then returned to Wisconsin walking from 
St. Louis to Dubuque having exhausted his funds. 
After working in the lead mines for some time, 
he moved to Iowa Falls, in Hardin county, Iowa, 
and worked in that town four years, then went to 
Des Moines, where he was employed in the coal 
mines an equal period, and in the brick yards for 



386 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ihree vears. His next move was to near Council 
Bluffs, Iowa, where he opened a farm and oper- 
ated it for seven years. Then he first came to 
Keva Paha county, landing here in 1883, driving 
through the country with a team and wagon, 
camping out at night along the way. His wife 
came as far as Long Pine by train, and when she 
arrived there could find no hotel accommodations. 
Their first experiences in this section were very 
hard, as they were obliged to haul all supplies 
from Stuart, a distance of thirty miles. He lo- 
cated on section 21, township 32. range 19. build- 
ing a log cabin in which he and his family lived 
for a year and a half. His first crop on this land 
was utterly ruined by hailstorms, and the follow- 
ing year met the same discouragement, then came 
the dry years, and for two years was unable to 
raise anything. However, he stuck to it, and 
kept on cultivating his land, and adding improve- 
ments gradually, until he now owns a farm of 
three hundred and twenty acres, with about sev- 
enty-five acres under cultivation on which he 
raises fine crops, and. the balance is devoted to 
pasture and hay land. The whole place is fenced, 
and he is engaged largely in stock raising, run- 
ning from fort}'^ to fifty head of cattle. 

Mr. Riley was married in Des Moines in July, 
1867, to Miss IMatilda Powell, a native of Mis- 
souri, whose father was a farmer originally from 
Kentucky, and her mother of an old Virginia 
family, and who located in Iowa when she was 
twelve vears of age. Seven children were born 
to Mr. and Mrs. Riley, who are named as fol- 
lows: Mary, Edward H., Rose Ann (deceased), 
John P. (deceased), Elizabeth Julia, Thomas 
W., and Frank. During the past twenty-five 
years the whole family have never been off the 
farm but one night. Mr. Riley votes the Demo- 
cratic ticket, and is a member of the Catholic 
church. 



D. K. ATKINS, 

D. K. Atkins was a native of Iowa, his birth 
occurring in D^vis County, February 1, 1871. 
His father, P. L. Atkins, was a farmer by occu- 
pation but after years of residence in the Hawk- 
eye state, left and went with his family to Mis- 
souri in 1882, from thence in 1887. removing to 
Kimball county (then Cheyenne county). Ne- 
braska. The father, tiic mother and two sons 
composed the little family that here started the 
foundations of s<:)licl and advancing fortunes. 
They homesteaded the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion 30, township 16, range 53. and in the fall of 
1886 took a tree claim. After living on the old 
homestead for about twelve years they iiurchased 
and moved to a large ranch of nine linndrcd an<l 



sixty acres, being the northwest quarter of sec- 
tion 2, township 15, range 54, and all of the school 
section adjoining. The father died December 
12, 1907, and the widowed mother is now re- 
siding in the town of Kimball, Nebraska. Our 
subject lives at his original homestead on the 
southwest quarter of section 26, township 16, 
range 54, which he located in November, 1900, 
and he also owns all the balance of section 26, in 
which is his Kinkaid homestead. 

D. K. Atkins was united in marriage, on 
April 15, 1900, at Potter, Nebraska, to :\Iiss Min- 
nie Brothers, daughter of Ben E. Brothers, an 
old settler, of whom more extended mention ap- 
pears on another page. Three children have 
come to bless this union — Vernon D.. Florence 
L. and Glen D. The home of the Atkins is an 
important factor in the social life of the com- 
mvmity and Mr. Atkins is a prominent figure in 
all jjublic affairs, being now director of School 
District No. 12. He is well and favorably known 
as a successful man and ranch operator. Mr. 
Atkins is administrator of his father's estate and 
attends to the management of the old home 
ranch. On our subject's home farm the visitor 
sees good buildings and improvements of all 
kinds : his herd of cattle numbers about one hun- 
dred head and he also runs a small bunch of 
horses. In politics Mr. Atkins trains with the 
party of Jeft'erson and is faithful in his adher- 
ence to Democratic princijilcs. 



GUSTA\^ WENDLER. 

In listing the self-made men of Cherry 
county, who have become well-to-do agricultur- 
ists and ranchmen and have aided materially in 
the develoj^ment of the farming interests of this 
region, a prominent place is accorded the name 
of Gustav W'endler. For many years this gentle- 
man has followed this line of work in section 33. 
township 29, range 28, and has met with pro- 
nounced success and is now known as one of the 
substantial citizens and well merits his high 
standing. 

Mr. Wcmller was born in Saxony. Gcrniany. 
in 1860. and was reared on a farm. His father, 
Frededick Oswald W'endler. was a shoemaker 
and mason by trade, following that occupation 
during his lifetime, his death occurring when 
Gustav was thirteen years of age, and he has 
been on his own resources ever since. The 
mother, whose maiden name was Ernestine Geier. 
continued to live in their native province after 
her husband's death, and raised her little fam- 
ilv. our subject remaining in Germany until he 
was twent\-three vears of age, when he struck 




HENRY DEAXS. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



387 



out for the new world, landing in New York 
City, May 1, 1884. His first location was in 
Cedar county, Nebraska, spending six months in 
that vicinity, then went to Dickson county for 
three months, coming to Cherry county from 
there, settling thirty miles from Wood Lake. 
After filing on a homestead he was ten dollars 
in debt, but he worked hard and improved his 
place as his circumstances permitted, learning 
during these early days to master the English 
language. He met with hard luck at times, hav- 
ing all he could do to make a living, his dwelling 
for many years being a sod house, and he also 
used sod barns and other buildings. He broke 
up his first ground with a pair of bulls, and went 
through all the pioneer experiences witnessed by 
those who tried so hard to build up homes in the 
west. He gradually became more prosperous, 
starting in the stock business and in that way ac- 
cumulated money more rapidly, which he put in 
land constantly, and now owns nine hundred and 
sixty acres of deeded land, with four hundred 
and eighty acres of Kinkaid homestead, which he 
uses exclusively as a stock ranch, running a large 
herd of cattle and other stock. He has most of 
his ranch fenced, has all good buildings, a nice 
residence thirty by forty-eight feet, fitted with 
many modern conveniences, substantial and com- 
modious barns, etc., and a fine grove of trees sur- 
rounding his buildings. There are wells and 
windmills, which furnish a good supply of water 
for all purposes. 

There were five children in our subject's 
father's family, namely : Gustav, first in order of 
birth, then Herman. Henry, Ida and Max, the 
latter coming to America with his family in 1908, 
and now resides with his brother Gustav. 

Mr. Wendler is a man of sterling qualities 
of heart and mind, and a good neighbor, bearing 
an excellent reputation as a friend and citizen. 



HENRY DEANS. 

Henry Deans, a well-to-do farmer and stock- 
raiser of Dawes county, presents in his own ca- 
reer a striking illustration of the field of oppor- 
tunitv this western country offers the ambitious 
children of the old world, as well as the rich re- 
sults that have long waited on industrv and in- 
tegrity. A portrait of him appears on another 
page. He was born in Roxburgshire, Scotland, 
in 1849. His father. Peter Deans, was a game 
keeper. His mother, Agnes (Elliott) Deans, 
was a daugfhter of one of the Elliotts of Lidys- 
dall. 

When our subject was ten years of age the 
familv came to America, landing in Ouebec, Can- 



ada, and settling in the province of Ontario, 
about thirty miles from Godrich. Here he spent 
the early years of his life, where he assisted his 
father in clearing one hundred acres of land. 

In 1871, Mr. Deans decided to seek his own 
fortunes, and with this end in view came to Mich- 
igan, where he worked in the lumber woods for 
two years. He then became associated with the 
Wisconsin Central Railroad Company, assisting 
in the surveying. While working on the surveys 
of this road, our subject had many hard experi- 
ences. On a certain trip of over ninety miles, 
Indians had been hired to carry provisions, but 
soon after the start, however, the Indians de- 
serted, leaving the provisions in the snow. Mr. 
Deans and his companions took one day's supply, 
and, expecting to find a camp but a short dis- 
tance, made a start for that point. Upon their 
arrival, however, they w^ere disappointed, for the 
camp which they had expected to find was no 
longer there. Starvation stared them in the 
face from Tuesday until the following Monday, 
one' cup of tea being the limit of food or drink, 
and there being no other alternative they com- 
menced to walk the ninety miles through deep 
snow and brush, arriving at the starting pomt 
exhausted and nearly starved to death. After 
spending a winter in Wisconsin and Michigan, 
and stopping for some time in Hancock, Michi- 
gan, Mr. Deans went to Cheyenne, Wyoming. 
He traveled extensively throughout the west. 
He spent winters in Wyoming and Nevada, and 
then became associated with the Southern Pa- 
cific Railroad Company in California in the 
capacity of a foreman. He returned to Nevada, 
and after spending one summer on an alfalfa 
ranch, went into the. Black Hills, working in a 
saw mill. In 1875 he made a trip to Lead City, 
but remained in the Black Hills until 1877. He 
then went into the Big Horn Mountains, where 
he spent but a short time, and returning to Lead 
City worked in a mining camp until 1884. Dur- 
ing this period the Indians were very hostile in 
this section of the country. While on the trail 
to the Big Horn Mountains, just outside of the 
Black Hiils, our subject found many men who 
had been murdered by the Indians, six being 
killed in one day. 

After making a trip to the exposition in New 
Orleans, Mr. Deans returned north and settled 
in Dawes county, Nebraska, where he has a 
large ranch of si.x quarter sections of land. His 
residence is located in section 32, township 31, 
range 49. He cultivates one hundred and twenty 
acres. Mr. Deans engages extensivelv in stock- 
raising, having a herd of one hundred and forty 
cattle and twenty horses. 

In 1887. Mr. Deans and Miss Anna Luther 
were united in marriage. She was a daughter of 



rOMPEXDlUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a prominent physician of Iowa. Four children 
came to bless this happy union: Clara, Henry, 
\\'illiam, and one child deceased. 

In politics Mr. Deans adheres strongly to 
Populist principles. He is prominently identi- 
fied in matters of local interest, a popular and 
capable citizen, and a man of whom the people 
of the surrounding community are justifiably 
proud. Mr. Deans has had quite an experience 
in the gold mining business. For six years he 
was foreman or guard for the Homestake Min- 
ing Company for all the gold they retorted. This 
was a most responsible position and he was thor- 
oughly capable to fill the place. 



THEODORE SCHRACK. 

For over a quarter of a century the gentle- 
man whose name heads this review has been asso- 
ciated with the agricultural interests of Harlan 
county, X'ebraska, and as an old settler and 
worthy citizen he is prominently known. 

Mr. Schrack is a native of Clinton county- 
Pennsylvania. Later he settled at Freeport, Ste- 
phenson county, Illinois. He was raised and edu- 
cated in Illinois, and enlisted in Company B, 
Fourth Iowa Cavalry, served in the army of the 
Tennessee at Vicksburg all through the siege, 
and at Corinth prior to this siege. While at Col- 
lierville he was captured and taken to Anderson- 
ville prison, where he was incarcerated in that 
terrible place for four months and fourteen days, 
then paroled and taken to Jacksonville, Florida. 
He was exchanged and discharged at Clinton, 
Iowa, toward the close of the war. Our subject 
began farming in Blackhawk county. Iowa, after 
the close of the war, and in 1870 moved to Dallas 
county, Missouri. From there he went to Hick- 
ory county, and soon after struck Harlan county, 
Nebraska, where he took a homestead in Eldo- 
rado township, also a pre-emption, and began to 
build up a farm and home. He bought more 
land later until his ranch comprised four hundred 
and eighty acres, then sold this out and pur- 
chased one hundred and sixty acres near Alma, 
investing largely in property in that town, and is 
now owner of four houses and sixteen lots there. 
In the years 1873-74 and '7?> he experienced his 
hardest times going through grasshopper raids, 
and not Jiaving had much of a start, he became 
almost dislicartcned at his failures. In the year 
1876 he lost everything, stables, farming imple- 
ments, and his year's crop of grain by fire, and 
had to start all over again. However, he began 
again and by hard work and the utmost per- 
severance soon got on his feet and gained back 
his losses. He was alwavs of the oninion that 



where one loses is the place to find, and he 
worked on this principle with great success. The 
sod school house of his district was three miles 
distant from his home when he came to this town- 
ship. This he helped build. He was made road 
overseer and held this office from 1875 to 1886. 
He was also superintendent of Sabbath school for 
five years, and was on the county board for two 
years. He remained on his homestead for thirty- 
one years, engaged principally in stock raising, as 
this county is one of the best for this industry to 
be found in western Nebraska. He also engaged 
largely in raising alfalfa when this grass ^rs 
first introduced in this locality. He usually kept 
from one to two hundred head of hogs, and a 
large number of cattle, and found this branch of 
his work very profitable. In 1902 he moved 
into Alma, and had his first experience with 
windmills, as on his farm he had natural springs 
and hydraulic wells, with water all through his 
house and bams. 

Mr. Schrack was married in Stephenson 
county, Illinois, in 1861 to Miss Catherine Mey- 
ers, daughter of Conrad Meyers, a Dunkard min- 
ister, who came to Illinois from Pennsylvania. 
Mrs. Schrack shared all her husband's hard- 
ships in the pioneer days in the west, and for 
weeks stayed alone in their home while he was 
obliged to be away working in order to make a 
living for the family. She died in April. 1904, 
aged sixty-four years. They had three children, 
named as follows: John E., residing in .Alma; 
A. G. Schrack, of Caron, N. W. Canada, and 
Ervin D., now living on the homestead in El- 
dorado township, which he purchased from his 
father. In 1906 Mr. Schrack was married to 
Miss Rebecca McHoes, of Phelps county, Ne- 
braska, who came to this state in 1883 from Fay- 
ette county, Iowa. She is a native of North- 
ampton county. Pennsylvania. Mr. Schrack is 
now one of the prosperous citizens of this lo- 
cality, but he has passed through many discour- 
agements, in 1889 suffering heavy losses on his 
farm. .-\t one time fourteen of his best cows 
were killed through poison in the cornstalks, 
which was so prevalent that year, and also lost 
fifty hogs from cholera. All this tended to put 
him hack, and he deserves much credit for the 
stick-to-it-iveness he has exhibited through all 
his misfortunes. 

Mr. .Schrack is an honored member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge in 
Alma, also of the Grand .Army of the Repub- 
lic, and has held the office of commander of the 
local post several times. In politics he is a Re- 
publican, having cast his first vote for Abraham 
Lincoln, and takes a deep interest still in all local 
and state party affairs. Mr. Schrack had one 
brother. L. F. Schrack. who formcrlv lived 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



389 



in Harlan county, and had since removed to Ok- 
lahoma, where his death occurred. ^Ir. Schrack 
has two brothers in Iowa, David and Jonas 
Schrack. He also has one sister there, Rebecca 
Betts. 



JENS P. JENSEN. 

Jens P. Jensen is a gentleman of active public 
spirit and sterling character who has taken a 
leading part in the upbuilding of the region 
where he chose his home some twenty-three years 
ago. Mr. Jensen is a typical representative of 
the westerner who has gone through many hard- 
ships and privations in building up a home and 
fortune by overcoming difficulties which would 
seem insurmountable to many who come of a 
less sturdy and independent race of people. 

Mr. Jensen is a native of Denmark, born 
there in 1861, and reared on a farm. His father 
owned a good home and farm, and our subject 
grew up accustomed to doing all kinds of hard 
work. At the age of twenty-one years he de- 
cided to leave his native land and seek his fortune 
in the new world, accordingly set out on his 
journey, landing in New York City at Castle 
Garden in IMarch, 1882. He was the first of his 
family to leave his native country, and he prom- 
ised those he left behind to send for them if he 
found the new land all that it was pictured to be. 
After landing here he started west, locating in 
Douglass county. Nebraska, where he worked 
on different farms for two years, also spending 
one year in ^^'ashington county, where a sister 
and brother-lin-Iaw had settled a few months 
after he came to the United States. 

In 1890 his parents also came over, settling 
in Washington county. Nebraska, and along 
about this time our subject traveled through the 
western part of the state and came through Val- 
entine, looking for a place to locate. He was 
well pleased with the appearance of the countrv 
in Box Butte countv. and settled on section 3, 
township 26, range 50, in the fall of 1885, build- 
ing a cabin and started his farm. He owned a 
team of mules and besides breaking up his farm, 
worked at railroading on the Chicago & North- 
western line which was being extended through 
this region. He lived all alone and did his own 
cooking, "batching it" for a number of years. 
After just nicely getting started, the dry years 
overtook him, and he was unfortunate in losing 
several crops, in 180], suffering a severe set-back 
by the hard storms which swept that section, de- 
stroying his grain, and he became about discour- 
aged. He purchased a number of cows soon after 
coming here, and during the hard times these 
were almost his only means of support, and their 



products brought him through many tight places. 
He gradually worked into the cattle business, 
also raising horses, and kept on buying land un- 
til he owns about one thousand seven hundred 
and sixty acres, on which he has built seven and 
a half miles of fence, and the whole place is im- 
proved in fine shape. 

In 1887 Mr. Jensen decided to join the ranks 
of "benedicts" and was united in marriage to 
Miss Anna Lund, also a native of Denmark, our 
subject having made a trip to his boyhood home 
for his bride, returning with her to his new home 
in the summer of the year 1887. Mr. and Mrs. 
Jensen never had any children, but reared three 
adopted children, namely : Helga, Christine and 
Emma, all three sweet and beautiful girls and 
devoted to their adopted mother and father. 

Mr. Jensen has held different local offices, 
serving as assessor, and being elected county 
commissioner in the fall of 1906 on the Populist 
ticket. He is also a member of the school board, 
and has been sitting in this body for the past 
twelve years. 



ED^^'IN R. GOULD. 

Edwin R. Gould, engaged in farming in Ains- 
worth precinct. Brown county, Nebraska, is a 
gentleman of wide experience who has become 
well known throughout this region as a worthy 
citizen and representative agriculturist. 

]\Tr. Gould was born in Chautauqua countv. 
New York. February 22, 1836, of English de- 
scent. He is the ninth member of a familv of 
twelve children, and during his infancv his pa- 
rents moved to Boone county, Illinois, where he 
was reared, receiving a common school educa- 
tion, and afterwards attending an academv at 
Poultney. Vermont, where he prepared for a col- 
lege course, but circumstances were such that 
he was obliged to give up his college career. 
After leaving school he began teaching, and fol- 
lowed this intermittently for several vears. He 
had been admitted a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal conference, preaching in Fayette and 
and Benton counties, Iowa, for a time. During 
the last year of the war he enlisted in Company 
E. Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry, being mustered 
in at Marengo. Illinois, after honoralDlv serving 
his country as a soldier in the noblest war ever, 
fought : he was discharged at St. Louis, June 6, " 
1865, and again took up his work in Benton 
county, Iowa. He remained there for a short 
time, then came to Saline county, Nebraska, in 
1871, where he settled on a homestead and lived 
a pioneer's life for eleven years. In 1882 he came 
on to Ainsworth and located on his present 



390 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



homestead as a tree claim. He remained 
here for a short time only, then traveled 
north through Idaho and Oregon, where 
for seven years he spent his time preach- 
ing and exploring the country: finally drifting 
back to Brown county, Nebraska, he began to 
improve his farm and now has a very comfort- 
able and pleasant home of one hundred and 
twenty acres of excellent farming land, on which 
a thrifty young orchard and grove are growing. 

During his young manhood years Mr. Gould 
was one of the most clever and advanced men 
of his age, possessing an active and versatile 
mind which enabled him to successfully engage 
in almost any profession requiring more than or- 
dinary intelligence and quick perception, and it 
was a severe disappointment to him that he was 
compelled to forego the advantage of a college 
education. 

Mr. Gould was first married in Buchanan 
county. Iowa. April 2, 1866, to Miss Libbie Rob- 
inson, to whom two children were bom. The 
surviving one. James B.. is a resident of Brown 
countv. The second marriage of 'Sir. Gould was 
solemnized at Ainsworth, April 4, 1907, Mrs. 
Anna Mowery. of Michigan, assuming the duties 
of helpmeet at that time. Politically Mr. Gould 
is a Republican. 



SYLVENUS A\'ERY. 

Sylvenus Avery, residing in section 21. town- 
ship 21, range 45, Deuel county. Nebraska, on 
Pioneer Ranch, as a native of the Green Moun- 
tains, Massachusetts, born March 13th, 1837. 
His parents moved to Canada in the same year 
he was born and remained there until lie was 
seventeen years of age, then came to Michigan, 
locating in the northern part of that state. Air. 
and Mrs. Avery were both of American stock, 
and had a family of thirteen children, of whom 
Sylvenus was the fourth member. Since grow- 
ing up their children are scattered all over the 
country. Two were killed in tlie war of the Re- 
bellion in taking .Arlington Heights. Our sub- 
ject left home at the age of seventeen, and since 
that time has never returned to his father's home 
where he was raised, but some of the family 
have visited him here. He began working on 
railroads, being emploxed in the work of grad- 
ing, and continued at that business up to 1890. 
He first began on the railroad in Canada, and 
has always done his work by contract, never 
working for anyone else. He was following 
this occupation in the southern states when the 
Civil war broke out. In December, 1861. he went 
to Cuba where he worked on grades, and he has 



the record of having laid the first steel rail on 
the island of Cuba. While in that country he 
heard of the Union Pacific road starting out from 
Omaha, so he went to that place and held the 
first plow used in the building of that road. 
This was in 1865, and Nebraska was still un- 
settled at that time, and Omaha was merely a 
small village. He helped put this road through, 
and afterwards assisted in the building of every 
railroad in the state of Nebraska. He has rail- 
roaded all over the western part of this state, 
also in sections of Wyoming and Colorado, work- 
ing on the Chicago & North Western, when it 
was laid across Nebraska. In 1885 he went to 
Chadron and worked north of that place for a 
time, and was a resident of both Chadron and 
\'alentine when they first started as towns, and 
were without officers of any kind. When the 
Burlington & Missouri railroad was put 
across this state he went to Lincoln and 
helped build it clear through, and while on this 
road made up his mind to quit the railroading 
business for all time, so in the fall of 1887 he 
came to this locality hunting, also looking about 
for a location for a cattle ranch. He looked the 
country over thoroughly and on this trip camped 
out one night where his house now stands. The 
following spring he settled on his homestead in 
section 21, township 21. range 45, Deuel county, 
Nebraska, and has lived on this place ever since, 
occupying a sod house for some years, and this 
still stands where it was built. The first years he 
tried farming, but lost over four thousand dol- 
lars, and then came to the conclusion that farm- 
ing did not pay in this locality, so started in the 
cattle business on a small scale. He at once saw 
that he needed more land so he figured that the 
thing to do was to "get the land and the cattle 
will come," and followed this idea, which was 
correct. He had a hard time the first years, as 
the whole country was infested with cattle and 
horse thieves, but he was used to rough frontier 
life and knew something of how to handle them 
and did not have much trouble from this source. 

Mr. Avery is now proprietor of four thous- 
and acres of deeded land, all hay land, and he 
also purchased another ranch costmg thirty 
thousand dollars, and runs about two thousand 
head of cattle and two hundred- horses. He 
has as fine a bunch of stock as can be found in 
the hills, and is more than successful in handling 
his stock. His son Charles, who has been with 
him all his life, is now interested with him in the 
business, and when he gets done with the ranch 
Charles will get this property. They divide the 
work on the place, the father looking after the 
horses and the son after the cattle end of the 
business. 

Mr. .-Nverv's familv consists of his wife and 




MKS. JOHX i;\VBAXK. 




JOHN EWBANK. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



391 



three children, they having lost one son by death 
when six years of age. Those living are Charles, 
mentioned above, Ellen, now Mrs. Eldred, and 
Belle, wife of Richard Brennan. Mrs. Avery 
is a daughter of \\illiam Pierce, a native of New 
Jersey, of English descent, who, with her family 
came west in 1845, settling in Nebraska in 1857. 
Mr. Avery first met the lady who afterwards be- 
came his wife, while working on the Union Pa- 
cific railroad. 

Mr. Averv has one of the most valuable es- 
tates in this section of the country, and would 
not sell his holdings for two hundred thousand 
dollars. He is perfectly contented here and will 
probably spend the balance of his life in this 
locality. His postoffice is Orlando, located in his 
house about seven years ago, and his son Charles 
is the postmaster. His nearest trading point is 
Alliance, Box Butte county, Nebraska, thirty 
miles distant. His -shipping point is Lakeside, in 
Sheridan county, on the Burlington and Missouri 
railroad, twenty-five miles distant. Politically 
he is a Republican. He was raised a Democrat 
and always voted that ticket. He was a stanch 
Bryan man in 1896 and a great admirer of that 
gentleman for a time, but after meeting him he 
was sadly disappointed and since then has 
changed his political views. He does not take 
any active part in politics further than to aid his 
localitv in voting bonds for railroads. 



JAMES H. TEAFORD. 

Prominent among the old settlers and ranch- 
men of Blaine county, Nebraska, stands the name 
of James H. Teaford. He is accorded a high 
place because of his excellent business traits ac- 
quired in early life on the farm and in the em- 
ploy of one of the leading rjlilroad corporations 
of the country. No one is more public spirited 
than he, and his progressive attitude relative to 
matters of a local nature, bring him to the front 
in the afTairs of his community. 

James. H. Teaford was born on a farm near 
New Albany, Floyd county, Indiana, in 1849. 
His father, Jacob S., was a native of Virginia; 
his mother, Phoebe Hickman, before marriage, 
was horn in Indiana. 

When our subject was sixteen years old, the 
family moved to Illinois, settling in McDonough 
county, where he was reared to manhood, recen- 
ing a good common school education. He was 
reared on a farm and, as with most farmer boys, 
became inured to hard and systematic work. On 
attaining his majority he went to Hamburg. Iowa, 
and engaged at clerking. Entering the emplov 
of the Chicago, Burlington & Qumcy Railway 



Company he was made check clerk, holding the 
position for thirteen years, also performing some 
work as expressman and baggage man. 

At Hamburg, in 1873, our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss Laura Mapes, a daughter of Thoniias 
and ]\Iartha (Swinney) Mapes, who came from 
Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Teaford have four 
children, all grown to man and womanhood: Mrs. 
Gertrude Stewart, Ralph, ^Irs. ]\Iattie Stewart, 
of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Samuel. 

In the year 1888 Mr. Teaford came to Ne- 
braska, and located on a homestead in Blaine 
county, in the North Loup river valley, two 
miles from the town of Purdum. Here he lived 
for eight years, building a sod house and, com- 
mencing with nothing but wild prairie land, he 
worked out a fine farm and comfortable home. 
Then he proved up on his homestead and soon 
after came to his present location where he pur- 
chased a farm of considerable size. He has eight 
hundred acres in his ranch, has constructed com- 
fortable and commodious buildings and has made- 
many valuable and up-to-date improvements. Our 
subject's son has considerable land, and, be- 
tween them, they operate a large ranch of two 
thousand five hundred acres. This ranch with 
its excellent improvements, buildings, fences, 
groves and fine spring of water, is one of which 
its owner may be justly proud, and the visitor is' 
impressed with the tokens of thrift and good 
management that present themselves at every 
hand for Mr. Teaford has been a successful 
farmer in every sense of the word and has laid 
broad and deep the foundations of wealth and 
prosperity. He has done his part among the old 
settlers in developing the material growth of his 
community and has been deeply interested in 
all matters of a local natVire. He was county- 
commissioner for two terms and has proven a 
capable official in various other political posi- 
tions. 



JOHN EWBANK. 

John Ewbank, one of the well known and 
most highly esteemed citizens of Kimball county, 
Nebraska, has been a resident of that region for 
the past ten years. Prior to locating here he 
spent many years in western Nebraska, going 
through all the pioneer times in developing dif- 
ferent farms, and has been an important factor 
in the growth of the localities where he has lived. 
He now resides about one mile north of the vil- 
lage of Kimball. 

Mr. Ewbank was born in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, August 15th, 1856, and grew to manhood 
there. Both parents spent their entire lives in 
their native land, and are now deceased. When 



392 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



our subject was twenty-five years of age he 
struck out for the new world, and after landing 
in the United States settled in Wisconsin, re- 
maining one year, then went to Custer county, 
Nebraska. He lived in that section for about 
six years, homesteaded. and proved up on a tract 
of land, then went to Wyoming, locating on a 
ranch situated a short distance northeast of 
Cheyenne, and followed ranching there for five 
years, going to Colorado in 1892. There he es- 
tablished a ranch in Weld county, and prospered 
in a marked degree, now having large interests. 
owning a big herd of cattle and about twelve 
thousand sheep. ^Ir. Ewbank came to Kimball 
county in 1899, purchased two thousand four 
hundred acres of land north of Kimball, now 
known as the "Ewbank Ranch." He has put 
.■sixty acres under cultivation, has seventy acres 
cof good alfalfa, and raises small grains, fruit, 
•etc. He has erected a fine house and other build- 
ings, and has every improvement, his ranch be- 
ing one of the best equipped in Kimball 
county. 

Mr. Ewbank was married to Alice Ann Wilk- 
inson. May 4th. 1889, in Cheyenne. Wyoming. 
^Irs. Ewbank is a daughter of John \\'ilkinson, a 
well-known resident of Pine Blufif. Wyoming, his 
family coming from the same section in England 
as our subject. Nine children were born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Ewbank, seven of whom are living, 
named as follows : Mary Alice. Isabel Deborah. 
Margaret Elizabeth. John T.. Robert J.. Evalina 
Ada, and Helen Lenore. Mr. Ewbank is a mem- 
ber of the Kimball town school board, district 
No. 3. and takes an active interest in local affairs. 
He is a Republican. 

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Ewbank will be 
found elsewhere in this work. 



JOSHUA B. SONES. 

For over twenty-two years the gentleman 
here named has been closely identified with the 
farming interests of Cherry county, and during 
this time he has acquired a valuable estate by 
dint of his industry and honesty, and is classed 
among the substantial and highly esteemed cit- 
izens of the locality in which he resides. 

Mr. Sones was born in Sullivan county. Penn- 
sylvania, October 15. 1847. and was reared there. 
His father, Isaac Sones. served in a Pennsyl- 
vania regiment during the Civil war. and was a 
farmer by occupation. Of a family of twelve 
children born to his parents, our subject was 
the sixth member in order nf birth, .At the age 
of fifteen years he began working out, his first 
employment being the hauling of iron ore. In 



1874 he came west to Warren county, Iowa, 
rented land and farmed one year, then returned 
to Pennsylvania for eighteen months, during 
which time he was married and afterwards came 
west the second time in the spring of 1877, locat- 
ing in Iowa near his former farm, and here re- 
mained for six years before moving to Nance 
county, Nebraska. Farming there for four years, 
he migrated to Cherry county, enduring many 
hardships before arriving at his destination. He 
was snowbound for five days on the way west, 
and suffered a great deal. After many difficulties 
in starting anew in the west he was just nicely 
settled and everything seemingly prospering 
when the dry years came on and he was com- 
pelled to sell part of his cattle and work out by 
the day in order to make a bare living for his 
family, at times hauling wood seven miles, with 
the proceeds of which he purchased scant provi- 
sions, at times paying fifty cents a bushel for 
potatoes. He lived in a sod house for a while, 
then in a dugout on his pre-emption which the 
family occupied for sixteen months, at the end 
of which time he erected a good log house which, 
with a frame addition makes a good farm resi- 
dence. The family also owns a neat cottage in 
Gordon, which they occupy and where the chil- 
dren have been attending school since 1905. The 
familv have seen the hardest of pioneer experi- 
ences but conditions have improved in this lo- 
cality and of late years they have had good crops. 
Mr. Sones has been adding to his farm until he 
now owns nine hundred acres, stocked with two 
hundred head of cattle and a number of horses. 
His place is all fenced except a very small por- 
tion. He has good buildings and plenty of farm 
machinery, having under cultivation about one 
hundred and seventy-five acres, partly on leased 
land of which he controls nine hundred and sixty 
acres. He has seven acres of alfalfa growing. 
In January. 1876, Mr. Sones was married to 
Miss Alary Francis, born in Pennsylvania in 
1855, of German parents. Mr. and Mrs. Sones 
have a family of seven children, who are named 
as follows: Annie (deceased), who married 
Ulysses Hunt ; Arthur. John Burton, William 
(who died when the family first came here), 
Cora, Minnie, and Elsie. The family enjoy a 
pleasant home and are highly respected in the 
communitv. 



CHARLES SPEARMAN. 

Charles Spearman, one of the foremost agri- 
culturists of Dawes county, resides on his fine 
farm in section 7. township 32. range 51. where 
he has built up a good home and is widely known 




■XOKTll" AND -SorTII,- KAXCIIF.S OF (iKORGE W. SWIGGART, 

I. Residence on North Ranch 2. Residence on South Ranch. 

3. View of Grove on South Ranch. 4. Scene on Nortli Ranch. 



COAIPENDIURI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



39: 



as an old settler and worthy citizens of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Spearman was born in Mt. Pleasant. 
Henry county, Iowa, in 1858. His father. J. 
D. Spearman, was extensively engaged in the 
cattle business in Iowa for many years, and when 
our subject was twelve years of age the family 
moved to Sarpy county, Nebraska, and during 
the trip they crossed the ^Missouri river on the 
ice, the river being frozen from bank to bank. 
There they went through pioneer experiences, 
and Charles attended the country schools, at the 
same time helping his parents build up their farm 
and home. When he reached the age of twenty- 
one he started in for himself, going to the south- 
western part of Kansas where he spent one year. 
then to Springfield, Nebraska. He started in at 
railroading, running from Columbus to Fuller- 
ton, Nebraska, and next went to Oregon, where 
he remained up to the fall of 1884, engaged in 
general work. Mr. Spearman first located in 
Dawes countv in 1885, settling near Crawford, 
where he lived for a time in a tent, and then a 
dugout, which he occupied for a period of six 
months, doing all sorts of work in order to make 
a living, and beginning his farm. He saw hard 
times, and worked at freighting, and hauled 
bones to Chadron, receiving nine dollars per 
ton for them. He located on his present farm 
in 1898. and has a ranch of one thousand two 
hundred and eighty acres, all deeded land, and is 
engaged in the stock raising business. He has 
two hundred and fifty acres of his ranch irri- 
gated, and has made a success of the work he has 
undertaken. He has one hundred and twenty- 
five acres in alfalfa and harvests a large quan- 
tity each year. 

In 1889 Mr. Spearman was appointed post- 
master of Crawford and held the ofifice for four 
years, and in 1893 was elected marshal serving 
for four years, and also was state water com- 
missioner for three years. He has always taken 
an active part in public affairs, and to his efforts 
are due much of the success of this region as an 
agricultural and business section. 

Mr. Spearman was married in 1881 to Miss 
Josephine ]\Ieyer, daughter of Frank Mever. a 
farmer and old settler of Sarpy county, Ne- 
braska. Mr. and Mrs. Spearman are the pa- 
rents of the following children : James B., Cvrus, 
Grant, Eliza, Alerle, Eunice and Francis. 



GEORGE \V. SWIGGART. 

During his career as a farmer and ranchman 
and one of the pioneers in western Nebraska, the 
gentleman above mentioned has incidentallv be- 
come one of the best best known citizens of this 



section of the country. He came to this region 
during its earliest stages of development and has 
remained to see it changed into a splendid fertile 
farming" and ranching community, and has the 
satisfaction of knowing that to his efforts part 
of this growth has been due. He now resides in 
section 4, township 21, range 36, on his Kincaid 
homestead where he occupies a pleasant rural 
home, and has a host of good friends by whom 
he is held in the highest esteem. 

George W. Swiggart was born in 1857, in 
.Sullivan county, Missouri. He is a son of 
George \\'., Sr., and Martha (Grimm) Swiggart, 
the former of German and the latter of English 
descent. The family came to Nebraska when our 
subject was an infant, first settling in C)maha, 
arriving there in 1860. and there George grew to 
manhood, attending the common schools, and he 
well remembers when the Union Pacific railway 
was built through and west of that vicinity. They 
went through every phase of pioneer life in the 
west, and had many bitter experiences during 
those days. At the age of eighteen George emi- 
grated to the western part of the state, locating 
near McCook, in Redwillow county, and there 
again went through pioneer trials and privations, 
following ranch work, traveling all through that 
section of the country as a cowboy, rounding up 
cattle, etc. 

Mr. Swiggart settled in Grant county, driv- 
ing in with a team and covered wagon, locating 
on section 10, township 21, range 36. He erected 
a sod house and other necessary buildings, and 
at once started in the stock business, but had a 
hard time to get ahead, as the region was swept 
by prairie fires at regular intervals, and one year 
he lost nearly all of his bunch of cattle m this 
way. He kept improving the place as he grew 
better able, and added to his ranch so that he 
finally became owner of two thousand and fort\- 
acres, a large part of which he has lately sold 
to his sons. He has a good house, large barns 
and many improvements, and the entire place is 
fenced and cross fenced. He has about fourteen 
acres of heavy grove that he planted himself on 
his south ranch, which is a valuable part of the 
property. The place is devoted exclusively to 
stock raising and he keeps a large number of cat- 
tle which he uses for breeding and market pur- 
poses. 

Mr. Swiggart has a family of seven children, 
named as follows: Ralph, Grace. Edith, Ora, 
W^alter, Ray and Georgia, the last mentioned a 
child by a second marriage, his first wife having 
died in this county in 1892. Her maiden name 
was Susan Doyle, of Lancaster, Nebraska, of 
Irish descent. Mr. Swiggart's second wife's 
maiden name was Lyda Worth, of Washington 
countv, Kansas, daughter of John R. Worth and 



394 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Margaret (.Dunlapj Worth, old settlers in Kan- 
sas. 

Our subject was one of the organizers of the 
county in which he now resides, and was elected 
one of the first county commissioners, having 
held that office for twelve years. He has been a 
member of the school board for many years past. 
has helped organize many schools, and always 
given liberally of his time and money in aiding 
every movement toward the advancement of the 
best interests of his locality and the county. An 
interesting picture of several views of \h. Swig- 
gart's properties is presented on another page. 
Mr. Swiggart has traveled extensively through 
the west, and is thoroughly familiar with condi- 
tions existing in Wyoming, Montana and Col- 
orado, having spent considerable time in those 
states while following his ranching interests. 



PATRICK ROWLAN. 

The gentleman above named resides in Chey- 
enne county, where he is the owner of a good 
ranch and one of the substantial and prosperous 
men of his locality. 

Patrick Rowlan was born in Canada, grow- 
ing up there to the age of nine years, then came 
to the United States with his parents, they set- 
tling in Kansas about 1873 and lived there until 
he was seventeen years old. In the fall of 1880 
he went to Nevada and there followed freighting 
for a time, returning to Kansas after about one 
year, and then back to Nevada, this time pur- 
chasing a horse and cattle ranch in that state. 
HC' only remained about a year and a half, at 
the end of that time going to Wyoming. In 1893 
Mr. Rowlan came to Cheyenne county and took 
a homestead on section ?>5. township 19, range 
48, proved up on same and added more land to 
his original tract so that he now is owner of three 
hundred and twenty acres of deeded land besides 
controlling a section of leased school land. Dur- 
ing the first few years he went through hard 
times in getting his ranch started, but gradually 
improved his place, erecting good buildings and 
getting a portion of it under cultivation, so that 
he now crops one hundred and fifty acres, has 
plenty of fine bottom hay land, etc. 

>Ir. Rowlan runs about four hundred and 
fifty head of cattle, and a bunch of seventy-five 
horses. His land is connected with Brown's 
Creek Ditch Company, and he also has a private 
ditch. He also owns and controls about one 
thousand acres situated fourteen miles northwest 
of his home ranch, besides some Bridgeport prop- 
erty. He has a handsome ranch liousc and sub- 
stantial barns and everv modern device in the 



way of machinery for the proper operation of his 
ranch and farm. 

]\lr. Rowlan's father and mother are both 
dead, and he is the youngest of a family of eight 
children. He was married on May 19th, 1896, 
at Alliance, Nebraska, to Miss Annie C. Hog- 
gerty, wfio was born and reared in Illinois. They 
have a family of two children, Stella May and 
John Francis, both bright and interesting young- 
sters. Mr. Rowlan is well and favorably known 
to all the old residents in his vicinity, and is ac- 
tive in local afifairs. at present serving as treas- 
urer of school district 128. In political faith he 
is a Republican. 



JOHN PAVLAT. 

John Pavlat, one of the extensive and wealthy 
farmers of Lodge Pole precinct, is a prominent 
citizen of Cheyenne county. He has built up for 
himself a valuable estate and an enviable name 
as a man of sterling worth and active public spir- 
it, well meriting his high standing and success. 

The subject of this sketch was born in the 
village of Dodleb, Bohemia, on the 19th of June, 
1846 ; he grew up there, and came to America in 
1867, landing in New York on March 15th of 
that year, after a voyage of nine and one-half 
days. The first three years after coming to the 
new world he spent in Chicago at harnessmak- 
ing, and then went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where 
he remained for about five years working at his 
trade: next moved to Hanover, Kansas, and for 
about eleven years followed his vocation in that 
state. He first saw Che\enne county in the 
spring of 1887, arriving on the last day of April; 
he immediately filed on a homestead which was 
located in section 32, township 14, range 47. and 
has remained on that place ever since, leading a 
typical ranchman's existence, having gone 
through all the experiences that fell to the lot of 
the early settler in that region. He worked hard 
and faithfully, and succeeded in developing a 
good farm and ranch, now owning four hundred 
and eighty acres of good land. He cultivates 
about eighty acres and deals in stock quite heav- 
ily, running at the present time fifty head of cat- 
tle and twenty horses. His ranch has a good set 
of buildings, and every part of it shows good 
management and thrift in its operation. Besides 
his ranch property Mr. Pavlat owns considerable 
property in Lodgepole. which is his postoffice 
address. On Christmas day, 1871, he was united 
in marriage to Miss Mabel Tehel, at Cedar Rap- 
ids, Iowa. She was born in Bohemia, coming to 
.America when eight years of age with her pa- 
rents. Her parents are both deceased, the moth- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



395 



er's demise occurring in the spring of 1908. Both 
of ^Ir. Pavlat's parents have also passed away. 
To our subject and his estimable wife the fol- 
lowing children have been born : John, married 
and living at Sidney ; Joseph, married, residing 
in Denver; Mary, wife of Joseph Bell, living in 
Oklahoma ; Rosa, now Mrs. J. L. Mcintosh, liv- 
ing at Sidney ; \nasta, now Mrs. Frank Doyle, 
living in Old Alexico ; Libbie, now Mrs. Noah 
Walters, residing at Rock Springs: Richard, 
Jennie, Millard, Lilly, Henry and Frank, of 
whom the four youngest are living at home. Two 
children, Jennie and Ray, are now dead. 

Mr. Pavlat has always taken an active inter- 
est in political affairs, both state and county. He 
has been school director of District No. 12 for the 
past few years, and prominent in township mat- 
ters of importance. In politics he is a Democrat. 



HARRY J. BOYLES. 

Harrv J. Boyles. residing in Gordon, Ne- 
braska, is the genial and popular proprietor of a 
pool room which furnishes amusement and pas- 
time to many of the younger members of Gordon 
families, and is a man well known and liked in 
the community. 

Mr. Boyles was born in Bellefonte, Center 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1867. His father, 
Ebenezer Boyles, was a glassworker in Nebraska, 
and later moved to Nebraska, where he farmed 
for manv vears,- taking up a homestead in Sheri- 
dan county, in 1886. Our subject was reared in 
his native state, and came west with his parents, 
the family settling four and a half males east of 
the town of Gordon. Here they put up sod 
buildings and started in to improve the place. 
\Miile living in Pennsylvania our subject had 
learned the glassworkers' trade and after com- 
ing west attended school in Denver two years, 
then went to San Francisco, where he worked at 
his trade. He next returned to Pennsylvania, 
where he remained for twelve years working in 
different parts of that state, following his irade 
all the time. This broke down his health and 
he was obliged to leave there, so came back to 
Nebraska to recuperate. Prior to this he had 
been to Findlay, Ohio, and also Shirley, Indiana, 
working at his trade, but did not like those places 
well enough to settle permanently. In all he 
spent twenty years as a glassworker, and in 
1903 came to Gordon. He purchased his father's 
ranch, and operated this for one year, then gave 
it up and moved to the town of Gordon, where 
he established a pool room in June of the latter 
year, taking active management of this business 
in 1904. He runs a first-class place and has the 



patronage of the best citizens, enjoying the re- 
spect of all who know him in a business or social 
way. 

yir. Boyles was married in 1895 to Miss 
Elizabeth E. Pethnes, of French descent, whose 
father was a glassworker. Two children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Boyles, namely : Leonora, 
aged eleven, and Sarah, now four years old. 

Air. Boyles is classed among the old settlers 
here, having gone through the pioneer days with 
his parents, and at different times has worked all 
over this section of the country and become ac- 
quainted with many of the early settlers lo- 
cated here. 



HENDERSON MURRAY. 

Henderson Murray, a well-known old settler 
of western Nebraska, resides on his pleasant farm 
in Bloomington township, Franklin county. He 
came to this county in 1872, taking a homestead 
in Marion township, consisting of one hundred 
and sixty acres which he broke up and on which 
he built a log house and farmed for a period of 
twenty-five years, then bought another one hun- 
dred and sixty acres there which he used for 
farming and hog raising purposes. He kept 
steadily at work and has accumulated a nice 
property, and is one of the solid and progressive 
citizens of his locality. 

Mr. Murray was born in Campbell county, 
Tennessee, and his grandfather, Thomas Murray, 
was one of the first settlers in that state. Our 
subject's father, James D. Murray, married 
Susan Langley, who was a native of Surry 
county. North Carolina, daughter of Alathew and 
Patience (Osborn) Langley, who moved from 
there to Campbell county, Tennessee. Our sub- 
ject's great grandfather, James Langley, served 
in a North Carolina regiment through the Revo- 
lutionary war, and received a severe wound in 
one of the battles. His father's ancestors were 
pioneers of Tennessee, and went through terrible 
experiences, especially fighting Indians, when at 
times women were known to take up arms. Our 
subject came to Cass county, Nebraska, when a 
boy, with his father, James D. Alurray, who lo- 
cated in Rock Bluff's, where he became a mem- 
ber of the town board and occupied a prominent 
place among the leading citizens of his commun- 
ity, holding dift'erent local offices. Mr. Murray 
was united in marriage in 1875, to Miss Bridget 
Doher, a native of Ireland, who came to America 
with her parents when a child, the family set- 
tling in \"irginia, and later moving west. Mr. 
and Mrs. ]Murray have a family of seven chil- 
dren, who are named as follows : Stephen A., of 



396 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Franklin : Horatio J., assistant cashier in the Ex- 
change Bank of Franklin : Ernest E., with his 
father on the farm ; W'illiani H., also at home, 
and Susan M., wife of Charles E. Shoemaker, of 
Franklin, and two dead. Our subject has been 
a ?\Iason since 1868. and a prominent member of 
that organization. He is held in high esteem by 
all who know him, and is a man of high character 
and sterling qualities which gain him friends in 
every walk of life. Politically he is a Democrat. 
In 1891 he was elected county treasurer, and re- 
elected the following term, and has served as 
assessor of his township at different times. 



HER^IAN SCHULTALBERS. 

A striking example of what may be accom- 
plished by the exercise of industry, persever- 
ance and good management is found in review- 
ing the life history of the gentleman above 
named. He started his business career without 
means excepting a strong heart and willing 
hands, and is now classed among the foremost 
substantial citizens of Box Butte county. He is 
an old settler in that region, is a prosperous 
farmer, owns a fine farm, and is enjoying a com- 
fortable and pleasant home. 

Mr. Schultalbers was born in Hanover. Ger- 
many, July 3d, 1857. His father was a farmer 
and lived and died in Germany, as also did his 
mother. Our subject was reared in his native 
country until he was twenty-five years of age, at 
which time he struck out for the new world, 
landing in Baltimore. December 23d. in the year 
1882. He came directly west, to St. Louis, and 
joined a colony of German settlers in St. Louis 
county, Missouri, and there worked out bv the 
month, spending about four years in that vicin- 
ity. He then came to Cuming county. Nebraska, 
worked one suiumer and came to Box Butte 
county, in 1886 and bought some land. ]Mcked out 
a location and filed on a tree claim, later took up 
a pre-emption in 1888 and a homestead in 1889, 
all on the same section, then returned to Mis- 
souri and worked for another year, at which time 
he came back to Nebraska and began to improve 
his land. He Ijroke ground for crops, put up a 
sod shanty, and froiu the spring of 1889 began 
living in the house, steadily improving his place, 
doing all his work with the aid of a team of mules 
during the first years. He "batched it" up to 
]X'H. and in that year ret^irned to St. Louis and 
was married to Mary Moellerhaus, who was 
l)orn and reared in Germany anrl came to Amer- 
ica in the year 1894, being here only a short 
time before Iicing married. 

Mr. Schultalbers bought his ]ircsent farm in 



northwest quarter section 3, township 27, range 
48, in 1886, and moved to the place with his 
bride after his marriage and begun building 
up the place as a jjermanent home. He has im- 
pvoved the farm splendidly, and now owns eight 
hundred acres of deeded land, also operating 
three hundred and twenty acres of leased land, 
all of which is fenced and kept in first-class con- 
dition. He farms about seventy acres and raises 
good crops, and even during the dry years was 
fortunate in always having a fair yield. In Au- 
gust. 1896. lightning struck his barn and com- 
pletel}' destroyed the building, but he at once 
rebuilt it and was getting along well, when three 
years later during a severe electrical storm he 
•was struck by lightning and was unconscious 
for quite a long time, but recovered, although the 
report soon became circulated that he had been 
killed. He was severely injured, by the shock, 
one-third of his body being entirely burned over, 
but he suffered no very permanent injury, being 
left a little deaf. At the same time one of his 
cows was struck and the animal was instantly 
killed within a few feet of where our subject 
stood. 

Mr. .Schultalbers' family consists of himself, 
wife and six children, who are named as fol- 
lows: Mary, Lena, Rose, Henry, Freda and 
Annie. 

( )ur subject is a strong Democrat, active in 
local politics, always working for the best inter- 
ests of his locality. He has been on the school 
board for several years past. 



H. H. BERRY. 



Among the prominent and successful business 
men of McCook. Nebraska, we wish to mention 
the name of H. H. Berry, the subject of this 
review. He is well known all over the surround- 
in,g country as a man of ability, industrious and 
a citizen of true worth. 

Mr. Berry is a native of Illinois and was born 
in 1845. His father. Keeling Berry, was an old 
settler in Illinois, locating there in 1822. He 
was a native of old \'irginia, where the family 
were early settlers. At the breakin.g out of the 
war our subject determined to aid his country in 
the fight for liberty and freedom, but waited 
until 1864 and enlisted in the One Hundred and 
Forty-fifth Illinois Regiment at \'irginia. Cass 
county, Illinois, and served until the close nf the 
war. In 1884 he came west, locating in Mc- 
Cook. where he took charge of a dry goods de- 
partment in one of the leading stores, con- 
tinuing in this jiosition for three and a half vears. 
He then established himself in the grocer\- busi- 




RESIDENCE OF CHARLES LaRUE, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. UklLL, 
Brown County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



397 



ness and remained at that for two years, then 
started in the real estate business, in which he 
has continued up to the present time. He is also 
a capable auctioneer, and is well known all over 
Redwillow and the adjoining counties where he 
has acted in that capacity. He has been judge of 
probate court for the past sixteen years, and has 
held the office of police judge for over fourteen 
years, and has proved himself a popular and effi- 
cient public official. 

Mr. Berry was married in 1870 to Miss 
Amanda L. Mitchell, 'a native of Illinois. They 
have six children, who are named .as follows : 
Carl R., with Colorado Iron & Fuel Company 
as master mechanic, located at Sunrise. Wyom- 
ing ; Everly N., a druggist at Parsons, Kansas ; 
Floyd M., connected with the Burlington & 
Alissouri railway at McCook ; Elbert W., with the 
Alaxwell Company, Chicago ; Chester B. was as- 
sistant train despatcher on the Burlington & 
Missouri railroad for a time and now in the 
train service at McCook ; jMildred P., living at 
home with her parents. 

Mr. Berry is an active worker in the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church at McCook, and now is 
and for many years has been local minister here. 
He is also a prominent member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, and has filled all the 
offices in that lodge in the past. He has always 
voted the Republican ticket, and takes an active 
interest in all party affairs. 



CHARLES LA RUE. 

Charles LaRue. residing on section 34, town- 
ship 33, range 23, Keya Paha county, Nebraska, 
is one of the leading old settlers in this county, 
and has always been foremost in helping to de- 
velop the region where he chose his home. 

Mr. LaRue was born on a farm in Grant 
county. Indiana, April 3, 1823. His father. Brit- 
ton LaRue. was of French-American blood, and 
follov/ed farming and sawmilling all his life, and 
Charles also worked at this for many years, be- 
ginning when a young man. The mother died 
when he was so young he does not remember 
her, and at the age of fourteen started to make 
his own way in the world. He followed freight- 
ing and mine work in different states, also spent 
a part of his time in hunting in Colorado, Wvom- 
ing, Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and other west- 
ern states, and during those years killed an im- 
mense number of buffalo, deer, antelope and 
other game. For fourteen years he wandered 
all over the western states and saw much of pio- 
neer life in the west, crossing, during that time, 
every stream between the Rio Grande and the 
Canadian border, finally settling in Keva Paha 



county in 1882, where he took up a homestead, 
on which he now resides. When he landed here 
he had only ten dollars in money, and a team and 
wagon. He went to work at once building up 
his place, and now is proprietor of five hundred 
acres of good land, farming one hundred and 
twenty-five acres of this, and runs about seventy 
head of cattle and the same number of hogs, ili.s 
land was well covered with timber, and before he 
was able to build had to clear it off, putting up 
a log house, which is still a part of the family 
dwelling. His land has two and a quarter miles 
of river front. The garden tract is irrigated. 
There are twenty acres of alfalfa, producinglarge 
crops of that excellent forage plant. He has seen 
hard times occasionally since coming here, and 
often did not know where their next meal was 
coming from. He worked out to support his 
family, but although it was often discouraging, 
he never felt like giving up, but stuck to it. and 
has been most successful. At one time he went 
to Canada to look for land, but came back satis- 
isfied to remain here. 

Mr. LaRue was married in Gosper county to 
Miss Harriet Board, October 25, 1879, and they 
have eight children, namely: Clyde, Ethel, wife 
of Fred Hutton. of Rock countv : Marion. Les- 
ter, Bertha, wife of Bert McDonald, of Wyom- 
ing; Leon, Angeline and Therese. 

Mr. LaRue is a straight, unadulterated Dem- 
ocrat. He has been on the school board for the 
past twelve years, and active in school affairs. 
He is a member of the Odd Fellows. Mr. LaRue 
is an interesting storyteller and his account of 
the many stirring incidents of his life read like 
romance. Since settling on his present farm he 
has killed five of the last six deer to cross the 
place. We present a view of the home and 
picturesque surroundings on another page. 



SA.M SWIXBANK. 

Sam Swinbank, a thrifty and energetic resi- 
dent of the township of section 13, township 32, 
range -•Z. where his business abilitv has put him' 
well to the front in the ranks of progressive 
farmers, was born in Westmoreland, England, in 
1860. His father, John Swinbank, was a farmer 
in his native land, and came to this country with 
his family in 1875. There were eight children, 
of whom our subject was the fifth in order of 
birth, and he attended the common schools in 
England as a lad, growing to manhood in Kane 
county, Illinois, v.-here the familv settled after 
landing in America. He remained at home with 
his parents until he was twentv-three years of 
age, assisting them in carrying on the farm, then 



398 



COMPEXDIU.AI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



came to Nebraska in the fall of 1886. settling 
half a mile south of Whitney. There he started 
a farm, and through failure of crops and other 
misfortunes, lost cVery cent, only succeeding in 
raising one crop in five years. While on that 
place he kept "bachelor's hall." and had a hard 
time to get along, meeting many discourage- 
ments so familiar to the old settlers in this 
region. 

Mr. Swinbank then gave up farmmg and 
started in the stock business, borrowmg money 
for a beginning, and met with better success. 
He located in Sioux county, in section 14, town- 
ship 34. range S3, where he built a dugout for 
his first dwelling place and lived in it for two 
years. He built up the place in good shape and 
remained for twelve years, and made a success, 
purchasing his present farm in 1902. This is 
situated in section 13. township 32. range 52. 
which is a well improved property, and he is in 
the stock raising business, dealing mostly in 
horses. He has a fine house, supplied with every 
convenience, with a complete tank and water 
works system, and uses this as a wintering place, 
as he also has a large ranch in Sioux county. 
His ranch consists of six hundred and forty acres 
here, two hundred of which are irrigated, and he 
raises large quantities of alfalfa, wild hay. etc. 

Mr. Swinbank was married while living in 
Siioux county, in 1894, to Miss Katie Raben. 
:Mrs. Swinba'nk's father was an early settler in 
that countv. also well-known ranchman of the 
section. Mr. and Mrs. Swinbank have two chil- 
dren. John Chester and Ruth Marguerite. 

Politically, our suliject is no party man. advo- 
cating good government and voting for the best 
man on anv ticket. 



JOHN W. BRILL. 

John \\'. Brill, one of the oldest settlers in 
Brown county, Nebraska, is one of the best- 
known residents in this region. He was one of 
the first men to take out papers filing on gov- 
ernment land in this section of the country, and 
has resided here continuously ever since, build- 
ing up a good home and farm, and is recognized 
as one of the leading citizens of his community. 

Mr. Brill was born in the town of Franklin. 
Franklin county. Vermont. April 24, 1838. His 
father. Thomas Brill, was a farmer by occupa- 
tion and carpenter by trade, who came of old 
Yankee stock. Our subject was reared and edu- 
cated in Vermont, and at the age of twenty-one 
vears started out to make his own way in the 
world, following farm work as an occupation. 
He came west in June. 1861. settling in Rice 



county. Minnesota, and was among the pioneers 
of that state, remaining there for five years. 
The journey was made by lake from Ogdens- 
bnrg to Milwaukee. Wisconsin, in the propeller 
"Ogdensburg."' by rail thence across the state to 
McGregor. Iowa, where they proceeded by boat 
to Redwing. Minnesota, from which point they 
weut overland forty miles to Rice county. At 
the close of the war he moved to Blue Earth 
county, securing land in the Winnebago reserva- 
tion, and remained there up to 1879. at that place 
forming the acquaintance of Charles Cowley, 
with whom he came to Nebraska in that year, 
driving through the country by team, their fam- 
ilies following later on also by team and covered 
wagons. Mr. Brill located on a pre-emption 
on Plum creek and a tree claim on the tableland. 
He. spending most of his time on the latter, 
which lay in section 5. township 30. range 23, 
Brown county.. His first house was a log cabin, 
built by himself, and his first team was a yoke 
of oxen, and these he used for several years in 
breaking up his land and starting his farm. Dur- 
ing the years 1894 and 1895 his crops were total 
failures, and he had heavy losses. He recovered 
from these as soon as the good years came on, 
and built up and improved his land until he 
was the proprietor of as good a ranch as could 
be found in that locality. In November. 1905. 
he sold out his place for S4.000. and then lo- 
cated on Evergreen creek, where he owns a sec- 
tion of land, and each of his two sons also owns 
a section of land in the vicinity of their fatlier s 
property. They run two hundred head of cattle 
and twenty horses all the time, constantly im- 
proving their herds. During the early days of 
his residence in this part bf the state Mr. Brill 
hauled all family supplies from Neligh. a distance 
of one hundred and sixty miles from his home, 
the distance being reduced as the railroad pro- 
ceeded westward until their supplies could he se- 
cured within a few miles of home. He cut cedar 
posts and hauled them all this distance to pay for 
the provisions needed, camping out nights under 
his wagon during the trip back and forth, 
through both summer and winter weather. He 
has seen his share of pioneer life, and is now 
content to enjoy the fruits of his hard labor 
in days gone by. 

An engraving of the residence will be found 
on another page of this volume. 

Mr. Brill was married in \'ermont. November 
10. 1859. to Miss Helen Coffrin. a native of the 
town of Morristown, \'ermont. Seven children 
were born to them, three of whom are now living, 
namely; Nellie R.. wife of .Mfred Marcuson. of 
Los Angeles. California. He is largely interested 
in water power, electric' light and other utilities 
in Lower California. They have one daughter. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



399 



Emma Grace; John \\. and George. JNIr. Brill 
is a stanch Republican ni political attihations, 
never having voted any other ticket since attain- 
ing his majority. 



HENRY STROHM. 

Henrv Strohm, a representative farmer and 
agriculturist of Rock county, NeT5raska. resides 
on his valuable estate in Long Pine precinct. 
He is among the early settlers in this locality, 
and can recount with accuracy many of the pio- 
neer experiences of the settlers of this county 
who braved the hardships and privations, be- 
coming permanent settlers and prosperous farm- 
ers. The above mentioned gentleman has suc- 
ceeded in acquiring a good farm and home and 
gained the confidence and esteem of a large cir- 
cle of acquaintances. 

Mr. Strohm was Ix^rn in Washington county. 
Wisconsin, April 24. 1860. His father. George 
Strohm, was born in France on the Rhine, and 
after serving about fourteen years in the French 
army emigrated for America about 1846 and 
made his home in Wisconsin some five or six 
years later. The mother of our subject, Mary 
Mogal in maidenhood, was born in Germany, 
near the Rhine, and of her nine children, Henry 
is sixth. He was reared on his parents' farm in 
Wisconsin, receiving a common school education 
in the country schools there. He was early 
taught to do all kinds of hard farm work and 
the training he received at home fitted him for 
the hard labor he encountered in later years. At 
the age of twenty he left home and moved to 
Tama county, Iowa, where he remained for two 
years. He then went to Hamilton county, Iowa, 
remaining about two years before returning to 
the former place, where he lived for another 
twelvemonth. 

In 1884 he came to Nebraska, and at Valen- 
tine filed on a pre-emption claim on the White 
river. He remained there for a short time only, 
then came on to what is now Rock county, driv- 
ing overland, camping out nights under his 
wagon. He traded for a relinquishment on which 
there was a log house, covered it with a dirt roof, 
and where he lived with his family for a time. 
During these first years he haJ but one horse, 
one cow, a heifer, and a few chickens with which 
to make a start as a stock man. Prior to locating 
on his present farm, Mr. Hastings liad made 
several trips to Colorado by team, coming back 
by way of Colorado Springs and Hastings. Kan- 
sas, but preferring Nebraska, settled on the farm 
where he now resides. When he located on this 
there were no improvements whatever, except 
the log house above mentioned, which has since 



been replaced with a substantial dwelling, good 
buildings and fences. He has planted trees and 
now has a fine orchard started. Rock creek runs 
through his farm, and this stream furnishes 
plenty of good water the year round for his 
stock. The farm comprises a homestead entry 
of one hundred and sixty acres and four hun- 
dred acres of deeded land, of which seventv acres 
are under cultivation. He is largely engaged in 
stock raising and dairying, running eighty-tive 
head of cattle with ten or a dozen milch cows. 
At one time he, together with J. R. Hughes, 
owned and operated a threshing outfit, and car- 
ried on this business for three years in the earlv 
days, covering a territory of some thirty miles 
square, throughout which they became thorough- 
ly acquainted. He was obliged in the early days 
to haul wood to help make a living for his family, 
and turned his hand to whatever he could find 
to do. 

In 1887 Mr. Strohm was married to ]Miss 
Mattie A. May, whose father, Thomas Mav, was 
among the early settlers in Rock countv, having 
come here in 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Strohm have 
two children, Lura and Etha. 

A Republican in politics. Mr. Strohm uses his 
influence and vote for the candidates of that 
partv. He is a member of the Workmen's lodge 
at Carnes. 



CHARLES W. HICKOX. 

Charles W. Hickox is a native of Ohio, born 
in Summit county, born January 25, 1839. His 
father. Watson Hickox. who was American born, 
was in business as a clothier, and came to Illi- 
nois in 1840: the mother, Sarah Scott, was a 
native of the state of New York. 

Charles W. Hickox was reared on a farm in 
Lee county, Illinois, until he was fourteen vears 
of age, when the family moved to Waukesha and 
thence to Richland county, Wisconsin, where 
they were among the early pioneers. Our sub- 
ject spent a number of years in the timber of 
northern Wisconsin, lumbering and logging, and 
learned woodcraft thoroughlv. In 1861 he en- 
listed in Company H. Fifth \\'isconsin Infantry, 
and was sent south, joining eastern armv corps. 
He saw three years and three months of active 
service, being in twenty-six engagements. He 
was severely wounded in the battle of Rappahan- 
nock Station and was confined in the hospital 
until he was discharged from the service. 

After his discharge, Mr. Hickox returned to 
Wisconsin and was married August 11. 1864, to 
Miss Julia Dean, a native of Ohio, and daughter 
of Charles W. and Ellinor (Seelev) Dean; her 



400 



CO-MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, RE.MINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



father was also a native of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hickox have had six children: Myrtle, wife of 
Joseph Mover, living west of Brule ; and Ellinor, 
married to Nathaniel Prebble, of Mitchell, 
Scott's Bluff county; Roy, Ernest, Mary and 
Rosie. 

In 1880. our sul)ject moved to Nebraska, 
coming overland by team and covered wagon to 
Lancaster county, and settling on a farm where 
he lived for seven years, they then came to 
Keith county, locating on their present farm in 
section 18, township 13, range 38, where they 
located a wild prairie homestead. Our subject 
has a splendid little farm of one hundred and 
sixtv acres, almost all of it under cultivation. 
Mr. Hickox is a thorough farmer and has made 
a fine success in agricultural lines, although he 
has had many losses, especially in the years of 
drouth. Of late years, owing to advancing age, 
Mr. Hickox has been living a somewhat retired 
life, not being able to personally perform the 
hard work of the farm. He has a good force of 
helpers in his sons and attends to the manage- 
ment while they perform the work. He is now- 
enjoying the golden fruits of years of toil and 
his later days find him in peace and possessed of 
a comfortable competency. Mr. Hickox is among 
the earliest settlers of his community and has 
won many friends by his public spirit and ex- 
cellent traits of character. He is a Republican 
in politics and a member of the Ogaliala post. 
Grand Army of the Reiniblic. In Wisconsin the 
family were members of the close communion 
Baptist churcli. 



SHERMAN G. WRIGHT. 

Among the younger ranchmen of Cherry and 
Grant counties, Nebraska, an able representative 
is found in the person above mentioned. He 
is proprietor of an extensive ranch, and one of 
the substantial citizens of his locality. His ca- 
rter has been devoted to outdoor pursuits, and 
he is thoroughly conversant with modern meth- 
ods of operating his estate, conducting it in a 
thorough and painstaking manner. Since locat- 
ing in this vicinity he has gained many friends, 
and well merits his success and good name. His 
home is in section 34. township 27. range ZT. 

Mr. Wright is a native of \'ernon countv, 
Missouri, liorn in 1S72. His father, George 
Wright, was a farmer and prominent pioneer in 
Missouri. later settling in Cherry county, coming 
here in 1888, when that region was in the early 
stages of its development. Both parents were 
born of American citizens, the mother's maiden 
name being Mary Charles. The family lived in 



Missouri until our subject was fifteen vears of 
age, then moved to Nebraska, at first settling in 
Custer county, remaining there until April of 
the following year, when they came to Cherry 
county. In making the journey to this state 
from Missouri, they came by team, with a cov- 
ered wagon containing all their goods, camping 
out at night along the way, and they were thirty 
days on the road. 

After spending about two years in this vicin- 
ity, Sherman began working on his own account, 
following ranching and hunting for a living, and 
in this way became thoroughly familiar with 
the country in his travels on the range and in 
making long hunting trips. When he was twen- 
t\-one he filed on a homestead situated twenty 
miles north of Whitman, and in 1893 he began to 
establish a ranch, his location being one of the 
very best in the region, having a fine range and 
large tract of fertile valley for his stock. He 
batched it for about ten years, living alone in 
a sod house, put up sod stables and sheds, and 
at once started to gather a good herd of cattle 
together. He was successful from the first, 
and has now become owner of nine hundred and 
sixty acres of land, and he operates four hundred 
acres of leased land besides his own ranch, which 
he uses for range and pasture. 

In 1898 :\Ir. Wright was married to Lila 
Peacock, daughter of \\'illiam and Mary Dixon 
Peacock, her father a native of England and her 
mother of Michigan, but both reared in Ohio. 
Our subject has a family of three children, who 
are named as follows : Grace, Claude ana 
Clarence. All were born and reared in Cherry 
county. The family occupies the ranch in Cherry 
county as a summer residence, but during the 
school niDHths reside in \\'hitman, in order to 
give the children the benefit of the citv schools. 



BURTON E. \MIITE. 

Burton E. White, one of the ])romineiU busi- 
ness men of Merriman, Nebraska, aTul long as- 
sociated with the commercial and business inter- 
ests of Cherry county, has built up an enviable 
reputation for integrity and abilitv. 

Mr. White was born in Buchanan countv, 
Iowa, May 26, 1865. His father. John E. White, 
was a farmer and an old settler in western 
Nebraska. His mother's maiden name was Ma- 
bel L. Peterson. There was a family of eight 
children, our subject being the eldest, and all 
but one are now living. They were reared in 
Iowa, our subject being his father's main stay 
in the work of carrying on their farm. When he 
was about eight voars old the fainilv moved to 



COAJPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIUGRAPHY 



401 



Jewel county, Kansas, remaining three years, 
witnessing the grasshopper raids. Returning to 
Montgomery county, Iowa, the family remained 
until "l885, when they came to Dawes county, 
locating seven miles northwest of Hay Springs, 
there going through sod shanty experiences and 
the usual pioneer hardships. The father soon 
built a log cabin and begun to improve the 
homestead he had taken up in that vicinity. The 
family came into the count}- by team and covered 
wagon, driving from Iowa. They started on the 
journey April 22, 1886, and arrived at their 
destination June 2d, having had many uncom- 
fortable experiences during the trip. In 1887 
the father pre-empted a claim of one hundred 
and sixty acres which he later sold. 

During the first two years after starting in 
here Mr. White, the subject of this sketch 
farmed for his father and taught school during 
the winters. He taught the first school that 
was established in that region, located at the head 
of Bordeaux creek, which opened in the fall of 
1887. He also clerked in a general store at Hay 
Springs, and since then has been in the mercan- 
tile business constantly. In 1896 he came to 
Merriman, and on June 1st took charge of the 
branch store of Mills Brothers, of Gordon, re- 
maining in that position for six years. He then 
entered into partnership with Edward Collins 
(whose sketch appears in this work), and re- 
mained with him for three years, then on June 
22, 1905, started in the general merchandise busi- 
ness for himself. He has a good location, large 
floor space, and carries a fine stock of goods, en- 
joying a large patronage throughout the sur- 
rounding country. 

Mr. White was first married June 12, 1889, 
to Miss Ann Hahn, to whom seven children were 
bom. The living are: Mabel, John, Alberta, 
Stella and Graydon. On March 4, 1902, :\Ir. 
White married jvliss Faith Hail, who is the moth- 
er of a daughter. Fern. They have a pleasant 
home and are well liked by all who know them. 
Mr. White has always been a great lover of 
sport, and hunted all kinds of game in the earlv 
days through Nebraska, Wyoming, the Dakotas 
and Colorado. During his younger days he was 
a member of Company F, Second Regiment Ne- 
braska National Guards, acting as captain of that 
body; was serving as lieutenant at the time they 
took part in the Indian war of 1890-'91, doing 
patrol duty along the state line. He was a mem- 
ber of the southwestern Iowa baseball league and 
took a leading part in many games played in 
Nebraska and Iowa. He still loves to twirl a 
ball with the boys. 

Air. White has always taken an active and 
leading part in all local public affairs, and been 
one of the foremost citizens in building up his 



community. On August 18, 1896, he was ap- 
pointed postmaster, in which office he is still in- 
cumbent. He, with his family, is a member of 
the Methodist church, and fraternizes with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Modern \\'oodmen of America and its auxiliary 
degree. 



CHARLES ROBERTS. 

Charles Roberts, a prominent resident of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, is an old settler in this 
state, and through his efiforts in his locality has 
added materially in bringing that region into 
one of thrift and prosperity. He is proprietor 
of a well improved estate, and is one of the 
well-to-do men of his community. 

Mr. Roberts was born in Denmark, January 
3, 1848. and reared on a farm until he was 
twenty years of age. His father and mother 
never left Denmark. He is the second member 
in a family of three children. In 1868 he left 
his parents' home, sailing from Hamburg to Hull, 
crossed England and sailed from Liverpool to 
X'ew York, landing May 11, after a voyage of 
seventeen days. Coming to Wisconsin, he 
remained for six months, and in the fall of that 
year he came to Omaha, where he remained until 
the spring of 1871. He worked that summer in 
Iowa and started for the south, passing through 
Chicago at the time of the great fire. He worked 
in Mississippi and Arkansas for a time, and in 
1874 he settled in Howard county, opening a 
general merchandise store there, and was en- 
gaged in this business for eight years at the time 
the grasshopper raids were so frequent in that 
part of the state, and on account of the crops be- 
ing ruined his trade fell ofif so that he lost every- 
thing and was obliged to close out his store. 
From here he went to Brown county and farmed 
there for three years, and in 1884 he sold his 
property there and took a homestead, his present 
home, in section 20, township 33, range 40, in 
Cherry county, and the following year moved on 
this farm, driving the entire distance with a 
team, his family coming on later bv train. Here 
he went through the drouth periods, and for 
three years was unable to raise a crop, and the 
family had a hard time to make a living, but he 
stuck to it, and when conditions changed and 
the better years came he raised good crops and 
succeeded in building up his farm, improving 
it all the time, gradually adding to his property, 
buying when land was cheap, until he now owns 
and operates eleven quarter sections. He farms 
about five hundred acres of this, and keeps a 
large drove of cattle. He has built a fine two- 



402 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



story, eight-room liouse and commodious barns, 
granaries, etc., and has all the machinery nec- 
essary for properly operating the farm to best 
advantage, and his success only demonstrates 
what may be done by strict attention to business 
and honest hard labor. A view of the family 
residence will be found on another page in this 
work. 

Mr. Roberts was married in Howard county, 
November 27, 1875, to Miss Elsie Petersen, born 
in Denmark, who came to this country when a 
young girl to join a brother and sister who had 
preceded her. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have a 
family of eight children, named as follows: Otto 
(deceased), Fannie, Alvania, wife of Ralph 
Gulp : Louisa, Otto, Walter, Hattie and William. 
The family is highly respected and classed among 
the enterprising and industrious citizens of the 
community. In politics they are Democrats. 



ED. F. CARPENTER. 

Ed. F. Qarpenter, an extensive and wealthy 
farmer of section 30, township 34, range 
47, is a well-known citizen of Dawes county. 
He has built for himself a valuable estate and 
an enviable reputation, and well merits his high 
standing and success. 

Mr. Carpenter was born in Washington coun- 
tv, Iowa, in 1867. His father. Elhanan W. Car- 
penter, is an old settler in Nebraska, coming 
here in 1886, and his mother was jNIiss Charlotte 
Laten, prior to her marriage. 

Our subject was reared in Iowa, and was 
taught to do all kinds of hard farm work as a 
boy, attending school in the country and receiv- 
ing a limited early education. He remained with 
his parents until some little time after they set- 
tled in this state, then started out for himself. 
The father settled on a ranch in section 28, 
township 34, range 47, and erected a rude dug- 
out for his family, and later a log cabin in 
which they lived for about eight years. They 
had the troubles of the majority of pioneers in 
this section, visited by drouths, etc., and had a 
hard time in getting started in their farming 
operations. In 1897 our subject located on land 
of his own and opened up a ranch. He remained 
on that place for some time, then moved to his 
present homestead, in section 30. Here he has 
built a good home, barns and other buildings, 
and has made a great success of his undertaking. 
He has seventeen quarter sections of deeded land, 
besides operating eight quarter sections of leased 
land. He is extensively engaged in the cattle 
business, also raises a large number of horses 
each vear. His ranch is all fenced, and has 



plenty of good living water for his stock, natural 
timber, etc. His ranch joins that of his father, 
E. W. Carpenter. 

Mr. Carpenter was married in June, 1898, to 
Miss Lilly M. Augustine, whose father, John 
Augustine, is a prominent farmer of Marshall 
county, Iowa, where Mrs. Carpenter was reared. 
Our subject has one child. Bemice. 

Mr. Carpenter is actively awake to the in- 
terests of his community, and aids materially in 
its advancement. He votes the Republican tick- 
et, and is a strong party man. 



JOHN SHEARER, Deceased. 

For over twenty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal history has been as- 
sociated with the agricultural interests of Dawes 
county, and as an old settler and one of tier 
worthy citizens he was prominently known. i\Ir. 
Shearer was proprietor of one of the fine farms 
of that locality and accumulated his property and 
gained his good name by his persistent and hon- 
est labors. He resided in section 34 up to the 
time of his death, which occurred in May, 1903, 
and he was sincerely mourned by a host of warm 
friends and relatives. 

Mr. Shearer was born in Grant county, In- 
diana, in 1849. His father, John Shearer, was a 
farmer of Irish stock, and his mother was oi 
German stock, both born in Guernsey county, 
Ohio, and from there moved to Grant county, 
Indiana, where the whole family of fourteen 
children were born. They moved to Mercer 
county, Illinois, and then to Fort Madison, Iowa, 
where the parents died. Our subject grew up in 
the east, but during his younger days traveled 
considerably all through the western states, and 
finally located in Dawes county about 1885. filing 
on the homestead which he occupied for so many 
years. This was located in section 34, township 
34. range 48, anil was entirely unimproved prop- 
erty, but he went to work to build it up, but it 
was up-hill work, as the drouths overtook him 
during the first years there, and several crops 
were total losses. He had a few cows and chick- 
ens, and the products from these formed the 
principal food for his family. Since the demise 
of Mr. Shearer times have changed for the bet- 
ter. His family have been able to raise good 
crops, and they have gone into the stock raising 
business on quite a large scale, have steadily 
forged ahead and his widow is entirely free from 
debt on their farm. They have a good home and 
farm and have put up a complete set of good 
buildings and added many improvements. There 
are one hundred and si.xtv acres in the farm. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



403 



which is located on Big Bordeaux creek, and 
the place is supplied with plenty of natural tim- 
ber, wild fruits, etc. Mrs. Shearer has a fine 
orchard started, and the good order prevailing m 
every part of the farm bespeaks good manage- 
ment and thoroughness of purpose. 

Mr. Shearer's wife was Miss Mary Derrick, 
of Randolph county, Missouri, daughter of John 
D. Derrick, a native of Germany who was a 
farmer, and came to the United States when a 
voung man and spent a great deal of time in 
traveling all over the country. Mrs. Shearer's 
mother was Sarah Ann Hurd, of Pennsylvania- 
Dutch blood, and the family settled in Randolph 
county, Missouri, in 1868, where the wife of our 
subject was born. In 1887 she came to Dawes 
county with her parents, where she met Mr. 
Shearer and their marriage resulted. Four chil- 
dren were born to them, as follows: Bessie, 
now aged eighteen ; Homer, aged sixteen ; Nellie, 
thirteen, and Sadie, ten years of age. 



I. A. DeCOW. 



Dr. J. A. DeCow, of Holdrege, Nebraska, 
veterinarv surgeon, is well-kno\yn throughout 
Phelps county as a man thoroughly familiar with 
his profession and capable in all branches of 
the work. 

Dr. DeCow is a native of western Ontario, 
born in 1876. He is a graduate of the Ontario 
Veterinary College, at Toronto, Canada, and 
after leaving school located at Holdrege in 1905, 
and since coming here has built up a large prac- 
tice, traveling all over Phelps, Harlan and Kear- 
ney counties. He has been most successful, and 
likes this part of the country, as the stock here is 
exceptionally good, every farmer having good 
grades. The horses are splendid for the road 
and as draughters. and the cattle are gradually 
improving through the importation of thorough- 
breds, while the hogs are also A-1. His father, 
Daniel DeCow, is a large breeder of Shropshire 
sheep, and this last year sold twenty-two ewes 
and rams for $740. He is an authority on these 
animals, and has devoted eighteen years to the 
sheep business, also deals quite extensively in 
horses. 

Dr. DeCow practiced for two years and four 
months in the veterinary department of the Brit- 
ish army, and in this way secured a vast deal of 
experience which has been of immeasurable value 
to him in following his profession. He has trav- 
eled over Canada, South /\frica and Great Brit- 
ain, and thinks this country the best of all. 

Dr. DeCow is a young man of sterling qual- 
ities, thoroughly equipped for the practice of 



his profession, and in the short time that he has 
been in this locality has gained the esteem and 
confidence of a host of people, who all join in 
wishing him the greatest success in his work. 
He was married January 25, 1908, to Miss 
Lena Jorgensen, of Holdrege, Nebraska. Her 
parents are old settlers in Nebraska, coming as 
early as 1888, she being four years old at the 
time. Her parents came direct from Denmark. 



CHARLES M. REBBECK. 

Charles M. Rebbeck, the popular and energet- 
ic proprietor of the restaurant at Gordon, Ne- 
braska, was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1865. 
His father, Frederick Rebbeck, was a tailor by 
trade, and came to America with his familv in 
1871. Our subject is the oldest of six children, 
and on landing in the L^nited States thev struck 
out for the west, settling in Hillsdale, Michigan, 
where the mother still lives. 

In 1885 Mr. Rebbeck left his parents' home 
and started out for himself, spending one year 
in Chicago, where he was connected with a 
wholesale and retail grocery house, then came 
on to Nebraska, locating in Gordon in 1886. He 
worked on ranches in this vicinity for two years, 
then took up a homestead situated fourteen miles 
northwest of the town, where he at once put up 
a sod shanty and remained there until he had 
proved up on his claim. During the years 1888 
to 1891 he was mail carrier, traveling from Al- 
bany, Nebraska, to Wounded Knee postoffice in 
.South Dakota, and was at the place where 
Wounded Knee battle was fought in 1890. the 
postoffice having been abandoned shortly before 
this event took place. He became thoroughlv 
familiar with the country, and was afterwards 
employed as a scout for the Nebraska National 
Guards during that uprising, and was an eve 
witness of the battle. 

After this Mr. Rebbeck spent one vear on a 
farm, and -in February, 1894, bought the Albany 
store in Sheridan county, and ran this business 
up to October, 1904. During this time he was 
also the local representative of the Kimball "Bros. 
Marble Works, of Lincoln, and he was the man 
who sold the Wounded Knee monument to the 
relatives of the Indians who were killed in the 
battle at that place. This monument now stands 
on the old battle ground, and is a lasting tribute 
of respect and love from the loyal red"skins of 
that section of the country, having been erected 
on May 30. 1901. 

In 1904, Mr. Rebbeck sold out his mercantile 
business and moved to the town of Gordon for 
better school advantages for his children. Here 



404 



CO-MPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



he has opened a restaurant and confectionery 
store, and does the largest business in this line of 
any one in Gordon. He has been engaged in 
the stock business for a time, while livmg at 
Albany, and shipped a large number of cattle and 
horses. 

On December 29, 1891, our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss Paulina Polzin, daughter of Rich- 
ard Polzin, a farmer and old settler in Rich- 
ardson county, Nebraska, she having settled on a 
homestead in this county during the early days, 
where she met the man who subsequently became 
her husband. Mr. and ]^Irs. Rebbeck are the 
parents of four children, namely : Jerene, The- 
resa. Amelia and Fred. 

^Ir. Rebbeck is widely known throughout 
this section of the country as a man of active 
public spirit, counted among the oldest settlers 
who has assisted in the building up of the region 
from its early days. He is a hard working and 
industrious citizen, well liked by all who know 
him. He has held different local offices, and 
served as justice of the peace for ten years in 
Wounded Knee precinct. Politically, he is a 
Brvan Democrat. 



GEORGE W. SISLER. 

George W. Sisler, an old-timer of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, lives on his valuable estate 
situated in section 12, township 34, range 30. 
He was born on a farm in W'est Mrginia. July 
24, 1853, a son of Jacob and Margaret ( Teets) 
Sisler, and was reared and educated in his na- 
tive state, learning in his boyhood to do all kinds 
of hard farm work. Their home was in the 
timber country, and he helped his father to clear 
and open up a farm and build up a home. At 
the age of seventeen his father died and he then 
started out to make his own way in the world, 
following farming on the old home place for six 
years. In 1880 he left W'est \'irginia, settling 
in Sibley county, Minnesota. There he farmed 
for two years, then returned to his old home, re- 
maining until February, 1884, when he again 
went* to Minnesota. His ne.xt move was to 
Cherry county, where he landed in (Ictober, 
1886, filed on a homestead northwest of his pres- 
ent residence on the 27th of that month. He 
immediately went to work on his place, putting 
up a sod shanty, and using a team of oxen to 
break up his first piece of land. In the winter 
of 1887, a severe storm and blizzard struck his 
locality, and he sheltered his seven head of cat- 
tle in his sod shanty to protect them from the 
severe weather, fearing that he might lose them 
if left out in the open. He had only two rooms, 



and the family lived in one and the stock was 
kept in the other. To such straits as this were 
the early settlers subjected, hardships almost in- 
credible to be endured. He was obliged at 
that time to haul his wood and provisions for 
twenty miles, from \'alentine. One of his worst 
hardships was to get stuck in the Niobrara river 
with a load of wood in the winter time when the 
ice was floating, and was compelled to get out m 
his bare feet and float the load to shore. These 
were hard times to him, and he experienced much 
suffering and privation with his family until the 
country was more thickh- settled and a trading 
post established near his home. There he went 
through the drouth periods and other financial 
losses, but stuck to the farm until he attained 
success. 

In 1901, he sold his first possession and 
moved to his present place, where he has a fine 
farm of four hundred acres of deeded land lo- 
cated on ^ilinnechaduza creek. This is improved 
with the necessary buildings, and as fine a grove 
of trees as is to be found in the county. Wild 
plums grow in abundance on the place and a 
fine young orchard will, in a few years, be bear- 
ing in abundance. A view, of the residence will 
be found elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. Sisler was married in November. 1874, 
to Miss Rosa Glass, a daughter of Moses and 
Lena (^Kimmelj Glass. They are the parents of 
ten children, seven of whom are now living, 
named as follows: ^^largaret L., wife of Wil- 
liam Mowan : Nora \'., wife of William Ayers ; 
Sarah C, wife of Samuel Swinger, all three 
living in Washington ; Ada B., wife of John 
Brown, of Mississippi: Mary \". : John M.. who 
has a six-hundred-acre homestead south of 
Crookston, and Jesse L. The family have a 
pleasant home and a host of warm friends in 
their community. ^Ir. Sisler has held different 
school offices, and takes an active leading part in 
building up the schools in his locality. He votes 
the Prohibition ticket, and is an earnest advo- 
cate of the principles of that party. Together 
with his family, he is a member of the Dunkard 
church. 



WTLLIAM ELI FRY. 

William Eli Fry, the subject of this review, 
is one of the representative farmers of Brotvn 
county and a man who has done his full part in 
promoting the development of the agricultural 
interests of the community in which he lives. 

Mr. Fry was born in Harri.son county, Iowa, 
April 8. 1869. His father and mother were 
farmers, both of American stock. Of eight chil- 
dren, William Eli is the fourth member. He 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



405 



was reared in Iowa, receiving a common school 
education, assisting his father in the hard work 
ahvays to be found on a farm, out of school 
hours, becoming from early life inured to hard 
labor. In 1889 he came to Brown county, Ne- 
braska, and settled on a tract of land on the 
Calamus river in the southern part of the county. 
Here he put up a rough sod house and "batched" 
it for several years. Going extensively into the 
cattle business, he remained on this range for 
nine years, when he received a good offer and 
sold out his herd. He spent the following sum- 
mer in the mining camps and fruit districts of 
Colorado, looking for a place to locate, but de- 
cided that the opportunities offered there were 
not nearly so good as in Nebraska. Returning 
to Brown county in the fall of 1889, he pur- 
chased his present home, located in section 10, 
township 29, range 22, which was partly im- 
proved with a house and a nice grove of young 
trees. Here he made a success from the start, 
and is now proprietor of a farm of seven hun- 
dred and twent}' acres, with three hundred and 
twenty acres of this under cultivation, on which 
he raises fine crops. The balance of his farm is 
in meadow and grazing land. He has his place 
all improved with good barns, sheds, windmills, 
fences, etc. One hundred and sixty acres of the 
land lies northeast of Ainsworth, and on this he 
has also erected a good set of buildings and im- 
provements. Everything is in the most perfect 
order, evidencing thrift, industry and good busi- 
ness judgment in its operation. 

On March 29, 1895, Mr. Fry was married to 
Miss Lillian Lewis, whose father is an old settler 
in Brown county. Here she followed teaching 
for some years prior to her marriage. Mr. and 
Mrs. Fry have two children, namely: Leo, born 
in 1897, and Murle, born in 1902. They are a 
happy little family, and enjoy a pleasant and 
comfortable home. 

Mr. Fry is a Democrat in political faith, and 
Mrs. Fry is a member of the Methodist church of 
Ainsworth. 



GEORGE H. WORTH. 

George H. Worth has made a good record as 
a prominent settler of Loup countv, Nebraska, 
where he settled April 29, 1884. 'Through all 
the pioneer struggles he has done his part in the 
upbuilding of the general interests of the countv 
and has won the respect and confidence of his 
friends and neighbors. 

George H. Worth was born in Henry countv, 
Illinois, in 1857, His father. John Worth, was 
a native of England and came to America before 



the Civil war, settling first in Illinois and later in 
Iowa, where he was one of the early pioneers. 
Our subject's mother's maiden name was Ann 
Dugdil before marriage and she was also a na- 
tive of England. 

Our subject was reared on an Iowa farm, 
living in three different counties. He worked at 
home until] he was twenty-three years old. help- 
ing his father build up a good home and farm, 
and in 1880 took the management of the home- 
place. 

Mr. Worth was married December 23, 1880, 
to Miss Lucinda Swift, the marriage being per- 
formed in Creston, Iowa. The bride's parents 
were Charles F, and Unice (Hurlbert) Swift. 
Mr. and Mrs. Worth have a family of seven chil- 
dren living and six dead : Grace A., Eliz- 
abeth, Nellie, Ralph, born in a tent. Walter, Ed- 
win and George Dewey, all living. Calista A., 
John A., Freddie, Robert O., Lester H, and Har- 
riet are deceased. Several of the children are 
accomplished musicians, playing the violin and 
organ, and taking a leading part in all local 
musical entertainments. 

In 1884, our subject and famdy drove 
through from Crawford county, Iowa, in cov- 
ered wagons to his present farm in Loup county, 
Nebraska, coming in company with several other 
families. His parents came also and lived and 
died in the county. Our subject took a home- 
stead and settled down to pioneer farming, living 
in a tent the first summer, where the son Ralph 
was born. He owned a team of horses and a 
yoke of cattle, but otherwise had only limited 
means to start with. Mr. Worth and Ashley B. 
Coolley, one of the oldest settlers, built the first 
bridge across the Loup river in this vicinity. He 
built the usual sod shanty and put in all the 
sod crop he possibly could, and this was mostly 
sod corn, but he raised a fine garden and had 
a good supply of vegetables. North Loup was 
the trading point for all the surrounding coun- 
try and his place was the stopping place for the 
settlers coming up and down the river. The 
years passed with varying experiences and the 
returns from the farm were not large and during 
the drouth years our subject had to employ his 
time at diff^erent things in order to make a living. 
He hunted and trapped, bagging many prairie 
chickens in his long tramps over the country. 
He marketed a part of his game at Ainsworth, 
fifty miles away, and he obtained good prices for 
everything he could bring in. He proved up 
on his homestead in 1903 and now has an addi- 
tional homestead in Kinkaid, where he makes his 
home. His farm embraces all told, about two 
thousand two hundred and eighty acres, belong- 
ing to the family, and it is one of the best farms 
in this part of the country. The North Loup 



4o6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



river runs for a mile along the boundary of the 
farm. There is a fine spring on the place and 
groves of forest trees with some fruit. Mr. 
Worth is extensively engaged in the live stock- 
business, carrying large herds of cattle, horses 
and hogs and ships to the different markets in 
the east. 

^Ir. \\orth has always exhibited an active 
interest in all political matters and has held 
various offices of honor and trust within the gift 
of the people. He assisted in the organization of 
the school district and for years was a school 
officer. 



ANDY L. STEPHENSON. 

Andy L. Stephenson, whose fine farm in 
Perkins county is a credit to his locality, is 
a man of untiring energy, and is classed among 
the wealthy and substantial agriculturists of 
that county. He settled here during the pio- 
neer days, witnessed the drouth years, but 
never had a failure. As the hard times came 
on he gradually worked into the stock raising 
business, and has made a splendid success of 
his different enterprises. 

Mr. Stephenson was born in Madison coun- 
ty, Kentucky, in 1850, on a farm. Both his 
parents were natives of that state, and his 
great-grandfather was an early settler there, 
he being killed by the Indians. This was one 
of the historical events of those days, the house 
being attacked by the redskins, and on being 
fired at from the inside of the house they all 
fled except one chief. This savage attacked 
^Ir. James and they fought for some time, the 
Indian being killed, but Mr. James was se- 
verely wounded and never recovered from his 
injuries, his death occurring during that year. 

Our subject was reared in Gentry county, 
where the family settled about 1852, and his 
entire early life was spent on the frontier. He 
started for himself at the age of twenty-one, 
buying part of his father's farm, and worked 
that up to 1886, then came to Perkins county 
and took a homestead on section 18, town- 
ship 9. range 39. He built a dugout and went 
through the usual pioneer experiences in get- 
ting his farm started. His nearest railroad 
town and trafling post was Ogalalla. thirty 
miles away. All the water he used had to be 
hauled a distance of six miles. He worked 
hard and proved up on his claim, then moved 
to his present location, where he has a fine 
ranch of eight hundred acres of deeded land 
and one section leased, cultivating one hun- 
dred and seventy acres. He has good improve- 



ments, substantial buildings of all kinds. He 
has built ten miles of fence on his ranch. Dur- 
ing the first years here when he was just getting 
started on his homestead, he owned a good 
team of horses, and had the misfortune to lose 
them by lightning. He was unable to buy 
another team, so his neighbors got together 
and bought him a team and presented them 
to him. 

In 1871 Mr. Stephenson married Martha 
Swearingen, who was born in Iowa. She is 
a daughter of Thomas Swearingen, an old 
settler in Missouri, and a colonel in the Civil 
war.' Six children were born to our subject, 
namely: Minnie, Lulu, John, Thomas, Dale, 
and Florence, now deceased. 

Mr. Stephenson is a Democrat. He has 
been active in local politics, serving as road 
overseer and district treasurer, and also helped 
greatly in building up the schools of the lo- 
cality. 



H. B. KAUFFMAN. 

H. B. Kauftman, who owns a valuable estate 
on section 18. township 14, range 58, is one of 
the prosperous and highly esteemed citizens of 
I<vimball county. He was born in Bedford coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania, and first saw the light on No- 
vember 9, 1855. His father still lives in Bed- 
ford county, but his mother has been dead for 
some years. There were three sons in his fa- 
ther's family, but one besides our subject now 
living. 

When Mr. Kauftman was twenty-seven years 
of age he left Pennsylvania and emigrated to 
Missouri, spending about six months there and 
went to South Dakota, traveling in a prairie 
schooner, having with him his wife and their 
household goods. They remained in that state 
for five years, thirty miles west of Yankton, and 
then moved to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, where he 
was proprietor of the Pine Bluffs hotel, and also 
was connected with the Union Pacific Railway 
Company for six years, making Pine P)luffs his 
home up to 1897. In 1903 he came to Nebraska 
and took a Kinkaid homestead in Kimball coun- 
ty, locating on section 18. township 14, range 58. 
Here he has four hundred and eighty acres 
homesteaded, and besides this has one hundred 
and si.xty acres of deeded land in the same sec- 
tion, making in all a whole section. He has about 
fifty acres cultivated, and runs quite a large 
bunch of stock. His place is improved in good 
shape, and every corner of the same shows good 
management and care in its operation. 

While living in his native county he was 
married to Annie Chrisman, who was also born 




RA.XCll OF KARL F. GROSS, 
Grant County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 407 



and raised there, the event occurring in 1880, 
and Mrs. Kauffman has proven a true helpmeet 
to her Imsband in every sense of the word. They 
are the parents of two children, Enda, now the 
wife of Frank Bloom, they residing on section 
34, of township 13, range 58, Kimball county. 
Thev have two children, Rayona and Harry. Our 
subject's son, Raymond C, is also married and 
living on leased land, in school section 36, town- 
ship 13, range 58, and is the father of one child. 
Fern Elizabeth. His wife's maiden name was 
Florence Extrom, of Pine Bluffs. 

Mr. Kauffman is a Bryan Democrat, and 
strong party man. He is director of school 
district No. 7. He was elected county commis- 
sioner of Kimball county, Nebraska, and has held 
the office for three years. He takes an active 
interest in local affairs. 



GEORGE DICKINSON. 

George Dickinson, whose valuable and well 
kept farm home is in section 32, township 14, 
range 48, Lodgepole precinct, Cheyenne coun- 
ty, where he owns three hundred and twenty- 
acres, is one of the young men who were 
reared in that region, a true Nebraskan in 
spirit, and one who has made for himself a 
good home in this fertile and productive sec- 
tion of the state. He is the son of Friend 
Dickinson, one of the prominent old-timers of 
western Nebraska, who now resides in Lodge- 
pole, of whom more extensive mention is made 
elsewhere in this work. 

Our subject was born in Sidney, Nebraska, 
on October 28, 1878, and has never lived out- 
side Cheyenne county. He has seen the many 
changes that have taken place in that region 
and watched the growth and development, and 
since attaining to manhood has done much to 
aid in the upbuilding of the locality. He is 
proprietor of a half section of good farm land, 
situated in section ^2, township 14, range 47, 
known as the "Dickinson Ranch." He engages 
in stock raising on quite a large scale, farms 
about thirty-five acres, and has the place well 
improved, with a complete set of substantial 
ranch buildings. The ranch is beautifully lo- 
cated on Lodgepole creek, and is one of the 
most attractive spots in the section. 

Mr. Dickinson was married on January 8, 
1905, to Miss Fannie Kilgore, who was born 
in Arkansas in 1888, and came into Cheyenne 
county with her parents in 1892, they going 
through pioneer experiences in this region. 
Both of Mrs. Dickinson's parents are living, 
and reside a short distance east of Lodgepole. 



i\Ir. and Mrs. Dickinson have two children, 
namely, George and Nellie. Charles Dickin- 
son, a brother of our subject, lives on the 
ranch. He was married to Pearl Kilgore, a 
sister of his brother's wife, on April 8, 1907. 
George Dickinson takes a commendable inter- 
est in local affairs, and is a strong Democrat 
in political views. 



KARL F. GROSS. 

Karl F. Gross, known throughout his pre- 
cinct and the surrounding country as a pros- 
perous farmer and ranchman, has been a resi- 
dent of Deuel and Grant counties for the past 
eighteen years, and incidentally has aided ma- 
terially in its development. He owns a val- 
uable estate and has gained the same by dint 
of well directed industry supplemented by the 
strictest honesty and well merits his success 
and high standing. 

Mr. Gross was born in Baden, Germany, 
in 1860. His father was a farmer in that coun- 
try and lived and died there, Karl living at 
home and also followed farming during his 
boyhood up to his twentieth year, then struck 
out for himself, taking passage on an emi- 
grant ship for America, landing in New York 
City in February, 1880. He traveled west to 
Iowa, locating in Lynn county, and worked 
on farms in that vicinity for five years, then 
came to Nebraska, settling in Omaha, and fol- 
lowed different occupations, for the most part 
employed in street car barns and packing 
houses. 

He next moved to Logan county and fol- 
lowed ranching for about two years, then 
went to Deuel county and took up a pre-emp- 
tion, tree claim and homestead and began to 
improve the ranch. At that time, in 1890, his 
nearest trading point was Hyannis, a distance 
of thirty miles, and the postoffice was twenty 
miles away. He put up sod buildings, begin- 
ning on a very small scale to improve his 
claim, at first trying to farm, but soon worked 
into the cattle business, and for eleven years 
worked faithfully to build up the ranch, suc- 
ceeding well, although he met with numerous 
disappointments and losses at different times, 
in one instance losing all his hay crop and 
barns by fire. In spite of all hardships and 
discouragements he stuck to his ranch, and ac- 
cumulated a nice property. In 1901 he Sold his 
ranch in Deuel county to M. C. Hubbel for a 
good sum and he then took a trip to New 
York City and Germany, returning in 1902 to 
Grant county, Nebraska, and purchasing a 



4o8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REJMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



large ranch which is located two miles west 
of Ilyannis. He purchased this property out- 
right for a good round sum and is finely lo- 
cated. Here he has twelve quarter sections 
and he devotes the entire place to cattle rais- 
ing. This is one of the most extensive cattle 
ranches in the county, and he has it improved 
in splendid shape with good buildings, hand- 
some residence, etc. While living in Deuel 
county our subject had considerable experi- 
ence with horse thieves. At one time they 
took seven head and at another forty-eight 
head of fine horses. But he succeeded in get- 
ting them all back and capturing the band of 
robbers, and one of the party was sent to 
the penitentiary for five years. 

Mr. Gross was married in 1885 to Jose- 
phine Parks, she being of American stock, 
her father, Morgan S., being one of the pio- 
neers of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and a well known 
and highh^ respected citizen of that vicinity. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gross have never had any chil- 
dren of their own, but in 1895 adopted a little 
girl, Erma, who is now eighteen years old. A 
picture of Mr. Gross's ranch will be found on 
another page of this work. 



JOSIAH ZERBE, Dece.vsed. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history has been identified with the agri- 
cultural interests of western Nebraska for over 
a quarter of a century, and was well known as 
a prosperous and successful citizen. 

^Ir. Zerbe was a descendant of French an- 
cestors, ?iid was born in 1838 in Pennsylva- 
nia, his family having been pioneer settlers 
in that state. Mis grandfather, Daniel Zerbe, 
came to American shores from France in 1776, 
to take part in the Revolutionary war, and 
his son Thomas is our subject's father, his 
mother having been Miss Elizabeth Garmen 
prior to her marriage. 

Our subject came to Nebraska, from Sha- 
mokin, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, 
locating in Harlan county in 1879, homestead- 
ing in Prairie Dog township, afterwards pur- 
chasing adjoining lands, and now is proprietor 
of four hundred and forty acres, all in one 
block, having sold off considerable land which 
he formerly owned. He has been engaged 
princijially in the stock, business, handling a 
large number of cattle, hogs and horses. For 
several years he was engaged in the butcher 
business in Alma and resided in that town for 
ten years. At one time he was burned out 
and lost all his effects, as he had no insurance 



on his property. When he started here he had 
only fifteen dollars in money, and by his in- 
dustry and perseverance has been very suc- 
cessful in farming and stock raising. He feeds 
about one hundred cattle and hogs, and uses 
all his corn and hay on his place. 

]\lr. Zerbe was ajjpointed the first marshal 
of Alma in the early days, and served in this 
capacity for several years. He was a member 
of the city council for four terms, and presi- 
dent of the board all of this time. He was also 
mayor of the town for four terms in succes- 
sion, elected three times by those in favor of 
saloons, and once by the local option people, 
who recognized the fact that he had been fair 
and honest in his dealings as mayor. He was 
acting as mayor of Alma during the bad years, 
and by his careful management of the town 
finances made work for all the people there, 
and won their confidence by his strict integ- 
rity arid fair treatment in all matters. 

In 1872 Mr. Zerbe married Miss Angelina 
Reed, a native of Schuylkill county, Pennsyl- 
vania, daughter of Moses and Marion Kantner 
Reed, this family having been pioneers of 
Pennsylvania. Mr. Zerbe had three daughters 
from a former marriage, namely: Martha, 
widow of Andrew Kachalries. of Alma : Eliza- 
beth, wife of N. D. Feese, a farmer living near 
Alma ; Ida, now Mrs. Albert Bove, whose hus- 
band is a leading merchant of Lincoln. Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Zerbe is a member of the E\-angelical 
church and a trustee of that church. He be- 
longs to the Masonic order, having been a 
member of the blue lodge in Pennsylvania. In 
political faith he is a Republican. Mr. Zerbe 
died August 8, 1908, mourned by the family 
and a large number of friends and acquaint- 
ances. 



SAM. A. CARLSON. 

Sam. A. Carlson, an old and prominent res- 
ident of Phelps county, Nebraska, resides on 
his well improved farm in section 2, Prairie 
township, on which he settled in 1877. Mr. 
Carlson was bom in Sweden, and came 
to America in 1870, settling in Chicago, 
where he worked for a time, then in other 
places until he finally landed in this vicinity. 

After striking Nebraska Mr. Carlson at 
once settled on a homestead and tree claim, 
later selling the latter. He broke up the wild 
land on his farm, built a house and for some 
years had a hard time to get along on account 
of the dry years and bad weather generally. 
He ke]U at il. hnwoNcr, and gradually improved 




JOHN O'XlilL. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



409 



his place, putting up good buildings, and of 
late years has raised good crops and been very 
successful. His wheat has shown a yield of 
thirty bushels per acre and corn fifty, and 
besides farming he engages in stock raising 
to some extent. He has a good many draught 
horses all the time on his farm, and enough 
cattle for his own use, besides hogs and other 
stock. He is counted one of the best farmers 
of the township, and as he has plenty of help 
with his force of seven sons, is not obliged to 
hire any work done, which is of immense sav- 
ing to him. 

Mr. Carlson was united in marriage to Miss 
Emily Samuelson, a native of Sweden. They 
have a family of eight children, named as fol- 
lows: Nora, Roger, Carl, Theodore, Law- 
rence, Leroy, Eddie and Albert. 

Mr. Carlson and his family are members 
of the Lutheran church of Holdrege, and he 
has served as treasurer for the past fifteen 
years. He was one of the organizers of the 
church. He is also moderator of his district 
school. In political faith he is a Republican. 

Mr. Carlson has gone through many hard- 
ships in the building up of his home and farm 
here, but has overcome all the struggles and 
adversities of the pioneer life, and success' has 
crowned his efforts in the possession of a fine 
estate and happy home surrounded by his fam- 
ily and friends, and richly deserves it all. 



PETER SCHAEFER, Dece.vsed. 

To the early settlers of Sioux county the 
name of Peter Schaefer is well known. He lo- 
cated on a homestead in 1894, where the re- 
gion was but slightly developed, and there was 
little in sight to reward the struggles and 
hardships through which he must pass, but he 
was possessed of indomitable will and stanch 
courage, and he took up his work with suc- 
cess as his watchword. For many years he 
labored faithfully and at his demise his widow 
took up the management of the farm and is 
now the owner of one of the best estates in 
the county, and in the management and labors 
of the place she has been assisted by her sons 
and daughters, and the family is well known 
throughout the locality and highly esteemed. 

Peter Schaefer was born in Ausendorf, Prus- 
sia, April 1, 1847. His father, John, was a day 
laborer ; his mother, who was Susan Haman, 
was a native of Praesen, Germany. Our sub- 
ject grew up in his native land working as a 
laborer, and in 1869 came to America, landing 
in New York, from whence he went to Phil- 
adelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent nine 



years, engaged most of the time in working 
for the Baldwin Locomotive Works. His 
health began to fail and from there he came 
west. He settled first in .Seward county, Ne- 
braska, on a farm, and remained on that place 
for seventeen years, succeeding in building up 
a good home and developing a farm, and in 
1894 came to Sioux county, taking up a home- 
stead, utterly unimproved land, and started to 
farm. He had poor success at first, and worked 
hard in tr3nng to raise crops. Two years after 
locating here he died, in 1896, and his wife 
and children were obliged to take the man- 
agement of the farm. The sons worked faith- 
fully to help their mother in carrying on the 
place, and steadily improved it with good 
buildings and fences, and they now have every- 
thing in the finest possible shape, and are 
doing splendidly. Mrs. Schaefer has bought 
more land and the ranch now comprises six- 
teen hundred acres, which is situated on Sow 
Bellie creek. Three hundred acres of this 
land can be irrigated when there is a dry sea- 
son, and the}^ have considerable timber, also 
manA^ fruit trees bearing good fruit, which 
they have planted themselves and are in fine 
growing condition. They also have a quan- 
tity of wild fruits along the creek. The ranch 
is pleasantly situated, there are many acres 
of hay land, also large alfalfa fields, and it is 
considered one of the model ranches of Sioux 
county. 

Our subject was married in 1871 to Miss 
Anna Margaret Liebert, of Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania. Mrs. Schaefer was born in Wur- 
temberg, Germany, in 1850. Both her parents 
were born, lived and died in that country. 
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Schae- 
fer, named as follows: Peter (dead), Anna 
and Nicholas, born in Philadelphia, and Mary, 
Peter, Susie (deceased), Fred, Margaret, John 
and Joseph, born in Nebraska. They are all 
bright and intelligent children, and have been 
a great help and comfort to their mother, giv- 
ing their best aid in the carrying on of the 
home place since the death of their father, 
whose death was a great affliction to his fam- 
ily and the many friends in the vicinity. 

JOHN O'NEIL. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
very oldest settlers in Deuel county, Nebraska, 
and is familiarly known as "The Father of 
Chappell,'' having made that town his home 
for the past quarter of a century, and since 
his earliest residence here he has been one of 
the leading citizens who by his influence and 
personal aid has helped in a wonderful degree 
the development of the region. Of late years 



4IO 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. O'Neil has devoted his time to the real es- 
tate business, although he lias practically re- 
tired from active business cares. He is an en- 
thusiastic admirer of his adopted country, and 
while he has traveled considerably during his 
career and seen many different parts of the 
United States, he is always anxious to get back 
home and declares there is no place to com- 
pare with it. A portrait of Mr. O'Neil will be 
■found on another page of this volume. 

John O'Neil was born in New York City in 
1853. He is of Irish descent, both father and 
mother being born in Ireland, coming to Amer- 
ica in their youth, where the former followed 
the moulder's trade, and there our subject grew 
up. attending the public schools, and later the 
Bailey College, taking up a commercial course, 
and graduated from the same in 1879. In his 
boyhood he came to Illinois, settling in \\"hite- 
side county, where he grew to manhood, fol- 
lowing farm work for several years. When he 
was seventeen years of age he began the study 
of telegraphy, and as soon as he mastered the 
profession secured a position at Converse, In- 
diana, as railroad operator, living there for a 
number of years, and later holding positions in 
Iowa, Ohio and Illinois, and came to Nebraska 
in 1880, locating first at Omaha, then in Lin- 
coln, remaining there up to 1881, when he came 
to Chappell and opened the first telegraph sta- 
tion, working as operator and agent. Four 
years later he entered the land department of 
the Union Pacific railway, and handled this 
business for the company all over the Chappell 
district, representing the United States gov- 
ernment, also handling school lands through- 
out the region for twenty-four years. During 
the past many years here Mr. O'Neil has been 
largeh' interested in ranching and stock rais- 
ing, also in the general mercantile business. 
He has the distinction of having erected the 
first building in Chappell, and was one of the 
few here when the county was organized and 
laid out. He also selected the original town 
site (jf Chappell in 1884 and the following year 
laid out the O'Neil addition. He ran a store 
here for some years, building up an extensive 
cowboy trade. 

When Deuel county was organized in 1888 
he took a leading part in the affairs and as- 
sisted in the establishment of schools, holding 
school office for many years afterwards. In 
1901 he was elected county judge, and at the 
expiration of his first term was re-elected, 
serving in all two full terms. 

Mr. O'Neil was married in 1886 to Miss E. 
Allie \\'arner. wlio was born in Madison coun- 
ty. New York, wliere she was reared. They 
have one daughter, Mabel Alice, born January 
17, 1896. Prior to her marriage Mrs. O'Neil 



taught school in Chappell, and was the teacher 
of the first school established in that town. She 
was also a homesteader, proving up on a pre- 
emption in 1886. She has always been one of 
the foremost ladies of the community, taking 
active part in the affairs of her circle, and is a 
most estimable lady. Mr. O'Neil was made a 
Mason in 1891 and has taken an active part 
in the affairs of that lodge, now being wor- 
shipful master, serving his second term. 



EDWIN CASE. 



Edwin Case, one of the older settlers of the 
western part of Nebraska, who has long since 
made his mark in the affairs of Sioux county, 
is widely known throughout his locality as 
a hard-working farmer and a worthy and es- 
timable citizen. His entire career has been 
passed in mechanical pursuits, and since com- 
ing to this region he has taken a leading part in 
its development, incidentally building up a val- 
uable estate for himself by strictest integrity 
and perseverance. He has a pleasant home in 
section 34, township 32, range 55. 

Mr. Case was born in Ashtabula county, 
Ohio, in 1836. His parents were of American 
stock, the father, Uri Case, following the trade 
of carpenter and joiner during his lifetime. 
Our subject was raised in Ohio until he was 
sixteen years of age, when the family moved to 
Michigan, settling at Edwardsburg, and there 
Edwin was married to Miss Helen Covey, who 
is a daughter of Luther H. Covey and Julia A. 
Covey, well known pioneers of that state, the 
father being a wagonmaker by trade. 

After the breaking out of the war our sub- 
ject enlisted in the Ninth New York Heavy 
Artillery, Volunteer Company B, in 1863, and 
was sent with his regiment to the fortifications 
at Washington, D. C. Later he was at Cold 
Harbor, Virginia, Monocacy, Maryland, and 
Winchester, Virginia, seeing actual serv- 
ice in all these places. During the action at 
Winchester, Virginia, he was so severely 
wounded that he was obliged to leave his com- 
pany and remained disabled until after the 
close of the war. 

In 1868 Mr. Case returned to Michigan and 
there followed the carpenter's trade and furni- 
ture and undertaking business for a number of 
years at Edwardsburg. In 1878 he started in 
the furniture and undertaking business at the 
city named and followed that for over twenty 
years, and during that time twice sold out his 
establishment, but each time again went into 
business at a new stand in the same town. 
Finally his health failocl. and he was C()ni[)clled 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



411 



to give up his work and seek anotlier climate, 
so he came to Nebraska and located seven 
miles northeast from Harrison, where he has 
succeeded in developing a good farm on his 
Kincaid homestead of four hundred acres, all 
good land, which is devoted to mixed farming 
and stock raising. He has erected a complete 
set of substantial farm buildings, putting them 
up himself, as he is skilled in mechanical work. 
He enjoys that work more than farming, which 
he has adopted for his health's sake. He has 
improved his health in a great measure and 
thinks the west is a great country. 

Mr. Case and his wife and one daughter, 
Bessie A., occupy a pleasant and comfortable 
rural home, and have a host of warm friends 
in their community. Bessie A., his daughter, 
has a section of good land adjoining her fa- 
ther's and it is well improved, having lots of 
good timber on the place. She settled here 
two years before her father and mother came, 
on a Kincaid homestead. 



CHARLES H. STEWART. 

Charles H. Stewart was a resident of Keya 
Paha county, Nebraska, for the past twenty- 
five years, associated with the agricultural in- 
terests of that section of the state, and helped 
the growth of that county while it was yet a 
part of Brown county, always assisting in the 
advancement of all matters tending to its im- 
provement and commercial value. Mr. Stew- 
art is now a resident of Sioux county, where 
he lives on section 35, township 32, range 56. 

He is a native of Ray county, Missouri, 
born in 1851. He is a son of William A. Stew- 
art, a farmer, and Caroline (Smith) Stewart, 
both of American stock. He is the fourth 
member in his parents' family of thirteen chil- 
dren, and was raised in the state of his birth, 
receiving a common school education and 
learning to do all kinds of hard farm work. 
At the age of twenty-three years he worked in 
the woods, and also farmed for two years. In 
1883 he came to Nebraska and settled in Brown 
county, taking a homestead in section 9, town- 
ship 32, range 19. His first building was a log 
shanty, and he batched it there for five years, 
going through the dry years, and lost his crops, 
but did not lose faith in northwest Nebraska. 
Since the good years began he has been very 
successful in his farming operations, and has 
also engaged to quite an extent in stock rais- 
ing, and now owns a fine ranch of six hundred 
and forty acres, all fenced and cross fenced. 
He has a substantial farm house, 36x26, one 



and a half story high, and a splendid set of 
farm buildings with all improvements neces- 
sary for conducting a model farm. All this has 
been accomplished by his unaided efforts, sup- 
plemented by hard work and good manage- 
ment, and he is well known all over the county 
as a prosperous farmer and worthy citizen. He 
is a firm believer in improved stock. In 1907 
he purchased a small herd of thoroughbred 
Shorthorn cattle, consisting of eighteen cows 
and one bull, all registered. 

October 10, 1888, Mr. Stewart was married 
to ;\Iiss Margaretta Draine, whose parents are 
old settlers in Keya Paha county. Eight chil- 
dren complete their family, named as follows: 
Harold. Arthur, Donald, Amy, Alta, Elsie, 
Clyde and Glen. 

Mr. Stewart takes an active interest in lo- 
cal affairs, and has been on the Republican 
central committee for six years. He has served 
his locality in different capacities at various 
times, and is one of the worthy and influential 
men of the county. In October, 1908, partly 
on account of his daughter's health and partly 
to take advantage of the better school facili- 
ties, Mr. Stewart moved to Sioux county, but 
he still owns his farm in Keya Paha county. 



SAMUEL H. GOUCHER. 

Samuel H. Goucher, one of the most potent 
factors in the development of the commercial 
and agricultural resources of Cherry county, 
is also one of the oldest settlers in this part of 
the state, where he owns a valuable estate 
which he has gained by careful management 
and honest industry, well meriting his high 
standing as a citizen. 

Mr. Goucher was born in Ripley county, 
Indiana, February 4, 1854. His parents moved 
first to Illinois, where they resided one year, 
and then to Harrison county, Missouri, in 
about 1856. His father, David Goucher, served 
in the Sixteenth Missouri Cavalry for four and 
a half years during the war. Samuel H. was 
the eldest member of seven children in his fa- 
ther's family, and started out for himself at 
the age of twenty-one, working out by the day 
for neighbors and living at home until he was 
twenty-four. In 1878 he moved on a farm 
and worked for himself until 1886, when he 
came to Cherry county, Nebraska, driving over 
the old Kearney trail with a team and covered 
wagon, and located near where he now re- 
sides. He built the first log house on the place 
and lived in this place for a long time. He at 
once began farming and was just nicely start- 



412 



aj.MPENDlU.M OF HISTORY, REMLXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ed when the dry years came and all his crops 
were lost. He was compelled to work out by 
the day to make a livin.a: for his family, and 
was emploj-ed on a ranch for five years near 
his farm. These were his hardest times. All 
he was able to earn by working; on farms in 
the neisfhborhood was twenty dollars per 
month and the work then was much harder to 
do before the farms were equipped with all 
the modern machinery which is in use today. 
His farm of eight hundred acres, which is 
located in section 31. township 33. range 37. is 
well improved and well stocked. He has erect- 
ed all good farm buildings, and enjoys a com- 
fortable and pleasant home, and is classed 
among the leading agriculturists of his town- 
ship. 

Mr. Goucher was married August 7. 1877. 
to Miss Ida Zerbe. born in Ohio in 1862. Her 
father. William Zerbe. is a native of Penn- 
sylvania, engaged in farming and stock rais- 
ing, and her mother, who was Marj' Gilbert, 
was born in Ohio of English-German descent. 
Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Goucher, nine of whom are living, namely: 
Nora E.. wife of William Kyte ; Floyd H., 
Roby ^^'.. Zora Etta, wife of Bert Nichols: 
Ora'Ocy Belle, Meda M., Leona Pearl, Bert 
and Berlie. 

Mr. Goucher has never sought political pre- 
ferment, but attends strictly to his farm du- 
ties, and is known as a gentleman of good cit- 
izenshi]) and honest principles. He is a Re- 
publican. 



MERLIN D. BARNES. 

Merlin D. liarnes, a progressive and intel- 
ligent young business man of Cody. Nebraska, 
has become one of the well known and highly 
esteemed citizens of that place. 

Mr. Barnes was born in Butler county, 
Iowa, February 25, 1882. His father. Moses 
Barnes, came to Cherry county with his fam- 
ily in 1900, where he in partnership with his 
son, our subject, established a hardware and 
furniture store in Cody, of which the latter 
is now sole proprietor, the former having re- 
turned to Iowa, where he now resides. Mr. 
Barnes is the eldest of two children, and was 
raised and educated at Dumont, Iowa, where 
he worked on a farm while still a boy. Since 
opening up his present establishment in Cody 
he has built up a large trade anrl made a suc- 
cess of the mercantile business. He has a store 
48x60 and carries a complete stock of hard- 
ware, furniture and machiiierv. and is recog- 



nized as one of the enterprising and progres- 
sive merchants of the town. While his father 
lived here he was active in commercial and 
political affairs and served for a time on the 
town board. 

Mr. Barnes was married September 27, 
1903, to Miss Florence Jackson, daughter of 
Joseph Jackson, a prominent ranchman of 
Cherry county, who owns and operates a large 
ranch two miles southeast of the town of Cody. 
Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have one child. Rena. 

Mr. Barnes is a member of the Cody camp. 
Modern A\'oodmen of America. 



HENRY H. LIBBY. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is a typical western rancher and farmer, 
genial and generous in disposition, and he has 
been most successful in his career, gaining a 
comfortable fortune, and building up a good 
home in the region to which he came many 
years ago. He resides in section 36, township 
14, range 47, Lodgepole precinct, and is well 
and favorably known throughout Cheyenne 
county. 

Henry H. Libby was born at Gardiner, on 
the Kennebec river, Maine, May 7, 1852. His 
parents moved to Massachusetts when he was 
an infant, and he was reared and educated in 
the public schools of Amherst, remaining there 
until he was twenty years of age. He then 
came to Sidney, Nebraska, and engaged in the 
meat business, following that work intermit- 
tently for about ten years. During the early 
days in this section he also freighted through 
the country, making numerous trips into the 
Black Hills during 187i3-77. He finally drifted 
into ranching and cattle raising in 1879, pur- 
chasing his original ranch of si.\ hundred and 
forty acres in section 36, township 14. range 
47, and still occupies this place. The ranch is 
known as "The Meadows," and when first pur- 
chased there was not a tree on the place : now 
it is splendidly improved with good buildings, 
wells, windmills, fences and groves, being 
beautifully situated on Lodgepole creek. It 
is one of the most valuable properties in the 
county. He runs about two hundred head of 
cattle and sixty horses, and has been for many 
years past one of the largest dealers in stock, 
raising and ship]iing. iirincijially cattle, out of 
Cheyenne county. 

\Ir. Libby has made many visits back to the 
east, both on business and pleasure trips, but 
is loyal to the home of his adoption, and is 
one of the few men left in this vicinitv whose 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



413 



residence in this region dates back as far as 
his own. 

In 1886 our subject married ]\Iiss Mary 
Bull, at Amherst, ]\Iassachusetts, who was a 
native of Pittsfield, that state. Both her par- 
ents and her husband's are now deceased. Two 
children have been born of this union, name- 
ly: Roy H., now attending school at Coun- 
cil Bluflfs, Iowa. He is in his senior year and 
has merited the first lieutenancy of the Cadets. 
The daughter, Barbara, is the life and delight 
of her fond parents. The family enjoy a pleas- 
ant home, and it is one of the bright spots 
in the traveler's itinerary. 



D. C. BLISS. 



D. C. Bliss, engaged in the nursery busi- 
ness, occupies a fine residence surrounded by 
beautiful grounds which adjoins the town ©f 
Minden. He has been in the nursery business 
since 1883, at which time he moved to ]Minden, 
and grows and handles all kinds of trees, and 
deals only in the very best varieties. He is 
well known all over Nebraska, and the prod- 
ucts of his nursery are shipped to every part 
af this state as well as through the adjoining 
western states. He is a thorough judge of 
his business, and any one obtaining plants and 
trees from him is sure to receive the very best 
that it is possible to get. 

Air. Bliss was born in Jefferson county, 
New York, in 1843. His father, David B. Bliss, 
came to Wisconsin in 1845, traveling by way 
of the Great Lakes, the journey consuming four 
weeks, and reached Sheboygan on July 4, of 
the latter year. At that time our subject was 
two years old, and he grew up there, following 
teaching for some years, in 1864 enlisting in 
Company G, Second ^^'isconsin Cavalry, serv- 
ing up to the close of the war, and was mus- 
tered out at Madison, Wisconsin. He located 
in LaSalle county, Illinois, shortly after this, 
where he engaged in teaching and farming, re- 
maining there up to 1874, then came west, set- 
tling in York county, Nebraska, and lived there 
until 1883, then moved to Minden, where he 
has remained ever since. 

Mr. Bliss was married in LaSalle county, 
Illinois, in 1868, to Miss Sophia C. Hart, and 
they have a family of three children, who are 
named as follows: Dr. H. O. Bliss, practicing 
dentistry at Bridgeport, Nebraska : Jennie M., 
now engaged in photography, running a 
studio at Minden, Nebraska. She is a gradu- 
ate of the College of Photography at Effing- 
ham. Illinois; Dr. R. W. Bliss, practicing physi- 



cian and surgeon, connected with the Omaha 
Medical College, also on the staff of two hos- 
pitals in Omaha and a graduate of Rush Med- 
ical College, Chicago, class of 1903, and also 
a graduate of the Nebraska State University. 
He has practiced at St. Luke's Hospital, Chi- 
cago, for some time, and later at the Cook 
County Hospital of that city, and is a physi- 
cian of prominence and a skillful surgeon. Mr. 
Bliss and his famih' are members of the Pres- 
byterian church here, and highly esteemed as 
worthy citizens and good neighbors. 

Air. Bliss traces his ancestry to English 
extraction. All the Bliss families in America 
sprang from three brothers and one sister, who 
came to this country previous to 1640: Thom- 
as Bliss was born at Belle Stone Parish, Dev- 
onshire, England, 1580; John Bliss, of Long- 
meadow, Massachusetts, was born in Hartford, 
Connecticut, in 1640; Ebenezer Bliss was born 
in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, in 1683 ; Eb- 
enezer Bliss was born in Longmeadow, Massa- 
chusetts in 1725 ; Rev. Enos Bliss, born in 
Longmeadow, Massachusetts, in 1765 : David 
B. Bliss, born in Watertown, New York, in 
1808 ; and David Cleveland Bliss was born in 
Loraine, New York, in 1843. 

David C. Bliss, our subject, has two sons, 
Dr. Harley Orin Bliss, who was born in York, 
Nezraska, in 1875, and Dr. Rodney W. Bliss, 
who was born in York in 1878. 

A daughter of Thomas Bliss was tried for 
witchcraft in 1645. Margarette Bliss, the wife 
of Thomas Bliss, was a very remarkable wo- 
man. After her husband's death she supported 
a family of twelve children. She owned a 
small tract of land about a mile square. That 
tract is now in the center of Springfield, Mas- 
sachusetts, and worth millions of dollars. 



CHARLES H. GAY. 

Charles H. Gay, one of the earliest settlers 
in western Nebraska, resi'des on his large ranch 
in section 18, township 31, range 39, Cherry 
county, and is classed among the leading citi- 
zens of this region. 

Mr. Gay was born in Cleveland, Ohio, May 
22, 1837, and was reared in East Randolph, Or- 
ange county, Vermont, where his parents 
moved when he was a small child. His forefa- 
thers were among the early settlers in Amer- 
ica, a great-grandfather was a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war and a grandfather, Captain 
Bradford F. Story, served in the Alexican war. 
Charles H. Gay was the oldest of his parents' 
seven children, and at the age of fourteen 



414 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



years started out for himself, firing on a switch 
engine, and for two years followed this work. 
Later he fired in Wisconsin for several years, 
and at the age of eighteen was an engineer on 
the railroad. He continued at railroading for 
twenty years, then quit the business and came 
to Nebraska, settling in Holt county, where 
he stayed for four years. He next went to 
Sheridan county, taking up a tree claim in 
1883, moving onto the claim May 31, 1884. 
There he started a farm and ran it for four 
years, then moved to near Irwin and remained 
for a few years. During the dry years he sold 
this place and in 1900 settled on his present 
home, where he has a range four miles long 
and about two miles wide, keeping about two 
hundred head of stock and one hundred and 
twenty-five cattle and seventy-five horses. Mr. 
Gay drove through from Holt county when he 
came here, as this was before the railroad 
was begun west of Valentine, arid the entire 
country around was in a wild state. He was a 
soldier in the late war, enlisting in 1864 in 'Si'in- 
nesota, and served four years and four months. 

In 1874 Mr. Gay was first married to Rachel 
Comers. Three children were born to them, 
namely:' Frank E., William B. and Henry W. 
Mrs. Gay died in 1872 and he was married the 
second time, to Alice SutclilTe, they having the 
following children: Geneva M., Ellen E., Sa- 
rah E. (dead). Edward Joseph and Edna Jose- 
phine (twins), and Maude (deceased), all of 
his second family growing up in Nebraska. 

Mr. Gay is a Republican and takes an ac- 
tive part in politics. A view of the residence 
and surroundings will be found on another 
page of this work. 



JOHN A. BUTLER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this review 
is one of the earliest settlers in the western part 
of Nebraska, and who came to this region when 
the country was practically a wilderness, when 
Indians and tough characters were thick here 
and he has seen the development of the agricul- 
tural and commercial resources from the very 
beginning. Mr. Butler resides in section 35, 
township 33. range 47, Dawes county, and is 
well-known and highly respected as a good neigh- 
bor and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Butler was born in Gentry county, Mis- 
souri, in 1858. His father, Madison Butler, was 
a pioneer in northwestern Missouri, a southerner 
by birth, from old X'irginia, and a man of su- 
perior intellect and ability as a farmer and cit- 
izen. He married Miss Eliza Brown, of Ken- 



tucky, and of American ancestry. Our subject 
was reared and educated in Missouri, remaining 
at home up to the time of his twenty-sixth year. 
His father died about the year 1882, and the 
mother and children kept up the home farm from 
that time on. He then came to Nebraska, freight- 
ing from \'alentine, arriving in Dawes county, 
April 19, 1884, and settled here, locating on a 
homestead on Bordeaux creek, camping out on 
the ground for a few days after landing here. 
His wife was with him, also their child and a 
younger brother and for several months they 
all lived in a tent. Shortly after coming here 
Mr. Butler made a second trip to \'alentine. 
His first crop was corn, oats and potatoes, which 
vielded a fine crop the first year, but on a small 
scale. He kept steadily building up his place, 
putting up a log house, and the farm buildings 
which he erected twenty years ago are still in 
good condition : of late he has built a fine frame 
house near them. He has gone through many 
hard times since coming here, and often met with 
discouragement and loss, but stuck to it, and 
has built up a fine farm and good home, the 
farm now containing four hundred and eighty 
acres, one hundred of which is in a high state 
of cultivation, and the rest in bottom land and 
pasture. He has it all fenced, plenty of natural 
timber, and raises nice crops of wheat and corn, 
the latter in some seasons running fifty busheis 
to the acre. He has fine alfalfa fields, also a fine 
young orchard coming along nicely. 

Mr. Butler was married, in 1881. to Sitha 
J. A\'ilson. daughter of an early settler in Dawes 
county. ]Mr. and Mrs. Butler are the parents of 
seven children, namely: Edward. Pearl. Ella, 
Thomas J.. Sally. Naomi and Bessie. 

Mr. Butler has always been active in school 
and local affairs, has served as school treasurer 
for about fifteen years. He was also census 
taker in 1900, and constable some years ago. He 
is a Republican in politics. 



M.XTHIAS HEDLUND. 

!\Iathias Hedlund. residing on section 31, 
Divide township, is the owner of a fine four-hun- 
dred-acre-farm, splendidly improved with good 
buildings, and his grove of shade trees ts one ot 
the finest in the section. Mr. Hedlund was born 
in Jaflcborgs Lane, Sweden, in 1832. He was 
reared there, never attending any school, but 
his mother taught him his letters and how to 
read and write. His father and mother. Olaf 
and Elizabeth CJohnson) Hedlund. never left the 
land of their birth, the former dving there in 
1844. 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



415 



Mr. Hedlund came to America in 1857. set- 
tling in Knox county, Illinois, later moving to 
Henry county, where he farmed for some time. 
He had no capital to start with, but worked hard 
and through industry and perseverance gained 
a large measure of success. He had worked on 
farms in Sweden, and so was familiar with that 
work, although the methods of doing the work 
are widely different in the two countries. In 
1886 he sold his farm in Illinois and came to Ne- 
braska, and his verdict is that this is a better 
country all around for a poor man than Illinois. 
He has helped and encouraged many Swedes who 
were rich men's tenants in Illinois to come here, 
and although they went through many hard 
times in the early days, both they and their chil- 
dren are now well to do, and own fine estates. 
When Mr. Hedlund first settled in Illinois the 
settlers went through the same struggles and ad- 
versity that they have here. He was the first of 
the Swede settlers to invest in land in Phelps 
county, purchasing his present farm for three 
dollars per acre from the railway in 1876, ten 
years before he finally came here to live. A 
brother, Olaf Hedlund, came to this county in 
1876. taking up a homestead and tree claim, and 
held it up to three years ago, when he sold it 
at the high prices now prevalent in this vicinity. 
He now resides at North Platte, and is well 
known all over this section of the country, being 
prominent in the Lutheran church, the only 
ruler in the county, and in all church matters is 
the leader. He has preached as a local preacher 
all these years, and now at the age of seventy- 
six years the people flock to hear him as they 
did years ago. He has always taken an active 
part in relieving the poor and oppressed, and is 
beloved by all. His son, P. O. Hedlund, was for 
many years the foremost man in Phelps county in 
public afl^airs, and at different times has held 
office, serving as county treasurer, county clerk 
and county surveyor. At the present time he 
holds an important position in the land depart- 
ment of the Union Pacific railway. 

Mr. Hedlund has done a great deal toward 
introducing thoroughbred draught horses here, 
bringing in a number of imported sires, and he 
now owns Nebraska Chief, one of the best ani- 
mals in the country and a prize winner at the 
Holdrege Jubilee in 1906. He has also a fine 
herd of thoroughbred cattle, and takes a great 
deal of pride in his stock. Mr. Hedlund has 
done remarkably well since locating here, and 
although he lost $25,000 through the misdeeds of 
others he has paid every dollar of the monev and 
is still a rich man, happy and contented, aiming 
to do right in every way, and still helps those 
who need it in every wav in his power. He is 
now seventy-six years of age. hale, heartv and 



cheerful, well liked by everyone. He now rents 
out his farm and with his wife is enjoying the 
evening of their days in peaceful quiet on the 
homestead place. 

Mr. Hedlund was married in Illinois, in 1859, 
to Miss Betsy Auckrland, who was born in 1830, 
in Sweden. Two children were'born to Mr. and 
Airs. Hedlund, namely: Emma, now Mrs. West- 
berg, of Holdrege. and Mrs. Ida England, of 
Osborn, DeKalb county, Missouri. 

While living in Illinois Mr. Hedlund helped 
to organize the Lutheran church, and was a 
deacon in that church the entire time of his resi- 
dence there. He is now a deacon in the Hold- 
rege church. Politically, he is a Republican. 



HORACE HOMER HEATH. 

Horace Homer Heath, one of the leading and 
responsible residents of this region, is an early 
settler in Dawes county. Nebraska, where he 
has accumulated a competence through honest 
industry and perseverance, coming to western 
Nebraska when the country was new and watch- 
ing its development and growth from the earliest 
days. 

Mr. Heath was born in McHenry county, 
Illinois, in 1845. ' His father, Elisha Heath, was 
a farmer of American descent, and our subject 
was reared on the homestead in his native state 
where he learned to perform all sorts of hard 
labor as a boy. He lived at home until he 
reached the age of twenty-two years, then started 
out for himself, working out on farms in that 
vicinity until he was sixteen years old, his work 
consisting of breaking up wild prairie land and 
clearing up new country. He then went into 
Iowa where he followed the same line of work, 
and later owned a farm in that state up to the 
time of coming to Burt county, Nebraska. He 
first settled in the latter county, but only lived 
there a short time, then came to Dawes county 
early in 1888, taking up a pre-emption and begin- 
ning in a very small way, as he had not much 
capital. He put up a rude shanty on his pre- 
emption and began to build it up, purchasing his 
present farm soon after, which is located in sec- 
tion 15. township 32. range 52. He has spent 
most of his time since then on this farm, and 
has built up a nice home, erecting a good set of 
buildings, fences, etc. He raises and ships stock, 
and also engages in mixed farming. Eighty 
acres of his farm is irrigated land. \\'hile liv- 
ing in Burt county he had the misfortune to be 
burned out twice, both times losing everything 
except a part of his household goods, and this was 
a severe loss to him. as he had a hard time in 



4i6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



getting along anyway, the first six years being 
unable to raise but one good crop. 

Mr. Heath was married, in 1871, to Miss 
Elizabeth Tuttle, of Burt county. Nebraska. 
Three children have come to bless their union, 
named as follows : Edwin, Jessie and Walter. 

The family' is held in the highest esteem in 
tJieir community, and have a happy and comfort- 
able home, well supplied with every convcmence 
of a rural life. Mr. Heath is a Republican. 



FRAXKLI.X J. COIL. Sr. 

Franklin J. Coil, Sr., holds such a place in the 
esteem and confidence of the people of Dawes 
county that a work such as this would be 
sadly deficient if a sketch of his life did not ap- 
pear in its pages. He was born in Allamakee 
county. Iowa, in 1857. and is a son of Jackson G. 
and Sarah I Morgan ) Coil, pioneer settlers of 
both Iowa and Nebraska. 

The family settled in Burt county, Nebraska. 
in 1867, where our subject's father bought land 
the year previous at 60 cents per acre, and which 
is now worth as high as $100 per acre. He 
engaged extensively in farming and stock raising. 
Here our subject received the early training in 
the tilling of the soil and the raising of stock 
which has placed him among the most successful 
ranchmen of this western country. 

Mr. Coil and Miss Sarah Richardson were 
united in marriage in 1877. Her father. Levi 
Richardson, was one of the first settlers of Burt 
county. Nebraska, and an early settler in Dawes 
county, to which place he came in 1886. Here 
he died in 1905. Her mother's maiden name 
was Emma Armstrong. Mrs. Coil's parents were 
both natives of Ohio. The union of Mr. and 
Mrs. Coil was blessed with twelve children, 
namely: George. Charles, Frank. William, Fred, 
Sarah. Morris. Mary, Robert and Alice. Burt 
and Ellis are deceased. 

After his marriage Mr. Coil bought a farm 
for himself, and remained in Burt county until 
1895. He had made a trip to Dawes countv in 
1886. where he filed and proved up a claim, but 
it was not until 1895 that he moved his family to 
their j)rescnt home, which is located in section 12. 
township 30, range 50. 

Mr. Coil, Sr., is now the proprietor of a 
ranch comprising an area of one thousand acres 
of choice land, while some of his children have 
land amounting to one thousand five hundred 
acres in this vicinity. He has greatly improved 
his ranch, having fenced and cross-fenced it. and 
has erected a substantial and commodious resi- 
dence. He has about two hundred acres under 



cultivation. Mr. Coil is recognized as being the 
premier stockraiser of this part of Dawes coun- 
ty, and has been associated with the Agricultural 
College of Lincoln, where he was instrumental 
in the introduction of Russian dry weather 
grains. He engages extensively in the raising 
of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. In 1906 he 
topped the Omaha market for cattle, and in 1907 
his cattle sold for export. He has attained an 
exceptional success in the raising of cattle and 
sheep, and takes great pride in the fact that his 
stock is the finest to be found in any section of 
the country. He has had a wide experience in 
feeding cattle and sheep, and has the reputation 
of turning out the best grades that can be had. 

In politics. Mr. Coil. Sr., always adhered 
strongly to Republican principles. Since coming 
to Dawes county he has been prominently identi- 
fied in local affairs, and is at present committee- 
man of the precinct in which he lives, and school 
director. He is also jiresident of the Highland 
Center Telephone Company. 

Mr. Coil's progress towards a competency 
and financial independence has been rapid. He 
has never been afraid of the hardest work, and 
by the exercise of thrift and prudence he has 
attained a success which should be a fitting ex- 
ample to the young men who read this sketch of 
his useful career. He belongs to many fraternal 
orders, the Ancient Order of L'nited Workmen 
and Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, and is 
also postmaster at Hough postoffice located in 
his residence. His son, F. J. Coil, Jr.. was united 
in marriage October 9. 1907, to Miss Rosalie Mc- 
Lain. born in Iowa, daughter of F. T. McLain 
and Rosa (Minkler) McLain, of American stock, 
both being among the first settlers in Iowa and 
coming to Dawes county, Nebraska, in 1902. 
Frank, Jr., OAvns a fine ranch joining his father's, 
and he is one of the rising young men of Dawes 
count today and is destined to win prominence 
and success in all his endeavors. 

Some interesting pictures of the Coil proper- 
ties will be found on another page. 



WILLI.\M LISTER. 

Among the nld settlers of western Nebraska 
whose names will figure prominently in the his- 
tory of this section of the country, the above 
named gentleman holds a foremost place. He 
has done everything in his power to aid in the 
upbuilding of the community in which he re- 
sides, and is well known all through this region 
as a man of strict integrity and good business 
judgment. 

Mr. Lister was horn in Iroquois county, 




1. RANCH OF FRANK J. COIL. SR.. DAW i..-, i. uL .\ I \ . .\i:i;l;.\olvA. 

2. FRANK J. COIL, SK. 

3. J. G. COIL. DECEASED. FATHER OF FRANK J. COIL, SR. 

4. FRANK J. COIL. ,IR. 

5. RANCH OF FRANK .1. COIL. .(R.. DAWES COUNTY. NEBRASKA. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 417 



Illinois, in 1859, and is a son of Rieley Lister, a 
farmer of American stock. Our subject was tne 
eldest in his father's family, and was raised in 
his native state, his younger days being occupied 
in assisting his parents in the farm work until 
he was twenty-three years of age. He then came 
west to Nebraska and located in Kearney county 
where he remained only a short time, then went 
on to Wyoming. In the fall of 1883 he returned 
to this state and settled at Ainsworth, and there 
established himself in the harness business carry- 
ing on this store for three years, then sold out 
his property in December of that year and moved 
to Hay Springs in March of 1887. At the latter 
place he opened a harness shop and store with 
a good stock of goods, and operated this up to 
1895. 

After disposing of his harness store he went 
into the sheep business, having a ranch nine 
miles southeast of Hay Springs, and for four 
years continued in this line of work. He next 
moved back to Hay Springs and went into busi- 
ness there, establishing a hardware and imple- 
ment store which he ran for seventeen months, 
then sold out. 

Mr. Lister was married, in 1888, to Miss 
Em.ma M. Zanhiser, whose parents came here 
from Pennsylvania, she being of German de- 
scent. They have one child, Arthur, aged sev- 
enteen vears. 



W. S. SAUNDERS. 

W. S. Saunders, who is known throughout 
Deuel county as a prosperous agriculturist and 
ranchman, resides on his fine estate in section 
17. township 18. range -14. He is a gentleman of 
excellent business judgment, and has become the 
possessor of valuable property by dint of his in- 
dustry, economy and honesty. 

Mr. Saunders was born in Kentucky in 1842. 
He was reared there, receiving a limited school- 
ing, and lived at home until 1855, when he went 
into Iowa, settling in Henry county. He re- 
mained there up to 1863, then enlisted in Com- 
pany D, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, serving up to 
1865. He was in the Vicksburg campaign, also 
with Price in his campaign, and saw hard service 
with his regiment. He was mustered out at 
Davenport, Iowa, in 1865. After leaving the 
army he followed farming in Iowa up to 1889, 
then came to Nebraska, homesteading on section 
27. township 18, range 44, in Deuel county, 
which is now his home ranch. Here he went 
through pioneer experiences, living in sod houses 
during the first years, and with his family suffer- 
ing hardships and privation while getting started. 



but worked hard to improve his farm, and suc- 
ceeded in establishing a good home. He now has 
one thousand two hundred acres, and about one 
hundred and twenty of this is under cultivation, 
with the balance used for hay and pasture for a 
large herd of cattle and horses. He has a good 
house, large barns, well, and all necessary im- 
provements for the proper operation of the ranch, 
also nice groves, etc. He personally attends to 
the management of the place, has met with pro- 
nounced success in his chosen work, and is 
classed among the solid and substantial citizens 
of his community. 

Mr. Saunders was married to Miss Mary 
R. Jenkins, in Iowa, in 1866. They have seven 
children, who are named as follows : Elmer, 
C)rva, William, Clarence and Chester, all married 
and living in Deuel County : May, wife of N. G. 
Brewer, they living in Cheyenne county, and 
Pearl, single and living at the home ranch.^ 

Our subject is a man of active public spirit, 
and has gained prominence as a citizen of true 
worth. 



NELSON F. BRUCE. 

Among the old settlers in Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, none occupies a more prominent place 
than the above mentioned gentleman. Nelson 
F. Bruce. He is one of the pioneers who teamed 
into the county from Wisner. Nebraska, and 
since his coming to this section has done his full 
share in the upbuilding of the community. 

Mr. Bruce was born in Wisconsin in 1857, 
on his father's farm. He is a son of Jeduthen 
Bruce, of Scotch blood, and a pioneer settler in 
Keva Paha county, coming here in 1884. He 
remained here until his death, which occurred 
in 1901. The mother of our subject was of Eng- 
lish descent, and of her family of three children 
he was the youngest member. He was reared in 
the state of his birth, assisting his father in the 
farm work, and attending the public schools, re- 
maining in that locality until 1881, when he came 
to Nebraska, locating in Madison county where 
he lived for one year. In 1882 he removed' to 
Keva Paha county, where he took up some gov- 
ernment land and opened a farm, putting up a 
log house in which he made his home for ten or 
fifteen years. When he struck this county all he 
had was fifteen cents in money and a well de- 
veloped case of "mumps." His first team was a 
voke of oxen, with which he broke up his first 
piece of ground. He went through many hard- 
ships losing several crops through the drouths, 
and experienced all the trials and privations 
which the earlv settlers in this localitv were sub- 



4i8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



jected to, but he persevered in his efforts, and 
■gradually overcame all difficulties until he is 
now proprietor of a three hundred and twenty- 
acre farm, of which one hundred and twenty- 
five acres are in a high state of cultivation. The 
Pine Camp postoffice was established in 1884 and 
ten years later he was appointed postmaster and 
has held this position ever since, proving a most 
popular and efficient public official, obliging and 
esteemed by all patrons. He has built up a fine 
home and gained a valuable property, due to his 
untiring energy and industrious habits, and well 
deserves the success which he has attained. 

Mr. Bruce was married in 1892 to Miss 
Florence Cool, daughter of Fred Cool, an old set- 
tler in Keya Paha county. I\Ir. and ^Irs. Bruce 
have three children, namelv: May. Esther and 
Rex. 

For the past ten years our subject has held 
the position of county surveyor, and was justice 
of the peace for many years, and he is widely 
known all over the county as a public-spirited 
citizen. 



CHRISTIAN JENSEN. 

Christian Jensen, the subject of this review, is 
a man of untiring energy, honest principle and 
good business management, and is the owner of 
a valuable estate in Cherry county. 

Mr. Jensen was born in Denmark. January 
17. 1857. and lived there until nearly twenty-one 
years of age, working on farms during his boy- 
hood vears. He is the only member of a family 
of ten children who ever left Denmark. Sailing 
from Copenhagen on a White Star liner Septem- 
ber 1.5, he landed in New York October 1, 1876. 
Going to Essex county. New York, he secured 
employment in the iron mines, where he re- 
mained for two years, and then came to Omaha, 
Nebraska, farming near there for six years on 
rented land. At the end of this time moved to 
Holt county, where he farmed for three years 
on a homestead claim which he commuted and 
then sold out. His next move was to Sioux 
ciiunty, where he remained for a time, and then 
took a homestead in Holt county, which he also 
commuted and then took a pre-emption in .Sioux 
county but was unable to prove up. so turned it 
into a homestead and lived out his time on it. 
Here he had just got nicely started when the dry 
■years came and he was able to raise onlv two 
crons. having to buv seed every spring, not get- 
ting oven next year's seed off of it. However, he 
remained here and farmed it for eleven vears. 
During this time his wife worked for the railroad 
to assist him in making a living. She, together 



with a neighbor, cooked for three months for one 
hundred and twenty-five men who were em- 
ployed in building the railroad through the lo- 
cality. These were the hardest times our subject 
ever experienced, and they were certainly bad 
enough. In 1897 he moved to Cherry county, lo- 
cating near where he now' lives, remaining on 
that farm for six years, and at the end of this 
time took his present homestead of four hundred 
and eighty acres under the Kincaid act. This 
is situated in section 8, township 31. range 37. 
Here he has done very well since starting in the 
cattle business, engaged also in a small way in 
mixed farming. He has accumulated a nice 
property, having had practically nothing to start 
with, as one dollar and seventy-five cents was 
all the money he had in the world w-hen he 
landed in New York from the old country. He 
has bad all the pioneer life he wants, and is sat- 
isfied to take things easy from now on. 

In October. 1876. Mr. Jensen was married to 
Miss Annie Andersen, born in Denmark, in 1850, 
whence her parents never emigrated. Five chil- 
dren resulted from this union, three dying un- 
named : the living are: Andrew Julius, who 
married Delia Nichols, and Carl A., who married 
Burdickte M. Peterson. Both sons arc settled 
in homes of their own, living near their parents, 
and are engaged in the stock business. 

Mr. Jensen has planted a fine grove of trees, 
the shrubs alone costing him $138.00. and out 
of this expenditure he has been able to raise only 
ten or a dozen trees. He is a Republican, but 
always votes for the best man in local politics. 
He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America and the Lutheran church. 



JOHN GRAHAM. 

John Graham, for many years a resident of 
section 17, township 24, range 27. Thomas coun- 
ty, is a prosperous ranchman and commands the 
respect of a large circle of acquaintances. He 
is a gentleman of untiring energy and is pos- 
sessed of sterling characteristics, and one who 
has prospered remarkably well in his chosen 
calling. 

Mr. Graham was born in St. Lawrence coun- 
ty. New York, in 1843. His father, Andrew 
Graham, was a native of Scotland, and he mar- 
ried Jane Coleman, Iwrn and reared in Ireland, 
and together they came to the new world to 
carve out a fortune and build up a home for 
themselves. Their family of four children was 
reared in New York 'state. \\'hen John was 
an infant his parents went to Wisconsin and after 
a short time there both died, and he went back 




o 

o W 

-=o 

"1 o 

oi rn 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 419 



to his native state and was reared by an uncle. 
In 1864 he enhsted in Company D, Thirty-ninth 
New York Infantry, and saw service through 
the south ; was at Richmond and Petersburg, and 
at the battle of Five Forks was wounded, which 
put an end to his career as a soldier. After 
leaving the army he returned home, and in the 
spring of 1866 went to Fayette county, Iowa, 
spent ten years there, following farming, and 
next lived for ten years in Allamakee county on 
a farm. 

Mr. Graham came to Nebraska in 1886, set- 
tling in Nuckolls county, and for two years 
pioneered there, then came to Thomas county 
and took a pre-emption which he improved in 
good shape, leaving that place in 1889 and com- 
ing to his present location which he took as a 
homestead, situated on section 17, township 24, 
range 27. He worked hard on this farm, went 
through hard times, but succeeded in building 
up a good home and now owns six hundred and 
forty acres, of which he cultivates about forty 
acres, using the balance as a stock ranch. He 
has erected good buildings, has many acres of 
good pasture and hayland, good fences, etc., and 
when he took the place it was simply raw prairie 
land, with but small improvements. 

In 1867 Mr. Graliam married ]\Iary A. Pratt, 
daughter of Oren and Susan Chesley Pratt, pio- 
neers in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Graham had four 
children : Lester L., Susan, Louisa and Cora, 
and in 1907, the wife and mother departed tnis 
life, deeply mourned by her devoted family and 
a host of warm, friends. 

Mr. Graham has always taken a leading part 
in neighborhood affairs, and in the management 
of his schools, etc., serving as the first superin- 
tendent in his district. He is active also in 
church work and for fifteen years has acted as 
Sunday-school superintendent, believing in the 
highest education, and anxious that the local 
schools should be up to the highest standard. A 
picture of John Graham and family will be 
found elsewhere in this volume. 



JAMES K. REID. 

James K. Reid, an enterprising and prosper- 
ous citizen of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is a young 
man of sterling character who commands the re- 
spect and esteem of a large circle of acquaint- 
ances. 

Mr. Reid was born in 1874, in the town of 
Sullivan, state of Indiana. His father. Ransom 
\\\ Reid, came to Sheridan county in March. 
1884, where he took up a homestead near Gor- 
don. He built a dugout, taking out three feet 
of earth and raismg it four feet above ground. 



and the family lived in this for several years. He, 
together with J. H. Crowder, who was a resi- 
dent of Gordon, organized a colony that came 
from the vicinity of Sullivan, Indiana, in 1885, 
and the former was prominent in the settlement 
of that part of Sheridan county, remaining on 
his homestead until he proved up, building up a 
good farm, then moved forty miles south of the 
village of Gordon and started a cattle ranch. He 
was successful in this enterprise, and lived on 
the ranch up to 1892, raised his family, and then 
sold out his holdings and moved to Gordon, 
where he entered the mercantile business, estab- 
lishing a general store in partnership with the 
Rev. Tohn E. Scamahorn. In 1903 he came to 
Hay Springs to reside, having retired from all 
active business. During all of this time our sub- 
ject lived at home with his parents, assistuig 
his father in whatever business he was engaged 
in, and received a good practical education and 
becoming familiar with the commercial and finan- 
cial conditions of this section of the country. In 
1900 he associated himself with the Maverick 
Loan & Trust Company, of Gordon, Nebraska, 
and opened a real estate office for this concern 
in Hay Springs. He is a graduate of the Gor- 
don high school, and afterwards spent three 
years at the State Lfniversity at Lincoln. 

Mr. Reid was married in 1904 to Miss 
Madge McQueen, whose father, William B. Mc- 
Queen, is an old settler in Nebraska. His sketch 
appears alsewhere in this volume. 

Mr. Reid is active in all local affairs, and his 
father also has always taken an active part in 
county politics. He is at present serving as 
county commissioner of Sheridan county, and 
is chairman of the village board. 



. JOHN H. NEWLIN. 

John H. Newlin, of Harrison, Nebraska, has 
been a resident of Sioux county for the past 
eighteen years, and during that time has become 
familiar with the entire country around, gaining 
an enviable reputation as a public-spirited citizen 
and worthy member of society in his community. 

Mr. Newlin was born in Ripley, Brown coun- 
ty, Ohio, in 1853, of American stock. His fa- 
ther, Nathaniel Newlin, was a cooper and farm- 
er, and was born and reared in his native state. 
He moved to Illinois, where our subject was 
educated in the common schools, and the family 
lived there until John was a lad of fifteen years, 
then moved to Guthrie county, Iowa, in 1868. 
Thev farmed there for about nine years, then our 
subject went to Abilene, Kansas, in 1877, and 
spent four years, returning to Iowa in 1881, 



420 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REiMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



where he spent several years engaged in teaching 
school and farming. In 1890, Mr. Newlin first 
came to Sioux county, and filed on a homestead 
in section 15, township 33, range 55, improved it 
and proved up. His location was seventeen 
miles northeast of Harrison, and he started with 
practically nothing, both himself and wife teach- 
ing school in order to save money for improving 
their home. They went through hard times, but 
managed to get ahead a little, and in 1896 moved 
off the farm and went to Guthrie Center, Iowa, 
where they remained for about a year, and in 
July, 1897, went to Wyoming, where they lived 
for -ix years on a rented ranch. In 1903 Mr. 
?\' lin moved to Harrison, and in February of 
tiie following year purchased the Harrison Sun, 
a weeklv paper established Mav 11, 1900, bv 
Colonel \\'. H. Ketcham. Since 1903, Mr. New- 
lin has edited the paper and been sole proprietor 
of the concern, and in 1905 consolidated that 
paper with the Harrison Press-Journal, the latter 
being the oldest paper in Sioux county at that 
time, established in 1888 by \V. £. Patterson. 
The first name of this paper was the Sioux Coun- 
ty Journal. Our subject is now owner of the 
only paper published in Sioux county, and this 
publication enjoys a wide circulation in the sur- 
rounding country. 

In 1890 'Sir. Newlin was married to Aliss 
Ella Conner, daughter of William W. and Nancy 
(Carson) Conner, w^ho were old settlers of Cass 
county, Nebraska, and well-known throughout 
that region, settling there in the year 1856. The 
mother died December, 1878; father died July, 
1879. To Mr. and ^Irs. Newlin have been born 
the following children : Jessie E., Bessie M., and 
Nellie B., the latter deceased. Our subject and 
his wife rank among the foremost old-timers of 
the county, who have assisted materially in the 
development of the commercial and agricultural 
resources of this region. Mr. Newlin has always 
done his share in local affairs, and is one of the 
leading men of his times. A picture of Mr. 
Newlin's newspaper ofifice appears on anoUier 
page of this work. 



F. KEMP HEATH. 

F. Kemp Heath, who is one of the risrng 
young business men of Cody, Nebraska, has al- 
ready taken a leading place among the merchants 
of that place, where he has gained the confidence 
and esteem of all who have any dealings with 
him. 

Mr. Heath was born in David City. Butler 
county, Nebraska, .\ugust 21, 1880. He is a 
son of Elver I.. Tlcitli .ditnr of The Codv Cow- 



boy, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this vol- 
ume. His mother was, prior to her marriage, 
Miss Ella C. Bailey, of Shenandoah, Iowa, and 
he was her third child, there being six in the 
family. When he was five j^ars old his parents 
moved to Rushville, settling on a farm there, 
where he was brought up to do all kinds of hard 
farm work. He received a good education, and 
at seventeen began teaching school, which pro- 
fession he followed for several years, for some 
time occupying the position of principal of the 
Cody school. He attended the state university at 
Lincoln for two years, and while there made his 
own way through school, as he had done since a 
mere lad. After leaving the schools in Cody he 
began working in his father's printing ofifice, and 
was on the newspaper staff of the Codv Cowboy 
up to April 1, 1906. 

Mr. Heath is a young man of superior intel- 
ligence and quick perception, always a brilliant 
student, and is well versed in land laws, prac- 
ticing before the department of the interior in 
land cases. In April, 1906, he was appointed 
postmaster at Cody and is now acting in that 
capacity. He also has a grocery store which he 
conducts personally, and has built up a good 
trade. He intends to pursue the study of law 
later, and the prediction is that he will, in the 
future, be one of the prominent public men of 
this section, as he is very ambitious and ener- 
getic, giving the best efforts of his nature to 
whatever he undertakes. Mr. Heath is a Re- 
publican politically, and takes an active part in 
local affairs. 

On March 1, 1904. Mr. Heath was married 
to Miss Margaret Kaiser, daughter of Fred 
Kaiser, an old settler at Custer, South Dakota, 
where she was reared. To Mr. and Mrs. Heath 
one child has been born, named Helen. Mr. 
Heath is a member of the Cody lodge of the 
Brotherhood of American Yeomen. 



PETER K. CHRISTENSEN. 

Peter K. Christensen, a leading old timer of 
Western Nebraska, has been an imiwrtant factor 
in the development and growth of that part of 
thd country since its early settlement. He came 
to this region in 1888. has accumulated a com- 
petence by his industry and perseverance, now 
owning a fine farm and is regarded as one of 
the well-to-do men of Box Butte county, highly 
esteemed by everyone who knows him. 

Mr. Christensen is a native of Denmark, born 
in 1866. His father was a miller by trarle who 
spent his entire life in his native land, and died 
there when nnr subject was a hov two and a half 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



421 



years old. Peter grew up on the home farm and 
secured employment on other farms in the vicin- 
ity of his home when old enough and remained 
there up to 1887. when he, with his mother and 
the rest of the family, emigrated to America. 
Thev landed in Baltimore, and came west to the 
eastern part of North Dakota, where they spent 
one year, then moved to Washington county, 
Nebraska, where they remained for one year. On 
coming here the mother first settled in Box Butte 
county, and the following year Peter left Wash- 
ington countv and secured work on a farm near 
his mother's place, remaining there up to 1889. 
He tiien settled on his present farm as a home- 
stead, putting up a sod house twelve by twenty- 
two feet, doing all the work of building it alone. 
He had no team and was obliged to carry all the 
sod used for the house in his arms a distance of 
about twenty-five or thirty yards. Just as soon 
he had his farm nicely started the drouths began 
to strike his locality and he suffered the loss of 
several crops, losing some also through the hail 
storms which swept the section, and these fail- 
ures put him back considerably. He purchased a 
team of two small black horses and a colt, for 
which he paid $190.00, and with these broke up 
land and tried hard to get along. In 1891 he 
decided to start in the cattle business, so purchased 
a few head, and from that small beginning kept 
on increasing his herd, and buying more land as 
he became able, until he now owns a ranch of 
nine hundred and sixty acres. He farms one 
hundred acres of this, and keeps the balance for 
hay and pasture for his stock. He has his ranch 
all fenced and improved with good buildings, a 
comfortable house and commodious barns, and 
has plenty of good water supplied from wells and 
pumped with windmills. 

Mr. Christensen was married here in 1890 to 
Miss Mattie Christine Rasmussen, also a native 
of Denmark, and they are the parents of seven 
children, named as follows : Mattie, Hilga, and 
Elinora (twins), Esther (now deceased), Ina, 
Olga and Bryan, all born and reared on the home 
farm. 

Mr. Christensen has always taken a commend- 
able interest in public affairs of his locality, and 
nas held the office of road overseer for six years. 
He has also been a member of the school board 
and served as treasurer for three years. Politic- 
ally he is an Independent voter. 



AUGUST BOEHMER. 

August Boehmer, one of the pioneer settlers 
of Perkins county, and classed as one of the most 
substantial farmer.s and stockmen of that local- 
•tv. is the owner of seven quarter sections of 



good farm and ranch land in Perkins county, and 
here he has gained a good income and the re- 
spect and esteem of his fellowmen by his integ- 
rity and industry. 

Mr. Boehmer was born in Saxony. Germany, 
in 1848, and was raised on a farm. His father 
was born in Germany, grew up there and served 
his allotted time in the German army, and was 
one of the soldiers in the campaign to Paris. 

During his boyhood our subject followed 
farming, and in 1881 came to America. He set- 
tled at Plattsmouth. Nebraska, where he re- 
mained for one year, and after farming near 
that town for years, moved to Perkins county, 
where he took a homestead on section 34, town- 
ship 12, range 39. His first dwelling was a dug- 
out, and in this he lived for quite a while, try- 
ing hard to improve his farm in the face of many 
difficulties and discouragements. He was com- 
pelled to haul water thirteen miles for- use in 
the household, and kept this up for two vears. 
\\'hen the dry years came on he had several crop 
failures, and found it hard to make a living and 
do much toward improving his property, but as 
the better times struck the locality he managed to 
get ahead, added to his acreage and gradually 
put up substantial buildings. He has a fine 
house, commodious barns and sheds, wells, wind- 
mills, fences, etc., and also has fine groves of 
trees which he planted in the early years. About 
three hundred and twenty acres of his farm is 
under cultivation, and he raises good crops of 
grain, etc. All of his present property has been 
accumulated through thrift and good manag-e- 
ment, as he came liere with but little, and after 
filing on his homestead and getting started was 
over two hundred dollars in debt. Mr. Boehmer 
was married while still living in Germanv, to 
Miss Amelia Opets, and together they have 
shared the joys and hardships of a pioneer life. 
They have an interesting family of five children, 
who are named as follows : August, Paulina, x\l- 
vine, Lizzie and Martha. 



LEWIS E. HASTINGS. 

Prominent among railway men in the western 
states is the gentleman whose name heads this 
review. Mr. Hastings is passenger conductor 
on the Union Pacific railway, residing at North 
Platte. Nebraska, and is also chief of" the Order 
of Railway Conductors for North Platte Division 
of No. 32. coming to the L^nion Pacific company 
in 1887. 

Mr. Hastings is a native of Bureau county, 
Illinois, and was raised there. He is a son of 
L. W. Hastings, editor of the Aurora Republican 



422 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



for twenty-one years, from 1872 to 1893, himself 
a strong Republican active in political circles in 
his section of the country. He is a strong ad- 
vocate of the opportunities to be found in the 
west, and in his paper he at all times aims to 
help develop and people the states througnou. 
the west. He served in the Civil war for four 
years and four months, and was master mate and 
afterwards ensign in the navy. He was on the 
Commonwealth when it was sunk, and took part 
in different naval engagements. His family was 
the sixth family to settle in Hamilton county, 
Nebraska, coming there in 1869. Our subject is 
his father's only child, and his mother was Miss 
Minerva Mathews, daughter of John Mathews, 

Mr. Hastings began his railway work in 1881, 
at Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1887 he came to North 
Platte as conductor on the Union Pacific, and has 
been in that position ever since, and at different 
times has filled all the offices in the Order of Rail- 
wav Conductors in the local lodge. He has been 
very successful in his work, and during his long 
career as a trainman has never had an accident 
or a man hurt. He is regarded as one of the 
most expert in his work and is often selected for 
special runs of the fast trains on account of his 
nerve and cool head. 

Mr. Hastings was married in 1896, to Miss 
Eva Singleton, daughter of John Singleton, fore- 
man of the Union Pacific machine shops at North 
Platte, whose sketch appears in this work. Mr. 
and Mrs. Hastings have a family of tJiree chil- 
dren, namely; John Loren, Lewis Royer and 
Minerva. 

On January 1, 1906, our subject w^s ap- 
pointed one of the board of examiners for the 
promotion of firemen and brakemen for the whole 
Union Pacific road system. This takes eight 
months of his time each year, as the board be- 
gins its inspection at Omaha and goes over the 
whole line. The other member is S. S. Morris, 
chief dispatcher at Cheyenne. 



WARREN RUCKER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the old timers of western Ne- 
braska, who has done his full part in assisting 
in the development of the region where he chose 
his home. Mr. Rucker resides on a valuable es- 
tate in Dawes county, where he has built up a 
good home and farm by dint of his industry 
and good management, and is counted among the 
prosperous citizens and successful farmers of his 
locality, well known throughout the county as a 
public-spirited citizen. 



Mr. Rucker is a native of Monroe county, 
Ohio, born in 1841 on a farm. His father, Lem- 
uel B. Rucker, originally came from Green 
Briar county, Virginia, settling in southeastern 
Ohio as a pioneer. He married Miss Lucy Blake, 
born in Maine, who came with her parents to 
Ohio when she was a girl of twelve years, and 
grew to womanhood there. Our subject was 
reared and educated in Ohio, and when he was 
about twenty years of age enlisted in Company 
D, Forty-second Ohio Infantry, and saw hard 
service in the middle and western states. He 
was all through Virginia. Kentucky and Tennes- 
see, and in the rear at Vicksburg with General 
Sherman, and later participated in the battle of 
Vicksburg. He served for one year as a nurse 
in the army, and was mustered out in 1864 at 
Camp Chase, Ohio, near Columbus. After leav- 
ing the army he went back home and spent a 
year, then to Illinois and soon moved to Gentry 
county, Missouri, where he remained for twelve 
years, following farming there, and owning a 
farm of one hundred acres. He moved to Col- 
fax county, Nebraska, in 1884, where he pur- 
chased a farm and lived for three years. Next 
he came to Dawes county and filed on a home- 
stead in section 33. township 33, range 47, which 
was then all wild prairie land, and he started at 
once to improve the place and build up a farm. 
His first building was a dug-out and sod shanty, 
and he lived in it for several years, starting out 
on a ver_\' small scale, having brought with him 
three horses, three cows and a few hogs, which 
was his start in the stock business, in which he 
has been more or less engaged since coming here. 
The first years were rather hard ones for him, 
going through the drouths, each year putting 
out large crops but getting hardly any returns. 
He often became discouraged, but stuck to the 
place, and finally succeeded in improving it in 
good shape, adding to his acreage constantly un- 
til he now owns a ranch of seven hundred acres, 
beautifully located on Little Bordeaux Creek, 
where he has plenty of hay and pasture land, and 
about one hundred and fifty acres under cultiva- 
tion, on which he raises splendid crops. He runs 
quite a large number of horses and cattle. The 
ranch is well supplied with natural timber, wild 
fruits, living water, and everything that goes to 
make up a model farm and ranch. 

Mr. Rucker was marriied in 1867 near Pon- 
tiac, Illinois, to Miss Nancy A. Rucker, his first 
wife. His second wife was Mrs. Cannady, 
daughter of John Creighton. born in Illinois, 
and moved to Missouri. Her father was a prom- 
inent politician in his section of the country and 
held numerous county offices in Harrison county, 
Missouri, and he was also a veteran of the Civil 
war. He died in 1873, at Denver, Missouri. Mrs. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 423 



Rucker's mother was Elizabeth Mitchell, of In- 
diana. Mr. and Mrs. Rucker have had three 
children, namely : Julia Emaline, born in Colfax 
countv, Nebraska. Arlie Oscar Rucker and Lucy 
Rucker, both born in Dawes county, Nebraska. 
Lucw the last named, is now deceased. 

Mr. Rucker has held local office, serving as 
assessor for several years, also as justice of the 
peace, and has always taken an active interest 
in school work in his locality, and was on the 
school board for vears. He is a Prohibitionist. 



H. A. KNIGHT. 

H. A. Knight is a prominent and much re- 
spected resident of Holdrege, Phelps county, and 
owns a valuable estate a short distance east of 
the town of Holdrege, part of his property in- 
deed, being within the city limits. 

Mr. Knight was born in JNIcDonough county, 
Illinois, in 1851 on the three hundred and twenty- 
acre-farm on which his father, Alilton Knight, 
settled as a pioneer in that part of Illinois. He 
was born in the log cabin on his father's farm, 
reared and educated there, farming with his 
father up to 1905, when he came to Nebraska, 
and his experience there and later here make 
his opinion of agriculture in these two sections 
of value. He considers this county far superior 
to Illinois land for tilling, as it is looser soil and 
holds the moisture better. Before locating here 
he sold his land in Illinois for one hundred and 
thirty-five dollars per acre, and is confident that 
the good land here will in a few years sell for 
jirices equal to the best in Illinois. In fact, he 
prefers the land here, and, besides, this is a 
much healthier climate, more sunshine, better 
water, etc., and with good churches, schools and 
neighbors will be equal to any section of the 
country as a commercial and social locality. Mr. 
Knight has about forty acres in alfalfa, and will 
put in more of this grass as it grows finely here, 
Init can not be raised with any degree of success 
in Illinois. In that state he was known all over 
for the quality of the hogs which he shipped to 
the Chicago market. He kept about six hundred 
head all the time, and preferred a cross of Po- 
land Chinas and Chester Whites for breeding 
and feeding. During four months of 1906 he has 
sold over a thousand dollars' worth of hogs, and 
finds this a most profitable branch of his work. 
Mr. Knight is an active, intelligent and success- 
ful business man and farmer, and emplovs all 
modern methods in his farming and stock rais- 
ing enterprises, believing in the progressive, up- 
to-date way of doing business. His home farm 
consists of three hundred and twenty acres, pur- 



chasing this two years ago for fifty dollars per 
acre, and he has lately refused one hundred dol- 
lars per acre for it. showing the rapid advance in- 
land values here. He also owned three hundred 
and twenty acres in Sheridan township, north of 
Holdrege, and sold one hundred and sixty acres 
of this at an advance of one-third in the price in 
two years. Besides these lands he owns four 
hundred and eighty acres in the northern part 
of the county near the Platte River bridge, and 
on some of this he has planted alfalfa and gets 
a good crop each year. He has his home place 
improved with a good house, barns, etc., and 
has a lot of good horses, cattle and other stock 
which he brought with him from Illinois. His 
harvest of 1905 amounted to seventeen thousand 
bushels of small grains, and in 1906 twenty 
thousand bushels, wheat running thirty bushels 
to the acre, and corn sixty. 

Mr. Knight is originally of New England 
stock, his family settling in Illinois years ago, 
when that state was new. He was married in. 
1883 to Miss C. J. Allison, a native of Illinois,, 
of Pennsylvania stock. To Mr. and J\lrs. Knight 
five children have been born named as follows: 
H. A. Knight, Jr., Florence and Helen, living ;- 
and two, not living, who were named Annette M.- 
and Ruth W. 

Mr. Knight moved to Holdrege in the fall 
of 1907, and bought his present fine residence in 
the best residential part of the city. He has re- 
tired from active farming, but still retains about 
one thousand acres of farm lands in Nebraska 
and other states. 



DAVE LITZ. 



Dave Litz, one of the early settlers and pros- 
perous farmers of western Nebraska, lives orr 
his extensive and well-tilled farm of six hundred 
and forty acres located in Bassett precinct. Rock 
county. Here he has succeeded in building up a 
good farm and home and has gained the respect 
and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. 

Mr. Litz is a native of Monroe county, 
Indiana, born November 13, 1860, of Ger- 
man stock. His father, Andrew J. Litz,. 
was a farmer, who died in Indiana in 
1882, leaving a wife and six children, 
of whom our subject is the eldest member. 
He was reared in his native state, and in 1883 
came west settling in Rock county on a home- 
stead, situated in section 32, township 30, range 
19. Here he started to establish a home. His- 
first building was a sod house with no floor in it. 
His first team was a yoke of oxen, and after 
using them for some time he traded them for a 



424 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



span of horses, giving besides the oxen $100 in 
cash. During the fall of 1883 he husked corn on 
the banks of the Missouri river to make a living 
for himself and family, and also worked in the 
roundhouse at Long Pine. Four or five of his 
crops were destroyed in succession through the 
drouths, and lie lost some stock from the same 
cause ; this was when times were hardest for him, 
when it required all of a man's courage to remain. 
Since conditions in this section have changed for 
the better he has been very successful, and has 
gradually added to his original place until he is 
the owner of a farm of six hundred and forty 
acres, and of this he has one hundred and twent\- 
acres under cultivation. He has lately built a 
new two-story dwelling fitted with all modern 
conveniences of rural life, while the whole place 
is one of comfort and plenty. He has a large 
barn built to accommodate one hundred head of 
■stock, good granary, corn cribs, hog pens, etc., 
■with over seven miles of fence on his place. He 
has a fine grove of forest trees on his farm, and 
a large orchard. Everything is kept up in the 
best condition making one of the pleasantest 
places in the locality. 

Mr. Litz was married ^lay 10, 1883. to Miss 
Sarah Roberts, born of American stock. They 
have a family of three bright children, namely : 
Pearl, Nora and Needa. 

^Ir. Litz has always taken an active interest in 
public affairs in his county and state, and is a 
strong Bryan man, and a firm believer in the 
righteousness of the Democratic party. He is 
a member of the Modern Woodmen of America 
camp at Bassett. 



JOHN D. RICHARDS. 

John D. Richards is one of the earliest set- 
tlers in this part of the state of Nebraska, and 
during his long resirlence here has clo.selv iden- 
tified liimself with the history of this region. He 
has succeeded in building a fine home and ranch, 
and has an enviable reputation as a citizen. He 
first came to this locality during the time the 
big cattle men were trying to drive out the 
smaller ranchmen, and when he first arrived here 
he thought it was about the worst place to which 
lie ever emigrated. 

Mr. Richards was born in Canton, Ohio, 
September 26, 1848. His father, Adam Rich- 
ards, was also a native of Ohio, by trade a 
wagonniaker and farmer, and with his wife and 
family of seven children, moved to Williams 
county, Ohio, when our subject was ten years 
old. There he was reared and educated, starting 
out for himself when but fourteen vears of age, 
by enlisting in the ( )ne Hundred and Eighty-sec- 



ond Ohio \'olunteer Infantry and served until 
the close of the war. He was one of those who, 
in the campaign in Tennessee under "Dad" 
Thomas, saw a great deal of hard service all 
through the war and he was mustered out at 
Camp Chase, Ohio, after the declaration of peace. 
\\ hen the war was over he went to the lumber 
woods in northern Michigan, where he worked 
for two years, going thence to California in 1870. 
He lived there for about three years mining and 
ranching and then traveled north to Oregon, 
where he engaged in cattle and horse raising, 
continuing in this for eight years. From there 
he went to the Big Horn basin in Wyoming, 
where he took up ranching for a time, carrying a 
large herd of cattle and horses. He then moved 
to Sioux county, Nebraska, in 1888, engaging in 
cattle and horse breeding at that point and 
also started farming, but he quickly saw that 
would not pay and discontinued that branch of 
agriculture. In 1890 he located on Gordon 
creek forty miles south of Merriman in township 
29, range 38. which place he still holds, and of 
the nine hundred and sixty acres of this property 
about five hundred and sixty acres are good hay 
land. He also owns a ranch of one thousand one 
hundred and twenty acres north of this tract in 
township 31, range 3S. on which he runs about 
five hundred head of cattle and a number of 
horses, using the south range in the winter and 
the north range during the smnmer season. 
About one hundred and forty acres of his land is 
seeded with alfalfa, and from this he cuts three 
or four crops each year, making a profitable 
addition to his income. He has a valuable es- 
tate, well improved, and after the rough times 
he went through on the frontier, is prepared to 
enjoy the balance of his time in a pleasant home 
surrounded by comfort and plenty. 

Mr. Richards was never married hut has a 
sister who keeps house for him. He is entitled to 
a good sized pension, but has never applied for 
it, not needing any aid from the government. 
Two brothers were also in the army with him. 
In political sentiment he is a Republican, and a 
member of Brewer post. Grand Army of the 
Republic, at Gordon. 



WILLIS D. SMITH. 

The gentleman whose name heads this review 
is a prominent old tinier of Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, being one of the very first settlers on the 
table land. His home is on section 18. township 
12, range 44, where he is the owner of a fine es- 
tate, and is held in the highest esteem as a worthv 
citizen and leading public-spirited man. 



-COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



425 



IM'. Smith was born in Lawton, \'an Buren 
county, Michigan, on August 20, 1859, and 
grew up in that state. His father was Geo. P. 
Smith, who settled in Deuel county about 1886. 
was a homesteader and prominent citizen, hold- 
ing the office of county judge about the years 
1890-'91. He died here February 13, 1905. 
Our subject settled in Nebraska in 1883. living 
for a short time in Saunders county, later in 
Saline and Plielps counties, and finally came to 
Deuel county in the spring of 1886. He at once 
filed on a homestead on section 12. township 13, 
range 45, went through pioneer experiences on 
the place, but proved up and sold out in 1896. 
He is now located on section 18. township 12, 
range 44. the home place containing one thous- 
and four hundred and forty acres, part of which 
is his father's old homestead, which land he has 
bought, all of which is well improved, with 
about seventy-five acres under cultivation. Dur- 
ing late years he has been extensively engaged in 
the stock raising business, and at the present 
time is running about one hundred and fifty cat- 
tle and a bunch of horses, and is called one of 
the wealthy and most successful men of his lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Smith was married in Phelps county, on 
November 10. 1884. to Miss Emma J. Beadle, 
who is a native of Pennsylvania. To them have 
been born the following children : Maud, wife of 
George Peters, now living in Cheyenne county ; 
Minnie, who is a school teacher in the public 
schools of Deuel county ; Mabel, Maggie. Annie, 
Grant D., William McKinley, and Ray, all of the 
latter living at home and assisting in the work 
of carrying on the ranch. The family have a 
comfortable and pleasant home, and all are well 
liked in the community. Mr. Smith is active in 
local affairs, serving at the present time as treas- 
urer of school district No. 39. He is a member 
of the Odd Fellows lodge, and venerable consul 
of the ^lodern Woodmen. In political faith he 
is a Republican and takes a leading 'part in 
county and national politics. 



WILLIAM SOUTHER. 

William Souther, one of the best known of 
the old settlers of western Nebraska, is a busi- 
ness man of more than ordinary capacity. He 
has conducted numerous large enterorises during 
his career, and is possessed of wide experience 
and a character of the highest integrity. He has 
done a great deal toward making the town of 
Crawford what it is today, aiding in every man- 
ner possible in promoting its commercial r'evel- 
opment. and is one of the solid and substantial 
citizens of Dawes county. 



Mr. Souther was born in Fryeburg. Maine, in 
1854, of -old American stock, his father having 
been John W. Souther, a lumberman of that 
country, and his mother Miss Katherine Cam- 
eron, from Vermont. Our subject grew up in 
his native state, as a young man attending Bow- 
doin College for some time, at Brunswick. Maine, 
and is an alumnus of the different literary socie- 
ties there. After completing his education he 
went into the lumber woods of Maine, where he 
spent ten years, also did farming, and for a year 
was in the Wisconsin lumber districts. In the 
spring of 1883 he went west to Oregon and 
Washington, where he engaged in the sheep busi- 
ness, and spent three years in that region. In 
the spring of 1886 he became superintendent for 
the New Hampshire Cattle Company, and 
ranched with them up to 1893. this being all cat- 
tle business. He next became interested in the 
mercantile business in Crawford, and also in 
Lusk, Wyoming, and while at the latter place 
was in partnership with John H. Barron, the 
two building a syndicate block in Crawford, and 
for three years were extensively engaged in the 
mercantile work. In 1891 they were burned out 
at Crawford and lost a large amount of money, 
then for a time Mr. Souther was associated with 
the firm of Pratt & Ferris, a large cattle concern, 
with headquarters at Big Red, Wyoming, and at 
the same time was interested in the sheep busi- 
ness in that state. Mr. Souther has made Craw- 
ford his home town more or less ever since com- 
ing west, and that city claims him as one of their 
leading men. He has a large ranch near Craw- 
ford, one thousand three hundred and forty 
acres, with nearly five hundred of it under irri- 
gation, and on this place he feeds a large number 
of cattle each year. Besides his different enter- 
nrises in the west, including a wheat farm in 
North Dakota. Air. Souther has large lumbering 
interests in Maine, which net him considerable 
property. 

In 1892 Mr. Souther was married to Miss 
Mabel Graham ^Macintosh, of Ypsilanti. !\Iichi- 
gan. Mrs. Souther is a daughter of Charles 
Macintosh, a carriage-maker there. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Souther have been born the following 
children : John Barron. Susan Page. Grace and 
Mabel, 

Mr. Souther is a strong Republican, active in 
party politics. 

LEOPOLD MOELLER. 

Leopold Moeller. one of the leading agri- 
culturists of Box Butte county, is a resident of 
township 28. range 49. where he has improved 
a large farm and enjoys the comforts of rural 
life. He is a man of industrious habits, and is 



426 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



held in the highest esteem by his associates. 

Mr. Moeller was born in the Kingdom of 
Prussia. Germany, May 20, 1855. His father, 
John Moeller, was a farmer, who lived and died 
in his native land. The mother came to America 
in 1889 with our subject, and died here IMarch 
19, 1895. 

Leopold Moeller has served in the army in 
Germany for three years, and worked out as a 
servant for a rich man in that country, spending 
fifteen years in that business. Two brothers 
came to America in 1883, and our subject decided 
to follow, and landed in New York in 1889, at 
Castle Garden, coming directly to Nebraska, lo- 
cating on a government claim in Box Butte 
county near where his brothers had settled, and 
the same year he arrived here was married to 
^liss Alexandrina Kahlenberg, a native of Hes- 
sen, Nassau, Germany. 

Mr. Moeller had a good start when he landed 
here, as he had brought 51,100.00 with him, and 
he filed on a homestead on southeast quarter of 
section 8, township 28. range 49, put up a sod 
shanty, bought a team of oxen and an old break- 
ing plow and lumber wagon, then started farm- 
ing. He drove to this locality from Hay Springs. 
which, at that time, was the nearest railroad 
point. The first year he lived here hail destroved 
all the stuff he had planted, and the first crop 
he raised was in 1891, when he received a fair 
yield. After that the drouths caused severe loss- 
es each year and the onlv thing he was able to 
raise for feed was the Russian thistle for his 
stock, besides a few corn stalks and potatoes for 
his family. He found that it was useless to tr\' 
to farm, so started in the cattle business, at first 
on a small scale, but kept gradualy spreading 
out in this line, buying more land as he grew bet- 
ter able, and is now owner of six quarter sec- 
tions, operating besides this a section of leased 
school land. He runs over a hundred head of 
cattle and just enough horses for farming pur- 
poses, and his entire ranch is well improved with 
good buildings, etc. He has one liimdrcd acres 
cultivated, and is considered one of the well-to- 
do men of his locality. 

Mr. and Mrs. Moeller have a family of two 
children, Frank, aged seventeen years, and Jo- 
hannah C. thirteen vears old. 

Politicall}-, ?ilr. Moeller is an Independent. 



MTCTTAFT. B. r)-Dn\OGTIUE. 

Michael B. O'Donoo-hue. residing on section 
29, townshin 22. range 14, Garfield countv. Ne- 
braska, on his Kincaid homestead, was born 'n 
Newmarket. Cork cotmty. Ireland. September 



27, 1835, grew up in that country and on ac- 
count of the Fenian troubles of 1860 and '65, in 
which he held a prominent part, was forced to 
leave his native land. The young men of his 
neighborhood were all organized for the cause of 
the republic of Ireland, and. as is well known, 
this movement was a complete failure, and those 
who escaped after the government got after them, 
were very fortunate, and the ones who were 
caught received sentences of from five to fifteen 
years in prison. Our subject was smuggled out 
of the country by friends on board the American 
vessel, the Jeremiah Thompson, the second of- 
ficer in charge of the ship being a Mr. West, who 
was a good friend of his. The ship landed in 
N^'ew York in the fall of 1865. and our subject 
went at once to Boston, where he worked at his 
trade as a tailor until 1880. and when an Irish 
colonization society was formed about this time 
in that city, he joined that body of men and all 
came west, many of these persons being well 
known throughout this region by the older set- 
tlers. They settled in Nebraska in April of 
1880. and our subject took up a timber claim 
of one hundred and sixty acres in township 24. 
range 14. one year later homesteading a quarter 
section adjoining his original tract, making three 
hundred and twenty acres which he proved up in 
due time. After the Kincaid law had been passed 
he took up one hundred and sixty acres more 
under that act, making a total of four hundred 
and eighty acres which he owned but has since 
sold his old farm, only retaining his Kincaid 
homestead. From the first he engaged in grain 
raising, also the stock business to quite an ex- 
tent during the early days, but of late years 
he has not kept very many cattle, as the govern- 
ment land became scarcer, nearly all of it having 
been settled on and fenced in. During the first 
fifteen years Mr. O'Donoghue was in this state 
he had thousands of acres available for pasture 
for his herds, but all has been taken up by home- 
steaders. He relates many interesting anecdotes 
of the earlv times in this region when wild deer 
were plentiful, but as the settlers came in verv 
rapidlv the coimtry became quickly cleared up 
and the wild game was killed off in large num- 
bers. In the '80's many beavers and plenty of 
otter were seen in the vicinity of Cedar Creek, 
which stream heads near his land and empties 
into the Platte river near Cedar Rapids. There 
were larsfe hordes of Indians in this region when 
our subject first located here, but neither he or 
nnv of the other settlers had anv serious trouble 
w'th them. Mr. O'Donoghue has worked hard 
and faithfullv since coming here and accumu- 
lated a nice property. When he left Boston he 
was a poor man. but throurjli industry and sjood 
management is now independcntlv well off. hav- 




HOMESTEAD RANCH OF M. B. O'DONOGHUE, 
Garfield County, Nebraska. 




RANCH OF JAMES H. HARVEY, 
Loup County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



427 



ing a fine farm, also a good substantial bank 
account. He is enthusiastic in his praise of this 
country as an agricultural region, and what he 
has accomplished is a fair sample of what any 
poor man willing to work can do in this region. 
Mr. O'Donoghue was married in 1858 to El- 
len Xoonan. born and reared in the same county 
in Ireland with our subject. Five children were 
born of this union, two of whom are now living, 
named as follows : Ellen, wife of H. H. Johnes, 
a prominent farmer of this county. Kate, wife 
of E. Johnson, a carpenter of Omaha; Julia (de- 
ceased), who was Mrs. Jesse Ishmeid, of Ore- 
gon: Mary (deceased), and one who died m 
infancy. The family are all devout members of 
the Catholic church of Erina. Our subject is a 
staunch advocate of the Independent party and 
has always taken an active interest in alTairs of 
his locality. He served as justice of the peace 
when he first came here after the organization of 
Garfield county, and has always acted for the 
best government for the good of the community. 
A picture of the "Homestead Ranch" of Mr. 
(J'Donoghue appears on another page of this 
volume. 



ALLISON S. GRAEFF. 

One of the most inijjortant farmers of Cherry 
county is Allison S. GraefT, who is a leading old 
settler in this locality. 

Mr. Graef? was born near Stroudstown. in 
Berks county, Pennsylvania, November 12, 1855. 
His father. Solomon Graeff, and his mother, La- 
vina (Unger) were of Pennsylvania-German 
stock and who reared a large family of children, 
all trained to assist their parents with the hard 
work always found on the farm. At the age of 
twenty-one years our subject started out for 
himself to seek a home in the far west. He came 
to Richardson county, Nebraska, in November. 
1876, but in ]March following he returned to 
Woodhull, Henrv county, Illinois, where he re- 
mained for ten years. The first two years he 
worked as a farm hand, then he went to farming 
on rented land. It was here, in 1880, that he was 
married to ]\Iiss Celinda Onderkirk, daughter of 
Richard Bond Onderkirk, a native of Germany, 
and who married Frances Thurman. Five chil- 
dren have been born to this union, named as fol- 
lows : Arthur, Oscar, Gussie, Luella and one 
that' died unnamed. The first three named are 
the only ones living at present. 

In the spring of 1886 Air. Graeff came back to 
Cherry county and located on section 32, town- 
ship 35, range 28, building a sod house in which 
the family lived for several years, going through 



the usual drouth periods in which he lost several 
crops both by drouth and hail. However, in 
1906, Air. Graeff suft'ered a much greater mis- 
fortune than any mere property loss could ever 
be, in the death of his youngest child, Luella 
May, who was accidentally killed in a runaway 
on September 6, 1906. This sad affair was a 
heavy blow to Mr. and Mrs. Graeff', and the more 
so because it might have been avoided. In 1901 
a tire occurred in which he lost his stable and 
sheds with their contents. When he came to 
Cherry county his capital was a team, wagon, 
one cultivator, a plow, but with this small equip- 
ment and in spite of all the hardships that a pio- 
neer has to contend with he has prospered and 
now owns a fine farm of nine hundred and sixty 
acres, with good buildings, well, windmill, and 
other improvements. His farm is all fenced and 
he has about two hundred acres of good land 
under cultivation. 

Mr. Graeff has watched the growth of Cherry 
county almost since its start, and his name will 
occupy a prominent place in the history of this 
community. During the Indian outbreak in 
1891, he remained on his farm, being one of the 
very few who did not flee the country. 

Our subject is a D.emocrat in political views 
and was reared a member of the German Reform 
church. Mrs. Graeff and the children are mem- 
bers of the Methodist church. Arthur is a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America at Val- 
entine. 

A view of the family residence and surround- 
ing farm buildings is one of the interesting il- 
lustrations to be found on another page in this 
work. 



JAMES H. HARA'EY. 

James H. Harvey is a native of Hampshire 
county, W^est Virginia, where he was born in 
1848. He was a son of Gazaway Harvey, also a 
native of West Virginia. Our subject's mother's 
name before marriage was Junkins. She was 
of Irish descent, her father having emigrated 
from Ireland when he was a boy six weeks old. 

James H. Harvey came west with his father's 
family in 1852 to Iowa, where they were among 
the earliest pioneers of the state where the son 
was reared to manhood. October 10. 1863, he 
enlisted in the Ninth Iowa Cavalr}-, Company K, 
going south with his regiment to St. Louis and 
on into Arkansas, continuing through the cam- 
paign in the south country with his company. He 
saw lots of hard and active service and was 
mustered out on February 3. 1866, after which 
he returned to Iowa where he remained for five 
years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In 1880 the subject of our sketch came west, 
locating in Loup county, Nebraska. His brother 
Benj. J. Harvey, was in Loup county at the time, 
and was one of the first settlers on the Loup 
river ; he still lives here with his family. 

James H. Harvey located on a homestead, 
built a sod house and lived in it for three years 
and then built a better home. He has worked 
hard at the development of his farm and now 
has four hundred and eighty-one acres of first- 
class bottom land, improved in nice shape, with 
good buildings, fences, etc. He is especially 
proud of his fine orchard of numerous kinds of 
fruit trees, apples, plums, cherries and a variety 
of small fruits. 

On another page will be found a picture of 
Mr. Harvey's ranch. 

James H. Harvey and Miss Kittie B. Taylor 
were married August 15, 1883, and have a fam- 
ily of six children : James C. John L.. Nellie, 
Harry. Ruth and Wm. McKinley. Mrs. Harvey's 
father. Edward Taylor, was one of the pioneer 
settlers of the county, and the city of Taylor, the 
county seat, takes its name from her father. 

Our subject has been public spirited and has 
taken an influential position among his fellows, 
anil is universally respected by all who know 
him. He held the office of county commissioner 
for one term and also other offices in his district. 
Mr. Harvey is very genial and hospitable and 
always extends the kindliest and most courteous 
treatment to all comers. 



.SAMUEL II. NESBIT. 

Samuel H. Nesbit, a well-known citizen of 
Brown county, Nebraska, is a prosperous and 
well-to-do farmer of his community. His home 
is in section 22, township 29. range 22. where 
he is extensively engaged in stock and grain 
raising, yir. Nesbit was born in Lewis county. 
Missouri. September 1. 1870. a son of .\dam and 
Martha (Ramsey) Nesbit, natives of Virginia 
and Kentucky respectively. The father, a 
farmer, settled in Lewis county, Missouri, with 
his family in the early days, and here our sub- 
ject, the sixth of nine children, was reared, re- 
ceiving his education in the common schools of 
his native county. He lived with his parents 
until he was twenty-one years of age. and in the 
spring of 1892 came to Brown county and en- 
tered a mercantile establishment in Ainsworth. 
clerking for this concern the following five 
years. He then went to Colorado and spent a 
year and a half in that state, three months of 
this time on the geodetic survey, five employed 
in n flouring mill and tlic balance of the time 



in the dry goods establishment of Moore and 
Beckens at Grand Junction. He returned to 
Nebraska, going to Oakdale. Antelope county, 
working in a mercantile establishment for a short 
tiine. before returning to Missouri, where he 
again followed clerking, in which he had become 
proficient. In 1900 he returned to Brown county 
and, in company with two others, purchased the 
farm on which he is at present residing. The 
place consisting of four hundred and eighty acres 
of deeded land and three hundred and twenty 
acres homestead property, was but slightly im- 
proved and he began erecting substantial build- 
ings, house, barn, granaries, fences, etc. In 1907 
he built a large, commodious barn and the year 
following erected a comfortable two-story addi- 
tion to the dwelling. He is very successful in 
his farming enterprises and successful in his 
breeding and care of cattle of which he has a fine 
herd. In this ranch he had associated with him 
two partners. A. O. Smith, of Bassett. Nebraska, 
and O. B. Ripley, at Dayton, Oregon, the prop- 
erty being under the personal supervision and 
management of ^Ir. Nesbit. who has lately 
purchased the interest of Air. Smith. The land 
is devoted to stock and grain raising, two hun- 
dred acres being under cultivation. 

On June 6, 1900 Air. Nesbit was married to 
Miss Elsie B. Dillon, who was bom near Oak- 
dale. Nebraska, where she was reared and edu- 
cated. Miss Dillon's father, A. B. Dillon, comes 
of American stock ; he is a farmer and as time 
permits plies his trade of mason. He is prom- 
inent in fraternal circles and has served as dep- 
uty grand master of the Ancient Order of L^nited 
^^'orkmen. of which order he is a ])rominent 
member for the past few years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Nesbit are the parents of two children, namely: 
Burniece D. and Marvin. 

Mr. Nesbit always does his share towards the 
advancement of the commercial and educational 
affairs in his locality, and is highly respected by 
all who know him. In politics he is Democratic 
and fraternally a member of the Ancient Order 
of United U'orkmen : together with his wife he 
has attained the Degree of Honor of that or- 
ganization. 



NELS THORSTONSON. 

Nels Thorstonson, who for the past twenty- 
five years and more has resided in Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, has during this time acquired 
a fine property as the result of his industry and 
good management. He is widely known in his 
locality as a worthy citizen and progressive 
farmer, and occupies a pleasant home in Potter 
precinct and is in the front ranks of the leading 




HOKEX OLSOX AXD FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 429 



residents of his community politically and so- 
cially. 

Mr. Thorstonson was born in the county of 
Eidsskongen, Norway, August 29, 1861. After 
passing his boyhood in his native land, receiving 
a common school education and the training of 
the children of the middle class in that country, 
at the age of twenty years he left home to seek 
his fortunes in the new world where everyone has 
an equal chance to gain a home and competency. 
Sailing from Christiana, November 26, 1881. 
to Hull, England, he crossed that country and 
emigrated at Liverpool on an American line 
steamer. When half way across the Atlantic a 
furious storm arose lasting for six days, during 
which the passengers were locked in the hold. 
The breaking of a propeller compelled a return 
to England, and after repairs they proceeded on 
their voyage, which in all lasted six weeks. After 
landing in Philadelphia, he came directly west to 
Nebraska, and located in Sidney, whence he 
walked through a blizzard to section 12, town- 
ship 14, range 52, where he filed on a homestead, 
and here he has resided ever since, bending every 
effort to gain a comfortable home and compe- 
tence for his old age. Part of the house in which 
he now lives is the first building erected on liis 
homestead after arriving here, to which he has 
added, making a large and comfortable home. 
He endured all the pioneer hardships and priva- 
tions in developing his farm, but stuck to the 
work bravely and gradually improving the ranch 
and adding to his acreage until he is now pro- 
prietor of an entire section of good land, situated 
on Lodgepole creek, comprising one of the val- 
uable properties of the county. He cultivates 
only a small portion of the place, engaging on a 
large scale in cattle raising, running one hun- 
dred head annually, and also keeps seventeen 
horses for farming purpose. A hundred acres of 
the section are irrigable, for which Lodgepole 
creek supplies an abundance of water. ~SIr. 
Thorstonson has been very successful, and has 
also been one of the leading men of his com- 
munity in political and school affairs. 

Since Mr. Thorstonson came to this countrv 
he has lost both of his parents, but returned to 
the old country in September. 1899. visiting his 
aged mother for three months in the old home. 
He was married August 30, 1885, at Potter, 
Nebraska, to Miss Benthine Peterson, who is a 
native of Denmark, born April 18, 1859. com- 
ing to this country when a woman of twenty- 
four years of age. Mrs. Thorstonson's parents 
are also dead, her mother passing awav in April. 
1908. 

Our subject and his good wife are the parents 
of three children, all at home, named as follows : 
Fendlav, Hilma and Palmer. Potter is Mr. 



Thorstonson's nearest trading point and mail 
station. He has held the office of commissioner 
for several years. He is a Republican in political 
views, was reared in the Lutheran church and 
joined the Modern Woodmen of America at Pot- 
ter. 



HOKEN OLSON. 

Hoken Olson, of whom it may be said that he 
is one of the leading citizens and pioneer settlers 
of Deuel county, is a resident of section 20, 
township 4, range 44, where he is engaged in 
operating a fine farm. He has devoted his life 
to agricultural pursuits, is well versed in his 
chosen calling and has met with success. He is 
highly esteemed as a citizen, and has gained the 
confidence of his fellowmen by his uprightness 
and honest dealings. 

Mr. Olson was born on March 22, 1856, 
on a farm in Sweden. He grew to manhood in 
that country, following farm work, and at the age 
of twenty-five struck out for the United States 
to seek his fortune, leaving his parents in Sweden, 
where they spent their entire lives, both having 
since died. C)ur subject landed in America in 
April, 1881, and located at first in Henry county, 
111., but only remained one year then came to 
Nebraska, stopping at Kearney. He spent some 
time in both Phelps and Buffalo counties, finally 
locating permanently in Deuel county, which was 
then called Cheyenne county. Mr. Olson paid 
taxes in Cheyenne county, proving up at Sidnev, 
Nebraska. In April, 1885, he took a homestead 
on section 18, township 14, range 44, started to 
build a home, and proved up on the land in due 
time. He bought an additional tract later on, and 
is now owner of four hundred and eighty acres, 
having about one hundred acres cultivated and 
the place all improved in good shape with a com- 
plete set of good ranch buildings, fences, etc. He 
runs quite a number of cattle, and is one of the 
progressive stockmen and farmers of his locality. 
During the early years of his residence in Ne- 
braska, Mr. Olson passed through all the pioneer 
experiences in getting his farm started, and has 
seen every side of frontier life. He has gone 
through good, bad and indifferent times, but has 
prospered, and is now in a position to enjoy the 
fruits of his labors, having a pleasant home and 
valuable estate, all of w-hich has been gained bv 
his own efforts. 

Mr. Olson was married at Ogallala, Neb., on 
August 6, 1886, to Miss Hilda C. Johnson, and 
they are the parents of four living children, 
named as follows : Ellen, Emil, Lillie and Her- 
bert, all at home. Four children have been lost 
bv death. 



430 



COMPHNDlUAl OF HISTORY, REAIINISCEN'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Politically Mr. CJlson is a Republican, and 
takes a comniemlahle interest in party affairs in 
his locality. He has held various local offices and 
done his part in the upbuilding of the locality in 
which he lives. On another page in this work 
will be found an engraving in connection with 
this sketch, showing portraits of Mr. Olson and 
his faniilv. 



THOMAS J. JOHXSOX. 

Among the old timers of western Nebraska 
who have been an important factor in the devel- 
opment and growth of that section of the coun- 
try, the gentleman above named deserves a prom- 
inent place. Mr. Johnson is a native of the state 
of Nebraska, born in Omaha June 25, 1857. 
His father. Honorable Harrison Johnson, was 
a native of Hillsboro. Illinois, of old American 
stock, of Dutch-Irish descent, who lived in Coun- 
cil Bluffs many years, when it was known as 
Kanesville, prior to moving to Omaha. While 
here ho liauled all the brick used in buildmg the 
Union Pacific general offices. He served in the 
legislature of Nebraska, representing Douglas 
county for two or three terms and was well 
known in political circles throughout the state, 
and a leader in the Democratic party in eastern 
Nebraska. He was an old settler in Brown 
county, C(3niing here in 1881, taking up a home- 
stead on Plum creek, near Johnstown, where he 
served as the first postmaster here, at what was 
called "Evergreen Postoffice." He was one of 
the men who helped to open up this country for 
settlement, and run a land locating agencv for 
some years. Our subject's mother, whose maid- 
en name was Minerva Hambright. was a native 
of Lexington. Kentucky, where she was reared, 
educated and married. In a family of ten chil- 
dren our subject was the only one to locate per- 
manently in Brown county, where he and his, 
father and one brother. Harry, settled in 1881. 
the first named taking up a homestead in section 
5, township 30, range 23. There he put up a log 
house and lived in it for seventeen years, going 
through tlie drouth periods and suffering lieavy 
losses through failure of crops, etc.. and for three 
years he supported his family by hunting grouse. 
deer and other game. He still takes hunting 
trips into the west and has many trophies to at- 
test his skill with the rifle and fowling piece. 

In 1899 Mr. Johnson bought fifty good grarle 
heifers on time, and in this way got a good start 
after the dry years. The first year after start- 
ing in the stock business he raised thirty-six 
calves, and he now turns off a carload of cattle 
and one or more of hogs each year, running at 



the present time from one hundred and fifty to 
one hundred and sixt\- head of cattle, one hun- 
dred and sixty hogs and thirty horses. He 
now has a ranch of two thousand four hun^ 
dred acres, all fenced. Four to five hun- 
dred acres of this is cultivated and the rest in 
grass and hayland, all of which is deeded land 
except a Kincaid homestead of six hundred and 
forty acres. A view of the place will be found 
on another page. 

On January 1, 1884, Mr. Johnson was mar- 
ried to Miss Lura B. Stevenson, born at Kenton, 
Ohio, in 1867. She is a daughter of Charles W. 
Stevenson, an old soldier, carpenter by trade 
and old settler in Howard county in 1871 and in 
Brown county, in 1882. Seven children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, named as 
follows: Eva M., Thomas J., Jr., Bessie E., 
Charles \\'., William C, Maud L„ and Helen G. 
Mr. Johnson has been a stanch Republican for 
many years past, and is active in all local party 
aft'airs. He is a prominent member of the 
Modern Woodmen of America, of Johnstown 
lodge, having been delegate to the state conven- 
tion at Lincoln, and an alternate to the national 
convention at Peoria, Illinois, in 1908. Mrs. 
Johnson and daughters are members of the 
Royal Neighbors. The family all belong to the 
United Brethren church of Johnstown, in which 
thev take an active interest. 



ALBERT B. PERSINGER. 

Albert B. Persinger. one of the leading old 
settlers of western Nebraska, went to that local- 
ity when it was in its most undeveloped state, 
and has remained to build up a fine property and 
become recognized as one of the substantial cit- 
izens of that part of the country. He resides in 
Chappel precinct. Deuel county, and is one of the 
largest landowners in that county, owning and 
controlling four thousand five hundred acres, 
in and around section 4, township 14, range 46, 
Deuel county, and ranges over fifteen thousand 
acres. 

Mr. Persinger was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala- 
bama, on May 7, 1851, and lived in his home 
county up to the age of twenty-five years. Dur- 
ing his young manhood he followed newspaper, 
work, and was publisher and editor of several 
papers in Alabama, among them the Northport 
Spectator, published at Northport, the Mountain 
Eagle, published at Jasper, the Birmingham Iron 
Age. and others. Later on he became agent for 
the Drake line of steamboats, running from Tus- 
caloosa to Mobile, and remained at that work for 
a number, of years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



431 



He came west in 1876, locating at first 
in Weld county, Colorado, where he was en- 
gaged in ranching for a time, then came to Sid- 
ney, Nebraska, and starting a grocery and grain 
business, both wholesale and retail, principally 
for the Black Hills trade, and continued in that 
enterprise for about five years, building up a good 
trade, his patrons coming from many miles 
around. During the early years here Mr. Per- 
singer passed through all the experiences of the 
western life, meeting with good, bad and indiff- 
erent times, but through it all stuck to his pur- 
pose and has built up a comfortable home and 
fortune by his strict business dealings and in- 
tegrity. On his ranch he runs five hundred head 
of cattle and fifty horses. 

Personally our subject is a genuine western 
man, broadminded and of good judgment in all 
respects. He is at present occupying the home 
ranch alone, his wife having died in 1901. The 
daughter, Mary E., is the wife of Dr. George H. 
Searcy, recently located at Spokane, Washington. 
In political views Mr. Persinger is a Democrat, 
and takes an active interest in the affairs of his 
home community, also in state and national poli- 
tics. He is well up in the Masonic order, hold- 
ing membership in the blue lodge at Chappel and 
the chapter and commandery at North Platte. 



ANSON NEWBERRY. 

This gentleman has worked long and hard, 
and denied himself many things in days gone bv 
that he might become prosperous and thoroughly 
oned among the leading citizens of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, the scene of his early strug- 
gles and long labors, where he now holds the 
esteem of all who know him. Mr. Newberrv is 
now living retired in Cody, where he owns a fine 
residence and enjoys the comforts and happi- 
ness of a pleasant home. 

Mr. Newberry is a native of Grant county, 
Wisconsin, born September 11. 1848. His father, 
James Newberry, was a farmer of American de- 
scent, and our subject was raised in the countrv 
where he had plenty of hard farm work to do. 
At the age of twenty-one he came west, locating 
in Madison county. Nebraska, taking up some 
farm land. He put up a sod shanty and lived 
in this for some time, and remained in that 
county for thirteen years, going through grass- 
hopper experience and losing three crops through 
these pests. Mr. Newberry came to Cherrv 
county in 1885. settling along the Niobrara river, 
southeast of Cody. Here he built a log cabin 
with a sod roof, and started in the stock busi- 
ness, living on that place for two years, then 



went north of Cody, where he lived on a ranch of 
six hundred and forty acres. He built up this 
place, putting up good farm buildings, three 
wells and three windmills, and remained on the 
ranch up to 1902. He was very successful in 
his enterprise there, and sold the place for a 
good sum then moved to Cody, where he bought 
his present home, consisting of one hundred and 
sixty acres adjoining the village of Cody, on 
which he has erected a neat and comfortable 
dwelling. When Mr. Newberry first came to 
Cherr}- county he drove through the country 
from Madison county with a team and covered 
wagon, driving a bunch of cattle. He had come 
all the way from Wisconsin to the latter county 
in the same way, and so his experience was not 
altogether new, although they encountered much 
hardship and discomfort from the mode of travel. 
When they ■ first struck Madison county the re- 
gion was swept by a three days' blizzard, a chilly 
reception, causing them much suffering. 

Mr. Newberry was married, in 1871, to Miss 
Jane Snider, born in Columbus, Ohio. Her fa- 
ther, a native of Germany, came to America 
when a young man, taking in marriage Julia A. 
Sears, of Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. New- 
berry four children have been born, two of 
whom, John J. and Melve, are living, the re- 
maining two, Julia A. and Laura Belle, having 
died during childhood. 

Mr. Newberry has always been foremost in 
every enterprise which tended to the develop- 
ment of the resources of the section in which he 
chose his home, and well merits his high stand- 
ing and the success which he has attained. In 
political sentiment he is a Republican, and fra- 
ternally affiliates with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of 
America. 



WILLIAM B. McOUEEN. 

William B. McQueen, one of the prominent 
business men of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is a 
gentleman of exceptional business ability, and 
well known throughout Sheridan county as a 
worthy citizen. Mr. McQueen was born in the 
south of Scotland in 1855. His father, James 
McQueen, was a shoemaker who for many years 
had made the village of Balmaclellan his home 
and his family of nine children was raised there. 
Our subject was the fourth member in order 
of birth, and received a good education, after 
leaving school going in one of the mercantile 
establishments in Manchester, England, where 
he learned the dry goods business thoroughly. 
He then was employed as a traveling salesman 



432 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



for a wholesale dry goods house for some lime. 
In 1881 he left his native land and came to the 
United States, after landing in New York strik- 
ing out at once for the west, settling in Neligh, 
Antelope county, Nebraska. There he taught 
school, part of the time farmed, and clerked, re- 
maining in that locality up to 1889, and in that 
year came to Rusliville where he helped organ- 
ize the First National bank. He was made cash- 
ier at the beginning and held that position until 
1890. He proved up on a homestead in Ante- 
lope county, and the family lived in a sod shanty 
there for some time. 

Mr. McQueen first came to Hay Springs in 
1890, and was one of the organizers of the 
Northwestern State bank, \yith officers as fol- 
lows : President. Charles \\eston ; vice-president, 
L. J- Schill : cashier, \\'illiam B. IMcOueen. The 
bank did a large business from the time of its 
establishment, and in ISKH erected the home 
building, which is one of the finest to be found 
in this section of the country. The front is con- 
structed of South Dakota sand stone, and the 
style of architecture is especially attractive. It 
has tile floors, electric burglar alarms, the most 
modern fixtures and everything is in the very 
best shape. The clearings for the fall of 1906 
amounted to about twenty thousand dollars per 
day. Capital stock and surplus is forty-five 
thousand dollars : also connected with the Gor- 
don State bank of Gordon, and the Union bank 
of Rushville. Nebraska. 

Mr. McQueen was married in Scotland June 
8. 1881, to Miss Jessie McKeand, and on their 
wedding day the young couple set out for the 
new world. Six children have been born to 
them, namely : Madge. Anna. Josephine, Wilma, 
Charles W'., and Jessie, all of whom were born 
and raised in Nebraska. Mr. McQueen is a Re- 
publican and has always taken an active interest 
in all local party aflfairs. attending numerous 
conventions, although he has never sought any 
office. 



D(^LEN & BOW'EN. 

The above firm, composed of James C. Dolen 
and T. J. Bowen. are among the prominent resi- 
dents of Marion township. Franklin county. Ne- 
braska. They are engaged in the ranching busi- 
ness, and own one of the best ranches in the vi- 
cinity, consisting of one thousanrl two hundred 
and eighty acres, on which they run a large 
bunch of cattle and hogs. These gentlemen have 
built up a fine property, and through good man- 
agement and industry have been most successful 
in their enterprises here. James C. Dolen was 
bom in Missouri in Ma v. 18.^8. and came to 



Gage county, Nebraska, with his father, Benja- 
min Dolen. in 1863, from Kentucky. When they 
settled here there was only one house in Beatrice, 
and very few settlers in the vicinity. The up- 
lands then were not of much account, and the 
pioneers all settled on the streams, the earth in 
the higher land showing great cracks from the 
drouths. Along in the eighties the rains filled 
all the lagoons and good crops were produced, as 
they have been in these latter years. Benjamin 
Dolen was one of the men largely instrumental 
in building up the locality, and took a prominent 
part in driving out the Indians from these parts 
and in the Indian wars here, remaining in Gage 
county where he farmed up to 1904. 

Mr. T. J. Bowen is a native of southern Ohio, 
born in 1852, and also came to Gage county, set- 
tling there in 1895. He had formerly lived in 
Kansas, where he was in the stock business. He 
married Miss Harriett Dolen in 1882, and they 
have a family of four children, named as follows: 
James and John, who have assisted their father 
in the work on the ranch, but are now moving to 
Kansas where they purchased eight hundred 
acres of land and will start a ranch for them- 
selves. The third son, Shelby, and one daughter 
Dena W'ill remain with their parents. 

Dolen & Bowen located in Franklin county 
in 1904, buying the Caster ranch from L. P. 
Whiting, located in the vicinity of section 15. 
Marion township. This is a splendidly located 
ranch on the head of Lovely creek, fed by boun- 
tiful springs, and with good pasture land for a 
large herd of cattle. They feed annually about 
five hundred cattle, and from four to five hun- 
dred hogs. In March, 1906. they sold one ship- 
ment of three hundred and five cattle, and on 
the day these were shipped there were thirty- 
seven carloads sent from I'ranklin to the dift'er- 
ent markets, showing what an important live 
stock center this county is. 

The firm has built a nice two-story residence, 
and have plenty of good barns, hog pens, and 
all necessary buildings, with all the ranch fenced 
and cross fenced. They are doing well, and 
are among the prosperous and progressive citi- 
zens of this localitv. 



F. M. HALL. 



F. M. Hall, familiarly known as "Matt" by 
his intimate friends and associates, is one of the 
representative farmers and ranchmen of Sioux 
count}'. Nebraska, and a prominent old timer of 
that region. His liome is on section 32. town- 
ship 3^. range 55. and he is a gentleman of ster- 
ling character, and well merits the rich measure 



COiMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



433 



of success which has come to him by virtue of 
his industry and good management. 

Mr. Hall is a native of Hardin county, Iowa, 
born in 1867, on a farm. His father, Samuel 
Hall, was of American stock, a farmer all his 
life. Our subject was raised in his native coimty 
until he was nine years of age, when the family 
settled in Webster county, Iowa, where he grew 
to manhood, receiving a limited schooling, and 
putting in all his time on the home farm. In 
1887 they came to Sioux county, Nebraska, our 
subject being nineteen years of age, settling in 
Hat Creek valley, where the father filed on a 
homestead and tree claim, and Matt assisted in 
developing the place into a good farm. Their 
first dwelling after locating here was a tent, in 
which they spent several months, then they made 
a dugout, next a slab house, and finally put up 
a comfortable log house. Our subject started 
out for himself about 1893, taking a homestead 
on which he proved up in due time, and later 
filed on Kincaid homestead situated in section 
32. township 33, range 55, where he has 'built 
up a good home. He spent two years in Mis- 
souri, engaged in farming, making the journev 
from Nebraska to that state with a team and cov- 
ered wagon, and returning to Sioux county in the 
same way in 1896. He has steadily improved his 
ranch since that time, adding more land to his 
original claim, so he is now proprietor of one 
thousand four hundred acres, all fenced, with 
one hundred acres irrigated, and plenty of hay, 
alfalfa and pasture. He has put up all good 
buildings, and has a splendid supply of running 
water from Spring creek, which runs through 
the ranch. His chief business is stock raising, 
in which he has met with remarkable success. 

Mr. Hall married, in 1893, Sarah Rickard, 
whose father, Lewis Rickard, is a well-known 
farmer and an old settler in this county. Her 
mother's maiden name was Elizabeth McMillan.- 
Seven children have been born to our subject 
and his estimable wife, named as follows : Nellie, 
Floyd, Frank and Edward, living, and Claire, 
Ralph and Ruth, deceased. 

Mr. Hall takes an active interest in all local 
and neighborhood affairs, and has held the office 
of county surveyor for four years. He is a Re- 
publican politically, and lends his influence for 
good government. 



EPHRAHI H. CANNON. 

The gentleman above named, residing in 
Prairie township. Phelps county, is one of the 
farmers whose intelligent methods and indus- 
trious habits have helped in a marked degree 



to make western Nebraska farming a success, 
and consequently, to enhance the value of all 
lands in his own and other sections of the state. 
Mr. Cannon comes of thrifty and energetic 
stock, the Cannons having settled in North 
Carolina in the early day^s, later in Kentucky 
and ne.xt to Alissouri, then Alabama, where 
our subject was born. When he was an infant 
his parents moved to Illinois, where he grew 
up and received his education. As a young 
man he followed farming for twenty years, 
residing on eighty acres in Logan county, Illi- 
nois, and it was there he learned that work 
and plenty of it goes with the making of good 
crops; that shallow ploughing will produce 
better crops of winter wheat, also corn, than 
deep ploughing, as the first four inches con- 
tains the richness and substance of the soil, 
and if one turns up the deep layers the grain is 
started in the poorer soil with the best hidden 
below, \\nien the root first leaves the kernel 
it is strong and pointed, and will burrow into 
the hard subsoil, and if there is too great a 
depth of loose soil the root becomes softer so it 
will not penetrate the subsoil but sprout out 
on top of it, hence, becomes an easy prey to 
drouth. 

Comparing his twenty years of farming in 
Illinois with the same period here, Mr. Cannon 
would not exchange his acres here for the same 
land there, where in Logan county it is selling 
for $150 to $200 per acre, and as for a place in 
which to bring up his family, he states that 
Nebraska is far ahead of Illinois. Tenants 
who were tenants there twenty years ago are 
still in the same condition, and no better of¥ 
than they were then, and many are worse off. 
Three years ago Mr. Cannon paid a visit back 
to his old home, and saw three section men 
working on the railway at $1.15 per dav, who 
twenty years ago were renters and with the 
high price of land there young men have no 
chance, and even the sons of rich farmers were 
glad to clerk or get a job on the raihva}-, as 
they cannot buy land and do not wish to start 
at the bottom but like to keep up in the st3-le 
their parents have reared them in. On the 
other hand, every one of the farmers who came 
to Phelps county at the time our subject did 
are now rich men, owning farms worth from 
$8,000 to $30,000, and have reached a success 
here they could never have attained had they 
remained in Illinois. In 1886 Mr. Cannon 
paid $2,250 for the one hundred and sixty acres 
he now lives on, and $4,000 for the adjoining 
one hundred and sixty acres, and today he 
could easily get $32,000 for the land but has 
no desire to sell. It is as fine a farm as one 
could wish for, and he has a fine residence 



434 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



barns, orchard and grove as there is in this 
part of the country, with every convenience 
known to modern farming-, and it is situated 
only three miles from Holdredge. He has 
raised a good many thoroughbred cattle, and 
has done a great deal of feeding all the time. 
He is now enabled to enjoy the ease and com- 
fort of an industrious, well-spent life sur- 
rounded by a family of ten children and a host 
of warm friends. Mrs. Cannon died in 1903. 
greatly mourned by her devoted family, and 
they had the heartfelt sympathy of the entire 
community in their sad loss. There are the 
following children in the family: A. S.. C. W., 
and J. H. Cannon, who are following in their 
father's footsteps, and own nice farms of their 
own; A. B. Cannon is now renting a farm, but 
intends buying one soon ; Frank O. and Roscoe 
are both at home assisting their father on the 
farm. The daughters are Katie, Mrs. E. F. 
Moon: Nellie, now married: Mary, now mar- 
ried, and Minnie, all at home. 



MILO CORBIN. 



Milo Corbin. who holds an enviable place 
in the farming community in the vicinity of 
section 2. township 31. range 55. in Sioux 
county, has done his full share in the develop- 
ment of western Nebraska since locating here 
and has become widely known as a prosper- 
ous agriculturist and a gentleman of sterling 
character. 

Mr. Corbin was born in Ivnox county. Illi- 
nois, in 1876. His father. John Corbin. was 
a farmer and followed that occupation during 
his lifetime. He married Emeline Carroll. 
Both are now deceased, and the couple were 
among the early settlers' and homesteaders in 
Sioux county, where our subject was raised 
and educated, remaining with his parents and 
assisting in the farm work during his young 
manhood. They went through regular pio- 
neer experiences and suffered from hardships 
and privations which fell to the lot of the 
earl}' settlers in this region, and on account of 
being unable to raise any crops during the 
first several years they were forced into the 
stock business and were very successful along 
that line of work. In 1897 Milo left home and 
started for himself, filing on a homestead on 
which he proved up in due time, and remained 
on that place up to 1905. then came to his 
present location, which is situated eight miles 
east of Harrison, in section 2, township 31, 
range 55, and is now owner of three hundred 
and sixty acres, all good farm and ranch land. 



He has improved it in good shape, putting up 
good buildings, fences, etc., and engages prin- 
cipally in the cattle and horse raising busi- 
ness. 

Mr. Corbin is numbered among the well- 
to-do young farmers of his locality, and has 
gained his possessions through his own un- 
aided efforts, by dint of industry and good 
management. During the early years he worked 
out as a freighter, making many trips into 
the Black Hills, also worked in the mines and 
on the range as a cowboy, going through all 
the experiences of a frontiersman, camping out 
on the plains in all sorts of weather, etc. 

In 1901 Mr. Corbin was married to Min- 
nie Phillips. She is a daughter of Jacob Phil- 
lips and Lavina (Shinn) Phillips, who were 
among the earliest settlers in Kansas. Her 
father still lives in Kansas, but her mother is 
dead. Mr. Corbin and his good wife have a 
family of five sons, sturdy fellows, who bid 
fair to become as good farmers and energetic 
ranchmen as their father. They are : Clar- 
ence, aged seven years: Ralph, aged six years; 
Cecil, five years; Melvin, aged two years, and 
Orvel, aged six months. 

Mr. Corbin is thoroughly up-to-date in his 
methods of farming and operating his ranch, 
and is also popular in his community as a ge- 
nial associate and worthy citizen. In polit- 
ical sentiments he stands firmly for the Re- 
publican party. 



GEORGE P. BOARDMAX. 

Among the younger residents of Keith 
county who have come to the front in a re- 
markable manner through industry and faith- 
ful effort, the gentleman above mentioned 
holds a prominent place. Mr. Boardman is 
engaged in the mercantile business at Pax- 
ton and is a young man of more than ordi- 
nary ability, highly esteemed by all with 
whom he comes in contact. 

George P. Boardman was born in Lake 
county, California, June 2, 1880. His father, 
Oscar T. Boardman. was of American birth, 
a school teacher by profession ; his wife was 
Viola Lapham in maidenhood. Our subject 
grew up in California, the family living in a 
number of different localities during his boy- 
hood, much of his time being spent on a farm. 
He came to Paxton, Nebraska, in 1899, and 
worked as a clerk for two years, then attend- 
ed Hastings Business College, and returning 
to the town resided for six years on a hoftie- 
stead northwest of Paxton. In the spring of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



435 



1908 he bought his present mercantile estab- 
lishment, carries a complete line of goods and 
has built up a successful trade. He takes an 
active interest in all local affairs and has done 
much to aid in the upbuilding of the commer- 
cial resources of the section. 

Air. Boardman was married June 17. 1902, 
to Miss Grace Rice, a native of Springfield, 
Massachusetts, daughter of Elisha Rice, de- 
ceased, a prominent old settler in Keith coun- 
ty, whose sketch appears in this volume on 
another page. Three children were born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Boardman^ — Dorothea, Deborah 
and Terry, the two youngest deceased. The 
family have a pleasant home and are among 
the well liked residents of their community. 
Mr. Boardman is a Republican in politics 
and a member of the Presbyterian church at 
Hastings. 



GEORGE W. BURGE. 

George W. Burge, who may be found at 
home on section 4, township Z2, range 30, 
is one of the leading ranchmen of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, and has more than local 
standing as a farmer, stock dealer and a gen- 
eral business man of acknowledged ability and 
trustworthiness. He has made his way to the 
front by industry, thrift and honesty, com- 
mon and familiar, but as necessary today as 
ever. 

Mr. Burge was born on a farm in Fulton 
county, Indiana, September 12, 1865. His fa- 
ther, John Burge, was a very successful stock 
buyer and farmer and removed to Custer coun- 
ty, Nebraska, in 1880, where he died in June, 
1907. He rnarried Polly Phipps, a native of 
Indiana, on the banks of the Tippecanoe river. 
She died in Indiana in 1879. before the family 
moved west. 

George W. Burge was the third child out 
of a family of seven children born to his par- 
ents, and was reared on the old Indiana farm, 
where he became thoroughly familiar with 
hard work and ready to apply himself to any 
respectable labor. His education was secured 
in the common schools of his native commu- 
nity, and was supplemented by a wide and 
keen observation of men and affairs. Starting 
out in life for himself when only fifteen years 
of age, he was employed in a printing office 
at Westerville, Nebraska, for two years, in 
which was published the Custer- County Lead- 
er. His next work was clerking in a store, in 
which he was engaged at the time of his mar- 
riage in 1885 to Miss Agnes Steadman. daughter 
of James S. and Katherine (Stuart) Steadman. 



They were old settlers in Cherry county, and 
are familiar figures at the gatherings of the 
pioneer settlers, few having been here prior 
to their coming. Mr. and Mrs. Burge are the 
parents of a family of four children : Gordon, 
Kathryn, Ruth and Arleen. For three vears 
after his marriage George W. Burge and his 
father were engaged in a general mercantile 
business ; the son retired and went into farm- 
ing. He had already secured a tree claim in 
Cherry county, and to this he added a home- 
stead entry in 1888. On the homestead he 
made a sod house which served as the home 
for the family until after he proved up in due 
season. About 1892 he bought a farm on 
Wamaduza creek, which he later sold and 
came to his present location in 1902. Here he 
has a Kincaid homestead of four hundred and 
twenty acres, together with some fourteen 
hundred acres of deeded land fronting for three 
miles on the Niobrara river. Two hundred 
acres are under cultivation — four hundred acres 
in hay land, one hundred and fifty acres in 
native forest and the rest in range! The en- 
tire place is fenced and well improved. He 
has a substantial and attractive, dwelling, sup- 
plied with running water and other buildings 
of supeiror character. There is a promising 
orchard of one hundred apple trees, with va- 
rious kinds of small fruits growing on the 
place. He has on his ranch some six hundred 
head of cattle, with the necessary supply of 
other stock. He is a Republican in his po- 
litical affiliations, being a frequent delegate to 
the county conventions of his party. When 
the postofifice near the mouth of the Snake 
river was established in 1903 the department 
elected to name it in honor of Mr. Burge. A 
fine view of the family residence will be found 
on another page. 



GEORGE W. BEAMER. 

George W. Beamer, one of the leading citi- 
zens and old settlers of Cherry count\-, Ne- 
braska, resides in La Vaca precinct, where he 
has a fine farm and home. 

Mr. Beamer is a native of Erie, Pennsyl- 
vania, born January 24, 1850. His father, also 
George Beamer, was born in Bavaria, Ger- 
many, and came to America at the age of 
twelve years, settling at Erie, Pennsylvania, 
coming to Fayette county, Missouri, in 1854. 
There were ten children in his parents' fam- 
ily, of whom George was the eldest, and at 
the age of twenty-two he started out for him- 
self, following farming in Kansas and Barton 



436 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, Missouri, living most of the time in 
Kansas before locating in Nebraska. In 1887 
he settled on the place which he still occupies, 
in section 31, township 31, range 37. He has 
a section of deeded land adjoining the Kin- 
caid homestead of three hundred and twenty 
acres, half of this large tract being good farm 
land and the balance in hills, devoted to hay 
and pasture land. When he came here he had 
practically no capital to start with, and walked 
from Gordon to where he staked his claim, 
the first year using a cow and a horse as a 
team with which to haul sod and rock with 
which to build his house, and he was obliged 
to haul all the water for the household sup- 
ply from a distance of two miles. He had a 
hard time in getting started, and met with a 
sad misfortune in the death of one daughter 
just one week after moving into their new sod 
house. The dry years caught him when he 
was trying to get ahead and this kept him back 
considerably, as his crops failed and he also 
went through the grasshopper raids the first 
year he settled here. He now owns a fine 
piece of property and is well satisfied with 
what he has done since locating here, and 
glad he stuck to it. 

Mr. Beamer was married July 4, 1874, to 
Miss Luella Graham, a native of Sigourney, 
Keokuk county, Iowa, born in 1856. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Beamer the following children have 
been born: William, Estella (deceased) and 
Clara. 

During the years ^Ir. Beamer spent in 
Kansas he saw harder times than he ever saw 
in Nebraska, and thinks this country far ahead 
of any place in which he has ever lived. He 
is a strong Bryan man, and first, last and al- 
ways has been a free trader and states that 
he would be more than satisfied if he could 
see William J. Bryan at the head of the nation. 



WILLIAM A. JAMISON. 

William A. Jamison, one of the pioneers 
of this locality, who came to Brown county 
when it was in the first stages of its devel- 
opment, has by his praiseworthy example and 
honest dealings with all with whom he came 
in contact, become known throughout the com- 
munity in which he resides as a citizen of true 
worth. Mr. Jamison was born in Le Clair, 
Iowa, January 27, 1861. His father, William 
W. Jamison, was a miller by trade, who mar- 
ried Wealthy Ann Pike, of German ancestry. 
Our subject is the second member in a family 
of six children, and came to Nebraska with 



his parents in 1867, the family settling as pio- 
neers in Saunders county, where his father 
took a homestead, living there until 1875. 
They then moved to Linwood, Nebraska, 
where the father worked at his trade in a mill 
at that point in order to support his family. 
At the age of sixteen our subject started out 
for himself, following farm work for the next 
seven years. In 1884 he came to Brown coun- 
ty, locating on a homestead in section 6, town- 
ship 31. range 21. Here his first dwelling 
was a log stable which he built himself, and 
in which he lived until he was able to put up 
a better house. He had nothing to start with, 
and went through many hard times in getting 
his home established, but he worked faithfully, 
remaining on this homestead for six years, 
then moved two miles south to another farm, 
on which he lived for four years. Here the 
dry 3-ears struck him and he lost everything 
and found himself eight hundred dollars worse 
of¥ than nothing when he stopped to figure up, 
so he gave up this place and in 1895 moved 
to his present farm in section 32, township 32, 
range 21, starting all over again. He went 
to work with a will, good crops came to re- 
ward his labors, and he has since had good 
success in all his undertakings. His farm, 
fronting two miles on Niobrara river, now 
consists of two thousand six hundred acres, 
all adjoining, with good buildings and all im- 
provements necessary to facilitate in the oper- 
ation of a model farm. A thousand acres are 
under cultivation, on which he raises bountiful 
crops of wheat, rye, oats, corn, millet and 
alfalfa, besides quantities of prairie hay. He 
•engages in mixed farming and stock raising, 
of which he has made a pronounced success. 
W'hen he first came to Brown county he drove 
here with a team and covered wagon contain- 
ing his household goods, spending three weeks 
•on the road, being subjected to many hard- 
ships and privations on the way. After start- 
ing he had bad luck and became heartily dis- 
couraged and was about to leave the country, 
but determined to give it another trial, and 
now he is very glad that he decided to remain, 
as he has done better here than he might have 
at any other place. 

Mr. Tamison was married in Cass county, 
Nebraska, February 14, 1884. to Miss Ella 
Osborn, born at Eight-mile Grove, near Platts- 
mouth, Nebraska, April 29, 1862. Her father, 
Mansfield Osborn, who married Polly Russell, 
was a farmer and one of the early settlers in 
Nebraska, and among those who helped drive 
the Indians out of that part of the state. He 
had also seen service in the United States 
army, and was honorably discharged at Fort 




RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL U. WOODWARD, 

Cherry County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF WIM.I AM A I AMISON. 
Brown Cninilv, Nel>raska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



437 



Randall, Nebraska, settling in eastern Nebras- 
ka about 1855. Mr. and :Mrs. Jamison are 
the parents of four children, who are named 
as follows: Irvin H., Malvin, Olive A. and 
Dell K., all born and reared in Brown county, 
Nebraska. The family is highly respected and 
enjoys a wide acquaintance in the community 
in which they reside. Mr. Jamison is univer- 
sally esteemed as a friend and associate, and 
well deserves his enviable reputation as a cit- 
izen. Politically he is a Democrat and is a 
member of the Modern Woodmen of America 
camp at Ainsworth. A picture of Mr. Jami- 
son's place will be found on another page of 
this volume. 



SAMUEL M. WOODWARD. 

Samuel AI. Woodward, proprietor of a fine 
farm in Cherry county, Nebraska, is one of the 
oldest settlers in his locality, and has been closely 
identified with the development of the agricul- 
tural resources of this region. His fine estate 
bespeaks thrift and prosperity, and he is classed 
among the progressive and energetic farmers of 
his community, and well merits his high stand- 
ing as a citizen. 

Mr. Woodward was born in Pittsburg, Penn- 
sylvania, November 28, 1848, and reared there 
until he was twenty-one years of age. His 
father, Louis B. Woodward, was a native of Illi- 
nois, and he was a steamboat captain, running 
from Pittsburg to St. Louis. His mother was 
Miss Matilda McMillan, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania. Our subject is the younger of two chil- 
dren, and struck out for himself at the age of 
fourteen years. His father's death occurred at 
this time, and he was compelled to help support 
the family. His first employment was in a roll- 
ing mill, and the next few years were spent in 
this work and running machinery in a big box 
and trunk factory and planing mill. In 1869 he 
came to Columbus. Nebraska, and after a time 
there he went into Butler county and settled on 
section 18, township 16, range 2, remaining here 
until 1885 engaged in farming. He was one of 
the earliest settlers there, and when he landed 
there he paid the Union Pacific railway ten 
cents a mile for transportation. The nearest 
trading point at that time was Schuyler, Colfax 
county. In 1885 he came to Cherry county and 
took up his present farm as a homestead. Be- 
sides this he was entitled to eighty acres which 
he afterwards took up, and has since added to it 
until he now owns eight hundred and twenty 
acres of land, including five hundred and sixty 
acres of homestead land. Part of this is hay 
land, and much of it can be cultivated. This 



farm is located in sections 5, 6 and 7. township 
33, range 40, Cherry county. He is engaged 
principally in the stock business and keeps about 
seventy-five head of cattle and ten horses. A 
view of the residence and surroundings is shown 
on another page in this work. He was never 
alTected verv much by the drouth periods, as he 
was not at that time engaged in farming to anv 
great extent, but while still in Butler county for 
five straight years he lost nearly all his crops 
through the grasshopper raids, and it took him 
some time to recover from the loss he sustained 
by these pests. 

In 1873 Mr. Woodward was married to Miss 
Minerva Witherbe, of Welsh descent, born in 
Iowa. They have one son, Avery M., who is 
now assayer for the Homestake Mining Com- 
pany at Lead City, South Dakota. This son 
married Margaret Phillips, of Salt Lake City, 
and they have one daughter named Irene. Avery 
M. ^^^oodward is prominent in musical circles, 
is leader of the orchestra and secretary of the 
Black Hills Musical Association. 

;\Ir. ^^'oodward takes an active interest in 
local aiTairs and has served as assessor for about- 
fourteen years, and was census enumerator 
in 1900. In political faith he is an active 
Republican. 



WINFIELD SCOTT. 

Winfield Scott, who enjoys a pleasant home 
and owns a valuable farm in section 21, town- 
ship 22, range 15. Garfield county, is one of 
the well known old residents of this part of 
the state of Nebraska. He has gained an en- 
viable reputation as a progressive farmer and 
worth}' citizen, and is highly esteemed for 
his strict integrity and honest dealings by 
all with whom he has had to do. 

Mr. Scott was born near Sterling, Illinois, 
in 1859, where he lived on a farm until he 
was a bo3' of nine years, the family then emi- 
grating to low-a, settling in Fremont county. 
There he grew to manhood, assisting his par- 
ents in carrying on the farm, and in this way 
gained a thorough knowledge of agricultural 
pursuits. 

Mr. Scott came to Nebraska in 1883. home- 
steaded one hundred and sixty acres of land 
in Garfield county, later bought one hundred 
and twenty acres adjoining, and has lived here 
ever since, devoting all his time and energy 
to the development of his farm and building 
up his home. He spent but a short time in 
Iowa. He raises oats, corn, wheat and some 
rye. and is also engaged to some extent in 



438 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



stock raising, dealing mostly in cattle and 
hogs. During the first years here he experi- 
enced his greatest difficulty in getting suffi- 
cient water, but several years since he has 
had deep wells dug. and now has a splendid 
supply of good clear water for his domestic 
and farming purposes. One well is one hun- 
dred and forty-seven feet deep, which is much 
less than the average depth of the wells in his 
locality, and from this he obtains all the water 
he can use. Mr. Scott is of the opinion that 
this is the best state for the man with limited 
capital to settle in. as his chances for suc- 
cess are much greater than in the east, where 
the land is much higher and the cost of liv- 
ing greatly increased. He has never had a 
total failure of crops, and there has not been 
a season in which he did not make some 
money, although, of course, some years were 
much more successful than others, but tak- 
ing it altogether, one year with another, he 
has received a fair average crop. When he 
landed in Nebraska he was a poor man, but 
he has worked hard, and through good busi- 
ness judgment in his ventures he is now in 
comfortable circumstances, and is positive 
that had he remained in the east all his life 
he could not have accumulated the property 
that he has in the west. Mr. Scott is a plain, 
everyday farmer, well read and intelligent, and 
takes especial pride in hi^ home life and is 
well thought of by all who know him. 

In 1887 Mr. Scott was married to Miss 
Edna Watson, born and raised in Nebraska, a 
daughter of C. F. and Malinda ( Williams) 
Watson, who came to Nebraska in 1867. Mr. 
and Mrs. Scott are the parents of six chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Bertha, 
Wallace, Walter, Hiram, Edith and Jesse, who 
form a most interesting and intelligent group. 
In political sentiment Mr. Scott is a Repub- 
lican but has never devoted much time to poli- 
tics or held any office. 



SAMUEL A. WINSLOW. 

The gentleman above named, numbered 
among the leading old timers of western Ne- 
braska, resides on his fine farm in section 35. 
township 35, range 35. Mr. Winslow was born 
in the town of Fremont. Sullivan county. New 
York, December 3. 1841. His father, Moses 
Winslow. was a farmer, musician and stone 
mason, who followed all three pursuits at times, 
and dierl when our sul)ject was a boy, leaving a 
family of nine children, he being the eighth mem- 



ber in order of birth. He assisted in the support 
of the family until twenty years of age, then en- 
listed in Company H. Fifty-sixth New York vol- 
unteer infantry, and was sent south with his 
regiment, going first to Washington. This was 
in the spring of 1861, and later in the spring 
of 1862 he saw service with the army of the 
Potomac, taking part in a number of engage- 
ments, beginning at Savage Station and ending 
at [Malvern Hill. In the same year he was taken 
sick, having contracted typhoid fever, securing 
his discharge from service, went to Wyoming, 
Jones county, Iowa, where he followed farming 
for a time. In 1883 Mr. Winslow moved to 
Charles Mix county, South Dakota, where he 
settled on a homestead, living in a sod shanty 
and going through pioneer experiences until 
he had paid out on his claim, returning his home- 
stead rights. He remained there for five years,- 
then came to Nebraska and located in Cherry 
county, taking a homestead along the Niobrara 
river. Here he built a log house and lived for 
fifteen years, building up a good home and farm, 
and in 1903 sold out and located on his present 
farm, in section 35. township 35, range 35. When 
he took this place it was excepting a sod hut, 
entirely unimproved land, and he went to work 
establishing a home, erecting good buildings, 
fences, etc. His ranch contains about eight hun- 
dred acres, one hundred and sixty acres of which 
is meadow land, and all under fence. He has 
one of the best farm houses to be found in this 
section of the country, beautifully finished and 
double plastered, with the outside cellar of arched 
stone. In 1908 he erected a commodious barn 
which, with other buildings, makes his farm 
equipment complete. 

Mr. ^\'inslo\v was married in Iowa Novem- 
ber 11, 1869, to Miss Addie Miller, daughter of 
John T. and Charlotte (Morris) Miller. Three 
children have blessed this union, named as fol- 
lows: Len. Cora AI., wife of Charles O. Good- 
rich, and Fred M., and Mr. and Mrs. Winslow 
are grandparents of twelve children. 

Mr. W^inslow has served his community as 
justice of the peace and acted as precinct com- 
mitteeman for the Republican party for some 
years. He is with his family a member of the 
Methodist church. 



GEORGE W. MESSENGER. 

To be called a "leading old settler" is much 
praise to accord a citizen of any community, and 
this term when applied to the gentleman herein 
named, means more than is ordinarily meant 
when applying the term. Mr. Messenger has 
been a resident of western Nebraska for the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



439 



past twenty-five years, and has built up a valu- 
able estate and incidentally gained an enviable 
reputation as a successful agriculturist and 
worthy citizen. He resides in section 4, town- 
ship 32, range 47, where he enjoys a comfortable 
home and pleasant surroundings. 

Mr. Messenger was born in Knox county, 
Ohio, in 1833, on a farm. His father, William 
H., was a native of Ohio, a mechanic by trade, 
and later became a pioneer in Iowa, where his 
death occurred near Weldon, in Washington 
county. Our subject grew up on a farm in Ohio, 
where he early learned to do all sorts of hard 
farm work, going from Ohio to Madison county. 
Wisconsin, staging across the latter state to 
Galena City, then down the river to Muscatine 
and again staging to Iowa City, as that was the 
mode of transportation at that time, railroads 
not being so much in evidence in those days as 
at present. There he went through pioneer ex- 
periences with his parents, and became thor- 
ughly familiar with the frontierman's life. He 
learned the carpenter's trade and followed that 
work from the time he was a mere boy, working 
as a cabinetmaker, furniture manufacturer, also 
as a millwright and . wagonmaker at different 
times. He still has a number of farming tools 
which he uses that were made with his own 
hands while doing carpenter work in Iowa. In 
the spring of 1885 he moved to Dawes county. 
Nebraska, settling at Bordeaux station, and 
lived there for a few years following his trade. 
He bought his present farm, where he began 
as a stock raiser and ranchman, putting up his 
own buildings, house, barns, etc., and devoted 
all his time to improving his place. His ranch 
now consists of about twelve quarter sections of 
land, largely in hay and pasture, and he has 
every convenience for the proper operation of 
his farm. He has built a fine house, planned 
and executed by himself, of commodious size, the 
new addition being thirty by sixteen while the 
older wing is thirty by fourteen, fitted with everv 
convenience, and it is the best built ranch house 
in the county. At the head of the ranch near Bor- 
deaux creek is a spring which he has stoned 
up. and as this is very near the house, makes one 
of the finest clear water springs in the locality. 

Mr. Messenger's ranch is one of the finest 
in Dawes county, all in the best possible shape, 
supplied with plenty of timber, fruits, such as 
apples, cherries, pears and small fruits, also dif- 
fe'ent nut-bearing trees — walnuts, chestnuts, etc. 
He has a park on his place in which is a herd of 
eleven elk which he keeps as a curiosity, and 
they attract many visitors to the ranch. While 
Mr. Messenger lived at Bordeaux station he was 
engaged in different enterprises, buying and ship- 
ping large quantities of wood, etc. 



In February, 1860, Mr. Messenger was united 
in marriage to Miss Anna Barrows, daughter of 
a prominent merchant at Windham, Johnson 
county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Messenger are the 
parents of three children, two of whom, Orval 
and Edvth, are living, while William died in 
1895. 

Our subject is an Independent voter, always 
supporting the best man up for office. 



ANDREW BERGMAN. 

Andrew Bergman, who was born in Swe- 
den in 1852 and is now living in peace and 
plenty on his handsome and well appointed 
farm in Kimball county, Nebraska, is well 
entitled to the rich measure of success that 
has come to him through harcj work and thrift. 
He has worked hard and faithfully for years 
and is now reaping the legitimate reward of 
honest efl^ort and industry. 

Mr. Bergman grew to the age of thirty 
years in his native land, coming to America 
in the summer of 1882, locating first in Brook- 
lyn, New York, where for three years he fol- 
lowed his trade of stair building. He came to 
Nebraska in the spring of 1885, and took up 
a homestead on section 18. township 16, range 
54, also filed on a tree claim, and immediately 
began improving the place. He lived on his 
old homestead for some time, then purchased 
railroad land and ranched for a time. He was 
one of the first settlers in this part of Chey- 
enne county, now Kimball county, and his in- 
tention was to build up a good farm, in which 
he has succeeded admirably. He put down 
the first well in the locality, passed through 
all the early Nebraska times, often meeting 
with losses and failure of crops, but stuck to 
his original purpose, and is now prosperous, 
and one of the most highly esteemed men of 
his county. He has fifty acres of his farm cul- 
tivated, raising good crops, and runs a large 
bunch of cattle and horses, being one of the 
old-time stockmen of the section. In 1907 our 
subject came to his old homestead and erected 
a new house and built up a good home. Dur- 
ing the first years our subject lived on his 
homestead he got only two crops in nine years. 
He had never put his hand to a plow or even 
put harness on a horse before he settled on 
his farm, having spent his time previous to 
this working at his trade. He had only four 
hundred and fifty dollars with which to make 
his start, but he has done well at ranching 
and has made a success. He had but one 
young cow when he started ranching and from 



440 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



that small start he has raised all his herd. For 
the past ten years he has sold on an average 
of one carload of cattle each year. In 1907 
he sold one hundred and twenty-five head 
of full grown cattle and fifty-seven calves, 
these being mostly the offspring of his first 
cow. 

May 4. 1883, Mr. Bergman married Han- 
nah Sjoblom in Brooklyn, New York. Miss 
Sjoblom was a native of Sweden, coming to 
America the preceding year. She was the 
third daughter in a family of four girls. Her 
parents came to America in 1887 and both 
died on our subject's homestead here. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bergman are the parents of seven 
living children, namely: Edwin A., Eric D.. 
Elmer O., Carl E., Clarence Grant, Mabel 
Florence and Jessie G., all living at home. 
Two sons, Eric D. and Elmer O., are teachers 
in the public schools of their county, and all 
are most interesting and intelligent children. 

Mr. Bergman is a loyal Republican and 
takes a commendable interest in the aiifairs 
of his community. 



H. D. WOLF. 



H. D. Wolf occupies a foremost place 
among the energetic and prosperous farmers of 
Deuel county, where he owns a valuable estate. 
He has developed this farm by energetic labors 
supplemented by honest dealings, and is one of 
the highly esteemed men of his community. Mr. 
W'olf has passed through all the early Nebraska 
times, and is widely known through the western 
part of the state as having done much toward 
the upbuilding of the agricultural and commer- 
cial interests of the region. 

Our subject was horn in Germany on Aiiril 
11th, 1849, making that his home until he was 
twenty-three years of age. He was the second 
member in a family of seven children, three of 
whom later came to America. His father and 
mother spent their entire lives on their native 
country, both now being deceased. He left 
Germany in 1872, coming directly to North 
Platte, Nebraska, after landing in this country, 
and lived in Lincoln county for one year, then 
went to Julesburg, Colorado, and was connected 
with the Union Pacific Railroad company there, 
also at North Platte, Ogallala and other ])oints 
in the state, coming to what was then called 
Cheyenne county (now Deuel county), in the 
spring of 1878. He was in the employ of the 
Union Pacific Railway Company for about nine 
vears, working as section foreman for the great- 
er jiart of that time. 



Mr. Wolf finally homesteaded on section 18, 
township 13, range 45, proved up on his claim, 
and has since removed to section 17, which is 
his present location. He has acquired a ranch 
containing two thousand seven hundred acres, 
and is engaged principally in the stock business, 
running three hundred head of cattle, and about 
sixty horses. He farms fifty acres, raising some 
grain, etc., and has large tracts of hayland and 
pasture for his stock. He has a complete set of 
substantial ranch buildings and improvements 
of all kinds. Mr. \\'olf is classed among the old- 
est cattlemen in the western part of Nebraska, as 
there were but very few ranches started in the 
region when he located here. He is one ot the 
genuine old-timers, and is numbered among the 
wealthy and progressive men of the locality. 
Mr. Wolf was married at North Platte in 1875, 
to Mary Erickson, who was born in Germany, 
and came to America about 1869. They have an 
interesting family of six children, named as fol- 
lows : Edward C, married, and living at Big 
Springs, Nebraska ; Frank H., married, residing 
at the same place ; Dora A. and Nettie I., both at 
home; Alinnie, wife of Robert McGrave. living 
in Big Springs, and Ella M., now Mrs. F. H. 
Hendrickson, living at Chappell. 

Our subject takes an active interest in local 
aflfairs, and is a member of the school board in 
district No. 7. A portrait of Mr. Wolf will 
be found on another page of this volume. 



ALBRO L. HODGE. 

Albro L. Hodge, one of the prominent early 
settlers in western Nebraska, is proprietor of an 
extensive farm in section 19, township 32, range 
51, Dawes county, who has been an important 
factor in the development of the financial re- 
sources of his region and is widely and favorably 
known throughout that section. He is an active 
public-spirited citizen and his services to his 
county in many matters have been invaluable and 
of such a character as to be universally appre- 
ciated by all. 

Mr. Hodge was born in Lee county. Illinois, 
in 1856, on a farm seventy-five miles from Chi- 
cago. He is of American blood, and his father. 
Andrew J. Hodge, was a farmer by occupation. 
When our subject was nine years of age the fam- 
ily moved to Shenandoah. Page county, Iowa, 
where they settled on a farm and lived there for 
eight years, he working at home, and after 
wards ran a bus line for a time. He also was 
cm[)loved by the American & Pacific Express 
Companies for five years, and ran on express 
routes fmin P)urlinq:ton to Council Bluffs. In 




H. D. WOLF. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



441 



the spring of 1887 he came to Dawes county, Ne- 
braska, landing here on March 23d, and located 
forty miles south of Crawford, in Box Butte 
county, where he lived for two years proving 
up on a pre-emption. He built a sod house and 
went through pioneer experience, the country be- 
ing but thinly settled and neighbors were tew 
and far between. He next moved to a farm 
south of Glenn. Sioux county, on Deep creek, 
and remained on it for nine years, starting with 
no capital but his strong hands and willing heart, 
and succeeded in building up a good home and 
farm, which he sold at the end of that time for 
five thousand dollars. He engaged extensively 
in stock raising and mixed farming, and at one 
time had a whole township fenced. About 1901 
he bought his present farm of three hundred and 
twenty acres in Dawes county, located in section 
19, township 32, range 51, paying for the land 
one thousand dollars, and it is now worth many 
thousands. He has this rented out at present, 
and lives on his "Kincaid" in Sioux county. He 
has two hundred and ten acres irrigated and 
the place in A-1 shape, with good house, barns, 
granary, etc., all put up by himself as it was en- 
tirely unimproved property when he purchased 
it. He has been burned out twice, at one time 
losing his barn, and the other his house and fur- 
niture, and this was a serious set-back to him. 
He has had his share of pioneering, having 
opened up four different farms, and knows well 
the little discouragements that come to the set- 
ter in a new country, but has never given up, 
and his present prosperity is evidence of his de- 
termination and perseverance. Mr. Hodge now 
lives on his Kincaid homestead in Sioux county, 
two miles south of Glen postoffice, which he is 
improving rapidly with buildings ; has a large 
saw mill on the place and quite a lot of fine tim- 
ber. He has been active in local affairs in his 
community, and taken an active interest in poli- 
tics, being an Independent voter. 

In 1888 our subject was married to Miss Ger- 
trude A. Miller, daughter of Benjamin H. and 
Lucy Paine Miller, who were old settlers in 
Dawes county, and who owned and operated a 
fine farm there for many years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hodge are the parents of five children, who are 
named as follows: Addie. Russell. Hazel, My- 
nona and Grant. The family are highly esteemed 
in their community, and have a host of warm 
friends. 



H. E. CULBERTSON. 

Among the highly respected and industrious 
residents of the city of McCook mav be men- 
tioned the name of H. E. Culbertson, master 



mechanic of the McCook Division of eight hun- 
dred miles of railway, from Hastings, Nebraska. 
to Denver, Colorado, comprising the Nebraska 
and Kansas branches, one of the longest on the 
system. Mr. Culbertson was appointed in Sep- 
tember, 1906. and is a thoroughly capable official. 
Mr. Culbertson is a native of Chicago, born 
in 1871. He is a son of Christian Culbertson, 
who came to the United States from Norway 
about the year 1865. He was raised in Chicago 
until about nine years ago, and came to Ne- 
braska in 1881, the family locating at Hastings, 
Adams county. He was left an orphan at the 
age of six years and has made his own way in 
the world since he was nine years old. always 
having lived among strangers and never knowing 
the blessing of a parent's love from that tender 
age. He started in the railroad business in 1892. 
He began with the Burlington & Missouri rail- 
way, working as machinist helper, and from 
that obtained the position as night round- 
house foreman, following this for four years, 
then went to firing for the road. Next he 
was a locomotive engineer for five years be- 
tween Hastings and Denver. He always took 
a deep interest in the work and devoted 
his entire attention to whatever he was 
engaged in doing, educating himself for better 
positions as he went along. He now holds the 
record as the youngest man in railway circles 
occupying the position of master mechanic. Every 
item in the way of mechanical operation is under 
the master mechanic's direction, and this in- 
cludes engines of all kinds, — steam, gas, and 
electrical. For about two years he was road 
foreman of engines for the McCook division 
under R. B. Archibald, up to 1906, when he was 
appointed to his present position. He was gen- 
eral secretary for the B. L. E., of the C. B. & 
Q. Ry.'s entire system for the years 1905-6, and 
is a prominent member of the B. L. E. at this 
point. He is a young man of the right kind of 
ambition, full of his work and conscientious in 
its accomplishment, and one who when in one 
position studies diligently to fit himself for the 
next step which opportunity offers. Hence, with 
each of his rapid advancements he has filled the 
place with all his energy and industry, natural 
and acquired ability. He is ever of a pleasant 
and obliging disposition, which makes him pop- 
ular with his superiors and beloved by those who 
are under him without any attempt on his part, 
for he is frank, just and straightforward in 
every action, looking every matter and man in 
the eye with courage and confidence which wins 
him every battle. He is a young man who is in 
the eye and thoughts of those who are at the 
head of great concerns, and who recognize the 
right st uff wh en they see it. 



442 



COMFEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Culbertson was married in 1894 to Miss 
Eva Way. daughter of J. S. Way, of Hastings, 
Nebraska, a pioneer settler of Adams county, Ne- 
braska, locating there in 1872, where he engaged 
in farming and stock raising. He was very suc- 
cessful in both undertakings, and became one of 
the leading men in his community, serving his 
county as supervisor on the county board for 
some years. He came west from Pennsylvania 
with his wife, also a native of that state, and they 
now reside at San Dimas. Mr. and Mrs. Cul- 
bertson have four children, namely : Harvey. 
Henry and Harold and Eva. The family is 
highly respected, and have a host of friends and 
acquaintances, and a pleasant and comfortable 
home. They are members of the M. E. church, 
and well liked in religious and social circles in 
their community. Air. Culbertson is a member 
of the Maccabees in McCook. and takes a com- 
mendable interest in all educational and political 
matters. 



VACLA\- VACIK. 

Vaclav \'acik, a successful and well known 
farmer and ranchman of Colter precinct, lives on 
section 24, township 13. range 48. where he has 
a fine farm of over one thousand two hundred 
acres. He was an early settler in Cheyenne 
county, and has done his full share in the de- 
velopment of the agricultural interests of the 
community where he chose his home. 

Mr. \'acik was born in the village of Strejc- 
kovice, Bohemia. February 28, 1851, and grew 
to the age of seventeen in his native land, com- 
ing to America at that time. He sailed from 
Bremen Haven and after a voyage of two weeks, 
landed in New York, January 16, 1868. He 
first settled in Chicago, remaining there ten years 
where he was employed by the Burlington rail- 
road : he then went to Champaign countv. Illi- 
nois, spending about two years on the John Alex- 
ander farm. From Chami)aign county he went 
to the southern part of the state and later he 
took a trip to Memphis, remaining there but ten 
days, and returning to Chicago, he again entered 
the employ of the Burlington, and remained 
one year. 

He made a trij) to Nlebraska in 187.^, and 
was very much impressed with the conditions 
existing, but did not permanently take up his 
residence here until 1877, first locating in .Saline 
county, and ten years later came to Cheyenne 
county, arriving in April of that year. He filed 
on a homestead in section 24. township \i, range 
48. and has made that his home ever since, con- 
stantly improving his farm and adding to his 
acreage, so that he is now proprietor of over 



one thousand two hundred acres of good farm 
and range land. He has three hundred and 
twenty acres under cultivation, and runs a large 
herd of cattle and horses. He has done exceed- 
ingly well since coming here, and is considered 
one of the well-to-do and progressive citizens 
of his section. His ranch is well supplied with 
good buildings of every description, and all 
necessary improvements. Mr. Vacik was mar- 
ried in Chicago, October 11. 1874, to Mary 
Cervenka, who was born in Bohemia on the 4th 
day of July, 1854, and came to America with 
her parents in 1868; her father, Paul Cervenka, 
married Annie Skopeckova, and is now living 
in Saline countv, Nebraska. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Vacik were born the following children : James, 
born in Nebraska. Julia and Theresa are twins 
and were born in Chicago. Julia is the wife of 
Jerome Banta ; Theresa married Michael Mc- 
Niff ; Joe, now deceased ; Mary, who married 
Dan Dickinson, Annie, Paul, Jerry, Lloyd and 
Benjamin. The last six were all born in Nebras- 
ka. All of our subject's sons-in-law are rail- 
road men connected with the Union Pacific rail- 
way. Two children died, one buried in Saline 
county, and the other in this county. 

Politically ]\lr. Vacik is a Democrat, and he 
stands firmly for his convictions. The family 
worship in the Catholic church. Mrs. Vacik is 
a member of the Woodmen circle. 



JOSHUA CROSS. 

The above named gentleman has for the past 
quarter of a century been closely identified with 
the farming and commercial interests of the 
western part of the state of Nebraska, and has 
watched the development and growth of this sec- 
tion from the early days. He resides in Bassett 
precinct. Rock county, where he has built up a 
pleasant, comfortable home through his energetic 
efforts and strict integrity. 

Mr. Cross is a native of England, born on the 
north coast of Yorkshire in the fall of 1857. He 
is the sixth member of his father's family of 
twelve children, and was reared on his father's 
farm, where he was obliged to do all kinds of 
hard farm work. On reaching the age of twenty- 
three he left home and started out for himself, 
embarking at Liverpool on the Simasia for the 
new world, and after a voyage of nine days, 
landed in Quebec, whence he came across the 
border and west to Bureau county, Illinois ; here 
he remained for one and a half years, working 
out on farms, after which he went to Cass countv, 
Iowa, and farmed there for three years. He 
was not satisfied with conditions there, and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



443 



moving to Nebraska, locating in Rock county in 
1884, where he settled on a pre-emption in sec- 
tion 35, township 30, range 19. Here he built 
a shanty and batched it for a short time, then 
married. Soon after starting on this farm he 
was burned out, losing his barn, filled with hay, 
a corn crib, some hogs and about one hundred 
and twenty chickens. This was a serious draw- 
back to him, and it was some time before he re- 
covered from this loss. Then he took a home- 
stead in section 34, his present location, and since 
he has been here he has been successful in all 
undertakings. He now has a farm of four hun- 
dred acres, eighty of which are cultivated and 
the rest in grass and pasture. He engages prin- 
cipally in stock raising and dairying, and at pres- 
ent milks thirty cows, finding a ready market for 
his cream in Bassett. He has good buildings, 
and his place all fenced ; on a portion of it he 
has planted a fine grove of trees which are grow- 
ing splendidly. 

Mr. Cross married Miss Effie Cormaney, 
whose father was an old settler in Rock county ; 
they have been blessed with seven children, who 
are named as follows : Pearl, Merle, Bert, Alta, 
Charlie, Frank and Lizzie. The family is well 
regarded in the community and they enjoy a 
pleasant and happy rural home. In politics Mr. 
Cross is Democratic. 



WILLIAM R. BOWMAN. 

William R. Bowman, a prominent busmess 
man of Hay Springs, Nebraska, is a man of 
great energy and untiring industry, owing his 
present success to these characteristics and his 
sound business judgment. He is the proprietor 
of the leading drug store of the above town, and 
is well k-nown as a worthy citizen of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Bowman was born in Boone county, In- 
diana, in 1865. His father, William Bowman, 
was a leading physician and old settler in Stan- 
ton county, Nebraska, coming here in 1869, 
where his family of ten children, of whom our 
subject is the fifth member, was raised and edu- 
cated, attending the Stanton common schools. 
At the age of twenty-one he started out for him- 
self, learning the pharmacist's profession, and 
became a registered member of that lx)dv of 
workers in 1890. 

In the spring of 1889 Mr. Bowman came 
west to Sheridan county, and there clerked for 
W. H. Smith at Hay Springs, remaining in the 
employ of this firm for several years, up to the 
spring of 1898. He then took up a homestead 
twenty-five miles southeast of Hay Springs and 



proved up on this, building a sod shanty in 
which he lived for some time. In 1898 Mr. Bow- 
man bought his present drug store, and since 
taking this place has increased the stock and 
built up a good trade, running a thoroughly up- 
to-date store. He has installed a telephone ex- 
change, putting this in during the year 1903, 
extending all through the town of Hay Springs 
Mr. Bowman was married in 1892 to Miss 
Bertha Curtis, daughter of Volney Curtis, an 
old settler in Box Butte county, Nebraska. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bowman have one child, Gladys, born 
in this county. Mr. Bowman is actively inter- 
ested in local public affairs, and in 1898 was 
elected county coroner and re-elected for two 
successive terms. He has also served as justice 
of the peace for some years. In politics he is 
a Republican. 



OSCAR KARLSTRUM. 

Oscar Karlstrum, residing on section -6. town- 
ship 14, range 58, Kimball county, Nebraska, is 
one of the enterprising and prosperous agricul- 
turists of that region. He has met with mari-ced 
success since locating here, has a pleasant home 
and valuable estate, and enjoys the esteem and 
respect of his associates. 

Mr. Karlstrum was born in Sweden, Febru- 
ary 5, 1864, and reared in that country. His 
father and mother spent their entire lives in their 
native land, the former following farming for 
many years, and still lives on the homestead 
there. 

Our subject is the third child in a family of 
six, having three brothers and two sisters. He 
came to America in 1885, settling in Phelps 
county, Nebraska, on arriving in the United 
.States, and spent one year in that vicinity, then 
came to Kimball county (which at that time was 
part of Cheyenne county), homesteading a quar- 
ter section on southwest section 6, township 
14, range 58, and which is now his home ranch. 
He proved up on the land and built it up in good 
shape, later buying other land in the vicinity and 
now is proprietor of nine hundred and si.xty 
acres. He has put on this ranch good improve- 
ments, with substantial buildings of all kinds, . 
and has nearly one hundred acres under cultiva- 
tion. A large part of the place is used as hay- 
land and pasture for a herd of sixty cattle which 
he is running at the present time and will send 
to market later. Every appointment ot the 
ranch is first class, and bespeaks his careful man- 
agement and thrift in its operation. On Septem- 
ber 7, 1887, Mr. Karlstrum was married in 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Miss Mary Johnson, 



444 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMLXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



who was born and reared in Sweden, coming to 
the United States a short time previous to her 
marriage. To them have been born the following 
children : George, Annie. Gust, Renhard. and 
Ethel, all living at home and forming a most 
charming familv group. Mrs. Karlstrum's father 
is living in Sweden but her mother died there 
some vears ago. Mr. Karlstrum has always 
given his best influence for the betterment of con- 
ditions in his locality, and takes a leading part in 
all affairs of neighborhood importance. He was 
elected assessor several years ago and he served 
as countv commissioner for one term, vacating 
the office in 1908. At present he is acting as 
treasurer of school district number seven, and is 
also serving as road overseer in district number 
seven. In political views he is a Republican. 



JOHN CASTEK. 

Tohn Castek, one of the prominent and suc- 
cessful farmers of Dawes county. Nebraska, 
comes of Bohemian stock, and is a worthy rep- 
resentative of the best traits of his race and 
blood. He was born on a farm in Moravia in 
1863. His father was a carpenter who lived 
and died in his native land. Our subject grew 
up there until he was sixteen years of age. then 
came to America, landing in New York city in 
Tune. 1880. and came west at once to Colfax 
county. Nebraska, following farm work in the 
eastern part of the state for several years. In 
the spring of 1886 he moved to Dawes county, 
locating on his present farm, in section 31. town- 
ship 31, range 48, and there built a dugout and 
batched for awhile. His first team were oxen, 
and he owned a half interest in a plow and 
wagon, with which the farm was broken up and 
crops put in. Soon after coming here the 
drouths struck the section, and as he was unable 
to raise anything on his land he tried to sell out, 
offering his place for two hundred dollars, but 
even at that price could get no buyer so was 
compelled to stay. He kept on trying to im- 
prove his farm, and in '89 had the finest pros- 
pects for a good crop and was getting ready to 
harvest, when a hail storm struck the region and 
completely ruined his crop. The next year he 
took out hail insurance and mortgaged his team 
to pay the assessment, and was again hailed out, 
but when he tried to collect damage, he was un- 
able to get a cent, but lie kept on carrying in- 
surance for several years, but for some reason 
dropped it one year, and that very year he was 
again completely hailed out, having this exper- 
ience for four years altogether. During late 
years he has raised good crops, and he has 



plenty of hay and pasture for his cattle of which 
he keeps a large number, most of the time hav- 
ing two hundred head, besides running them for 
other farmers. He has about nine horses and 
his range is admirably adapted to stock raising 
of all kinds. 

•In 1889 Mr. Castek was married to Miss 
Anny Potmesil. and she died June 16, 1896, 
leaving a family of two children, Francis, bom 
.August 14, 1892: and John, born September 6, 
1894. In 1898 Mr. Castek was married again, 
to Aliss Jennie Kratochvil, born in Bohemia, 
daughter of Joseph Kratochvil. Mrs. Castek 
came to America in 1895 together with a sister, 
they coming to Chadron, Dawes county, Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Castek spends all his time on his ranch 
building up his home, and is one of the well-to- 
do and progressive agriculturists in the county. 
He is a Republican, and keeps well up with the 
time in politics locally. He is a genial, whole- 
souled gentleman and is full of social qualities 
that bring him many friends. On another page 
of this volume will be found a picture of their 
residence and also portraits of Mr. and Mrs. 
Castek. 



GEORGE A. FENDRICH. 

The above mentioned gentleman is one of the 
early settlers of Box Butte county. Nebraska, 
who foresaw the prosperity which attended that 
region and remained to enjoy the results of his 
many years of hard labor, and is now one of the 
most highly respected citizens of the commimity. 
He is the owner of a valuable estate, and farms 
on an extensive scale, residing on section 10, 
township 28. range 49, where he has erected a 
fine frame house, making him a comfortable and 
])leasant home. 

George A. Fendrich was bom in Prussia, 
Germany, in 1871. He grew up in that country 
and came to America in 1881. After landing in 
New York city he went west to Carroll county. 
Iowa, settling on a farm and lived there for five 
years. From there he moved to Box Butte coun- 
ty with his parents, driving from Hay Springs 
overland, the father filing on a homestead in 
section 10, where they built a sod house, planted 
a grove of trees, and began to farm. The first 
few years were very successful, but just as they 
got nicely started the dry years struck them and 
several, crops were lost completely, and they had 
a hard time to make a living. Our subject left 
home several different times, first going to the 
Pacific coast: and worked in Spokane a couple of 
vears : then into the Klondike region, where he 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN CASTEK, 
Dawes County. Nebraska. 




MR. .\.\D MRS. JOHN C-A.STEK. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



445 



did very well, and returned in 1900 to Nebraska, 
bringing back with him quite a snug sum of 
money. He spent two winters and three sum- 
mers in the Klondike, but has always retained 
this county as his home, and has now put him 
up a fine residence. George also spent about 
one year in Memphis, Tenn., in the street car 
business. His father died in 1899, and he then 
returned home and since that time has remained 
with his mother, carrying on the homestead. 
Their ranch consists of one thousand two hun- 
dred acres, one hundred and forty acres of which 
is under cultivation, all of it well fenced, and he 
is engaged in stock raising, dealing exclusively 
in cattle and horses. Mr. Fendrich's mother 
keeps house for him, and they have a pleasant 
and comfortable home, and are highly esteemed 
by their neighbors. The mother is about eighty 
years old, but is quite active in spite of her 
advanced age. 

Mr. Fendrich is classed among the oldest 
settlers in this part of the state, is one of the 
leading men of his township, and takes an active 
and commendable interest in public affairs. 



ED. L. WILLITS, Dece.\sed. 

Ed. L. Willits, late of Alma, Nebraska, was a 
well known resident of Harlan county, and one 
of the leading citizens of the above city. He 
and his father. Wells Willits, were two of the 
first settlers in Alma, and foremost among its 
business men. Wells Willits came to Alma m 
July, 1878. At that time there were only two 
houses there, and he at once invested in property 
in the town site, purchasing two hundred and 
seventy-five lots in all, and in December of that 
year bought forty acres of land adjoining the 
town, and platted this. The following year he 
began to sell off these lots. During the spring 
the town began to boom and started to grow 
rapidly, and he was able to dispose of a great 
deal of his property at good figures. He took 
up a homestead near the town, and up to his 
death bought and sold property, and also farmed 
his ranch, and was counted one of the most 
prosperous and successful men in this locality. 
In 1879 Ed. L. Willits moved to Alma and es- 
tablished the firm of Willits & Co., and carried 
on a large general mercantile business until the 
time of his death. This was called "The Peo- 
ple's Store," and was the pioneer store of 
town. In 1881 his father joined him in this 
enterprise, and they also started the Alma 
Creamery Company, and carried that on for 
many years. Ed. Willits was also the founder 
and first president of the Harlan Countv Bank, 
established in 1900. 



Wells Willits, our subject's father, was born 
in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1827, and at the 
age of twenty-one years located in Mercer coun- 
ty, Illinois. He attended Knox College at Gales- 
burg, and in 1854 opened a general store in New 
Boston, Illinois, carrying on this business for 
twenty-one years, also operated a pork packing 
business for eighteen years. In 1878 he closed 
all his interests out and came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Alma, and his son Ed entered his 
father's employ at an early age, and thus se- 
cured the training that fitted him for his suc- 
cessful career in later years. Eli Willits, his 
grandfather, was born on the Hocking River, in 
C)hio, and settled in Wayne county, Illinois, with 
his father, Jesse Willits, on a farm in 1812, and 
remained there up to 1833, when they removed 
to western Illinois, locating within four miles 
of the Mississippi river. Mr. Willits always 
took an active interest in public affairs, working 
hard in the early days to get the county seat at 
Alma, and also bent all his efforts and influence 
in trying to get all the rights and advantages 
for Alma during the railway fight. His widow 
and one son, John Metz Willits, reside on the 
homestead at Alma. His eldest son, Lee Conk- 
lin Willits. who lived at Los Angeles, California, 
died September 23, 1907. 

In May, 1882, our subject was married to 
Miss Blanche Conklin, of Alma, daughter of 
I. J. Conklin. She died in 1897, leaving one 
son, Lee C. Willits, above mentioned. Mr. 
Willits was married again in 1898 to Miss 
Rebecca Metz, daughter of Joseph and Mary 
Frances Metz, of Alma. One son, John Metz 
Willits, was born May 14, 1902. Mr. Willits, 
our subject, died October 8, 1903. The family 
is highly respected and esteemed in the com- 
munity, and in his death had the sympathy of 
the entire population. Mr. Willits kept all his 
business affairs moving during the hard years 
of 1894-95 and '96, giving employment and 
good wages to over thirty-five people in his 
store, creamery and bank, and also on his sev- 
eral large farms. He will always be spoken of 
as the best citizen and most capable business man 
of Alma's pioneer days. Mr. Willits was a 
Mason, and a prominent member of the order of 
the Eastern Star. 



W. H. COWGILL. 

Mr. Cowgill has one of the principal business 
enterprises in Holdrege, handling real estate, 
abstract and insurance, and is recognized as one 
of the leading men in this line in Nebraska. W. 
H. Cowgill established his business in 1888. and 



446 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



has been at the head of it ever since. He has 
branch offices at McCook and Moorefield. W. 
H. Cowgill is the state agent for the State In- 
surance Company, and they have local agents 
covering every portion of Nebraska. This com- 
pany does over $150,000 per year here, and the 
real estate end of Mr. Cowgill's business cannot 
he estimated, during the time that Mr. Cowgill 
has been in business. 

Mr. Cowgill is the owner of a goodly quan- 
tity of large farming interests in this and ad- 
joining counties. He came to Nebraska thirty- 
three years ago, locating in David City, in No- 
vember, 1874, where he engaged in the real es- 
tate business. In 1904 he was one of the or- 
ganizers, and is now president of the Phelps 
County Telephone company, which has a capital 
of $50,000 paid in. This company took over the 
Independent telephone lines. The former com- 
pany now have two thousand five hundred sub- 
scribers, and they are constantly improving the 
lines and service, and rapidly gaining in patron- 
age. The company has exchanges at Holdrege, 
Loomis, Bertrand, Atlanta, Funk, Sacramento 
and Holcomb, besides fifty farmers' lines. 

Mr. Cowgill is also a prominent Mason, 
Knight Templar and Knight of Pythias. He 
was a candidate for railway commissioner on 
the Democratic ticket in the election November 
3. 1908. 



AUGUST BASCHKY, Dece.vsed. 

August Baschky (deceased), who during his 
life time made an enviable record as a farmer 
and ranchman, the result of his own toil and 
economy, was born on a farm in Prussia, Ger- 
many, in 1846. His parents passed their lives in 
the old country, the father having been a prom- 
inent farmer. Our subject's early days were 
spent in his native country, where he received his 
education. Realizing the possibilities the new 
world offered the ambitious young man, he de- 
cifled to seek his fortunes in this country, and in 
April. 1872, landed in America, settling in the 
state of Illinois. Here he employed his time 
tilling the soil. 

In 1876 Mr. Baschky was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Jessie Froelke, daughter of Jacob 
and Elizabeth (Becker) Froelke. Her parents 
were both lx)rn in Germany, the mother in Han- 
over, but came to this country before marriage. 
After his marriage. Mr. Baschky spent some 
time farming in Illinois, but in 1882 came to 
Madison county, Nebraska, and farmed there 
for two years. In 1885 he came to Dawes 
county, driving from Chadron, and at first lo- 



cating four and a half miles northeast of Craw- 
ford. His first home in this part of the country 
was a dug out, his second a log cabin. During 
the years of hardships which confronted the 
early settlers in this western country he made 
his living logging and working out. His first 
years were trying ones indeed, he having had 
the misfortune of losing several horses and 
crops. In 1896 he moved his family to their 
present location in section 16, township 30, range 
50, where he erected a substantial and com- 
modious home and barns. Here he had three 
hundred and twenty acres of deeded land, al- 
though his ranch altogether comprised an area 
of 760 acres, containing several acres of good 
timber land, and 160 acres of which are under 
cultivation. Through years of adversity and 
prosperity he held the hands of the plow, work- 
ing out for himself a comfortable home, and 
giving his energies to the upbuilding of the 
locality in which he lived. 

The marriage of Mr. Baschky was blessed 
with eight children, viz : Joseph, born Decem- 
ber 8, 1876: Peter (deceased), born May 18. 
1879; Louis, who follows the occupation of 
railroading, born March 3, 1882; Elizabeth (de- 
ceased), born March 9, 1884: Julius, born Janu- 
ary 8, 1887: Edward, born January 26, 1889; 
Patrick, bom February 13, 1894: and Veronica, 
born April 16, 1896. Joseph, the oldest boy, 
now runs the farm. A family group portrait 
will be found on another page. 

During his life time Mr. Baschky enjoyed 
the respect and confidence of a host of warm 
friends, and his career will stand as an excel- 
lent example for any youth to follow. He 
passed away November 6, 1906. 



JENS PETER KRESTENSEN. 

Jens Peter Krcstensen, who came to Box 
Butte county, in the early days of its settlement, 
and who has striven through many failures and 
hardships to establish a home and accumulate 
a competence for himself in the new western 
country, is now proprietor of a valuable estate 
in section 7, township 26. range 50. He has al- 
ways taken a commendable interest in local af- 
fairs, serving his township as road overseer, and 
lending his best efforts at all times to advance the 
best interests of his community. 

Mv. Krestenscn was born in Denmark in 
1860. His father was born, lived and died in 
Denmark, following the occupation of a farmer 
all his life, and our subject was reared on the 
home farm until he reached the age of twenty- 
two vears, then came to .-Xmerica and settled in 




AUGUST BASCHKY (DECEASED) AND FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



447 



Omaha, Nebraska, where he remained for a 
year. He came to Box Butte county in the 
fall of 1889, and soon after coming here he 
started working on the new C. & N. \V. rail- 
road, which was being built through this section 
and into Wyoming. During the time he fol- 
lowed this work he had a good chance to be- 
come familiar with the rough life of a frontiers- 
man, experiencing many hardships and priva- 
tions in the thinly settled regions through which 
the road was to be built. 

After finishing his work on the road he re- 
turned to Nebraska and filed on a pre-emption in 
township 26, range 50, and while starting his 
farm, worked out a good deal of the time in 
different livery barns at Nonpareil and Alliance, 
constantly improving his place as he was able, 
and finally proved up on the land. 

In the fall of 1890 Mr. Krestensen made a 
trip to his native land, and while there was 
united in marriage to Miss Mattie Jensen, a 
native of that country. After spending a short 
time visiting in the vicinity of his boyhood home, 
he and his bride returned to this country, and 
came back to Nebraska and began farming in 
section 7, township 26, range 50. Their first 
house was a rude shack and they lived in it for 
about a year, then erected a comfortable sod 
house and occupied this for a good many years. 
Mr. Krestensen's farm now consists of over 
eight hundred acres of good land. He farms 
one hundred acres of this, raising fine crops of 
small grains, and the farm is all fenced and 
fitted with a complete set of good buildings. He 
is engaged principally in the stock business, 
raising cattle and horses for the market. 

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Krestensen, who are named as follows : Magnus, 
Clara and Anene, all in school in this district at 
the present time. 



WILLIAM E. MINSHAL. 

William E. Minshal, widely known in Chev- 
enne county, Nebraska, as a gentleman of first- 
class business ability and one of the foremost old 
settlers of that region, is proprietor of a flour- 
ishing meat, flour and feed store in Lodgepole, 
which enterprise he has carried on since 1903 
with marked success. He has passed through all 
of the pioneer times in western Nebraska, and 
remained to see the prosperity which has come 
to those who came to the state in the beginning 
of its civilization, and is one of those who has 
aided materially in its upbuilding. 

Mr. Minshal was born in Walworth county, 
Wisconsin, on Tune 17, 1849, remaming until 



the age of seventeen years in that region. At 
that time the family moved to Johnson county, 
Missouri, and settled on a farm, where they re- 
sided until the spring of 1878. Our subject 
worked for the Union Pacific railway for about 
a year and a half, at Sidney, and then started 
in the grocery business, following that for over 
a year. He moved to Lodgepole in the fall of 
1881, locating on a ranch in section 13, township 
14, range 47, and there engaged in stock raising, 
building up a good ranch. He later took up a 
homestead in section 24 and owned this until a 
few years ago, when he sold it at a good profit, 
and purchased a good ranch of six hundred and 
forty acres, comprising section 14, township- 14, 
range 47, devoting this to the raising of cattle 
and horses. Mr. Minshal was married February 
21, 1875, in Missouri, to Rachel Brown. Mrs. 
Minshal was born in Keokuk county, Iowa. Five 
children have been born to our subject and his 
good wife, named as follows: Charles, married 
and living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, employed as 
a machinist in the Union Pacific shops. Bertha, 
married to Dave Douglas, now living in Den- 
ver, Colo. George, now residing in Cheyenne, 
Wyoming, while Mabel and Rachel, the last two 
daughters are living at home with the parents. 
Mr. Minshal takes an active interest in state 
and county affairs, and is one of the leadmg 
men of Lodgepole. Politically he is a Democrat 
and a member of the Methodist church. 



MRS. LYDIA MILKS. 

The management of an extensive tract of 
land has fallen to the lot of the lady above men- 
tioned, and the prosperity apparent is evidence of 
her ability and good judgment. Mrs. Milks is 
one of the early settlers in Brown county, where 
she has spent the best part of her life in build- 
ing up her farm and home. She has had the 
care of a family of children, and exerted her 
energies for their support and education, and is 
now the owner of a valuable ranch. 

Mrs. Milks was born in Olin, Jones county, 
Iowa, in 1864. Her father, John Bothwell, was 
a native of Scotland, and her mother of Yankee 
stock. She was raised and educated in Jones 
county, attending the common schools and later 
moved to Nebraska, locating in Cherrv county 
in May, 1885. She married" B. W. Milks. The 
home was ninety miles south of Valentine. Their 
first dwelling was a house built of sods, with a 
sod roof, and in this place all but their youngest 
child was born. They proved up on the home- 
stead, remaining on it for twelve or thirteen 
vears, and in 1899 moved to Lakeland, Brown 



448 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, settling on a ranch on Moon Lake, 
where their children would have a better chance 
to attend good schools. Mrs. Milks lived on 
this ranch until 1905, an4 she has had the entire 
management of the place, the ranch comprising 
one thousand one hundred and twenty acres, 
stocked with horses and cattle, and improved 
with good buildings. There was a fine grove 
of trees on this place, the grove including twen- 
ty-five acres, which added greatly to the value 
of the ranch. 

At first this place only contained three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, and it was added to 
gradually and improved, until a comfortable 
home has been built up, which at present is under 
the management of Mrs. Milks' son and daugh- 
ter, she now living on three hundred and twen- 
ty acres of land located near Ainsworth, which 
she purchased after getting the ranch established 
and running in good shape. She has improved 
this property until it is now one of the most 
valuable in this locality, the farm being used for 
a dairy and hay farm. Mrs. Milks deserves 
much praise for the success which she has 
attained through her own unaided efforts, for 
many years doing a man's work in running the 
farm, besides raising her family of children and 
directing their education. Few men have ac- 
complished as much as she. Her family con- 
sists of eight children, as follows: Clyde D., 
Clarence L., Burney B., Gertrude May, Vera E., 
Lillian T., Percv L., and Gerald R. 



JAMES H. LYON. 

James H. Lyon, the popular and efficient 
postmaster of Harlan, Nebraska, is well known 
throughout Cherry county as a successful and 
prosperous farmer and business man. He is a 
man of sterling character and has an extensive 
acquaintance, universally esteemed and re- 
spected in his community. 

Mr. Lyon was born in Marion county, Ohio, 
April 7, 1847, of German descent. His parents 
were settlers in Virginia, and when our subject 
was eight years old came to Iowa with their 
family of ten children, where they farmed in 
Wapello county. In 1864 he enlisted in the 
army and served a year and a half under General 
Steele near Little Rock, Arkansas : he was mus- 
tered out at Duvall's Bluff and returned to his 
home and assisted his father in the farm work. 
In 1869 he started on a farm for himselt in 
Wapello, renting land on which he lived for a 
number of years. He was a settler in Iowa long 
before the Burlington road was built through 
that section of the countrv. In 1883 he moved 



to Osceola county, Iowa, and farmed for two 
years, then came to Nebraska, driving through 
with a team and wagon. He stopped in Holt 
county from spring to fall and then came on 
and located near where his present home is 
situated, taking a pre-emption. When he had 
filed on his place all he had left was three dol- 
lars in money. They were about the only, set- 
tlers in the locality, and from September 11th to 
November 16th. his wife never saw another white 
woman. 

He went to farming, breaking up his land 
and putting up a rough log shanty, and had 
pretty good success until the dry years came 
along. He often had hard times through tne 
drouth periods and at times both he and his 
wife were compelled to work out in order to 
make a living. Their house was shared with 
another family part of the time, and all were 
obliged to pick up bones and haul them to 
Gordon, receiving eight dollars per ton, to ob- 
tain money with which to buy flour and other 
provisions. After the first few years they had 
better luck and raised good crops, sticking brave- 
ly to it through many discouragements and hard- 
ships. He and his son together own two thou- 
sand acres of land now, and run sixty head of 
cattle and about forty horses. 

In 1868 Mr. Lyon was married to Miss 
Esther J. Anderson, daughter of James M. and 
Nancy J. (Tilford) Anderson, both natives of 
Indiana, where ^Irs. Lyon was born and reared. 
One child was born to them, Walter, who mar- 
ried Ida V. Miller, and is living on a home- 
stead near his parents' home. 

Mr. Lyon was appointed postmaster of Har- 
lan in 1905. He is one of the public-spirited 
citizens of his county, a Populist and Bryan man. 



CHARLES R. RUSSELL. 

Charles R. Russell, who is engaged in ranch- 
ing on a large scale in section 11, township 23, 
range 28, is one of the pioneers of Thomas 
county, Nebraska. He has a wide acquaintance 
and is universally respected and esteemed. 

Mr. Russell was born in Sheridan, Lucas 
county, Iowa, in 1868. He is a son of Irvin W. 
Russell, of wliom a sketch appears in this 
volume. Charles grew up in Iowa, reared on a 
farm, and in 1887 came to Nebraska with his 
parents, the father settling on a homestead, and 
for two years after coming here our subject 
helped him open his farm and ranch, the family 
going through the usual pioneer experiences. 
They came ahead of the railroad, and Charles 
Russell was one of those who saw the first 





RESIDENCE AND FAMILY GROUP— BERXARD DHXAEVER. 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



449 



train pull into Thedford, and has seen every 
change which has taken place in the region 
since that time, watching it grow from practic- 
ally raw prairie land into its present highly im- 
proved state, and has himself been an important 
factor in this success. He took a homestead 
about 1890 and begun a farm and ranch for 
himself, "batching" it for four years, also filed on 
a pre-emption two miles east of Thedford. In 
all he has proved up on a homestead, pre-emption 
and tree claim, and has met with splendid suc- 
cess in his ranching ventures. He finally came 
to his present location, having a ranch of nine 
hundred and twenty acres, all deeded land, ly- 
ing along the Middle Loup river. He purchased 
his father's old ranch and now operates that 
place. He has planted a fine fruit orchard, hav- 
ing apples, cherries, wild plums, grapes, straw- 
berries, gooseberries and raspberries, and alto- 
gether has seven acres of fine trees on the place, 
furnishing an abundant supply of fruits for his 
own use and which he finds a ready market for 
in his locality. He has fifty acres of good clover, 
large pastures, and engages principally in stock 
raising, running a large bunch of cattle and 
some horses. He has a valuable property and is 
one of the substantial citizens of his community. 

Mr. Russell was married on February 14, 
1892, to Miss Nannie D. Edwards, daughter of 
James A. Edwards, an old settler in this section. 
To them have been bom three children, namelv: 
Ethel M., Charles R., and Vera Dell. 

Mr. Russell was a resident of this township 
when the first Sabbath school was started. He 
has done his share as an old settler, taking a 
leading part in township affairs, and has served 
in different capacities, acting as assessor for 
several years and holding other offices. 



BERNARD DEXAEYER. 

Prominent among the progressive ranchmen 
of Cherry county is the gentleman whose name 
heads this personal history. He has been a 
resident of Nebraska for the past twentv years 
or more, and has done his share in the develop- 
ment of this section, building up a valuable estate 
in section 34. where he has a pleasant and com- 
fortable home. 

Mr. Denaeyer is a native of Belgium, born 
in the village of Junet, November 14, 1865. 
Here he lived until coming to America with his 
parents in the fall of 1878. Sailing from Ant- 
werp in a vessel of the Red Star line, the family 
landed in New York November 14th, after a 
voyage of two weeks, and shortly after settled in 
the mining region near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 



working for about a year and a half at Mc- 
Donald station and Smithton. Mr. Denaeyer 
started for the west, finding work in the mines 
at Collinsville, Illinois, Pittsburg, Kansas, Gold 
Hill, Missouri, and What-Cheer, Iowa, for a 
time working at Marhah, Colorado. On his 
way eastward he stopped in Cherry county and 
took up a claim which he later abandoned. 
After journeying for a time in Kansas and Mis- 
'souri mining towns, he returned to What-Cheer, 
where he followed mining some seven or eight 
years. In 1899 he started anew in Cherry coun- 
ty, taking up a homestead in section 2, township 
31, range 26, to which he has since added 
through the Kincaid act, and now is propnetor 
of eight hundred acres, mostly low hay land. He 
cuts about four hundred tons of hay each sea- 
son, and of this he bales two hundred tons for 
sale and finds a ready market for his product. 
He has improved his farm with good buildings, 
fences, and planted trees, and it is one of the 
best tracts of land in the locality. He has had 
rather bad luck with his stock since settling on 
this place, losing $1,000 worth of horses in 1905, 
and two years previous had lost cattle worth the 
same amount. One year after paying two dollars 
per ton for bailing hay he could not sell the 
product for enough to pay the bailers. 

Air. Denaeyer was married in Iowa, Sep- 
tember 25, 1884, to Miss Delia Bohy, a native 
of the same village as her husband, she having 
came to America with her parents, Emanuel .and 
Doric (Heck) Bohy, in 1881. Six children 
have been born to them, named as follows : Bar- 
ney, deceased ; Julia, wife of Henry Ormesher, 
living near Valentine; Annie, Delia, Ida, Ber- 
nard. Jr., all except the latter born in Iowa. 

The family is highly respected in their com- 
munity, and have many friends and acquaint- 
ances who often enjoy the hospitality of their 
pleasant home. Mr. Denaeyer devotes' his whole 
time to his home, and has never had leisure to 
take any active part in political aflfairs, al- 
though he votes the Independent ticket. Mr. 
Denaeyer"s parents have retired from active life, 
have sold their ranch and are now residing near 
Valentine. One of the interesting illustrations 
in this W'ork is a view of the family residence, 
which is shown on another page. 



HON. HENRY MOHRMAN. 

Honorable Henry Mohrman, who enjovs the 
comforts of a pleasant rural home in Macon 
township, is one of the best known men of 
Franklin county. He is one of the old settlers 
in western Nebraska, and his labors here have 



450 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



become a part of the state's history. His life 
has been one of many experiences, and he is 
honored as a pubhc-spirited citizen and leading 
resident of his county. Mr. Mohrman was born 
in Hanover, Germany, in 1863. He came to 
America in 1868 with his mother and rest of 
family, the family settling in Nemaha county, 
and afterwards moving to Richardson county, 
where they bought a farm for twelve dollars 
per acre. Both parents are now deceased, the 
father's death occurring in 1868 at the age of 
forty-three, and the mother's in 1901, aged 
seventy-seven years. 

In 1886 our subject started out for himself, 
renting a farm in Richardson county, remain- 
ing there up to 1892, when he bought the one 
hundred and sixty acres where he now lives, 
having added to this farm until he owns at the 
present time four hundred and eighty acres. In 
1905 he erected a fine residence on the estate, 
and he has one of the most valuable places in the 
vicinity, engaging in mixed farming and stock 
raising. He has thirty head of thoroughbred 
shorthorn cattle, nearly all raised by himself, 
beginning in 1898 with one high grade cow of 
the imported Daisy strain. These animals are 
all fine stock, and he has had splendid success 
with them, selling the calves at weaning time 
at from forty to sixty dollars each. He keeps 
about a hundred hogs, and raises quite a good 
deal of wheat and corn. His wheat has reached 
as high as forty bushels per acre, and corn up to 
sixty. He has some fine alfalfa fields, and farms 
under the most improved methods, obtaining the 
best results possible. Mr. Mohrman was mar- 
ried in 189.=; to Miss Anna Kruse, daughter of 
John and Fulke (Minits) Kruse. of Macon 
township, who came to this locality in 1886 from 
Province Hanover. Germany. Mr. and Mrs. 
Mohrman have the following children : Mary, 
Fred. Nat;e, Annie, John and Martha. Our sub- 
ject himself was an only son. but he has one 
sister, now Mrs. August Lunzman, of Nemaha 
county, Nebraska. The family are members of 
the Lutheran church. In 1894 Mr. Mohrman 
was elected on the Republican ticket to repre- 
sent the people of his countv in the state legis- 
lature of 1895. 

He has held different local offices in his 
township, and is one of the active men in public 
affairs, taking a keen interest in party politics. 



FF.RDIXAXn WOLI.ESFX. 

Ferdinand WoUesen, a prominent old timer 
of Dawes county, has done his part in the up- 
building of his section, and has through hard 
work and constant efTort succeeded in establish- 



ing a comfortable home and well-tilled farm, 
which is located in section 14. township 32. 
range 47. 

Mr. W'ollesen was born in Schleswig-Hol- 
stein, Germany, in 1843. His father. Christian 
\\'ollesen, was a teacher all his life, spending all 
his life in his native land. Our subject was 
raised and educated in Germany, living at home 
until he was sixteen years of age. then learned 
the miller's trade and followed that work there 
for five years. He then travelled all over Ger- 
many, engaged in different enterprises. When , 
he reached the age of twenty-two years he 
entered the German army and served tor two 
years. In 1868 he left his native land and came 
to the United States : after landing in New York 
city, came west to Davenport. Iowa, and there 
followed farming for about six years, then went 
to Tama county and farmed for a time. He 
next railroaded on the F. E. & M. \". railroad. 

He came to Nebraska in 1887 and worked on 
the section, acting as foreman at Andrews for 
one year, then settled in Inas. Wyoming, where 
he ran a boarding house for six years. He re- 
turned to Nebraska, and purchased his present 
farm in 1892. Since settling here he has de- 
voted most of his attention to the stock business, 
and has been very successful in building up his 
ranch and home. He owns a thousand acres lo- 
cated near the head of Little Bordeau.x creek, 
and has good buildings, fences, etc., with every- 
thing in good order about the ranch. He farms 
one hundred and twenty-five acres and raises 
good crops, and is progressive in his stock 
raising and farming operations. 

In 1881 Mr. W'ollesen was married to Mrs. 
Christian Peters, of German descent, and who 
came to .\merica with her parents in 1863, set- 
tling in Gladbrook, Iowa. Mr. W'ollesen has one 
son, Carl, aged twenty-six, and three step-chil- 
dren, William Peters, Henry Peters, and Chris 
Peters. 

Although he takes no active interest in ]3oli- 
tics he votes an Indejjendent ticket and lends 
his influence for the good of his localitv. 



GILBERT HAASE. 

Gilliert Haase. one of the prosperous and sub- 
stantial business men of Kearney, Neliraska, re- 
sides with his family in a comfortable and pleas- 
ant home in the above cit\' He has made 
Kearney his home for the past twenty-six years, 
and has done his full share toward the develop- 
ment of the financial interests of the community 
where he has chosen his residence. He has a 
wide reputation as a successful and worthy citi- 
zen. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 451 



Mr. Haase is a native of Galena. Illinois, born 
in 1863. He is a son of Edward Haase. now as- 
sociated with his son in business here. He was 
reared at Galena until he reached the age of 
eighteen. He came to Nebraska in 1881, located 
at Kearney in 1883 and clerked for four years, 
then established a general grocery and queens- 
ware store, and has built up a large business in 
that time, his trade extending all through Bufifalo 
and the adjoining counties. He carries a large 
and complete stock of the finest goods, and has 
gained his patrons through his honest dealings 
and strict attention to business. He served on 
the city council for one term, and has for a term 
of three years served on the school board. In 
1905 he was elected city treasurer, and is now 
county treasurer having run a large number of 
votes ahead of his ticket. In politics he is a Dem- 
ocrat, and at the last city election was the only 
man on his ticket that was elected to office. He 
has been a member of the Masonic lodge since 
1896. He has been master of blue lodge three 
years, high priest of chapter and eminent com- 
mander of Knights Templar. 

Mr. Haase was married to Miss Mary L. Car- 
son, May 21, 1888, who was a native of Iowa. He 
has six children — four boys and two girls : Gil- 
bert, Jr., Hazel, Raymond, Donald. Howard and 
Marie. The family are active members of Bap- 
tist church. 



JOHN E. WALKER. 

John E. Walker, father of Walker Brothers & 
Company, owners of extensive ranching property 
in' Cherry county, Nebraska, resides on section 
33, township 35, range 35. Mr. Walker is a na- 
tive of Ontario, Canada, born April 1, 1849. His 
father, Peter Walker, was a farmer, who came 
to the United States in 1854 with his wife, who 
was Martha Snell, a native of New York, and 
their family of children, when our subject was a 
child five years old. They settled in Clayton, 
Iowa, and there John E. was reared on a farm, 
receiving a common school education, and early 
learning the work of carrying on a farm in as- 
sisting his father. 

In 1874 ]\Ir. Walker came to Butler county, 
Nebraska, and purchased a tract of railroad land, 
where he went through grasshopper experiences, 
hail storms and drouths. He spent eight years 
in that locality, then becoming discouraged, left 
the place in the spring of 1885 and moved to 
Sheridan county, driving over the country from 
Butler county by team and covered wagon. This 
was a familiar mode of travel to him, as he had 
driven from Iowa to Nebraska when locating in 



Butler county. He had been over this section ot 
the country the year previous, and had selected a 
homestead' six miles northeast of Gordon, in sec- 
tion 4, township 33. range 41, where he put up 
a sod house and began the work of establishing 
a home and farm. Here he had hard times at 
first, as the dry years followed and he met with 
heavy losses in ' the failure of crops, but he 
proved up on his homestead of one hundred and 
sixtv acres, and improved the place with good 
buildings. He came to his present ranch in 1900, 
having sold his holdings in Sheridan county, and 
here established a stock ranch, raising cattle and 
horses. This ranch contains eighteen quarter 
sections, all of which he and his family control, 
and he has one of the best equipped and most 
valuable ranches in this county. 

Mr. Walker has always been active in pro- 
moting the best interests of the community in 
which he lives, and has done his share in the 
building up of its resources. He is a man of 
wide experience, and a first-class business man 
and successful stockman. He takes an active in- 
terest in politics, voting the Republican ticket, 
and is recognized as one of the leading citizens 
of the county. He is a member of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows, and chief patriarch 
of the encampment at Gordon ; with his wife, he 
is also a member of the Rebekah degree. 

While living in Iowa our subject was mar- 
ried to -Miss Elizabeth Miller, daughter of Cas- 
per Miller, a native of Germany. The mother 
dying when she was an infant, she was reared in 
tlie village of Frankville, Iowa, where the father 
was a blacksmith. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have 
four children, named as follows : Charles L., 
Wayne W., Ese L. and Evva M., the last named 
being a teacher of Cherry county. 



WILLIAM DARROW. 

Energetic elTorts and intelligence go hand in 
hand in the building up of one's fortune, regard- 
less of the vocation to which they are applied. 
One of the well-developed and highly improved 
estates of Dawes county is that owned and oper- 
ated by William Darrow. who resides in section 
33, township 32 and range 51, and is the possessor 
of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres 
of land. The comfortable circumstances of this 
gentleman have been brought about by the exer- 
cise of judicious labor and painstaking care, and 
every appoinment of his place bespeaks thrift and 
good management. 

Mr. Darrow is a native of Livingston county, 
New- York, born in 1847. He is a son of William 
and Nancy (Weller) Darrow, and was reared 



452 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and educated on his parents' farm, attending the 
common schools while assisting his father in per- 
forming the usual hard work required on a farm 
and he grew up used to plenty of labor. His 
father and mother both died in New York state. 

In the spring of 1880 our subject came west 
and located in Cedar county, Nebraska, and was 
among the pioneers in that section, where he re- 
mained for four years, then moved to Dawes 
county. He drove through the country with 4 
team and wagon from \^alentine. camping out at 
night under his wagon, and was two weeks on 
the road. He immediately located on a home- 
stead in section 33, township 32. range 51, and 
now has the distinction of being the only home- 
steader still living on his original homestead, who 
settled here as early as 1884. He put up a log 
cabin the first summer and lived in that for a 
few years, constantly building up his place and 
adding improvements, buying adjoining lands 
when they were for sale cheap, and is now pro- 
prietor of a farm of one thousand two hundred 
and eighty acres. He is extensively engaged in 
stock raising, doing but little farming. 

Mr. Darrow was married in 1871 to Miss 
Helen Porter, daughter of George and Nancy 
(Buckley) Porter, farmers near Stafford. Gen- 
esee county. New York. Mr. and Mrs. Darrow 
are the parents of three children, who are named 
as follows : George, Lewis and Minnie. 

Mr. Darrow is a man who has always been 
active in public affairs in his locality, and takes 
a prominent part in all matters which tend to the 
betterment of conditions for the people. He was 
elected county commissioner on the Republican 
ticket in 1903. and re-elected in 1906. now serv- 
ing his second term. He has held various local 
offices, and is one of the leading old timers of the 
region, highly esteemed by his fellowmen. 



ISAAC ROBBINS. 

Isaac Robbins. whose residence is located in 
section 34. township 31. range 49, Dawes county, 
Nebraska, where he owns a fine and well ap- 
pointed ranch which he has reclaimed from the 
wild prairie, and where he is known as an earnest 
and hard working cultivator of the soil, and 
withal a most upright and honorable citizen, was 
born on a farm in Brown county, Ohio, in 1849. 
His father. Hiram Robbins. who was a farmer, 
was a native of the state of New York. His 
mother. Barbara CStotlar) Robbins. who came 
of Dutch stock, was born in Pennsylvania. 

Our subject was one of the pioneers of Illi- 
nois, the family having moved to that state in 
1853. Thev settled on a farm in Mercer countv. 



Here he was reared and educated, assisting his 
father in the work of building up and improv- 
ing their farm. In 1872 he left his home to 
seek his own fortunes, and for two years worked 
in Illinois. 

In 1874, Mr. Robbins and Miss Mary De- 
borde were united in marriage. She was a 
daughter of George and Martha (Brush) De- 
borde. Her father was a farmer, of French de- 
scent, born in Kentucky. The union of Mr. and 
Mrs. Robbins was blessed with eleven children, 
nine of whom are living : Nellie. Hattie. Albert, 
Ora, Alvie. Oliver. Edyth, Edna and Lloyd. Soon 
after his marriage. Mr. Robbins moved to Har- 
din county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm of 
one hundred and sixty acres. Here he remained 
for seven years, devoting his time and attention 
to his farm. It was in 1888 that he came to 
Dawes county. Nebraska, where he took a home- 
stead in section 34, township 31, range 49. The 
first season here our subject lived in a log 
cabin. He put up a building of a story and a 
half, sixteen by twenty feet. During the drouth 
periods, which were so common in this section of 
our country, he made a living by working out. 
One season his crops were destroyed by hail, 
but his faith in western Nebraska remained un- 
broken, and the success which he has met goes 
to show that his judgment was not in error. He 
now has a ranch of three hundred and twenty 
acres of good land and has over two hundred and 
forty acres under cultivation. Altogether the 
family own one thousand two hundred and forty 
acres of land. He has erected a comfortable 
house, substantial barn and sheds, and has a 
good well and wind mill. The ranch is well 
fenced and cross fenced. 

From the time Mr. Robbins first came to this 
locality he has watched with interest the growth 
and development of Dawes county, and has taken 
a lively interest in all local affairs. In politics 
he is an independent voter. Every responsibility 
resting upon him as a man and a citizen has been 
faithfully met. and he has a host of friends who 
wish him well. A family group portrait is pre- 
sented on another page of this volume. 



ISRAEL R. BRAY. 

In compiling a list of the successful and pros- 
perous business men of Hay Springs. Nebraska, 
a foremost place is accorded the name of Israel 
R. Bray, who resides in a pleasant home in the 
above town, surrounded by many warm personal 
friends. 

Mr. Brav was born in Green county. Wiscon- 
sin, in 1851. His father. Eliphalet Bray, was a 
farmer of .American s^ock. with a familv of ten 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 453 



children, our subject being the eighth in order of 
birth. He grew up in his native state, and at the 
age of nineteen came to Nebraska, locating in 
Hamilton county, where he took up a pre-emp- 
tion. He built a sod house, or rather shanty, and 
lived in this vicinity for the following fourteen 
years, going through all the rough pioneer ex- 
periences, suffering from the drouth periods, 
grasshopper raids, etc. His first teams were oxen, 
and he used them for a number of years in 
breaking up his farm and doing all his work. 

In 1884 Mr. Bray first came to Sheridan 
county, settling on a homestead twelve miles 
south of Hay Springs. There he built a dugout 
and started with absolutely no capital, remaining 
until he had proved up on his claim. Here he 
went through another series of hardships and 
discouragements in the loss of several crops, and 
saw many hard times, but he persevered and 
eventually built up a good home and farm. He 
has six hundred and forty acres, with one hun- 
dred and ten of this under cultivation, and a 
good set of farm buildings, fences, etc. He moved 
to Hay Springs in 1902, and for a year and a 
half was in the hotel business, then established a 
hardware store, handling implements and also 
grain. He has an elevator with a capacity of fif- 
teen thousand bushels. He has built up a good 
trade in his hardware store, occupying a large 
building and sheds, and has associated with him 
in this enterprise R. E. Montgomery. 

In 1877 Mr. Bray was married to Miss Cath- 
erine Moore, daughter of Jacob Moore, an old 
settler in Nebraska, who came here from Iowa, 
in 1875. Two children were born to them, named 
Jessie and Nellie. In 1879 Mrs. Bray died. Mr. 
Bray married the second time in 1890, taking in 
wedlock Miss Elizabeth Parrish, and one child 
resulted from this union, namely : Blanche, aged 
sixteen years. 

Mr. Brav is a Republican and an active party 
man. He was twice elected county commis- 
sioner, the first time in 1898, and the second 
time in 1901. 



GUS. NORBERG. 

Gus. Norberg, prominent as an old settler in 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is one of the enter- 
prising business and professional men of his lo- 
cality. He is well known throughout this sec- 
tion of the country as an attorney of note, and 
has done his full share in the upbuilding and de- 
velopment of the commercial and educational re- 
sources of this region. 

Mr. Norberg was born in Henry county, Illi- 
nois, in 1853. He is a son of E. U. and Mrs. 



(Brita) Norberg, the former having been a na- 
tive of Sweden who came to America and set- 
tled in Michigan in 1842, then to Henry county, 
Illinois, two years later, in company with the 
Bishop Hill colony of Swedes, who joined inter- 
ests on the community plan and were obliged 
to disband in 1862, their success being impeded 
by bad management. 

E. U. Norberg was a man of good education, 
a college graduate in Sweden, and he was ap- 
pointed secretary of the colony and had charge 
of the grain department, strongly opposing the 
management which resulted in disaster to the 
members of the colony. 

In 1883 our subject came to Nebraska and 
settled in Holdrege, where he opened a law office 
and began his practice in this locality. He has 
built up an enviable reputation as a shrewd and 
capable attorney and has the confidence and es- 
teem of his fellowmen. From 1887 to 1891 he 
held the office of county attorney, elected on the 
Republican ticket, and has always been an active 
public-spirited citizen of his community. Mr. 
Norberg was educated at Urbana University of 
Ohio. He was admitted to the bar at Chicago in 
1883, and has practiced ever since. 

Mr. Norberg is an active member of the 
Knights of Pythias, and was grand chancellor for 
that order in Nebraska during 1897. 



JOHN M. DELATOUR. 

John M. Delatour, one of the younger mem- 
bers of the business community of Deuel county, 
Nebraska, was born in Helena, Arkansas, on Au- 
gust 27, 1874. Mr. Delatour's father and 
mother, with their three children, came to Furnas 
county, Nebraska, in 1882, the former trailing 
cattle into Box Butte county in 1884, taking with 
him our subject, then a boy of ten, and both 
worked on round ups in western Nebraska, com- 
ing to Deuel county and afterwards settling on 
Blue Creek, in Cheyenne canyon, where the 
father and son, with some helpers, pre-empted a 
school section. In 1887 the whole family came 
to Deuel county, where they were among the 
first comers. The section was very sparsely set- 
tled, the country utterly wild and unimproved 
land, and all mail, provisions, etc., had to be 
hauled from North Platte, these being extremely 
long and tedious trips. Also, -they afterwards 
were compelled to get their supplies from the 
Old Wolf Ferry, in Keith ccunty, previously 
hauled there from Ogallala. Father and four 
sons remained in Deuel county and carried on 
the ranch, gradually getting in the stock busi- 
ness, and succeeded in building up a fine prop)- 



454 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



erty, onr subject starting in for himself in 1898, 
situated on Blue creek, near the home ranch. He 
left his ranch in 1908 and removed to Oshkosh, 
Nebraska, where he engaged in the real estate 
and loan business in partnership with A. B. 
\N'ynes, under the firm name of Delatour & 
Wynes, and thev are tloing a nice trade in farm 
lands, etc., throughout their part of the state. 

Mr. Delatour remembers distinctly the killing 
of practically the last buffalo by the Pine Ridge 
Agencv Indians, which occurred at the Gusher 
Spring', which lies at the big bend of the Bkie 
creek. Gusher Spring is a natural spring which 
throws a large volume of water, and is an old 
camping ground of the Indians. Our subject is 
a most interesting talker, and can recount many 
tales of interest regarding life here as he has 
found it, and of the early days. His father is 
still living on Blue creek, but the mother died 
in 1897 at Ogallala. Three brothers also reside 
in Deuel county, two of whom are ranch owners 
and the other now holding the office of county 
clerk of the county. 

Mr. Delatour was married to Minnie B. Tay- 
lor, at Ash Hollow, Deuel county, on October 
18, 1899. Mrs. Delatour is a native of Ne- 
braska, a typical western woman and of most 
charming personality. They have two children, 
Lucv. born April 28, 1901, and John J., born 
July 3, 1907. 



VALENTINE WOHLHETER. 

Among those whu have braved the storms of 
adversity "and hardships of the early western 
days and have passed through many hard and 
bitter experiences in building up a home for 
themselves in Nebraska, the gentlman whose 
name heads this review stands among the fore- 
most. He is now comfortably situated and has 
made a success by virtue of honest endeavor and 
strict attention to his work. Mr. Wohlheter re- 
sides in section 12, township 33, range 55, Sioux 
county. 

Valentine Wohlheter was born in the village 
of Rencenheim, Germany, in 1838. His father 
followed farming as a career, and he grew uj) 
in his native land, learning to do all kinds of 
hard farm work as a boy, living at home until 
he was nineteen years of age, then came to Amer- 
ica, landing in New York city in July, 1857. He 
came west, locating in Illinois. During the sec- 
ond year of the Civil war he enlisted in Company 
H, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh X'oluiiteer 
Infantry, was sent south with his regiment, and 
saw hard service in Tennessee, at Vicksburg and 
Memphis, was with General Sherman all the 



way to Washington and took part in the grand 
review. At the close of the war he returned to 
Illinois and made that his home for about a 
year, then went to Elgin. Iowa, and engaged in 
the mercantile business, operating a general store 
for thirteen years. He did well and accumulated 
quite a little property, but decided to try farming, 
and bought a place and farmed up to 1888, when 
he left Iowa and came to Nebraska, taking up 
a homestead, filing on his claim in August of that 
year. His family joined him in the late fall, and 
he put up a dwelling, half dugout and board 
shanty, and they started their home in the wilder- 
ness. During the first few years he met with 
bad luck in the loss of crops, and so gradually 
worked into the cattle business, doing little farm- 
ing. His sons worked at railroad construction 
and on the ranges and helped their parents all 
they could, and so they managed to get along 
fairly well, but in eight years only was able to 
raise two good crops. 

Mr. Wohlheter settled on the place he now 
occupies in the fall of 1896. Here he has a 
ranch of one thousand six hundred acres, part 
of which is owned by his sons, and they have 
made it one of the best ranches in the region, 
having it all fenced and fitted with good build- 
ings and improvements of every kind. Hat creek 
runs through the land, and a fifty-acre tract is 
under cultivation. 

Mr. Wohlheter was married in 1868, to Miss 
Caroline Sorg, who was born in France, where 
her father was a prominent merchant, the fam- 
ily coming to the United States in 1848. The 
mother, whose maiden name was Fredericka 
Cochler, was also born and reared in France. 
The family settled in Iowa, where Mr. Sorg fol- 
lowed farming, also carried on a mercantile busi- 
ness at Elgin, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Wohlheter 
are the parents of two children : Leonis, born in 
1869, and Eugene, born in 1873, the latter now 
having charge of the home ranch and assisting 
his father in its operation. He is married and 
has two children. Vera and Helen. 



HENRY OLSON. 

Henry Olson, prominent as an old settler of 
Deuel county, Nebraska, and a well-to-do farmer 
and business man, enjoying the highest esteem of 
his fellowmen. is an energetic man of integrity 
and progressiveness. He was one of the first 
settlers on the table land here, and has passed 
through all the old Nebraska times, helping in the 
development of its agricultural and commercial 
resources, deserving a foremost position in the 
ranks of Deuel county's public-spirited citizens. 




HENRY OLSON. 



COiMPENDlUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



455 



Air. CHson was born in Sweden and reared 
there, coming to the United States in 1881, set- 
thng at first in Saunders county, where he spent 
about four years, then came to D.euel county, 
landing in this region on the tenth of May, 1885. 
He at once filed on a homestead on section 29, 
township 14, range 44, proving up on a quarter 
section, later bought an additional quarter in the 
locality, now owning in all nearly four hundred 
acres, of which about one-half is devoted to farm- 
ing, raising small grain, etc. He has a number 
of good horses, and has a well equipped farm, 
with every convenience, having two complete 
sets of farm buildings, also wells, fences, etc. 
When a youth in Sweden our subject learned the 
carpenters' and builders' trade, and since coming 
to this country has worked considerably in this 
line. He has erected many houses in the county, 
and helped to build some of the first dwellings 
in Chappell, when that town was started. 

While still living in Sweden, Air. Olson was 
married to Aliss Bento North, their marriage oc- 
curring on Alarch 5, 1880, and together they 
came to the new world to establish a home. To 
them were born two children, Alta, who married 
James AlafTat, now living on section 30, town- 
ship 14, range 44, their farm joining Airs. 
AFaffat's father's place. They have one child, 
Harold, a lad of two years. One son, Edward 
Wilhelm Olson, is living at home and assists his 
father in carrying on the farm. Airs. Olson died 
on the homestead on January 17 , 1893, and her 
death was a deep loss to her family and friends, 
who esteemed her immeasurably as a model wife 
and mother. Mr. Olson has seen much of the 
hard side of life on the western plains, but has 
worked faithfully and has reaped a fitting re- 
ward for his labors in the accumulation of a com- 
fortable property, all of which has been gained 
through his honesty and individual eiTorts. A 
portrait of Mr. Olson will be found elsewhere in 
this work. 



WILLIAAI A. COXNELL. 

One of the prominent and successful agricul- 
turists of Keya Paha county who came to this 
section when the country was in the first stages 
of its development, and who has watched its 
growth from its early days, is to be found in the 
person of William A. Connell. He resides on 
section 28, township Zl), range 17, where he has 
built up a pleasant and comfortable home. 

Air. Connell was born in St. Louis, Alissouri, 
August 23, 1851. He is a son of William F. Con- 
nell. one of the best known shorthand reporters 
in that city, and a native of Washington City, 
born of Irish-American stock. The mother of 



our subject, Sarah Hopkins, was a Virginian, 
and he is the only child of his parents. He was 
raised and educated in Washington until nine 
years of age, then the family moved to Alineral 
Point, Wisconsin, where he grew up and at the 
age of fifteen went to the pine woods and fol- 
lowed the lumbering business for nine years. 
While working at that he was severely injured 
and was obliged to quit the business, so took up 
farming, going to Shelby county, Iowa. There 
he took an eighty acre farm and operated it for 
four years, at which time he wandered to Te.xas 
and traveled all over that country, returning 
north, and settling in Nebraska, in 1883. He lo- 
cated in Keya Paha county, close to the Niobrara 
river, and began building up a farm. His first 
house was a sod shanty, and he lived in this for 
twelve years. He had a hard time in getting 
started, and suffered much loss during the dry 
years, and was hailed out several times. For 
seven years his crops were failures nearly all the 
time, and when not a total loss he only secured 
enough to enable him to make a scantv living 
He stuck to his farm, however, and when the bet- 
ter times came, gradually made improvements 
and got into stock raising, which he found more 
profitable than farming at that time. He pur- 
chased his present home in 1905, comprising one 
thousand four hundred sixty-eight acres, part of 
which lies along the river, and on this he has put 
up good buildings on the "table" one mile from 
the river and has made it a very valuable prop- 
erty. 

In the year after coming to Keya Paha coun- 
ty Air. Connell was married to Aliss Floretta F. 
Lowe, born in Aliddlebury, Wisconsin, a daugh- 
ter of Henry and Ann (Adams) Lowe, the form- 
er a native of England and the latter, of Prince 
Edward's Island. Her parents were old settlers 
in this county. From this marriage six children 
resulted, namely: Frank C, Jessie F., Robert 
Harrison, Lorena, Charles H. and William A. R., 
all of whom are living, and the family is highly 
esteemed in the community. 

Mr. Connell is a Republican and was elected 
county commissioner in 1891, in 1903 and again 
in 1906, serving in that capacity at the present 
time. He is a member of the Royal Highlanders 
at Brocksburg. 



GEORGE AI. ANDERSON. 

George AI. Anderson, who was for three 
years the president of the Newport and 
Alariaville Telephone Company, an institution 
organized and very largely built by him, is one 
of the most representative farmers of Kirkwood 
precinct. Rock county, Nebraska, and as a long- 



456 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and faithful worker in the interests of the Dem- 
ocratic party has many friends over the state. 

Mr. Anderson was born on a farm in Athens 
county, Ohio, January 29, 1859, and was reared 
to an agricuhural hfe, to which his parents, 
Humphrey and Frances (Brown") Anderson, 
were also bom and bred. Of the children born 
to his parents, he is the eldest of three who are 
now living. He has three half brothers. Humph- 
rey Anderson, the father, died September 1, 
1906, at his home in Missouri. When George M. 
Anderson had reached the age of twenty-three 
years he left his Ohio home and was engaged 
in farming for about four years in Guthrie 
county, Iowa, where considerable success attend- 
ed his efforts. He was married in Ohio, January 
5, 1881, to Miss Lydia Daniels, whose parents 
■were English born and bred. Eight children have 
come to bless this union : Herbert. Carl and 
Harl. twins : Roscoe, Eugene, Arthur, Chester 
and Marcus. The mother died October 7, 1907. 
leaving the family disconsolate. 

In 1886 the Andersons moved still farther 
to the west, and journeyed from their Iowa home 
to a new location in Keya Paha county. Nebras- 
ka, being twenty days on the way, and bringing 
with them seven head of cattle. Making a pre- 
emption settlement on what seemed a desirable 
location, they put up a sod house, in which they 
were at home for the ensuing four years. In 1891 
Mr. Anderson was attracted by the rush to South 
Dakota, and thought he might do well there as it 
seemed to promise relief from some of the trou- 
bles that attended him in Keya Paha county. Ac- 
cordingly he went to Gregory county. South 
Dakota, where he remained until 1893. but the 
loss of three successive crops by repeated drouths 
proved too much for his endurance, and he re- 
turned to this state, having hardly more with 
which to start anew than his unbroken courage 
and good strong arms. After making his land 
entries, and building a sod house, he found him- 
self with less than ten dollars, and winter rapid- 
ly advancing. That fall he worked for fifty 
cents a day and was glad to secure employment 
even at that low wage. The passing of the years 
has worked him well, and today he is reckoned 
among the most solid and substantial citizens of 
the county. In 1895 he bought his present farm, 
and today is the proprietor of a landed estate 
consisting of five hundred and sixty acres, on 
which he has ercctefl good buililings and has 
secured an ample supply of farm machinery. A 
view of the residence with its accompanying 
buildings is to be found on another page. He is 
working somewhat from an exclusive grain 
farming to stock raising as well, and is seeking to 
develop diversified interests, believing the farm- 
er best off who can turn in the most directions to 



meet the fluctuations of a varying market. He 
has served his precinct as assessor for four years : 
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows of Newport and the Ancient Order ot 
United Woodmen of Mariaville, in which he is 
financier and his management of the funds of the 
order is highly praised by his brother workmen. 



THEODORE P. GREEN. 

Among the leading citizens of Cherry county, 
Nebraska, the gentleman herein named occupies 
a prominent place. Mr. Green resides in section 
27 , township 7)2, range 39. where he has a fine 
farm and pleasant home. 

Mr. Green was born in Lincoln countv. Ohio, 
May 29, 1846. His father, George W.' Green, 
was a Virginian, a farmer by occupation, and 
in 1851 moved to Champaign county, Illinois, 
where he lived for twelve years with his family, 
consisting of his wife and eight children, of 
whom our subject is the seventh in order of birth. 
There he was reared and educated, coming to 
Nebraska with his parents in 1864. where they 
took up a homestead in Sarpy, about twenty-five 
miles southwest of Omaha. When Theodore 
was eighteen years of age he started out for him- 
self, following farm work part of the time and 
learned blacksmithing at St. Josejjh. later taking 
up the machinists' and finally the carpenters' 
trade. In 1870 he rented land and opened a farm 
for himself in Sarpy county, remaining on it 
for six years, then went to California, working on 
the Petrie ranch for five years. At the end of 
that time he returned to Sarpy county, again tak- 
ing a farm, working as a carpenter part of the 
time, and in 1885 moved to Cherry county, locat- 
ing eight miles east of Gordon. He lived on 
that place for two years and a half, then moved 
to another place two miles east of that place, 
where he remained for a short time. Four years 
were spent in Douglas county and in Omaha and 
then he returned to this locality, settling on his 
second homestead, but he could not make a living 
during the dry years, so changed his filing 
for land situated on Rice creek. He later sold 
that and bought land near, and in 1904 took up 
his present jilace of six hundred and forty acres, 
one-fourth of which is deeded land. This is 
partly farming land, with plenty of grazing and 
hay land. He cuts about fifty tons of hay each 
season, and engages principally in farming, al- 
though he keeps a large bunch of horses. 

Mr. Green was married February 5. 1887. to 
Miss Cynthia Crabtree. born in Livingston coun- 
ty. Illinois, in 1867. She is a daughter of John 
M. Crabtree, who served as lieutenant in the 




RESIDF.XCE OF WILLIAM SIGEA. 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF GM iK'.l 1 \.\l H.KSoX, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



457 



Black Hawk war. He married Nancy AI. King. 
Mr. and Mrs. Green have a family of five chil- 
dren, who are named as follows : Cora L., now 
Mrs. Frank Sweet ; Melvin E., Delia L., Leonard 
L., and Mary Alice, all born and reared in Ne- 
braska. 

Politically, Mr. Green is an independent voter, 
with a leaning toward the Bryan party in na- 
tional affairs. He is also prominent in educa- 
tional matters in his locality, and has been school 
director since coming to Nebraska. 



G. B. EDMUND ESTLER. 

The pen of the writer lingers lovingly over 
the story of the bright and capable young men 
who have come to this country from foreign 
lands with scarcely the endowment of the speech 
of its people, and by grim determination and 
sheer pluck have hammered out for themselves a 
fair name and goodly possessions in the course of 
a few years. Their only possessions were a 
strong right arm and an honest heart, and over 
and over again, ten thousand times, is the storv 
told in the lives of the German settler of the 
western states. 

G. B. Edmund Estler, a prosperous and suc- 
cessful farmer of Sioux county, Nebraska, pre- 
sents in his own career an excellent example of 
this story. He was bom in Dresden, Saxony, 
Germany, in 1876. His father waS' a piano- 
maker in his native land. He married Louisa 
\\'olters, born and raised in the same locality 
with him in Saxony. The couple came to the 
L'nited States with their little family in 1878, 
settling in Kansas, where they were among the 
pioneers. Our subject spent his boyhood in that 
state, and remained there until he was nine years 
of age, then went 'to New York city, where 
he began working in a grocery store as a clerk 
and errand boy, following that occupation up to 
1898, then again struck out for the west, this 
time locating in Sioux county, taking up his 
present farm as a homestead. He filed on this 
land March 10th, of that year, and was the 
seventh settler to take up a claim in that vicin- 
ity. He had very little start his farm with, 
and after his arrival bought two horses and a 
cow. During the first eight years he had a hard 
time to get along, making but little more than a 
bare living. He had several crop failures caused 
by drouths, and was also hailed out in 1900, but 
stuck to the place through all the hard vears, 
and eventually succeeded in establishing a home 
and building up a good farm. The place is 
situated on section 1, township 31, range 55, and 
his residence is in section 1, township 31, range 



55. His ranch now contains three hundred and 
twenty acres, all of which is fenced, and he has 
sixty acres under cultivation. He has erected 
good buildings, drilled deep wells and has wind- 
mills with supply tanks which provide plenty of 
good water for all purposes on the farm. His 
home and ranch is one of the well-kept and most 
pleasant places to be found in his locality, everv 
appointment showing good management and 
painstaking care in its operation. In 1903 he 
had the misfortune to be burned out, losing a 
barn filled with feed, and other propertv to the 
amount of $300. 

Mr. Estler is a public-spirited citizen and 
active in local affairs, having served as road 
overseer for t'»'o terms. In politics, he is non- 
partisan. 

WILLIAM SIGEA. 

Through exceptionally good management and 
persistent labors the gentlemen above named has 
acquired a well developed farm, and is enabled 
to enjoy the comforts of modern farming. He is 
of a progressive nature, and has had a wide ex- 
perience and every detail of the work on his farm 
is carefully looked after and personally super- 
vised by him. He resides in Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, where he is highly respected as a 
worthy citizen. 

Mr. Sigea is a native of Hillsdale, Michigan, 
born July 29, 1859. His father was a baker by 
trade, who was born in Germanv and came to 
America aboiit the time of our Civil war. He 
settled in Hillsdale with his wife, who was Mary 
Stroub, also a native of the fatherland. Mr. 
Sigea was killed by Indians near Denver, in 
1861, while freighting on the plains. The 
mother of our subject died when he was 
fifteen years old, and he lived with his 
stepfather until he reached the age of twenty- 
two, the family having moved to Iowa, locating 
near Council Bluffs. Seeing that his stepfather 
did not intend to give him an equal share as 
promised he left home and in 1881 went to 
Alinnesota and engaged in the livery business at 
F"ergus Falls, continuing in this for three vears, 
then moved to Pottawattamie county. Iowa, 
where he spent two years, following farming as 
an occupation. In 1886 he came to Nebraska 
and settled in Keya Paha county. He shipped his 
belongings to Bassett, bringing a few farm tools 
with him, and went to work on a farm, putting 
up a house built of rough logs, topped with a 
dirt roof. Here the family went through all the 
hardships of a pioneer life, losing two crops 
through the drouths, and often becoming dis- 
heartened, but he stuck to his farm, gradually 



45^ 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



adding to his possessions, and improving the 
place with a comfortable house, fitted up with 
all modern conveniences, and a fine set of farm 
buildings. He is the owner of nine hundred and 
sixty acres of deeded land and has built up a 
good home and valuable estate. In June, 1907, 
.Mr. Sigea built one of the largest and finest 
barns in Keva Paha county, with concrete base- 
ment stables, an ornament to any farm. The 
dwelling, with its outbuildings, furnishes one of 
the illustrations of this work. 

Mr. Sigea was married near Crescent. Ne- 
braska. April 24, 1884. to Miss Annette P.. 
Paris, whose father, a native of France, was a 
miller and shoemaker by trade, who settled near 
Crescent in 1876. where he lived at the time of 
his death, February 7. 1887 : the mother, Eliza 
Selzer. was of German blood, and is now resid- 
ing in Keya Paha county. Mr. and Mrs. Sigea 
have had four children : ^lillie A., bom in 
Iowa and wife of Clarence A. Lambert, living 
on an adjoining ranch ; August. Clarence and 
Clinton, the three younger children being born 
where tliey now live. 

In political sentiments Mr. Sigea is a Demo- 
crat, and he affiliates with the Ancient Order of 
United Woodmen fraternitv at Carnes. 



BEN LITZ. 



.•\mong the old settlers in Nebraska who 
braved the hardships and privations of a pioneer 
life in order to carve out a name and fortune to 
bestow upon their posterity, the gentlemen above 
named occupies a foremost place. He has suc- 
ceeded in building up a comfortable competence, 
and is highly esteemed by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Litz is a native of Monroe county. In- 
diana, born on a farm February 28. 1867, the 
third member in a family of seven children, all 
bcivs. He remained at home until he reached 
the age of seventeen years, when he took upon 
himself the burden of his support. The father 
died in the early seventies : the family settled in 
Lucas county, Iowa, in 1884, but only remained 
there for two years. In the fall of ISS.S Ben 
Litz came to Nebraska and took a homestead 
in section 28. township 30. range 10, in Rock 
county, and "batched it" for a short time. He at 
once put up a sod house, and lived in that for 
the following five years. When he first came 
here he had very little to start with. His mother 
moved here with him. but she soon after died, 
leaving him alone. He remained on that place 
and proved up. and afterwards sold his holdings 
there, settling in section 14, his present home, 
where he has had bountiful cro])s and now has a 



farm of four hundred and eighty acres, im- 
proved with a neat cottage residence, a good set 
of farm buildings, and sufficient fences. He is 
engaged principally in stock raising and dairy- 
ing, finding a profitable enterprise in shipping 
cream to the cities east. His farm is worth, ai 
a conservative estimate, $13,000. but he is well 
satisfied with his home and does not care to sell. 
The place has increased in value wonderfully 
since he first came here, as at that time it could 
have been bought for $1,000. He has planted a 
fine grove of trees, and everything on the whole 
farm bears evidence of good care and good man- 
agement in its operation. 

In the fall of 1892 Mr. Litz was married to 
Miss Kate Likins, whose parents settled in Rock 
county prior to the completion of the railroad to 
the region : the family experienced all the pioneer 
privations that befell the early settlers in this sec- 
tion of the country. Her father, Samuel Likins, 
endured many hardships to establish a home for 
his family in the west. Shortly after coming, 
their horses were all stolen by the Indians, neces- 
sitating the father's walking a hundred and 
fifty miles to Niobrara City for the family's sup- 
ply of flour, which he carried on his shoulders 
that long and weary way. This is but a sample 
of the fortitude and endurance of the pioneer. 
Mr. and Mrs. Litz have a family of three chil- 
dren, namely: Lena, Leonard and Nettie. In 
politics our subject is a Democrat and is a mem- 
ber of the Ancient Order of United Workmen of 
Bassett. 



THOMAS W. HULL. 

Thomas A\'. Hull, residing in Grant. Nebras- 
ka, is one of the well known "old-timers" of Per- 
kins county, and has been a potent factor in the 
development of the agricultural resources of that 
locality. He is now engaged in the real estate 
business and is a leading citizen in commercial 
and political affairs in his town. 

Mr. Hull was born in Bureau county. Illinois, 
in 1856. His parents were of American stock, 
his father being a carpenter by trade and a 
prominent pioneer of Perkins county, settling 
there in 1885. He was among the first home- 
steaders in the section, later served as county 
judge for two terms, and at his death, which 
occurred in 1906. there was a feeling among the 
residents of his community that they had lost 
one of the foremost pioneers. Our subject grew 
up in Illinois, assisting his father in carrying on 
the farm, and attended the common schools. At 
the age of twenty-five years he started out for 
iiimself. He came to eastern Nebraska, and 
farmed there for about four vears, then moved 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



459 



to what is now Perkins county, then known_ as 
Keith countv. He settled on a claim seven miles 
south of Grant, and there followed stock rais- 
ing, farming, and during the first years worked 
at whatever he could get to do to make a living 
and make money to improve his homestead. He 
lived in a sod house for several years, and fol- 
lowed a typical frontier life. In the fall of 1891 
he was elected sheriff of the county and was re- 
elected at the expiration of his term, and during 
that time moved to Grant, but later returned to 
the ranch and made that his home up to 1906. 
then went back to town to live. He succeeded 
in acquiring six hundred acres, then sold his 
holdings, after improving it in fine shape. In 
the real estate business he has built up a good 
patronage, handling land all over the county, 
and promoting the public good in every way 
possible. 

Mr. Hull married Miss ]\[artha E. Hannah. 
a native of Illinois, in 1881. They have one son. 
Roy, who is now grown up and married, and is 
in business at Grant. Nebraska. Politically 'Sir. 
Hull is an Independent. 



GEORGE W. SNIDER. 

The subject of this sketch, George W. Snider, 
is regarded as one of the most successful of the 
old settlers. He was born in Clark county. Illi- 
nois, on a farm near the town of Westfield. in 
1846. His father. David Snider, was a native of 
New Albany, Indiana, and was of American 
nationality. His mother. Sophia Evinger, was 
born in Indiana and her people were Germans. 
Mr. Snider's father and mother both died in 
Illinois. He lived on the farm in Clark county 
for many years, at times working out for the 
neighboring farmers when a boy. dropping corn 
in the old fashioned way and getting twenty-five 
cents for planting ten acres. When he grew 
older he was employed to plant thirty acres and 
was paid one dollar and fifty cents for the work. 
This was regarded as very good pay at that 
time. He often carried eggs to town, selling 
them for three cents a dozen. In those days the 
people were obliged to pay one dollar and twenty 
cents per gallon for kerosene. Mr. Snider took 
charge of the home farm when he was fourteen 
years old and managed it as successful as a man 
of mature years. Two of his older brothers went 
to the war in 1861. He remained on the farm 
until he was twenty-one years old. leaving it at 
that time to go into the grocery business at 
Westfield. Illinois, his home town, with a brother. 
W. A. Snider. They conducted this business for 
eight years, all of that time he being deputy 



postmaster. In 1876 he went to Charleston. Illi- 
nois, and, taking H. E. Bradley, his brother-in- 
law, for a partner, again opened a grocery store 
in that city. He conducted this business for 
ten vears. making a success of this as he had 
with the other store in Westfield. 

In 1888 he left Charleston for Terre Haute, 
Indiana, at which place he engaged in the furni- 
ture business, which he conducted for several 
months. After selling this business he 
went to Madrid, Nebraska, where, in Feb- 
ruary. 1889, he became a partner and 
cashier of the Bank of Madrid, which po- 
sition he held from 1889 to 1896, giving 
great satisfaction to the officers and stockholders 
of the bank, which was one of the strong financial 
institutions of Perkins county. He was also 
prominent in politics while in Madrid, holding 
the positions of notary public and village treas- 
urer. He always voted with the Republican 
partv and at one time he was instrumental in 
carrving an election for his party, which would 
otherwise have been defeated. He was one of 
the men who foresaw the great possibilities of 
the region and was actively connected with a 
countv fair association which did much to build 
up the town of Madrid, where he held an in- 
terest in a creamery and flouring mill in 1889. 

He later became interested in real estate and 
helped to lay out the town of Wauneta. in Chase 
countv, Nebraska, in 1888, and moved to that 
town in 1900, engaging in the stock business. He 
has platted an addition to West Wauneta and 
done much to improve the town. This town has 
electric lights and. through the efforts of Mr. 
Snider and other enterprising citizens of the 
town, will soon have an up-to-date water plant 
installed, as the best water power in Nebraska is 
on the Frenchman river within the town. He 
also sold farm' machinery and buggies. He 
remained in this town for about eighteen months, 
leaving it for Denver, Colorado, where he stayed 
for a short time and then went to Glenwood 
Springs. He remained here about a year in the 
hope of benefiting his wife, who was in- poor 
health. 

In 1902 he came to Ogallala and. with Mrs. 
Jennie Forsythe, a sister-in-law, and Mal- 
colm McClain, he established the first state bank 
•n the county. Mr. Snider was president of this 
institution for several years, selling his interest 
in 1905. He then went to California for recrea- 
tion and travel, remaining there for about a year. 
He established and was interested in a grocery 
business at Los Angeles. California, which is now 
owned by a nephew. In 1906 he returned to 
Ogallala. becoming interested in the real estate 
and insurance business in which he was very 
successful. He is also interested in the farm 



460 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and chattel loan businesss. which, with his farms, 
has occupied all his time. 

Mr. Snider has taken a leading part in the 
politics of his county and state and is regarded 
as one of the most progressive citizens of the 
county, in the development of which he has 
taken so prominent a part. He has held several 
offices of trust and has always given entire 
satisfaction to those whom he has served. He 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
of which he is one of the trustees, also a member 
of the Masonic fraternity, and has served as a 
notary public since 1889. During the panic of 
1893 our subject's bank and the banks of two 
of his competitors were the only ones that kept 
their doors open in that part of the country. 
After the panic he was instrumental in helping 
to secure aid to Perkins county's poor people. 

On IMarch 12, 1874, Mr. Snider married 
Dora M. Fisher, daughter of W. W. Fisher, of 
Charleston. Illinois. Mr. Fisher was a prominent 
business man of Charleston. In 1876 our subject 
moved to Charleston and March 12, 1876. a son 
named Harry E. was born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Snider and on March 1, 1879. the little one was 
called to join the angels above. Mr. and Mrs. 
Snider were father and mother to a nephew of 
Mrs. Snyder, George W. Kennedy. They took 
him to their home when he was nine years old 
and sent him to school until he was a young man 
and then set him up in business. He is post 
master and owns a large store at Colegrove, 
California, near Los Angeles. 

In 1900 Mrs. Forsythe, a sister of Mrs. 
Snider, was left a widow with a little girl one 
year old. Mr. and Mrs. Snider took them to live 
with them and Mr. Snider has looked after their 
interests ever since, and has been a father to 
little "Marie", who thinks as much of him as if 
he was her own father. They all have a beautiful 
home at Ogallala, where our subject spends his 
time looking after his farms of five hundred 
acres, loaning money and selling his lots at 
\\'auneta : does odd jobs in insurance and real 
estate business, is enjoying good health and takes 
life as easy as he can. 



OSC.^R STARR. 

Oscar Starr, one of the old-time settlers in 
western Nebraska, resides on his well-improvea 
farm in section 4, township 33, range 35, Cherry 
county. He has always done his full share in 
the upbuilding of the community in which he 
lives, and is highly esteemed as a man of sterling 
character and strict integrity. 

Mr. Starr was born in X'ernon county, Wis- 



consin, June 4, 1866. His father, Comfort Starr, 
was a farmer by occupation, and one of the 
pioneers of eastern Nebraska. He drove in this 
state with a team and covered wagon containing 
his household goods, in 1876, locating in Butler 
county, where his death occurred in the fall of 
1878. Our subject settled in Cherry county in 
1887 and remained there up to the early spring 
of 1908, when he moved to Mt. Vernon, Wash- 
ington. He had nothing to start with, and took 
up a homestead on Niobrara river, his first 
building being a log shack. He got a team of 
bulls and began to break up his farm, batching 
it for the first two years. He gradually built 
up his place and proved up on it, and then moved 
down on the river bank. After getting started he 
added to his acreage, and now has a ranch of 
six hundred and eighty acres, one hundred of 
which is cultivated. He has good buildings, 
plenty of water, and has made a fine place of it. 
He has seen many hard times, and often became 
discouraged during the drouth periods and other 
failures of crops. 

Mr. Starr was married in 1890 to Miss Hattie 
Maybee, daughter of William Maybee, a pioneer 1 
in Holt and Cherry counties. Mr. and Mrs. 
Starr have a family of seven children, named 
as follows : William, May, Louie, Roy, Laura, 
Murray and Cora. 

Politically Mr. Starr is a stanch Republican, 
and has held numerous local offices, and was 
serving as justice of the peace at the time of 
his removal to the coast. He is always active in 
aflfairs of interest to his community, and lends 
his time and influence to the betterment of home 
conditions. Mr. Starr has always been an en- 
thusiastic Inuitsman, and has been all over this 
part of the country and the reservations in South 
Dakota, camjjing out for weeks at a time, and 
has brought down some fine specimens of game 
of all kinds. 



LOUIS N. HOLLINGSWORTH. 

Louis N. Hollingsworth, a leading old set- 
tler of Bufifalo county, who has gained an en- 
viable reputation as a progressive agriculturist 
and worthy citizen, resides on his fine farm on 
section 8. in Center township, where he has a 
pleasant home. He has been a resident of this 
locality for the past twenty years, and is closely 
identified with the history of the development 
and growth of the agricultural and commercial 
interests of this region. 

Mr. Hollingsworth is a native nf Iowa, where 
he was bom in 18.^7. He was raised there, on a 
farm, and spent about all his life in Iowa, until 
1887. In 1887 he came to Bufifalo county from 
Green county, Iowa, and here purchased the 




FRAXK P. MORAN AND FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



461 



eighty-acre farm he now lives on, and has added 
to this farm other lands adjoining until he now 
owns two hundred and forty acres. During the 
first years he met with much discouragement in 
the failure of crops, but since 1895 he has raised 
splendid crops, his wheat averaging tweniy 
bushels per acre, and for the last four years 
thirty bushels, one piece containing ten acres 
going as high as forty bushels per acre. This 
Wood river bottom land cannot be beaten any 
place ; there is no sand, and all is good rich soil 
and no wash-out. In addition to his farming 
operations Mr. Hollingsworth feeds a good 
many cattle, during the winter running twenty- 
five head of fine Hereford milch cows. He has a 
fine large barn with ample stable room for his 
horses and cattle. Our subject considers that the 
splendid alfalfa produced here, with corn and all 
kinds of grain, makes Buffalo county one of the 
best farming sections to be found. He is one of 
the best and most careful farmers in the county, 
and his opinion is of weight in giving a state- 
ment of this kind. Mr. Hollingsworth and fam- 
ily occupy a fine residence, which is situated on 
a rise of ground from which is obtained a com- 
manding view of the Wood River valley for 
miles east and west, the town of Kearney, a dis- 
tance of seven miles, being plainly visible. 

Mr. Hollingsworth was united in marriage in 
1882 to Miss Jane Downs, who was raised in 
Madison county, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Hol- 
lingsworth the following children have been 
born : Verlie, Louie, Walter, Frank, Ethel and 
Roy. They are graduates of the Kearney high 
school, and have been of great assistance to their 
parents in the farm and domestic work. Louie 
is now teaching; Roy is in high school, and 
Frank and Ethel are attending: the State Normal. 



JOHN ANDERSON. 

John Anderson, residing on section 13 on the 
banks of Bordeaux creek, is well-known to all 
in this part of Dawes county as a man of sterling 
character and strict integrity in word and deed, 
who has aided in the development of his com- 
munity from the time of his settling here, in 
1891, and he is one of the public-spirited citizens 
of his precinct. Mr. Anderson has built up a 
good farm and has a pleasant and comfortable 
home. 

Our subject is a native of the village of 
Schleswig, Germany, born in 1851. His father 
was a laborer all his life, working out in his 
native province at whatever he could find to do, 
and was -able to support his family in fairlv good 
shape, giving his children an opportunitv to at- 



tend the school and each learn a trade, as is the 
universal custom in that country. Our subject 
learned the stone cutter's trade and worked at 
that for four years in his native land. In 1883 
he came to America, and after landing in New 
York city, came directly west to Bryant, Iowa. 
He had been married in Germany and brought 
his wife with him. After locating in Iowa he 
went to work for the Chicago & Northwestern 
Railway Company as a section hand, and after 
a couple of years was promoted to the position of 
foreman, taking charge of Sec. No. 76 at Bor- 
deaux Station, and he continued at railroad work 
for several years. In 1891 he filed on a homestead 
in section 13, township 32, range 47, built a 
house of logs and started a farm. He had not 
much to begin with, but owned a cow and calf 
and two horses, and managed to break up a little 
ground and put in a crop. The first years he 
had hard times in getting along, being put back 
considerable by the drouths, although he never 
had but one entire failure, while others in his 
vicinity lost everything. He was often able to 
when a fair crop when his nearest neighbors' 
crops were utterly ruined, so he graduallv suc- 
ceeded in building up his farm, and added' more 
land to his first quarter, until he now owns one 
thousand five hundred acres altogether, all of 
which he has fenced, and one hundred and twen- 
ty acres of it under cultivation. He has erected 
a good house and commodious barns, and keeps 
everything about the place in first-class order, 
showing good management and thrift at every 
turn. 

Mr. Anderson's wife was, prior to her mar- 
riage, Katherine Peterson, born and reared in 
Germany, where he married her in 1879, and 
they have one living child, Harvey Henry, aged 
twenty-seven years. They have lost three chil- 
dren, Hartwig, Jennie and a baby, not named. 

j\Ir. Anderson takes an active part in local 
affairs of his community, and has done his share 
in building up the schools and bettering condi- 
tions generally in his locality. He has been 
school treasurer for fifteen years, and also school 
director for one year. Politically he is a Demo- 
crat, but votes an Independent ticket. 



FRANK P. MORAN. 

In giving to the public the life history ot the 
gentleman above mentioned we are submitting 
the name of one of the oldest settlers of Grant 
county, Nebraska. He came to that region when 
it was in the first stages of development, and has 
in no small degree aided in its up-building, bv 
giving liberally of his personal help and pro- 
moting its growtli along agricultural, ranching 



462 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and commercial lines. Mr. Moran resides in 
section 35, township 22, range 36, where he is 
owner of a pleasant home and valuable estate. 

Frank P. Moran was born in Marion county. 
West \'irginia. on July 9. 1832. His father, 
Robert, was a colonel in the Civil war. and had a 
brilliant record as a soldier. Robert Moran. the 
lather, was the owner of a large tannery in 
Marion county. West Virginia, and a prominent 
man in his community. He married Sarah 
Pride, also a native of that state. 

Our subject was reared and educated in his 
native comity, spending most of his boyhood 
vears on the home farm. .\t the age of twenty- 
one he left his parents' home and worked out for 
five years near home, and in 1879 came west to 
Nebraska, landing at Columbus. Platte county, 
on February 18th of that year. He located on 
his father's ranch and started in the cattle Dusi- 
ness. also begun farming, living on the ranch 
for eight years, and did exceedingly well. He 
was matried in Platte county, in 1884. to Mary 
A. Snyder. Her father, C. J. Snyder, was an 
old settler in that vicinity and one of the first 
homesteaders there. 

In 1886 Mr. Moran came with his family 
to Grant county, arriving here in the spring of 
the year. He filed on a liomestead in section 34. 
township 22. range 36. and also took up a tree 
claim adjoining, all located eighteen miles south 
of Whitman. In coming to that region in Grant 
county he teamed all the way from Platte county. 
Nebraska, his nearest postoffice after settling 
here being North Platte, a distance of eighty 
miles. He did his trading at North Platte for 
quite awhile. 

His first buildings were of sod, and he be- 
gan ranching, having fair success, and was able 
to improve his place to some extent. He planted 
many trees during the early years, and now has 
one of the fin'est groves in his county, his resi- 
dence being surrounded by a fine grove, making 
it one of the most sightly places in the vicinity. 
Mr. Moran's ranch consists of one thousand 
one hundred and twenty acres, all deeded land, 
and on the place is a valley two miles in length 
and half a mile wide, making the finest pasture 
imaginable for his stock. 

Mr. Moran had a family of twelve children, 
as follows; Alice G., bom in 1884. Leslie R.. 
1888, Sarah E.. 1890. Vera L., 1891. Robert P.. 
1892, Milford G., 1897, W. J. Brvan. 1899, 
Dorothy B.. 1901, Victor M.. 1904. and \'ernon 
D., 1906. They are a very bright and intelligent 
group, and form one of the most happy family 
circles to be found in many days' travel. Two 
children. Clarence and Otho. are dead. .V pic- 
ture of Mr. Moran and family will l)e found on 
another page. 



Our subject is active in local political affairs, 
also takes a leading part in school matters, and 
has held office in his township for many years. 



JAMES S. SCOFIELD. 

James S. Scofield, numbered among the pio- 
neers of Dawes county, Nebraska, has built up a 
fine farm and ranch in section 14, township 31, 
range 51, surrounded by the comforts of life and 
esteemed by his associates. His father located 
there in the early days, and by thrift and good 
management became owner of well cultivated 
tracts of land, and in whom the citizens found 
worthy support. 

Mr. Scofield is a native of Harrison county, 
Iowa, born in 1868. His father, Eugene Scofield, 
was born in New York state, of old American 
stock, and was a pioneer in Dawes county, com- 
ing here in 1885 and settling on the farm our 
subject now owns, located in section 14. The 
family came here from Iowa, where thev lived 
for several years, the father having run a mill- 
ing business there. After arriving here they put 
up a log cabin, finishing it with a sod roof and 
dirt floor, and went through all the pioneer ex- 
periences. They first engaged in the cattle busi- 
ness and continued in that almost exclusively up 
to 1893, and since then have run a sheep ranch. 
The ranch comprises one thousand eight hun- 
dred acres, and this is kept up in the best pos- 
sible shape, improved with good buildings, 
fences, etc. The father died here September 13, 
1891, aged fifty-three years. 

Our subject was united in marriage in 1898 to 
Miss Minnie Darrow, daughter of William and 
Helen Darrow, who came to this county as a 
pioneer and have one of the fine estates in the 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Scofield are the parents 
of three children, namely : Thcron, Esther and 
^lyrtle, the latter now deceased. 

Mr. Scofield has always taken a commendable 
interest in local public affairs, and has aided 
materially in the development and growth of the 
commercial and educational conditions here. He 
has never sought public preferment, and is de- 
servedly held in the highest esteem by his fellow- 
men. 



DR. J. A. ANDREWS. 

Dr. J. A. .Andrews, a leading physician of 
Holdrege, Phelps county, Nebraska, located here 
in 1903. and has iKiilt up a large practice. He 
has just built a large hosi)itaI equipped with all 
surgical, therapeutical and medical improvements 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



4b3 



and appliances, which is one of the most com- 
plete of its kind in the west. The building is of 
brick, twenty-five by eighty-six feet in size, two- 
story and basement, and is of beautiful architec- 
tural design, and a credit to the city. Dr. An- 
drews has his residence in the building, and the 
best of trained nurses are constantly in at- 
tendance. This is a great boon to Holdredge and 
western Nebraska, as it is the only up-to-date 
hospital in this section. 

Before locating in Holdrege Dr. Andrews 
had an office at Eustis, Nebraska, where for ten 
years he had a large practice, which extended for 
seventy-five miles around the country. He is 
well known throughout the entire state as an 
able surgeon and general practitioner, and also 
an active citizen along all lines of progress. He 
is of attractive personality, strong physique, out- 
spoken and frank, with strong social tendencies, 
and is greatly esteemed by all. As a member of 
the state legislature in 1901, he was recognized 
as an able member of that body. He is an effec- 
tive friend, and a foe to be reckoned with. 

Dr. J. A. Andrews is a native of Iowa. He 
graduated from Rush ]\Iedical College, Chicago, 
in 1893, and for a time practiced in that city. His 
prior education was at Simpson College, Iowa. 
His brother, Hon. W. E. Andrews, is now 
auditor for the United States treasury at Wash- 
ington, D. C, having been a member of Congress 
from this district for one term, and was the 
first Republican elected after the Populist vic- 
tories in Nebraska. He was previously a pro- 
fessor in the Hastings College, at Hastings, Ne- 
braska, then private secretary for Governor 
Crounce, of Nebraska. 

Dr. Andrews is a member of the State Med- 
ical Society and was first vice-president of that 
body for one term. He is also a member of the 
American Medical Association, the Missouri Val- 
ley and the Republican Valley Medical Associa- 
tions, also of the Highline Medical Association. 
He is a Mason, also an Odd Fellow and a Wood- 
man. In politics he is an ardent Republican. 

In 1901 Dr. Andrews was united in marriage 
to Miss Lulah Trott, of Kearney, Nebraska. 



JOSEPH P. KREYCIK. 

Joseph P. Kreycik, who is classed among the 
intelligent and progressive ranchman of Cherry 
covmty, /Nebraska, is a resident of section 32, 
township 32, range 26, where his new residence 
is located. He has been in Nebraska since 1878, 
and during the years of his residence here nas 
become one of the important factors in the 
development of that region. He is the owner of 



a fine set of ranch buildings and is one of the 
leading old settlers in the vicinity. 

Mr. Kreycik is a native of Jestraby, Lhota, 
Bohemia, and was born on a farm, January 1, 
1866. His father, Matej Kreycik, came to 
Am.erica in 1878 and located in Knox county, 
Nebraska, where he now resides. The family 
sailed from Hamburg on the steamer Gelart, 
April Sth, and after fourteen days on the water 
landed in New York. Coming direct to Yank- 
ton by way of Sioux City, a friend of the fathfer 
met the family and took them to his home, the 
father soon locating on a homestead where he 
now resides. Of a family of eight children 
Joseph is the eldest and started out for himself 
at the age of twenty-one, following ranch work, 
and first came to Cherry county in 1884, where 
he took up a homestead and tree claim ; on the 
former he now resides. He has added to his 
acreage until he now owns a tract of nine hun- 
dred and sixty acres, and keeps some five hun- 
dred head of cattle and fifty horses. When he 
located on this place his sole possessions were a 
few cows, one team, and a debt of eighty dol- 
lars. He first built a log house and sod stables 
and outbuildings. He now has an excellently 
constructed two-story nine-room frame dwell- 
ing, with running water at all times, supplied 
from an elevated cistern reservoir, two big cattle 
sheds, two barns, a sheep shed and numerous 
outbuildings, wind mills, and tanks and concrete 
walks. Altogether it is one of the best equipped 
ranches within the boundaries of Cherry county. 
The land is all fenced, and the whole ranch 
bears evidence of the best of care and good judg- 
ment in its operation, making it one of the valu- 
able estates in the locality. A view of the place 
will be found on another page of this work. 

Air. Kreycik was married in 1888, to Miss 
Mary Vlasnik, of Bohemian descent, born in 
Chicago in 1869. Her parents, Gira and Kath- 
arine (Vessly) Vlasnik, came to America in 
1868. settled in Nebraska in 1870, and at pres- 
ent are residents of Knox county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kreycik have a family of six children, namely: 
Charles, James, Joseph, George, Katie and John, 
all born and reared on the ranch where thev now 
live. The Kreyciks are born musicians, and the 
family orchestra renders a high grade of excel- 
lent music. Mr. Kreycik organized a band in 
1902 at Wood Lake and in 1906 organized a 
second one, in which four of his sons take lead- 
ing parts. The grandfather, Mathej Kreycik, is 
also a band master of excellent repute and in 
some of the organizations over which he has 
been leader he has had the assistance of five of 
his sons. He began the study of music at the age 
of eight and four years later was a member ot 
an old country band. 



464 



COxMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Krcycik is worshipful master of Wood 
Lake lodge. No. 221, Ancient Free and Accepted 
Masons, and a charter member of camp No. 221, 
Ancient Order of United Workmen, of the same 
village. He has been a member of the school 
board for some years, and held different school 
offices. He is a Populist in political faith, having 
voted that ticket since the organization of the 
party. He has done his share in the upbuilding 
of the commercial and agricultural interests of 
the community in which he resides, and is one 
of the substantial men here. 



PETER P. SHADE. 

Peter P. Shade, one of the best known pio- 
neers of Nebraska, is proprietor of an excellent 
farm adjoining Ainsworth in Brown county. 

Mr. Shade was born in Favette countv. Illi- 
nois, July 6, 1849. His father', William Shade, 
was a farmer bj' occupation, and came to Illinois 
from Pennsylvania in the early days, bringing 
with him his family of two children ; five chil- 
dren were born in Illinois, of whom our subject 
is the youngest. He was reared and educated 
on his father's farm and started life for himself 
at the age of twelve years, learning the shoe- 
maker's trade at Moweena, which occupation 
he followed for six years, and then went back to 
farming. At first he begun on rented land in 
Moultrie county and worked this for several 
years. In 1873 he came to Nebraska, locating 
on a homestead in Adams county, near Hastings. 
He had practically nothing to start with, and the 
first five years were very hard ones for him. The 
first year he settled here his crops failed, being 
utterly ruined by the grasshopper raids, which 
devastcd the entire country round. The same 
condition of things existed the following vear. 
His first house was a dugout, and in tliis he lived 
for some years, then built a sod house and kept 
at work improving his farm, trying hard to 
overcome the discouragements and hardships 
which he encountered. 

He remained on this homestead until the fall 
of 1884, and then sold out his holdings and came 
to Brown county, settling on a farm three miles 
east of Ainsworth. He ]iroved up on this, 
erected good buildings and continued to reside 
there until October, 1907, when he sold and in- 
vested in a twenty-four-acre tract adjoining 
.\insworth, wlicre he has built a fine house and 
barn, fitted with all the necessary improvements 
for running a model farm. He has planted one 
hundred and thirty frn't trees and a number of 
forest trees and evergreens. 

On October 21, 1870, Mr. Shade was married 



at Sullivan, Illinois, to Miss Marv E. Dieter, a 
native of Medina. Ohio. She came to Christian 
county, Illinois, with her parents in 1865, the 
family settling in this locality. Three children 
have been bom to Mr. and Mrs. Shade, of whom 
but one is now living, Maude E., a graduate of 
the Ainsworth high school, now the wife of 
Ralph Carpenter, living four miles south of 
Johnstown. 

Mr. Shade has done his full share as an old 
settler, and is recognized as one of the leading 
residents of the county in which he makes his 
home. He is a man whom it is not easy to for- 
get if once met with, being above the ordinary 
in intelligence and individuality of character. He 
has the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen, 
and his name will figure prominently in the his- 
tory of Nebraska. In politics he is a Democrat. 



HENRY J. DAVIS. 

Henry J. Davis, classed among the sub- 
stantial and prosperous farmers of Court 
House Rock precinct, ^ilorrill (formerly Chey- 
enne) county, is an old settler in western Ne- 
braska, and has passed through all the old 
Nebraska times, good, bad and indifferent, re- 
maining to enjoy the prosperity which has 
come to those who spent many years in help- 
ing develop the agricultural resources of that 
region. He has acquired valuable property 
by his labors and good management, and en- 
joys comfortable surroundings and an envia- 
ble reputation as a citizen. 

Mr. Davis was born in Oakland county, 
Michigan, January 15, 1856, and' grew to the 
age of five years, then with his parents moved 
to Saratoga county. New York, where they 
lived for about nine years. The family then 
came to Stephenson county, Illinois, remain- 
ing there but a short time, then into Hardin 
and Franklin counties, Iowa. The father, Wil- 
liam Davis, was a farmer, and followed that 
calling in Iowa up to 1887, at that time com- 
ing to Nebraska, settling in Clieyenne county, 
wiiere he took up a pre-emption. This is now 
our subject's home ranch. Both his father 
and mother, who was Julia Valentine in maid- 
enhood, arc now deceased, the mother's death 
occurring in this county in 1894, the father fol- 
lowing in 1901. 

Mr. Davis has a fine ranch, engaging al- 
most exclusively in running cattle and horses. 
He has plent\- of pasture for his stock, also 
meadows and groves, with a good set of build- 
ings on the place. 

Mr. Davis was married in Webb City, Web- 



CO.MPENDILLAI OF HlS'lORY, REMINISCEN'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



465 



ster county, Iowa, in 1893. to Miss Emma 
Gaudy. His wife died in Sidney in the fall 
of 1895, leaving one child. Vera, now attending 
school in Iowa Falls, Iowa. In political faitli 
our subject is a strong Democrat and is active 
in local affairs. 



JERRY FERREL. 

One of the highest tributes to be paid a 
citizen is to say that he is a leading old settler. 
During the many years of his residence in a 
community he has been placed in communica- 
tion with many of the inhabitants of his home 
neighborhood, and his career has been open to 
their criticisms one way or the other. The 
gentleman above named is classed among the 
pioneers of Sheridan county, Nebraska, and as 
a resident of Hay Springs, former agriculturist 
of enterprise and integrity he has passed favor- 
able criticism and enjoys the confidence and 
esteem of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Ferrel is a native of Wayne county, 
Iowa, born June 23, 1861. His father, John 
Ferrel, was a farmer and early settler in Iowa, 
having taken up a tract of government land 
there in 1852. In a family of nine children our 
subject was the sixth member, and he together 
with his brothers and sisters grew up on the 
frontier, where he early learned to do all sorts 
of hard farm labor, during the winter months 
attending the country schools. He left home 
at the age of twenty-two and came west, locat- 
ing in O'Xeil, Holt county, Nebraska, where 
he followed the carpenter's trade there up to 
1884. At that time that section was a tough 
country, full of rough characters who made 
that their headquarters during the pioneer 
days of that region. 

Mr. Ferrel came to Sheridan county during 
June of the latter year, driving through from 
O'Neil with a team and covered wagon, set- 
tling on a pre-emption situated three and one- 
half miles west of Hay Springs. Here he built 
a log house and batched it, going through the 
usual pioneer experiences, freighting from 
Bordeaux saw mill to Pine Ridge Agencv, 
-South Dakota. He remained here proving up 
on his claim, and spent the year of '85 working 
at his trade in Pine Ridge Agency, and the fol- 
lowing year in this work at Hay Springs. After 
this he clerked in a hardware store for eighteen 
years, learning the tinner's trade and mastering 
every detail of the hardware business, and also 
establishing a furniture store here which he 
owned and managed for twelve years. He 
sold out his holdings in 1906. and bought back 



same business in 1907, and still continues the 
same at Hay Springs. ]\Ir. Ferrel is also in- 
terested in farming lands in the vicinity of the 
town, and now devotes much of his time to 
this industry. 

Mr. Ferrel was married in 1890 to Miss 
Julia Moulton, whose father, A. W. Moulton, 
was a stockman in Iowa and later an early set- 
tler in Sheridan county. Six children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ferrel. named as 
follows: Ruth, Cora, Lyle, Zelma, Ina and 
Gladys. 

Mr. Ferrel is a man of active and energetic 
habits, always taking a deep interest in local 
affairs and lending his aid in building up the 
commercial interests of his community and proA 
moting educational matters to the best of his 
ability. He has taken part in the history of 
this region from its start, and has done his full 
share as an old settler. 



BETHUEL S. SAWYER. 

Bethuel S. Sawyer is one of the oldest set- 
tlers of Loup county, Nebraska, and has wit- 
nessed the country grow from a wild, bleak, 
wind-swept prairie to a land of beautiful 
homes occupied by intelligent, contented and 
prosperous people. He has coped successfully 
with the varying fortunes of pioneer life and 
has surrounded himself with the satisfying evi- 
dences of work well done. 

Bethuel S. Sawyer is a native of the old 
state of Elaine, being born in the town of Pow- 
nal, August 12, 1832. His father, Joseph T. 
Sawyer, was a trader and business man and 
was a native of Maine, and of English descent. 
His mother, Elizabeth Sweetser in her maiden 
days, was a native of Maine, of Scotch-Irish 
descent. 

Our subject lived in Maine till he came to 
Loup county, Nebraska, in 1879. He located 
on the farm where he now lives on section 
31, township 23, range 20, and started to lay 
the foundations of a permanent home and 
ranching business. His first house was built 
of adobe, and the family were contented with 
that until the time came when circumstances 
permitted building a better one. He partici- 
pated in the organization of the county and 
his son Frank was the first county clerk elect- 
ed in the county. His home was far from 
the railroad and he had to haul all his sup- 
plies from Grand Island, one hundred and 
twenty miles away, and he remembers many 
a night when he had to sleep under his wagon 
while making those trips. But the reward for 



466 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



his energy and industry is now seen in his 
fine farm and home. He has six hundred and 
forty acres with about three hundred acres 
under cultivation and all improved in good 
shape. He has raised all kinds of grain in- 
cluding wheat, oats and corn and has always 
made a special business of raising cattle and 
horses of the best registered breeds. Mr. Saw- 
yer imported the first Percheron stallion into 
this country. 

Ever since coming to the county, Mr. Saw- 
3'er has taken an active interest in all that per- 
tained to the wefare of his adopted state and 
he could be counted among the progressive 
citizens. Fred, his oldest son, has lived with 
his father for the last thirty years and is an 
up-to-date agriculturist and stockman having 
grown up with the country. Frank. Fred and 
George, the three sons, came to the county with 
their father. 



GEORGE A. JANSSEN, 

George A. Janssen, a leading old settler in 
Nebraska, resides on his well improved farm 
situated in section 25, township 35, range 29, 
Cherry county. He was born in Hanover, 
Germany, November 5, 1855, where his 
father, Gerhard Janssen, conducted a meat 
market his entire business career, dying there 
in 1865. when our subject was ten years of age. 
From that time he has made his own way in the 
world, first being apprenticed to a baker ; he 
mastered his trade there, working at it for 
six years, until 1876, he left his native land and 
came to America, settling in Grundy county, 
Iowa, where he resided one year. He then 
went to Sioux City, where he lived for three 
years, employed at his trade for a few months, 
followed by farm work in Bremer county. 
In 1886 he came on to Nebraska, settling in the 
homestead where he now resides. He built a 
sod house, part of which still remains, and lived 
in this for twelve years, batching it a short 
time. His first work was done with a yoke of 
oxen with which he broke and cultivated the 
land, but the dry years came on and his crops 
were completely destroyed two years in suc- 
cession, producing not even enough for seed. 
By perseverance he met all difficulties and suc- 
ceeded in a marked degree, adding to his farm 
gradually, until now he is proprietor of six 
hundred and forty acres of good land, one hun- 
dred and fifty of this cultivated and the balance 
in pasture and grass land. Mr. Janssen has a 
comfortable residence and a large barn. He has 
a fine house, twenty-two by sixteen, built partly 



of concrete, as are chicken house, tool house, hog 
house and other buildings, all constructed by Mr. 
Janssen's own hand. There are a number of 
other commodious buildings of frame construc- 
tion, making a well equipped farm. Being well 
provided with concrete houses and yards Mr. 
Janssen engages in poultry raising on a large 
scale. He has a fine grove of mulberry trees, also 
a nice cherry orchard and other fruits, with 
everything kept up in the best possible condi- 
tion. 

He has had severe losses since coming to 
these parts, in 1890 losing his barn and con- 
tents, including four horses, farm machinery, 
hay, grain, corn, etc., by fire, and the following 
years lost his crops through hail storms, but he 
was never disheartened, still persevered and is 
now satisfied with what he has accomplished. 

In 1888 Mr. Janssen was married to Mrs. 
Johanna (Holm) Bolmiera, a native of Bremen, 
Germany, she having two children by a former 
husband, namely Fred and Johannes. Mr. and 
Mrs. Janssen have a family of five children, 
named as follows : Lizzie, Wilhelm, Mary, 
Lonnie and Johanna. 

Air. and Mrs. Janssen are members of the 
Lutheran church. 

A view of the residence of Mr. Janssen will 
be found on another page in this work. 



LEROY n. TICE. 

Leroy D. Tice, one of the leading old set- 
tlers of western Nebraska, has a fine farm in 
La Vaca precinct, Cherry county, and is a 
worthy citizen of his community. Mr. Tice 
was born in Marion county, Iowa, May 6, 1856, 
and raised on a farm there, his ])areuts settling 
in that region in 1844. He lived at home until 
he was twenty-seven years old, then went to 
Oregon, where he spent two years carrying 
chain on the government survey; returning to 
Iowa and farming his father's place up to 1888. 
He came to Nebraska, locating on section 2, 
township 31, range 40, the place which he now 
occupies. He was farming during the dry 
years, but not to any very great extent, so did 
not suffer any very heavy losses, and has never 
had a total failure of crops since toming here. 
He has bought only thirteen bushels of seed 
wheat in all the time he has been here, which is 
a very good record. He has addccl to his Luid 
constantly, so that he now owns eight hundred 
and eighty acres of deeded land, besides a 
homestead. Of this he farms about one 
hundred acres, and on the balance runs some 
fifty cattle and half as many horses. His place 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



467 



is well kept, improved with good buildings, 
all fenced, and is one of the valuable estates in 
this locality. In the summer of 1907 he erected 
a large concrete block house supplied with 
bath and running water, and he also has a water 
system for irrigating garden and lawn. 

Mr. Tice was married in 1884 to Miss 
Katherine Griffin, daughter of James Griffin, 
born in Ireland, and who came to America 
when a young man, her mother also being a 
native of the Emerald Isle. Mr. and Mrs. 
Tice have three children, namely : James D., 
Edward D., and Mary A. 

Mr. Tice thinks this is one of the finest 
countries he ever saw, and is contented to 
make his future home here. He has always 
done all in his power to help in building up the 
region, and takes an active part in school and 
local aiTairs. for the past sixteen years serving 
as school director. He is a Democrat, and a 
great admirer and supporter of the peerless 
leader of Nebraska. 



JOHN A. WILSON. 

John A. Wilson, a prominent farmer of Box 
Butte county, resides on section 21, township 
27, rang^ 47, and conducts personally his well 
improved ranch of about two thousand acres 
in accordance with modern methods and scien- 
tific principles. He is a constant and thorough 
reader, and applies the information thus ob- 
tained to practical use in the operation of his 
large estate. 

Mr. Wilson was born in Harding, Shelby 
county, Ohio, on September 23, 1859. His 
father. Hiram Wilson, was a grandson of Col. 
Wilson, an early settler in that county, who 
located on government land in 1700. Prior 
to her marriage, our subject's mother was 
Curtis Kelsey, born and raised near Rutland, 
Vermont, daughter of a prominent politician 
who was a state official in \'ermont for many 
years. Our subject grew up in central Iowa, 
where his parents had settled in 1867 and lived 
as pioneers. His schooling was very limited, 
as the nearest school from their homestead 
was eight miles away. At the age of twenty- 
one years he left home and struck out for him- 
self, farming on rented land for several years, 
but became convinced that this was unsuccess- 
ful and gave it up. During this time he had 
given much time to the study of agriculture 
and had put it to practical test on his farm, 
receiving second prize for some potatoes which 
he exhibited, also securing first prize for corn 
in Boone county, Iowa. 



In 1885 Mr. Wilson came to Nebraska and 
filed on a pre-emption situated eighteen miles 
northeast of Alliance, leaving his familv in 
Iowa until he found a home for them, and the 
following year, in 1886, they joined him there. 
He had built a sod shanty and began to break 
up land for crops with his team of horses, and 
also used these for hauling supplies from Hay 
Springs, following the usual custom of travel- 
ers of that time, in camping out at night under 
his wagon. His first crop was sod pota- 
toes and corn, and he also worked out in 
the neighborhood of his home in breaking up 
land for other settlers in order to make a living 
for his family. During the dry years he went 
through many hard experiences, some seasons 
not being able to raise even seed for the fol- 
lowing year from all he had put in the ground, 
and during these times he made a living by 
buying eggs through the country and selling 
them over again at the nearby markets. He 
had to borrow money to carry this business 
on, and kept at it for five years, his egg sales 
sometimes running as high as four hundred dol- 
lars a month. As the times grew better he did 
well, was able to purchase more land, buying 
in both Box Butte and Sheridan counties, and 
re-selling much of it, making considerable 
money through these speculations. In 1893 
he began raising blooded horses, and has 
owned some of the finest animals in Nebraska. 
Mr. Wilson now owns a ranch' of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of deeded land, and be- 
sides this he controls two thousand acres, en- 
gaging on a very large scale in the cattle busi- 
ness. He has the place well improved with 
fine buildings, several miles of fence, and every- 
thing necessary for conducting a model ranch, 
cultivating about one hundred acres. 

Our subject is also the inventor of a pitman 
for use on mowers and binders, which take up 
lost motion, and this has been considered by 
experts to be a great success. He is besides 
this, the owner and inventor of a recipe used 
for the treatment of all kinds of wood which 
prolongs its usefulness for many years. 
Wheels which have been subjected to this 
treatment never need their tires set. 

Mr. Wilson was united in marriage in 1880, 
to Miss Emogene F. Schadle, daughter of 
Joseph N. and Mary (Smith) Schadle, of 
Pennsylvania. Mr. Wilson had the sad mis- 
fortune to lose his wife, while undergoing an op- 
eration at Lincoln, Nebraska, April 16, 1908. One 
child was born of this union, a daughter, 
named Eva F. Wilson, who still remains with 
her father and is helping him with a devoted 
and filial 'affection that is truly commendable. 
The family are well known and highly es- 



468 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEN'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



teemed in their community and enjoy one of 
the most pleasant homes in their locality. 

Mr. Wilson was elected postmaster of Box 
Butte postoffice in the early days, now changed 
to Marple postoffice. and has served in that 
capacity for many years. He has been con- 
nected with the mail service here since 1886. 



CHRIS. HANSEN. 

Chris. Hansen, whose fine ranch in Box 
Butte county is a credit to his locality', is a 
man of untiring energy, and is classed among 
the substantial agriculturists of the commu- 
nity in which he lives. He has cleared a large 
portion of wild prairie land for cultivation, 
and become the owner of a ranch of over one 
thousand four hundred and forty acres. He is a 
thorough farmer and up-to-date business man. 

Mr. Hansen was born in Denmark in 1865, 
son of a farmer and miller, who died when our 
subject was five years of age. Chris, was 
reared and educated in Denmark, being appren- 
ticed to a blacksmith when a young boy, fol- 
lowing that trade in his native country for a 
number of years, and in 1884 came to America, 
landing in New York city June 8th of that 
year when nineteen years of age. He went to 
Canada shortly after arriving here, there being 
employed on the Canadian Pacific railroad 
in the Rocky mountains, helping lay that road 
across the Columbia river. He spent about 
a year and a half in the west, and while in that 
region passed through many exciting and inter- 
esting experiences with the Indians in that 
country who were very hostile to the whites 
at that time. After getting through with that 
work, Mr. Hansen went to Omaha and worked 
at ice business one winter, then bought a pair 
of horses and did teaming, also railroaded near 
Omaha. He next went to Blair, Nebraska, 
settling on rented land and did farming for a 
short time, coming to Box Butte county in 
1888, and taking up a pre-emption on which 
he proved up in due time, also filed on a home- 
stead after proving up on his pre-emption. 
He still occujjics the pre-emption, which is sit- 
uated in section 7, township 26, range .^0, and 
his first buildings were of sod, beginning as all 
of the pioneers did, with a very small capital 
and going through the drouth periods when 
he lost a number of crops, when he was hardly 
able to raise enough for feed for his few head 
of stock and provisions for liis family. He 
had one cow and a few chickens, and these 
helped furnish him with food. He kept at 
his farm work, and after a time did well, rais- 



ing good crops and improving his ranch, and 
he now gives most of his time to stock raising, 
only cultivating about one hundred and forty- 
five acres, on w-hich he raises small grain, po- 
tatoes, corn, etc. 

In 1887 Mr. Hansen was united in marriage 
to Anna Mary Peterson, also a native of Den- 
mark, who came to this country in the spring 
of that year. Four children have been born 
of this union, who are named as follows: Hans, 
Marie, Elinora and Grace, all born and reared 
in this county. 

Mr. Hansen is classed among the oldest set- 
tlers in this section of the state, and has always 
taken an active part in neighborhood aiTairs 
from the early days of its settlement. He is 
well acquainted all through his precinct, and 
has served as township assessor for five years. 
Politically he is a Populist. 



JOHN M. DYER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view was born in Cass county, Iowa, August 
31, 1858, and is a son of John Dj-er, a black- 
smith and farmer, of American stock; the 
mother was Alary A. Porter prior to her mar- 
riage. Of a family of nine children our sub- 
ject is the second member, and he was reared 
on his father's farm, following the plow from 
the time he was thirteen years old and being 
accustomed to all kinds of hard work. He 
struck out for himself when he reached the 
age of twenty-one, following farm work. For 
four years he farmed, on rented land, living at 
home. About the year 1883 he established a 
mercantile business at Reno, Iowa, in partner- 
ship with R. F. Breen, and they carried this 
on for two years being moderatly successful, 
then disposed of the store and come to Ne- 
braska, locating in Keya Paha county, settling 
on a farm in section 30, township 33, range 18^ 
and began improving this land. He also oper- 
ated a blacksmith shop which he ran for twelve 
years. His first dwelling was a log house, and 
later built a sod addition to this; he took up 
a homestead in section 14, tow-nship 35, range 
18, where he lived for ten years in a sod house. 
During these days he worked at all kinds of 
things, driving ox teams and working out by 
the day, and remained on this i)lace up to 1897, 
when he bought his present farm of about one 
thousand three hundred acres, with an equal 
amount under lease; he has never sold a foot 
of land that he has ever owned. He has been 
engaged largely in stock raising and has done 
an imiuense business in this line. He has im- 




R. V. BEACH. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRaPHV 



469 



proved his ranch, putting up a fine large three- 
story house, besides substantial farm buildings, 
including granary, corn cribs, sheds, barn, etc. 
His place is located on the Niobrara river, 
and he has over two hundred acres of timber. 
About sixty-five acres of his farm is cultivated, 
with two hundred acres of bottom hay land. 

Mr. Dyer was married in Keya Paha county 
July 28, 1885, to Miss Belle Charlton, daughter 
of John H. and Hettie (Baird) Charlton, who 
were old settlers in Keya Paha county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dyer have a family of six children, 
who are as follows: Beulah, John Burnie, 
Ward M., Hattie Hazel, Audrey E. and 
Marvel H. Their eldest daughter is one of the 
successful teachers of the county since the fall 
of 1906. They are a happy family, and all en- 
joy the most robust health, never having had 
occasion to call a physician in their home. 
Mr. Dyer is a man pre-eminently fitted to en- 
joy a home and family, and they are well 
known as a devoted family, well liked by every- 
one who knows them, and are esteemed citi- 
zens. In politics Mr. Dyer is a Populist. In 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen lodge 
at Carnes he served as the first master work- 
man on the institution of that organization 
there. Mr. Dyer takes a commendable interest 
in all politics, both local and state in his party. 
He has been an attendant at the state and 
county conventions for many years past. 



R. V. BEACH. 



Among the men who have played an im- 
portant part in the development of Deuel 
county, none are held in higher esteem than 
the man whose name heads this article. The 
life of Mr. Beach has been a busy one, and he 
has served his fellowmen as soldier, teacher, 
preacher, farmer and as a government official. 
We present a portrait of him on another page. 

R. V. Beach was born in Delaware county, 
Ohio, October 29, 1842. In 1847 his father 
and mother, with the family of six children, re- 
moved to Illinois. Here our subject grew to 
manhood, and it was while living in Illinois 
that the great Civil war broke out. Mr. Beach, 
who was but twenty years of age, like thous- 
ands of other patriotic young Americans, 
quickly answered the nation's call and enlisted 
in Company B, One Hundred and Thirteenth 
Illinois Volunter Infantry, in 1862. Mr. Beach 
saw much active service and participated in the 
siege of Vicksburg, then later he participated 
in the campaign in Western Tennessee and 
then in Mississippi. It was in Gun Town, 



Mississippi, June 11, 1864, that he was cap- 
tured by Forest's and Lee's forces, and was 
immediately hurried to Andersonville prison. 
In Andersonville he experienced all the hor- 
rors of that awful place ; later he was trans- 
ferred to Savannah prison, then to Millen 
prison and still later he was transferred to the 
military prison at Florence, South Carolina, 
having been confined a total of nine months. 
The experience of Mr. Beach while in the sev- 
eral southern prisons would fill a volume in 
itself. The darkest page in the career of the 
short lived southern confederacy is that 
wherein is recorded the treatment accorded the 
unfortunate soldiers who were taken prisoners 
of war. Mr. Beach was mustered out as a 
paroled prisoner, at Springfield, Illinois. July 
1, 1865. Two brothers of Mr. Beach were in 
the Civil war and both came out without injury 
other than that which comes from exposure and 
hardship undergone in the service. 

After the war our subject returned to Illi- 
nois, where he entered Grand Prairie Semin- 
ary, remaining in school for one year. After 
leaving school, he went to Linn county, Iowa. 
He remained in Iowa one year, teaching one 
term of school, then in the spring of 1867, he 
went to Delaware county, Ohio. In Delaware 
county he taught school one term, then re- 
turned to Illinois. He remained in Illinois 
until the fall of 1870. Mr. Beach was ordained 
a minister of the gospel at Oswego, Illinois, 
where he remained and served as minister in 
the Methodist church for a little over one year, 
then, in the fall of 1870, came to Nebraska, 
settling in Butler county, where he home- 
steaded and proved up on a claim. He lived 
in Butler county until coming to Deuel county 
in 1887, where he located on a farm : there he 
followed preaching, teaching and farming. 
Mr. Beach has taught fifteen terms of school 
and has served as county superintendent of 
schools of Butler county. He owns a fine farm 
in section 10, township 12, range 42, consisting 
of eighty acres. 

In the spring of 1906, Mr. Beach was ap- 
pointed postmaster of Big Springs, and at once 
removed to that place and has since resided 
there. 

Mr. Beach was married at Aurora, Illinois, 
October 10, 1870, to Miss Melinda M. Ed- 
wards, born in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Beach 
are the parents of four children, as follows: 
Blanche E., married to B. C. Kemp and living 
in Big Spring; Ethel R., deceased; Madge S., 
the wife of O. B. Bower and living at Chappell ; 
Warren B., who is serving as assistant post- 
master at Big Spring. 

Mr. Beach is well and favorablv known in 



470 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Deuel county as a man of sterlinof character, 
and during his life as preacher, teacher, soldier, 
farmer and lecturer, has accumulated a vast 
amount of experience that has rounded out his 
education and he is today one of the best posted 
men in western Nebraska. 



F. H. PORTER. 



F. H. Porter, editor and proprietor of The 
Holdrege Citizen, the leading Republican paper 
of Phelps county, is well known and highly 
esteemed by all throughout this region. He 
was born in Oswego county. New York, in 
1860, and reared there and made it his home 
until 1870. 

In 1872 Mr. Porter came to Nebraska. He 
graduated from Doan College at Crete. Nebras- 
ka. 1886, and went into the newspaper business 
in 1887. buying The \\'estem Wave. The 
Holdrege Citizen was started in 1884 as a Re- 
publican organ, and in 1886 this was absorbed 
by the Citizens Publishing Company, a stock 
company, with Eric Johnson as editor. In 
March. 1891. our subject acquired the paper 
and job office, and in March of 1897 absorbed 
the Political Forum. The Holdrege Citizen 
is a weekly paper, a strong advocate of the 
Republican party policy, and a general local 
family paper. It has a large circulation, and 
is one of the most reliable newspapers in the 
county. The job office in connection with the 
paper is an up-to-date plant, fitted with all 
modern appliances and equipment for neat 
and prompt service, and Mr. Porter gives his 
special attention to this branch of the v^'ork. 
He has always been one of the foremost citi- 
zens of his region, and a useful and worthy 
member of the community in which he lives, 
standing for the advancement and betterment of 
his home county at all times. 

Mr. Porter sold his interest in The Hold- 
rege Citizen October 1. 1908, and at the 
present time is unemploved. He was married 
April 24, 1890, to Miss Luella C. Alsworth, 
who was born in western Iowa. Her father, 
Samuel C. Alsworth, was a pioneer of Nebraska. 



I'RIAH BROMWICH. 

Uriah Bromwich was horn in Chicago, Illi- 
nois, in 18.^3. and at that time the present great 
city was but a mere village. The father. Uriah, 
was a merchant in that small metropolis and 
died there in August, 1854. He was a native 



of England. Our subject's mother, Jane 
(Bullis) Bromwich. was born in London. Eng- 
land. 

Uriah Bromwich was taken to Wisconsin 
and when he was five years old the family 
moved to Freeborn county, Minnesota, where 
he was reared and educated on a farm, remain- 
ing till he was twenty-five years of age. Our 
subject was on the frontier for years and was 
within thirty miles of New Ulm at the time 
the terrible Indian massacre took place at that 
town. There were but few white families in 
the country in those days and our subject had 
many dangerous and trying experiences. 

.•\pril 9. 1876. in Minnesota. Uriah Brom- 
wich and Miss Ellenora Fay were united in 
the holy bonds of wedlock. The bride was a 
daughter of Nathan Fay. one of Loup county's 
pioneer settlers, whose biography appears in 
this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Bromwich have 
four children living — .Vrthur, Willie. Rctta and 
Joy. They have lost three children — \\'alter 
D.. Elva J. and Nathan E. They reared one 
adopted child, Eva Body. 

Mr. Bromwich drove through to Nebraska 
from ^Tinnesota in a covered wagon in 1879, 
locating in Loup county on a pre-emption 
claim, on which he proved up and took a home- 
stead in Custer county, where he now lives. 
The country was new and the nearest rail- 
road town was Grand Island, one hundred 
miles distant. Our subject had learned the 
blacksmith's trade, and he followed this oc- 
cupation for the first three years. His first 
building was a sod shanty and he lived in 
this until he became able to construct a com- 
fortable log house. Farming operations were 
pushed as rapidly as possible and the family 
reaped good crops on the sod. Mr. Bromwich 
remembers that excellent watermelons were 
grown on new breaking. But the good years 
were followed by bad ones and it was discour- 
aging indeed to experience the total loss of 
crops on one hundred and fifty acres in 1890 
and almost total loss in other years, with again 
complete failure in 1893. One of the most dis- 
astrous visitations was July 9, 1904. when a 
tornado swept over the country. It destroyed 
his large barn and seriously damaged his 
house. The storm seemed bent on destroying 
evervthing on his farm, the windmill was torn 
down and machinery was scattered over acres 
of his land. His binder was lifted bodily and 
hung up in a tree eight feet from the ground, 
but strange to say the machine has been in 
use ever since and has done good work. One 
horse was injured. Many articles were actu- 
ally twisted out of all resemblance to their 
former shape, and lumber and trees were shat- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



4/1 



tered into splinters. The storm performed 
manv curious freaks that cannot be accounted 
for — some barrels almost empty and directly 
in the path of the tornado were not moved at 
all. and splinters of lumber and trees were 
driven into the sides of the house where they 
can still be seen. This was perhaps the most 
terrifying experience in our subject's life. But 
]\Ir. Bromwich has accomplished grand suc- 
cess in spite of the many distressing hardships 
of his farm -life and early pioneer days. He 
has a lovely farm of three hundred and sixty 
acres, well improved with good frame house, 
barns, sheds, well and windmill and fences. 
He cultivates about one hundred and forty 
acres. \lr. Bromwich stands well in the com- 
munity and is favorably known as a man of 
push and enterprise. 



ALBERT B. SUM:\IERS. 

Among the representative pioneers of west- 
ern Nebraska, the gentleman above named oc- 
cupies a prominent place, and he has spent 
many years of his life in this section and has 
succeeded in building up an enviable reputa- 
tion and competence through his strict integ- 
rity and good business judgment, and is rec- 
ognized as one of the wealthy and influential 
residents of Garfield county, well known and 
highly respected by all. Air. Summers lives 
in section 19, township 22, range 15, where 
he has a nice home and is surrounded by many 
good friends and kindly neighbors. 

Mr. Summers was born in Michigan, Janu- 
ary 15, 1862. He is the son of David and 
Caroline (Aldrich) Summers, of German de- 
scent. Our subject spent a number of years 
at Detroit, Alichigan, where he was a student 
in the commercial college. In 1882 he first 
came to Nebraska, took up a claim of four 
hundred and eighty acres of government land, 
consisting of a pre-emption of one hundred and 
sixty acres, the same amount of homestead 
land and a timber claim of one hundred and 
sixty acres. He immediately set to work to 
develop his farm, and on the whole met with 
great success in all his ventures. He has since 
added another one hundred and sixty acres 
to his farm, now owning in all six hundred 
and forty acres of good land. He farms along 
modern lines, and is an up-to-date, progressive 
agriculturist, engaging to quite an extent in 
stock raising. He has a large part of his land 
devoted to the culture of small grains, rais- 
ing corn, wheat, oats and barley. He has oc- 
casionally met with failures during the dry 



years, losing several crops, but altogether con- 
siders himself very fortunate in his farming 
operations. His place is well improved with 
good buildings and well supplied with good 
water, having deep water wells with three 
hundred feet of supply tanks and a number of 
windmills to pump the water to different parts 
of his farm and for household use. Every 
corner of the place shows good management 
and industry, bearing evidence to his energy 
and thrift. He is of the opinion that this state 
is far ahead of the state of Michigan, taking 
the expense of living and labor into consid- 
eration, and that it is awly ahead of any 
state in the Union for the average farmer who 
is obliged to begin on a small capital. 

Mr. Summers was married in June, 1899, 
to Miss Ida M. Erington. a native of Ohio, who 
settled in Nebraska with her parents in 1892. 
Her father now owns a fine farm in Garfield 
county, located fifteen miles northeast of Bur- 
well. Mr. and Mrs. Summers are the par- 
ents of five children, namely: Gladys, Da- 
vid, Eldon, Ethel and one who died in infancy. 
The family are members of the Christian 
church and highly esteemed members of so- 
ciety in their section. 

Politically Mr. Summers is a Democrat, 
although he has never devoted any time to 
taking an active part in politics. On another 
page an interesting picture is presented show- 
ing the family group and scenes on Mr. Sum- 
mers's property. 



JOHN A. BAIRN. 

John A. Bairn is a native of the province 
of Elesburg, Sweden, born near Gottenberg, 
January 16, 1859. His father was a farmer by 
occupation and lived and died in Sweden. 

John A. Bairn was reared in his native land, 
remaining there until 1881 when he came to 
America, by the usual route from Gottenberg 
to Hull, England, and thence to Liverpool, 
where he embarked, landing in the city of 
Quebec after a voyage of eleven days. Coming 
westward he located in Rice county, Minne- 
sota, where he remained engaged in farming 
until 1885, when he removed to Deuel county, 
Nebraska. WHien he came, the country was 
new and there were very few settlers, and 
these were widely scattered. Our subject set- 
tled on land three miles north of the North 
Platte river, near the Keith county line. His 
first house was built of sod and for several 
years he lived alone in this primitive dwelling. 
After five years he proved up on his home- 



472 



COiMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REiMINISCENCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



stead and in 1900 bought his present farm in 
section 4, township 15. range 41, and com- 
menced making improvements. In spite of 
the serious liard times and the varying for- 
tunes of pioneer life Mr. Bairn has made a 
splendid success. He constructed a good stone 
home, has good barns and general improve- 
nmets and has established himself on a pros- 
perous plane of life. His early years here 
were full of hard work and worry to support 
the family and to make his farm grow in value 
and importance. Now he has a splendid ranch 
of si.\ hundred and forty acres, including a 
recent Kincaid homestead, cultivating about 
fifty acres and giving the rest of his attention 
to the stock raising business. Mrs. Bairn has 
a fine tract of three hundred and twenty acres, 
watered by Clear creek, improved with a good 
stone house and substantial barns. 

John A. Bairn was married in 1887 to Miss 
Emma Johnson, a native of Sweden. This 
marriage has been blessed with seven children: 
Charles Oscar. Annie Henrietta, James 
Adolph, John Arthur, Carl Edward. TekJa and 
Clara. 

Mr. Bairn is one of the staunch Republicans 
of the county and has been influential in the 
movements of his party. He has exhibited a 
keen interest in local affairs and he has held 
local offices in both Deuel and Keith counties. 
He has always been iniblic-spirited and pro- 
gressive and as a leading old settler has con- 
tributed a large share to the material advance- 
ment of the locality in which he lives. The 
family was reared in the Lutheran church. 



WILLIAM SCHAPKR. 

For over thirty years the citizens of Kear- 
ney county have had in their midst a worthy 
citizen in the person of the gentleman above 
named. He has been identified with the de- 
velopment and growth of this section of the 
state of Nebraska from its beginning, and has 
succeeded in building up a good home for him- 
self and an enviable reputation, highly es- 
teemed by his feliowmen. 

Mr. Schaper was born in the province of 
Saxony, Germany, in 1843. and came to Amer- 
ica in 1870. After landing in this country 
he came to New York, and three years later 
to Illinois, locating in Chicago, where he spent 
a few years, then to Nebraska in 1874, set- 
tling in Liberty township, this county, where 
he took up a homestead of eighty acres and 
also a tree claim. He proved up on these 
and since then has added to his acreage, pur- 



chasing three hundred and twenty acres in sec- 
tions 21 and 22. one hundred and sixty acres 
in section 34, also eighty and one hundred and 
sixty besides this, so he is now the owner of 
six hundred and forty acres, all well improved. 
He is assisted in his farming operations bv 
his sons, William and Otto, and they have one 
of the most valuable estates in this region. In 
1902 Mr. Schaper moved into the town of Min- 
den, he having purchased the opera house 
block here in 1899, containing offices and 
stores. This has a frontage of sixty-six feet, 
one hundred feet deep, built of solid brick, and 
the opera house seats eight hundred people. 
Mr. Schaper also owns and occupies a fine res- 
idence in Minden, and he devotes his time to 
his home and the management of his property 
here. His sons run the farm, on which they 
produce grain and alfalfa, raising large crops 
of wheat and corn. The father is a success- 
ful, solid, typical German business man, level- 
headed and industrious, and his sons are 
equally successful and respected with their 
father in the community. 

Mr. Schaper was married in 1873 to Miss 
Betty Miller, a native of Germany, who came 
to this country January 10, 1871. Mr. and 
Mrs. Schaper have three daughters in their 
familv, besides the two sons mentioned above. 



Ml^RRAY S. STARR. 

Murray S. Starr, for the past quarter of a 
century a prominent resident of western Ne- 
braska, lives on his finely improved estate 
in section 4, township 33. range 35, Cherry 
county. He is numbered among the old-tim- 
ers of this region, and is well and favorably 
known throughout this section of the coun- 
try as a man of sterling character and a suc- 
cessful and prosperous agriculturist. 

Mr. Starr was born in Vernon county, Wis- 
consin, February 11, 1868. He is a son of 
Comfort Starr, an old settler in eastern Ne- 
braska, and a brother of Oscar Starr, whose 
sketch will be found on another page of this 
work. Our subject was reared in Nebraska, 
and came to Brown county in 1883. He fol- 
lowed farming as an occupation from his early 
boyhood, starting at work for himself at the 
age of eight years, receiving two dollars per 
month doing light chores for a farmer. In 
1895 he took u\) a homestead in Brown county 
and proved up on it, remaining there for seven 
years, having previously come to Cherry coun- 
ty in 1888, and together with a brother en- 
gaged in lircaking prairie, then took up an- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



473 



other homestead in 1893. In Brown county 
he witnessed the drouth periods, and did gar- 
dening to make a living for himself and his 
family, building up his place and working hard 
until he had proved up on it. Two years were 
spent in Washington county, and then he re- 
turned to this section, where he has secured 
four hundred and eighty acres of deeded land, 
three hundred and twenty acres of which lie in 
the hills south of the Niobrara river. The home 
place lying along the Niobrara river has one 
of the finest groves of large cottonwoods to be 
found in the county. He has it in first-class 
condition, improved with a good set of build- 
ings, fences and all the farming machinery for 
use on a model farm, and owns one of the 
valuable estates of this region. 

Mr. Starr was married in Brown countv to 
Miss Maud Wilson, July 2, 1893. She 'is a 
daughter of F. M. Wilson, one of the pioneers 
in Brown county. Her mother was Lucy Ann 
Fager. Mr. and Mrs. Starr have a family of 
three children, as follows : Orval, born May 
6. 1894 : Gaynelle, born January 20, 1896, and 
Lloyd, September 27. 1902. Mr. Starr with 
his family is a member of the Methodist 
church, while politically he supports the prin- 
ciples of the Republican party. 



EDWARD A. MACUMBER. 

Among the prosperous young farmers of 
Dawes county, Nebraska, the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal review deserves much 
praise for his strict attention to duty and per- 
severance in establishing a comfortable home 
and valuable property through hard and per- 
sistent efforts. Mr. Macumber is still a very 
young man, but has already gained an envia- 
ble reputation as a worthy and substantial citi- 
zen of his community and commands the re- 
spect and esteem of all who know him. 

Mr. Macumber was born in Madison coun- 
ty, Iowa, on a farm, in 1875. He is a son of 
John Macumber, an old settler in Dawes coun- 
ty, and both parents were of American blood, 
the father being reared in Madison county, 
Iowa, and the mother in IMercer county, Illi- 
nois. Our subject grew up in Iowa until he 
was about eleven years of age, then the fam- 
ily came to Dawes county, where they have 
since resided, Edward remaining at home with 
his parents until he reached the age of sev- 
enteen, then started out for himself, working 
on ranches in the vicinity of his home and lead- 
ing a cowboy's life here, also in South Dakota 
and Wyoming. He came to his present farm 

3l' 1 , !?!''! ( ' 



about 1899, and it had hut few im])rovements 
then, but he has built it up in good shape and has 
a fine ranch and hoiiie, owning in all a tract 
of three hundred and twenty acres. Twenty 
acres are in alfalfa and he raises splendid 
crops of this grass and runs quite a herd of 
stock each year. The place is located on Bor- 
deaux creek, in section 34, township 33. range 
48, and is a very valuable piece of property. 

Mr. Macumber was united in marriage in 
1899 to Miss Maggie Richardson, daughter of 
A. J. Richardson, who came to Nebraska as 
foreman of a big cattle company in 1882, and 
made this section his home from that time on. 

Our subject is active in local affairs, and 
has served on the school board in different 
capacities. Politically he is a Democrat. 



RICHARD S. BLACK. 

Richard S. Black, whose extensive farming 
operations mark him as one of the well-to-do 
and energetic citizens of his locality, resides on 
section 31, Lake township, Phelps county. He 
was born near Rushville, Schuyler county, Illi- 
nois, in 1849, and reared there. In 1863 he 
enlisted in the Sixty-second Illinois Infantry 
and served up to the end of the war. He was 
in the army of Arkansas, Tennessee and Louis- 
iana, under General Steele, and at the battles 
of Little Rock, Memphis, Tennessee, and many 
large actions and smaller skirmishes, and dur- 
ing all the time he served as a soldier was 
in actual service. He was twice wounded, 
once at Memphis, Tennessee, and once at Fort 
Gibson, Indian Territory. 

After the war our subject returned to 
Schuyler county, where he farmed up to 1878, 
then came to Nebraska in 1879. His father 
was John L. Black, who was also a native 
of Schuyler county, and was the first white 
child born in his township. His father. Rich- 
ard S. Black, came from Kentucky, where he 
was one of the first settlers in that locality. 
From his experience in both states, our sub- 
ject states that Nebraska is by far the better 
country for farming and stock raising pur- 
poses. The crops are as good here and the 
land easier farmed than in Illinois. Mr. Black 
has kept ordinary stock for farm purposes. 
He has a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres, taken in 1881, where he still lives, and 
owns one hundred and sixty acres in Harlan 
county. He has a fine large farm residence 
on his place, commodious barns and all build- 
ings necessary for his stock, etc., a beautiful 
orchard and grove and well kept lawn taste- 



474 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



fully planted with flowers and shrubbery. It 
is one of the prettiest homes in the vicinity, 
and everything bespeaks. prosperity and care. 

Mr. Black was supervisor of Lake town- 
ship, and as such on the county board for 
eight years. He has filled all local offices 
and served on the school board ever since 
the organization of that body. He is a Dem- 
ocrat and takes a keen interest in local and 
county politics. 

Mr. Black was united in marriage in 1876 
at Rushville. Illinois, to Miss Harriet A. Dun- 
lavy, daughter of James Dunlavy. Mr. and 
Mrs. Black are the parents of eight children, 
who are named as follows: Howard, a farm- 
er, who resides in Harlan county : Claude, of 
Harlan county, also a farmer; Atwell, farmer, 
residing in Harlan county; Richard S., the 
fourth of this name in direct line. One daugh- 
ter, Clara, is the wife of Hall Elliott, of Har- 
lan county: Katie and Ruth, all living at home 
at the present time, and Mamie, who is mar- 
ried to Henry Talmage. Our subject's mother 
was Nancy Peckenpaugh, of Illinois, whose 
parents were pioneers of Schuyler county, Illi- 
nois. 



JAMES C. WOOD. 

James C. Wood, who is a prominent farmer 
of Dawes county, is a worthy representative 
of the agricultural interests of this part of 
Nebraska, residing on section 27, township 
29, range 50. 

Mr. Wood was born in ( )xford county. On- 
tario, Canada, forty miles east of London, July 
5, 1846. His father, James H., was a farmer 
of English descent. The Wood family origi- 
nated from three brothers — one who settled 
on Long Island, another in New York and the 
third in Pennsylvania. Our subject comes 
from the family which settled on Long Island. 
His mother, Mary S. (Underwood) Wood, was 
a native of Canada. 

.\t the age of nineteen years he left his 
home and came .south into Fayette county, Illi- 
nois, where his father purchased a farm. Here 
his mother died and shortly afterward he came 
west to Iowa. In 1879 he settled in Furnas 
county, Nebraska, and was one of the pio- 
neers of eastern Nebraska. He farmed there 
for a while, and in 1880 went into the moun- 
tains of Colorado, where he purchased a ranch, 
returning three years later to his old home in 
Nebraska. Some time later he took up a 
homestead in Dawes county, locating on the 
Niobrara river, where he did some irrigating. 
He is now the ijroprietor of a Kincaid home- 
stead, comprising an area of four hundred acres 



of good land. He spent two years with the 
Burlington Railroad Company in the capacity 
of a carpenter and two years running a steam 
pump, taking an active part in constructing 
the Burlington road into Dawes county. 

Mr. \\'ood was married July 5, 1887, to 
Miss Jennie Vincent, daughter of Hiram and 
Mary Ann Vincent, of Iowa. Mrs. Wood's 
father was a farmer in Iowa, of American 
stock. The Vincent family was formerly from 
Indiana. ^Irs. Wood taught school several 
years in Iowa and taught some in Furnas 
county. Nebraska. 

Since taking up his residence in Dawes 
county Mr. Wood has always been identified 
prominently in local affairs, having served as 
road overseer, and has also held the office of 
assessor for three years. He will ever be re- 
ferred to among the prominent old settlers of 
Dawes county as one o£ their worthiest asso- 
ciates. All of his neighbors sjieak well of 
him. He is strictly Republican in politics. 

Mrs. Wood has been a great help to Mr. 
Wood in farm work as well as domestic work, 
she being an expert in handling farm machin- 
always taken an active part in the Sunday 
schools of the district and is a leader in the 
literary societies. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are 
in the possession of one of the oldest books 
on record in this part of the country, the Life 
of Christ, dating back to 1723. Portraits of 
Mr. and Mrs. Wood will be found on another 
page of this volume. 



ROBERT KITTELMAN. 

Robert Kittelman, an able representative 
of the farming community, is an old-time resi- 
dent of Box Butte county, Nebraska. He 
has developed a fine farm, is a man of energy 
and thrift, who by his strict integrity has 
become one of the highly esteemed and re- 
spected citizens of his locality. 

Mr. Kittelman was born in Germany in 
1856. the son of W'ilhelm Kittelman. a tailor 
by trade. His mother was Anna Farson, and 
both parents came to this country in 1883, the 
mother dying in 1902. while the father is still 
living in Alliance, Nebraska. Our subject 
grew up in Germany and served for three 
years in the German army, coming to the 
United States in 1881, two years ahead of his 
parents, and after landing in New York city 
came directly west to Cuming county. Ne- 
braska. The first nine months he worked on 
a farm, then began railroading, and continued 
at the work up to 1885, at that time settling 
in Box Butte county. He and John O'Mara 




MR. AND MRS. J. C. WOOD. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



475 



were the first white men to settle in this re- 
gion, and they took up homesteads in sec- 
tion 33, township 27. range 47, on which our 
subject lived for some years and later lo- 
cated in section 34, township 28, range 47, 
putting up a dugout in which he and his fam- 
ily, consisting of wife and two sons, lived for 
a number of years. His first team was a pair 
of oxen, and with these he broke up land and 
planted crops, remaining on the place for thir- 
teen years, and during the early days made a 
living by teaming from Pine Ridge hauling 
timber and fuel, and during these trips was 
obliged to sleep out nights on the ground un- 
der his wagon. Many times he has camped 
out on the snow-covered ground in the se- 
verest weather. 

In 1899 Mr. Kittelman settled on his pres- 
ent' farm, and he has a ranch of six hundred 
and forty acres here, two hundred and fifty 
of which is used for farming purposes, and all 
of it fenced and improved with good buildings 
and everything necessary in the way of ma- 
chinery and tools for conducting a mode! ranch 
and farm. Besides this deeded land he con- 
trols five quarter sections of leased land, keep- 
ing a large portion of it for pasture and hay 
land, and runs quite a herd of stock — about 
eighty-seven head of cattle and twenty-six 
horses. In 1903 a large barn, 136x16 feet, was 
struck by lightning and burned to the ground. 
This was filled with farming implements, in- 
cluding three sets of double harness, a large 
number of chickens and geese, etc., and was 
a severe loss to our subject. 

Mr. Kittelman was married in 1882 to Miss 
Ernestine Shrother, and of this union thir- 
teen children have resulted, ten of whom are 
living and named as follows: Rinehold, Mo- 
ritz, Anna, Robert, Gernhard, Willie, Eda, 
Paul, Pauline and Clarence, all born and raised 
in this county. Adolph, Gustave and Bronu 
are deceased. Mrs. Kittelman died here May 
1, 1907, and in the same year our subject was 
married again, taking as his second wife Mrs. 
Marie Gaylor, a widow, native of Germany, 
who came to America in 1894. Mrs. Gaylor 
was mother of two children before her mar- 
riage to Mr. Kittelman — Anna, aged fourteen 
years, and Otto, twelve years old. On another 
page will be found a picture of the family and 
ranch property. 

Mr. Kittelman has done exceedingly well 
since locating in this region, but his capital in 
cash when he landed here was thirty-seven 
cents. He is enthusiastic regarding the oppor- 
tunities of this section of the country, and, al- 
though he has passed through many bitter ex- 
periences, still thinks that it is the best place 



he ever struck for a poor man to build up a 
good home and lay by a competence. He 
has been one of the leading men of his com- 
munity since coming here, assisting in local 
affairs, and has held school office for a num- 
ber of years. Politically he is a Republican. 



JOSEPH BARKER. 

Among the early settlers in western Nebraska 
who have watched the growth of this section 
from the time it was practically a vast wilder- 
ness, and who has given liberally of his time, 
money and influence in building up the region, 
the name of the gentleman above mentioned 
deserves a prominent place. Mr. Barker came 
here when he was one of the few settlers in 
Dawes county, and has seen the country grow 
from a wild region to its present prosperity, 
and is proud of the fact that he has been a 
part of this growth. 

Mr. Barker was born in Carbon county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1853. His father, Solomon 
Barker, was a farmer, laborer and teamster, 
and his family had lived in Pennsylvania for 
generations. Our subject was reared and ed- 
ucated in his native state, living at home until 
he was sixteen years old, then struck out for 
himself. He had worked in the coal mines 
driving a mule team from the time he was 
eight years of age, and was well versed in 
the hardships and experiences of this life. He 
learned the blacksmith's trade after leaving 
home and worked at that for ten years, then 
quit that work and for three years ran a hoist- 
ing engine. He was employed by one mining 
company, the Cox Bros. & Company, for eleven 
years. 

In 1883 Mr. Barker left the east and came 
to Nebraska, locating in Gage county,, but 
only remained there for six months, and in the 
fall of 1884 he landed in Dawes county, team- 
ing from the former place and camping out 
nights along the road. He settled on section 
28, township 31, range 51, and started to build 
up a home, his family following him here the 
next year, they coming by stage from Sidney, 
and during this trip their stage was attacked 
by highwaymen. Their first building was a 
log house without a floor. His start was on a 
very small beginning, as he had only fifty dol- 
lars in money, no team nor tools, but he man- 
aged to get along and proved up on his pre- 
emption, later taking a homestead in section 
23, township 31, range 51. He had a dugout 
on the latter place, and the family went 
through many hardships and privations, but 



476 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



never became discouraged and finally succeed- 
ed in building up their farm in good shape. In 
1896 Mr. Barker went to Cambria, Wyoming, 
and there worked at his trade, employed by 
Kilpatrick Bros. & Collins, remaining there 
for a time, but returned to Nebraska and lo- 
cated on his former homestead on Ash creek. 
Here he has plenty of natural timber, good 
water and every kind of wild fruit, and has a 
fine farm and home. He owns seven hundred 
and sixty acres, farming sixty acres of this, 
and has the rest in pasture. He is engaged 
in stock raising to quite an extent, running 
about forty cattle and twelve horses. 

Mr. Barker was married in 1877 to Miss 
Fannie Wenner and they had one son, Charles. 
Mrs. Barker died September 23. 1903, and her 
death was sincerely mourned by her husband 
and son and a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 

On March 3, 1907, Mr. Barker was married 
again to Mrs. Mary J. Barker, daughter of 
William and Alice Casebier, old settlers in Ne- 
braska, who came here in the early days, the 
father being a freighter. One child has been 
born to this union, Clayton F. Mrs. Barker 
had one child by her first marriage, Joseph 
W., and she was the widow of Charles Barker 
when our subject married her. 

Mr. Barker has always taken an active in- 
terest in local affairs, has become identified 
with the new party movement and aided in 
the organization of the new forces, although 
he does not seek public ofiice. He is held in 
the highest esteem by his associates, and is 
one of the solid and substantial men of his 
community. 



AUGUSTUS L. SISSON. 

Among those who have contributed largely 
to the prosperity of Brown county, Nebraska, 
and whose patient industry and well directed 
energy have brought individual competence, 
may be mentioned August Sisson, whose es- 
tate lies in section 6, township 30, range 21. 

Mr. Sisson is a native of the state of Ohio, 
born in Geauga county, August 27, 1850. His 
father, Lorenzo Sisson, was a farmer, of Amer- 
ican stock, and died in 1870 while the family 
still lived in Ohio. After his death Mrs. Sis- 
son moved to Shelby county, Iowa, with her 
three children, and remained there for several 
years, then came in 1880 to Brown county, Ne- 
braska, where the family was one of the early 
settlers in that state. Our subject is the sec- 
ond of his mother's children, and during his 
boyhood years learned to do all kinds of hard 



farm and dairy work, in which they were en- 
gaged. In 1880 he purchased a small farm 
in Shelby county, Iowa, but within the year 
sold this out and came to Brown county, where 
he settled on section 29. township 31. range 
21. He also took a pre-emption, and the first 
building he put up was a log house with a dirt 
floor. Me immediately began cultivating his 
land, and bought a drove of thirty head of 
cattle, of which he lost twenty-eight head in 
the winter of 1880-81 from the storms and se- 
vere weather which prevailed throughout this 
section. The family went through many hard- 
ships and privations during these first years, 
being compelled to live on nothing but hulled 
corn for one whole week. He spent his time 
in cutting cedar posts and hauling them to 
Long Pine, where he sold them, in this man- 
ner obtaining money to buy provisions. Al- 
though he went through very hard times here 
he stuck to this farm until 1891. and then 
bought the Boone creek mill and the farm on 
which it was located. He went to work im- 
proving the farm, putting up buildings and 
fences, and began operating the mill, grinding 
flour, feed, etc.. and for a time did a large 
business, but when the dry years came he had 
a hard time to get enough to do to pay for 
running it. In the early days there were no 
railroads near his farm, and in 1880 he was 
obliged to make a trip to Oakdale. a distance 
of one hundred and twenty miles, to get a 
load of corn. He made the trip there all right, 
but on his return journey he was almost home 
when the wagon tipped over into Oak creek, 
losing the whole load. In the spring of that 
year Jasper Stanley, who was an employe, 
made a trip to Atkinson, a distance of fifty 
miles, for a load of corn, consuming seventeen 
days for the journey, such was the condition 
of the roads. When he got as far as Boone 
creek on his return journey the river had 
risen so high that he was unable to cross with 
the team. He hitched the team securely, as 
he thought, and swam across the stream with 
a sack of flour on his back, but before he could 
recross the creek his horses had broken loose 
and got at the corn and ate so much that two 
of them died. About this time supplies had 
gotten very low at home and he was obliged 
to make a hasty trip for another load of feed 
to keep them going. These are only two out 
of many incidents and difficulties which beset 
the early settlers in this locality, but they 
were all brave-hearted and sturdy people, and 
it took more than these trifles to discourage 
them. l\Ir. Sisson is now the owner of a six 
hundred and forty-acre farm and engages in 
both farming and stock raising. The residence 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



477 



burned December 4, 1907, and he immediately 
built a modern home on the north side of the 
creek. This new house is supplied with run- 
ning water and other modern conveniences. 

On February 25, 1872, Mr. Sisson was mar- 
ried to Miss Minnie Swett, born in Iowa, a 
daughter of Alanson Swett, an old settler in 
Nebraska, a sketch of whose life will be found 
on another page of this volume. Mr. and 
Mrs. Sisson are the parents of eight children, 
named as follows : Ada, wife of Philip Par- 
sons, of California: Frank, Ralph, Edyth, wife 
of Arthur Toliver, of Ainsworth : Arthur, Lee, 
Marie and Carl. 

Mr. Sisson has been a member of the re- 
form parties in politics. He is a gentleman 
of intelligence and a public-spirited citizen, es- 
teemed and respected by his associates. 



C. F. SNYDER. 



C. F. Snyder, who occupies a prominent 
place among the younger members of the 
farming community of Kimball county, is pro- 
prietor of a valuable estate. He is associated 
with his brother, \\'. J. Snyder, and they are 
among the progressive and well-to-do worthy 
citizens of their locality. 

Our subject was born in Otis, Laporte 
county, Indiana, July 20. 1876. and lived there 
until he was seven years of age, when the 
whole family came to Nebraska, settling in 
Douglas county. W. J. Snyder, his brother, 
was born in Laporte county in 1878. There 
the father bought land and built up a good 
farm and home, still residing on the place, the 
mother's death having occurred in Omaha in 
1908. Our subject remained in Douglas coun- 
ty up to 1895. helping his father on the home 
ranch, then located on a farm in \\'ashington 
county, which he operated up to 1902. At that 
time he came to Kimball county and purchased 
the Newell ranch, situated on section 30, town- 
ship 15, range 57, this place containing in all 
five hundred and eighty acres. He also pur- 
chased the old Fred Baker place, containing 
three hundred and twenty acres, using the two 
as a stock ranch. He has been very success- 
ful in his enterprises, having a fine bunch of 
horses of about one hundred head ; also runs 
a large herd of Hereford cattle, owning some 
very fine animals of both kinds. A large part 
of his ranch is used for hay and pasture, and 
besides this he has a dairy farm in connection 
with his other stock raising business, having 
a good income from this source. During 1908 
Mr. Snyder purchased the L. C. Kinney ranch 



of six hundred and seventy-seven acres, which 
is situated on sections 1 and 31, townships 14 and 
15, ranges 57 and 58, which is now the home 
ranch. The large ranching business is man- 
aged jointly by our subject and his brother, 
W. J., the latter born in the same town with 
C. F., and who has followed practically the 
same career with his brother. He was married 
in Omaha, July 29, 1906, to Miss Marie Blaze, 
and they have one child, Roger Charles. Our 
subject was married in March, 1896, at Omaha, 
to ^Iiss Rosa Bauer, who was born in Ger- 
nianv and came to America two years previous 
to her marriage. They have three children, 
Harrv, Minnie and Annie. 

W. F. Snyder, the father of C. F. and W. 
J. Snyder, was born in Germany. August 9, 
1843. and came to the L'nited States when 
about seven years of age, his parents set- 
tling in Michigan City, Indiana, where they 
raised their family He came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Douglas county, and was one of 
the pioneers of that section. He was married 
at Laporte, Indiana, on August 30, 1875, to 
Miss Minnie Rogert, and had three children, 
all boys, the subject of this review being the 
eldest of the family. The youngest son, H. A. 
Snyder, is now a resident of Omaha. W. F. 
Snyder was a soldier in the Civil war, enlist- 
ing in Company K, Eighty-third Indiana In- 
fantry, as a private, on October 8. 1862. going 
as a substitute for his father, who was unable 
to fill draft. He served under Sherman and 
was mustered out at Fort Schuyler, New York 
Harbor, on the 29th of May, 1864. He made 
Douglas county his home up to 1908. then 
came to live with his sons on their ranch. He 
is a sturdy old gentleman, still hale and hearty, 
and is a representative western ranchman. 
Since coming west both our subject and his 
brother, W. J., have taken an active part in 
developing the country. They are both well 
and favorably known and are among the pro- 
gressive citizens of the county. Our subject 
is now postmaster of Bushnell. He is also serv- 
ing as constable and has been a member of the 
school board since 1902. W. J. Snyder is now 
road overseer. 



RICHARD GREENLAND. 

Richard Greenland claims nativity in the 
state of Pennsylvania, where he was born on 
a farm in Huntingdon county in 1853. His 
great-grandfather was born in Ireland. Our 
subject's father was Ezra Greenland, a na- 
tive of Pennsvlvania. His mother, Elizabeth 



4-8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



(Maddon) Greenland, was also of Irish ances- 
try, born in Pennsylvania. 

Richard Greenland was married March 15. 
1883. to Miss Mary .-Xdelle Harvey, dau.rrhter 
of Benjamin Harvey, an old settler of Loup 
county. Nebraska, of the days when the In- 
dians still roamed the prairies. Mr. and Mrs. 
Greenland have had seven children, only two 
living. Frank and Albert. 

The subject of our sketch was reared on a 
farm in Pennsylvania, doinsf farm work and 
receiving; only a limited schooling. At the 
age of twenty he left his native state and came 
west to Chicago, where he remained for a 
short time and then he came to Omaha. Ne- 
braska, where he worked out for two years. 
In 1878 he went to Ogallala and commenced 
ranching, working on various ranches in west- 
ern Nebraska. He had a number of years of 
experience as a cowboy, camping out .and 
roughing it in many sections of the west. In 
1883 he settled on his present farm, a home- 
stead, put up a sod shanty, and, with prac- 
tically nothing, commenced laying the founda- 
tions of the splendid ranch home he now oc- 
cupies. He has six hundred and forty acres 
of deeded land, with good improvements, and 
he meets with fine success in farming and 
stock raising. He has one of the finest groves 
of forest trees that can be found anywhere in 
the county, some of the trees being planted 
by our subject twenty-one j'ears ago. Mr. 
Greenland came to this countrj' in a very 
earlv day, first in 1874, and took a pre-emption 
claim on the North Loup river, in Loup coun- 
ty, and remained for several months. Later 
he was taken sick with typhoid fever and was 
obliged to .give up his claim. He is among 
the earliest pioneers of western Nebraska and 
has witnessed the wonderful growth of the 
state with pleased interest. Mr. Greenland is 
an independent in politics and he believes in 
supporting the men and party that represent 
those principles which conduce most to the 
general good. He was county commissioner 
for three years, being first elected in 1890. 

He has held other offices and has proven 
capable and trustworthy, winning the respect 
anil confidence of the community in which 
he lives. 



HARRIS JOHNSON, Di:ci:.\sed. 

The gentleman herein named was one of the 
prosperous farmers of Cherry county, owning 
a farm on section 28. township 33, range 35, 
where he has a well improved place. Mr. 
Johnsijn was born in Moline, Illinois, in 1866, 



and is a son of Charles and Hannah (Gustav- 
son) Johnson, natives of Sweden, who came to 
this country when young people, ^^'hen our 
subject was two years old his parents moved 
to Hamilton county, Iowa, and there their 
family of eight children was reared. At the 
age of twenty-one Harris left home and located 
in Cherry county, where he followed ranching 
for some years in the hope of benefiting his 
health. There he was married and he and 
his wife both worked on one ranch for five 
and a half years. In 1898 he purchased a tract 
on the Niobrara river, and later took an ad- 
ditional homestead of four hundred and eighty 
acres, all grazing land, and was engaged in 
the stock business, running about fift}' head all 
the time. Owing to failing health he went to 
Colorado, hoping to recuperate, but passed 
awav at Colorado Springs on Februarv 29. 
1908. 

In 1891 he married Miss Ida Hook, daugh- 
ter of John F. Hook, whose sketch appears 
in this work. Mrs. Johnson was born in Ham- 
ilton county, Iowa, in 1864. They have one 
daughter, named Alice. 

For a number of years Mr. Johnson served 
as school director in his district, and always 
took an active interest in all educational mat- 
ters. He was a Republican and prominent in 
party affairs. 



JAMES F. McPARL.VND. 

James F. McParland, residing in Rushville, 
Nebraska, is one of the influential citizens 
and successful business men of Sheridan 
county. 

Mr. McParland was born in Edinburgh, 
Scotland, in 1862. His father was also a na- 
tive of Scotland, and his mother of Scotch 
blood, born in Ireland. They had a family 
of seven children, our subject being the sec- 
ond youngest, and he left home at the age of 
thirteen to make his own way in the world. 
He came to this country in 1875. and after 
arri\'ing at New York city obtained employ- 
ment and remained there for two years, clerk- 
ing in a hotel. After that he went to Cleve- 
land, where he spent three years, then to south- 
western Minnesota. There he took charge of 
a farm, which he ran for two years. He next 
went into business for himself, running an ele- 
vator and grain business at .Adrian, Minnesota, 
for eight years, and was also engaged in the 
lumber business there. 

In 1889 Mr. McParland came to Sheridan 
county, Nebraska, arriving here in April, lo- 
catinsi at Rushville, whore he went into the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



479 



real estate business, dealing principally in land 
in neighboring states. He established his pres- 
ent office in 1901, and has built up a wide ac- 
quaintance, handling many large deals in real 
estate during his business career here. Mr. 
McParland has traveled extensively, investi- 
gating all the important irrigation projects in 
the west, journeying through W'ashington, 
Oregon, Utah, Idaho and California, and hunt- 
ing out localities where irrigation projects 
were possible. Politically he is a Republican, 
and takes an active part in party affairs. In 
1905 he was elected county commissioner, now 
serving in that capacity, and is a popular and 
efficient official, acting as chairman of the 
board. For several years he was a member 
of the town board, and is prominent in all lo- 
cal and county political circles. 

Mr. McParland was married on May 31, 
1889, to Miss Annie Hughes, daughter of John 
Hughes, who was one of the oldest settlers in 
northeastern Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. AlcPar- 
land have been born the following children : 
Mary, Gladys, Beatrice and James F. The 
famih' is highly esteemed in the community, 
and have one of the most pleasant homes here. 



FRANK J. HIPPLE. 

Frank J. Hippie, who may be truly classed 
among the self-made men of Cherry county, is 
proprietor of a well improved ranch in Mini- 
chaduza precinct. He has devoted his entire 
time and attention to the building up of his 
home and has met with pronounced success, 
well meriting his present prosperity. 

Mr. Hippie was born in the village of Stol- 
zenhagen. province of East Pruss'a. Germany, 
December 14, 1865. His father, John Hippie, 
was a farmer there, coming to America with 
his family of three children, our subject at 
that time being the youngest, and fifteen years 
of age. They sailed from Hamburg in the 
White Star liner Cassius, landing in New York 
city January 8, 1881. They immediately start- 
ed for the southwest, settling in Little Rock, 
Arkansas, near where the father still resides, 
at Subiaco Convent, not far from Spielerville. 
Our subject studied two years at Koenigsberg, 
in the old country, with the view of entering 
the priesthood, as his brother has done. At 
the age of twenty-two he started in for him- 
self, engaging in cotton raising for seven years 
on leased land. On November 1. 1894, he came 
to Valentine. Nebraska, whence he drove to 
Georgia and filed on a homestead the follow- 



ing week. He at once put up a dugout and 
began to break up his place. On reaching here 
he had only sixteen dollars, and of this he 
paid fourteen dollars in land office fees, which 
left him a capital of two dollars for his start 
in life. He worked out for a year to main- 
tain himself in provisions. He afterwards re- 
linquished on that place and filed on his pres- 
ent homestead, situated in section 34, town- 
ship 35, range 30, Cherry county. Here he has 
established a good ranch, containing nine hun- 
dred and sixtv acres, half of deeded land and 
half of Kincaid homestead, while his wife also 
owns four hundred and eighty acres of deeded 
land. In addition Mr. Hippie holds a lease on 
a half section of school land. His place is lo- 
cated on the Miriichaduza creek, and he en- 
gages principally in stock raising, running 
from one hundred to two hundred head of cat- 
tle, fifty horses and other stock. Of late years 
he has been able to raise fairly good crops of 
srain. cultivatine about one hundred acres at 
times. During the drouth periods he became 
discouraged with this branch of the business 
after losing four crops in succession. A view 
of the family residence and surroundings will 
be found on another page of this work. 

Mr. Hippie was married December 24, 1900, 
to Mrs. Tillie De Bords, whose parents. Her- 
man and Julia Hanson, were natives of Nor- 
wav and early settlers in eastern Nebraska. 
^Irs. Hippie, a native of La Salle county, Illi- 
nois, was the first of her parents' children born 
in America. She was first married in Sioux 
City, Iowa, March 25, 1886, bearing two chil- 
dren. Lulu and Clarence. 

Our subject is active in all matters of lo- 
cal importance and does all in his power to 
aid in the educational and commercial ad^- 
vancement of his locality. He has held school 
office at different times. Politically he is a Re- 
publican and in religious faith a member of 
the Catholic church. 



DOMINIC HAAS. 

Many a brave pioneer has come to the west- 
ern plains with nothing but a strong heart and 
willing hands, and from a start of nothing has 
carved out for himself a fortune and home, and 
is now prepared to enjoy the remaining years 
of his career in comfort and plenty, surrounded 
by his family and a host of warm friends, es- 
teemed and respected by all. 

Dominic Haas was born in Luxemburg, 
Germanv, in 1864. His father, Peter, was a 



48o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



farmer, and spent his entire life in Germany, 
but his wife, who was Margaret Bartholome, 
came to America, where she lived with her 
sons, our subject and his brother Peter, who 
is associated with him in the ranching busi- 
ness, the mother's death occurring in Sioux 
county in 1889. Dominic and Peter were 
raised in their native land, and when reaching 
manhood struck out for the new world, bring- 
ing with them their mother, landing in New- 
York city in 1889, and came directly west to 
Nebraska, locating in Sioux county, taking as 
a homestead what is now his home ranch, sit- 
uated in section 7. township 33, range 54. Their 
first team was a pair of oxen, with which they 
broke up land and put in sod crops. The first 
dwelling was a log cabin, and they worked 
hard to improve their place, and had a hard 
time in getting started, losing several crops, 
but soon gave uji trying to farm and worked 
into the stock business, both he and his brother 
working out in the vicinity of their home at 
railroad construction and on the range in or- 
der to lay by a little money. At the same 
time he put up good buildings as he became 
better able, fenced his land, and little by lit- 
tle improved his place, although they suffered 
many hardships and privations during the 
early years. They now have seventeen hun- 
dred and twenty acres, situated on Hat creek, 
cultivating about forty acres, and well stocked 
with cattle and other live stock. His brother 
Peter is now in the east taking medical treat- 
ment and hopes to return soon. 

Mr. Haas was married in 1904 to Miss 
Kate Dirnbaumer, w'hose father, Joseph, was 
a prominent farmer and old settler in Iowa, 
Her mother was Eva Weber, of Iowa. Mr. 
and Mrs. Haas are the parents of two chil- 
dren, Nick, aged two years, and John, aged 
one year. 

Mr. Haas has always been active in local 
aiifairs, and helped in establishing the schools 
of his locality, doing his full share in aiding the 
progress and promoting the general welfare of 
his community. 



HON. WILLIAM NEVILLE. 

The gentleman above named, now residing 
in Arizona, was for many years a prominent 
resident of North Platte. Nebraska. He was 
well known as a leading attorney and prac- 
ticed his profession in this section up to 1903. 

Mr. Neville was born near Nashville, Illi- 
nois, in 1843, and moved from there to Ches- 
ter. Illinois, in 1851. lie was educated at 



McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois, and aft- 
erwards taught school for a time. When about 
nineteen years old he enlisted in an Illinois 
regiment and served a year in the Civil war. 
He was elected to the Illinois legislature 
from Randolph. Perry and Monroe counties in 
the fall of 1872 and moved to Omaha at the 
close of the second session in 1874. He was 
elected to the Nebraska legislature from 
Omaha as a Democrat in 1876. He moved to 
North Platte at the close of the session in 
1877. 

He was register of the United States land 
office at North Platte, Nebraska, from 1885 to 
1890, and judge of the thirteenth judicial dis- 
trict from 1891 to 1895. In 1896 he was elected 
supreme judge for Nebraska on the fusion 
ticket, the office being contingent upon an 
amendment to the constitution which was de- 
clared not carried. In 1898 he was president 
of the Nebraska state board at the Omaha and 
Transmississippi Exposition. In 1899 he was 
elected to congress on the fusion ticket to fill 
the vacancy caused by the death of the Hon. 
W. L. Greene, and represented the sixth Ne- 
braska district in the fifty-sixth and fifty-sev- 
enth congresses. He was mayor of North 
Platte for one terin. 

He moved to Douglas, Arizona, on account 
of his health in 1903, just after the close of the 
fifty-seventh congress, and in 1904 was elected 
to the Arizona legislature. 

In 1882 Mr. Neville married Miss Mollie 
Ann Keith, daughter of M. C. Keith, a pio- 
neer stockman and ranch owner of northwest- 
ern Nebraska. Mrs., Mollie Keith Neville died 
at North Platte in 1884, just after the birth 
of their only child, M. Keith Neville, who now 
resides in North Platte, Nebraska. M. C. 
Keith died in 1899, and left M. Keith Neville 
a large fortune. 

In 1886 Judge William Neville married his 
second wife, Irene Morrison Rector, who died 
in January, 1906. leaving a daughter, Irene 
Tliccla Neville, who is now attending school 
in Washington, D. C. 

Mr. Neville is a member of the Grand Army 
of the Republic, of the Improved Order of Red 
Men and of Cochise Aerie of Eagles. 



EDWARD L. SCHMIDT. 

Edward L. Schmidt, one of the most ener- 
getic and successful farmers of Sioux county, 
Nebraska, resides on his fine farm in section 
21, township 32, range 54. He is a young man 
of good business judgment and has won an 




C. H. BRITTON and FAMILY. 




SCENE ON RANCH OF C. H. BRITTON, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



481 



enviable reputation in his community as a 
prosperous farmer and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Schmidt was born in Kearney county. 
Nebraska, in 1877, on a farm. His father. Ed- 
ward Schmidt, was a well known farmer and 
old settler in that county, coming here from 
Germany in 1869 and locating in that region, 
filing on a homestead in section 21, township 7, 
range 14. in Kearney county. Our subject's 
mother was Pauline Brown, a native of Russia, 
born of German parents. Edward grew up on 
his father's farm and assisted his parents in 
the work of carrying on the home place, living 
there until he was twenty-one years of age. 
He left home in 1898 and started for himself, 
coming to Sioux county, where he homestead- 
ed his present farm in sections 20 and 21, town- 
ship 32, range 54. Here he started farming 
in a small way, building a little shack in which 
he lived for a couple of years. During the 
first year he lost what few crops he put in 
through the dry weather, but after that was 
very successful in raising fair crops of small 
grains, potatoes, etc., and has done very well 
in his farming operations since then. His 
farm consists of four hundred acres, sixty 
acres of which is under cultivation, and he 
has forty acres of good timber land, which 
is each year growing more valuable. He has 
built up a good home, has good barns and im- 
provements on the place, and from a start of 
almost nothing has accumulated a nice prop- 
erty and is now able to enjoy the fruits of his 
labors. 

In January, 1906, the Unit postofiSce was 
established on Mr. Schmidt's farm, and he is 
now serving as postmaster, also conducting a 
general merchandise store, handling a line of 
groceries, etc. 

Mr. Schmidt was married in January, 1900, 
to ]\liss Lissie Klahn, born in Germany, daugh- 
ter of Carl Klahn, one of the early settlers 
of Kearney county, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. 
Schmidt have a family of five children, name- 
ly: Emma, William, Carl, Tillie and Mary. 



JAMES H. :\IONAHAN. 

Among the progressive and energetic 
younger members of the ranching community 
of Grant county who have contributed to the 
wealth and prosperity of that region, a fore- 
most place is accorded the gentleman above 
named. For many years past he has been en- 
gaged in the building up of an extensive ranch, 
and while doing this has also gained an envi- 



able reputation as a worthy citizen and active 
public-spirited gentleman. Mr. Monahan re- 
sides in Hyannis, where he is well known po- 
litically, having held the office of county treas- 
urer for one term, receiving his election in 
1897. He has also served as county commis- 
sioner, elected in 1903 and re-elected in 1906, 
still serving his county in that capacity, and 
proving a most efficient and popular public 
official. 

James H. Monahan was born in Fremont 
county, Iowa, in 1872. He was reared on his 
father's farm, the latter being a native of Ire- 
land, who came to this country while a young 
man, settling in Iowa as a pioneer. When 
our subject was a boy of fifteen the family 
came to Nebraska, settling eleven miles north- 
west of Whitman, James securing employment 
on a ranch as a cowboy, following that work 
for several years and gaining a wide knowl- 
edge of frontier life, becoming thoroughly fa^ 
miliar with the country all through western 
Nebraska. In 1897 he made a permanent set- 
tlement on section 4, township 24, range 2)7, 
Grant county, and began to establish a ranch 
of his own. He worked hard and faithfully, 
and succeeded splendidly, now being proprie- 
tor of a fine ranch containing thirty-one hun- 
dred acres, all deeded land, and besides this 
he operates two quarter sections of school land 
which he uses as a range. He has erected good 
buildings on the place, including a commodious 
dwelling, barns, sheds, etc., and every cent 
he is now worth has been accumulated through 
his own untiring efforts and good manage- 
ment, as he had absolutely nothing to start 
with. For a time Mr. Monahan ran a store 
in Hyannis, during 1895 and 1896, and is 
well known in that town as a good business 
man and substantial citizen. 

On November 3, 1907, Mr. Monahan was 
married to Cora McCawley. Her father, John 
McCawley, a prominent citizen of Grant 
county, is a leading politician, now occupy- 
ing the position of county judge. He mar- 
ried Edna Hagan. Air. Monahan has one child. 
Earl, aged eight years, and reared in this coun- 
ty. The family occupy a foremost place in 
the social and school affairs of their town- 
ship, and are popular members of the commu- 
nity. He is a Republican in political views. 



CHESTER H. BRITTON. 

Chester H. Britton, whose upright and hon- 
orable career should be an encouragement to 
the young men of the present generation, as in 
it they can see what thrift and industry, hon- 



482 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



esty and integrity can always accomplish, was 
born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1861. His father, 
Major L. Britton, who was a native of New 
Hampshire, was a printer for several years, 
but gave this up to follow the occupation of 
farmer. His mother, Martha (Brasher) Brit- 
ton, was born in America of German parentage. 

Our subject was reared on his father's 
farm in Warren county, Iowa, where he 
attended the common schools, at the same time 
assisting his father in tilling the soil. At the 
age of twenty-one years he left home, and 
with the money his father gave him he rented 
a farm and made a start for himself. He spent 
three years in farming his place but this first 
venture proved a failure, and he lost all he had. 
Not discouraged by these reverses he came 
west in March, 1886, and took up a claim in 
section 7, township 30, range 50, Dawes 
county, Nebraska, on which he later proved 
up. His first building in this new western 
country was a log cabin. Soon after this he 
took a homestead in section 12, township 30, 
range 51, where he erected substantial build- 
ing and greatly improved the claim. From 
time to time he secured adjoining land, and 
now has one of the best ranches in Dawes coun- 
ty, comprising an area of seventeen hundred and 
sixty acres, which he fenced and cross fenced. 
which is situated on the high tableland. He cul- 
tivated two hundred acres, and has several acres 
of good timber land. His present residence is 
verv substantial and commodious, and he has 
fine barns and sheds in which to house his stock. 
two wells and wind mills, and a cistern. In 
1891 he built a saw mill. I lis mill was de- 
stroyed by fire, lint not discouraged by this 
disaster he rebuilt, ami now has a very good 
mill. 

Mr. Ilrittiin engages extensively in stock 
raising, making a s])ecialty of cattle, horses and 
sheep. For the past fourteen years he has 
been engaged in the threshing business, hav- 
ing a steam power machine for which he paid 
$3,000 and threshes from seventy to one hundred 
thousand bushels of grain each year, (^ur sub- 
ject has witnessed the periods of drouths which 
are so well known to the early settlers in this 
western country, but he has had the good for- 
tune of never having what could be called a 
complete failure of crops. 

Mr. Britton and Miss Nannie Mcintosh 
were united in marriage in 1882. Her father, 
Daniel Mcintosh, was a farmer and a native 
of Scotland. Her mother was Nancy (Dowd) 
Mcintosh. Three children blessed this union, 
Howard, Charles and Nannie, deceased. Mrs. 
Britton died in 1890. Several years after Mr. 
Britton contracted a second marriage with 



Miss Minnie Hayden. She was reared in 
Dawes county, her father, Belemis Hayden. hav- 
ing settled here in 1887. Burt and Clarence 
were the two children born to this union. 

As a man who figures prominently in mat- 
ters of local interest Mr. Britton stands well, 
for he has always taken an active interest in the 
improvement and development of Dawes county. 
He was one of the men who were instrumental 
in the organization of the Farmers Independent 
Telephone Company, in which he is a stockhold- 
er, and of which company he holds the office of 
president. Considering the little capital he 
had to work with and his small start, his 
friends consider that he has done wonderfully 
well, and that his career in Dawes county is to 
be regarded as a markeil success. lie is a 
Republican in politics. 

Engravings in connection with this sketch 
are part of the interesting illustrations in this 
work. 



JESSE W. GARNER. 

Among the younger "old settlers" of west- 
ern Nebraska we mention the name of Jesse 
W. Garner, who resides on his valuable es- 
tate situated in section 3, township 33. range 
35, of Cherry county. 

Mr. Garner was born in A\'ilkes count v. 
North Carolina, October 11, 1870. His fa- 
ther, Isaac Garner, was a farmer and home- 
steader in Cherry county, coming here in 1892 
from North Carolina, where he was reared 
and served in the southern army under im- 
pressment, his sympathies being with the 
north. Our subject's mother was Miss Ade- 
laide Caudle, of old southern blood, and he 
was the second member in her family of four 
children. W'hen he was seven years of age 
the family came to Dodge county as pioneers, 
and there he was reared and educated, attend- 
ing the country schools. \\'hen twenty years 
old he moved to Cherry county, and was here 
throughout the Indian troubles of 1890-91, wit- 
nessing many exciting incidents of that time. 
He located on a homestead west of Cody, and 
also took up a tree claim near there, batching 
it for six years and leading a regular pioneer 
existence. His first buildings were all of sod, 
and he started in to build up his farm, on 
which he proved up, then left the place and 
moved to his ])resent farm in 1902. located on 
the Niobrara river. Here he has established 
a fine estate, and has improved the place with 
good buildings, fences and up-to-date machin- 
ery. He has one hundred and twenty acres 
cultivated, and altogether operates eight hun- 





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OROX B. BOWER. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



483 



dred and eighty acres of land, engaging iu 
ranching and stock raising. Together with 
his brother he owns- upwards of two thousand 
acres of valuable farm and ranch lands. 

Mr. Garner was married in 1896 to Miss 
Rosa Maybee, daughter of William and Rachel 
(Mapes) Maybee, pioneer homesteaders in 
Cherry county. Mr. and Mrs. Garner are the 
parents of three children, namely : Lee, Roxy 
and Rose. The family is highly esteemed in 
their home community, and are popular and 
well liked by all who know them. 

Mr. Garner is a Republican, active in local 
political circles, and lends his influence for 
the principles of that party. He is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. 



ORON B. BOWER. 

Oron B. Bower is a well known resident of 
Chappell, where he has spent many years of 
his career, and has helped in a marked degree 
in the upbuilding of that region. He was born 
in Greenville, .Pennsylvania, in 1867, his par- 
ents settling in Transfer, that state, where 
he lived until he was thirteen years of age. 
His father was a cooper by trade, farming also 
part of the time, and in 1880 came with his 
family to Nebraska, locating seven miles from 
Grand Island, where they lived for five years, 
then they came west to Big Springs, home- 
steading in Perkins county. Here they went 
through all the experiences of the early pio- 
neers in the region, having sod house and 
dugout experience, and made that their home 
for a number of years. They were obliged to 
haul the water supply for domestic purposes a 
distance of seventeen miles, and were the first 
family to dig a well in the neighborhood. 

Our subject lived at home until he was 
thirty years of age, when he took a homestead 
in the vicinity and proved up on it, later proved 
up on a tree claim and pre-emption, as did 
his father also, each using all three rights. In 
1897 Oron moved to Big Springs, but as the 
times were very hard owing to unfavorable 
crop conditions he was compelled to go to 
work on the section, and followed that for three 
years, again going back to farming in 1900, 
taking a farm near Big Springs, on which he 
lived for two years. In 1902 he went to Jules- 
burg, following farm work there for about four 
years, locating in 1906 at Chappell, where he 
purchased a livery barn and began to build 
■up a business. He has improved the property 
and increased his patronage greatly since tak- 
ing the place, having a good barn with a ce- 



ment floor, the only one so constructed in 
western Nebraska fitted with modern appli- 
ances. In equipment and service this barn is 
not surpassed anywhere. He also owns the 
Chappell dray line and has licenses for two 
teams, doing a profitable business. In 1909 
he put in automobile service, which makes this 
barn up-to-date in ever}' particular. 

Mr. Bower was married in 1897 to Miss 
Madge S. Beach, daughter of Riley Beach, a 
prominent old settler in Deuel county, a sketch 
of whom appears on another page, locating 
there in 1886. He is now postmaster at Big 
Springs. He is a veteran of the Civil war 
and well known in political circles in the coun- 
ty and vicinity. Our subject has a family 
of four children, namely: Lloyd, Russell, Mar- 
garet and Randall. They have a pleasant home 
and are popular members of their community. 
A portrait of Mr. Bower will be found else- 
where in this volume. 



HENRY EHMKE. 

Henry Ehmke for many years past has been 
one of the most successful agriculturists of 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He opened up 
a farm from wild prairie land and has been in- 
timately associated with the development of 
that region, and by his untiring perseverance 
and integrity has gained a valuable property 
and enviable reputation as a citizen and farmer. 

Mr. Ehmke was born in the village of Doer- 
verden, Hanover, Germany, September 2, 1845. 
He grew to manhood in his native country, 
following farming during his younger days, 
and when about forty years of age came to 
America. Sailing from Bremer Haven on the 
"Emms" August 27. 1884, after a voyage of 
fourteen days he landed in New York and 
came direct to Nebraska. After a fortnight 
in Omaha and three months in Columbus and 
an equal time in Grand Island, he came to 
Cheyenne county in the spring of 1885. He 
at once took up a homestead in section 4, 
township 15, range SO. and has made that his 
home ever since, owning at the present time 
over three hundred and twenty acres in the 
vicinity, which is devoted to farming and stock 
raising. He has about one hundred and thirty 
acres under cultivation, and runs quite a large 
herd of stock. He has put up good buildings 
and improvements and has his ranch in the 
best possible shape. Mr. Ehmke has alwavs 
been an active supporter of every movement 
for the benefit of his county and state, and 
has aided in every matter of local importance 



484 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in true public spirit, and is one of the substan- 
tial and helpful men of his locality. 

During our subj':ct's boyhood in his native 
land he enlisted in the Hanoverian army in 
1866 and served for about five years, taking 
part in the action of Hanover against Prus- 
sia in that year and again during a tvifo years' 
service in the German army in the war against 
France in 1870-71. During his career as a sol- 
dier he participated in twenty-one battles. 

Mr. Ehmke was married at Columbus, Ne- 
braska, in 1884, to Miss Carrie Ensminger, a 
native of Germany, who came to the United 
States in 1878. Seven children were born of 
their union, named as follows: Mary, mar- 
ried to Emmet Sanders, now living in Chey- 
enne county; William, Wilhelmina, Henry, 
Margaret, Carrie and Herman, the last six all 
living at home, and are of great help to their 
parents in carrying on the extensive farm. 

Politically our subject is a Democrat and 
lends his influence for the best interests of 
his party. He was reared in the Lutheran 
church. 



THUE P. JENSEN. 

Among the prominent citizens and repre- 
sentative farmers and ranchmen of Dawes 
countv. Thue P. Jensen occupies a foremost 
place, as he has spent many years of his life 
in this section and has built up a good home 
and an enviable reputation as an energetic 
worker and good business man. He resides 
in section 11. township 34. range 48. and is high- 
ly estemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Jensen was born in Denmark in 1862. 
He grew up on a farm, and when eleven years 
of age was left an orphan and from that time 
on made his own waj' in the world, working 
on farms in the vicinity of his native town up 
to the time he was twenty years of age. In 
the spring of 1882 he came to America, and 
after landing in New York city went to 
\\'heeling. West Virginia, where he spent one 
year. He next settled in Clinton, Iowa, there 
doing any kind of work that came to hand, but 
only remained for six months, then went back 
to Wheeling, where he obtained employment 
in a nai! mill in that city. In the spring of 
1884 he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and there 
worked in a stone quarry for three years. In 
1887 he came west again, locating in Dawes 
county, and here took up eighty acres as a pre- 
emption, and proved up on the land, living in 
a dugout which he l)uilt, for some time. This 
was a small hut, 14x14. but he was reasonably 
comfortable in it, and after being here a while 



he took up a homestead and proved up on 
that. His first team after coming here was a 
pair of small ponies, and with these he broke 
up his land and used them for all purposes on 
his farm. He next settled on a rented ranch 
in section 12. and remained for two years, and 
after that kept moving around constantly, 
although always living in this part of the 
county. In 1898 he settled on his present 
homestead, situated in section 11, township 34, 
range 48. which was then only partly im- 
proved property, to which he has since added 
a comfortable house, barns and other farm build- 
ings. His ranch now consists of three thousand 
acres, all deeded land, and besides he oper- 
ates some leased land. The ranch is all 
fenced, and is on the White River, which 
supplies all the good water he needs for his 
stock and every purpose. He farms about one 
hundred acres, raising small grains, and also 
a large piece of alfalfa. 

Mr. Jensen was married while living in 
Cleveland, in 1886, to Miss Signa Johnson, and 
they are the parents of six children, namely: 
Annie, Willie, Burt, Mark, George and Nellie. 

Mr. Jensen is a good neighbor and worthy 
citizen, and has aided in building up his com- 
munity, giving liberally of his time and money 
in advancing its best interests at all times. 
Pie is now holding school office, and has acted 
as treasurer of his school for several years. 
In his political views he is an Independent. 



BEERS BROTHERS. 

The Beers Brothers are among the well- 
known old settlers in Dawes county, Nebraska. 
The father of the family, .\bel Beers, was born 
in Easton. Fairfield county, Connecticut. He 
was of English stock, his ancestors coming 
from Sliefifield. England, in 1636. settling in 
Connecticut, where .\bel was reared and edu- 
cated, and was married July 4. 18.'^1, to Miss 
Sarah II. Bearsley, who was born in Easton, 
of American stock. Ten children were born 
to the couple, and they were named as follows: 
Isaac. Gladden. Ida and .A.lfred (who died in 
infancy). Leslie. Eva. Nellie. Lillyetta, who 
died at the age of twenty-eight. May 9. 1891 ; 
Noah and Charles, all of whoni were born and 
reared in New England. The father was a 
farmer by occupation, and was a genera! handy 
man — mechanic, shoemaker, etc., as well as a 
good writer and composer, and he had written 
and published two books which were widely 
read. 

In 1877. the father and one son, Leslie, 



:OAIPENDIUAl OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



4«; 



came to Parker, South Dakota, landing there 
in January of that year, and settled on a home- 
stead on which they lived for seven years, 
proved upon the land, also owned considerable 
property in the town of Parker. While in that 
section of the country they went through many 
pioneer experiences, handling ox teams, 
freighting, etc., and "batched it" in a sod shanty, 
which they put up on the place. In 1884 both 
came to Dawes county, Nebraska, teaming out 
from Valentine, and located on section 26, 
township 32, range 51, and at once built a small 
frame house on the homestead. The following 
year all of the family came west to join them 
except three sisters and two brothers, and as 
a family all worked together in building up the 
farm and home. They got along well and had 
a good start and things running smoothly un- 
til 1888, when in some way their stable caught 
fire and burned up, together with fifty tons of 
hay, and this was a serious setback to them, 
although they did not give up courage, but 
went right on, as in those days the settlers 
were not easily discouraged. They lived on 
this place for thirteen years, and during this 
time each one of the boys took up homesteads 
and proved up on them, in this way adding to 
their original holdings, and they next bought 
and moved to section 24, township 31, range 
51, on West Ash creek. Here they have built 
up a splendid farm, have plenty of pine, ash 
and Cottonwood timber, and good water the 
year round. They have put up a twenty-five 
horse power saw mill, and are also building a 
feed mill on their farm now. They have a 
ranch of over a thousand acres, and it is one 
ties in the county. 

The father died December 21, 1901, and the 
of the best improved and most valuable proper- 
mother died May 16. 1908, while on a visit 
east, and left his three sons partners in the 
ranching interests, namely: Charles, Noah and 
Leslie. 

In 1903, on March 15th, Charles Beers was 
united in marriage to Miss Dorothy M. Patter- 
son, whose father is an old settler in Sioux 
county. Besides farming, Charles followed 
the brickmaking business for twelve years at 
Chadron, Nebraska: Casper, Wyoming; Crip- 
ple Creek, Colorado; and Edgemont, South 
Dakota. He has three children, Charles Lester, 
Dorothy S. and Alice W. 

Noah Beers was married January 7, 1906, 
to Miss Sadie C. Benson. All of his time has 
been given to the farm. 

Leslie has traveled all through the Black 
Hills, and for a time was night foreman in the 
storage battery plant at Lead City, South 
Dakota. He has lately resigned that position 



and is at home on the farm. It may be truly 
said that the Beers Brothers are "hustlers" and 
are destined to make splendid success of their 
business. 



BERT L. GENUNG. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
prosperous farmers of Keya Paha county, re- 
siding on section 18, township 32, range 18, in 
Keya Paha county, Nebraska, where he has 
built up a comfortable and pleasant home and 
enjoys the respect and esteem of a large cir- 
cle of friends. 

Mr. Genung was born near Hastings. Mills 
county, Iowa, September 10, 1875. His father, 
Lewis T. Genung, is a prominent attorney in 
Hastings, of American stock, and a man of 
wide repute as a politician, well known in 
Democratic circles for the past twenty years. 
He now resides at Glenwood, Iowa. He has 
held county offices at various times, and was 
a nominee for congress in 1896. Our subject 
was reared and educated in the town of his 
birth and resided there until he was twenty- 
six years old. when he came to Keya Paha 
county in 1901. Here he took charge of the "L 
T" ranch, Icated in section 18, township 32, 
range 19, which is a tract of land comprising 
seven thousand acres, all fenced, thirty-five 
hundred of this being deeded land and the re- 
mainder leased. This is located on the Nio- 
brara river, and extends back for six miles. 
When Mr. Genung came here the place was 
utterlv without improvements, and he went 
to work in building up the farm, put up a 
number of buildings, including two houses, and 
a good, substantial set of farm buildings. One 
hundred and sixty acres of this is cultivated, 
but he engages principally in stock raising, 
and through his good management and hard 
labor he has made this property one of the 
most valuable estates in the section. The 
ranch was at one time headquarters of "Doc" 
!Middleton's gang ; here he lived for some time, 
and several caves have been found in the vicin- 
ity which were used by him and his compan- 
ions as hiding places for themselves anc 
stolen stock. 

On September, 20. 1S99. Mr. Genung was 
married to Miss Minnie Fisher, who prior to hei 
marriage was a school teacher in Iowa. Hei 
father, George Fisher, was a farmer and olc 
settler in that state ; her mother was in 
maidenhood \^iola Carey. Mr. and Mrs. 
Genung have two children : Mabel J. and 
Louise Ruth. 

Among the vounger members of the farm- 



486 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing communit)- around Carnes Mr. Genung is 
recognized as a rising agriculturist, who through 
his progressive methods will become one of 
the prominent and influential citizens of this 
locality. In politics he is a Democrat. 



JOHN D. SHARP. 

John D. Sharp, one of the old-timers of 
Keya Paha county, Nebraska, resides on his 
pleasant farm in section 21, township 35, 
range 24, which he has made his home since 
1903. Mr. Sharp has been a resident of this 
county since 1884, formerly living on section 
33, in the same township and range, where he 
made substantial improvements. 

I\Ir. Sharp was born in Richland county, 
W'isconsin. .\pril 17, 1856. His father, Wil- 
liam C. Sharp, was a farmer, and an old settler 
in Nebraska, coming here with his family in 
1865. settling in Cuming county, where our sub- 
ject grew up familiar with all the hardships 
and the rough life of a frontiersman's exist- 
ence. His mother was Miss Margaret Ingram 
before her marriage ; she presented her hus- 
band with a family of seven children, John D., 
being the second member. He started out to 
make his own way in the world when about 
twenty years of age, farming on rented land 
in Cummings county. He worked this for a 
few years, and in 1884 came to Keya Paha 
county, having previously been all through the 
region as far west as the Black Hills country 
and being favorably impressed with the con- 
ditions which he found. He was familiar with 
the country before it was made a state, and 
from its earliest beginning has taken part in 
the history of its upbuilding and rapid growth, 
giving his aid in every way possible where 
he saw a chance to improve the agricultural 
and educational opportunities. After locating 
in Keya Paha county he took up a homestead 
in section 33, and proved up, building a house, 
planting trees, etc.. and during the first years 
often had a hard time to get along and make 
a living, as the dry years came on and he lost 
several crops which put him hack considerably. 
He moved to his present ranch in 1903, where he 
has five hundred and sixty acres, all fenced, 
with good buildings and other improvements, 
and here he is engaged in stock raising and 
mixed farming, and has done well here He 
has five acres of forest trees nicely growing 
and half an acre of orchard nf apples" plums, 
cherries and crabs. On another page will be 
found a picture of the place. 

Mr. Sharp was married in Cuming 



count^^ November 4, 1879, to Miss Nellie 
Smith, daughter of Ezra Smith, a farmer and 
old settler in Keya Paha county, formerly of 
Cuming county and originally from Michi- 
gan. Prior to her marriage !\Irs. Sharp was 
a school teacher in Cuming ' county, where 
she met the man who afterwards became her 
husband. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp have a family 
of four children, named as follows : Ray L., 
Blanche, Alta and Rex W. 

Mr. Sharp has always taken a commendable 
interest in local public affairs in his commun- 
ity, and has added strength to every worthy 
movement in the interest of his locality. Po- 
litically he is a Populist. 



CHARLES P. BRESEE. 

Charles P. Bresee, residing in Rushville, 
Nebraska, was born at Council Bluffs, Iowa, 
in 1861. His father, David Bresee, was a gun- 
smith, and an old soldier, his death occurring 
in 1876, in eastern Nebraska. He was of Hol- 
land Dutch stock, and his wife, who was Mary 
Ann Lavrick, was of English descent, born in 
Canada. When our subject was sixteen years 
of age he came to western Nebraska with a 
party of prospectors and miners, going to the 
Black Hills. He was with the first outfit, 
traveling with wagons which went over the 
Black Hills trail, and he saw all of this country, 
including Sheridan county, long before any 
white man now living had made a permanent 
settlement here. On this trip they traveled 
along the old trail which runs through Gordon, 
Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota. He remained 
in the Black Hills for two months, and in 1879 
again came here, prospecting, mining, etc., also 
going through Idaho. Wyoming and the Da- 
kotas freighting. For six years he followed 
a frontiersman's life and tells many interesting 
occurrences in connection with his early ex- 
periences here. In 1884 Mr. Bresee settled on 
a homestead near Gordon, remaining until he 
had proved up, then went on a ranch in Cherry 
county for two years. He first came to Rush- 
ville in 1889, where he began in the grain busi- 
ness, antl he built the first elevator in this 
country, which is now owned by Nye, Schni- 
der, Fowler & Co. 

For one year, Mr. Bresee was engaged in 
the milling business in Gordon, and then 
opened up a real estate office here. During 
1892- '93 he witnessed hard times, as did all 
the settlers here. He has been in this line 
of work since that time, and also handled loans 
up to 1903, when he helped organize the 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN D. SHARP, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF E. A. HOPKINS, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



487 



Maverick Loan iS: Trust Company, of which 
concern he is secretary and treasurer. This 
firm has offices at Gordon, Hay Springs and 
Rushville, and have an extensive patronage all 
through this section of the country. 

In 1885, \lr. Bresee was married in Butler 
count}-, Nebraska, to Miss Anna X. Edgar, 
whose parents were early settlers in Wiscon- 
sin. Five children complete the family circle, 
named as follows : Almeda, Frank, Gertie, 
Alvin and Marjorie. 

Mr. Bresee served his county for two 
terms, from 1895 to 1899, and in 1905 was 
elected a member of the state senate on the 
Republican ticket. 



EDWARD A. HOPKINS. 

The gentleman named in this personal his- 
tor}- is well known in Rock county as a suc- 
cessful business man and worthy citizen. He 
has made Nebraska his home for many years, 
and at present resides in Long Pine precinct, 
where he is numbered among the leading men 
of the locality. 

Mr. Hopkins was born near Elgin, Kane 
county, Illinois, January 8, 1861. His father, 
Richard Hopkins, was a farmer, a native of 
England, now living in Guthrie county, Iowa. 
Our subject is the second child in a family of 
three, and was reared and educated in Iowa 
where his parents moved when he wa.s a small 
boy. He assisted his father in the farm work, 
and early became accustomed to all kinds of 
hard labor, attending school during the winter 
months. He started in for himself at the age 
of twenty-two years, coming to Nebraska m 
1884, locating in Bassett. He filed on a home- 
stead in section 14, township 31, range 19, and 
began improving his farm, on which he later 
proved up and secured title. For two 3'ears he 
clerked in the post office at Bassett, and then 
settled on his farm permanently in 1887. The 
place was entirely unimproved, but he per- 
severed, finally attaining success in all his un- 
dertakings ; gradually adding to his land, 
he is now the owner of five hundred and eighty 
acres of well improved land, with good buildings, 
a fine orchard, and beautiful grove of trees sur- 
rounding his house. He has endured hard 
times, particularly during the dry years, when 
his crops were utter failures, and he was al- 
most on the point of giving up the struggle, 
but persevered and eventually won success. 
We present a view of the home and surround- 
insrs elsewhere in this work. 



Air. Hopkins was married June 3, 1885, to 
Miss Mary Castle, daughter of Zera and Su- 
sanna ( Stevens) Castle ; her father was a car- 
penter by occupation, and came of an old 
American family. Mr. and Airs. Hopkins have 
four children, who are named as follows: Stella, 
Fred, Ruth and Blanche, all of whom were born 
on the farm where they now reside. 

Air. Hopkins has always taken an active 
part in all local affairs, assisting materially 
in the betterment of conditions in his locality, 
and done his full share toward the develop- 
ment and growth of the community where he 
has chosen his home. He is an Independent 
voter, and has held the office of assessor and 
census taker in his locality. When he first 
settled in Bassett, it was a town of about a 
dozen buildings, and it is now a thriving busi- 
ness center. He holds membership in the 
Bassett lodge of Workmen.' 



CYRUS N. ROYSE. 

Cyrus N. Royse, who, as a land-owner of 
Rock county, Nebraska, has done his share to- 
ward the development of the agricultural re- 
sources of that region, is a widely known and 
universally respected citizen. He is a man of 
wide experience, and his good judgment in 
matters of business and integrity have placed 
him among the prosperous men of his town- 
ship. 

Air. Royse was born in Washington coun- 
ty, Indiana, in 1855. His father was a farmer 
and both his parents were of American stock. 
The family included six children, four boys 
and two girls, and our subject was the young- 
est member. He was reared and educated in 
Indiana, the home of his birth, and during his 
boyhood years he was taught all the hard work 
to be found in carrying on a farm, and from 
the time he reached the age of thirteen he has- 
done a man's work. His father died when he 
was fifteen years old, and he had to get out 
and hustle in order to assist in the support of 
the family, and pay off the mortgage on their 
farm. He left home at the age of twenty-four 
years to work for himself, and followed farm- 
ing, hiring out by the month in the vicinity 
of his home. In 1883 he came west, and set- 
tled in Pawnee county, Nebraska, where he re- 
mained for one year, then came on to Rock 
county, and settled on a homestead in north- 
west section 20, township 31, range 19, where 
he went to work building up a home and farm. 
He first put up a small frame house and began 
breaking the land to raise crops. In the fall 



488 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of 18S4 he worked out at husking corn near 
Norfolk, and his wife assisted him in every 
w^ay possible, helping him in the work of haul- 
ing wood, cutting posts, etc. 

He graduallv increased his holdings and now 
owns a farm of six hundred and forty acres of 
good land. Eighty acres of this is in a high state 
of cultivation, and on this he raises banner 
crops of grain, corn, etc. He is engaged to 
quite an extent in stock raising and dairying, 
and now keeps twenty-two milch cows. He 
recently built a fine large barn on his place, 
size forty by fifty feet, and has a commodious 
house, and all necessary farm buildings, and 
all the modern farming implements with 
which to carry on a model farm. At the time 
he located here there w^as not a tree in sight 
and he went to work and planted a large num- 
ber of forest trees, and has a beautiful grove 
now growing on his place. 

Mr. Royse was married in 1883 to Miss 
Rose Green, whose father. Jonah Green, was 
a miller by trade, of American blood. The 
family is widely known and highly respected 
throughout the community in which they re- 
side. Mr. Royse is active in local public affairs, 
and stands firmly for the principles of the Demo- 
cratic party. 



SKETCH OF SHERIDAN COUNTY. 

BV CH.\RLES P. BRESEE. 

Comparatively few white men had seen what 
is now Sheridan county when the writer, in 
April, 1877, first entered its borders. The coun- 
try at that time was covered with short, curly 
buffalo grass, the salt grass only appearing in 
valleys, giving the hills and ridges a smooth, 
bald appearance. The Sioux Indians had full 
possession of the country, which was indeed a 
magnificent hunting ground, fairly teeming 
with antelope and deer, and some few elk still 
remained. Ducks and geese were abundant 
and some grouse were to be found upon the 
prairie. No white man at that time lived with- 
in its borders and to the prospector passing 
through it seemed that a generation would per- 
haps pass away before it would ever be in- 
habited by the white man. But with the 
opening of the Black Hills the Sioux Indians 
were soon gathered in by the United States 
government and located on the Pine Ridge 
reservation, which joins Sheridan county im- 
mediately on the north, and which agency is 
only some two miles distant from what is now 
the northern border. However, soon after the 



establishment of the reservation, a strip of 
land some five miles wide and ten miles long, 
which is now a part of Sheridan county, was 
set aside by the government under pretense 
of keeping bootleggers away from the agency, 
but was in all probability really accomplished 
by the post traders that independent stores 
might not be put in too close. This strip was 
known as the "extension"' and was held by the 
government and used only by a few favored 
cattlemen until it was thrown open to settle- 
ment in 1904, and immediately became a part 
of Sheridan county, as it was fully within her 
borders. This is a splendid strip of agricul- 
tural land and was covered with squatters in 
forty-eight hours after being opened. How- 
ever, the one section lying immediately south 
of the agency was taken by one Charles Nines, 
who proposed to open a store on his home- 
stead, and at once the interested parties on the 
reservation brought such pressure to bear on 
President Roosevelt that he again set aside 
this one section and the same is j'et withheld 
from settlement. 

Almost before the government had placed 
the Sioux Indians on the reservation the hardy 
cattleman pushed to the front and in the fall 
of 1878 Newman and Hunter both established 
ranches in what is now Sheridan county, and 
while it is true that the Newman ranch build- 
ings were just in the edge of what is now 
Cherry county, close by the old Gordon rifle 
pits, yet his range was almost wholly within 
the limits of Sheridan county. These two 
ranches continued to monopolize almost the 
entire territory until the coming of settlers 
in 1883, when they were crowded out by the 
settlers, although a number of their cowboys 
are still residents of Sheridan and Cherry 
counties. John Riggs. who was foreman of the 
Hunter ranch, became the first sheriff of Sher- 
idan county, and is at the present time living 
on a beautiful farm situated on the Niobrara 
river, some fifteen miles southeast of Rushville 
and near the site of the old Hunter ranch. T. 
B. Irwin, who was foreman of the Newman 
ranch, was for many years a resident of west- 
ern Cherry county, where he owned and oper- 
ated a large cattle ranch of his own. Ed. T. 
Ross, one of the wild and wooly cowboys of 
the Newman ranch, now resides at Gordon and 
is one of the most prominent and wealthy cat- 
tlemen of that section. Several more of the 
old-time cow punchers at present reside in 
Cherry county, while quite a number of the 
old-time range riders now sleep beneath Sher- 
idan county soil. 

Sheridan county was organized in June, 
1885, with James Loofborrow as clerk. Its 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



489 



first general election was held in November, 
1885, and its first elective officers were : Abel 
Hill, clerk; John Riggs, sheriff; S. S. Murphy, 
superintendent ; Chris Mosler, treasurer ; C. 
Patterson! county judge, and \\\ H. Westover, 
county attorney. 

From the time the territory was taken from 
the Indians until 1883 its entire population 
consisted of a few cattlemen and three or four 
squaw men scattered along its northern bor- 
ders, but in 1883 a few hardy pioneers pushed 
their way into its present territory and follow- 
ing close on their heels came the Indiana col- 
ony, headed by Major John A. Scamahorn, 
settling in its eastern borders, where now 
stands the town of Gordon. From that mo- 
ment on the tide of civilization poured in until 
in 1885 nearly every quarter section of land 
north of the Niobrara river was occupied by 
a homesteader. Then came the Fremont, Elk- 
horn & Missouri River Valley railroad, cross- 
ing the northern part of the county from east 
to west and the towns of Gordon, Rushville 
and Hay Springs sprang up like magic, and by 
October, 1886, there were within its borders 
nearly fifteen thousand people, and what eight 
years before had been the hunting ground of 
the most warlike tribe of Indians in America 
had in this short space of time become a happy 
community of civilized people. 

For years a fierce county seat fight was 
waged between the towns of Hay Springs and 
Rushville, but Rushville was finally successful 
and is the present county seat, with a popula- 
tion of some seven hundred peoj^e. 

Sheridan county is sixty-nine miles long bv 
thirty-six miles wide. The Niobrara river runs 
through the county from west to east about 
midway. North of the river the soil is a rich 
limestone loam similar in texture to the fa- 
mous blue grass region of Kentucky, and is 
one of the finest farming regions in the west. 
South of the Niobrara river the greater por- 
tion of the country is sand hills and is occu- 
pied by cattlemen, but has numerous lakes and 
1 ay valleys, while the hills are covered with 
luxuriant grass, affording a paradise for ranch- 
men, and while this portion of the county is 
thinly populated, yet it is a rich country and 
produces some of the finest cattle in the west. 
The Burlington & Missouri railroad runs en- 
tirely through the southern part of the county, 
along which are located the stations of Bing- 
ham, Lakeside, Ellsworth and Reno. 

The northern portion of the county is wa- 
tered by several creeks which flow in a north- 
erly direction, emptying into the White river 
in South Dakota. There is little timber in 
the county except along its northern border, 



where pine trees once covered the hills and 
the streams are fringed with elm, ash, box el- 
der and Cottonwood. It is fast becoming the 
greatest potato country in the west and pro- 
duces immense crops of all kinds of small 
grain, and corn of the earlier varieties is suc- 
cessfully raised. Its output of cattle and 
horses is large and no better stock country can 
be found anywhere in the world. Water is 
pure and abundant at an average depth of 
about thirty feet. Its mean altitude is about 
thirty-five hundred feet, and while its rainfall 
is only about twenty-four inches per year, 3^et 
this practically all falls in the growing sea- 
son and is sufficient to produce bountiful 
crops. Land is cheap and abundant and un- 
told thousands may yet find homes within the 
borders of Sheridan countv. 



A. M. \MLSON. 



Among the capable and industrious men 
who hold responsible positions in McCook, 
Nebraska, none is more highly respected than 
the subject of this review, A. M. ^Vilson, who 
is superintendent of the electric light com- 
pany here. He has held this position since 
1894 and has been connected with the concern 
for fourteen years. 

Mr. Wilson is a native of Missouri. His 
father, J. W. Wilson, settled in Keokuk, Iowa, 
in 1859, and moved to Omaha two years later. 
At the breaking out of the war, he enlisted 
and served for three years in a Nebraska reg- 
iment, taking an active part in the battle of 
Gettysburg, and was with the army of the 
Potomac. He was shot and severely wounded 
during a hard-fought battle. He was a 
native of Terre Haute, Indiana, and after be- 
ing discharged came back to Nebraska but 
afterwards moved to Kansas, where he died. 
During his young manhood, our subject 
learned the electrical work at Tarkio, Mis- 
souri, and came from there to Nebraska, after- 
wards working all over the western states. 
In 1894 he settled in McCook, and began 
with the company he is still with. This plant 
has a two hundred and twenty horse power boil- 
er, six dynamos, 2-30 K. W. and 4-15 K. W. S. 
The electrical capacity is ten hundred and twen- 
ty-eight amperes. It runs about three thousand 
lights, and is a private plant. It has the meter 
system. The plant has been increased seven- 
ty-five per cent, in three years, in order to 
keep up with the growth and demands of the 
city. Mr. \\'ilson has three men working un- 
der him all the time, and besides gives his 



490 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



entire time and attention to the work. The 
company will soon install a day system to 
meet the growing demand for its light, and it 
now enjoys the reputation of being one of the 
best plants in the state for even the continuous 
service. 

Mr. Wilson married Miss May Colling, 
daughter of Nicholas Colling, an old settler of 
Indianola, Nebraska, who came west from Illi- 
nois in 1872. Six children have been bom to 
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, who are named as fol- 
lows : Florence, Ethel, Francis, Royal, Mina and 
Merna. 

Mr. Wilson is a Republican in political faith, 
and takes an active interest in all local and state 
affairs. He is a member of the Ancient Order 
of L'nited Workmen lodge of McCook. 



EBER A. SMITH. 

Eber .A. Smith, one of the most prominent 
farmers and stockmen of Deuel county, and a 
man of untiring energy and good business 
management, resides on section 12, townshij) 
13, range 45. He has in all one thousand 
eight hundred acres, and is one of the wealth- 
iest men of the locality. He has been a resi- 
dent of Deuel county since 1886, and is widely 
known, and universally respected and es- 
teemed. 

^Ir. Smith was born in Washtenaw county, 
Michigan, on the second day of August, 1845. 
He grew to manhood there, receiving a good 
education, and worked as a clerk in a general 
merchandise store at Lawton and Paw Paw 
for a number of years. In April, 1865, he en- 
listed in Company F, Twelfth Michigan In- 
fantry, served with his regiment for two 
months, then was mustered out on account 
of illness which compelled him to leave his 
regiment. He returned to Michigan, and se- 
cured employment as a .solicitor, traveling for 
eight or nine years, covering territory in ^Iich- 
igan, Indiana, Oiiio and Illinois. In 1886 he 
came to Nebraska, arriving in Deuel county 
in July, and immediately took a homestead on 
section 12, township 13, range 45, proved up 
on a quarter section, and went through all the 
early Nebraska times in getting started. He 
witnessed the drouth years, when he was un- 
able to raise any crops, and often became thor- 
oughly discouraged, but never thought of giv- 
ing up his farm, and as the better years came 
on he was able to add improvements gradually 
and bought land adjoining his original home- 
stead, so that he now has one of the finest 
properties in the region. He has about two 



Hundred acres under cultivation, and plenty of 
hayland and pasture for a large bunch of stock. 
He is now breaking up about one thousand 
acres, using for the purpose one of the late 
model steam plows, and has every kind of im- 
proved machinery to make the operation of a 
large farm easy compared with the way farm- 
ers were obliged to do in the early days. He 
has good buildings of all kinds, a good grove 
and man}' fine trees surrounding his residence. 
He devotes his entire time to the improve- 
ment of his farm, and every part of it evi- 
dences his good management and business 
ability. 

Mr. Smith was married May 12th, 1869, to 
Mary B. Beach, at Medina. Michigan. ^Irs. 
Smith was also a native of Washtenaw county, 
that state, and the parents of both our subject 
and his wife were pioneers there. There are three 
children living, who are a credit to their par- 
ents, named as follows: Frank A., now a 
professor in the University of Wyoming ; Fred 
E., who is a graduate of the University of 
Wyoming and of the Denver Law School. He 
is now married and living on a farm joining 
his father's ranch. Another son, Roy D., is at 
home. 



CHARLES E. LEAR. 

Charles E. Lear was born in Rock Island, 
Illinois, October 9, 1859. 

His father, W'illiam Lear, was a millwright 
by trade, and^n his business capacity made three 
trips to Pike's Peak, the first in 1859, erecting 
saw mills, stamping and quartz mills which he 
operated for a time. He died in Des Moines, 
Iowa, in 1896. His wife was Caroline Coleman 
in maidenhood. Our subject was the eldest of 
his father's family, and was raised and educated 
in Jasper county, Iowa, finishing his education at 
Hazeldell .\cademy, Newton, Iowa. .After grad- 
uating he began teaching school, which calling he 
folliiwed for two years. In 1883 he came to 
Keya Paha county and settled on a homestead in 
the southwest quarter of section 30, township 
34, range 20, and also took a timber claim south- 
east of this location. His first house was a log 
cabin of one room, the roof of which was made 
of boards with tar paper and sod. 

In 1885 he was elected county clerk, serving 
for four years, and enjoys the distinction of be- 
ing the first clerk of the Keya Paha county. 
Previous to the time of coming here Mr. Lear 
had studied law, and in 1888 he was admitted to 
the bar in Nebraska, was elected and served as 
county attorne\- for four succcsivc terms. He de- 
voted his time tn the practice of law, including 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



491 



the real estate and collection business, and also to 
the introduction of blooded stock in this locality, 
importing fine blooded Durham bulls and Per- 
cheron stallions into Keya Paha county. He is also 
interested in the culture of different kinds of 
grasses, and in addition to all this, he still finds 
time to personally direct the management of his 
three ranches comprising about four thousand 
acres, which are given over to stock raising, run- 
ning over three hundred head of cattle and forty 
horses all the time. 

In 1883 our subject was married to JMiss 
Erhma Tomlinson, daughter of Thomas and Jane 
(Miller) Tomlinson. Previous to her marriage 
she was a school teacher in Iowa. She died Oc- 
tober 28, 1889, leaving two children, Forrest 
and Everett. She was sincerely mourned by her 
family as a loving wife and mother, and was 
esteemed by all who knew her. In 1894 Mr. 
Lear was married to Miss Effie Manifold, who 
was a native of Ohio. Her father, Boyd B. Man- 
ifold, died in Ohio, the mother. Gertrude (Stal- 
cup), is now living in Caldwell, Ohio. Air. and 
Mrs. Lear have one child, Gertrude, born Decem- 
ber 21, 1900. Mr. Lear has been a Populist 
since 1893. He is a member of the Masonic 
and Pythian orders of Springview. 



REV. SYLVANUS JOHNSON. 

The gentleman above named is an old set- 
tler of Nebraska, who has assisted in the de- 
velopment and growth of that state for many 
years past. He is a resident of Georgia, 
Cherry county, lately retired from all active 
business, and is well known and highly es- 
teemed by his fellowmen as a stanch Christian 
and God-fearing man, who has always labored 
earnestly for the cause of the righteous. 

Mr. Johnson was, born in Meigs countv. 
Ohio. December 23, 1831. His father. Isaac 
Johnson, of American stock, was a hatter by 
trade, and followed the calling of a minister 
in the United Brethren Society, for many years 
preaching the gospel throughout the section 
in which he lived ; later on moving to Fulton 
county, Illinois, in 1837. He traveled over the 
country on horseback, preaching the gospel, 
a contemporary with Peter Cartwright and 
other pioneer evangelists. Our subject's 
mother, Miss Chloe S. Baker, was of English 
descent, her great-grandfather having been an 
English sailor and an early settler in Massa- 
chusetts. Of a family of eleven children our 
subject was the third member, and came to 
Illinois with his parents when he was seven 
years of age. He was raised on a farm and 
he learned to do all kinds of hard labor, manv 



a day in his young boyhood cutting his four 
acres of wheat with a cradle, working for fifty 
cents a day ; he was also expert in handling a 
scythe, then in exclusive use in the hayfield. 
At the age of twenty-one years he started in 
for himself, working out by the month on 
farms during the summer, and followed lum- 
bering in the winter. In 1861 he came west 
and settled in Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, tak- 
ing a farm, where his nearest market was 
sixty-five miles away, sometimes being com- 
pelled to haul his produce one hundred miles 
before finding sale for it. These were dan- 
gerous and tiresome trips, consuming several 
days, and he was obliged to camp out nights 
on the road, hoppling his oxen, the only 
draught animals of those days. In 1863 he 
enlisted in Company H, Fifteenth Iowa Infan- 
try, and was sent south with his regiment, 
where he saw hard service under General 
Sherman. They campaigned around Atlanta, 
through to the sea, and all over the Carolinas. 
The company was in many engagements and 
experienced all the hardships of soldiers' life. 
His service ended at Raleigh, North Carolina, 
and after taking part in the grand review at 
Washington, with his company, was dis- 
charged at Davenport, Iowa. After leaving 
the army he went back to his home and again 
took up farming, remaining there until 1872, 
when he moved with his family to Osceola 
county in the spring of 1873. There he set- 
tled on a homestead, beginning a pioneer's 
life for the second time, living in that region 
for several years. He went through many 
hardships, witnessing the grasshopper raids 
and for seven years made no progress. These 
were their hardest times, for nine years their 
only fuel was twisted hay ; he lost crops every 
season so that he had to give up his farm and 
begin all over again. He then decided to 
leave Iowa, so came to Nebraska and located 
first in Holt county in the fall of 1884, mov- 
ing on to Cherry county in July, 1887. Here 
he acquired land situated south of Georgia 
and farmed this up to October, 1898, when he 
went to Newport, residing there until 1902, 
when he returned to Georgia. He was a car- 
penter by trade and followed this occupation 
a great part of the time in Iowa, preaching the 
gospel when opportunity oft'cred as an evan- 
gelist of the United Brethren church, of 
which he was a member for thirty years. He 
was about thirty-five years old when he started 
as a minister, and during his first series of 
protracted meetings held at Bigelow, Minne- 
sota, there were thirty-three souls converted, 
and this after he was told that he was incom- 
petent to preach. 



49^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Johnson was first married in 1856 to 
Miss Elizabeth Bates, who died in 1858. leav- 
ing one child. Marinda J., who married James 
Kirkpatrick and died January 5. 1903. In 1861 
our subject married Miss Celinda Morphew. to 
whom seven children were born, named as fol- 
lows: Arminda. widow of \V. H. Lance, and 
a teacher for some years, now conductinc; a 
millinery and ladies' furnishings establishment 
at Georgia: Charles, deceased; James A. W., 
a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this 
work: Lemuel, deceased; Clara, wife of Elvin 
Elliott; Ellen, wife of Paul H. Danofski ; and 
\Mlliam. deceased. 

Mr. Johnson has been four times a pioneer, 
going through the hardships on the frontier 
in that many different regions. He served 
as postmaster of Kilgore for a year or two. 
giving the best of satisfaction to all patrons 
of the office. 



HARRY L WHITESELL. 

Mr. Harry I. Whitesell is one of the lead- 
ing pioneers of Garfield county, who has al- 
ways expressed himself to the effect that a 
man's chance for making money in western 
Nebraska with a small amount of capital to 
start with, is much better than anvwhere in 
the eastern states, and says that the onlv ex- 
cuse for a man being poor here is his own 
dislike for work; that anyone willing to work 
can come to Xebra.ska without a dollar, and in 
six years' time can become independentlv well 
off. Mr. White.sell is a practical farmer, and a 
good manager, as his farm bears evidence bv 
its well-kept appearance and splendidly tilled 
fields. Mr. Whitesell is prominently known 
throughout his county and is highly es- 
teemed by all as a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor. He resides in section 24, township 
22, range 15. 

Mr. Whitesell is a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in 1859. He comes of sturdy German 
stock, reared on his father's farm, receiving his 
education through the country schools of his 
native state. He declares that his success in 
life is due to his early training, for his father 
taught him early in life that it was only by 
his own cflForts that he would become wealthy 
or even attain a competence, and this teaching 
has clung to liim through all his later years 
and acted as a spur to his labors. 

Mr. Whitesell came to Nebraska in 1882. 
settling in Dodge county, where he was en- 
gaged in the sheep business for several years, 
going to Holt county from there and remain- 



ing up to 1892. He then came to Garfield 
county and pre-empted a claim of one hundred 
and sixty acres, which he soon afterwards 
disposed of. He next landed in the south- 
eastern part of the county, where he took up 
a homestead, later buying more land until he 
owns altogether one thousand two hundred 
acres, all of which is good pasture and farm 
land, four hundred acres of it being under cul- 
tivation. He engages in the culture of corn, 
oats, wheat and also barley and rye to some 
extent. He has good barns and other farm 
buildings, and a fine residence. During the 
first few years, in fact, up to within the past 
ten or twelve years, his greatest trouble arose 
from lack of water, but he now has a fine sup- 
ply- for all purposes, furnished from deep wells 
which he drilled, and this is of the purest 
quality. Mr. Whitesell formerly raised a good 
many cattle, but of late years has not kept 
any large number, although he raises several 
carlriads of hogs for the market each vear, 
finding more profit in them than from cattle 
raising. He raises all the grain and haj' 
which he feeds on his place, growing a great 
deal of alfalfa, which is the best feed possible 
for all stock, and also finds that the land in 
his vicinity is particularly well adapted for 
the raising of English blue grass, which is 
something entirely new in this part of the 
country. Mr. Whitesell leases land to farm- 
ers who have not enough hay on their own 
farms, and the yield on his range is from two 
to three tons per acre, all of it the very best 
quality. 

In 1890 Mr. Whitesell was married tn Mrs. 
Martha (Sterling) Butterfield. a native of 
Pennsylvania also, of German stock, a daugh- 
ter of John C. and Rhoda (Parshall) Sterling. 
They are the parents of seven children, who 
are named as follows: Mabel. Laura. John, 
Grace, Rhoda, Martha and \\'illiam. The last 
two named were twins, and both are deceased. 
Our subject and his family are active members 
of the Methodist E])iscopal church, highly re- 
spected by all. and form a most intelligent 
group. Mr. Whitesell is a Republican, and 
was precinct clerk for seven terms. He has 
also served as road overseer. 



CAPTAIN AMBERSOX G. SIl.WV. 

(.)ne of the leading citizens of \'alentine is 
the subject of this sketch. Amberson G. Shaw, 
a well known figure who has held a unique 
place on the frontier and in the settlement of 
the west. 




CAPTAIN A. G. SHAW. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



493 



Mr. Shaw was born in Brown county, Ohio, 
November 27, 1842. His father, Sylvester 
Shaw, was a veterinary surgeon and farmer, 
and was a son of Russell Shaw, who was one 
of the first pioneers of Ohio, for whom Rus- 
sellville was named. Our subject's mother, 
Miss Elizabeth F. Hatfield, was of English 
descent, born and reared on the river Dee. She 
was the mother of nine children, of whom 
Amberson G. Shaw was the youngest. 

At the breaking out of the war Mr. Shaw 
enlisted in Company B, Eleventh Ohio Cav- 
alry, serving in Missouri, and was sent west 
through the Indian country, seeing service 
from Omaha to South Pass in the Rocky 
mountains. He was in the government ser- 
vice for three and a half years, and in 1865 
in Omaha he received an honorable discharge, 
after which he did freighting from Omaha to 
Fort Laramie for two years, then working for 
two years as telegraph operator at Horseshoe, 
Wyoming. He has the distinction of sending 
the only dispatch ever sent to Fort Phil Kear- 
ney for relief, at the time of the Indian mas- 
sacre near there. After quitting this position 
he spent two years on a ranch south of Fort 
Laramie. In the meantime he had married 
into the Sioux nation, when he, together with 
E. W. Raymond, were instrumental in getting 
the Sioux tribe on to the Rosebud reserva- 
tion from Fort Laramie, and subsequently 
was employed as a carpenter on the reserva- 
tion for twenty years. Part of this time, how- 
ever, he worked as a scout, serving under 
General Miles and Crook, and was one of 
those on the ground the day after the Custer 
massacre had taken place. Through his knowl- 
edge of the Sioux language he has been em- 
ployed as interpreter for numerous parties of 
Indians engaged to travel with wild west 
shows, and in this capacity has visited all the 
principal cities of Europe and America ; is well 
known for his skill as a fancy shot with rifle and 
revolver and the throwing of knives, in 
which he has few equals. In 1884 Mr. 
Shaw came to Valentine with his family 
and here established the first photograph gal- 
lery in this' town. He has always been active 
in lending his influence and assistance wher- 
ever needed, and is closely identified with the 
development and growth of this locality. In 
the early days he served as justice of the 
peace for four terms. This was during the 
wild days of Valentine, and he had many 
tough and lawless characters to handle. 

Mr. Shaw was married March 16, 1905, to 
Miss Pauline Sarah Augusta Petraty, a na- 
tive of \\'isconsin. Two children have blessed 
this union, Valentine Queen and Richard Fre- 



mont. By a former marriage Mr. Shaw had 
four children named as follows: Dallas, an 
Episcopal minister; Byron B., Annette and 
Valentine I. 

Mr. Shaw is a comrade of Colonel Wood 
post. No. 208, Grand Army of the Republic, 
of Valentine and of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. In political sentiment Mr. 
Shaw is an Independent. A portrait of Mr. 
Shaw will be found on another page in this 
work. 



J. O. VALLETTE, M. D. 

Dr. J. O. Vallette, a prominent resident of 
Alma, Nebraska, is well known and held in the 
highest esteem by all in this locality. He was 
a leading physician near Chicago, and has an 
enviable reputation, which he has built up by 
successful practice and faithful attention to 
duty. He has retired from practice since 1888. 
Dr. Vallette is a son of Jeremiah Vallette, a 
native of Rhode Island, known as the best 
agriculturist of his day. His grandfather, also 
Jeremiah Vallette, served in the Revolutionary 
war, and his mother was Aliss Abiah Mott, 
daughter of an old settler in Connecticut. 
Both families are well known throughout those 
sections of the country, and their names figure 
in the early history of both states. Our sub- 
ject received his education at Hahnemann Col- 
lege at Chicago, and after coming west taught 
school near Chicago for several years. He 
was born and raised in Stockbridge, Berk- 
shire county, Massachusetts, and spent his 
boyhood years at that place. In 1864 he en- 
listed in the One Hundred and Forty-first 
Illinois Infantry and was physician to Colonel 
Brunson, serving mostly in Kentucky. 

In 1883 the family came to Illinois, moving 
on a farm which is now a part of the great 
city, and our subject has watched the growth 
of Chicago from the time it had but four thou- 
sand people. After receiving his diploma as a 
doctor he began practising in Illinois, and fol- 
lowed the profession at Wheaton for twenty- 
four years. In 1883 he came to Harlan county 
and located on a homestead in Eldorado town- 
ship, having come west on account of throat 
trouble. The climate here greatly benefited 
him. and he continued the practice of medicine, 
finally giving it up in 1888. He is now ninety- 
two years of age, enjoying perfect health of 
body and mind, takes an active interest in all 
current events, and is one of the best informed 
men in this locality. 



494 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Dr. \'allette was married to Miss Clarinda 
A. Walker, of New York state, and they have 
one son, Ed E., a resident of Alma. For sev- 
eral \-ears Dr. \'allette ran a general store in 
western Illinois, and his son clerked in this 
establishment. 

Dr. \'allette is a man of public spirit and 
has always taken an active part in all affairs 
of local and state matters, and has been one 
of those who have helped to make the success 
of this section of the state. Dr. V'allette owns 
a farm of one hundred and seventy-eight acres 
in Eldorado township. 



.ALOXZO M. BRIXCKERHOFF. 

Alonzo M. Brinckerhoff, a prominent 
farmer residing on a valuable estate situated 
in section 21, township 32, range 20, Rock 
county. Nebraska, was born in Amboy, Lee 
county. Illinois, July 28. 1862. His father was 
a native of New York state, being born in 
Oneida county in 1822, and was of Holland 
stock, his mother also being of Holland ances- 
try, the Brinckerhoff family having come to 
America in about the year 1600. Our subject 
had one sister, named Sarah, she being born 
in New York. The family moved to Iowa in 
1866, living the last four years in Greene coun- 
ty. They came to Rock county, Nebraska, in 
1878, and in the spring of 1879 located on his 
present farm in Brinckerhoflf precinct. In 
coming from Iowa the daughter and her hus- 
band, Mr. John H. Putnam, and seve'al other 
people drove through with team and wagon 
from Greene county. \\'hen they arrived here 
his father had three horses, twelve head of cat- 
tle and some household goods, which was 
about the extent of his capital. He took up a 
tree claim and a homestead and began to break 
up the farm with a yoke of cattle ; and during 
the first years he had a hard time getting 
along, owing to the wilderness of the country 
and the lack of modern farming tools. Neligh. 
a hundred miles distant, was the nearest mill- 
ing place, and Atkinson, fifty miles distant, 
was the nearest city having a grocery store ; 
and they were obliged to make these long 
trips to supply the family with provisions, tak- 
ing several days for the journey, camping out 
at night under the wagon. They remained here 
increasing their holdings until 1900, when our 
subject bought the place consisting of five 
quarter sections of land, and stocked with 
sixty head of cattle and thirty-five head of 
horses. It fronts a mile and a half on the 
Niobrara river, and since purchasing the 



property he has widened the boundaries until 
he How owns one thousand acres, a portion of 
which is river bottom, with two hundred and 
eighty acres under cultivation and about sixty 
acres of natural timber. He also has a fine 
orchard covering five acres of ground, nicely 
growing, and a complete set of substantial 
farm buildings. The place now supports about 
one hundreil and forty head of cattle, thirty of 
them being milch cows, furnishing a goodly 
supply of cream for shipment each week. 

^Ir. Brinckerhott was married in November 
1887, to Miss Almeda Dunnaway, born in Wis- 
consin in 1868. They have a family of seven 
children, named as follows: Gilbert, Annie, 
Mary, Crystal, Alonzo ]M., the third, John and 
Almeda. The father, A. M. Brinckerhoff, Sr., 
passed away from earthly toil in January, 1908. 

Mr. Brinckerhoff, as was his father, is a 
staunch Democrat, the latter having served as 
county commissioner of Brown county, when 
Rock was a part of Brown county. Alonzo 
M. Brinckerhoff", Sr., was a railroad engineer 
on the Illinois Central during the war, and 
later was employed on other parts of the road. 
Mrs. Brinckerhoff' is a member of the Baptist 
church. ^Ir. Brinckerhoff is a member of the 
Modern Woodmen of America. A view of 
the Brinckerhoff home and its picturesque sur- 
roundings is shown elsewhere in this volume. 



JOHN W. O'MARA. 

John W. O'Mara, an old-time resident of 
Box Butte county, Nebraska, owns a well im- 
proved farm of extensive proportions, and is 
recognized as one of the substantial farmers 
of that region. He has passed through the 
experiences that usually fall to the lot of the 
pioneers of all new countries, and has been an 
earnest and faithful citizen and well merits 
his high station and enviable reputation as a 
worthy member of his community. 

Mr. O'Mara was born in Warren county, 
Indiana, in 1862, on a farm. His father. Pat- 
rick 0"Mara, is a native of Ireland, as was 
also his mother, who was Mary Bowen, and 
she died when John was but three years old, 
since which time his father has been both 
mother and father to him. Our subject was 
reared in Indiana, and at the age of twenty, 
the family came to Illinois, where they lived 
for some years. In 1885 Mr. O'Mara came to 
Nebraska with two sons, John and \\'illiam, 
locating on section 18, township 27. range 47, 
and they put up a sod shanty and began farm- 
ing. They owned a good team and did freight- 
ing from Hay Springs. Many times did our 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



495 



subject camp out at night under his wagon in 
hauling timber from Pine Ridge, as he was 
handy to make a Hving and stick to the home- 
stead until proving up. Our subject got along 
very nicely and was doing well up to the time 
the drouths struck that region, and then his 
crops failed for several seasons and at last he 
was compelled to go into the Black Hills, 
where he obtained employment at railroad 
construction work and followed that for some 
time. However, he never gave up his farm, 
and after the good years came on he suc- 
ceeded in adding many improvements and 
gradually increased his acreage until he is 
now proprietor of one thousand acres. At one 
time he owned two thousand acres, but dis- 
posed of part of it at a good profit. His ranch 
is all fenced and he has erected a good set of 
buildings, has a fine well and windmills, etc. 
One hundred and sixty acres are under culti- 
vation, and he is engaged in mixed farming 
and stock raising. 

Mr. O'Mara is numbered among the old 
settlers of his region, and has aided materi- 
ally in the progress and growth of that part 
of the state by always taking an active interest 
in all local aiTairs. In political views he is a 
Democrat. 



FRANK M. BOWMAN. 

Frank M. Bowman, a well known resident 
of Cherry county, Nebraska, has for the past 
three years been foreman of the Metz ranch. 
This is one of the finest equipped ranches in 
this county, located four miles north of Cody, 
and is a grand hunting resort, the McGanzer 
Club House being located on its premises. Mr. 
Bowman has the handling of the whole place, 
and is a first class manager and one of the 
best ranchmen in this section of the country. 

Mr. Bowman is a native of Boone county, 
Indiana, born June 8, 1860. His father. Dr. 
W. L. Bowman, of American stock, is a prom- 
inent physician at Stanton, Nebraska. His 
mother, who was Mary Wylie, is a native of 
Ohio. There was a family of ten children, our 
subject being the third in order of birth, and 
he was reared in his home county until seven 
years of age when his parents came to Stanton 
county, Nebraska. They were among the pio- 
neer families in the eastern part of the state, 
and went through the usual pioneer exper- 
iences, living in a dugout, and handling ox 
teams while starting their home in the new 
country. Our subject and an older brother, 
Webster B., lived at Alliance for several years. 
Most of his youth was spent on a farm, and at 



the age of twenty he started out for himself, 
going to Colorado, where he spent two years 
on ranches, then came to Holt county in 1883 
and took a homestead and proved up on it. 
He remained on his farm for several years, 
and went through many hard times in getting 
started, witnessing the grasshopper raids and 
losing a number of crops from this and other 
causes, but gradually got ahead and managed 
to build up a comfortable home. In 1887 he 
opened up a grocery store at Stanton, then be- 
came foreman of Charles H. Chase's home 
ranch near Stanton, occupying this position 
for two years. In 1903 he came to Cherry 
county and began in his present work, where 
he has made a decided success and proved a 
most valuable man for the position. In Aug- 
ust, 1904, he filed on a Kincaid homestead of 
six hundred and forty acres in sections 28 and 
34, township 35, range 33, on which he proved 
up in 1909. He has built a substantial house, 
barn and outbuildings, erected a windmill and 
made other improvements, which will provide 
him a comfortable home when he decides to 
retire to it. 

Mr. Bowman is numbered among the earli- 
est settlers in this region, his parents having 
driven into the state by team and covered 
wagon, and he has taken an active part in the 
development of this region since locating here. 
Mr. Bowman was married April 2, 1883, to 
Miss Emma Breden, daughter of John and 
Nancy (Forbes) Breden, the father a minister 
in the United Brethren church. Three children 
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bowman, 
namely: Ray, Frankie, and May. Mr. Bow- 
man is a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica and the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. 



ADAM H. SCHLASMAN. 

Adam H. Schlasman was born in Lisbon 
Linn county, Iowa, in 1855, of which state his 
father was one of the early pioneer farmers, a 
man of high character and splendid reputation. 
The parents were Jonathan and Eve (Banie) 
Schlasman, natives of Pennsylvania, and were 
of Dutch descent. 

When our subject was fifteen years old 
the family moved to Kansas, settling in Potta- 
watomie county, where they were among the 
earliest pioneers. Here Adam H. was reared 
on the farm, assisting his father and receiving 
advantages for an education. At the age of 
twenty-five he started out for himself, and, 
leaving his frontier home, went north to Ne- 
braska, then on to Montana, spending about 



496 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



four years at the city of Bozeman. In 1885 he 
returned to Nebraska and settled in the north- 
west corner of Blaine county on the North 
Loup river. He built a sod house and "batched 
it" for several years, seeing hardships in the 
way of loss of crops by drouth and hail storms. 
He now has a lovely home and farm of four 
hundred and eighty acres and successfully car- 
ries it on. He cultivates about two hundred 
acres of his land, raising good crops and is 
enjoying a comfortable competency. 

In 1894 Mr. Schlasman was united in mar- 
riage with Mrs. Maggie A. McKee, daughter 
of William F. Reed and Susianna (Shafer) 
Reed, pioneers of western Nebraska. Mr. and 
Mrs. Schlasman have one child, Susianna E., 
and one step-daughter. Margaret McKee. 

Adam H. Schlasman was among the oldest 
settlers of this vicinity and has done his part 
as a leading pioneer in adding to the material 
advancement of the locality in which he lives. 
He is a Democrat in politics and has been 
active in the councils of his party. In 1887 he 
was elected sheriff of Blaine county and held 
the office for four years, and carried the first 
and only prisoner to the penitentiary that was 
ever sent up from Blaine county. He was a 
careful and efficient public officer and won uni- 
versal respect and approval among his constit- 
uents for rigid enforcement of the law and 
the conscientious performance of his duties. 
He held other offices, among them being that 
of justice of the peace, which office he now 
holds. Mr. Schlasman is widely known in the 
county and is regarded as one of the progres- 
sive citizens of the community. He has been 
constable, road overseer and precinct assessor, 
and has given good satisfaction as a public 
official. 



CHARLES EPPLER. 

Charles Eppler, one of the most influential 
and wealthy agriculturists of Perkins county, 
resides on his elegant farm, his dwelling be- 
ing located on section 2, township 11, range 
38. He has accumulated his fortune by push 
and energy, and his high station as a farmer 
and citizen is well deserved. He was born in 
the town of Decatur, Illinois, on July 8, 1861. 

The father of our subject, Hiram Eppler, 
was born in Pennsylvania, of German stock, 
and he married Rose Queary, a native of Illi- 
nois, of French descent. The family settled in 
Illinois as pioneers, and there our subject was 
raised and educated. At the age of about 
seventeen years he went into business for him- 
self in the town of Macon. His father 



died when he was six years old. and from that 
time on he had to hustle for himself, and 
early learned the hard lessons of life, in addi- 
tion to making his own living, being obliged 
to help support his mother. He first started in 
the draying business, doing teaming and any- 
thing that he could find to do, and continued 
in this work for several years in Illinois. In 
1887 he left there and came to Nebraska, set- 
tling on a homestead, on which he erected a 
sod house, twelve by fourteen feet in size, in 
which he spent one winter with his family. He 
had little to start with and necessarily was 
obliged to go slow in the way of adding im- 
provements to his place, but managed to make 
a living and get aloirg fairly well up to 1890, 
when the bad times struck the locality, and 
he suffered crop losses during '93, "94 and '95, 
and at the end of that time was one thousand 
dollars in debt, with a mortgage on his home, 
and things looked pretty discouraging to him. 
The last straw seemed to be a blind horse, and 
Mr. Eppler fully decided to leave the country 
and try it somewhere else, so turned his blind 
horse loose and determined to follow the 
direction the horse took. After circling around 
for a little while the animal came back to 
where Mr. Eppler was waiting and watching, 
and refused to go away, so this seemed to him 
to be an indication that he had better remam 
in the country, which he did, and results have 
proved that this was a wise move and he has 
never regretted the action. 

As the years went by conditions improved 
considerably and he was able to build up his 
farm in good shape, added substantial build- 
ings, paid ofT his debts, and prospered in every 
way. He now has a ranch of one thousand 
s .X hundred acres of deeded land, all in first- 
class order with fences, groves, etc. The jilace 
is weU stocked with cattle, horses and other live 
stock, and he is doing splendidly, . owning be- 
sides his ranching interests a good building on 
the main street in Grant \'illage and a substan- 
tial bank account. 

In 1883 our subject was married at De- 
catur, Illinois, to Miss Maggie Plottner, born in 
the ea.st, of German stock. Five children have 
blessed their union, named as follows: Fred, 
Grace, Rilla, and Hiram, besides Beatrice, who 
died in 1900, aged six years. The others are 
intelligent young people, well ecpiipped for 
life's battle, receiving a good education and 
thorough training. They have a happy and 
peaceful home and are popular in their com- 
munity. 

Mr. Eppler has always done his full share 
in helping build up and develop the re- 
sources of his adopted country, and has been 



CUMir'ENDlUAl OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



49/ 



instrumental in establishing; ditlerent schools 
here. He has served as justice of the peace 
for a time and held other local offices. In 
politics he is an Independent voter. 



CHARLES ?. REECE. 

Charles S. Reece. who mpkes section 6. 
townshin .^0. ranee 2R. the scene of his indus- 
trial activities, and the home that is dearer 
than all the world, was born in Andrew coun- 
ty, Missouri, on a farm. March 12. 1871, and 
comes of a lineage long identified with the best 
life of the south. His parents were born and 
reared in North Carolina, where his ancestors 
had long played a prominent part in industry, 
politics and society. His father, Alvis F. 
Reece, was a farmer, who was brought into 
Missouri by his parents while still young, and 
there he lived and died. Malvina Mackey, his 
wife, and the mother of the subject of this 
article, was reared to a rural life, and proved 
a worthy helpmeet to her honest and indus- 
trious husband. They were the parents of 
seven children, of whom Charles S. was the 
fifth in order of birth. 

Charles S. Reece remained at home in 
Missouri until he reached the age of fifteen 
years, when he accompanied the family in its 
removal to Lincoln county, Kansas, where 
they spent the two years following in farming. 
Upon the death of his father, Charles S., now 
a well-grown lad of seventeen years, took upon 
himself the responsibility of the family for- 
tunes, and with his mother set himself to a 
hard contest with an unkindly fate. In 1888 
they removed to Cherry county, Nebraska, and 
settled on a homestead on the Snake river. 
They found shelter in a sod house, and did 
their first farm work with a team composed 
of a horse and an ox, but later on he secured 
two oxen. Nicely started in the stock busi- 
ness, between May 7th and 10th, 1892, his en- 
tire herd of cattle perished in a terrible storm 
that swept for four days over the prairies. 
When he became of age, Mr. Reece took a 
homestead for himself in section 6, township 
30, range 28, and at once began building up a 
stock farm. He has today twenty-seven hun- 
dred and twenty acres of good land and every 
modern improvement. His house is twenty- 
eight by twenty-eight feet, and the barns are 
large and roomy. There are three wells, 
equipped with separate windmills, and a gen- 
erous garden with such fruits as the climate 
permits. 

Mr. Reece was engaged in teaching school 
from 1890 to 1896, being employed during 



those years in only three districts. For two 
successive seasons he held the contract to 
furnish hay at Fort Niobrara, which he met to 
the perfect satisfaction of the army officials 
at that point. In March, 1898, he was ap- 
pointed deputy county clerk, and was elected 
clerk in 1901, being re-elected in 1903, and 
serving two full terms in that position, Ic ilie 
eminent satisfaction of all who had to do busi- 
ness with him. In both elections he carried 
every precinct in Cherry county, with only three 
exceptions. 

The marriage of Charles S. Reece and Miss 
Harriet E. Thackrey occurred September 7, 
1902. She was a daughter of Samuel and Elli- 
nor (Grecian) Thackrey, farming people at 
Manhattan, Kansas, and descendants of long 
established American families. To this union 
have come three children : Francis M. and 
Helen G., who was born in Valentine, Ne- 
braska, and Leona R. 

Mr. Reece is an active and public spirited 
citizen, and ever ready to take hold of any 
business enterprise that looks to the good of 
the community. He was one of the incorpora- 
tors of the Stockmen's Telephone Company, 
and for two years was its president. At the 
various farmers' institutes he is a prominent 
figure, and has given many valuable addresses, 
which have proved of deep interest to all con- 
cerned with the problems of agriculture as pre- 
sented to practical life on the Nebraska prai- 
ries. Mr. and Airs. ReSce are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church at Valentine, 
where Mr. Reece holds membership in the 
Modern Woodmen of America. One of the 
interesting illustrations in this work shows a 
view of the residence of Mr. Reece. 



SAAIUEL P. JONES. 

Samuel P. Jones, who for the past twenty- 
three years has resided in Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, and during that time has acquired 
a fine property as a result of his industry and 
good management, is widely known in his 
locality as a substantial citizen, and highly es- 
teemed by all who know him. He has a pleas- 
ant home in Eagle precinct, and is one of the 
prominent public-spirited men of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Jones was born in Pennsylvania, Octo- 
ber 13, 1861, and two years of his life were 
spent there. His parents then moved into 
Iowa and made that state their home for 
twenty-three years. About 1886 Mr". Jones 
came to Nebraska, traveling by wagon through 
the wild country, and located in Cheyenne 



498 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, taking a homestead of eighty acres in 
section 34. township 17. range 47. There they 
went through all the experiences that fell to 
the people of those early days in that region 
in building up a home in the wilderness, suf- 
fering every form of hardship and privation, 
but after all sorts of discouragements have 
come out victorious and now own a fine ranch 
and have a pleasant and comfortable home. 
Mr. Jones has a fine ranch-of thirteen hundred 
acres in Eagle precinct, with a fine stone 
dwelling on section 34, township 17. range 47. 
and on this runs about four hundred cattle. 
He also engaged in mixed farming, cultivating 
four hundred acres, and has thirty acres of 
good alfalfa hay. He is owner of a fine strain 
of roadsters and few in the country can show 
him a clean pair of heels : he is also engaged at 
present in breeding mules. 

Mr. Jones was married in Oskaloosa, Iowa, 
December 27. 1888, to Mary E. Evans, a native 
of Mahaska county. Iowa, born April 27, 1866. 
After their marriage our subject returned to 
Cheyenne county with his bride, and together 
they started out to make a home and accumu- 
late a competence, and well have they suc- 
ceeded, as a glimpse of their well appointed 
ranch would show any observer. To them 
have been born the following children : Mary 
Tane. born in 1890; Margaret Sarah, born in 
"1891 : Ini Pearl, in 1893 : Thomas S., born in 
1896, died in 1907; Bessie May, born in 1898. 
and Harriet Ann, born January 2. 1908. The 
parents of our subject. Thomas S. and Sarah 
T. Jones, both of English nationality, are now 
deceased, as are also Mrs. Jones' parents, who 
were Evan J. and Mary (Edwards) Evans. 



GEORGE E. SHEPARD. 

George E. Shepard, residing in Logan 
township, Franklin county, is a successful and 
prosperous farmer and stockman of that vicin- 
ity who has built up a fine estate through in- 
dustry and good management, and is one of 
the substantial and worthy citizens of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Shepard was born in 1856 in Henne- 
pin, Illinois. His father, Thomas W. Shepard, 
settled in Illinois in 1833. having moved there 
from Indiana. Our subject grew up in Illinois, 
and in all spent thirty-five years in that state. 
He was in the farming and stock raising busi- 
ness in Putnam county, and came to Nebraska 
in 1893, having purchased part of his land here 
in 1885. He started in farming here, getting 
high grade stock on his place, and now has 
from ninety to one hundred gocfd Shorthorn 



cattle, each year selling a number of thorough- 
bred bull calves to farmers throughout the 
locality. He also deals in high grade Poland 
China hogs, for which he finds a ready mar- 
ket. Only enough horses are kept on his farm 
for his own use, and he engages in mixed 
farming on quite a large scale, his crop of 
wheat usually amounting to four thousand 
bushels and corn up to five or six thousand. 
He feeds all of the corn he raises, and often is 
compelled to buy more. His farm comprises 
five hundred and eighty acres, three hundred 
and twenty acres being pasture, which makes a 
pretty good sized place. 

Mr. Shepard states that this country is far 
ahead of Illinois for farming and stock raising, 
and from his long experience in both states he 
is in a position to know whereof he speaks. 
On the same investment here twenty per cent, 
is earned, against about four per cent, in Illi- 
nois. In 1906 and 1907 he paid a visit to his 
old friends in the latter state, and found them 
practically standing still, while here those who 
came a few years ago and took up land have 
steadily forged ahead and are now in verv 
comfortable circumstances. 

In 1881 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Emma L. Devereux, of Downer's 
Grove, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Shepard 
have been born the following children : Charles 
E., who is married and lives on a farm in 
Furnas county, owned by our subject; Thom- 
as W., Percy, Dave, Will, married ; Frank, 
also married, and Ellen, the last named is the 
wife of Otto Lynch, of Macon, this county. 
Five of these children are from Mr. Shepard's 
present marriage and two from a former. 

Mr. Shepard is an active man of his town- 
ship, and for fourteen years served as clerk 
of the school board. He is president of the 
Franklin county fair association, which was 
organized thirty-two years ago, he having 
acted in this capacity for the past three years. 
Mr. Shepard is an active politician, has served 
on the Republican central committtee for his 
township, and lends his influence for the bet- 
tering of conditions in his community. He 
was assessor for one term, and is held in the 
highest esteem by his fellowmen and asso- 
ciates. 



A. S. CANNON. 

A. S. Cannon, a prominent and well-to-do 
farmer and leading citizen of Phelps county, 
resides on section 32, Lake township, where 
he has a pleasant home and highly improved 
farm. He has a valuable estate and is one of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



499 



the substantial men of hislocality and held in 
the highest esteem by all. 

Mr. Cannon was born in Illinois.' He is a 
son of E. H. Cannon, of Prairie township, a 
sketch of whom appears in this work on an- 
other page. Our subject located in Lake 
township in 1896, at that time purchasing one 
hundred and sixty acres of improved property, 
and has been engaged in mixed farming and 
stock raising since that time. He has made a 
success of the work in all its branches, and 
applies every modern method in his opera- 
tions, succeeding in obtaining the best possible 
results from his labor. He usually has a drove 
of fifty head of pure bred Duroc Jersey hogs, 
and thirty-five high grade cattle, and takes 
especial pride in keeping up the standard ol 
his herd. In addition to his farming opera- 
tions. Mr. Cannon owned and operated a 
threshing outfit, and carried on this work all 
through his locality during the season, but 
he has since sold that business and outfit. 

Mr. Cannon takes an active interest in all 
local aftairs, and is one of the politically prom- 
inent men in his section. He has served as 
supervisor of his township, and a member of 
the county board, being on the claims com- 
mittee, elected in 1903 for an unexpired term 
and re-elected the following year. He was 
clerk of Lake township for five years prior to 
1903, and has gained the confidence and re- 
spect of his fellowmen by his thoroughly hon- 
est dealings and integrity. He is now, and 
has been for the past ten years, secretary of 
the Phelps County Insurance Company, a very 
successful concern. Air. Cannon is an Inde- 
pendent in politics, and a wide-awake, active 
young man, with any amount "of go-ahead- 
ativeness" in his make-up, and a first class 
business man. 

Mr. Cannon was married in 1896 to Miss 
Nellie Carpenter, of Harlan county, daughter 
of A. Carpenter. To Mr. and Mrs. Cannon 
have been born four children, namely: Virgil, 
Roscoe, Denzil and Mary. The family are 
active members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 



WILLIAM H. MAIDEN. 

William H. IMaiden holds a prominent 
place among the foremost agriculturists of 
Dawes county, Nebraska. His home is on 
section 5, township 34, range 47. where he has 
been located for many years past, and his well 
appointed home and well cultivated fields be- 
speak the man of taste and progress, and no 
one stands higher in the estimation of his fel- 



lowmen and associates than he. He is among 
the leading old settlers in this region who has 
take an active part in the development of the 
section from its very beginning, and richly de- 
serves the success which has come to him. 

Mr. Maiden was born in Whiteside county, 
Illinois, in 1848. His father, George Maiden, 
was a farmer and old settler in Illinois, and 
was one of those who lived in that section of 
the country at the time of the Black Hawk 
massacre. He married Sarah Templeton, 
American born, of Scotch blood. 

In 18.56 the family moved to Tama county, 
Iowa, and there our subject grew to manhood, 
remaining at home with his parents up to the 
time of his twenty-first birthday, assisting in 
the farm work, and attending the country 
schools, where he received a fair education, 
for those early days. He left home in 1877 
and came into the Black Hills, working for 
different freighting outfits in that vicinity, 
and part of the time being manager of the 
mail route from Fort Pierre to Deadwood, re- 
maining here up to 1880. He then returned 
to Iowa, where he was married to Miss Dora 
E. Derrick, whose father, John C. Derrick, 
was a farmer of German descent, and her 
mother was Adelia I'Cellogg, raised in New 
York state. One son was born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Maiden, William J., now twenty-one 
years of age and living on a farm adjoining 
that of his father. 

Mr. Maiden and his family lived in Iowa 
up to the spring of 1886, farming there in Car- 
roll county, then came to Dawes county, Ne- 
braska, and settled on his present homestead, 
landing here on March 8th. This farm was 
located in section 5, township 34, range 47, 
and he at once began to build up a home, put- 
ting up a dugout, in which they lived for two 
years, then built a better house of the same 
kind and lived in that for nine years. During 
the first years they went through many hard 
times, witnessing the drouths, and was obliged 
to work in the roundhouse at Chadron and 
any odd work he could get to do in order to 
support his family. He kept on improving his 
place, however, and has now a ranch of eight 
hundred acres, about seventy acres of which 
is in alfalfa and plow land, with the balance in 
hay and pasture, as he engages extensively in 
the stock business, raishig a large number of 
cattle and horses for market each season. The 
ranch is located on White river, and is well 
supplied with natural timber of all kinds, and 
he has it well improved, all fenced, and every- 
thing in first-class order. 

Mr. Maiden is a strong Democrat and an 
ardent admirer of William Jennings Bryan, 



500 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and takes a keen interest in local and national 
politics. He has served as school director 
for four years, also as school treasurer for 
live years. 

EUGEXE F. MOON. 

Eugene F. Moon, one of the successful and 
progressive agriculturists of Prairie township, 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is owner of a well- 
improved farm and highly esteemed in his 
community as an energetic and industrious 
citizen. Mr. Moon was born in Michigan. 
1869. His father, Horace Moon, formerly of 
Prairie township, now of Holdrege, was super- 
visor for several years in the township, and 
came here from Van Buren county, Michigan. 
The mother, Susan Ensign, was also a native 
of that county. 

In 1890 our subject began on his own ac- 
count, settling on a one hundred and sixty 
acre farm in Albany township, Harlan county, 
which was owned by his father, and there he 
made a success from the start, purchasing the 
farm, which he afterwards sold. While living 
on that place he had plenty of pasture and 
kept about sixty head of cattle and a large 
drove of hogs. The year he sold this farm his 
corn crop went as high as sixty bushels per 
acre, which was a pretty good yield. He now 
rents eighty acres, farming two hundred and 
forty acres in all, and keeps twelve horses, and 
sixty hogs. These he finds pay best of any- 
thing on the farm, and he has had excellent 
success in every enterprise of this nature. 
Mr. Moon was married in 1893 to Miss 
Katie Cannon, daughter of E. H. Cannon, 
wlinse sketch appears in this book. Mr. and 
Mrs. Moon are the parents of four children, 
named as follows: Jessie, Otis, Claude and 
Elsie. 

The family are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church at Holdrege and are held in 
high esteem by all. In political faith Mr. 
Moon is an Independent. 



GARNER M. COLE. 

Among the old settlers of Brown county, 
Nebraska, none is better known or more high- 
ly respected than the subject of this review. 
Mr. Cole was born in Fond du Lac county, 
Wisconsin, December 23, 1869. His father, 
Ishmael Cole, was a farmer and an old settler 
in Seward county, Nebraska, who came of old 
Yankee stock. Our subject was partly reared 
in Wisconsin, and grew up accustomed to hard 



farm wurk. When he was seven years old, 
his parents moved to Seward county, and 
were among the old pioneer settlers of that 
state. Here they spent some eight years, then 
settled on a farm near Ainsworth, and re- 
mained there until 1883, at that time moving 
to Chadron, Nebraska, where his father 
homesteaded and proved up, living on the 
farm for four years. Our subject started out 
for himself when fourteen years of age, work- 
ing on different farms all over Brown, Keya 
Paha and Cherry counties, and for four years 
was engaged in the livery business in Ains- 
worth. At the end of this time he settled on 
a homestead in section 28, township 31, range 
21, Brown county, here proved up and grad- 
ually added to it, until he now has a farm of 
three hundred and twenty acres. The estate 
is a \aluable one, well improved with a good 
house and all farm buildings. It is located on 
Oak creek, which furnishes a good supply of 
water the year round. There is a fine natural 
growth of timber on the land, mostly of oak 
and ash, which makes it one of the most de- 
sirable places in the locality. 

Mr. Cole was married in October, 1900, to 
Miss Pearl E. Swett, a native of Iowa. Her 
father, Alanson Swett (of whom a sketch ap- 
pears in this volume), an old settler in Brown 
county, lives on an adjoining farm. Three 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cole, 
who are named as follows : Kennerd, Laura 
and Glenn. 

Mr. Cole has a wide circle of acquaintances 
and is held in the highest esteem by all who 
know him. He is a Socialist in political senti- 
ments, and fraternall}- a member of the Mod- 
ern W'midmen of America camp at Ainsworth. 



LEWIS M. RIESCHE. 

That diversified farming may be carried on 
successfully in Dawes county, Nebraska, has 
been demonstrated beyond doubt by the gentle- 
man whose name appears at the head of this 
review. For many years Mr. Riesche has fol- 
lowed farming and has built up a fine farm 
and comfortable home, stuck to his farm 
through many discouragements and come out 
ahead, and he is now recognized as one of the 
foremost citizens of his locality, highly es- 
teemed and respected by all. 

Mr. Riesche is a native of Newport, Ken- 
tucky, born in 1858. of German descent. His 
father, who was a blacksmith by trade, was 
born in Germany, as was also his mother, 
whose maiden name was Louisa Taschner. 
Our subject was raised in Kentucky and in 




LEWIS M. RIESCHE and FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



501 



early _youth learned the cigarmaker's trade 
and followed that work for ten years in Cin- 
cinnati and Newport, Kentucky. In 1883 he 
came to Nebraska, locating in Lyons, Burt 
county, and there worked on farms for three 
years, then moved to Dawes county, landing 
here in June, 1886, and settling on his present 
homestead in section 5, township 30, range 
48. He first put up a rough frame building as 
a dwelling place, and later a log cabin was 
added to it, and he "batched" it for several 
years. The dry years soon came on and he 
lost four or five crops in succession, and was 
also hailed out one season, and it seemed to 
him that he could not get a start. However, 
he stuck to the place, and steadily improved it 
with fences, good buildings, and kept on try- 
ing to raise crops, until he has seventy acres 
under cultivation, and about one hundred and 
seventy acres in hay and pasture land, and 
keeps quite a number of head of stock. 

Mr. Riesche was united in marriage in 
June, 1899, to Mrs. Jane Rimmer, whose par- 
ents were old settlers in Nebraska. Mrs. 
Riesche was a widow with one child, Isaac 
Osborne Rimmer, and one child has also been 
born to our subject, a daughter named Mary, 
born in July, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Riesche 
have one adopted son, James Henry Riesclie. 

Mr. Riesche takes an active interest in 
local afifairs and has served as a township 
official at different times, now holding the 
office of moderator of school district No. 78, in 
which he lives. A picture of Mr. Riesche and 
family will be found on another page of this 
volume. 



V. A. KLEIN. 



V. A. Klein, one of the leading business 
men of Lodgepole, Nebraska, is a prominent 
citizen of that thriving town. He has been a 
resident of Cheyenne county for many years, 
and has become closely identified with the 
commercial and social interests of the locality 
where he makes his home. Mr. Klein is a 
gentleman of sterling worth, and well merits 
his success and high standing in the commun- 
ity. He is well known in musical circles, tak- 
ing a deep interest in that subject, and is leader 
of the Klein orchestra, also of the Lodgepole 
band, both of which he organized. 

Mr. Klein was born in Frauenthal, Bohe- 
mia, on September 10, 1862, receiving a fair 
education as a boy, and during his young man- 
hood worked with his father and brothers in 
their flour mill. In November. 1882. he left 
his native land and came to America with his 



parents, the family locating in Rosedale, Kan- 
sas, where our subject remained for about five 
years, during which time he lived mostly in 
Kansas City, and was connected with different 
musical organizations, doing orchestral and 
brass band work. In March, 1887, he came to 
Cheyenne county and homesteaded in section 
2, township 12, range 48, which place he later 
sold. The father died in Rosedale in the 
spring of the year, 1887. the entire family mov- 
ing to Nebraska with our subject. There were 
four brothers and two sisters who settled in 
that region, one other brother locating in 
Brainard, Nebraska. He was a Catholic 
priest, and the entire family were devout Ro- 
man Catholics. For a time our subject was 
employed as a clerk in the Pacific hotel in 
Sidney, and at the end of two years went to 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he spent several 
years engaged in different business enterprises, 
all of the time being more or less engaged in 
music, and was a member of the leading or- 
chestra and band in Cheyenne. 

In 1898 Mr. Klein returned to Nebraska, 
engaging in business in Sidney, coming here 
as instructor of the Sidney brass band. He 
only remained a short time, then moved to 
Lodgepole, and started in the saloon business, 
which he followed for two years, then estab- 
lished a mercantile business, and has con- 
tinued at it ever since. He has built up a fine 
trade, and is now proprietor of a constantly 
increasing trade, having a nice large store and 
carrying a complete line of general merchan- 
dise. Besides his business enterprises Mr. 
Ivlein owns a good ranch and farm situated 
twelve miles south of Lodgepole. 

Our subject was married in Cheyenne, Wy- 
oming, in 1891, to Florence A. Scherer, who 
was born in Montgomery county, 111., in 1868, 
coming to Cheyenne county with her father 
and family in 1888. Mr. and Mrs. Klein are 
the parents of two children, Ethel M., aged 
sixteen, and Clara E., aged fourteen, both liv- 
ing at home. 

Mr. Klein is an active man in public alTairs 
in his community, and is at present acting as 
treasurer of Lodgepole village. Politically he 
is a Republican. 



FRANK :\IAYFIELD. 

Should the reader ask for a representative 
old settler of Dawes county, and who has 
grown up in a new country and acquired valu- 
able property by dint of his own energy and 
despite the trials and privations which at- 



502 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tended him in the early days, we would give 
the name of the gentleman mentioned above. 

Mr. Mayfield was born in Richardson coun- 
t\-, Nebraska territory, in 1860. His father, 
George Mayfield, as a young man learned the 
carpenter's trade, which he followed for some 
years, and later followed farming, and he was 
married to Miss Ellen Cash, of English stock, 
as was himself. Our subject was reared and 
educated in his native state on his father's 
farm, where he learned to perform all kinds of 
hard work as a boy, and vvhen twenty-six 
years of age left home to make his own way. 
He came to Dawes county in February, 1887, 
and located on section 13. township 31, range 
51, as a pre-emption, later filed homestead 
papers. Here he built a log house, and has 
lived on the place ever since, adding to his 
orginal holdings until he owns four hundred 
and eighty acres of deeded land besides con- 
trolling one hundred and sixty acres adjoin- 
ing. He lives on West Ash creek, and his 
farm is well supplied with all kinds of timber, 
running water the year round, wild fruits, and 
he also has planted fruit trees and small fruits 
such as strawberries, raspberries, etc. He is 
engaged in mixed farming, diversifying his 
crops and attaining marked success. 

Mr. Mayfield was married in 1882 to Miss 
Ruby Bacon. Mrs. Mayfield is a daughter of 
Henry and Lura (Davison) Bacon, pioneers 
of this county, and well known throughout this 
section, but now residents of Olympia, Wash- 
ington. Five children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Mayfield, who are named as follows : 
Thora, Di., Lura, Walter and Ralph, the two 
latter bright sturdy boys of ten and twelve 
years old, who almost run the farm now, as 
Mr. Mayfield had a bad accident happen to 
him Xiivembcr 25, 1907. while gathering corn. 
The team became frightened, ran off and ran 
over him, breaking his left jaw bone and knock- 
ing one eye out and cutting his face badly; 
but he has recovered to a great extent after 
such a close call to death. 

Mr. Mayfield has always been active in 
local afifairs, and has given much of his time 
and influence in helping to build up and de- 
velop the commercial resources of his section. 
Politically he is a Republican. 



DAVE L. WILLIAMS. 

Prominent among the younger ranchmen of 
Loup county is Dave L. Williams, whose name 
stands at the head of this review. He was 
born in Hamilton county, Nebraska, December 
28, 1875, on the farm of his parents. His fath- 



er, T. W. Williams, whose sketch appears in 
this volume, was an old settler in Nebraska 
and of Loup county. His mother was Mary 
(Lewis) \\'illiams, and both of his parents 
were born in Wales, coming to America when 
they were children. 

In the spring of 1876 the whole family 
came to Loup county and located on a home- 
stead. St. Paul and Grand Island were the 
nearest trading points and all goods and ma- 
terial had to be hauled from one or the other 
of those places. Our subject was raised on 
the frontier and can remember when deer and 
antelope were plentiful, and occasionally an 
elk was seen. Dave worked with his father 
on the home farm until he was twenty-one 
years of age. helping to improve the home of 
the family, and then, in the spring of 1896, he 
went into the sand hills of Rock county, work- 
ing for the A. D. Cattle Company for ten 
years. He spent ten years as a cowboy in 
the county of Rock, and was all over Brown, 
Cherry and Keya Paha. Our subject bought 
his present farm while he was still in the sand 
hill country, but did not move upon it till in 
1906, since which time he has made many im- 
provements. He has two hundred acres, with 
forty acres under cultivation, the balance being 
devoted to pasture and grass land, which he 
needs for his cattle and horses to graze on. Air. 
Williams still does considerable ranching busi- 
ness and has a bunch of cattle in the sand hill 
country. His home farm is one mile south of 
Taylor, the county seat of Loup county, Ne- 
braska. Having come to the county in 1876, 
Mr. Williams became one of the very earliest 
settlers and he has done his part in adding to 
the material advancement of the community. 

Dave L. \\'illiams was married to Miss 
Mary Harvey in 1900. The bride's parents, 
Benjamin and Sadie (Ham) Harvey, were pio- 
neer settlers of Loup county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Williams have been blessed with three chil- 
dren : Gladys, \'era and Dorris. 



OSCAR W. McDANIEL. 

Oscar W. McDaniel occupies a prominent 
place among the large ranchmen of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, his residence being on sec- 
tion 4, township 29, range 26, where he has 
built up a fine estate, operating a large tract 
of land, and has gained a wide reputation as a 
successful and prosperous citizen. 

Mr. McDaniel was born in Radford, Mont- 
gomery county, \'irginia, April 16, 1866. His 
father, Jacob McDaniel, of Scotch-Irish de- 
scent, was a harness maker by trade, and in 



COIMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



503 



later years a farmer. He served four years in 
the Confederate army, was captured and held 
prisoner at Camp Douglas, near Chicago. The 
mother, Mary E. (Bradbury), was of remote 
German ancestry. One of her grandfathers 
was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The 
McDaniel family moved to Sarpy county, Ne- 
braska, in 1874, where they still reside. Our 
subject was the oldest in a family of seven and 
began life for himself at the age of twenty- 
one, farming one year in Sarpy county. In 
1887 he came to Cherry county, took up a claim 
where he now lives and engages during spare 
time in drilling wells. Since then he has taken 
up additional land and bought more, at the 
present time owning a ranch of nine hundred 
and sixty acres, most of which is hay land. He 
has started in the stock raising business re- 
cently, and finds this more profitable than 
farming. He has continued to follow his old- 
time business of well drilling, and has done 
this work all over the eastern part of Cherry 
county, at which he has met with flattering 
success. He started in his career here with 
only twenty-four dollars in money and a team 
of horses, and has accumulated a fine property 
through his industrious and energetic habits. 
He is an expert machinist and was employed 
from May, 1898, to June, 1899, in the locomo- 
tive works of the Burlington at Havelock, near 
Lincoln. For one term he engaged in teaching 
in a district near home. 

Mr. McDaniel was married February 13, 
1889, to Aliss Mary E. Rockwell, born in Illi- 
nois in 1867, of Scotch-Irish descent. Mr. and 
Mrs. McDaniel have a family of three children, 
namely: Ethel, born in 1889; Dwight. 1893, 
and Ida, in 1900, all born and raised on their 
present homestead. 

Mr. McDaniel has always done his full share 
in the building up of his locality, and is re- 
garded as one of the leading citizens in his 
community. He is a Democrat, but has never 
held any but local office. He is a member of 
Wood Lake lodge. No. 221, Ancient Free and 
Accepted Masons, and also lodge No. 221, An- 
cient Order L^nited Workmen, of the same 
place. 

Mr. McDaniel's ranch is very fertile, pro- 
ducing more hay than he needs for the cattle 
he keeps. This he sells to less fortunate ranch- 
men who feed large herds on his place, on 
which they are supplied with water from three 
never-failing wells. He probably holds the rec- 
ord for potato production in Nebraska, having 
dug two hundred and fifty bushels from a quar- 
ter acre of ground. He knows of no one who 
has surpassed him. A view of the family res- 
idence is shown on another page in this work. 



WILLIAM W. WOOD. 

William W. Wood, for many years a well 
known and highly respected citizen of Rush- 
ville, Nebraska, built up an enviable reputa- 
tion as a barrister, his practice extending 
throughout Sheridan and adjoining counties. 
He is now a resident of Alliance, Nebraska, 
where he is register of the L'nited States land 
office. Mr. Wood is among the old settlers 
in this section of the country, having driven 
here by team in the early days, and has taken 
an active part in all the events of importance 
since the early days of this portion of Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Wood is a native of Jefferson county, 
New York, born in 1850. His father, Daniel 
Wood, was a farmer, who during his young 
days had followed the life of a sailor on the 
Great Lakes, continuing in this work up to 
1858, then begun farming. Our subject was 
one of a family of four children, and when^he 
was ten years old the family came to Wis- 
consin, settling in Eau Claire county, where he 
grew to manhood, assisting his parents in the 
work of carrying on their farm. He attended 
the Eau Claire high school, and later grad- 
uated from the University of Wisconsin, re- 
ceiving his diploma in 1876. He taught school 
there for three years, then came to Kearney 
county, Nebraska, in 1879, locating at Minden. 
During the time he was engaged in teaching 
school he studied law and was admitted to 
the bar in Kearney in 1879. He first began his 
practice at Minden, and was elected superin- 
tendent of schools in that county, serving for 
five years, and in connection with this work 
followed teaching together with law work. In 
1882 he formed a partnership with John M. 
Stuart in the law business and three years 
later came to Sheridan county. Here he took 
up a homestead and proved up on it, living in 
a log house for some time. He soon afterwards 
moved to Rushville, and in the fall of 1885 
opened his first law office here, which was in a 
tent. He has since that time practiced law 
constantly, and built up an extensive and lu- 
crative practice. He is also interested in the 
stock business, owning a small ranch on Pine 
creek, which he has operated for the past four 
years. 

Mr. 'W^ood was married in 1884 to ]\liss 
Belle M. Alexander, daughter of William Alex- 
ander, a pioneer settler in Pawnee county. ;\lrs. 
\\'ood was born in Iowa, of Irish parents. One 
child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wood, Wilma 
M., and she was the first white child born in 
Rushville. Miss Wood took a four-year course 



504 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in the Nebraska State University at Lincoln, 
gradiiatincf with the class of 1908. 

In 1000 Mr. Wood was elected county attor- 
ney of Sheridan county, and served one term, 
and in March, 1907, was appointed register of 
the I'nited States land office at Alliance. Ne- 
braska, and moved to that city. He is a Re- 
publican and has always voted that ticket. 



JAMES RILEY SWIM. 

Among the successful agriculturists of 
Keya Paha county who came to western Ne- 
braska in the early days of its development and 
who through his perseverance and industry has 
built .ip a fine e.^tate. we mention the name of 
Jamcs Riley Swim, who resides on section 23. 
township 33. range 23. 

Mr. Swim was born in Lee county, Iowa, 
December 9, 1845. His father was Alexander 
Swim, a Kentuckian, farmer by occupation, 
and his mother, who was Miss Elizabeth 
Phelps, was also a native of Kentucky. Of a 
family of ten children our subject was the sev- 
enth member, and was reared and educated in 
Polk county, Iowa. He assisted his father and 
brothers .in the farm work, and received a 
sturdy, practical training, remaining on the 
home farm until he was eighteen years of age, 
then enlisted in the Twent_v-third Iowa Infan- 
try, Company B. and followed the fortunes of 
a soldier in the Civil war for a year and a 
half. He participated in many skirmishes and 
was at the thirteen days' siege of Spanish Fort 
in Alabama. After he was discharged from 
the war he began farming in Polk county, and 
a year later went to Marion county, remaining 
fourteen years, and in 1879 came to Douglas 
county, Nebraska, where he resided for four 
years, then caiuc to Keya Paha county in Oc- 
tober, 1883, where he proved up on a home- 
stead. He lived in a log house for several 
years, and spent his time in improving his 
farm and home. In 1887 he went back to 
Dodge county and remained there tw'o and a 
half years, following farming, then returned to 
Keya Paha county on his homestead. He is 
now proprietor of a farm of three hundred and 
sixty acres, all of which is fenced, with eighty 
acres in a high state of cultivation. His farm 
is well covered with natural timber, and there 
is plenty of running water on it. He has put 
up a substantial set of fariu buildings, and has 
a valuable estate. 

On March 22, 1867, Mr. Swim was married 
to Mrs. Eliza Nokes, of Marion county, Iowa, 
whose parents. I-'iias and -Sarah M. Fuller, were 
of American blood and old settlers in that 
state 



Mr. ."^wim was formerly a member of the 
Grand .\rmy of the Republic at Norden until 
its charter was abandoned owing to lack of 
membership and also the growing importance 
of the Masonic fraternity in the community. 
Our subject is a man of active public spirit. He 
has held numerous school offices and takes a 
commendable interest in local affairs. In political 
faith he is a Republican and belongs to the Ma- 
sonic order. A view of Mr. Swim's premises 
is to be found in this volume on another page. 



HUGH BOYER, Deceases). 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history, now deceased, during his life- 
time held a high position among the leading 
citizens of Cherry county, Nebraska. He was 
engaged in agriculture for many years in that 
section of the country, made a great success 
of the work, and while building up a good 
home and ranch for his family, also aided in 
a large measure in the development and 
growth of his locality, giving his personal aid 
and influence to every movement for its ad- 
vancement. Mr. Boyer raised a large family, 
all of whom are now grown and filling honor- 
able positions in the world, several of the sons' 
names appearing in this volume. 

Hugh Boyer was born on a farm in Gray- 
son county, \'irginia, in 1837. His father, John 
Boyer, followed farming all his life. He was 
of Dutch origin. His mother's maiden name 
was Jane Fielder. Our subject was reared in 
his native state, as a young man owning a 
good farm, w-hich he carried on successfully. 
In 1865 he was married in his native county to 
Margarett James, also of Dutch blood, and to 
them were born nine children, who are named 
as follows: John, Reid, Fields, Boyil, Charles, 
Mack, Crumley, Roby and William. 

I\Tr. Boyer left the east and emigrated to 
the western states with his family in 1882, set- 
tling in Madison county, Nebraska, where he 
farmed up to 1886, then removed to Cherry 
county, traveling b_v team through the wild 
country to their new home. They had co\- 
ered wagons for the family to ride in and also 
bringing all their goods that way. They had a 
long and teclious journey, obliged to camp out 
along the road nights, and had several inter- 
esting experiences on the trip. Immediately 
after arriving at their destination Mr. Boyer 
filed on a homestead in section 17, township 
25, range 32. put up a sod shanty for a dwell- 
ing house and started to open a ranch, and 
there they went through the hardships and 
failures that fell to the lot of nearly all of the 



Y* V " ' ^*ii a^ - ^ i'*t4*^,t ^ 





RESini'.x*-!-. L<i' I. K. .^wni, 

Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF OSC.-\R W. McDANIEL, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



early settlers in the region, and kept hard at 
work, and after many years succeeded in im- 
proving a nice property and became one of 
the well-to-do men of his community. At the 
time of his death, March 2. 1906, he was pro- 
prietor of a ranch of eleven hundred and 
twenty acres, and which is one of the best of 
its kind in the county. 

Mr. Boyer was county surveyor for one 
term: also justice of the peace for several 
years. 



^IICHAEL A. BANNON. 

Michael A. Bannon is one of the well-to-do 
men and also one of the best known farmers 
of Sioux county, as a man who has devoted 
his career to the pursuit of farming and has 
met with deserved success in his line of work. 
He has developed a fine farm and is a gentle- 
man of enviable reputation, enjoying a pleas- 
ant home. He resides on section 20, township 
Zl, range 54. 

Mr. Bannon was born in Monahan county, 
in the north of Ireland, in 1852, and came to 
this country with his parents when a small 
boy. The mother died when INIichael was fif- 
teen years old, and the father with his family 
settled in New Orleans and remained there for 
a time, where he died when our subject was an 
infant. Then the family came to northeastern 
Iowa and lived on a farm, where our subject 
grew up, starting out for himself when little 
more than a child, working out by the day and 
month for farmers in that vicinity. At the 
age of seventeen years he went to Montana 
and spent four and a half years, working as a 
gold miner at Helena, then returned to Iowa. 
For twelve years he lived in Clay county, en- 
gaged in farming and in 1885, first came to Ne- 
braska, settling in Sioux county, locating in 
Hat Creek \'alley. There he filed on a home- 
stead and began to improve his farm, break- 
ing up the land with two teams which he 
brought with him from Iowa. His first build- 
ing was a log cabin, and he lived in it for fif- 
teen years, working at freighting, and doing 
anything he could find to do in order to get 
ahead and build up his home, making long 
trips through the country and camping out at 
night under his wagon, suffering exposure in 
the severe weather, and going through all the 
pioneer experiences. However, he stuck to 
his farm and succeeded in improving it in 
good shape and made it his home for fifteen 
years, and at the time he left the place he 
owned a ranch of five hundred and sixty acres 
on which he run a large herd of stock, also 



engaged in farming on a large scale. In 1901 
Mr. Bannon came to his present location, in 
search of more range land for his cattle rais- 
ing operations. He finally selected this tract 
of land, and he with his sons now own about 
two thousand seven hundred acres. He has 
made a splendid success here, and has a fine 
ranch and comfortable home. 

Mr. Bannon was united in marriage in 1871 
to Miss Anna McGraw, a native of Massachu- « 
setts, and they are the parents of the following 
children: Frank, William, Thomas, George, 
John, Margaret, Robert and Nellie. 

Mr. Bannon is one of the leading old timers 
of this section of the state, and has done his 
full share in the upbuilding of this region. 
Coming here in an early day, he has done a 
great deal to build up Crawford, in Dawes 
county, and Harrison, in Sioux county, Nebras- 
ka. In political sentiment he is an Inde- 
pendent. 



ANDREW KELLER. 

Andrew Keller, a highly esteemed citizen 
of Lake township, Phelps county, is the pro- 
prietor of a fine two hundred and forty acre 
farm, where he has built up a pleasant and 
comfortable home. He has acquired a valuable 
estate, and supplied himself and family with 
all the comforts of a rural home, and is one of 
the well-to-do men of his locality. 

Mr. Keller is a native of Bavaria, Germany, 
and came to the United States in 1883. His 
father was Michael Keller, owner of large 
land interests. Our subject came to Phelps 
county in 1880, purchasing one hundred and 
sixty acres, on which he built a fine house, 
barns, and all necessary farm buildings, fenced 
his land, and has one of the finest orchards and 
groves in the vicinity. He \yas possessed of 
sufficient means to build up a good home and 
add all improvements when he came here, un- 
like many of the early settlers who was obliged 
to start with nothing, and this enabled him to 
escape much of the hardships and discourage- 
ments of a pioneer experience. Mr. Keller has 
been all over the United States, and likes this 
part of Nebraska better than any place he has 
seen, as the land is very productive, the climate 
healthful, the water Al, which is a combina- 
tion of conditions not often to be found. 

He has been successful here from the be- 
ginning, and is well satisfied with the result 
of his labors. He is interested in stock, rais- 
ing a large number of cattle, also hogs and 
horses. Mr. Keller is married and has three 



^o6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCKNCM AND lUUGKAi'HV 



children. A brother of our subject, Joseph, 
resides at Defiance, Ohio, and two others, 
Richard and Dato, are in Washington. His 
grandfather, Conrad Keller, was a very wealthy 
man in the old country, owning three mills, be- 
sides farms and town property, which was all un- 
der the control of the status of landlords m Ger- 
many at that time, i'olitically Mr. Keller is an 
Independent. 



TOHN SERRES. 



There is no one on whom the title of "a 
leading: old settler" is bestowed with sjreater 
truth than the gentleman above mentioned. 
Mr. Serres is one of the wealthy ranchmen of 
western Nebraska, having a fine estate in 
Sioux county which has been developed and 
put in the very best condition by his hard 
labors and constant attention to his duty ot 
building up a fortune, and incidentally, he has 
gained an enviable reputation as one of the 
foremost citizens of his community by his ac- 
tive public spirit. 

John Serres was born in Luxemburg. Ger- 
many, in 1832. His father, Andrew, was a 
farmer all his life, and lived and died in his 
native land. John remained at home until he 
was twenty years of age, working on the farm, 
and in 1872 came to this country, utterly with- 
out means and not versed in the language or 
American customs, but was determined to 
succeed and whatever drawbacks he after- 
wards encountered did not daunt his courage. 
After landing in New York city he went to 
Wisconsin, locating in Washington county, 
and there followed farm work for about twelve 
vcars, spending some of that time in IMichigan 
and in the Wisconsin lumber woods. About 
1880 he went to Milwaukee, where he was em- 
ploved for a time, eventually securing work on 
the street railway, as a driver and conductor. 
He was married in Milwaukee in 1881, to Kath- 
erine Ruffing, whose father, Michael Ruffing, 
was a shoemaker by trade, and spent many 
years in tJiat city, his death occurring there in 
1893. Her mother's parents were natives of 
Germany, .Annie Mary Pung being her maiden 
name. 

Mr. Serres went to South Dakota in 1885, 
arriving there in March of that year. In com- 
pany with his brother, Stephen, he took a 
team and drove into Nebraska, having a most 
dangerous journey througli the wild country, 
Cf>ming through X'alentine and landing in 
Sioux county. He picked out a location and 
filed on land in Hat Creek Yalley, where the 
brothers built two log cabins, and bought sev- 
eral head of cattle from some settlers in that 



vicinity. Their nearest trading point was a 
distance of fifty miles from their claim, and it 
took five days in which to make the trip and 
return, driving ox teams. He opened land 
and began farming, doing breaking for people 
who lived in the neighborhood, but soon the 
hard times struck him, his crops failed and 
everything went against him. Provisions 
soared so high that it was all he could do to 
make a living, being obliged to pay four cents 
a pound for potatoes, with pork at eighteen 
cents a pound and flour four dollars a hundred 
pounds. In 1896 he had a fine field of flax, 
with the crop growing nicely, w-hen some big 
cattlemen in the vicinity turned a drove of 
stock into the grain, utterly destroying the 
crop. This was the way the larger ranch 
owners showed their hostility to the smaller 
farmers who came into the region, hoping to 
discourage them so they would abandon their 
claims, and leave the field clear for their ow-n 
herds. This incident was a severe loss to our 
subject, as it was really his first crop. After 
that time, for several years he had fairly good 
success, then came the dry years, when he 
was unable to raise anything, even losing the 
seed he planted, so he determined to engage in 
the stock business and got together a few cat- 
tle, which was the beginning of his career as a 
ranchman. For a number of years, part of his 
time was spent in working on the railroad do- 
ing construction work, in order to make a liv- 
ing for his family. However, after a time he 
met with better luck, and gradually added to 
his original possessions, until he is now owner 
of a thousand-acre ranch, all fenced and cross- 
fenced, supplied with water for all his needs 
from springs on the ranch, and he has one 
hundred and twenty acres under cultivation, 
raising large quantities of grain each 3-ear. 
One season his crop amounted to over two 
thousand bushels. The ranch is well equipped 
with a complete set of substantial buildings, 
and is one of the best improved places in the 
count^^ 

Mr. Serres is the father of seven children, 
namely : Emma Margaret and Hattie, born 
in Milwaukee; Lena Katherine, Elizabeth 
Mary, John Stephen, Rose Theresa, and Ed- 
ward John, !)(jrn in Siou.x county, the two eldest 
married. 



lUllN L.\W. 



John Law, one uf tlic genuine old-timers of 
Deuel county, Nebraska, has retired from ac- 
tive farm work, although he lives on the home 
ranch in Swan precinct, where he has spent 
many years and succeeded in building up a 





MRS. JOHN LAW. 



JOHN LAW. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



507 



good estate and valuable ranch. He has now 
reached the venerable age of eighty years, but 
is still in the enjoyment of good health and is 
a genial old gentleman, held in the highest es- 
teem by all who know him. 

Mr. Law was born in England, April 23, 
1828, and lived there up to 1845, then came to 
America with his mother, to join the father 
who had gone on to prepare a home for them 
in the new country. They settled in Jersey 
City, New Jersey, and lived there about fif- 
teen years, then went to Livingston county, 
Illinois. In September, 1862, John enlisted in 
Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth 
Illinois Infantry, and saw active service up to 
December, 1865. He was with Sherman on 
his march to the sea, and took part in the fol- 
lowing battles: Siege of Atlanta, Lookout 
Mountain, Tennessee, Resaca, and was through 
the Carolinas and saw service in Kentucky, 
northern Alabama and Georgia. He was mus- 
tered out of the army at Washington, D. C, 
returned to Illinois and remained there up to 
1885, then came to Deuel county, Nebraska, 
taking a homestead on section 10, township 
12, range 44, which is his home ranch and on 
which he now resides. 

Mr. Law was married to Hannah Hodges, 
in Jersey City, New Jersey, on the first day 
of January, 1850. Mrs. Law was born in New 
Jersey in 1826, and is the senior of her hus- 
band by two years, the lady now being eighty- 
two, and a very charming gentlewoman, loved 
and admired by all who know her. 

Mr. and Mrs. Law are the parents of eleven 
children, eight of whom are still living, as 
follows : James, married ; Charles, who is a 
widower ; Lottie, married ; Sophie and Sarah, 
twins, the former single and the latter mar- 
ried : Millie, married; George H. (whose 
sketch appears in this volume), and Daisy, 
married. All are filling honorable positions 
in life, and are esteemed citizens of their re- 
spective localities. A portrait of Mr. Law ap- 
pears elsewhere in this work. 



CLARK N. DITTO. 

Clark N. Ditto, a leadine citizen of Keva 
Paha county. Nebraska, is classed among the 
successful and progressive farmers of western 
Nebraska. He is a gentleman highly esteemed 
by his fellowmen, and his high standing is 
well merited. 

Mr. Ditto is a native of Clinton county, 
Ohio, and was born in 1844. His father was 
a farmer by occupation, born of American 
stock, and his mother. Miss Priscilla Black, 
was a Virginian of English descent. Of a 



family of eight children our subject was the 
fourth member, and was raised and educated 
in the county of his birth, attending the coun- 
try schools, where he received a good founda- 
tion training which well fitted him for the 
events of his future years. He enlisted in the 
army at the age of seventeen years, joining 
Company M, Second Ohio Cavalry, and with 
his regiment went into Kentucky and Tennessee. 
He was one of those who took part in the 
siege of Knoxville under General Burnsides, 
and in all served for two years and ten months 
in the service of his country, experiencing 
many exciting times, and seeing hard service 
all through. 

At the close of the war he entered the em- 
ploy of a produce firm, and later was engaged 
in the mercantile business for a time. In 1868 
he came west to Illinois, settling in Champaign 
county, where he spent eighteen years follow- 
ing farming. He then went to Iowa, where he 
remained for one year, then came on to Ne- 
braska, locating in what is now Keya Paha 
county, going to farming at once. He built a 
dugout and lived in this for several years, go- 
ing through the regular pioneer existence and 
encountering all the hardships and discourage- 
ments in the shape of drouths, storms, grass- 
hopper raids, etc. His farm was situated in 
section 29, township northeast 34, range 17, 
and he kept at work improving his place, build- 
ing up a home, and is now owner of two hun- 
dred and forty acres of good land. One hun- 
dred and twenty acres of this is cultivated, and 
the rest in pasture and grass, all of it fenced 
and cross-fenced. He has planted numerous 
small fruits, such as currants, and berr.es of 
all kinds, and also has nice orchards which bear 
fine fruits. 

In 1894 Mr. Ditto was married to Mrs. 
Ellen Ross, of this county, whose father, Bar- 
nett Smith, was an Englishman, a farmer, and 
mason by trade. Mrs. Ross was a widow with 
five children — Robert, Cecil, Percy, Herbert 
and Mabel. The family came to Keya Paha 
county in 1883, and were among the old set- 
tlers in this part of the state. 

One child was born :o Air. and Mrs. Ditto, 
a girl named Anna S., born in 1897. Air. Ditto 
is prominent in all matters of local interest, 
and does his share in the advancement of edu- 
cational and commercial affairs in his locality. 



EDWIN C. WILLIAAIS. 

Edwin C. Williams, who lives on a fine 
ranch in section 28, township 16, range 41, is one 
of the most influential of the old-timers of Keith 
countv, Nebraska. He has lived a long, useful 



5o8 



,uMl^liNUiUiM OF HISTORY, KEMIXISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



life, serving his country with unselfish patriotism 
and making a record in his community as a 
man of strong principles and successful busi- 
ness methods. 

Mr. \\'illiams was born on a farm in Chau- 
taucjua county. New York, August 13, 1841, 
and was of old American and Y'ankee stock. 
His father, George D. Williams, was a shoe- 
maker and farmer. His mother was Susan 
Dutton', of Connecticut ancestry : she died in 
Nebraska at the residence of her son. 

The subject of our sketch was reared in 
New York state until he was twelve years of 
age, when the family came west to Wisconsin, 
settling in Portage county, where the father 
died. February 14, 1864, our subject enlisted 
in Company D, Third Wisconsin Infantry, be- 
ing sent south with his regiment to join in the 
Atlanta campaign. He marched through 
Georgia and was with Sherman through the 
Carolinas. While on this campaign, on March 
16, 1865, at the battle of Avcrysboro, North 
Carolina, he was severely wounded in the right 
leg, which had to be amputated. Ten minutes 
after he was wounded his regiment was re- 
lieved and never saw active service again. 
Such were the fortunes of war, that, after 
serving through the entire Atlanta campaign 
to almost the close of the war, Air. Williams 
was wounded and lost his limb in the last ten 
minutes of fighting; he was discharged Sep- 
tember 1, 1865, at Prairie DuChien, Wisconsin. 

After the war was over our subject re- 
turned to Wisconsin, and July 4, 1868, was 
married to Miss Roxalina Woodworth, who 
was born and reared in Pennsylvania. Her 
father, John Woodworth, died when she was 
an infant. Her mother was Lovina Acres in 
her vouth and the parents were descendants of 
eastern people. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have 
been blessed with four children : Etta May, 
married Charles Gorman : Lottie Maud, mar- 
ried Harry Robins ; George Henry, and Susie 
Lovina. wife of Michael John Thies, all living 
in Keith county and doing well. 

In the summer of 1869 Air. Williams came 
with his family to Rice county, Minnesota, 
and made his home there for some sixteen 
years, owning one hundred and sixty acres of 
land in East Prairie, about half way between 
Owatonna and Faribault. He sold' his Rice 
county farm in 1885 and came west to the 
North Platte river valley in Nebraska, and set- 
tled on his present homestead. The country 
was very new and his farm was nothing but 
raw prairie land. He lived in a small board 
shanty until he could build a stone house, his 
present residence ; he is the only one left of 
several Minnesota people who settled here in 



those early days. And they were days of hard 
times for the pioneers; all supplies had to be 
hauled from Ogallala, a long, hard trip, some- 
what dangerous because the North Platte 
river had to be forded, there being at that 
time no bridges. Now Mr. Williams has a nice 
comfortable home and fine farm of one hun- 
dred and si.xty acres, with sixty acres under 
cultivation. The land is located on Clear creek 
which furnishes running water the year around 
and there is to be seen a fine orchard of fruit 
trees and all the up-to-date improvements 
necessary to the successful operation of a farm. 
Our subject used to run large herds of cattle, 
but of late years he has been curtailing his 
business and is now living a somewhat re- 
tired life. 

Air. Williams has been active in political 
afl'airs, was elected county commissioner in 
1889, and has served his community in a num- 
ber of minor otifices. He is Republican in 
politics, and while in Alinnesota wafe a member 
of the Grand Army of the Republic. 



A. O. STOCKTON. 

A. O. Stockton, one of the enterprising 
and prosperous old residents of Perkins coun- 
ty, owns a valuable estate on section 21, town- 
ship 9, range 39. He settled in the county in 
1886, and is one of the best known men in the 
country, highly esteemed as a worthy citizen 
and progressive agriculturist. 

Mr. Stockton was born in Platte county, 
Missouri, on a farm in 1848. His father was a 
native of Ohio and his mother of Indiana, they 
coming west about 1840, settling in Alissouri, 
where our subject grew up. Our. subject 
lived at home up to 1886, then came to Ne- 
braska, driving to Perkins county from ( )gal- 
lala, and settled on section 19, township 9, 
range 39. He put up a dugout at first, and 
lived in that for five years, going through all 
the pioneer experiences in starting his farm, 
and often had a hard time to make a living. 
He returned to Alissouri about 1892 and began 
farming on a seventy-five acre farm, remain- 
ing for four years, then sold the place and came 
back to Perkins county. He located on a pre- 
emption on section 21, and has since added to 
the place, now owning four hundred and eighty 
acres, nearly one hundred of which is now cul- 
tivated, and the entire ranch fitted with goo<l 
improvements. He engages in stock raising 
and farming, has a good income from the 
farm, and is one of the solid and substantial 
agriculturists of his township. 

In 1872 Mr. Stockton was married to Mary 




■r. ■ 
f. n 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



509 



L. Ballard. They have five children, named as 
follows : Owen, Myrtle, now Mrs. Blayny : 
Grace, now Mrs. O'Connor : Florence, and 
Bryan. One son, Martin, is deceased. Mr. 
Stockton is active in local affairs, always tak- 
ing a deep interest in and aiding to the best of 
his ability any movement for the good of his 
community. 



MIFFLIN P. BROSIUS, Deceased. 

Mifflin P. Brosius was, for many years prior 
to his demise, one of the leading citizens and 
agriculturists of Cherry county. The farm 
residence is on section 11, township 34, range 
28, one of the largest and best constructed 
dwellings on the north table surrounded by 
barns and outbuildings far above the average. 

Mr. Brosius was born on a farm in Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1855. His 
father, Jesse Brosius, was of German descent, 
and his mother was Miss Elizabeth Taylor. 
Our subject was reared and educated in Penn- 
sylvania, whence he migrated to Mt. Pleasant, 
Iowa, in March, 1877. In November of that 
year he came to Louisville, Cass county, Ne- 
braska, working at the painters' trade, at the 
same time operating a market garden and 
poultry yard. On ]\Iarch 21, 1883, he arrived 
in Cherry county, where he had filed on a 
homestead September 27. 1882. His first build- 
ings were a sod house, with a log barn, and he 
lived in this house for nine years. The farm 
now comprises six hundred and forty acres, 
which is divided in two pieces, improved with 
fine farm buildings, machinery, fences, and 
everything necessary to facilitate the work of 
a thrifty farmer. A large part of the land is set 
out to small fruits, which yield a snug income 
to the owners. 

Mr. Brosius went through many privations 
in the building up of his present estate, in- 
cluding drouth periods, grasshopper raids, hail 
and other misfortunes that fell to the lot of 
the old settlers of this locality. When he ar- 
rived in Cherry county his possessions were as 
follows: a blind team, wagon, one cow and his 
household goods, together with one dollar and 
a quarter of borrowed money. The first sum- 
mer was spent in a tent, but as winter came 
on he was compelled to find something more 
comfortable and put up his first building, 
which was a sod house, twenty-four by sixteen 
feet, with a kitchen addition. The first crop 
which he raised on his farm was a sod crop of 
potatoes and corn. 

On April 12, 1877, he was married to Aliss 
Eliza Guss, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, whose 



father, Samuel Guss, was of German descent, 
He was a harnessmaker by trade, being also 
engaged in farming and the livery business. 
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bro- 
sius, named as follows: Jesse, married and 
now living on a ranch ; Nettie, dead ; Clara, 
married ; Will, who runs the farm for his 
mother; Viola, Walter, Harrison, dead, Ralph, 
Laura, dead, and Leroy. Six grandchildren 
complete the family circle. 

Mr. Brosius died April 29, 1903, and was 
deeply mourned by his family and a large cir- 
cle of friends as an exemplary husband, father, 
neighbor and citizen, universally respected 
and esteemed by his fellowmen. Originally a 
Republican, he later affiliated with the Popu- 
lists and fraternally was a member of the An- 
cient Order of United Workmen and the De- 
gree of Honor. A portrait of Mr. Brosius will 
be found elsewhere in this work. 



WILLIAM S. BARKER. 

William S. Barker, mayor of Valentine, is 
an efficient and popular city official, as well as 
editor of one of the leading publications of 
northwestern Nebraska. 

He is a native of Oskaloosa, Iowa, born 
April 15, 1865. His parents, Charles E. and 
Sarah J. (Ginn) Barker, are both of English 
descent. The family came to Burt county in 
1865, settling on a farm, and were among the 
pioneer settlers at Tekamah. Here our sub- 
ject was reared and educated, attending the 
Tekamah high school, assisting his father on 
the farm out of school hours. At the age of 
nineteen he came to Valentine and for about 
three years worked at the printers' trade, hav- 
ing begun his apprenticeship while in Teka- 
mah. About 1887 Mr. Barker purchased the 
Cherry County Republican, a weekly paper, 
the name of which he changed to "The Re- 
publican." This is one of the first papers es- 
tablished in Valentine. There were only two 
others, "The Valentine Reporter", and "The 
Minnechaduza Republican," having been pub- 
lished prior to "The Cherry County Repub- 
lican." During the first year he did all of his 
own work, writing, composing, printing and 
using a small hand press. Now his business 
occupies a space twenty-five by eighty feet, he 
has a steam plant, power press, and employs 
two or three assistants all the time. Business 
in the art preservative has steadily increased 
until he now does all kinds of fancy calendar 
and job printing under the name of "Barker 
Art Printery." 

Since Mr. Barker established his business 



5IO 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, BEMINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



he has had twenty-one out of twenty-two com- 
petitors go out of business after a more or 
less stormy career; only one paper in town, 
besides his own. has survived the struggle for 
existence in this cold and unappreciative world. 

Mr. Barker is a Republican, and takes an 
active interest in politics, supporting heartily 
the iJarty nominees, but would never accept 
an office for himself, preferring to be free from 
political obligations and at libertv to express 
himself as he sees fit. unhampered by the fetters 
which usually keep the office-holder in their 
grasp. He has, however, served as mayor in 
the town board at Valentine since 1906. 

Mr. Barker was married June 25, 1889. to 
Miss Jennie I.. Keister. a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, and daughter of William A. Keister. of 
that state. One daughter, Bernadine A., has 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Barker. They are 
members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. 
Barker affiliates with the Knights of Pythias, 
the Ancient Order of Workmen, and the Mod- 
ern \\'oodmen of America of ^^-llentine. 



D. S. HARDTX. 



Among the leading business men of Alma 
the above mentioned gentleman, subject of this 
history, occupies a prominent place. He is one 
of the foremost attorneys of Harlan county. 
Nebraska, and is also engaged in the real es- 
tate and collection business. 

Mr. Hardin was born in Champaign coun- 
ty, Illinois, in 1853. He was raised there, and 
attended the State Agricultural College at 
Ames. Iowa, graduating with the class of '80. 
In 1880. after leaving college, he came to Ne- 
braska and located in Beatrice, was admitted 
to the bar in 1883, and since that time has 
practiced the profession he chose, and been 
very successful and gained an enviable repu- 
tation in this part of the state. In the year of 
1893 he moved to Alma, and since then has 
been engaged in the practice of law there, also 
doing a large business in real estate and collec- 
tions. He is the owner of a large amount of 
land in this and adjoining counties, all of which 
he rents out. His places are stocked with 
grade cattle and liogs. also horses, and he de- 
votes a portion of the farms to mixed farming, 
and thinks this is the best place he has ever 
seen for farming and stock raising. A steer 
can be raised here for about one-fourth of 
what it costs in Iowa, and the price obtained is 
just as high. Hogs arc raised cheaper and bet- 
ter here than in that state, or other parts of the 
country, and therefore a man can make much 
more money in this section in these lines of busi- 
ness. He has widelv advertised these features 



of the state, and done much towards getting 
new settlers in this locality each year, the 
population having increased more than double 
in the past four years. 

Mr. Hardin was married in 1883 to ]\Iiss 
Lucia Marks, of Eldorado, Iowa. They have 
two sons. Harry and Charles, now attending 
the State University, at Lincoln. Nebraska, 
and three younger children at home. Mr. 
Hardin is a member of the Masonic lodge at 
Alma. In political faith he is a Republican. 



WILLIAM L. MILLER. 

Among the representative farmers and 
ranchmen of Sioux county, who have aided 
materially in the development of that region 
striving to advance the best interests of his 
community whenever possible, a prominent 
place is accorded ^^'illiam L. Miller, who re- 
sides on his well-improved estate in section 
22. of township 3?i, range 55. He is a gentle- 
man of energetic character, and well merits 
his high standing. 

William L. Miller was born in New Bruns- 
wick. Canada, in 1852. in the town of St. An- 
drews, near the state line of Maine. His father, 
William, was a shoemaker by trade, and 
he married Annie Austin, a native of Canada. 
Our subject grew up in Washington county, 
!Maine. attending the common schools as a 
boy. and at the age of fifteen began working 
for his own living, ever since that time having 
taken care of himself. He was in the lumber 
woods in Maine, also worked in saw mills, etc., 
for many years, and followed farming ofif and 
on during his young manhood. From Maine 
he went west, locating in Cheyenne, Wyoming, 
in 1884, and spent two years in that city. 

Mr. Miller came to Nebraska in 1886. land- 
ing in Sioux county by team, driving all the 
way from Cheyenne. At that time Harrison 
was merely a tent town, and settlers had -just 
begun to straggle into the locality. He picked 
out a homestead on section 22. townshiji 33, 
range 55, started to build up a home, and also 
filed on a pre-emption, which he proved up on 
as well as his homestead. His first house was 
built of logs, and his first team a pair of 
mules, with which he broke up land for crops 
and did all his work. His first crops were a 
failure on account of the unfavorable condi- 
tions and dry weather, and he was obliged 
to obtain work in the Black Hills to earn 
money and make a living for his family. As 
the times grew better he graiiually improved 
his place, later bought more land, and is now 
proprietor of a ranch ctmsisting of eight hun- 
dred acres, fitted with good buildings, and has 




HOWARD G. Fl'RMAN. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



511 



quite a large part under irrigation, raising 
grain and stock. The place is all fenced, and 
he has considerable timber on it. 

Mr. Miller was united in marriage in 1874, 
at Calais, Maine, to Miss Maria Coburn, born 
at Calais, and daughter of James Coburn, a 
sailor, who married Elizabeth Lane, the rela- 
tives of both Mrs. Miller's parents following 
the sea as an occupation. Six children have 
been born to Mr. and ]\Irs. Miller, namely: 
Evelyn S.. Robert J., and Annie E.. born in 
Maine; William A., born in Cheyenne, and 
Arthur F. and Minnie V.. born in Sioux coun- 
ty. The family have a pleasant home, and a 
host of friends in their community. 

In political sentiments Mr. Miller is a 
Democrat, but has never sought office, de- 
voting all his time to his home and ranch. 



HOWARD G. FURMAN. 

Howard G. Furman. who has won an envi- 
able reputation as one of the most successful and 
extensive raisers of cattle in western Nebraska, 
was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, in 
1848. His parents. Alfred and Elizabeth (Gus- 
tin) Furman. were both natives of the same 
state. At the age of nineteen years he left his 
home and came west into Nebraska, where he 
spent some time railroading, carrying mail and 
hunting. He then went into Wyoming, and 
carried the first mail from Laramie City to 
Fort Sanders. He spent three years in the 
west, traveling up into Montana, where he 
built a boat and came down the Missouri river 
to Sioux City, returning to his home in Penn- 
sylvania. After two years he came west again 
and went at freighting into the Black Hills 
front Sidney. Nebraska, and Ft. Pierre, South 
Dakota, Deadwood. Sidney, Pine Ridge and 
other places. He experienced many troubles with 
the Indians in this locality, and during an en- 
gagement while on one of these trips he re- 
ceived a shot in the shoulder, while his mules 
were ruined for hard work. In 1881 he went 
into Idaho, assisted in the construction of a 
railroad in Oregon, and traveled through parts 
of Utah. 

Mr. Furman came to Dawes county. Ne- 
braska, in 1884. locating on a ranch on the 
Niobrara river in section 29, township 29. range 
50. A log cabin was his first home in this 
county, where he engaged in the stock busi- 
ness. From time to time he purchased ad- 
jacent lands, until at the present time he has a 
ranch comprising sixty-three deeded quarters, 
besides some leased land. He has left no stone 
unturned in an effort to make his ranch a model 



one, and his untiring efiforts have been amply 
rewarded, for a more modernly equipped or 
profitable ranch could not be found in any sec- 
tion of this western country. He has irrigated 
over three hundred acres of hay land, and has 
running water on two parts of his land, which 
is fenced and cross-fenced. He has built up a 
stock business well worthy of note, and has 
the distinction of having the largest amount 
of cattle on any ranch in Dawes county. He 
has one of the finest timber groves in the 
county on his ranch — many thousand posts 
could be cut out of it now. 

Mr. Furman and Miss Nellie B. Walker 
were united in marriage in 1880. Mrs. Furman 
was born in Tennessee, of American ancestry. 
She was a daughter of John B. Walker, a car- 
penter. Her mother's maiden name was Hat- 
tie Scott. Eleven children, who are a credit 
to their parentage, blessed this union. They 
are Burt, John A., Hazel. Howard G., Hattie, 
Thomas P.. Nellie. Anson L., Willis, Rachael 
and Ruth, twins. The children are all living 
except John, who is deceased. A portrait of 
Mr. Furman is presented on another page. 

In looking over the useful and honorable 
career of Mr. Furman it can be truly said that 
he well deserved the grand success which his 
untiring efforts have brought hiin, an example 
of what hard work and unquestionable busi- 
ness principles can accomplish. He has al- 
ways done his share towards the improvement 
of Dawes county, and his useful career should 
be an encouragement to the rising generation 
of young men. 



EDWIN c. McDowell. 

Edwin C. McDowell, one of the most prom- 
inent old settlers in Dawes county. Nebraska, is 
classed among the pioneer business men of 
Crawford. He is a gentleman of excellent 
qualities and enjoys an enviable reputation as 
a business man and worthy citizen. 

Mr. McDowell is a native of Knox county, 
Ohio, born November 12. 1861. His father, 
Robert McDowell, was of Irish-Scotch descent, 
a farmer and early settler in Iowa, where he 
settled in 1873. moving to that state when our 
subject was twelve years of age. There he 
attended the common schools and secured a 
good average education, during his spare hours 
helping his parents in the work of carrying on 
their farm. After leaving school he spent two 
years in Illinois, and in 1886 came to Nebraska, 
driving by stage from Chadron to Red Cloud. 
He located on a homestead on Little Cotton- 
wood creek, in Sioux county, and put up his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



first house, which was built as a dugout and 
was a common dwelling place for most of the 
pioneers in this section. Me lived in the dug- 
out for some time, then built a log house and 
"hatched it." He landed here in the spring 
of 1886. and the snow was on the ground about, 
a foot deep, and he almost froze the first night 
he was here, and was unable to stay in his 
dugout, so footed it to some friends who lived 
on the creek. 

\\'hen he arrived here he had no money, 
and made a living the first month by picking 
bufifalo bones, and in this work cleared seven 
dollars per day. He had worked as a barber 
during his youth and so soon moved to Craw- 
ford, then a small town of tents onl}' and 
opened up the first barber shop in the place, 
setting up in business in a big tent, using it 
also as a dwelling place and store room for 
groceries, ^^'hen he was not busy at his trade 
he worked at other odd jobs. His price was 
twenty-five cents for a shave and fifty cents 
for a hair cut. On Sundaj' his tent was used 
for church services, and as so many of his cus- 
tomers were waiting for shaves that he kept 
right on at his work while the services were 
being conducted in the opposite side of the 
tent, neither interfering with the other. 

Soon after this he worked as a clerk in 
Eastman & Doer's store. Quitting them he 
went to clerk for H. F. Clough. general mer- 
chant, the man to whom he had sold the buf- 
falo bones the first two months he was in the 
country. In the fall of 1886. in partnership 
with H. F. Clough. he opened a hardware 
store, also in a tent, their first stock of goods 
costing two hundred and eighty dollars. Their 
present stock invoices about nine thousand 
dollars. They carried this on all winter, and 
had a carload of stoves shipped in, which they 
sold out faster than they could black them and 
set them up. They did a rushing business, and 
he remained in the hardware business for 
twenty-two years. He has succeeded from the 
first, and in 1887 put up his present building, 
occupying the same location for the past twen- 
ty-two years. His partner did not last long 
in the business, losing all his property, and 
after that Mr. McDowell entered into partner- 
ship with one Camp Ellis, the latter buying 
out Clough's interest in the business, Mr. 
Ellis remaining with our subject up to the 
time of his death, which occurred September 1, 
1905, and was succeeded by R. G. Smith, who 
is still connected with the business. Mr. Mc- 
iVjwell, besides his business interests in Craw- 
frird, owns one thousand five hundred and 
twenty acres of deeded land located within 
two miles of Crawford, a large part of which 



is irrigated. He is also half owner of two 
thousand six hundred acres located four miles 
from Crawford, and on this land raises horses, 
sheep and cattle. A-Ir. McDowell was one of 
the first to install a system of irrigation in this 
vicinity and was the means of inducing others 
to follow his plan. 

Mr. McDowell was married in 1899. on 
April 11th, to Miss Effie Gorton, whose father 
was a pioneer in this section. Mr. and Mrs. 
McDowell are the parents of three children, 
namely: Harold. Esther and Katherine. The 
family are popular members of society in their 
community, and enjoy a pleasant home sur- 
rounded by a host of warm friends and kind 
neighbors. 

Our subject has been on the school board 
for the past nine years, and still holds office 
in that body. He is a Democrat in political 
views. 



ALANSOX R. SWETT. 

.Among the old settlers and those who have 
helped in the development and growth of 
Brown county almost since its organization, 
none is better known or more highly respected 
and esteemed than the gentleman whose name 
heads this review. 

Air. Swett was born on a farm in Ohio. 
February 18. 18v31. His father. Trustrum 
Swett, was a cooper by trade, born in A^ermont 
of old American stock, and died when Alanson 
was six years old. His mother. Miss Pattie 
.Smith, was a native of Connecticut, whose 
father was one of the patriots who fought in 
the battle of Bunker Hill and was severely 
wounded after grounding his arms. The 
British after receiving the surrender fell upon 
the unarmed prisoners with saber and pistol 
despatching many in their tracks. Mr. Smith 
defended his head with his arms until both 
were nearly severed after which a blow in the 
head foiled him. Seeing an unconscious move- 
ment of his leg they shot at him with their pis- 
tols, but luckily missed him. When they were 
gone he dragged himself to a house by the road- 
side covered with blood and had his wounds 
dressed, eventually recovering from the effects 
of the terrible struggle he had gone through. 
Our subject is the child of his mother's second 
marriage, and when he reached the age of 
eleven his mother moved to Iowa, settling in 
Wapello county on a farm. He remained there 
until twenty years of age when he followed 
the rush for the gold fields of California, spend- 
ing one year in those regions before returning 
to Iowa. In the spring of 1852 he went to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



513 



Council Bluffs, Iowa, remaining there one 
year, then moved to Shelby county, where he 
followed farming for thirty 3'ears, building up 
a good home and valuable property, and was 
among the oldest settlers in that part of the 
country. Here he owned two farms, putting 
in many years of hard work in improving 
them, and was very successful in his undertak- 
ings. In 1883 he sold out his property there 
and came to Brown county, one of his 'daugh- 
ters having lived here for some time. He set- 
tled on a homestead and began a regular pio- 
neer's existence, erecting good substantial 
buildings, and for the next five or six years 
worked hard in establishing his home, and it 
was during this time that he suffered a sad 
misfortune in the death of his wife. Every- 
thing seemed to go wrong; crops failed, and he 
became terribly discouraged, gave up farming, 
and moved to Ainsworth, living there for about 
four years. In 1899 he settled on his present 
homestead on Oak creek, located in section 28. 
township 31, range 21, where he has a well im- 
proved farm, well equipped for successful oper- 
ation. 

Mr. Swett was married in Iowa in Decem- 
ber, 1852, to Miss Jane Tinsley, a native of 
the state of Kentucky who was of good old 
southern blood, and came to Iowa with her 
parents when she was a small girl. Seven 
children were born to Mr. and IMrs. Swett, of 
whom six are now living, named as follows: 
Minnie, now Mrs. A. L. Sisson ; Ervin, living 
in Madison county ; Clara, now ]\Irs. Ned Jones 
of Keya Paha county ; Elsie, married to A. W. 
Barton, of Shelby county, Iowa: Otis, who runs 
his father's farm and business; and Pearl, wife 
of G. M. Cole, who reside on a farm adjoin- 
ing her father's. Mr. Swett is a gentleman of 
active public spirit and has a host of friends, 
all of whom accord him a high station as a 
business man and worthy citizen. In politics 
he was orginally a Democrat, later a Fopulisi 
and is today an avowed Socialist in economic 
beliefs. 



P. L. O'BRIEN. 



Among the residents of western Nebraska 
who have made North Platte their home for 
the past thirty-five years, the gentleman above 
named is worthy of a prominent place. Mr. 
O'Brien is highly esteemed in his community 
for his honesty and integrity, and enjoys an 
enviable reputation as a citizen 

Mr. O'Brien was born in Troy, New York 
state, 1851. He was there until the age of 
four or five years and then went to Chicago, 
where he was reared. He first came to Ne- 



braska in 1871 and entered the employ of the 
Union Pacific Railway Company, working as a 
brakeman for some time, then was a freight 
conductor for the company. In 1883 he was 
appointed to the position of passenger con- 
ductor, and now acts in that capacity on the 
Overland Limited No. 1 and 2, his run being 
from Cheyenne to North Platte, Nebraska. Mr. 
O'Brien has a clean record all through his 
career as a railroad man, and has gained the 
confidence of his superior officers through his 
faithfulness to duty and strict attention to 
their interests. 

In 1883 Mr. O'Brien was married to Miss 
!\Ialinda E. Norton. Her father was killed 
in the Civil war and the mother died in 1907. 
Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien have had four children : 
Chester A., deceased ; George Percy, in the 
Union Pacific machine shops ; Doris Ruth, and 
Darrow Norton, the two last named attending 
school. 



W. T. YOUNG. 



W. T. Young, one of the best known resi- 
dents of Kimball county, Nebraska, has spent 
many years of his life in the pursuit of farm- 
ing, and has met with pronounced success in 
his development of a fine farm in section 34, 
township 15, range 57. He has resided there 
during the past twenty-five years, and is 
classed among the prominent old settlers of 
that region. 

Mr. Young was born in Bloomingtgn, Mon- 
roe county, Indiana, on February 20, 1853, 
where he lived until he was about twelve years 
of age, then moved to Wapello county. Iowa, 
accompanying his parents, three brothers and 
four sisters, and there they settled as pioneers, 
living there up to 1874, farming all of the 
time. In 1874 he went to Colorado, where he 
worked at ranching. From there he went to 
Pine Bluff's, Wyoming, in 1883, remaining for 
several years, coming -to Kimball county, in 
1886, landing in this vicinity in April of that 
year. His first location was on a homestead 
on section 34, township 15, range 57, and he 
proved up on a quarter section of land, later 
taking Kincaid homestead in the same section. 
He now owns in all one thousand acres, all 
good farm and range land, and of this he has 
seventy-five acres devoted to grain raising, 
with the balance in hay and pasture, and runs 
about one hundred head of cattle and one hun- 
dred horses, and is a progressive and up-to- ' 
date ranchman and farmer in every respect. 
He has put good buildings and improvements 
on his place, having a commodious and hand- 



514 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENXE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



some dwelling with every kind of farm build- 
ings, good fences, wells and windmills, etc., 
and altogether owns one of the valuable es- 
tates in the county. He also has about sixty 
acres under irrigation. 

Mr. Young was married in Iowa, February 
3, 1883, to Miss Anna Plowman, who is a na- 
tive of \'an Buren county, Iowa. Her father 
is now deceased, but her mother still resides 
in Iowa at the advanced age of eighty-seven 
years. Mr. and Mrs. Young are the parents 
of six children, who are named as follows: 
Stella. William T., a graduate of the State 
Universit)', now a rising young electrical engi- 
neer at Armour, South Dakota. Grover, who 
died October 7, 1906; August, Gertrude and 
Roy, living at home. Both our subject's par- 
ents are deceased. 

Mr. Young is a leading citizen of his com- 
munity and has held numerous local offices. He 
is a stanch Republican and strong party man, 
having served as road overseer and constable. 
He takes great interest in all public questions 
and especially educational matters, having 
taken an active part in establishing and build- 
ing up schools. He has been a member of the 
school board for eight years. Mr. Young has 
passed through man\' interesting experiences 
during the pioneer days. His first house on 
the farm was of sod. When the splendid im- 
provements are seen today on his place, the 
change that has occurred stands out in bold 
relief. 



n. S. BEYXON. 



n. S. P.cvnon. the r^enial and nonnlar post- 
master of Bnrwell ha« h^en a resident of Gar- 
field rountv since 188fi. and is one of the best 
known old timers of the county. 

Mr. Bevnon was horn in Albia. Tnwa. De- 
cember .'^. 1^56. He is of ^^''clsh descent, his 
parents coming from ^^'^ales to this country 
in 18.^0. settling first in Ohio, and also spent 
one year in Pennsvlvania. Later they moved 
to Iowa, where they were amonsr the earlv 
settlers, locating in Monroe county in 1852. 
The father was a farmer and miner. They 
settled on government land in Iowa, filing on 
one hiinrlrcd and twenty acres, which they de- 
velrioed into a good farm, and succeeded in 
building up a good home. Our subject is the 
third member in a familv of ten children, of 
whom three brothers and two sisters are still 
livinsr. He grew up on the home farm until he 
was twenty-one years old. and then left home 
and struck out for himself, coming to Ne- 
braska and settling at \\'illow .'springs, Gar- 
field county. He first worked at freighting. 



following that for a year, then started in the 
drug busines and carried on a store at that 
place for about a year, when he left there and 
came to Burwell, at the same time the railroad 
was being built through this section. Here 
he opened another drug store, all the time 
keeping up his studies in pharmacy, and passed 
the examination as a registered pharmacist in 
1890. He has been very successful in his en- 
terprise and built up a fine trade throughout 
this vicinity. He has a fine line of goods, and 
runs a thoroughly first-class, up-to-date es- 
tablishment, carrying in addition to drugs a 
full line of paints, oils, etc. ^^'hen Mr. Bey- 
non first came here he intended to take up some 
government land, but after getting started in 
business neglected to do so, and he is now 
ver}^ sorry he did not take up a claim as he 
would have made money by so doing. At that 
time he could have bought land for a few dol- 
lars an acre, and it would be worth many times 
the amount of its original cost. 

Mr. Bevnon has always taken an active in- 
terest in local matters. He was appointed post- 
master in 1897, when Burwell was a fourth- 
class ofiice. and he remained in the position up 
to the present time, now serving his first term 
as a third-class postmaster. He has been a 
member of the town board for several years, 
also has been on the school board for ten 
years. In 1889 he was appointed sheriff, and 
during his service captured Nicholas Foley, 
the criminal and desperate character who was 
afterwards taken from a deputy sheriff by a 
mob and lynched for having murdered Mrs. 
Ada Clark, of Antelope county, Nebraska. 

On December 3, 1883, our subject was 
united in marriage to Miss Christina J. Cornell, 
born in Iowa, of German descent, whose par- 
ents were well-to-do farmers in Iowa, where 
her girlhood j'ears were spent. Five children 
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beynon, four 
of whom are now living, namely : Rebecca, 
John, Hazel, and Helyn. One daughter, Etta, 
died in. 1890, at the age of one year and six 
months. The family are prominent members 
of the Congregational church of Burwell and 
highly esteemed by all. Mr. Beynon is a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America, and 
is also a Mason. Politically he is a Republican. 



OSCAR L. WILSON, M. D. 

Dr, O.scar L. Wilson, a prominent and 
widely known physician o{ Sheridan coimty, 
Nebraska, resides in Rushville. He is highlv 
esteemed throughout this locality as a skill- 
ful practitioner, and has gained the confidence 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



515 



of all with whom he has liad to do in a profes- 
sional or business way. 

Dr. Wilson is a native of Ladoga. Mont- 
gomery county, Indiana, born in 1857. His 
father, O. B. Wilson, was a Kentuckian, min- 
ister by occupation, and his mother was also 
born in Kentucky. In a family of six children 
our subject was the fourth member, and he was 
raised in his native state, attending the com- 
mon schools, and later the Ladoga academy, 
beginning his study of medicine in 1876. In 
1880 he set up an ofifice in Rosedale, Indiana, 
and practiced for a year, then went to Charles- 
ton, Illinois, where he followed his profession 
for thirteen years, and in July of 1895 came to 
Nebraska, locating in Rushville. This was in 
the midst of the hard times which prevailed 
throughout this section of the country, but he 
opened his office at once and began working 
up a clientage. His reason for settling here 
was on account of his wife's health, as he had 
left a good practice in Charleston, Illinois, to 
try this climate. For several years times were 
hard, but in 1897 things changed for the bet- 
ter, and since then he has steadily worked up- 
ward and now enjoys an extensive practice all 
through the central part of this county. 

Dr. Wilson was for a time interested in the 
stock business here, but now devotes all his 
attention to his profession. \\'hen he first 
landed in Nebraska he had not intended set- 
tling permanently in Rushville, but liked it on 
account of the healthy climate, and as his 
wife's health gradually improved and his prac- 
tice began to grow, they decided to make this 
their home. 

In 1884 Dr. ^^'ilson was married to Miss 
Mary Balch in Janesville, Illinois. Four chil- 
dren came to bless this union, named as fol- 
lows: James L., Mary M., Beatrice S., and 
George B. 

Dr. Wilson is a man of active public spirit, 
lending his influence and aid in all matters that 
tend to the improvement of conditions in his 
community. He is at present serving on the 
town board, and takes an active part in local 
affairs. He is a Republican. 



FRED ABLEY. 



The gentleman above mentioned was one of 
the first settlers in Box Butte county. Nebraska. 
When he first struck this region in 1886, set- 
tlers were very few and he had the choice of lo- 
cation, picking out a homestead which he con- 
sidered as nicely situated as any in the county, 
and he still occupies this place, which is located 
in section 13, township 26, range 50. Here he 
has a fine home and well developed farm, and 



has always assisted to the best of his ability in 
building up this part of the county and aided 
materially in its growth and progress. 

Mr. Abley was born in Switzerland, in 1840. 
His father was Fredolin Abl'ey, a butcher by 
trade, who left the old country with his family 
when our subject was a boy of four years of 
age, the father dying on board ship during their 
voyage to America. The mother with her three 
children, settled first in Milwaukee and lived 
there until her death, which occurred in 1851. 
After his mother's death our subject started 
out for himself, going to Michigan and locating 
in Berrien county, v^diere he secured employ- 
ment in the saw mills. In August, 1861, he en- 
listed in Company A, 6th Michigan Infantry, 
and with his regiment was ordered south. He 
was in active service through Louisiana, Ala- 
bama and Mississippi. He was at the battle of 
Fort Gaines and Fort Jackson, also at New 
Orleans, Baton Rouge, Port Hudson, ^Mobile 
Bay and the Spanish Fort. Our subject was 
promoted to corporal during his first enlistment 
for three years and was mustered out in Feb- 
ruary, 1864. Tlie same year he re-enlisted in 
his old regiment to serve during the war, and 
in August, 1865, he received his discharge at 
Jackson, Michigan. He received a serious 
wound while at Fort Morgan, Alabama, while 
putting guns on the fort, and has never fully 
recovered from the effects of this injury. 

After the close of the war Mr. Abley re- 
turned to Michigan and there engaged in farm- 
ing up to the spring of 1886, owning a farm of 
fifty-six acres and made a success of it, build- 
ing up a good home and farm. He decided to 
go west, so he sold his farm there and came 
to Nebraska, settling in Box Butte county in 
1886, "batching it" the first year, — his family 
not coming out until 1887. His first dwelling 
was a dug-out, and in this he lived 'for one year. 
All his supplies had to be hauled from Hay 
Springs, seventy or eighty miles distant, and 
he also did considerable freighting throughout 
the section. He broke up land and started his 
farm in good shape and was very successful in 
his farming work for some years, then as the 
drouths struck the region in 1890, the follow- 
ing three years were hard ones as the crops 
failed and he had a hard time to get along, but 
he never gave up the struggle and by perse- 
verance and industry built up a good farm. He 
owns four hundred and eighty acres, fifty of 
this being highly cultivated, all of it fenced 
and well improved with good buildings, etc. 
He is engaged quite extensively in the stock 
business, keeping a large number of cattle and 
horses. 

Mr. Ablev was married on December 5, 



5i6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1867. to Mary Stratton, whose father was a 
farmer and a veteran of the war of 1812. He 
married Mary Burns, of New Hampshire, 
whose great-grandfather. Samuel Stratton. was 
in the famous battle of Pjiiiiker Hill, and met 
his death in that action. Her maternal grand- 
father also was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
war. and was killed during the service in the 
early part of the war. To Mr. and Mrs. Abley 
three children were born, two of whom, Emery 
and Amos, are now living. Cliff H. died De- 
cember 6, 1897, aged twenty-seven years, and 
was an earnest worker in the Salvation Army 
at Deadwood, South Dakota. 

Mr. Abley has held dift'erent school offices in 
his district, and has served as United States cen- 
sus taker. He is a Republican and a strong 
party man. 



JOHN R. AYRES. 

John R. Ayres. an old settler in the western 
part of Nebraska, has done his full share in the 
upbuilding of this region, and his name will 
go down in history as one of those who spent 
the best years of his life in assisting to de- 
velop the commercial and agricultural re- 
sources of the section in which he resides. He 
has now retired from all active business and 
enjoys his comfortable home and the society of 
a host of friends in \'alentine. Cherry county. 

Mr. Ayres was born in Louisa county, Iowa, 
in 1846, before Iowa was admitted to the state- 
hood. His father, Michael Ayres, was a pio- 
neer farmer in that state, where he raised his 
family of three children, of whom our subject 
is the youngest, his mother dying when he 
was but eighteen months old. While he was 
a young lad his father moved to Carroll comi- 
ty, Illinois, settling on a farm, where he grew 
up accustomed to hard work and at the age of 
twenty started out for himself, farming on 
shares for several years. 

In May. 1864. he enlisted in Company D, 
One Hundred and Forty-second Volunteer In- 
fantry, and served in the war for about seven 
months, then left the army and returned to 
Illinois. In 1867 he went to Iowa and settled 
in Buchanan county, remaining there for nine- 
teen years, having during that time purchased 
a large farm there. He first came to Nebraska 
in 1887, taking up a pre-emption and tree claim 
in Cherry county, located northwest of Crooks- 
ton. Here he went through s<id shanty ex- 
periences, breaking up his prairie and "opening 
his farm with a team of cows and oxen com- 
bined. He had a hard time in getting started 
being overtaken by the dry years, and one 
year losing two hundred and fifty acres of crops 



in three days on account of the fierce hot 
winds which swept the section. In 1897 he 
moved to section 25, township 35, range 30, 
and after living there for a time moved to 
\"alcntine. leaving his son to run his farm. 
He has a fine estate, well improved ranch of 
six hundred and eighty acres and since his re- 
tirement his sons have succeeded in carrying 
on the business successfully, although they 
have met with some heavy losses and dis- 
couragements at different times. One exper- 
ience was when a herd of thirty-one horses 
and mules were stolen from their farm. A 
part of the animals were recovered and the 
thief is now doing time in the penitentiary, 
but the loss of time and money was very large. 

Mr. Ayres was married in 1868. in Illinois, 
to Miss Fannie Soules. Ten children resulted 
from this union, who are named as follows: 
James, Ira, Elmer, William, Harry, Sarah. 
Clara. Albert and George and Henry, of whom 
the eldest and youngest are deceased 

Mr. Ayres has always been an active public- 
spirited citizen and takes a leading part in all 
affairs of local interest. He is a Populist in 
political belief and was one of the organizers of 
that party in this section. He is a member of 
Colonel Wood post, No. 208, Grand .\rmy of the 
Republic, of Valentine. 



GEORGE H. DAVENPORT. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community of Dawes county. Nebraska, 
who have succeeded in building up a good 
home and farm, and who enjoys the esteem of 
his fellowmen. is the gentleman above named. 

Mr. Davenport was born in Dekalb county, 
Missouri, in 1881. and is a son of John R. 
Davenport, deceased, a native of the state of 
New Jersey, and grew up there, learning the 
harnessmaker"s trade as a young man and fol- 
lowed that work for a good many years. When 
the war broke out he enlisted in the army and 
served for three years in the Civil war, and 
served with the regulars for five years after 
that time. After the war he returned to New 
Jersey, was married in 1877 to Miss Clarinda 
Goff, a native of Texas, and they were the 
parents of the following children: Alice, 
George (our subject), .'\gucs, Claude, Lucy 
anri Esther, the last mentioned now deceased. 
The family settled in Missouri in 1877 and re- 
mained there up to 1888, then moved to Dawes 
county, Nebraska, where the father took up 
government land and remained until proving 
up. The first building he put up was a log 
house in which the family lived for several 
years. They went through many hardships 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



517 



and privations during the first years here, wit- 
nessing the drouths and some years being un- 
able to raise any crops at all, and were obliged 
to get work to do on farms and ranches in the 
vicinity of their home, and trying in every 
way to make a living. They kept on building 
up their farm and got through all right with- 
out losing their farm, although at times it 
seemed rather up-hill work and they became 
discouraged. The better years finally struck 
them and they were able to get ahead a little, 
and improve their farm and home, and suc- 
ceeded in a marked degree, accumulating a 
nice property, consisting of a farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres of deeded land, be- 
sides some two hundred and forty acres of 
leased land, all of which is fenced and in first- 
class shape. There are good buildings on the 
place, and our subject engages in mixed farm- 
ing and stock raising with his mother, they own- 
ing the place together. 

The father died in 1905, leaving the mother 
and our subject in control of the farm, he be- 
ing the eldest son, now twenty-seven years of 
age. The farm in its every appointment be- 
speaks his good judgment and industry. 

CHARLES H. BRITTON. 

Charles H. Britton, one of the truly self- 
made men of Box Butte county, has prospered 
as an agriculturist and is the owner of a well 
improved estate in township 26, range 47. He 
has become widely known as an energetic and 
successful farmer and worthy citizen, and his 
success and good name are well merited as a 
reward for his strict integrit}' and honest deal- 
ings with all with whom he has had to do. 

Mr. Britton was born in Putnam, Livings- 
ton county, Michigan, in 1840. on a farm. He 
is a son of Claudius, Jr.. and Sarah (Beeman) 
Britton, both born and reared in the East and 
married there. 

Our subject was reared and educated there, 
also was married in 1866 to Miss Jennie Hin- 
chey, making it his home up to 1878, learning 
the brickmaker's trade when eighteen years of 
age and following that occupation for some 
years, operating a brick making business of his 
own for a time, and later spent seven years in 
Crawford county, Iowa, at the same work. In 
1885 he came to what is now Box Butte coun- 
ty, arriving here in March of that year. He 
took a pre-emption and tree claim and also 
filed on a homestead in 1886 and proved up in 
due time, these places being located thirteen 
miles from Alliance. The first year he 
"batched it," and in 1886 his family joined him 
here, all living in a tent the first summer, build- 



ing a dugout in the fall, in which thev lived for 
quite a few months. Mr. Britton worked out 
in the vicinity of his home, breaking land for 
his neighbors, also putting in some crops on 
his farm the first year, and received a good 
yield, but later suffered severely from the 
drouths and other causes. He has passed 
through all the pioneer experiences, making 
long trips to the nearest town for supplies and 
camping out at night on the frozen ground, 
and does not care to return to those days. 

In 1890 Mr. Britton's wife died, 'and al- 
though this sadly discouraged him he remained 
on his farm and built up a good home. Better 
times soon overtook him and he was able to 
buy more land, now owning a ranch of four- 
teen quarter sections of deeded land, besides 
controlling a section of leased school land. 
Most of his time is devoted to the sheep busi- 
ness, of which he has made a great success. He 
also keeps about thirty-six horses, and about 
fifty head of cattle. 

Mr. Britton is recognized throughout his 
locality as one of the leading citizens and old- 
est settlers in his section of the state, and filed 
the first pre-emption claims, also made the 
first tree claim filing in his township in 1885, 
also took a homestead in 1886. 

Mr. Britton has one child, a daughter, Zel- 
lie, aged forty-one years, and he also has five 
grandchildren. On another page of this vol- 
ume will be found an interesting picture of Mr. 
Britton. 



ALBERT G. BUMP. 

Albert G. Bump, a prominent resident of ]\Ic- 
Cook, Nebraska, is one of the substantial citizens 
and successful business men of the place. 

Mr. Bump is a native of ^lahaska county, 
Iowa, born near Oskaloosa, as was also his 
father, the latter's father having been one of the 
early settlers in Iowa, locating there in the fort- 
ies. He was born in Elmira, New York, and 
came west, farming for a time, then went into 
business at New Sharon, Iowa. Our subject's 
mother was Miss Dorcas Gaston, daughter of 
Robert W. Gaston, who settled in Iowa in the 
early forties, having been one of the pioneer set- 
tlers in Richmond Virginia. His father. Rev. 
James Gaston, was a minister in the Disciples 
Church, and a man of fine education. In 1885 
our subject was connected with the Burlington 
& ^Missouri railway, as a • conductor on that 
road, and in 1892 he quit that and went to Cali- 
fornia in the interest of the Southern California 
railway, remaining until 1897, then came back to 
McCook and was with the Burlington & Mis- 
souri again for nine years, then resigned his posi- 



5i8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tion with that company to enter into business for 
himself. He was chief conductor of the Order 
of Railroad Conductors in 1900 and 1901, No. 
95, for two terms. He was very successful in his 
work on the railroad, but concluded that western 
Nebraska had the finest climate and best pros- 
pects for advancement of any business enterprise 
of any part of the country he had yet seen, and 
decided to enter the business world, so he 
started in the r€al estate business, dealing in con- 
crete and cement contracting of all descriptions, 
in 1905 purchasing a cement plant and organ- 
izing the McCook Stone & Cement Company. He 
enlarged the work by the erection of a new build- 
ing, and owns the site on which it is located. 
The capacity of this concern is four hundred 
blocks daily of the very best material, which is 
shipped to all parts of western Nebraska. In 
this business he has an associate, J. O. Ham- 
mond. They have had large contracts for ce- 
ment walks, and have put in about twenty thou- 
sand feet in McCook, and the coming year will 
lay at least sixty thousand feet in this city alone. 
Mr. Bump married Miss Mollie B. Adamson, 
daughter of Evan Adamson, of Adams Grove, 
Iowa, one of the earliest settlers in that locality, 
who came from Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Bump 
have no family. Mr. Bump is a member of the 
Knights of Pythias. He is a Republican. 



THOMAS W. PRESTON, Deceased. 

Thomas W. Preston, a prosperous farmer 
of Sheridan county, was born in Knox county, 
Illinois, in 1842, and was reared and educated 
there. His father, Milo Preston, a German- 
Irish native of W^est Virginia, was a farmer 
and among the early settlers of Illinois. Our 
subject is the second in a family of seven, 
and started out for himself when nineteen 
years old, enlisting in Company B, Fifth Iowa 
Infantry, at the outbreak of the war. After 
serving three years he was wounded and dis- 
charged. Two brothers were also in the war, 
both of wdiom arc living at this writing. 

In 1865 ]\Tr. Preston was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Shaw, born in Iowa in 1845, and in 
1880 she died, leaving three children — William, 
May and Minnie — all of whom are now living. 
In 1883 our subject married Miss Delia With- 
erbe. born in 1857 in Michigan and raised in 
Nebraska since she was ten years old. Her 
father, Francis Witherbe, now lives in the 
Black Hills, at Custer, South Dakota. Four 
children were born of this union, named as 
follows: Maude, Marjory, Frank and Anna, 
all born and raised in this locality except 
Maude, who was born in David City, Butler 
county, Nebraska. 



.After the war closed Mr. Preston moved 
to Iowa, farming it there for two years, and 
in 1867 settled in Butler county, Nebraska, 
when antelope were running where Lincoln 
now stands. Here he farmed it for sixteen 
years, going through even harder times than 
he ever saw in Sheridan county, being many 
miles from a railroad for several years. In 
1885 he struck out for Sheridan county, driv- 
ing the distance with team and wagon. Hav- 
ing very little capital to start with, he pre- 
empted on southeast section 35, township 31, 
range 43, w-hich he still owned and lived on. 
Afterwards he proved up on a Kincaid home- 
stead. After farming for nine years he ran 
out of seed and quit, then commenced stock 
buying and raising stock. 

Mr. Preston owned eleven hundred and 
twenty acres, farming about one hundred and 
forty acres and using the balance for hay 
and grazing, running about eighty to one hun- 
dred and fifty head of stock. He was con- 
stantly improving his ranch and had he started 
in the cattle trade earlier instead of farming 
he said he would have been much better off. 
-At the time he started in Butler county his 
only capital was a team, wagon and one dol- 
lar and fifty cents, and here he experienced 
his hardest times, being compelled to go forty 
miles from home, where he obtained a job 
husking corn, for which he received every sev- 
enth bushel, and from the sale of this he man- 
aged to support his family. In view of this, 
Mr. Preston was well satisfied with what he 
accomplished, and declared he would not live 
anywhere except on the frontier. 

In 1894 he visited Iowa and saw all the old 
friends there, but could not be prevailed upon 
to stay for more than two nights, as he said 
"it was too thickly settled for him." Mr. Pres- 
ton departed this life the 4th day of April, 
1908, near the age of sixty-six years, leaving 
a wife and lour children to mourn the loss 
of a true and affectionate husband and father. 

In political faith Mr. Preston was a Re- 
publican. On another page is presented a 
picture from an old photograph showing Mr. 
Preston's property. 



MILTON E. SMITH. 

Not many years ago this part of Nebraska 
was looked upon as a dry and arid waste in 
the summer, and as a snow-swept and ice- 
bound wilderness in the winter, but today 
Rock county has vast resources of its own, 
and its business interests are assuming much 
importance. Such towns as Newport and Bas- 
sett would not discredit any region, and the 




PROPERTY OF THOS. W. PRESTON (deceased). 
REPRODUCED FROM AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH FURNISHED BY MRS. DELLA PRESTON. 




RESIDENCE AND FAMIIA 



XKI.IS |-, KI-.IXERT. 



COiMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



519 



men who have made them are among the 
bright and wideawake Americans who put 
their mark anywhere with their name as the 
sign of achievement. Among the men who 
do and dare, and have redeemed this part of 
the state from the wilderness, is the gentle- 
man whose name introduces this article, and 
is a prominent figure at Newport and indeed 
throughout Rock county. 

Mr. Smith was born in Branch county, 
Michigan, January 1, 1863, a son of Calbert 
R. and Lucille (Dickenson) Smith, both de- 
scendants of long established American fam- 
ilies. The father was a farmer and was born 
and reared in the state of New York, of which 
state his parents were also natives. C. R. 
Smith was the father of nine children, of whom 
the subject of this article was sixth in the 
order of birth. He lived many years in Branch 
county, and here his family was mainly edu- 
cated and prepared for the work of life. 

\\'hen Milton E. Smith had reached the 
age of twenty-two years he left home and 
struck out into the world to care for himself. 
From the time he was twenty he taught school 
until he was twenty-five years of age, and 
won a very favorable reputation as a teacher. 
However, the school room was not to be his 
permanent field of labor, as we find him in 
1887 going to the Black Hills in South Da- 
kota as a civil engineer in the employ of the 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, and 
remained in the service of that corporation 
for some three years. For nearly a year and 
a half he was engaged in office work for the 
railroad in the Black Hills, and spent about 
a year in doing construction work, operating 
from Whitewood, South Dakota. It was in 
the spring of 1893 that Mr. Smith came to 
Newport prepared to grapple with the prob- 
lems of business in the awakening community. 
He saw the possibilities of the town and coun- 
ty, and was ready to take part in any lauda- 
ble enterprise that might open to him. His 
brother, A. O. Smith, had established a gen- 
eral store some years before, in which our 
subject had been interested from the start. 
Its rapid growth and development seemed to 
demand the presence of both brothers, and 
accordingly he came to the city, and when 
A. O. was elected county treasurer in 1895, 
Milton E. took full charge of the store. The 
Ijuilding in which this enterprise has been car- 
ried on is sixty by seventy feet, and almost 
everything demanded in the county trade is 
handled here except dry goods and groceries. 
Especially full stocks of farm supplies, fur- 
niture and undertaking are carried, and the 
store commands a wide trade. Their two- 
story warehouse, forty by eighty feet, is stored 



with surplus stock to supply their extensive 
trade. 

Milton E. Smith and Miss Cornelia Hud- 
speth were married January 10, 1891, and to 
them have come two bright and charming girls 
—Mildred and Lucille. Mrs. Smith's father, 
Royal Hudspeth, was a pioneer settler in Rock 
county, and assisted much in the development 
of the country. Mr. Smith and his brother 
have taken a very active interest in whatever 
has to do with the general welfare of the com- 
munity, and outside of their investments at 
Newport, the Commercial Bank at Bassett is 
largely under their control. Still young men, 
they have a bright future before them. The 
Democratic party has Air. Smith's unwavering 
fealty. He fraternizes with the Bassett lodge 
of Masons, the Odd Fellows and Workmen of 
Newport and the Elks of Norfolk. 



CHARLES F. REINERT. 

_ One of the most attractive farm homes irr 
this part of the county, one that the traveler 
notices because of its evidences of thrift and 
good management, is that of Charles F. Rein- 
ert, who lives on section 5, towrrship 22, range 
17. Mr. Reinert is of German parentage. His- 
father, Karl Reinert, spent a useful life as a 
farmer and lived and died in the fatherland. 
The mother was Mary Berger, also a native of 
Germany. 

Our subject was born in east Prussia, Ger- 
many, in 1852, and was reared in" his native 
land, enjoying very good educational advan- 
tages. He learned the baker's trade, which 
he followed for fifteen years, and during that 
time he trav,eled a great deal. 

Charles F. Reinert was married in Ger- 
many, September 26, 1879, to Fredericka Long, 
daughter of Ferdinand and Marv (Bring) 
Long. Her parents lived in the citv of Loifz, 
where she was reared and educated'. Mr. and 
Mrs. Reinert have four children — Oscar. 
Emma, and Richard and Freda, twins. 

In 1882 our subject and family came to 
.'\merica, living in New York city for some 
time and from thence moved to Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, where they resided for eight years! 
Mr. Reinert being in the employ of the Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Com- 
pany. In 1890 the lure of the west came upon 
them and they moved to Nebraska, settlincr 
on a tree claim on Schull creek. Rock county, 
Nebraska, where they lived for eleven years! 
They then proved up and sold out. Their 
first dwelling was a sod shanty, but they have 
built up a good home and farmland have it well 
improved. In the fall of 1901 Mr. Reinert 



compejnuium of history, reminiscence and biography 



came to his present location and settled on 
an unimproved homestead on the Calamus 
river, fourteen miles from Burwell. He has 
three hundred and twenty acres of land, with 
about one hundred acres under cultivation. 
He has quite a number of good buildings, a 
stone barn twenty-eight by fifty feet, twelve 
feet high, a horse barn twenty-four by forty 
feet, and a hog shed twenty by fifty feet ; also 
three wells and windmills. The farm is fenced 
and cross-fenced in excellent shape and every- 
thing is up-to-date in all respects. Mr. Rein- 
ert takes particular pains in raising hogs and 
has been quite successful. He is also quite ex- 
tensively engaged in the creamery business, 
and makes a fine income from that branch of 
his business. 

Charles F. Reinert is prominent among 
the old settlers and is respected as a man who 
has done his part in adding to the material 
development of the community in which he 
lives. 

On one of the illustrated pages will be 
found a group portrait showing the family 
and residence. 



JOHN OLDERSHAW. 

Through exceptionally good management 
and persistent labors the gentleman here 
named has acquired a well developed farm 
and good ranch, and is enabled to enjoy the 
comforts of modern farming. He is of a pro- 
gressive nature, has had a wide experience 
in farming, and every detail of his work is 
carefully looked after and personally super- 
vised. Mr. Oldershaw's pleasant home is in 
Bronson precinct, Cheyenne county. 

John Oldershaw was born in Lincolnshire, 
England, August 5, 1852, a son of Burrell and 
Elizabeth (Lowe) Oldershaw. He grew up 
there, following the usual occupations of the 
middle classes, receiving a limited schooling, 
and at the age of thirty years left his native 
land for the United States, sailing from Liver- 
pool on the "City of Richmond." After a voy- 
age of twelve days he landed in Xew York in 
1882. He came directly west, spending a year 
in Kearney, BufTalo county, Nebraska, then 
came on to Cheyenne county. He had fol- 
lowed farming in England, working with his 
father; he therefore decided to engage in that 
vocation here, and started to work on the 
M. yi. Fitch ranch, remaining for six months; 
then, securing a position with the Union Pa- 
cific Railroad Company as car repairer, in the 
Sidnev shops. He was with that company for 
about eighteen years. He purchased a quarter 
M-ction of land in section 30, township 15, 



range 50, during this time. This he sold. He 
came to his present location in 1904, filing 
on a homestead in section 6, township 14, range 
50, which is now his ranch home, containing 
three hundred and twenty acres. 

Mr. ( )ldershaw has about fifty acres un- 
der cultivation, and runs quite a herd of stock. 
He has a set of good farm buildings, and is 
one of the progressive and up-to-date farmers 
and ranchmen of his section. 

On the 22d day of February. 1882. prior 
to his sailing for the new world. Mr. Older- 
shaw was married to Miss Suzanna Edis, a 
daughter of Thomas Holland and Sarah (Cor- 
nor) Edis, the former a carpenter by trade. 
Mrs. Oldershaw is also a native of England, 
where her mother still resides. Her father and 
both her husband's parents died there within 
the [jast few years. Mr. and Mrs. Oldershaw 
have a family of three daughters, namely: 
Jennie, now a teacher in the public schools 
at Potter, Nebraska; Edith and Minnie are 
graduates of the Sidney high school, class of 
1908. The former is teaching near Potter and 
the latter taking a post-graduate course to fin- 
ish the twelfth grade. 

Mr. Oldershaw has always taken a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs, and in po- 
litical views he is an Independent. The fam- 
ily are all communicants of the Episcopal 
church. Mr. Oldershaw affiliates with the 
Modern Woodmen of America, while his es- 
timable wife holds membership in the Royal 
Neighbors. 



WILLIAM J. COFFMAN, Deceased. 

William J. Coffman, deceased, for many 
years one of the leading farmers and ranch- 
men of Thomas county, met with remarkable 
success in those lines and enjoyed a foremost 
place among the worthy citizens of his com- 
munity. His death occurred on August 6, 
1903, and was deeply deplored by his sorrow- 
ing family and a host of friends and acquaint- 
ances. 

Mr. Coffman was born in Mahaska county, 
Iowa, in 1857. His father, John, of German 
stock, was a native of Indiana, and his mother 
was Jane Campbell, of Yankee stock, raised 
in the east. When William was twenty years 
old he came to Clay county, Nebraska, where 
he lived for three j'ears, following farming, 
and from there went to Missouri and Iowa, 
where he spent about a year, mostly on a 
visit. He then returned to Clay county, Ne- 
braska, and remained three more years. He 
then came to Thedford in 1887 and took up his 
present ranch as a homestead, which is situ- 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



521 



ated on section 10, township 24, range 27, 
which was entirely unimproved land. He had 
but a very limited amount of cash to start 
his farm, and almost his entire start amounted 
to one horse and an ox team. There was no 
water on the place, and he was obliged to haul 
his first supply a distance of two and a half 
miles. He broke up land for his crops with 
his ox team, and was able to raise a little grain 
and a few vegetables during the first summer, 
and for several years went through very hard 
times. Two seasons his crops were a total 
failure, and during those times there was noth- 
ing to be seen for miles around except dry 
grass and sand hills. Mrs. Cofifman states 
that she distinctly remembers when the sand 
hills were absolutely bare of any grass or 
hay, and it was only in the low wet places that 
one could see any signs of verdure. However, 
they went to work with a will, . never giving 
up courage, but constantly added improve- 
ments little by little, and finally succeeded in 
raising good crops, also got together some 
stock" and were able to lay by a little money, 
the family having three Kincaid homesteads 
adjoining their father's original homestead, 
and at present the ranch consists of twenty- 
four hundred acres, all fenced in good shape, 
plenty of timber, fruit and shade trees, etc., 
and there is a good supply of water from wells 
which are supplied with windmills. The 
ranch has a comfortable house and good build- 
ings of every description, and is one of the 
most valuable estates in the county. 

Mr. CoiYman was married in 1878 at Hast- 
ings, Nebraska, to Miss Marintha J. Barnes, 
daughter of Anath Barnes, a well known pio- 
neer farmer of western Nebraska. Five chil- 
dren were born to them, namely: Edward, 
Anath, Francis, Cecil and Arnim. Edward 
and Anath are both owners of fine homesteads 
in this vicinity. During 1907 the family suf- 
fered a serious fire loss, the fire consuming 
a considerable amount of hay, etc., amounting 
to three or four hundred dollars. 

Mr. Cofifman is counted among the earliest 
settlers of Thomas county. He went through 
all the pioneer times, watching the growth 
and development of the locality into its pres- 
ent state of fertilit}- and progress, and him- 
self took an important part in this success. 
Besides his farm and ranching interests he 
owned considerable property in Thedford, and 
during the school sessions his children occupy 
one of his residences in that city. For a num- 
ber of years prior to his demise Mr. Cofifman 
was active in local afifairs, serving as county 
commissioner for two terms, also was sheriff 
for one term. He was elected district assessor 
and held the office for five years. In politics 



he was a stanch Democrat and attended nu- 
merous conventions as a delegate. His death 
was a severe loss to the community, as he al- 
ways stood bravely for the right and never 
shirked a dut}' as a good citizen and sympa- 
thetic neighbor. 



FRED L. WINELAND. 

Fred L, \\'ineland, proprietor of ]Mule Shoe 
ranch, breeder of thoroughbred Polled Here- 
ford cattle, horses, mules, jacks, pure-bred 
Duroc Jersey hogs and White Leghorn chick- 
ens, is an enterprising and prosperous resi- 
dent of Franklin township, Franklin county, 
Nebraska, 'and a highly esteemed citizen of 
that region. He is one of the best known men 
in the county along the above lines, and has 
built up an enviable reputation as a stockman 
and breeder of thoroughbred animals. His 
Dostoffice is Riverton. and shipping station 
Franklin. Mr. \^'ineland came to his present 
ranch in 1893, and now owns three hundred 
and twenty acres in section 22, and pastures 
a thousand acres in the locality. In 1898 he 
began his Polled Hereford herd of thorough- 
bred cattle, which was then the only herd in 
Nebraska, and one of three bunches in the 
United States, starting with "Old McKinley," 
a common Hereford bull, and getting polled 
calves up to 1906, when he bought "Medford," 
a polled Hereford bull purchased of Gammon 
& Sons, of Des Moines. Iowa. He now has a 
herd of forty pure-bred cows, which he has 
raised in the last eight years, and has also 
sold a few animals, but he intends to keep on 
building up the herd right along. At the 
county fairs his cattle have taken first prize 
in their respective classes, and sweepstakes 
on the herd in 1906. against this and the ad- 
joining counties. The polled Herefords are 
the same as the Hereford, only are all horn- 
less, which are safer and feed better, with no 
shrinkage from dehorning. Mr. Wineland also 
buys and feeds cattle for the market, and han- 
dles a great many cattle each year. 

He is now breeding thirty mares to im- 
ported Spanish jack "Lissido," and has two 
young jacks from this sire. He has a number 
of jennets that have taken first prize at the 
Nebraska State Fair, also sweepstakes. These 
were bred in Kentucky. He has a fine drove 
of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs, twenty-five in 
number, and has some splendid animals, sell- 
ing them right along to the best breeders in 
this part of the state. Our subject has in- 
vented a chute for use in dehorning cattle, on 
which he dehorned, with a saw, seventy-seven 
animals in one hour, beating the world's rec- 



roMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



Orel bv twenty-five. He is now placing this de- 
vice on the market and expects to make a good 
thinjT out of it. 

His father, G. W. Wineland, was a pioneer 
of Lancaster county, this state, a breeder of 
standard bred horses for many years, now re- 
tired, and a member of the city council at Lin- 
cohi. He came from Lenawee county, Mich- 
igan, and is a veteran of the Civil war, enlist- 
ing in Company K. One Hundred and Thirty- 
ninth Indiana Infantry, serving all through the 
war. Our subject's grandfather was a soldier 
in the War of 1812 and was with Perry in the 
I^ke Erie victory. G. W. Wineland married 
Luella Lowe, whose grandfather. Captain 
L<iwe, belonged to the New York troops. In 
1892 Mr. Wineland married Miss Ethel Lowe, 
of Custer county, Nebraska, daughter of B. 
W. and Edith (Gaylor) Lowe, who came to 
that county from Lenawee county. Michigan, 
and settled on a ranch. Mrs. Wineland died 
April 13. 1906, leaving her husband with two 
children, Harold and Howard, both now at- 
tending school. 



THOMAS B. MILLEF 

Xo old settler has done more to give Loup 
county a substantial reputation than Thomas 
B. Miller. Pie is a breeder of thoroughbred 
cattle and his methods have brought him pros- 
perity and a competence. 

Thomas B. Miller was born in Delaware 
county. Indiana. September 26, 1859. His fa- 
ther. Harvey Miller, was born in the Shenan- 
doah valley, in \''irginia, on a farm adjoining 
the home of General Robert E. Lee. Abraham 
Miller, the grandfather of the subject of our 
sketch, owned this adjoining farm and was a 
persr>nal friend and neighbor of General Lee. 
Abraham Miller's father was George Miller, 
a native of Germany. Thomas B. Miller's 
mother was Jane Moffett, born at MofTett, 
Tennessee, which town was named after her 
father, and Mr. Miller's great-grandmother 
was Mary Donaldson, a native of Ireland, 
County Armagh. Thomas B. Miller's parents 
were pioneer settlers of Indiana and lived 
about a mile and a half from the village of 
Alexandria, where Thomas B. attended high 
school. 

October 31. 1878, at Alexandria, Indiana, 
Mr. Miller was united in marriage w-ith Miss 
Emma M. Perry, daughter of Aaron Perry, 
who was a blacksmith and contractor. Her 
mother was Sarah (Howard) Perry. The mar- 
riage of Mr. and Mrs. Miller has been blessed 
with ten children, three of whom are dead. 
Those living are: George W., Mary M., mar- 



ried and living in Indiana ; Harvey L., a farmer 
in Blaine county ; Ethel, married and a res- 
ident of Blaine county, Nebraska, in which 
she was the first-born w-hite female child ; 
Thomas Radle, Joy F. and Timothy C. 

Thomas B. Miller followed the occupation 
of farming in Indiana for a few years, living 
close to the old Erie canal. In the spring of 
1885 he came west into Nebraska as far as 
the end of the railroad at North Loup. He 
then, in company with Bill Stevens, an old set- 
tler, went by team to Taylor, and then rode 
up the river in company wnth A. J. Robinault, 
and filed on a homestead and timber claim in 
Blaine county, Nebraska. He built a sod house 
and a sod barn and then for ten or twelve 
years engaged in freighting from North Loup, 
Ord. Broken Bow and Dunning. He took a 
construction contract in 1886 on the new line 
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail- 
road west of Dunning. Mr. Miller had a 
great amount of business on his hands in those 
days and camped out with his w-ork in both 
winter and summer. He relates about getting 
lost one cold night when they had to stop and 
camp : the teams got rest, but he and his men 
had to run about on the prairie till sunup to 
keep warm. 

The years of drouth were very severe on 
Mr. Miller and he lost a great deal of money 
during that time, but better days dawned and 
great energy and perseverance won at last. 
Mr. Miller proved up on his homestead and 
timber claim. In 1892 he bought the farm of 
three hundred and twenty acres where he now 
lives and he has added very thorough and 
complete improvements. There is a fine grove 
of trees and the place is fenced and cross- 
fenced, and in 1964- Mr. Miller built a fine 
brick home and later, in 1906, constructed a 
large barn. He keeps about one hundred and 
thirty-five acres under cultivation, the bal- 
ance of the farm being used for pasture, as 
his principal attention is given to stock rais- 
ing. 

Mr. Miller has been closely identified with 
all the public movements in his community 
and has always taken an active part in po- 
litical matters. He has held the office of jus- 
tice of the peace, and in early days was chair- 
man of the association formed for the purpose 
of preventing the organization of Blaine coun- 
ty. Mrs. Miller is postmistress of Moulton 
postoflfice, which is located on her husband's 
farm. 

For years Mr. Miller was engaged in rais- 
ing thoroughbred Hereford cattle for purely 
beef purposes. But as the country settled u]) 
and the cattle ranges became more confined, 
Mr. Miller could see that the farmers and 




THOMAS B. MILLER. HOMESTEAD RANCH, ,884. 




RESIDENCE OF THOMAS B. MILLER (Erected in rgoa). 
Loup County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ranchmen must adopt other kinds of stock. He 
argued that the milk strain of cattle must be 
introduced so that milk and cream could be 
made a source of income from the more con- 
fined grazing. ]\Ir. Miller sold ofif all his beef 
breed of Herefords and has shipped in the first 
and largest herd of Holstein cattle ever 
brought into the county. 

The Holstein cattle hold the best record for 
milk and butter producers of any breed. The 
returns from each individual animal is the best 
of anv breed. Mr. Miller has a fine herd of 
registered Holstein cattle and will soon have 
many such milch cows and stock to sell. On 
another page will be found an interesting pic- 
ture showing some of ;\Ir. Miller's property. 

LUKE M. BATES. 

Luke M. Bates, subject of this sketch, is 
one of the rising young men of the times in 
Cherry county, Nebraska. 

Air. Bates was born in Hartford, Connect- 
icut, in 1877. and is the son of John M. and 
Sarah (Glazier) Bates, both descendants from 
New England families, who took part in the 
Revolutionary war. The father, a clergyman 
of the Episcopal church, is one of the pioneers 
of northwestern Nebraska, and is well known 
and is highly respected all over this part of 
the country. His first service in this part of 
the state was in 1887, when as a missionary 
he traveled a distance of three hundred miles 
along this line of the railroad then under con- 
struction. 

Mr. Bates and family came to Kansas in 
1883, and later moved to Nebraska, where 
Luke was educated, finishing at the academy 
at Kearney, Nebraska. In 1899 he graduated 
from the law department of the University of 
Nebraska and was admitted to the bar of the 
supreme court in the same year. He at once 
located at Long Pine and began the practice 
of law, at which he engaged in 1906, when in 
February he was appointed register of the 
United States land office at Valentine, assum- 
ing the duties of office in March. 

" From 1899 to 1905 Mr. Bates was editor 
of the Long Pine Journal, which he made felt 
in the political arena of western Nebraska. 
In 1900 he was elected attorney of Brown 
county, which office he efficiently filled two 
years, and in 1906 was elected county com- 
missioner, but resigned to accept his present 
office under federal appointment. 

In 1902 Mr. Bates was married to Miss 
Odessa Kiner, whose father, S. H. Kiner, is 
a prominent old-timer in Long Pine. One 
daughter, Helen, has been born to them, and 



a son. John M. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bates 
are members of the Episcopal church. Mr. 
Bates is on the rolls of the legal fraternity. 
Phi Delta Phi. 



CHARLES N. PHILLIPS. 

For over twenty-five years the gentleman 
here named has been closely identified with 
the agricultural interests of Kearney county, 
Nebraska, and during this time he has ac- 
riuired a valuable estate by dint of his indus- 
try and honesty. He is now retired and oc- 
cupies a pleasant home in Minden with his 
family, surrounded by a host of warm friends 
and kind neighbors. 

Mr. Phillips is a native of Lake county, In- 
diana, born in 1853. His father, George P. 
Phillips, settled in Indiana September 15. 1836, 
and lived on the same farm up to the time of 
his death, which occurred in 1893, aged eighty- 
one years. He was born in Meadville. Erie 
county, Pennsylvania, December 13, 1821. and 
was raised in New York. Our subject's mother 
prior to her marriage, which occurred March 
11. 1849, w^as Miss Eleanore Van Valkenburg, 
of near Sing Sing, New York, her parents be- 
ing old settlers who came from Holland in 
the early days. ]\Ir. Phillips first came to Ne- 
braska in 1878 and settled in Adams county 
in March. His next move was to Kearney 
county in 1881, and he bought one hundred 
and sixty acres of railway land in Lincoln 
township, where he built a house and farmed 
up to 1899. and had added to his holdings un- 
til he owned three hundred and twenty acres 
of good land, well improved with good build- 
ings, and stocked up in good shape with horses, 
cattle and hogs. He also engaged in grain 
raising and his wheat yield ran as high as 
thirty bushels to the acre, with corn up to 
fifty bushels per acre, which shows that ban- 
ner crops can be raised on this soil. He con- 
siders this is one of the best farming counties 
he ever saw, as the soil is easy to work, there 
are no stumps or stones, and one man can do 
as much work here as two or three can do 
in Indiana. 

Mr. Phillips was married in 1883 to IMiss 
Theresa Lavina Franklin, who was born in 
1868 in North Carolina. She is a daughter 
of J. T. Franklin, a southern gentleman, who 
came north after the war, and also served in 
the United States army during the war. Mr. 
and Mrs. Phillips have three children, named 
as follows : Bertha. George and ]\Iabel. 

Air. Phillips takes an active interest in all 
local and county affairs, and is thoroughly up- 
to-date in his opinions regarding matters of 



524 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



importance. He was supervisor of Lincoln 
township for two years, and served on the 
county board for some time. He was also jus- 
tice of the peace for three terms, a member of 
the school board for a lonof time, and treas- 
urer for seven years. In political faith he is 
an independent voter. 



WILLIAM H. ZIMMERMAN. 

For the past quarter of a century the gen- 
tleman above named has been closely identi- 
fied with the development and civilization of 
Sioux county. Nebraska. He is proprietor of 
one of the finest estates in that regfion. his res- 
idence bein_8^ in section 27, township 33, range 
5.^. where he enjoys a pleasant home and many 
friends, a fitting reward for his many years of 
hard labor and eflfort. 

William H. Zimmerman was born in 
Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1848, on a 
farm. His father. Samuel, was of German 
descent, a miller by trade, and the family spent 
quite a long time in Bedford county, Penn- 
sylvania, where our subject grew up. He 
learned the miller's trade as a boy and worked 
at it for several j'ears. also was on the public 
works for a time at Riddlcburg Furnace. Penn- 
sylvania. In 188.S he left the east and came 
to Nebraska, locating in Sioux county, team- 
ing from Rlair, camping out during the jour- 
ney, and finally picking out a homestead on 
section 27. township 33, range 55. During the 
first years he followed railroad work in South 
Dakota and to the west of Chadron, also 
helped build the Chadron roundhouse. Finally 
with his family he settled on his farm per- 
manently, erecting a good log house and add- 
ing improvements as he was able, and has of 
late erected a fine frame residence, modern and 
up-to-date. Fie worked his farm during the 
summers, and for five winters worked in the 
coal mines in Wyoming in order to lay by a 
little money. A\'hen the dry years came along 
he suffered severe losses from crop failures, 
and finally gave up trying to farm, working 
into the stock business, and from that time on 
met with better success. He has built up a 
splendid ranch, consisting of eleven hundred 
and sixty acres, having plenty of good pas- 
ture range and hay land for his cattle, .Sow 
Picllic creek running through the place. He 
has about seventy-five acres irrigated and 
raises good crops of small grain, etc. 

In 1873 Mr. Zimmerman was married to 
Miss Maggie A. Snyder in Bedford county. 
Pennsylvania, whose father, Adam, was a 
farmer in that vicinity, and she was raised 
there. Eight children have resulted from this 



union — George E. (deceased). Myrtle, Samuel 
I., Lillie. Eli D.. Emery E., Clarence S. and 
Grover C. 

Since locating in this region the family has 
experienced all the joys and sorrows of pio- 
neer life in the west, and have seen much suf- 
fering and privation. One incident in particu- 
lar occurred in the year 1895. when the roof 
of their house was blown ofT during a wind- 
storm, taking away the entire upstairs of their 
house. Mr. Zimmerman has done his share in 
the upbuilding of the locality, and aided ma- 
terially in establishing the schools there. He 
has held the office of precinct assessor for 
five years. Politically he is a Democrat, and 
an earnest worker for party principles. 



HON. E. W. ROBERTS. 

Prominent among the residents of Hold- 
regc is the gentleman above named, who has 
lived in this locality since 1883 and has built 
up a pleasant home and an enviable reputa- 
tion as a worthy citizen, public official, busi- 
ness man and contractor, esteemed bv all who 
know him. 

Mr. Roberts was born in Jancsville. A\'is- 
consin, where he was reared and educated. 
Our subject came to Holdrege in the fall of 
1883, at the time the town was first started, 
and at once engaged in the contracting busi- 
ness, at which he has worked ever since. He 
has erected all of the finest buildings here, 
and put up the last school building, the high 
school, costing twenty-three thousand dollars; 
also the Johnson store building, the Nelson 
block, the City National Bank and First 
National Bank, the Hamjiton Hotel and nearly 
all of the brick buildings in the business sec- 
tion of the city. He has built most of the 
finest residence buildings in Holdrege, and his 
work wherever found is of the best, and is 
greatly admired by all who view it. He uses 
the best material in the construction of all his 
work, and through his honesty and integrity 
has won the confidence and esteem of all with 
whom he has had dealings. 

For the past eighteen years Mr. Roberts 
has been chiarman of the county board. He 
has been a member of the city council for eight 
years, and president of that body several terms 
He also has been a member of the school 
board for fifteen years, ever since the city was 
first organized, and resigned some time ago. 
lie was a candidate for the state legislature in 
1906 and elected to rc]>resent Phelps county 
DU the Republican ticket. 

Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Mary 
Child. They ha\e a family of children named 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



525 



as follows : Reynold, who served in the First 
Nebraska regiment during the war with the 
Philippines, corporal in Company I, and after 
the war went back there as a teacher, residing 
near Manila; Arthur, who was in the United 
States army, and is at present in the Philip- 
pines, connected with a railway company 
there ; Ray, residing at Boise City, Idaho ; 
May, living at home. The family are members 
of the Congregational church and earnest work- 
ers for that faith. 



WILLIAM J. A. RAUM. 

The above named gentleman is one of the 
earliest settlers in Sioux county, Nebraska, 
where he has succeeded' in building up a valu- 
able estate by dint of honest industry and 
perseverance, many times becoming discour- 
aged through failures and loss, but never giv- 
ing up, and he has been richly rewarded for 
his determination to succeed. Mr. Raum re- 
sides on section 23, township 32, range 53, and 
is held in the highest esteem by his associates 
and friends. 

^Ir. Raum was born in the town of Ship- 
pensburg. Pennsylvania, in 1847. His father, 
J. A. Raum, was a farmer and hotel keeper, 
of American stock, from one of the oldest 
American families. He married Miss Marv 
Bailey, also of good old American blood, born 
at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Both parents' 
ancestors fought in the early American wars, 
and their names figure prominently in the his- 
tory of the earlier days. 

Our subject served in the Civil war with 
Company D, Second Pennsylvania regiment. 
He received a severe wound at the battle of 
Cold Harbor, June 2, 1864, and was discharged 
from the army on November 2, of that year 
on acount of disability. During his career as a 
soldier he fought with his regiment at the battle 
of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, 
and was also in the army of the Potomac. 

After leaving the war Mr. Raum returned 
to his native state and worked on the railroad 
as a fireman and engineer for the following 
seven years. In 1876 he came to Nebraska, 
settling in Lancaster county, where he took 
up a homestead and pioneered there for sev- 
eral years. He next moved to Frontier coun- 
ty, where he farmed for three years, then to 
Sioux county, landing here October 1, 1881, 
driving from Frontier county with a team and 
wagon containing his household goods. He 
first settled on government land and started 
to build up a farm, remaining there for three 
years. Soon afterwards he settled on his pres- 
ent farm, in section 23, township 32, range 53, 



being nine miles northwest of Crawford, where 
he has lived for many years, engaged exten- 
sively in stock raising and farming. His ranch 
contains nine hundred acres, the place being 
well supplied with timber, plenty of good run- 
ning water the year round, and good soil. 

^Ir. Raum was united in marriage in Oc- 
tober, 1872, to Miss Virginia Ross, whose 
father, James R. Ross, was an old settler in 
Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Raum are the parents of 
five children, namely: William, Clarence, Ed- 
win, Henry and Mabel. 

Mr. Raum is one of the leading public- 
spirited citizens of his locality, and takes a 
prominent part in local and county affairs. He 
has served as county clerk of Sioux county for 
four years, and represented his county as dele- 
gate to different state conventions. In politi- 
cal views he is a Democrat. 



WILLIAM H. ALLEN. 

The development of Newport, Rock coun- 
ty, as a trading center for this portion of Ne- 
braska, has been assisted in no small degree 
by the earnest and pushing career of Mr. Allen. 
Beginning here with the most limited re- 
sources he has worked and struggled to make 
a name and a standing for himself; and his 
career well illustrates the value of character 
as a business asset of no slight importance. 
Men have tried him, they have come to under- 
stand him, and his integrity and business 
ability are unquestioned. 

Mr. Allen was born in Coles county, Illi- 
nois, Alay 23, 1869, a son of Francis W. and 
Alatilda J. (Gardner) Allen. Both the Aliens 
and the Gardners belong to good American 
lineage, and count among their forebears some 
honored men who have done the country good 
service. Francis W. Allen devoted his life to 
farming, and was a pioneer settler in Kansas, mi- 
grating to Cowley county in 1882. Our sub- 
ject was the second child in a family of four 
children born to his parents. 

William H. Allen was partially reared and 
educated in Kansas, v^diither his parents re- 
moved as before stated. In 1891 he left home 
to care for himself, and the following year 
opened a wholesale hay business in Newport, 
Nebraska, being among the very first to take 
up this line of trade. He had so little money 
that he was able to do business only on the 
closest margin. His business, however, rapid- 
ly assumed large proportions, and it was found 
that he was handling more hay than almost 
any man on the market — and up to the pres- 
ent time his patronage has been equal to the 
occasion as the output has increased. 



526 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Allen has not confined himself to a 
trade in hay alone, but is engaged in a hard- 
ware and agricultural implement business at 
Atkinson, which he established in May, 1902, 
and which has more than met all his expecta- 
tions. In 1906, however, he received such 
flattering offers for the plant that he disposed 
of it, and opened a branch house at Stuart for 
handling hav and baling accessories under the 
firm name of Shaal & Allen, a business that 
has prospered from its inception. He is gen- 
eral manager of the Newport, Hammond and 
Southern telephone line, manager of the New- 
port Heat and Light Company, and owns a 
fourth interest in a similar plant at Atkinson. 

Mr. Allen was married December 20, 1893, 
to Miss Alta M. Miller. Her father, Daniel 
S. Miller, is an old settler in Rock county and 
is regarded as one of its most honorable and 
reliable citizens. Her mother's maiden name 
was Ann Eliza Duboise. Mr. and Mrs. Allen 
have two children : William Harold and Flor- 
ence May. Mr. Allen is an enlightened and 
public-spirited citizen, and has served on the 
town board. He is a Republican in politics. 
Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic 
order at Long Pine, the Odd Fellows and 
the Workmen at Newport, the Modern Wood- 
men at Atkinson and the Elks at Norfolk. 

Mr. Allen has a neat cottage home on Sec- 
ond street, a view of which may be seen on an- 
other page of this work, together with vieyvs 
of two of his large hay warehouses. 

JOHN H. FERNAU, Df.cf..\sed. 

John H. Fernau (deceased), who resided in 
Brown county, Nebraska, was one of the lead- 
ing old-timers of this locality. Mr. Fernau 
was born in Germany, Septemljer 9, 1836. His 
father was by trade a shoemaker, and left Ger- 
many with his family when our subject was a 
child one year old, coming to the United States, 
where they settled on a farm in New York 
state. They lived there until their family had 
grown up. educating the children in the com- 
mon schools, and teaching them to do all 
kinds of hard farm work. When John was 
sixteen years old he, with his parents, came 
west, locating in Washington county, Wiscon- 
sin, where they bought a farm and here he re- 
mained until he reached the age of twenty- 
one, when he started in life on his own ac- 
count, following farm work, securing employ- 
ment on farms in the neighborhood of his par- 
ents' home. 

.•\t the breaking out of the war he enlisted 
in Company B, Forty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry, 
and with his company was ordered to Tennes- 



see. Here the regiment took part in the bat- 
tle of Nashville and succeeding engagements 
in the west. 

At the close of the war he received an hon- 
orable discharge, and went back to his old 
home in Wisconsin, where his parents still re- 
sided, and followed farming there up to 1868, 
when he went to Buchanan county, Iowa, 
where he opened up a farm and was among the 
pioneer settlers in that county. He remained 
there for si.xteen years, and although he met 
with very good success, became dissatisfied 
and moved on to Brown county in 1884, taking 
up a homestead in section 9, township 30, 
range 21. Here he at once went to work 
erecting buildings and adding improveinents 
to his place, and from the start was very suc- 
cessful in everything he undertook. He had 
some discouragements, and went through the 
usual pioneer's experiences, doing his full 
share toward building up the farming interests 
in this locality. 

On September 3, 1861, Mr. Fernau was 
married to ]\Iiss Caroline C. Fry, in Wiscon- 
sin. She was born in Alsace, Germany, then 
a province of France, and came to this country 
with her parents when but two years old. 
Mr. and Mrs. Fernau had six children, named 
as follows: Lizzie, wife of Gus Swartz ; 
Levina, who married George Orchid ; John ; 
Polly, now Mrs. John Berger ; Joe, and Lottie, 
wife of Harry Lane. 

In 1899 Mr. Fernau sold his homestead to 
his son, Joe, and purchased land adjoining, on 
which he erected a fine set of farm buildings, 
and established another farm which he steadily 
improved. 

At the time of his death, April 4, 1907, Mr. 
Fernau was possessed of two hundred and 
forty acres of fine agricultural and grazing 
land. He took a keen interest in all matters 
pertaining to his locality, and was one of 
those who aid their influence for the better- 
ment of the people around him. Politicalh^ he 
was a Republican and was a member of the 
Lutheran church. 



WILLIAM B BISHER. 

William B. Bisher is a native of Ohio and 
was born in the year 1869. His father, Lewis 
Bisher, was also a native of Ohio and was one 
of the pioneers of Loup county, Nebraska. 
Our subject's mother, Sarah (Waits) Bisher, 
was also a native of Ohio. 

When W^illiam B. Bisher was ten years old 
the whole family moved to Indiana, where he 
was reared on a farm. In 1888 the family 
came west, settling near to Taylor, the county 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



527 



seat of Loup county, Nebraska. Our subject 
began working out by the month, continuing 
to do so for ten years. He worked hard and 
faithfully to get some money ahead, but his 
fortune did not grow very rapidly, especially 
during- the depressing times from 1890 to 1896, 
when he could earn only fifty cents to seventy- 
five cents per day. In 1900, he located a home- 
stead in the sand hills of Garfield county, 
where he remained about a year, then pur- 
chasing a farm near Burwell, making his head- 
quarters there for six years. In 1906, he 
bought the farm where he now lives, on sec- 
tion 31, township 21, range 18, and has been de- 
voting his energies to making it one of the model 
places of the community. He has two hundred 
and four acres in the place, with about one hun- 
dred and twenty acres under cultivation, and has 
a good house, barns, fences and other improve- 
ments. Industry and enterprise have been among 
his chief characteristics and his well directed ef- 
forts have brought him a very comfortable 
competence. He holds an honorable position 
in the regard of his fellows. 

William B. Bisher was married in 1900 to 
Miss Kate Woods, whose father, Ross Woods, 
was one of the first pioneers on the North 
Loup river — her mother's maiden name was 
Fanny Olger. Mr. and Mrs. Bisher have six 
children: Willie, Lilly, Fannie, Mabel, Arthur 
and a baby, not named. 



GEORGE KALB. 

George Kalb. a resident of Swan precinct. 
Deuel county, is one of the earliest settlers in 
that region. He has not only witnessed the 
wonderful transformation of this country from 
a wild and uncultivated state tb one of thrift 
and prosperity and a region rich in agricul- 
ture, but he has been a potent factor in its 
development, has acquired a valuable estate 
and the highest esteem with those with whom 
he has associated for many years. He ha? a 
home of comfort, and is one of the worthy and 
substantia] citizens of his township. 

Mr. Kalb was born in Meigfs county, Ohio, 
on August 27. 18.^5. He was the eldest in his 
father's family of thirteen children, and grew 
to manhood on the home farm, attending the 
country schools, and early was taugfht to do 
all kinds of hard work which fitted him well 
for the hardships and efforts he encountered 
in later life. Both parents are now dead. The 
family moved to Richland county, Illinois, 
when he was about nine years of age. and 
there he remained until he was twentv-five 
years of age, then came to Platte county. Ne- 
braska, and from there to Polk county. He 



homesteaded on section 12, townsliip 13, range 
44, Cheyenne county (now Deuel countv). in 
October, 1884, and settled on the land tlie fol- 
lowing spring, which he has occupied ever 
since. He, together with his brother and sev- 
eral others, were almost the first settlers on the 
table land, and went through the usual ex- 
periences in getting their homes started. This 
was perfectly wild land, with some timber, 
and they were obliged to erect the rudest 
imaginable dwellings at first, either dugouts 
or sod houses, as there were no facilities for 
obtaining finished timber, etc. However, they 
were able to get along fairly well, broke up 
some land for sod crops, and proved up on the 
claim in due time. He took additional land in 
the vicinity and became owner of a whole sec- 
tion of deeded land, which is well improved 
and equipped with every convenience for the 
operation of a model farm. He has one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres cultivated, and has 
quite a herd of cattle and horses. During the 
past ten years he has erected fine buildings 
and made extensive improvements, and now 
has a substantial home and farm. 

Mr. Kalb was married at Chevenne. Wvo- 
ming, on November 27. 1892, to Miss Lena 
Sw^artz, who is a native of Germany and came 
to this country about 1885. They have seven 
children, who are named as follows: Henry E., 
George G., Mary Catherine, John Jackson, 
Clara Daisy, Theodore and Margaret. 

Our subject is a Democrat in politics, and 
lends his influence for the upbuilding of the 
better interests of his community, casting his 
votes for those who in his opinion will labor 
for the welfare of the people. He is a member 
of the school board in his district, and has held 
other local offices. 



F. J. SCHUMACHER. 

One of the business men and representa- 
tives may be found in the above named gentle- 
man, engaged in the real estate, loan and in- 
surance business at Orleans, Harlan county, 
Nebraska. Mr. Schumacher has resided in 
that city for the past fifteen years, and through 
his industry and good business judgment has 
come to be recognized as one of the leading 
citizens of the county. Orleans is a beautiful 
little city with a population of one thousand 
two hundred, and is the most thriving and 
growing town on the Denver & St. Joseph 
line of the Burlington route. It has four daily 
passenger trains, and as many freights as traf- 
fic demands. There are two good, solid banks, 
and it boasts of having the largest and finest 
opera house in the Republican Valley. It has 



528 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



two elevators, which last year shipped out 
three hundreti cars of wheat, two hundred cars 
of corn, one hundred and fifty cars of cattle and 
one hundred and eighty cars of hogs. Many 
cattle and sheep are fed in this vicinity on ac- 
count of the large acreage of alfalfa, making a 
good market for all crops raised here. It also 
has large flour and oat-meal mills, ancl will 
soon have a large alfalfa mill located here. A 
large percentage of the population of the sur- 
rounding country is of Swedish and German 
descent, typical of these nationalities, and they 
make good farmers, being distinguished for 
their industry and steadiness. The cultivation 
of alfalfa has made dairying an important in- 
dustry, and the town is a great cream shipping 
point. The town has an eleven-grade high 
school and a fine seminary with an attendance 
of two hundred pupils each term. It has six 
churches, one of which is the most beautiful 
in point of structure between Omaha and Denver. 
Mr. Schumacher is a native of Iowa and 
he located in the town of Nebraska in 1894. and 
settled in Orleans in the same year. He opened 
his present business in 1903 and has been very 
successful from the start, advertising this por- 
tion of Nebraska all over Iowa and Illinois, 
and has been instrumental in bringing in a 
great many settlers. 



ROLLIN POLAND. 

Rollin Pnland, whdse very complete and 
well appointed farm and ranch in section 35. 
township 32. range 35, shows him a progres- 
sive and industrious tiller of the soil, and 
whose high standing with his neighbors at- 
tests his real worth and character, is one of 
the leading citizens of Cherry county, and a 
good illustration of the successful Nebraskan 
settler, who has made his home in this state 
from an early date, and has had the courage to 
endure the hard conditions of early settle- 
ment, regardless of trial and trouble. It has 
taken courage to pass through pioneer days 
and hold on despite drouths and hailstorms 
and tornadoes and blizzards, but those who 
have done it have come into possession of a 
large patrimony of ease and comfort in the 
ownership of fruitful farms and ranches with 
cattle u\ion a thousand hills-, and herds of horses 
and blooded swine. Mr. Poland has lived to 
possess and enjoy: and what he has is his by 
no accident but because he has earned it and 
is entitled to the fruits of his labors. 

Rollin Poland was born in Sheboygan coun- 
ty, Wisconsin. ( k'tober 1.^, 186.S, a son of George 
\V. and .Mary T. ( Parrish) Poland, American 
born, but of Scotch descent. The father was 



a native of New York, and served in the I'nited 
States navy for three years. He had a family 
of six children, of whom two were girls. Rollin 
being the first born in the family circle. 

When he w-as twenty-two years of age. the 
subject of this article took upon his own shoul- 
ders the burden of his own support, and leav- 
ing home was employed for a season at St. 
Louis, Minneapolis, and elsewhere along the 
Mississippi river on the government dykes. In 
1891, after a brief visit home, he determined 
to see w'hat the far west, as it was then pro- 
nounced, could do for him, and for that pur- 
pose appeared in Cherry county, Nebraska ; 
Iiere he was employed on the Churn ranch for 
four antl a half years before he took up a 
homestead for himself, a tract of land w^hich he 
still holds. By hard work and close manage- 
ment he has been able to increase his first orig- 
inal land holdings until he has become pros- 
perous if not wealthy. His entire ranch now 
comprises eight hundred and twenty acres, of 
which but little is devoted to cultivation, Mr. 
Poland depending very largely upon the prod- 
ucts of a stock farm for his profits. At the 
present writing he is keeping about two hun- 
dred and fifty cattle, and a smaller number of 
horses. His beginning consisted of two cows 
with calves and a team of horses lack ing har- 
ness, w-agon and farm implements, quite differ- 
ent from his present equipment. 

Rollin Poland became a husband and the 
head of a househld. January 1, 1895, when his 
matrimonial destinies were united with those 
of ^liss Nettie B. Hook, who was born in 
Hamilton county, Iowa, in 1879. Her father, 
John Frank Hook, a sketch of whom appears 
in this volume, is now a resident of Cherry 
county. His wife, Martha Hill, the mother 
of Mrs. Poland, w^as also -American born anfl 
bred. Mr. Poland has one child, Martha Ann. ■ 

In all political matters Mr. Poland is in- 
clined to a strict independence, seeking for best 
men and wisest measures. In concerns of 
national importance he tends towards the Re- 
publican party, but insists that private judg- 
ment should determine in the last re.sort. With 
his measure of success in Nebraska he is well 
satisfied, and doubts if he could have accom- 
plished any more with the means at his dis- 
posal anywhere in the land. Here he has a fine 
liome, with water piped into the house, and 
light and heat and comfort in all its hospitable 
recesses. He began with nothing, and has 
made his own way to a c<insiderable fortune. 
When he bought his first bill of groceries with 
which to begin housekeeping it called for all 
the money he had left from buying and build- 
ing, but Providence provided a way and their 
larder has never been emi>ty. Mr. Poland has 



COAIPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAi'HY 



5^9 



some alfalfa growing on his land and it seems 
to have taken a strong hold on the soil. The 
district school is on his ranch, in which he is 
much interested. A view of the family resi- 
dence and the surrounding buildings will be 
found elsewhere in this work. 



F. D. CODY. 



The centleman above named is a leading 
a<7riculturist of Sheridan conntv, Nebraska, 
where he has built up a comfortable home and 
farm in township 2.^. ranee 44. 

Air. Codv was born in Dubuque county. 
Towa. in ISfi.^, and raised in the town of Du- 
buque. He is a son of Edward Cody, who was 
born and raised in Ireland, coming to Canada 
in the pioneer days, and later to the United 
States, where he settled in Iowa about the 
year 1850. Our subject's mother was Miss 
Mary Devlin, born and raised in Ireland, who 
came to this country wdien a young girl. Mr. 
Cody started out for himself at the age of four- 
teen years. His father died in 1868, and he 
was taken to raise by some friends of the 
family, and he left their care as soon as he 
was able to take care of himself, and worked 
out on farms in Iowa for eight years. In 1887 
he came to Nebraska in company with W. G. 
^^'ilson. securing employment on the Burlington 
& ^Missouri railroad, having worked with Air. 
Wilson some little time .before coming to this 
state. He took up a pre-emption after locating 
here, and proved up on it, still working for Mr. 
AA'ilson, and in all spent nine years on the road. 
He afterwards sold his pre-emption together with 
a tree claim, which he had taken up. He had 
planted over two thousand seven hundred trees 
and none of them grew, so his hard work and 
the expense for the shrubs were all in vain. 
After disposing of this place he took up an- 
other homestead and proved up on it. work- 
ing out on neighboring ranches in the vicinity 
most of the time. 

In 1904 Mr. Cody bought his present home 
of four hundred and eighty acres deeded land, 
and also has taken up an additional four hun- 
dred and eighty-acre homestead. He leases 
some land besides running his own farm, which 
he uses for hay land, as he has not enough on 
his place. He is engaged principally in cattle 
raising, and keeps about one hundred and 
twenty head, but does not handle horses to any 
great extent. He is just getting nicely started 
in the stock business, and is sorry he did not 
start in at this earlier, as he thinks he can 
make money at it, and make it much easier 
than by farming. He has his land all fenced, 
and a complete set of good farm buildings. 



which makes his estate a valuable one. There 
is no government land left near his farm, all of 
this having been taken up. 

Air. Cody was married in 1900 to Aliss 
Julia Dunn, born in Ireland. She, together 
with a sister came to this country in 1899, her 
parents still living in Ireland on a farm. Mr. 
and Mrs. Cody have two children: Thomas, 
born March 22, 1901, and Margaret, born Oc- 
tober 29, 1903. Mrs. Cody owned a claim here 
which they lived on until proving up, and to- 
gether they had a pretty fair start on getting 
married. The only drawback to the locality 
in which they reside is that it is situated so 
far from any school, the nearest one being four 
and one-half miles away, but Mr. Cody states 
tliat they will remain on the farm for awhile 
at least. 

Mr. Cody is not a party man, but votes for 
the best man on the ticket, although he does 
not take any active part in politics. He has 
spent his time and given his whole attention 
to the building up of his home and farm, and 
feels well repaid for what he has done. His 
postoffice address is Lakeside, Nebraska. 



ALBERT A. NORMAN. 

The eentleman herein named is one of the 
leadino- old settlers of western Nebraska, lo- 
catinsr in Dawes county in 188fi. and has since 
made that region his home, buildinsT up a good 
farm and valuable property. Mr. Norman has 
done his full share in the upbuilding of the 
locality, and is well and favorably known to 
all residing in this section of the state as a 
worthy gentleman and good citizen. 

Mr. Norman was born in Scott countyr 
Iowa, in 1860. His father, \\'illiam S. Nor- 
man, born in Virginia, was a mechanic and 
farmer, who came to Iowa in the early stages 
of the development of that state, and went 
through pioneer experiences there with his 
family, where our subject was reared. The 
father later took up government land in Dawes 
county, Nebraska, and lived here for some 
years. During his young manhood our subject 
worked in the saw mills in eastern Iowa, spend- 
ing most of his time lietween fourteen and 
twenty-one years in that work, then moved to 
the western part of the state, settling in Car- 
roll county, Iowa, on a farm on which he re- 
mained for four years. He first landed in 
Dawes county in the spring of 1886, joining 
his father, who had come some little time pre- 
vious. The son took up a homestead in section 
35, township 33, range 48, and still occupies 
this farm. His first house was a log cabin, 
and when he landed here he had a team of 



530 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



horses, wagon and one cow to start with. He 
began on a very small scale, and worked at 
anything that came to his hand in order to get 
a start, hauling wood for a living, and at the 
same time bui)ding up and improving his farm. 
He had fair success with his crops from the 
first, and although he was visited by the 
drouths he was always able to raise a good 
crop of potatdes and some garden stuff, and 
managed to get along very well. 

He now owns a ranch of six hundred and 
forty acres of deeded land and leases one hun- 
dred and sixty acres adjoining, cultivating about 
one hundred acres, and has twenty-five acres 
of nicely growing alfalfa from which he cuts 
good crops each season. His place is located on 
Big Bordeaux creek, and has plenty of good 
clear running water the year round. His prin- 
cipal work is stock raising, dealing largely in 
horses and cattle. 

Mr. Norman is active in public affairs in 
his locality, and among the leading citizens, 
lending his influence and aid for the good of 
his community. He is an Independent voter. 

Mr. Norman was united in marriage De- 
cember 24, 1884, while living in Carroll county, 
Iowa, to Miss Ida Gray, whose father, Jerome 
Gray, was a blacksmith by trade, and owner of 
a farm in that region. Her mother was Miss 
Jane Hill, of England, coming to America 
when sixteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Nor- 
man are the parents of two children, namely: 
Laura, married, wife of Myron Fisher, of Eagle 
Grove, Iowa, and Ernest, twelve years of age, 
living with his father and mother. Mr. Nor- 
man's father-in-law, Jerome Gray, lives with 
him and is quite active at the age of eighty 
years. 



CHARLES H. WELLER. 

Charles H. Weller, an enterprising and 
successful business man of Chadron, Nebras- 
ka, was born in Richland county. Wisconsin, 
in 1856. His father, William Weller, was a 
farmer of Pennsylvania Dutch origin, and his 
mother of Irish stock, the latter dying when 
our subject was four years old. 

When he reached the age of ten he also 
lost his father and from that time on was 
compelled to shift for himself, and he man- 
aged to get enough to do at all .sorts of em- 
ployment to make a living, in 1870 moving 
to Iowa, where he followed farming for two 
years. 

Mr. Weller first came to Nebraska in 1872, 
crossing the Missouri at Omaha, locating at 
St. Paul, where he farmed for a time, and in 
1875 came through western Nebraska on a 



government survey expedition, traveling 
through Cherry and Sheridan counties. He 
spent a year in this work, then went into the 
Black Hills with a large party of settlers, 
there being sixteen wagons and twenty-four 
men in the outfit. They struck Custer on July 
4, 1886, there took up mining claims and 
worked them up to cold weather, then re- 
turned to St. Paul, where our subject spent the 
winter. In 1877 he went on another govern- 
ment survey and spent two years in the work, 
then began working as a cowboy in Nebras- 
ka and also in Wyoming, riding all over the 
western plains and following a frontiersman's 
life up to 1885. In 1886 he started in busi- 
ness at Harrison and remained there up to the 
spring of 1892, then located in Chadron, where 
he has since remained. Here he has carried 
on a saloon business and billiard room. 

Mr. Weller was married in 1903 to Miss 
Minnie Rice, of Chadron, Nebraska, daughter 
of Alonzo and Jennie Rice, of American stock. 
They have no children. 

Mr. Weller is numbered among the leading 
old-timers of this region, and has aided mater- 
ially since first locating in this country in the 
development of the commercial interests of 
the locality. He is a business man of more 
than ordinary ability and has gained the re- 
spect and esteem of his fellowmen, all of 
whom admire him for his sterling character 
and strict integrity. Politically he is a Demo- 
crat. A picture of Mr. Weller's residence will 
be found on another page. 



JOHN YOUNG. 

For over a quarter of a century the gentle- 
man whose name heads this personal history 
has been as.sociated with the agricultural in- 
terests of Phelps county. Nebraska, and as an 
old settler and one of its worthy citizens he is 
prominently known all through this section. 

Mr. Young is a native of Jon Koping, Smo- 
land, Sweden, born in 1854. He came to this 
country in 1872. accompanied by his father 
and mother. The family settled in Iroquois 
county. Illinois, where they took a farm and 
remained for six years, then moved to Ne- 
braska, locating on a homestead in Industry 
township, Phelps county. Our subject also 
took a homestead directly adjoining his fa- 
ther's, and still lives on this farm. He built a 
sod house, and began breaking up his land 
for crops. He has gradually improved his 
place, and now owns four hundred and forty 
acres, renting a part of the land, and working 
the balance himself. His farm is well stocked, 
and he engages in mixed farming and stock 




RESIDENCE OF CHARLES H. WELLER. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



531 



raising, generally keeping from fifty to one 
hundred hogs, which he ships to market. He 
has good graded cattle, and is just starting a 
thoroughbred Shorthorn herd. He also breeds 
horses for farm purposes, and has twenty-two 
head at the present time. 

Mr. Young has had experience in farming in 
Illinois, and greatly prefers this state to Illinois, 
as the wet seasons there did more damage to 
crops than the dry weather ever does here. He 
has raised fine crops ever since starting with 
the exceptions of the drouth periods, when no 
one had any luck, and his corn crop is fine 
every year. He has raised as high as ten thou- 
sand bushels of grain in a single year, and 
states that he is 'well satisfied with the condi- 
tions in Nebraska. 

In 1884 Mr. Young was married to Miss 
Emma Johnson, a native of Sweden. They have 
a family of nine children, who are named as 
follows : Frank ^^'., farming on his own ac- 
count, residing at home of our subject; Elmer 
E., who died in 1906, aged nineteen years ; 
Annie, Carl, Harry, Esther, Alvin, Albert and 
Glenn. The family are all members of the 
Swedish Mission church at Loomis and are 
well and favorably known throughout the com- 
munity. 

Mr. Young takes a commendable interest in 
local affairs. He was a member of the county 
board for Industry township for two terms, 
and has been justice of peace and assessor, also 
a member of the school board for eighteen 
years, resigning this position and again accept- 
ing. In politics he is an Independent voter. 



SAMUEL BLACK. 

An old settler in Keya Paha county, Ne- 
braska, who has done his full share in the 
building up of the commercial interests of his 
county, and built up for himself an enviable 
reputation as a business man and worthy citi- 
zen will be found in the person of the gentle- 
man whose name heads this personal history. 
He resides in Norden, and is engaged in the 
livery business. 

Mr. Black was born in Guernsey county, 
Ohio, January 10, 1842. He is a son of John 
Black, born in the north part of Ireland in 
1816, and was a pioneer settler in Iowa coun- 
ty, Wisconsin, in 1855, and again in Burt 
county, Nebraska, in 1866; his death occurred 
in Tekamah in 1892. Our subject was the 
oldest of his father's family of eight children, 
four of whom are still living. At the age of 
thirteen years he moved to Wisconsin with 
his parents, where he remained until he was 
twenty-four years old, then came to Nebras- 



ka, settling in Burt county in 1866, migrating 
with his parents. He remained at home for 
three years more, then started in farming for 
himself on a farm of eighty acres, but sold 
this after a short time. In 1884 he came to 
Keya Paha county, locating close to the town 
of Norden, taking a homestead and remaining 
on it until he had proved up. He put up a sod 
building, which was his home for several 
years. Here he went through the drouth per- 
iods, so familiar to the early settlers in this 
locality, experiencing many hardships and 
privations. These were his hardest times. 

In 1896 he moved to Norden, built a hotel 
which he conducted successfully about ten 
years; the same year he established a livery 
business, also still retaining that branch of 
the work, and has a large and lucrative trade 
in Norden and the surrounding country. He 
disposed of his hotel property in 1905, and 
afterwards purchased a farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres located north of Norden, on 
which he has planted orchards and forest trees, 
and has cultivated fifty acres. The balance 
is in hay land, supplying a good crop each sea- 
son. 

In 1867 Mr. Black was married to Miss 
Mary Metzler, in Burt county, Nebraska. Four 
children vvere born to them, namely: John, 
born in 1872, married, and engaged in farming 
in Sioux county: Frank, farming in North 
Dakota; Maria, married to Levi Nettleton, 
also residing in North Dakota ; Maude, a grad- 
uate in music from the Chicago Musical Col- 
lege, of which she has served as principal. 

On February 12, 1888, Mr. Black was mar- 
ried the second time to Mrs. Catherine ^\'ent- 
worth, a daughter of John and Ann (Gardner) 
Carr, the former born in Ireland in 1814. Polit- 
ically Mr. Black is a strong Republican. 



HENRY H. LACY. 

Henry H. Lacy, one of the enterprising and 
energetic citizens of Sioux county, Nebras- 
ka, and who takes high rank for his many man- 
ly and sterling qualities of heart and mind, was 
born at Iowa Center, Iowa, July 14, 1877, and 
is deservedly popular in his community as a 
worthy resident and public-spirited gentleman. 

Mr. Lacy is a son of Patrick Lacy, born in 
Canada, who came to the United States in 1875, 
and settled in Iowa, and later was among the 
pioneers of Sioux county, Nebraska. He mar- 
ried Elsie Hudgin, also a native of Canada, and 
when our subject was an infant of three months 
the mother died. The father removed to Iowa 
and remained there until Henry was seventeen 
years of age, when the family came to Sioux 



532 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county and settled in Harrison, where they 
spent the winter of 1894, and the following 
spring located on a rented farm situated three 
miles northwest of Harrison. Father and son 
remained on that farm for about four years, 
then the latter filed on a homestead in section 
14, township o2, range 57. He at once started 
to improve his claim, using a team of broncho 
ponies, and broke up some land and put in 
crops. He proved up on the place, built a good 
home and filed on a Kincaid eighty acres of 
land adjoining his original farm and is now 
owner of two hundred and forty acres. He 
cultivates about ninety acres of this, raising 
wheat, oats, corn, etc. He has done consider- 
able experimenting with grasses and grains 
since coining here to ascertain those best suited 
to the soil of this region, and is a progressive 
and up-to-date agriculturist. His place is well 
supplied with good buildings, all fenced and 
cross-fenced, and he has a splendid supply of 
good water from deep water wells, fitted with 
windmills and tanks. Mr. Lacy keeps only 
enough stock for domestic puposes. He has 
acquired a nice property through his industry 
and good management, beginning with prac- 
tically no capital but his own determination 
and energy. During the past two years he has 
suft'ered quite severe losses from hail storms, 
which have swept this section of the country. 

-Mr. Lacy was married in 1891 to Miss Ber- 
tha Dieckman, whose father was born in Ger- 
many, and came to America with his bride dur- 
ing the early days of the settlement of this 
region, locating in Sioux county in 1894, where 
they were among the pioneers and assisted ma- 
terially in the development and upbuikling of 
that section. Mr. and Mrs. Lacy have a family 
of two children, Herbert, born April 20, 1904, 
and Robert, born January 26, 1906. 

Mr. Lacy takes an active interest in local 
affairs and does his full share as a public-spir- 
ited citizen of his community. 

BENJAMIN F. BROWN. 

Benjamin F. Brown, residing on section 
27, township 9, range 38. is truly one of the 
self-made men and prosperous citizens of Per- 
kins county, Nebraska. He began with very 
little else save a strong heart and willing 
hands, and through industry and persistent 
effort has succeeded in accumulating a nice 
property, being consid';rcd one of the well-to- 
do and progressive agriculturists of his locality. 

.Mr. Brown was born in Clairmont county, 
Ohio, in 1836. His grandfather, Joseph Brown, 
was born in France, and his father was a na- 
tive of Ohio, who married Mary A. Meyers, 



of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, they settling in 
Ohio as young people, w-here their family was 
reared. In 1852 they emigrated to Iowa, lo- 
cating in Lee county, lived there for two years, 
then went to Clark county, where they fol- 
lowed farming and were among the pioneers. 
Our subject started for himself in Iowa, farm- 
ing and breaking up prairie for people in the 
vicinity of his parents' home, and in 1884 came 
to Nance county, Nebraska. After spending 
three years there he came on to Perkins coun- 
ty, shipping to Curtis, and driving the bal- 
ance of the way, having, as a start, four 
horses and a few tools. He located on a 
homestead on section 27, township 9, range 
38, and began to build up a farm, putting up a 
sod shanty sixteen feet by thirty-two feet, in 
which he lived for several years. During the 
first months he was obliged to haul his water 
supply three miles to his place, and went 
all through the good, bad and indifferent 
times which fell to the lot of the early settler. 
The drouth years did not affect him very 
much, and he was able to raise some fair crops, 
but for the most part devoted his time to 
stock raising. He improved his farm in good 
shape, has added to his acreage until he is 
owner of a whole section of land, on which he 
has placed good buildings and every conven- 
ience for its proper operation, having a com- 
fortable house, large barns, shed, shop, fences, 
etc. He has planted many trees, and has diff- 
erent kinds of fruit, etc. 

Although Mr. Brow'n is now a man well 
along in years he does all his own work, rais- 
ing many hogs and having a drove of about 
thirty horses and a bunch of cattle. 

Our subject was married in Iowa to Mary 
Herold, daughter of Drury Herold, a well 
known farmer of that state. To them were 
born seven children, named as follows: Wil- 
liam, Lafc, Mary C, Joe G., Frank H., Flora 
and Clarence. The mother died in 1884. 

Politically Mr. Brown is a Republican, and 
takes a loading part in all local and county 
affairs, always lending his influence for good 
government and the best interests of his com- 
munity. 



WESLEY SEDA. 

Wesley Scda. a thrifty and energetic resi- 
dent of Cheyenne county, where his industry 
and business ability have put him well to the 
front of the procession, has passed through 
all the pioneer times of western Nebraska, and 
has gained for himself an honorable position 
as a worthy citizen and possesses the respect 
and esteem of his associates. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



533 



Mr. Seda was born in the village of Cliru- 
dim, Bohemia, September 28. 1865, and grew 
to manhood there, coming to America at the 
age of twenty-two years. He sailed from 
Hamburg to New York. After landing in 
this country he came directly west, settling 
in Cheyenne county, where he filed on a home- 
stead in section 8, township 13, range 48, on 
which he lived for quite a number of years and 
succeeded in building up a good farm and 
home. He now makes his home in section 12, 
where he owns five hundred and sixty acres, 
and is largely engaged in farming, cultivating 
about two hundred acres. He also deals ex- 
tensively in stock raising, running sixty head 
of cattle and ten horses. His ranch is im- 
proved with every necessary building, a fine 
new residence having been erected in 1908, 
and modern machinery, and is considered one 
of the prosperous and progressive farmers in 
his locality. 

On July 22, 1893, Mr. Seda married Jennie 
A'annek, who was born in Bohemia in May, 
1871, and came to the United States when a 
young girl, locating in Cheyenne county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Seda have a family of six children, 
as follows : Henry, Rosa, James. Sophia, 
Annie and Mary, all living at home. 

Mr. Seda's parents resided in Cheyenne 
county for many years, both of whom are now 
dead. His wife's father is still living in the 
old country, at the advanced age of seventy- 
three years. The family are exceedingly hos- 
pitable, and have a host of friends in the com- 
munity. 

Politically he is a stanch Democrat, and is 
firm in his convictions. 



JAMES WILLIAAI BEED. 

In listing the self-made men of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, who have become well-to- 
do agriculturists and have aided materially in 
the development of the farming interests of 
this region, a prominent place is accorded the 
name of J. William Beed. For many years 
this gentleman has followed farming in this 
region, and has met with pronounced success. 
He is known as one of the substantial citizens 
of his precinct, and well merits his high stand- 
ing. 

Mr. Beed was born in Franklin county. 
Iowa, on October 22, 1863. His father. Thomas 
Beed, was a farmer, born in England, who 
came to this country in his young manhood, 
lived in Iowa for a time and was one of the 
pioneer settlers in eastern Nebraska, his death 
occurring at Battle Creek, this state. The 



mother in maidenhood was Caroline Mann. 
There were nine children in his father's family, 
and he was the second member in order of 
birth. When he was nine years of age the 
family moved to Madison county, Nebraska, 
driving from Iowa by team, and it was in that 
section that he grew up. At the age of twelve 
years he started in for himself, working in 
different parts of Madison, and also in Burt 
county, and made several trips through west- 
ern Nebraska before the railroad came in here. 
These were rough times, he being obliged to 
camp out often, and had many exciting ex- 
periences that were indelibly impressed upon 
his memory, of which he now tells many inter- 
esting tales of pioneer life in this state. 

In 1884 Mr. Beed took up a homestead in 
section 33, township 35, range 30, of Cherry 
county, and after building a sod house, started 
in farming and building up a home. He 
"batched it" for four years, then married, and re- 
mained on the place up to 1905, when he took 
a homestead under the Kincaid law and now 
lives on this place. His farm contains nine 
hundred and forty acres of good land and he en- 
gages in horse breeding to a large extent, 
having about sixty in his herd. He dultivates 
only about one hundred acres. He has built 
up a good home and farm here, and is pro- 
prietor of a valuable tract of land which he has 
acquired alone through hard work and steady 
thrift. His residence is located on section 29, 
township 35, range 30, is well supplied with 
good water and a large number of trees. 

In 1888 Mr. Beed was married to Miss 
.\lice Grandon, whose father was an old set- 
tler in Cherry county. Mr. and Mrs. Beed 
have a family of three children, namely: Lon- 
nie, Watson and Raymond. 

Mr. Beed is a Republican in political senti- 
ment, and has held difTerent local offices in past 
years. He affiliates with the Modern Wood- 
men of America. 



MRS. ELIZABETH WIBERG. 

Airs. Elizabeth Wiberg, widow of Jonas 
\\'iberg, who was a well known resident of 
township 21, range 14. Garfield county, lives 
on section 7, and personally superintends the 
management of this property with the help of 
her son, William D. Mrs. Wiberg is a practical 
farmer, as is also \Mlliam. and the well tilled 
fields and attractive appearance of the whole 
farm bears evidence of their good manage- 
ment and business ability. 

Jonas Wiberg was born in Sweden in 1823, 
of industrious and thrifty parents, and grew 
up taught to do all kinds of hard work on their 



534 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



home farm, receiving a common school edu- 
cation. He came to America in 1869, his par- 
ents having died when he was a boy of seven 
years old, and from that time he made his 
own way in the world. 

Mrs. W'iberg's maiden name was Elizabeth 
Johnson. She is a native of Norway, born in 
1843. Her first husband was Olefif Johnson. 
One child, Ed Olson, blessed this union. He 
now lives in Nance county, Nebraska, where 
he owns a nice farm. Mrs. Wiberg lost her 
first husband in her native land, he having 
passed away in 1870. That same year, when 
she was twenty-six years of age, she left her 
native land, coming to America with a party 
of emigrants. Her father and mother never 
saw them again, as she was unable to visit 
them. They are now both dead. 

Our subject was married to Mr. Wiberg 
January 1, 1875. near Clinton, Iowa, and they 
came to Nebraska from that state in 1883, set- 
ling in Wheeler count\' before it was divided. 
They first took up a homestead of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres and started to build up a 
home and farm, but during the first few years 
had a hard time to get along and suffered 
many hardships and privations on the fron- 
tier, as they started without any capital to 
speak of and had only their strong hearts and 
willing hands to carve out a fortune for them- 
selves. However, they were industrious and 
determined to win a home for themselves and 
family, and were not afraid to work hard for it. 
They were both accustomed to hard labor, as 
are all the sturdy children of the foreign 
countries who came here to build up a compe- 
tence for themselves, and hard though the 
work here is, it is nothing compared with 
what they have to contend with there, at much 
less reward for their labor. They became 
well-to-do. having a tidy sum laid away for a 
rainy day, but were not classed among the 
wealthy residents of the county, though none 
were held in higher esteem than were Jonas 
\\'iberg and his family. 

Mr. Wiberg died October 26. 1902, leaving 
a family of fifteen children. lie had seven 
children by his first marriage, namely: Gustaf, 
Christena, Eva, Frederick, Ida, Charles and 
Emma. The children of the second marriage 
are as follows: Mary. John. Sam. Anna. Be- 
lenda. William. Swen and Clara. Three chil- 
dren died in infancy. Mr. Wiberg was a prom- 
inent r)ld-timer of Garfield count)', regarded by 
everyone who knew him as a staunch friend, 
always willing to lend a helping hand to those 
in need. He was a strong Democrat, and 
while he took a commendable interest in local 
politics, never sought jjublic preferment ex- 



cept to serve on the school board at different 
times. His family are all members of the Ger- 
man Lutheran church of Burwell. A picture 
of Mrs. \\'iberg"s ranch will be found on an- 
other page. 



JOHN LONG KAY. 

The gentleman above mentioned has been 
a resident of Sioux county. Nebraska, for the 
past many years, and was in this territory 
when the county was organized, and from that 
time on his name has been closely identified 
with every movement for the benefit of the 
region, and assisted materially in its develop- 
ment and growth. Mr. Kay resides in section 
21, township 28, range 53. where he has a 
pleasant home and valuable estate. 

Mr. Kay is a native of Linton. Yorkshire, 
England, born in 1858. on a farm. His father, 
Robert Kay, was a farmer all his life, dying 
in England in 1890. his mother in 1882 ; and 
our subject was raised and educated there, 
learning the woodturner's trade during his 
boyhood years, and followed that work during 
his life in England and later after coming to 
the L^nited States. In 1883 he came to New 
Brunswick, landing at Halifax, and remained 
in that country for six months, then came to 
Lawrence. Massachusetts, and spent three 
months there in the weaving mill. In the 
spring of 1884 he came west to Minneapolis, 
and there worked at his trade for about six 
months. He next went to North Dakota and 
spent a short time in the harvest fields and in 
the fall of that year came to Iowa and followed 
farm work in Blackhawk county for about a 
year and a half. 

In 1886 Mr. Kay came to Sioux count)', and 
during the first summer Chadron was the near- 
est trading point. He settled on a pre-emp- 
tion northwest of Harrison, and his first build- 
ing on the place was a dugout. He started to 
work his farm, and later proved up on his 
claim. He worked out much of the time as a 
cowboy on cattle ranches in Wyoming. Idaho 
and Montana, and was with the War Bonnet 
Live Stock Company as a cowpunchcr for 
about eight years. In 1900 he located on his 
present farm, and here he has built up a fine 
ranch, called "Linton ranch," named after the 
town of his birth in England. The ranch con- 
sists of six hundred and forty acres of deeded 
land, and the same amount of leased land, ex- 
tending along the Niobrara river for some dis- 
tance, furnishing splendid running water the 
year round for his stock. He has good im- 
prnxcnients on the ranch, corrals, fences and 




?3 

> 

n 

O O 
? 2 



2; b 



^ ^ 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 535 



good buildings, and everything in first-class 
shape. He runs a large herd of Hereford cat- 
tle, making a specialty of this kind of stock, 
and has made a success of his undertaking from 
the start. A picture of the residence will be 
found on another page. 

In 1896 Mr. Kay was married to Miss E. D. 
Miller, daughter of D. D. ]\Iiller, a farmer 
from Iowa, who settled in Iowa in the early 
days. The father was born and raised in Ohio 
and the mother born in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kay are the parents of one son. Dull Long, 
and have also an adopted daughter, Mary R. 

Mr. Kay has served his district as assessor 
for two years, and takes an active and leading 
part in local affairs. In politics he is a Re- 
publican. 



HON. O. HULL. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
foremost citizens of Alma. Nebraska. For the 
past five vears he has been lecturer for the 
Nebraska Farmers' Institute, treating on econ- 
omic pork production and alfalfa culture, 
also soil tillage, advantages of a landed home 
and care and selection of seed corn, and is an 
acknowledged authority on these subjects. He 
is sent to every nook and corner of the state 
under the direction of the experimental sta- 
tion connected with the State University. He 
states that a marked advance is noted in im- 
proved methods of farming, the care and feed- 
ing of live stock, in the building up of the 
home and its surroundings, and all that goes 
to make a Success in farming communities. 
This progress has a marked effect socially on 
the country neighborhoods, and from fifty to 
seventy-five per cent, of the farmers of Ne- 
braska are actively interested in the farm- 
ers' institute lectures. Mr. Hull devotes the 
space from November 15th to Alarch 15th of 
each vear to this work, attending about four 
institutes every week. 

Mr. Hull is a native of Sharon. Mercer 
county, Pennsylvania, and a son af Obadiah 
Hull, born in 1799, who came to Mahaska 
county, Iowa, locating on a farm there in 1858. 
Our subject's grandfather, Beshira Hull, 
served in the War of 1812. and his great-grand- 
father was Captain Isaac Hull, who command- 
ed the Constitution during the war when the 
British ship Girerriere was captured, a famous 
action. This battle was fought August 19, 
1812, and lasted from 5 o'clock to 7 p. m., when 
the Guerriere was compelled to surrender and 
was burned. The Constitution returned to 
Boston. Captain Hull resigned his commission 
and was succeeded by Captain Bainbridge, of 



the battleship Constellation. Captain Hull had 
three sons — Beshira, our subject's grandfa- 
ther, John and Samuel. Beshira married Miss 
Rhoda Higbee. The mother of our subject 
was Miss Mary Moffatt. of Ohio. His brother, 
Amaziah Hull, graduated from Bethany Col- 
lege and was a classmate of President Garfield 
at Hiram College, in Hiram, Ohio. Mr. Hull 
himself is a graduate of the normal school at 
Oskaloosa, Iowa, and after leaving school was 
engaged in teaching for seven years. He was 
master of a granger lodge, and from that time on 
has always taken an active interest in these 
matters, working along the lines of the 
Granger Alliance and Populist movements. In 
the state legislature he was chairman of the 
committee on expenditure and accounts, and 
a leader of his party. He represented Harlan 
county in the legislature for two terms, i. e., 
from 1894-95 and 1896-97, taking an active part, 
especially in the session of 1897. He was elect- 
ed by the Populists, and from the very begin- 
ning was state lecturer and organizer for the 
alliance for two years 1890-91 and 1892. Our 
subject is at present engaged in raising pure- 
bred Poland China hogs, and has a fine herd 
of from thirty to si.xty on hand all the time. 
He came to Nebraska in 1876, locating in Lan- 
caster county, where he remained for sixteen 
years, then moved to Harlan county, settling 
on a farm one and a half miles north of Alma. 
He now owns a farm on which he makes his 
home, located near the town. Since coming 
to this county he has assisted in the introduc- 
tion of alfalfa in this section, and worked in 
every way for the advancement of the com- 
mercial and educational interests of Harlan 
county and Nebraska, and is a man of ready 
intelligence, forceful and of great versatility 
as a public speaker. 

He was married in 1873 to Miss Miranda 
Clark, daughter of John and Sophronia (Hull) 
Clark, early settlers in central Iowa. Mr. Hull 
is a member of the Christian church of Alma, 
his father having identified himself with this 
religious organization at the beginning of the 
movement, together with Alexander Campbell, 
Barton H. Stone and other pioneers. The fa- 
ther of Mr. Hull was an ardent abolitionist, 
and one of those who took part in conducting 
underground railways in Ohio before the 
civil war. 



HUGH HENDERSON. 

Hugh Henderson, one of the old-timers and 
a pioneer settler in Brown county, Nebraska, 
is a man of keen business judgment, who has 
done his full share of work toward the devel- 



536 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



opment of the financial interests of the local- 
ity in which he chose his home. Mr. Hender- 
son was born in Pennsylvania, May 5. 1852. 
His father. William Henderson, was a farmer 
of old .American stock, whose grandparents 
were of Dutch-Irish descent. Our subject 
came west with his parents and their family 
of five children, of whom he is the second 
member, settling in Bureau county, Illinois, 
during the war. and there he was raised and 
educated. While still a young lad he struck 
out for himself, coming to Merrick county. Ne- 
braska, and locating on the Platte river, where 
he remained for five years, and in 1884 he 
moved to Brown county, settling on his pres- 
ent farm in section 17, which he took as a 
homestead. He drove the entire distance from 
Merrick county in a covered wagon contain- 
ing their household goods, the trip consuming 
eight days, the family experiencing many hard- 
ships and discomforts during the journey. 
After locating on this farm he went to work 
and put up a rude house of logs and began to 
break the land and get it in condition for cul- 
tivation. The^ drouth periods came on and 
heavy losses were sustained through the de- 
struction of crops, but the family was never 
reduced to actual suffering, as they managed to 
make a comfortable living and provide them- 
selves with the necessaries of life. He has 
one hundred and twenty acres of good land. 
with about seventy acres under cultivation, be- 
sides operating three hundred acres of leased 
land. He has a complete set of good farm 
buildings, and has planted a large number of 
trees since coming here, and made many im- 
provements which add greatly tothe value of 
the estate. He has a well kept farm, and is 
classed among the substantial agriculturists of 
his township. 

Mr. Henderson was married in Illinois on 
Thanksgiving day, 1875, to Miss Evaline 
Burns, an Ohioan of old American stock. 
Twelve children have resulted from this union. 
named as follows: Oliver. James, Kittie, Ed.. 
Albert, Milton, Iva, Hazel, Raymond, Percy, 
\'iola and Clyde. Mr. Henderson takes an ac- 
tive interest in all the affairs of his commu- 
nity and is ranked among the leading citizens 
of Brown county. In |)iilitical faith he is a 
Democrat. 

RICHARD L. Di:C,R.\FF. 



Richard L. DeGraff, an old settler and suc- 
cessful agriculturist of Dawes county, is prob- 
ably better known throughout his section of 
the country than any other person there. He 



has had an eventful and varied history, and 
has not come to his present comfort and ease 
without passing through many trials and much 
privation. He has resided in this county for 
the jiast twenty-five years, has developed one 
of the most valuable farms in the locality and 
gained the highest esteem of his fellow-men. 
Mr. DeGrafT was born in Dutchess county, 
.\ew York, in 1838. When a few weeks old his 
l)arents moved to Prince Edward county. On- 
tario. Canada. The father, Nicholas, was of 
Dutch stock, born in Holland, while the 
mother, who was Miss Elizabeth Cole, of 
Scotch blood. Our subject was reared and 
educated in Canada, and at the age of seven-' 
teen came to Wisconsin with relatives, where 
he worked in the lumber woods for seven 
years. In 1864 he enlisted in the Mississippi 
squadron and saw service up the Red river 
and into Louisiana, and was mustered out .Au- 
gust 20, 1865. 

In 1865 Mr. DeGraff, with his family, 
stopped at Ashland, Nebraska. He was then 
working on the Union Pacific Railway, and 
was one of those who helped construct that 
railroad from Fremont to North Platte, he do- 
ing contracting, furnishing wood, ties, poles, 
etc., and during those days many times waded 
across the Platte river. He was employed by 
the railway company for two years, and dur- 
ing this time had many encounters with the 
Indians, who roamed the region in large num- 
bers. Skirmishes often occurred between the 
savages and the settlers and railroad men, and 
our subject took part in several of these en- 
counters, relating many interesting incidents 
connected with the early days in this section. 
In 1867 he went to Iowa to escort his family 
to his new home, but the Indians were so hos- 
tile during that time that he was forced to re- 
main there for quite a time, and finally decided 
to settle there, and did so, farming in different 
localities for about fifteen years, and from 
there moved to Missouri, where he bought a 
farm, later going to Kansas. 

In 1884 he came to Dawes county, teaming 
here from -Kansas with a covered wagon con- 
taining his goods. He located on his pre:«ent 
farm July 6. 1884, in section 20. township M. 
range 51. and went to work building up a home, 
his first dwelling being a dugout, so familiar 
to the settlers here. This had a roof made of 
poles and slab door, and the family occupied 
this up to 18*)0, when they erected a comfort- 
able house. He al.so built good barns, and 
had his place well stocked with machinery, and 
in the year 1890, through some accident, the 
barn was burned down, destroying machinery, 
grain, si.\ horses, harness, wagons, etc.. cans- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



537 



ing a loss of some three thousand dollars. He 
had done considerable contracting in furnishing 
supplies for Fort Robinson and had made 
money, so that, although this was a serious 
misfortune to him, it did not cripple his 
finances to any great extent. He has been the 
means of getting many settlers in this region, 
and has done his share in the developing of its 
natural resources. Mr. DeGrafF owns a farm 
of eight hundred acres, and has one hundred 
acres and more under cultivation, and the bal- 
ance in pasture and hay land. He is engaged 
quite extensively in stock raising, running one 
hundred cattle and other stock. He is now 
one of the foremost citizens of his county, and 
has plenty to keep him in comfort and ease 
for the balance of his life, but he well remem- 
bers the time when he lived on nothing but 
buffalo meat all one winter. This was in 1866, 
and on one of his trips from Fort Laramie 
during this time he loaded his wagon with red 
cedar, which he sold at Alkali Springs, west 
of North Platte, for fifty dollars a load. Mr. 
DeGraff was at Fort Laramie in 1866 at the 
time General Taylor's treaty was made with 
the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. He shook 
hands with old Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, 
and made a trade with Spotted Tail in a few 
minutes after shaking hands, trading him a 
blanket with red stripes on it for a fine robe 
worth six blankets. 

R-Ir. DeGrafT was married in 1860 at New 
London, Wisconsin, to Miss Sarah Carey, of 
American stock, born in New York state. Mr. 
and Mrs. DeGraff have a family of three chil- 
dren, namely: Dora A., George H. and Ed- 
ward S. 

Our subject is an Independent in politics, 
and although he takes a commendable interest 
in local and county affairs, has never sought 
public preferment. 



CHARLES E. TROGNITZ. 

Charles E. Trognitz, a prominent citizen 
of Cheyenne county, is a native of Ger- 
many, born March 5, 1857, and grew to man- 
hood in his native country, coming to America 
alone, landing in New York city in 1873. He 
remained there for a short time, then went to 
Brooklyn and spent thirteen months. He re- 
turned to Germany for a visit, then again 
crossed to the new world, this time coming di- 
rectly west and locating in Omaha. He re- 
mained there to January, 1875, then joined a 
party of settlers who were going into the Black 
Hills, but he only traveled with them as far 
as Sidney and stopped there for six months. 



doing different kinds of work. He secured 
work on a ranch owned by Bosler & Lawrence, 
on which they ran a large number of cattle, 
and stayed on that ranch up to the Indian 
outbreak in 1878, then left the place and went 
into the sand hills to locate abandoned gov- 
ernment horses, wagons, mules, etc. The sand 
hills at that time were practically uninhabited, 
as on account of the bad water and other con- 
ditions the government camp had been aban- 
doned. 

After locating supplies there, our subject 
bought two yoke of cattle on Running Water 
creek, eighty miles east of the Black Hills 
stage crossing, from S. Neuman, and started 
into tlje sand hills to get the horses, etc., which 
he went in search of. These were left by the 
government employes about fourteen miles 
south of Running Snake creek, and upon un- 
dertaking the journey only took with him a 
few days' supplies. Just before he arrived at 
the creek he met an old messmate. He chatted 
with him a few moments, as he was very much 
surprised to meet any one but Indians and 
government scouts, as the soldiers had all left 
the locality. After a little time the man asked 
him which direction he was going, and Mr. 
Trognitz told him what he intended doing, etc. 
He said he happened to be going the same 
way, on his trip to the old Bosler ranch on 
Blue creek, and calculated to camp about six 
miles the other side of Snake river in the open 
prairie, so as to avoid a surprise by Indians. 
He then suggested carrying part of the provis- 
ions on his horse, and Mr. Trognitz agree- 
ing, the flour and bacon was soon transferred 
to a place behind his saddle. No sooner was 
this done than he pointed to the southeast, 
calling our subject's attention to something in 
the distance, and when the latter turned to 
look the other set ofi' with all speed and left 
him abandoned on the plains, with scarcely 
enough food to last him a day. This incident 
occurred in October, 1878, and is an experience 
he will never forget. He then took a trip for 
Mr. Neuman with a load of grain for Wounded 
Knee, and was caught in a heavy blizzard, was 
snowed under and had to dig out his wagon, 
and at different times his team gave out and 
he had to transfer his load to the top of the 
hills, and finally had to abandon the load and 
ride the mules to his destination, and found 
that he was supposed to have perished in the 
storm and men had been sent out to look for 
him. 

During the same winter Mr. Trognitz had 
a contract to haul logs for the government at 
Pine Ridge agency, and in the spring sold his 
outfit and later bought some mules and out- 



53S 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND niOGKAPHY 



fit and began freighting to the Black Hills. He 
ciintinued at this work up to the spring of 
1881. 

In June, 1880, he started in the restaurant 
business in Sidney, then took up a homestead 
at Lawrence Forks, Cheyenne county, and had 
several sections under control from that time 
on up to 1883. when he sold out to Lange 
Bros, and started in the livery business in Sid- 
ney, carrying that on for about four years. 

Me next engaged in the implement busi- 
ness, which he ran for about two years, then 
as he was elected sheriff of Cheyenne county, 
gave up his establishment. He had the dis- 
tinction of having been the first man to erect 
a two-story building in Sidney. « 

Mr. Trognitz was elected sheriiY of his 
county in the fall of 1889, and served up to 
1894. then began ranching, and has been en- 
gaged in that line of work ever since. He now 
has a ranch of five hundred and forty acres, 
and runs about one hundred head of stock 
cattle and some horses. He has built up a 
valuable estate. During his career as sheriff 
Mr. Trognitz passed through the usual expe- 
riences in the wild western country, and was 
one of the most efificient ofificials the county 
ever had, and he recounts many interesting 
tales of those times. He was known as the 
"cowboy sheriff," and on the second day after 
entering upon the duties of his office captured 
a noted criminal, for whom there was a re- 
ward of $1,000. In 1890 Mr. Trognitz was 
married to Florence McWilliams, at Chicago, 
Illinois. Mrs. Trognitz was born in Newcas- 
tle. Pennsylvania. One child resulted from 
their union, Carl James, living at home and 
attending school. 

Mr. Trognitz is at the present time lessee 
and manager of the Union Pacific Railroad 
Company's stock yards. He is active in all af- 
fairs of state and county, and is a stanch mem- 
ber of the Republican party. 



LA.MI'.ICRT JOHXSOX. 

Lambert Johnson, one of the enterprising 
agriculturists and worthy citizens of section 
22. township 15. range 53. is a young man of 
industrious habits, progressive and up-to-date 
in liis cJiosen work, and owner of a good farm 
on section 22. Mr. Johnson has become suc- 
cessful through his strict integrity and honest 
dealings, building up a comfortable home and 
gaining the respect of his fellow-men and is 
known as one of the solid citizens of Kimball 
criunty. .\ portrait of him will be founil on an- 
• tlier jjage of this volume. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden and first 



saw the light in 1874. His father was a farm- 
er during his entire life, his death occurring 
in 1888. Lambert lived at home and assisted 
in carrying on the farm as a boy, leaving his 
native land when he was about fifteen years 
of age, bound for America. He landed in Bal- 
timore and immediately started for the west, 
locating in Kimball county, Nebraska, at the 
first, and began working at whatever he could 
find to do on farms and ranches here, and also 
spent considerable time in Wyoming. He drift- 
ed from one place to another, and finally set- 
tled permanently in this vicinity in 1901, tak- 
ing a homestead on section 22, township 15, 
range 53. He was practically without capital 
other than a strong heart and willing hands, 
and set about developing a farm. He put up 
a building of stone and dugout combined, and 
kept bachelor's hall for a number of years, con- " 
stantly adding improvements and breaking up 
land for crops. He proved up on his home- 
stead and afterward bought land adjoining as 
he became able, and now owns six hundred 
and forty acres, mostly in hay land and pas- 
ture, farming about sixty acres. He has erect- 
ed a good house, commodious barns and other 
buildings, has his place all fenced, and keeps 
considerable stock. He is one of those thrifty 
sons of northern Europe who have done so 
much toward developing the west, starting 
with little and never yielding to discourage- 
ment and failure, but facing every trouble and 
hardship with the sturdy determination to con- 
quer, and very few there are who have not 
made a complete success where many weaker 
natures have failed. 

Mr. Johnson was married in 1907 to Miss 
Tensia Benson, also a native of Sweden, who 
came to this country but a short time prior to. 
her marriage to our subject. They have a 
l^leasant home and are held in the highest es- 
teem by all who know them. Mr. Johnson is 
a Republican in political views. He takes a 
commendable interest in matters pertaining to 
the good of his community and has done his 
full share in developing the neighborhood in 
which he lives. 



D. C. CONGDON. 

D. C. Congdon, a prominent railroad man 
of North Platte. Nebraska, came here in 1877 
from Middletown, Connecticut, l^eginning with 
the L'nion Pacific as fireman. Me became a 
freight engineer in 1881. and in 1891 was pro- 
moted to passenger engineer and has held this 
position with the coni|)any ever since, proving 
a most capable and efficient man. 

Mr. Congdon was born in 1858 at Mifldle- 




LAMBERT JOHNSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



539 



town, Connecticut, and is a son of Joseph and 
Emma (Miller) Congdon, of New England 
stock. Our subject's uncle, I. H. Congdon, 
was general master mechanic of the Union 
Pacific Railway when only forty miles of the 
road were built, and remained for twenty years 
in this position, with headquarters at Omaha. 
A brother of our subject, M. M. Congdon, 
was general foreman of the Union Pacific at 
North Platte up to the time of his death, which 
occurred in 1881 at this place. Another uncle, 
Albert Congdon, was master mechanic and 
later purchasing agent of the Lake Shore & 
Michigan Southern Railway for several years, 
then was appointed one of the directors of the 
Canada Southern Railway. R. S. Congdon, 
another uncle, was a conductor on the Illinois 
Central Railway almost from the beginning of 
that road's existence, and is now on the re- 
tired list of the company, residing at Coimcil 
Blufifs, Iowa. One uncle was also a conductor 
in New Hampshire and still another one, L. 
O. Gassett, was master mechanic of the Lake 
Shore road at Cleveland, Ohio, prior to 1875. 
\A'illiam Congdon, an uncle, was a pioneer en- 
gineer on the Lake Shore Railway. Nearly 
all the members of our subject's family have 
been connected with railroad work for many 
years past, and the name Congdon is familiar 
to every railroad man in most of the states in 
the Union. Mr. Congdon himself has a splen- 
did record and successful career. He has never 
had a serious accident since he has taken 
charge of a train, and is a thorough master of 
his profession. He is a member of the Broth- 
erhood of Locomotive Engineers, and highly 
esteemed by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Congdon was married in 1882 in North 
Platte to Miss Dora Hughes, daughter of 
Thomas Hughes, a pioneer railroad man, be- 
ginning his career as an engineer in the days 
when coal was an unknown quantity in fur- 
nishing fuel for engines. He began at Nor- 
wich, Connecticut, and railroaded west to the 
state of Montana, for many years being con- 
ductor on a passenger train. He is now re- 
tired at the age of seventy-six years, and re- 
sides at Hastings. Mr. and Mrs. Congdon 
have one son, Guy J., with the Western Pa- 
cific at Salt Lake City, L'tah. The family are 
members of the Episcopal church and univer- 
sally esteemed in the community. 



WILLIAM ERRICKSON. 

William Errickson, a prominent citizen of 
Cherry county, Nebraska, resides on his ranch 
located in section 11, township 29, range 31, 



where he owns one of the finest ranches in this 
section of the country. He is well known 
throughout the region as an old-time cowboy 
of western Nebraska, and during the early 
days has "punched cattle" all over these west- 
ern plains. 

Mr. Errickson, a native of Illinois, emi- 
grated with his parents to Hamilton county, 
Iowa, in early childhood, remaining under the 
parental roof until 1876, when he came to Co- 
lumbus, Nebraska, and drove stage to York 
on the Burlington and Missouri Railroad one 
year. In 1878 he came to western Nebraska 
and worked on different ranches in this region 
until filing on a homestead in 1884, situated on 
what is now familiarly known to people in 
these parts as the "Bachelor ranch." Except- 
ing the summer of 1885, when he trailed cattle 
to Montana, he has remained on that place 
up to 1899, when he moved to his present 
ranch, which is located in the vicinity of Ken- 
nedy postoffice. Here he has worked faith- 
fully and built up a model place, the ranch 
containing thirty-three hundred and eighty 
acres. He is extensively engaged in stock 
raising, running from six hundred and fifty to 
seven hundred head of cattle and one hundred 
and fifty horses. He is a man of great busi- 
ness ability, and recognized as one of the lead- 
ing ranchmen in this part of the country. He 
has erected fine buildings on his property, in- 
cluding a splendid concrete house fifty-two by 
twenty-eight feet, commodious and fitted with 
modern conveniences, including bath room, 
running water and a heating plant. The out- 
side is finished with front and rear porches, 
the main part being full two stories and garret 
in height. It is a handsome building, the lower 
story of concrete and the upper frame. One 
of his barns is an immense building, sixty by 
sixty feet, with a hay mow thirty-five by forty- 
eight feet in size. Mr. Errickson has expended 
much time, thought and money in the improve- 
ment of his ranch, and his efforts are certainly 
a credit to his taste, as there is no better ap- 
pointed estate to be seen throughout this sec- 
tion. It extends from Gordon creek seven 
miles north to Boardman creek with a fine 
lake covering a hundred acres situated be- 
tween. Seven wells, with as many windmills, 
furnish water to the portions of the ranch re- 
mote from lake and creeks. A view of the 
ranch residence and surroundings is shown on 
another page in this work. 

In 1887 Mr. Errickson was married to ]\Iiss 
Margaret Gilbert, the second of a family of 
five girls, a native of Santiago, Chile, where 
her father. Rev. Nathaniel P. Gilbert, was 
serving as missionary. He was one of seven 



540 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



brothers, all of whom won distinction at the 
bar. in the medical profession or in govern- 
ment service. The mother, Mary Perkins, was 
a daughter of Dr. Joseph Perkins, president of 
a medical college at Castleton. Vermont. 

Mr. and Mrs. Errickson are the parents of 
seven children — Roy, George, Gilbert, Hazel, 
Francis. Gordon and John, all born and reared 
on the home ranch. Johnnie died in March. 
1908. the first break in the family. 

Mrs. Errickson coming of a distinguished 
family, inherits their mental ability. She is a 
woman of wide culture and a worker in church 
and school intere.sts in her neighborhood. She 
taught the first school in the district, receiving 
less in payment than her expenses in securing 
the situation. She is the organizer and main- 
stay of the Sunday school in the sod chapel at 
Kennedy. Her grandmother was Margaret In- 
gersoll. "sister of Rev. John Ingersoll. father 
of Robert G. Ingersoll. 



HANS P. LARSON. 

Hans P. Larson, a well known resident of 
Sheridan county. Nebraska, was born in Swe- 
den, September 3. 1863. and raised on his father's 
farm. The latter died in 1869. and the 
family continued operating the farm, our sub- 
ject assisting his mother in the farm work, and 
also doing carpenter work in the vicinity of his 
home. He was the eighth member in a family 
of nine children, and at the age of twenty years 
he came to America, settling in Illinois, where 
he remained for one year. The following year 
he came to Nebraska, locating in Madison 
county, and farmed there for two years. In 
188.=; he sent for his mother, who came from 
Sweden and joined him in Nebraska, and the 
following year they went to Colorado, where 
our subject took up a tree claim and pre-emp- 
tion. He proved up on the pre-emption and 
sold the property, and in 1888 returned to Ne- 
braska and took up the homestead where he 
lives at the present time. This is situated in 
section 1, township 24. range 46. Sheridan 
county. He put up one of the first buildings 
ever erected in that section, which was built 
of sods, and the family lived in it for several 
vears. He began working for the railroad, 
and did freighting for several years, and liked 
this work very well, accumulating quite a lit- 
tle money, and states that he would just as 
soon go to work at it again if the opportunity 
presented itself. 

Mr. Larson had a very small start when 
he first came to Nebraska and began in the 
stock business on a very small scale. He got 



his first bunch in 1892. purchasing them on 
time, and for some years had a hard time in 
getting along. He gradually improved his 
farm, putting up good buildings, and in 1896 
erected a comfortable, commodious barn, trad- 
ing hay for the material to build it. In 1903 
he put up a fine residence, and has his i)lace 
well fenced and corraled. He has spent about 
four thousand dollars in buildings, and has as 
good a set of farm buildings as there is in this 
locality. He aims to keep about four hundred 
head of cattle, with about thirty-five horses 
for farm purposes and the market, which is 
about all that the place can support comfort- 
ably. Mr. Larson owns seventeen hundred and 
sixty acres of deeded land, and besides this 
leases a large tract, in all controlling about 
seven sections. He uses a large portion of 
his land for the production of hay. and cuts 
about four hundred tons on the valley land 
on his home place each year. He has tried 
farming at different times, but found that it 
did not pay. and for the last few years has 
given up the cultivation of all except about 
ten acres, which is used for home consumption. 

Mr. Larson's farm is located one and a half 
miles from the school, and his boy of seven 
years rides to school. The nearest railroad sta- 
tion is at Reno, and Antioch is the nearest post- 
office. 

In addition to his stock raising Mr. Larson 
has quite a large part of his land planted to 
tame grasses, and he also has a number of 
acres in alfalfa, which does very well. He has 
some sweet clover and brome. a grass planted 
which yields a fair crop. During the raids by 
the cattle rustlers he was instrumental in se- 
curing the arrest of a number of the thieves, 
and assisted in their conviction. He is of 
active public spirit, and has held different lo- 
cal oflfices on the Republican ticket, having 
served as constable in the early days. 

Mr. Larson was married in 1898 to Miss 
Maude I. Jesse, a native of Iowa, born in 
1875. She is a daughter of Samuel Jes.se. born 
in England, who came to America in early pio- 
neer days and settled in Iowa, being among 
the pioneers in that locality. Mr. and Mrs. 
Larson are the parents of three children, all 
born and raised on his present homestead. 
They are named as follows: Stanle^v Law- 
rence, born June 8. 1899; Stelma Flora, born 
December 14, 1901. and Theodore Gustave, 
born February 28. 1905. 

Mr. Larson has been very successful in 
his line of work, and feels well satisfied with 
what he has accomplished. He has built up a 
good home and farm, and is contented to make 
this his home for some time to come. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



541 



ZADOK F. ANTRIM. 

Zadok F. Antrim, one of the best known 
pioneers of Sioux county, Nebraska, is a pros- 
perous agriculturist of section 3, township 32, 
range 55, where he has spent the past seven- 
teen years. He has followed farming nearly 
all his lifetime, and despite many discourage- 
ments during his early residence in this sec- 
tion has acquired a thoroughly improved farm 
and become one of the well-to-do men of that 
locality. 

Mr. Antrim was born in Delaware cou-nty, 
Indiana, in 1853. His father, ^^'illiam Antrim, 
was a farmer of American birth and breeding, 
and he married Phoebe Stewart, born and 
raised in Indiana, of American blood. When 
our subject was an infant the family left In- 
diana and settled in Cass county, Iowa, on a 
farm, situated fifty miles from Council Blufifs, 
which was their nearest trading point and sup- 
ply station. He grew up on the frontier, and 
in 1867 went with his parents to Missouri, 
where they settled on an entirely unimproved 
farm, and eventually succeeded in clearing it 
up and improving it in good shape. In 1885 he 
left home and emigrated to Sherman county, 
Kansas, there taking up a homestead, and 
batched it for about two years, and then was 
married to Carrie Clark, and together they 
succeeded in building up a good home and 
spent in all about seven years in that state, 
but were unable to get ahead rapidly enough 
to suit them, as he raised but one crop during 
all the time he lived on that place, and was 
compelled to work out most of the time to 
make a living for his family. They had gath- 
ered together a few head of cattle and some 
chickens, and from these obtained most of 
their living. They lived in a sod shanty, and 
also had sod stable and outbuildings. Finally 
he was obliged to give up the struggle and 
leave Kansas, so he decided to try Nebraska, 
and disposed of the farm and came to Sioux 
county, landing here in 1892, driving the en- 
tire distance with a team and wagon contain- 
ing their household goods, the family coming 
by the same route, and their nights were spent 
in a tent which they pitched wherever they 
happened to strike. They were twenty-one 
days on the road, and passed through some 
severe storms during the journey. Upon ar- 
riving in this vicinity Mr. Antrim purchased 
his present farm, which is located on Hat 
creek, in section 3, township 2i2, range 55. He 
at once went to work and put up good build- 
ings, erecting a comfortable log house and 
barn, and started his farm. This place is 
called the "O. K. ranch," and had been estab- 



lished back in the seventies by Thomas J. 
Bingy. It was all good land, with quite a 
good deal of timber, plenty of fuel and good 
water. Since coming here Mr. Antrim has 
opened up about one hundred and fifty acres 
to cultivation, all of which is irrigated, and 
he has many trees and small fruit orchards 
planted, and the place abounds with berries, 
etc. Mr. Antrim has built a dam twenty-two 
feet high on Hat creek, which makes a reser- 
voir for his irrigating system. There are fif- 
teen hundred acres in the ranch, all fenced, and 
he has put good improvements of every de- 
scription on it. He has met with many fail- 
ures since locating here, the principal one be- 
ing the loss of his barns with other property 
by fire in 1896. 

Our subject and his estimable wife have 
a family of four children, named as follows: 
\\'illiam F., Laura M., Model A. and Vern K. 
Mrs. Antrim's father, William Clark, was a 
well known farmer and old settler in Missouri, 
where she grew to womanhood. 

Our subject has been one of the leading 
men of his community ever since settling here. 
He has always taken an active part in building 
up the schools and has held school office for 
seven years, having acted as treasurer and also 
director. Mr. Antrim has also served as town- 
ship assessor for two terms, and justice of the 
peace for the same space of time. He is a 
Republican. 



DELBERT E. SHERMAN. 

Among the enterprising and prosperous 
business men of Cherry county none is better 
known or more universally esteemed than the 
subject of this review. 

Mr. Sherman was born in the city of Au- 
rora, Illinois, in 1857. His father, L. \\ . Sher- 
man, was a contractor and builder, a native of 
New York state, as was his mother, Aliss 
Electa Bathrick. Our subject, the eldest of 
three children, was reared and educated in 
Boone, Iowa, where his parents had settled 
in 1861. At the age of thirteen years he 
became self-supporting, doing farm work for 
a period of several years before coming west 
to Custer county in 1879. Here he located 
one hundred miles from a railroad, working 
as a cowboy until 1882, during which time he 
traveled over the entire west end of the state 
in the saddle. On his return to Iowa that 
year he was married to Miss Elveretta Boyer, 
daughter of a prosperous farmer of that state. 
Two children have resulted from this union, 
namelv, Elsie and Ethel. 



542 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Sherman with his wife returned to Cus- 
ter county, where he resided for two years 
prior to his advent to Cherry county in 1884. 
He at once settled on a homestead six miles 
south of X'alentine, perfecting his title in five 
years, occupying a roughly built log house 
having no floors. It is men and women who 
cheerfully endure such deprivations that con- 
stitute the bone and sinew of our western 
country. 

In 1889 Mr. Sherman moved to Valentine 
and opened a harness shop, which he conduct- 
ed some eight years, being one of the oldest 
business men of the town. In 1897 he was 
appointed postmaster of ^'alentine under Mc- 
Kinley and reappointed in 1898 when this was 
made a third-class office. In January. 1902. 
he was again appointed under Roosevelt, and 
in 1906 was reappointed for a term of four 
years. 

Mr. Sherman has always held positions of 
trust since coming to Valentine, being at pres- 
ent a member of the school board, having 
served one term as deputy sheriff of the county 
some years before. He is always interested in 
all commercial and social afTairs of the town, 
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and Modern \\'oodmen of America. 

Mr. Sherman has the distinction of intro- 
ducing and operating the first threshing ma- 
chine in Custer county. 



SAMUEL H. POWELL. 

Samuel H. Powell, an enterprising business 
man of Burweil, engaged in the real estate busi- 
ness at that place, is one of the substantial 
citizens of Garfield county. He is well known 
throughout the county as a worthy member 
of society, and has spent many years of his 
life in this section of the country. He has 
built up a successful business and enjoys a 
comfortable competence as a result of his earn- 
est endeavors and strict integrity. 

Mr. Powell was born in Crawford county. 
Pennsylvania, in 1862. His parents were na- 
tives of New York state, of W'elsh and good 
old Yankee stock, and still live in Pennsyl- 
vania. Our subject was the youngest of four 
children and was reared on a farm, attending 
the common schools and later the high school, 
receiving a very good education, which well 
fitted him for a business career. In July. 1888. 
Mr. Powell came to Nebraska and established 
a drug business in P.urwell. having associated 
with him F. A. Webster, and they developed 
a giiod business. He remained in that line of 
work up to 1893, then engaged in the insur- 
ance and real estate business, in which he has 



continued ever since. He now has connected 
with him in this business W. P. Thorp, and 
the firm has met with marked success, dealing 
in land all over Garfield and the adjoining 
counties, and they are well known throughout 
the western part of the state and enjoy an en- 
viable reputation as good business men and 
successful dealers. Mr. Powell is of the opin- 
ion that Nebraska is the best state of all for 
the poor man to start in, and says that any 
one having the energy and a small amount of 
ability, who will work hard and stick to it, can 
have no reason to complain, and is sure to gain 
a comfortable competence here. He has been 
successful in accumulating a nice property, 
and is well liked by all who have ever had 
dealings with him in a business or social way. 
In 1891 Mr. Powell was married to Miss 
Ola M. Blair, a native of Marshalltown, Iowa, 
born of German parents, and raised and edu- 
cated in her native state. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Powell the following children have been born: 
Lela, Frank, Mildred, Dorothy, Noah and 
Samuel. Mr. Powell is not a party man, but 
always votes for the best men, whether Dem- 
ocrat or Republican. In 1897 he was elected 
county treasurer on a petition and served for 
two vears. 



JOHN CLINTON WALCOTT. 

Among those who have taken part in the 
upbuilding of the western part of Nebraska 
from its early settlement, the gentleman above 
named occupies a first place, and his name 
is familiar to all of the old-timers in that sec- 
tion as a man of integrity and energetic la- 
bors, always doing his full share for the good 
of his community. Mr. Walcott resides in 
section 24, township 32, range 49, where he has 
a comfortable home and valuable property. 

Mr. Walcott was born in the British \\'est 
Indies in 1857. His father, Edward Walcott, 
was an Englishman, and he married Miss Anna 
Pasmore. also born in England. Our subject 
grew to manhood in the \\'est Indies, where 
his father was employed by the government 
as a custom house official, and the son was 
educated there. He came to the United States 
when he was twenty years of age, locating in 
Iowa, remaining there for a number of years, 
then came on to Nebraska in 1887. He at 
once filed on a homestead in section 25. town- 
ship 32. range 49, and put up a board shanty, 
in which he lived in one room, "batching" for 
some time, and during the first years was em- 
plo^-ed <in railroad construction work wlienever 
he could get it to do, filling in his odd time 
working on ranches and anything which came 



COMPENDIUxM OF HISTORY, REAIIKISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



543 



handy, constantly building up his farm and 
home. For a time he did well, then the dry 
years came on and he had a hard time to get 
along, losing several crops in succession and 
was only able to make a living, and barely that, 
never raising a crop for seven years, living en- 
tirely from the product of a few cattle and 
some chickens. He stuck to his place, how- 
ever, and gradually the times grew better and 
he improved the place, put up good buildings, 
fences, and kept buying more land, and is now 
the owner of nine hundred and twenty acres, part 
timber land, and runs a large number of cat- 
tle and other stock, and has done well. He has 
one hundred acres under cultivation, and 
raises splendid crops each season. There is 
a nice, clear stream running through his land, 
Chadron creek, and this furnishes an abunt 
dant supply of good living water for his stock 
and domestic use. 

Mr. Walcott was united in marriage in 
1892 to Miss Lizzie Morgan, daughter of 
Thomas Morgan, an early settler in Illinois, he 
dying when Airs. Walcott was a child three 
years of age. Her mother was Miss Sarah 
Williams, whose parents were both born in 
Wales. Mr. and Mrs. Walcott are the parents 
of one son, Edward. 

Mr. Walcott is a Republican and has been 
treasurer of the school district for many years. 



H. E. TECKER. 



H. E. Tecker, of Franklin, is one of the 
earliest settlers in western Nebraska, having 
come here in 1878. He is a prominent farmer 
and stockman, and during the past thirty years 
has raised, bought, fed and shipped stock from 
this locality, dealing only in high-grade stock. 

Mr. Tecker is a native of Illinois, where he 
grew up. His father, Herman Tecker, was 
born in Hanover, Germany, and came to Amer- 
ica about 1830, locating in Lake county, Illi- 
nois, where he spent many years. He was 
there engaged in farming and stock raising and 
feeding, and became very familiar with that 
country and in Chicago along this line of work, 
as he was a large shipper of cattle and hogs 
to that place. He remembers the city from its 
small beginning up to the size it has now 
grown. 

The mother was Miss Ellen Elliott, a native 
of London, England. In 1884 our subject came 
to Franklin county, purchasing a one hundred 
and sixty-acre farm in Bloomington township, 
located on Center creek, and has since added 
to the place a farm adjoining the south part 
on the bottom lands, lying just south of Frank- 
lin : also in 1906 a farm north of the town, con- 



sisting of six hundred acres. Has since sold 
one hundred and sixty acres and now owns 
four hundred and forty acres. Here he feeds 
from one hundred to one hundred and fifty 
head of cattle and from one hundred and fifty 
to two hundred hogs each year, and intends 
going into the stock business on even a larger 
scale. He keeps only high-grade animals and 
finds it a profitable enterprise. He also en- 
gages in mixed farming, and raises one hun- 
dred and seventy-five to one hundred and 
eighty acres of corn and other feed annually, 
and buys considerable to keep his stock on. 
Thirty acres is used for an alfalfa patch, and 
he cuts several good crops of this each season. 
Mr. Tecker considers this a great feeding coun- 
try, and on the same amount of money invest- 
ed will make twenty per cent, here to four per 
cent, in Illinois. 

In 1877 Mr. Tecker married Miss Mary 
Marferding, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They 
are the parents of eight children, namely: H. 
M., Harry, Walter, all of whom assist their 
father in the farming and stock business ; Airs. 
Blanch Austin, of Franklin : Airs. Alaud Ray- 
burn, of Kansas City : Ruth, married to Steve 
Murray ; Mabel and Alary, living at home. 
The family occup}- a fine residence in Frank- 
lin and have a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 

Politically Afr. Tecker is a Republican and 
has taken an active part in public affairs in the 
town and county for many years. 



RALPH H. HAGBERG. 

Among the well known railroad men of 
western Nebraska, the above mentioned gen- 
tleman occupies a prominent place. He re- 
sides in AlcCook, Redwillow county, and is 
recognized as one of the leading citizens of that 
thriving city. 

Air. Hagberg was born in Sweden, August 
1, 1867, and came to America with his parents 
in 1870. His father, Alex. Hagberg, settled in 
Galesburg, Illinois, with his family in that 
year, remaining there for two years, then re- 
moved to eastern Nebraska, locating at Har- 
vard. They lived there until 1872, then came 
on to Furnas county and took a homestead 
and pre-emption, also tree claim, situated near 
Arapahoe. This was then only a wilderness 
and very sparsely settled, there being only two 
families within a radius of twenty miles from 
the place they located on, they being at Elk 
creek. The father was a very active and hard- 
working man and one of the pioneers who 
aided materially in the development and 
growth of this section of the country by per- 



544 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



suading many Swedisli settlers to come to Ne- 
braska from Illinois, telling them of the many 
advantages and opportunities to be found in 
this state. He was a Republican, active m 
party affairs, keeping abreast of the times in 
all public matters and promoting educational 
interests in every way he could. For many 
years he acted as assessor of Furnas county. 
and was a man much above the ordinary in in- 
telligence and ability. He had received a very 
good education in Sweden and this was of great 
benefit to him and gained him the reputation 
of being one of the best informed men of the 
times. He was an active member of the Lu- 
theran church, and the whole community sym- 
pathized with the family when his death oc- 
curred in 1904. In the early years in this 
state he was engaged in the live stock busi- 
ness, and made a marked success at this work. 
He left four children — Fred, a farmer of Clay 
Center. Kansas ; Charles, who has been very 
successful in the mining business, located at 
\\'est Point. California; Edith, now Mrs. 
Frank Marshall, of Arapahoe. Nebraska, and 
our subject, who since 1887 has been con- 
nected with railway work. In that year he be- 
gan working for the Burlington & Missouri 
Railroad at Arapahoe, and the following year 
ran a section at ^lascbt. remaining at this for 
two years. In 1890 he was made foreman of 
the Oxford yards, and the year following was 
appointed foreman of construction on laying 
steel rails for the main line, and followed this 
fon three years. In June. 1893, he became road- 
master at McCook. running from that place 
to Akron, and in IfXW was transferred to the 
portion east of McCook. He has made a good 
record for himself in all his work, and is a 
man of marked ability, gaining the whole con- 
fidence of his superiors. 

Mr. Hagberg was married in 1899 to Miss 
Alma Rosanter, a native of Sweden, who came 
to this country when a young girl. They have 
no children. 

Mr. Hagberg is a good citizen of the com- 
munity where he has made his home, and a 
man who devotes his entire time and attention 
to the work he has chosen. In political faith 
he is a Republican. 



THOMAS PEACOCK, Dece.xsed. 

This honorable name of a man who passed 
on to the better world, but leaving behind him 
the record of good and useful years, should not 
be omitted from any comprehensive roll of the 
makers of Brown and Rock counties, Nebraska. 
He was born in Buckinghamshire, near London. 



England. March 4, 1829. and came to this country 
when eighteen years old. His parents. James 
and Sarah (Mott) Peacock, were born and 
reared to a farming life, and to this noble labor 
Thomas Peacock always turned. His parents 
settled in Essex county. New York, in 1847. and 
there the young man made his home, and when 
a little older grown engaged in farming for him- 
self. There he was married on September 26, 
1854. to Miss Margaret M. Bogardus, a native of 
the state of New York, having first seen the light 
at Albany. October 27. 1837. where her father, 
David H. Bogardus. had long been engaged in 
the double occupation of farming and kee])ing 
hotel. He was of Holland ancestry, while her 
mother, Sally .■\. ( Xewhury | Bogardus. had an 
American lineage running through manv gener- 
ations. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Peacock were born 
nine children, of whom four are now living: 
David, at present on the old home farm; Mar- 
garet, wife of Hudson Brown. Gregorv. South 
Dakota ; Thomas, living in Newport, pastor of 
the Methodist church ; and Hattie Maria, who 
married a real estate broker of Gregory, South 
Dakota. For the youngest of these was namea 
the postofiice of Mariaville. Mr Peacock at that 
time being postmaster, and she being the first 
white baby born on the prairie. This office. Mr. 
Peacock and his wife held from the spring of 
1882 until the fall of 1893. when the latter re- 
signed after Mr. Peacock's demise. 

Mr. and Mrs. Peacock remained in New York 
for the nine years that followed their wedding, 
and in 1862 removed to Fillmore county. Minne- 
sota, where they maintained their home for the 
next four years. They went back to their old 
New York home, but remained only a year, as 
the east had lost its charm. Coming to the west 
once more, they settled at Omro, Wisconsin, 
a town on the Fox river, then of considerable 
importance ; but after a residence there of two 
years removed to Green county. Iowa, which be- 
came their home for nine years. In 1879 Mr. 
Peacock brought his family by covered wagon 
from Iowa to what is now Rock county. Ne- 
braska, and settled on section S?' in Kirkwood 
precinct. During the summer tliey lived in a 
tent, but as the winter advanced, moved into a 
log house which they built during the fall. He 
proved u]) his homestead in due time, and at the 
time of his death his farm had liccome one of the 
more noted places in the countv. He died at 
home October 18. 1892. 

Mr. Peacock served as a soldier in the L'nion 
army during the civil war. and for two years 
wore the blue as a member of the Seventy-sev- 
enth New York V'olunteer Infantry. His serv- 
ices were rendered in the army of the Potomac, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



545 



under command of General McClellan, and there 
he received injuries which produced disabilities 
necessitating his discharge. 

Mr. Peacock took an active interest in polit- 
ical matters and did much work in the adminis- 
tration of local and public ati'airs in his own 
community. He helped organize Rock county 
and gave close attention to the formation of the 
school districts and the inauguration of public 
education. He was an active Republican. 

The Peacock homestead forms an extensive 
estate of four hundred acres, with about sixty 
under active cultivation. There is a fine grove of 
forest trees, and over a hundred fruit trees, with 
sixty vines of improved varieties of grapes. 
One hundred and twenty acres are devoted to 
tree culture, and ample fuel for all purposes is 
furnished to the dwellers on the farm. 

The subject of this biographical writing is 
remembered as an honorable man, a faithful hus- 
band and father, an industrious farmer, and a 
loyal and patriotic citizen of the county. 

A view of the premises is to be found on an- 
other page, as well as a print of the original build- 
ing which for many years served as postoffice 
and hotel. As many as seventy-five have been 
fed here at a single meal, colonists passing 
through to other parts of the west. The famous 
"rustler," Doc ]\Iiddleton, has refreshed himself 
at their board and at the time of his capture 
the posse which had him in charge dined here on 
their way to the place of his incarceration. 



MERRICK E. ROBERTSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history resides on sections 19 and 30, town- 
ship 35, range 30, Cherry county, Nebraska, 
where he has a fine estate and pleasant home. 
Mr. Robertson was born in Sullivan, Indiana, 
November 4, 1860, the second son of a family 
of five children. About two years later the fam- 
ily moved to Shelby county, settling on a farm, 
and in 1866 went to Edinboro, Johnson county, 
where the father engaged in merchandising. 
In 1874 the family returned to the Shelby coun- 
ty farm, where they resided at the time our sub- 
ject started out for himself. 

In 1885 Air. Robertson came west, locating 
in Cherry county on August 5th of that year, 
and in October, filed on a homestead, where he 
now lives. He first built a sod house, such as 
was in general use among the pioneer settlers, 
and lived in this for the next nine years, "batch- 
ing it"', as many of the early settlers had to do. 
His first team was a yoke of oxen, and he spent 
his time when not occupied in farming, freight- 
ing in order to make a living, saving his money 
for improvements on his farm. For two sea- 



sons he worked at brick manufacturing in Nor- 
folk, Nebraska, using the proceeds of his labor 
to add to his property, now amounting to six 
hundred and forty acres of good land in sections 
19 and 30. He has this all fenced and improved 
with good buildings, also a fine grove of trees, 
and plenty of good hay land. Minichaduza 
creek and Spring creek both run through a part 
of this ranch, the former of which he has 
dammed, making a fine fish and ice pond. 

His farm is beautifully situated with a school 
nearby, of which he is director, he having always 
taken an active interest in building up the 
schools in his community. He had a hard time 
during the first years, and met with many dis- 
couragements through loss of crops, and with 
insufficient capital to develop his place. He was 
here during the Indian scare of 1891, but re- 
mained at home when so many of the settlers 
were driven from the section through fear of 
the savages. 

October 1, 1896, Mr. Robertson was married 
to Miss Jessie Story, whose parents, William 
and Lydia (McKenney) Story, moved from 
Shelby county, Indiana, to Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, in 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson have 
a familv of three children, named as follows : 
Lilly, Sylvanus and Rosetta. 

All of Mr. Robertson's time is spent in 
building up his ranch and home. He cultivates 
6nly a small portion of the land, but cuts over 
two hundred and fifty tons of hay every year, 
keeping sixty to seventy-five head of cattle and 
a few horses. He does not seek political pre- 
ferment, although he is deeply interested in all 
affairs of local iipportance. Politically he is a 
Republican. 



JOHN NASLUXD. 

For over thirty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this review has been identified with 
the development of different parts of the state 
of Nebraska, and the past twenty-two years has 
been passed in Deuel county, where he gained a 
high station as a citizen, and incidentally became 
one of the substantial men of his community. 
He is the owner of a fine estate in Chappell pre- 
cinct, Deuel county, and is one of the leading 
men of the community, taking an active part 
in every movement for its betterment. 

Mr. Naslund was born in Sweden, on July 
22nd, 1851. He was raised and educated there, 
assisting his parents in carrying on their little 
farm, and remained there up to 1879, then came 
to America. He located at Alton, Ills., but only 
remained a short time, then came to Omaha, 
landing there in June, 1879. From there he went 
to Iowa and spent about a year in that state at 



546 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Red Oak and later at Council Bluffs, then re- 
turned to Omaha, and afterwards made his home 
in York county for four years. In February. 
1886. he arrived in Deuel county and took home- 
stead rights on section 20. township 13. range 44, 
proved up on the place, then sold out. He is 
now living on section 2. township 12. range 45. 
which he bought from H. G. Span, an old-timer 
in Deuel county, and has built up a good farm, 
having 240 acres, and his son. John A. Naslund. 
owns the sections joining his father's farm on 
the east and south. 

Mr. Naslund has passed through all the ex- 
periences of the pioneers of this section of Ne- 
braska. He has been prosperous and successful 
during later years, although he had a hard time 
in his early residence here. He was among the 
very earliest settlers in the locality, and about 
the first to start farming. Of late years he has 
been engaged in the stock business on quite an 
extensive scale, and at the present time has a 
herd of one hundred and fifty cattle. He has the 
farm supplied with all modern conveniences, 
good buildings, and a thoroughly improved and 
well equipped estate. .At the present time he has 
about eighty acres irrigated and four hundred 
more acres will soon be under irrigation. In 
1907 the average yield per acre of winter wheat 
was forty-three bushels, the best yield in this 
region. In 1908 he had a yield of forty-one and 
one-fourth bushels to the acre. The farm is 
operated by himself and his son. 

Before leaving Sweden our subject was mar- 
ried to Anna Olund and to them have been born 
three children, namely : John Albert. Hcnrv W. 
and Lily Marie, all living on the home ranch. 
Mr. Naslund has done his full share in the im- 
provement of his section of the county, assist- 
ing in building up the schools, and is now serving 
as moderator of district No. 29. In politics he 
is a Republican. His sons, John A. and Henry 
\V. own an Advance steam threshing outfit, new, 
modern, and up-to-date, and do work all over 
this part of Nebraska and Colorado. For years 
Mr. Naslund has followed the trade of plasterer, 
and has been known for years as "John Naslund. 
the plasterer," being one of the first in this neigh- 
borhood. 



THOMAS R. F\'.\NS. 

Prominent anions' the 'irog-cssive agri- 
turi.sts and business men of Keva Paha countv. 
Nebraska, is the gentleman above mentioned. 
Thomas R. Evans, who resides on section 22. 
township 33. range 23. 

Mr. Evans was born in Denbighshire. Wales. 
Great Britain. February 26. 1843. His father. 



Robert T. Evans, was a Congregational preach- 
er, and came to America with his family in 1857. 
-After filling a pulpit in the state of New York 
he migrated to Low Gap. Missouri, where he 
ministered to a congregation thirty-seven years, 
until killed bv a cyclone in Livingston countv. 
June 20. 1883. His mother, who was Miss Eli- 
nor \\". W'illiams, survived her husband's death 
by several years, coming to Keya Paha county 
with our subject, where her death occurred in 
1906 at the advanced age of ninety-two years. 
Mr. Evans was the only son of his parents, 
and grew to manhood in New York state, where 
he learned the shoemaker's trade and photog- 
raphy. In the spring of 1865 he came west, 
settling in \\^aukesha county, Wisconsin, where 
he entered the mercantile business. He was later 
appointed postmaster of Waukesha, under Abra- 
ham Lincoln's administration. He spent eight 
years in all in Wisconsin, then came to Iowa, 
settling in Iowa county on a farm and started in 
to build up a home. He resided on this place 
for about seven years, his land comprising eighty 
acres, which he sold and moved to Missouri, 
where he remained for seven years, operating a 
farm. 

After the cyctone of 1883 Mr. Evans, who 
was a deacon in the church, felt that he would 
have to make a new home for himself and 
family, also the people who lost all their effects 
and homes, so a meeting was called and he was 
elected as a delegate to select the spot for new 
homes, and he came to Nebraska, and selected 
Keya Paha county as one of the most desir- 
able places he found. His own and thirteen 
other families came to western Keya Paha coun- 
ty, making up nearly a full train with the party, 
as they came on to Ainsworth. Mr. Evans lo- 
cated on section 20, township 33. range 23. 
where he put up a log house and went to work 
building u]i his home. He handled ox teams, 
o|)ening u]) a large part of his farm with oxen 
and although he experienced all the hardshi])s 
and jirivations of the early settlers in this lo- 
cality he persevered and finally succeeded in es- 
tablishing a comfortable farm and home, at the 
present time owning one hundred and sixty 
acres, after having divided his farm and giving 
])art of it to his son. He has plenty of running 
water on his place, also natural timber and wild 
plum trees. 

Mr. Evans surveyed the town site of Norden, 
and platted the town for the owner, and still 
owns a half interest in the site and a number of 
lots there. 

Mr. Evans was married in Wisconsin in 1864 
to Miss Mary Jane Parry, whose father, Isiimael 
Parry, was a farmer. Ten children were born 
of this marriage, named as follows: Robert (de- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



547 



ceased), Annie, Robert, Thomas, Ishmael, May. 
Llewellyn, Hugh, Ollie and Florence. His wife 
died February 6th, 1906. and is deeply mourned 
by her family and all who knew her. 

Mr. Evans was elected county surveyor four 
terms, serving faithfully and well. He has dealt 
to considerable extent in real estate, and carried 
on a loan business for eastern capitalists in this 
section, and been engaged in a number of large 
enterprises aside from carrying on his farm. He 
is a man of active public spirit, and takes a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs. He is a 
strong Republican. 



WILLIAM HUFF. 

William Huff, who resides in section 1. town- 
ship 31, range 49. Dawes county, Nebraska, is 
one of the prosperous and successful citizens of 
his community. Mr. Huff has spent many years 
of his life in this locality, and is well and favor- 
ably known to all the residents of his township 
as a citizen of worth, and a progressive and ener- 
getic farmer. 

William Huff was born in Mahaska county. 
Iowa, in 1850. His father, Thomas Huff, was a 
native of Germany, and came to the L^nited States 
in his young manhood, settling in Kentucky. He 
married Zilpha Hale, of Welsh descent, born in 
Kentucky, and they came to Nebraska in 1868, 
with their family of nine children, from Iowa, 
where they had lived until our subject was eigh- 
teen years of age. They began as pioneers in 
southeastern Nebraska, settling in Richardson 
county, where for a number of years our subject 
was engaged in trading among the Indians who 
then were scattered all through that part of the 
state in large numbers. He was also engaged 
in farming there for some years, and owned a 
farm of ninety acres up to 1885, when he disposed 
of his property and mo\"ed to Sheridan county, 
where he was among the early settlers and again 
went through pioneer experiences. He lived at 
Hay Springs for a time, then located three 
miles west of that town, where he worked on 
rented land, then filed on a homestead on the 
Niobrara river, southwest of Hay Springs, in 
Dawes county. There his nearest neighbor was 
two and a half miles distant, and the country 
was entirely unimproved, wild land, but he at 
once went to work and built a substantial frame 
house and started a farm. For three vears he 
met with very good success, then the dry periods 
came on and he was unable to raise any crops 
and was obliged to work out for a living, hauling 
timber and wood off the land he now owns to 
get money for provisions for his familv, and on 
two or three occasions he went into the Black 



Hills to work for a time and try and get a iittle 
money ahead. In 1899 he finally sold out his 
homestead and moved to his present farm in sec- 
tion 1. and here he has a well improved farm 
and ranch of seven hundred and forty-two acres 
of deeded land besides operating six hundred 
and forty acres of leased school land. His prop- 
erty is located on Chadron creek at Box Springs 
and is well supplied with good living water and 
plenty of timber. He runs ninety head of cattle 
and about a dozen horses, and farms quite a 
large part of his land. 

\\'hen Mr. Huff was twenty-five years of age 
he was married to IMiss Frances Shaw, whose 
father, John Shaw, was a freighter and pioneer 
in Nebraska. Mrs. Huff's parents were of Irish 
birth and settled in this country when young 
people, locating in Nebraska in the early days, 
and our subject's wife was reared and educated 
there. i\Ir. and Mrs. Huff are the parents of 
the following children : Maude. Irene, Thomas, 
Anna, Mead and Katie. 

Mr. Huff is a man of active public spirit, and 
has held numerous local offices. He has served 
on the school board of the district for ten years 
past. 



JAMES CURRY. 

James Curry, a prominent resident of Box 
Butte county, Nebraska, owns a fine farm in sec- 
tion 23, township 26, range 50. and from a very 
humble start has succeded in building up a valu- 
able estate and has also borne his share of the 
burdens in building up his locality. 

Mr. Curry was born at Ontario, Canada, in 
March, 1833. His father was a farmer, a native 
of Ireland, as was also his mother, tney settling 
in Canada when young people, building up 
a good home and rearing their family 
of nine children. Our subject worked on 
the home farm during his boyhood, attend- 
ing the country schools, remaining with his 
parents until he was twenty-six years old, then 
started to farm on his own account and followed 
that occupation in Canada up to 1866, when he 
came to the L'nited States and located in ( )maha. 
He only remained there a few months, then lo- 
cated near St. Paul, where he built a mill and 
operated it for a short time, and was among the 
pioneers in eastern Nebraska. In 1888 Mr. Cur- 
rv first struck Box Butte county, and filed on his 
present farm, which is situated on section 23, 
township 26. range 50. His first dwelling was 
a sod house, and his first team was a pair of 
oxen, with which he broke up all of his land. He 
also hauled timber and fuel from Pine Ridge 
with these, camping out at night under his 



548 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



wagon, and went through the regular frontiers- 
man's experience. However, he has been ex- 
tremely fortunate in never having had anv total 
failures, once having lost some of his crops by 
hail storms and suffering to some extent from the 
drouths, but has never experienced the suffering 
and privation that has fallen to the lot of so many 
of the early settlers in this region, although his 
only possessions when he struck this county were 
his oxen and wagon and six cows. He first 
worked at clearing his farm, and has succeeded 
in building up a good home and valuable estate, 
accumulating about two thousand acres, of which 
he has sold over one thousand six hundred acres. 
His place is all fenced and well improved with 
good buildings, etc.. and he keeps quite a large 
number of stock, mostly horses and cattle. 

In 1857 ^Ir. Curry was married to Margaret 
Hiller. daughter of a farmer and early settler in 
Lampton, Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Curry are the 
parents of nine children, five of whom are now 
living, namely : James, William. Margaret, Albert 
and Robert, and all of whom are settled in good 
homes in Sioux county. 

Mr. Curry has held school offices for many 
years. He was elected justice of the peace sev- 
eral times but never served. 



DANIEL STIXARD. 

Daniel Stinard. one of the most successful 
farmers of Cherry county, is one of the old set- 
tlers of this community. 

Mr. Stinard was born in New Rochelle. New 
York, in 1853, and is a son of Augustus Stinard, 
a farmer who was also interested in several busi- 
ness enterprises. Our subject, the youngest of 
ten children, was reared and educated in his 
native state. Until the age of eighteen years 
he remained under the parental roof and then 
launched out for himself in the dairy business 
for a time, later entering the mercantile pursuits 
in Goshen. Orange county, and Mt. Vernon, in 
West Chester county, New York. He met with 
moderate success but finally determined to go 
west where prospects for greater achievements 
were brighter, and in 1884 came to Valentine, 
pre-empting and proving up a claim, after which 
he filed on a homestead on which be also jjroved 
his claim. While on his homestead he opened a 
store two miles cast of Niobrara, which proved 
to be a very successful undertaking. He con- 
tinued on the farm engaged in cattle and 
horse raising until 1893, when he came to Valen- 
tine and opened a clothing store, which he has 
been successfully conducting since that time. 
dcvelo]jing into one of the solid business men of 
the town. He is niinilicrcd among the substantial 



old settlers of Cherry county, and has been hon- 
ored by his /fellow townsmen with one term as 
mayor of \"alcntine. He has built up an envi- 
able reputation as one of the leading men of the 
community. 

Mr. Stinard was married to ]Miss Mary PI 
Lawrence, daughter of Augustus Lawrence, of 
old American stock. They had six children, of 
whom but three are living, namely: Ida and Ada 
(twins), and Lucella. 

Mr. Stinard is a staimch Republican. 



MAGNUS JOHANSON. 

Magnus Johanson, one of the old settlers of 
Kimball county. Nebraska, is known throughout 
that section as a prosperous and energetic farmer 
and worthy citizen, and well merits the high sta- 
tion which he holds. A portrait of him appears 
on another page. 

Mr. Johanson was born in Sweden November 
22nd. 1851. He was the fifth child in a family 
of eight, and was one of a pair of twins. He 
grew up in Sweden, following farming as a bov. 
Both parents lived and died in their native land, 
and when our subject was thirty-two years of age 
he came to America, landing in New York city, 
living in that state for about two years. He next 
went to Iowa and then came to Sidney, Ne- 
braska. For several years he was on several dif- 
ferent pieces of land, but had poor luck, and did 
not locate permanently for some time. In June, 
1904. he homesteaded in section 2. township 16, 
range 54. and now has the entire section. He 
went through all the old Nebraska hard times, 
meeting with losses and discouragements, but 
never gave up hope, and finally was successful in 
building up a good home and improving his 
ranch in good shape. He has about one hun- 
dred acres cultivated, and runs forty head of cat- 
tle and a bunch of horses. His ranch is supplied 
with improvements of every kind, including good 
buildings, etc.. and he is classed among the 
wealth)- men of his locality. 

On January 29th, 1894, Mr. Johanson was 
married to Miss Carolina Sanderson, a native of 
Sweden, who came to America in 1883. They 
have an interesting family of five children, all 
living at home and named as follows: Herbert 
Edwin. Carl Helmer, Bertha Amanda, Emil 
Alexander and Melvin M. 

Our subject's twin brother. John Johanson, 
came to America in 1887. locating on section 14, 
township 16. range 54. Kimball county, and now 
owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres. He is married and has a familv of seven 
children. The family occupy a pleasant home, 
and have a well improved ranch, and the father 




MAGNUS JOHANSON. 



COIMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



549 



is extensively engaged in the stock raising and 
farming business. 

Magnus Johanson is prominent in local 
affairs, and has done much to forward the inter- 
ests of his township. He is at present acting 
as moderator of school district No. 12. He is a 
staunch Republican. 



:MRS. L. J. DOYLE. 

The subject of this review, since April, 1906, 
has been associated in business with her husband, 
J. M. Doyle, proprietor of the Washington 
Hotel, at Holdrege, Nebraska. Mrs. Doyle was 
formerly the wife of F. D. Traverse, of Hold- 
rege, and came to Holdrege from Pennsylvania, 
in 1880. She was at that time the widow of 
Jesse Evans, and the mother of one child, Henry 
Evans, now residing at Seattle, Washington, a 
successful builder and contractor of that place. 

Mrs. Doyle is a native of Wayne county, 
Pennsylvania, born near the town of Sherman in 
1853, and is a daughter of Henry and Margaret 
(Bush) Jayne, the latter at present residing in 
Prairie township, hale and hearty at the age of 
eighty-three years. The Jayne family came from 
England, settling in Long Island in 1660, and 
Henry Jayne had four great uncles, who fought 
in the Revolutionary war : Colonel William Jayne, 
on Washington's staff; Captain Timothy Jayne, 
who had forty-nine members of the Jayne family 
in his company of soldiers, all relatives, and all 
were captured at Fort \^'ashington, only eighteen 
of whom returned, the others having died on the 
Jersey prison ship. Henry Jayne's father, Ben- 
arah Ja\Tie, was in the war of 1812, and he him- 
self served in the Civil war. j\lrs. Doyle has 
one brother, Benjamin Jayne, of Goodland, Kan- 
sas, and two sisters, Mrs. Ella Dobson, of Hold- 
rege, and Anna B. Scott, of Omaha. 

Upon coming to Phelps county Mrs. Do\le 
took up a homestead, and at present is the owner 
of several fine farms in this vicinity, and since 
taking her first homestead she has been constantly 
engaged in farming operations, and has bought 
and sold farms and residences, always with a 
profit, and is a shrewd business woman. Prior 
to her marriage to Mr. Traverse, which took 
place in 1887, and since his death, in 1892, she 
was sole manager of her large interests. She 
bears testimony to the fact that her son. Henry, 
when only a boy, became a great help to her, and 
later was very successful in managing farms and 
raising stock, also in feeding and buying and sell- 
ing stock of all kinds. Prior to his locating in 
Seattle, he was married to Miss Hattie Rowland, 
of Dubuque, Iowa, a niece of George Rowland, 
of Industry township. F D. Traverse came to 



Holdrege in 1884, and for four years served as 
postmaster under President Cleveland. He was 
county treasurer for two years, from 1890 to 
1892 inclusive, and was engaged in the real es- 
tate and loan and insurance business, and gained 
a reputation as being one of the best business 
men here, always in the front rank of those who 
work for the upbuilding of Holdrege, and the 
development of this county. He was one of the 
"pushers" along all lines, an active member of 
the Democratic party, and his popularity was 
demonstrated by the fact that with only four 
hundred Democrats in Phelps county to one thou- 
sand eight hundred Republicans, he was elected 
treasurer, irrespective of partv lines. He was a 
^lason, an active member in the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, and was one of the organ- 
izers who also helped to build the Presbyterian 
church of Holdrege. He was proprietor of sev- 
eral fine farms, and personally operated and man- 
aged three hundred and twenty acres in Lake 
township, of which he was half owner. He was 
very successful in these lines, and after his death 
his widow sold cattle to the amount of $4,000 
which he had on these farms. His success in 
grain raising was equally pronounced, and he 
was a successful farmer and business man in 
every sense. He left a family of two children, 
namely : Margaret, married B. C. Baker, of 
Holdrege, a prominent piano dealer ; and Frank 
D. Traverse, attending school at Holdrege. 

In 1905 our subject was married to J. M. 
Doyle, well known all over the state, having been 
in the real estate, insurance and mercantile busi- 
ness for over twenty years, in Lincoln, Hastings 
and Alexandria. Mr. and Mrs. Doyle made a 
success of the hotel business, and run a first-class 
house patronized by only the best people. 

Our subject is one of the best agriculturists 
in this locality, having in one year cleared 
$1,879.25 from one hundred acres, hiring all the 
help in operating this land. 

Mrs. Doyle is a prominent member of the 
Baptist church of Holdrege, and was one of the 
organizers of the church, and is an earnest 
worker in its interest. She is most successful 
in raising funds for its support, and devotes much 
of her time to the work of the upbuilding of the 
locality in which she chose her home. She is a 
very estimable lady, and enjoys a host of warm 
friends and acquaintances. 



H. CLEARMAN. 



J. H. Clearman, of Minden, Kearney county, 
is prominently known as a successful and pros- 
perous business man and worthy citizen of his 
locality. Mr. Clearman is proprietor of the New 



550 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



York department store in Minden, with branches 
at Xorman and Keene, both in Kearney county. 
Mr. Clearman was born in 1859 at Spring- 
field. Missouri. He came to Nebraska in 1884, 
locating at Sutton, where he was in business for 
many years. He then had branch stores at York, 
Harvard, Stanton, ' 'pland. Clay Center, Hart- 
well, Wilcox, Keene Norman, Chester and other 
points, and was very successful in his manage- 
ment of his large enterprises. He is a man who 
attends strictly to his business matters, and is 
thoroughly up-to-date in all his methods, and a 
hustler. His main store at Minden is a fine 
brick building forty-four bv one hundred and 
forty-iour, which ' he bui'lt in 1900. This 
has a full size basement, and the whole 
building is devoted to salesroom space. It is a 
modern, up-to-date store in every way, and he 
carries a full line of general merchandise. He 
has an immense trade steadily spreading out, 
now extending all over Kearney and the adjoin- 
ing counties, and is favorably known bv every- 
one in this section for his strict honesty in all 
business dealings. Both Bradstreet and Dun's 
give him the credit of being the only man to 
manage branch stores successfully all through 
the hard times of the past several years, and 
during the diiTerent panics that occasionallv 
swept over the country. He operates on a 
strictly cash basis, and is a merchant and not a 
banker, being willing that the banks should carry 
the people's paper and accounts, but he onlv buys 
and sells for cash at the right prices. He is' a 
great believer in the opportunities of Nebraska 
as a money-making state, and besides his resi- 
dence and business property in Minden he owns 
an eight-hundred-acre ranch in Lincoln countv. 
also other farm lands in different parts of Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Clearman was married in 1884 to Miss 
Hattie Morgan, daughter of D. Morgan, a re- 
tired merchant and capitalist o! Minden. and 
Mrs. Clearman assists her husband in the man- 
agement of his mercantile affairs, and he realizes 
that this constant association and confidence and 
help are important factors in his success. 

Mr. Clearman does not take a pronounced 
part in public affairs as an office seeker, but only 
as a citizen who is interested in the upbuilding 
of the state that has been his home for the past 
twenty-four years. 



JOHN F, STRONG. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the prosperous agriculturists of 
Sheridan county, where he has a valuable estate 
and pleasant home. Mr. Strong is a native of 



Jeft'erson county, Iowa, bom in 1849. near Fair- 
field. \\'hen he was two years old his parents 
moved to Lucas county, Iowa, and here he was 
raised on a farm until he was twentv. His fa- 
ther, Thomas L. Strong, was of Scotch-Irish 
descent, born and raised in Ohio. He was the 
first settler in his precinct in Lucas countv, and 
built the first school house in that locality, wliich 
was named "The Strong School." and still bears 
that name. There were six children in his fa- 
ther's family, of whom he was the second mem- 
ber, and he remained at home up to 1869, then 
began working out on farms by the month, and 
continued at this for about five years. He then 
rented a farm and started in for himself and 
followed farming in Iowa for eighteen vears, 
but never made much money at it, so in 1893 he 
decided to go where he could get free land, 
and came to the state of Nebraska. His first lo- 
cation was seven miles west of section 2S. town- 
ship 24. range 44, his present home, and here 
he tried farming, remaining on that place for 
seven years, and at the end of that time was 
poorer than when he came here. He kept a few 
head of stock, and this helped him out some, 
but he could not make any money at mixed farm- 
ing, as the land was sandy, and when the dry 
time came on it blew out and took the crops 
along with it. In 1900 he sold that farm and 
bought his present home of one hundred and 
sixty acres. Nearly one hundred acres of this 
is good hayland, and here he went into the stock 
business. He had some seventy head of stock 
when he took this farm, and engaged exclusively 
in the stock raising business, and never had tried 
farming here. He soon afterwards took an ad- 
ditional four hundred and eighty acres, all of 
this being range land, and besides this leases 
the same number of acres of school land. His 
children also have a homestead which is located 
near his place, so he has plenty of hay and pas- 
ture land for his stock, and handles about two 
hundred head, doing all of the work of caring 
for this himself, except in haying time, and 
then is obliged to hire outside help. Mr. Strong 
is satisfied that he has done splendidly here, and 
much better than had he stayed in Iowa on 
rented land, but had he bought land there and 
held it for a raise, he might have made a good 
thing of it. When he first struck Nebraska he 
did not have much capital, and made a big mis- 
take in trying to farm, but he had always fol- 
lowed that work and did not like to give it up, 
and in fact, likes it much better than stock rais- 
ing, and may at some future time sell out his 
]irescnt range and buy a good farm. 

In 1874 Mr. Strong was married to Miss 
Lorinda W'yland, a native of Elkhart county, 
Indiana. Her father, Israel Wyland, was of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



551 



German descent, born in Ohio, settling in Indi- 
ana when he was twelve years old, and still re- 
sides in that state. His wife was a native of 
New Jersey, and died when her family of chil- 
dren were still quite young. Mr. and Mrs. 
Strong have five children, who are named as 
follows : Royston C, Bessie M., Delia A., James 
F. and Dick W., two of whom are married and 
reside in Alliance, and the rest make this their 
home, their postoffice address being Lakeside, 
Nebraska. Mr. Strong is a gentleman of active 
public spirit and takes a keen interest in local 
and state affairs, but has never held any except 
local office. He cast his first vote for U. S. 
Grant, in 1872, and has always voted the Repub- 
lican ticket. 



CLARENCE A. FORSLING. 

In the gentleman above named we have an- 
other one of the sturdy sons of Sweden, who left 
his native land and came to this country to help 
in the steady march of progress, and incident- 
ally to build up for himself a home and fortune 
for his descendants. Mr. Forsling was born 
January 10th, 1870, and grew to the age of 
eleven years in the land of his birth, then came 
to America with his parents. A sketch of his 
brother, G. A., is given in this volume, also the 
family history. 

Mr. Forsling first lived in Hardin county, 
Iowa, after striking the states, and made that 
his home for six years, later went to Chicago and 
secured employment with the Northwestern 
Railroad Company and was connected with that 
company for one year, then came to Phelps 
county, and later to Kimball county, Nebraska. 
He is the owner of several ranches, one situated 
on Lodgepole creek and one on the table land, 
owning altogether about four thousand acres, and 
engages in stock raising on an extensive scale, 
running about one hundred cattle and seventy- 
five horses. Besides his stock raising operations 
he raises large quantities of hay each year. He 
has a complete set of good buildings on his 
ranch, and every improvement for the operation 
of a model farm. Mr. Forsling is also engaged 
in the livery business, and a member of the firm 
of Forsling & Walker, pioneer real estate agents, 
with offices in Kimball. He owns and occupies 
a handsome residence in the town and is a 
prominent factor in all town and cduntv affairs. 
In 1900 he was elected sheriff of the county, hold- 
ing that office up to 1905. Politically he is a 
Republican. Air. Forsling was married to Miss 
Rose Lynch, July 13th, 1898, at Cheyenne, Wyo- 
ming. Miss Lynch was born in Cheyenne coun- 
ty, Nebraska, her parents being a pioneer fam- 



ily in the region, and among the very first set- 
tlers. Her mother is still living, but the father 
is dead. Four children have been born to our 
subject and his amiable wife, namely: John W., 
Lela. James C. and Mary, all living at home. 



GEORGE ARTHUR HEATH. 

George Arthur Heath, a progressive and 
enterprising farmer and stockman of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, is one of the early settlers of 
this region. He resides on his pleasant farm in 
section 18, township 33, range 34, known as "95 
Ranch," where he has succeeded in building up 
one of the valuable estates of the locality, and 
is considered one of the substantial agriculturists 
of the community 

Mr. Heath was born in Canada July 14, 1864. 
His father, George Heath, lived on a farm near 
Libby Mills, and the family remained there until 
our subject was two and a half years old, then 
moved to the United States, locating at Steam- 
boat Rock, Hardin county, Iowa. There were 
six children, of whom he was the oldest mem- 
ber, and at the age of eighteen vears he 
started out for himself, securmg employment 
on farms in the locality of his parents' 
home, and continued at this for three years. 
In 1886 he came to Nebraska and settled 
on a homestead in Cherry countv, which place 
he now occupies. During the first three years 
he worked out through the winter and devoted 
his summers to building up his farm and breaking 
land. He had a hard time to get along and went 
through the dry years, but was very fortunate 
in never having had a total failure of crops since 
starting here. He has made all he had since 
coming to this locality, as he had no start at all 
except a strong heart and willing hands, and has 
worked hard to meet his payments on his land 
and to improve his place, but is now owner of a 
ranch and farm of four hundred and eightv acres 
of deeded land besides a homestead tract of four 
hundred and eighty acres additional. He farms 
one hundred and thirty acres and is engaged to 
a large extent in the stock business, running 
about one hundred head of cattle and twenty 
horses. A view of the family residence and sur- 
roundings will be found on anothei page in this 
work. 

Mr. Heath was first married February 7, 1892, 
to Miss Anna Mone, born in 1864, at Platts- 
mouth, Nebraska, her parents being of Irish de- 
scent and early settlers in this locality. Two 
children were born of this marriage: Rosa and 
Nellie, and on September 22, 1899, the family 
suffered the loss of the wife and mother. Feb- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ruary 25. 1903, Mr. Heatli married Miss Ella 
Milslagle. born in Iowa in 1863. 

\\ lien our subject came to this section he 
was the second settler on Boiling Springs Flat, 
and has remained on this ever since. His entire 
time is devoted to his home and farm, and al- 
though he is a loyal Democrat he has never had 
any time to devote to taking an active part in pol- 
itics. 



ALBARA D. BEEBE. 

Albara D. Beebc. whose postoffice address is 
Ainsworth, Brown county. Nebraska, is widely 
Icnown as a leading representative of the agri- 
■cultural interests of this section of the state, and 
Jias won from rather unfavorable conditions by 
industry, thrift and prudence, a very consider- 
able competence, which he is able to enjoy while 
still in the vigor of his manly strength and vital 
powers. 

Mr. Beebe was born in Chardon Village, 
Geauga county, Ohio, November 14, 1849. and 
came of a family long settled in the state of 
New York, but of remote English extraction. 
His parents. Nelson and Caroline (Twung) 
Beebe, were devoted to the cultivation of the 
soil. They early felt the drawing of the west, 
and for some years made a home in Fond du Lac 
countv, Wisconsin, but later removed to Waseca 
countv, Minnesota, where from 1860 and on the 
paternal home was maintained, and where the 
subject of this writing and the only other mem- 
ber of the family, his brother, George, who is 
now a resident of Oregon, grew to manhood. 
There Nelson Beebe died, and his death was soon 
followed by that of his wife. Albara D. Beebe 
was thrown upon his own resources, and began 
life for himself as a worker in the grain ware- 
houses at Wells. Minnesota, at the early age of 
eighteen \ears. He was quick to master the 
mvsteries of grain buying and grading, and 
for some years was employed as a grain buyer. 
While a resident of Rushford, Minnesota, he 
was elected marshal, and held the office several 
years. While still in Minnesota he was mar- 
ried in Waseca county, and was lilessed with 
three children, Charles, .Albert and Clara. He 
contracted a second marriage in Nebraska, in 
1880, when Miss Sarah Hastter became his wife. 
She is a native of Richland county, Ohio, 
and is a lady of many charms and social abilities. 
To this union there have come five children. 
George, Robert. Effie, Lloyd and Lawrence, all 
of whom were bom in this state, and constitute 
a bright and interesting cirde of young people. 

[•'or a time Mr. P.eciie was engaged in the drug 
business at Rushford. but came to Nebraska 



and made his home in Hall county for some two 
or three years. In 1882 he removed his family 
from Hall county to a claim which he had lo- 
cated the previous year, and described as part 
of section 14. township 30, range 21. The home- 
coming journey was not uneventful, being made 
across country with ox teams and a covered 
wagon. The house which became the first fam- 
il\- home was built of logs, and had a shingle 
roof, the first of the kind between Longpine 
and Ainsworth. For two years it was without 
a board flooring, that being a luxury that could 
await the establishment of the family finances 
on a firmer footing. For some two years Mr. 
Beebe used oxen before he was able to supplv 
himself with work horses. Take it altogether 
these were hard and toilsome days, but their 
memory can but make sweeter the present in- 
dependence and ease. To maintain his family 
he worked out for a time, and hauled wood for 
a living. At- one period he worked forty days 
for seventy-five cents a day and his dinner. Now 
these experiences seem almost a forgotten dream 
amid the privileges and comforts of his prt -.ent 
well earned independence. He is the respected 
proprietor and operator of a choice half section 
of Brown county, all of which with the excej cion 
of about sixty acres is under active cultivation. 
Here he has erected a very comfortable and 
attractive two-story farm house, forty-eight by 
twenty-six feet, and a modern and well ap- 
pointed barn forty-eight by thirty-two feet. He 
has brought into fine condition a chariuing g -ove 
as well as a good orchard. Here he has an 
ample supply of the best farm machinery, and is 
extensively engaged in stock raising. In the 
spring of 1906 he had some twenty head of 
horses, thirty head of cattle and one hundred 
and thirty-five hogs. He owns his entire plant 
clean and clear, and owes not a dollar to any- 
body. He has done his full share in the devel- 
opment of Brown county, and is known by all 
conversant with its history as one of its leadmg 
settlers and pioneer citizens. Although never 
taking an interest in party politics, he has been 
a patriotic and public-spirited participant in local 
attairs; and for more than fifteen years has been 
school director, and assessor for eight years. 



PTTYLANDER H. YOITNG, 

Phylandcr H. Young, a very successful 
ranchman of Cherry coimty. Nebraska, whose 
home and Inisincss are to be found in section 24. 
township 31. range 29. is western born and bred, 
and thoroughly familiar with all the conditions 
of life in that vast region which he has made 
his home. His father. George Young, was a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



553 



successful cattle feeder in Saline county, Mis- 
souri, where his mother, \^irginia F. Gilliam, 
was born. His father was a, native of Maryland, 
and the Youngs have long been identified with 
American affairs, tracing their lineage to a sire 
mentioned in colonial aft'airs in 1780. 

Mr. Young was ninth in a family of ten and 
the youngest son of his parents. His earlier 
years were spent on the parental farm, but when 
he was nineteen years of age he left home, and 
for a time was employed in Lincoln, where he 
was connected with a wholesale grocery. From 
Lincoln, he went to Ogden, Utah, with a sheep 
"outfit," and for some months was engaged in 
trailing sheep from Ogden to Soda Springs, 
Idaho. For a time he was a fireman on the 
Southern Pacific railway, running between Og- 
den, Utah, and Carlin, Nevada. On a trip into 
Yellowstone Park he became stage driver for the 
trip and posed as an old guide, a bluff he suc- 
cessfully carried out. After his trip to the Yel- 
lowstone Park he again secured work ranching 
at St. Anthony, Idaho. He was employed as 
a horse ranger in Montana for one summer and 
in 1901. came to Thedford, Nebraska, with 
horses from Montana, which he trailed over to 
Dewey's Lake, where he remained for a month, 
and then went back to the old Missouri home, 
having contrived to pack into a few brief years 
about as many and as varied experiences as often 
fall to the lot of a young man. In March, 1902, 
he returned to Cherry county and finding a tract 
on Gordon creek that suited him purchased first 
about two thousand acres. In the following au- 
tumn his father also came to this part of the 
state, and together the two bought adjoining 
land from time to time until a tract of five thou- 
sand five hundred acres had been purchased, all 
of which has been fenced and very extensively 
improved. The property is known as Gordon 
Valley Ranch and extends for over ten miles 
along Gordon's creek. It is one of the most 
desirable tracts of land devoted to cattle raising 
in this entire region, and feeds annually upwards 
of a thousand cattle and about fifty mules. The 
improvements are better than the average, and 
the buildings compare favorably with those 
constructed in far older communities. The 
brand is V bar open A. The place is equipped 
with a fine set of scales and such other im- 
provements as a modern and up-to-date cattle 
ranch demands. There are three fine groves 
on the ranch, eight good wells, over three of 
which have been erected windmills with accom- 
panying tanks. One of the interesting illustra- 
tions in this work is a view of the residence 
and its surroundings. 

Mr. Young was married October 15, 1905, 
to Miss Stella M. Crowe. Her father, T. W. 

36 



Crowe, a native of Nova Scotia, is an old set- 
tler, locating southwest of Merriman, Nebraska, 
in 1888. The mother. Catherine (House) Crowe, 
was born in Wisconsin. They are highlv re- 
spected for their many sterling qualities of heart 
and mind. To Mr. and Mrs. Young have been 
born two daughters : \'irginia Catherine, born 
August 3, 1906, and Laura Edna, December 2, 
1907. They are members of the Methodist 
church. Mr. Young afiiliates with the Masonic 
fraternitv at Valentine. 



WILLIAM I. WRAY. 

William I. Wray, a representative citizen of 
Cherry county for the past twenty years, and a 
prosperous business man and former agricultur- 
ist, is a gentleman of sterling character, who 
commands the respect of a large circle of ac- 
quaintances. 

Mr. Wray was bom on his father's farm 
in Jasper county, Iowa, February 25, 1870. The 
latter came to Nebraska with his family, settling 
in York county near the line of Holt county in 
the spring of 1879 and moved to Holt county in 
the spring of 1881. where he located on a home- 
stead, remaining until the spring of 1888, when 
the family came to Cherry county and settled 
on a farm. Our subject started out for him- 
self, working in Keya Paha county for about 
six months, going west in 1895 overland to Idaho 
and all through Wyoming, Nevada and Oregon, 
where he worked at freighting, mining, etc., and 
remaining three years. At the end of that time 
he came back to this county and farmed for one 
year, then engaged in the tubular well drilling 
business. Since starting in this work he has 
put down nearly two hundred wells in Cherry 
county alone. He has been verv successful in 
this work, and has followed it for seven vears, 
becoming well known all over the count\- and 
adjoining counties for his faithful work and 
strict attention to business. 

December 15, 1898, Mr. Wray was married 
to Miss Cora A. Elliott, whose father, Nathan- 
iel Elliott, is an old settler of Nebraska, now 
residing on the Nioljrara river, twelve miles 
south of Georgia. His wife was Miss Sarah 
Keys prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wray have a family of five children, who are 
named as follows: Flossy. Sylvia, Eddie, Vio- 
let and Olive. 

iNIr. \\'ray has a nice residence in Georgia, 
as well as a ranch home, the dwelling erected 
in the spring of 1908 on a Kincaid homestead of 
six hundred and forty acres, one and a half 
miles west of Georgia. The family is well 
known and highly esteemed as good citizens 



554 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ami neighbors. Mr. Wray is a Republican, and 
takes a commendable interest in all affairs that 
tend to the advancement of educational and com- 
mercial opportunities in his community. He 
is a member of the Brotherhood of .American 
Yeomen, the Modern Woodmen of .\merica and 
the Odd Fellows lodges of Georgia. 



CAPT. \V. H. BAX\\ELL. M. D. 

Capt. W. H. Banwell, one of the leading 
physicians of Orleans. Harlan county. Nebras- 
ka, lias been engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine for many years in this locality. 

Mr. Banwell was born in .Andover, Ashta- 
bula county. Ohio, September 10th. 1832, and 
is a son of Henry and Hannah Castle Banwell, 
both born and raised in Northamptonshire, Eng- 
land. He was educated in Springfield, Clark 
county, Ohio, and there studied medicine up to 
18.^9. At the breaking out of the Civil war he 
enlisted in the Sixteenth Ohio Regiment, the 
second day after the firing on Ft. Sumter, and 
served four months, participating in several bat- 
tles in West Virginia, then re-enlisted and served 
for four years in the Forty-fourth Ohio Regi- 
ment as a private under Colonel Samuel A. Gil- 
bert. He received the appointment of second 
lieutenant in this company, and afterwards as 
first captain of Company B, serving until the 
close of the war. Then he enlisted in the 
Eighth Ohio Cavalry. He refused a captain's 
commission in this company and entered the se- 
cret service, serving four years and eight 
months. His last service was at Nashville. Ten- 
nessee, under Lieutenant Colonel Shafter, who 
died in 1906. 

( )n tliis occasion Capt. Banwell followed al- 
ter Champ Fergus! in, wlio with a company of 
thirty soldiers rode through Tennessee and shot 
down Union men. he being one of those who 
caught and helped hang Ferguson, and in a re- 
cent letter General Shafter refers to this oc- 
currence. He also served in the Twenty-third 
Army corps with the army of the Cumberland. 
His brother. Henry, was killed at the battle of 
Petersburg. \'irginia, and his other brother, 
George, was with our subject all through the war. 
Captain Banwell was first at the killing of the 
rebel General Garnet at Carricks Ford. He was 
at Lookout Mountain and in battles around 
Nashville and Chickamauga. Antietam, Winches- 
ter, etc., and during all of this hard service he 
was never once wounded, and was always at 
the front of his regiment. At the closing of the 
war he resumed the study of medicine, gradu- 
ating at the Cincinnati College of Medicine and 
Surgery July 1, 1871, soon after establishing 



himself near Springfield, Ohio, where he con- 
tinued to practice up to 1882. He was elected 
president of the Clark County Medical Associa- 
tion and held that position for a year, and in 
the fall of 1882 came to Harlan county, Nebras- 
ka, and took a homestead, where he has re- 
mained ever since. He has made Orleans his 
home for the past twenty-four years, practicing 
all over Harlan and the adjoining counties. His 
professional career extends over a period of 
thirty-five years. He is a man of active public 
spirit, taking a deep personal interest in all af- 
fairs of the community, both commercial and so- 
cial. He has been a member of the Masonic 
lodge since 1864, and has taken all the degrees 
of that society. He is a Shriner in the veteran 
^lasonic association of Nebraska, which means 
that he is over sixty years old and has been a 
Mason in good standing for over thirty years. 
He was master in ]\Ielrose lodge. No. 60, in Or- 
leans for five years. Was for sixteen years a 
member of the Grand Army of the Republic, 
and has held the post of surgeon of the Burling- 
ton & Missouri Railway at Orleans for the past 
sixteen years. 

Capt. Banwell was married in Clark county, 
Ohio, in 1867 to Miss Lucina E. Sprague, 
daughter of Darius Sprague. a leading farmer 
of Clark county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Banwell 
are the parents of three children, who are named 
as follows: Jessie, wife of Ed. L. Means, a 
banker and druggist of Orleans: Ollie, wife of 
Walter H. Green, cashier of the Massachu- 
setts National Life Insurance Company, of Indi- 
anapolis, Indiana.; and Colonel Hayes Banwell, 
residing at Arapahoe. Nebraska, cashier and 
manager of the Citizens State Bank at that 
place. 

In addition to his professional work, Capt. 
Banwell is interested in a large tract of farming 
land situated near Orleans, to the management 
of which he gives his personal attention. In 
politics he is a strong Republican. 



JOSEPH LEOPOLD DE BOCK, Dece.\sed. 

Joseph Leopold DeBock is well-known to 
nearly all the pioneers of western Nebraska as 
a leading citizen, and for many years prior to 
his demise was a resident of section 22, town- 
ship 32, range 5.^, in Sioux county. 

Mr. DeP.ock was born in Belgium, in 1842, 
and grew up in that country. His father, Carlos, 
was a farmer and nurscryninn. and a very 
wealthy man, and Joseph received many advan- 
tages in the way of education and travel as a 
young man. At the age of twenty-five years 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



555 



he came to the United States, settling at first 
in Michigan, where he worked in the pine woods 
for a time. He was a man of very strong charac- 
ter and iron constitution, and a hard worker, 
and his strength was tested to the utmost in his 
work, as many times he was obUged to stand all 
day in water while logging and doing that work. 
He finally drifted to Utah, where he lived for 
twelve years, engaged in the mining business, 
and owned a mine of his own, also manufac- 
tured charcoal. In 1884 he came to Nebraska, 
settling in Sioux county, driving in with two 
teams and covered wagon, camping out along 
the road, the trip taking three months, making 
this journey on account of his wife's failing 
health, and while on the trip she experienced 
much sickness, to which was added the discom- 
fort of having to go through many storms and 
rough weather. On arriving in this region they 
located on Hat creek, where Mr. DeBock built 
a log cabin twelve by fifteen feet, and made a 
comfortable dwelling, in- which they lived for a 
number of years. Chadron was their nearest 
trading post, a distance of sixty miles. He 
went to work to break up land for crops, and 
used the numerous springs on the places to irri- 
gate his land, planted small fruits, and after they 
were in bearing peddled the fruit at Ft. Robin- 
son, twenty miles away, also sold vegetables, 
and in this way got a start. He bought three 
cows, for which he paid forty dollars each, and 
these furnished them with plenty of milk, butter, 
etc., and also had some' to sell. When the 
drouths struck the vicinity he suffered crop fail- 
ures, but his irrigation system helped him out 
considerably, and he was able to add improve- 
ments, and gradually added to his ranch, own- 
ing at the time of his death, July 23d, 1903, four 
hundred and eighty acres, well improved with 
good buildings, etc., and stocked with cattle, 
hogs and some horses. ^Ir. DeBock put in 
manv years of hard work in opening up his 
ranch, which was in the timber belt, and he did 
much grubbing and clearing. He also helped in 
developing the resources of his locality, and did 
much toward aiding the prosperity which has 
come to the county. 

Mr, DeBock was married, in 1864, to An- 
toinette Connen, born at Green Bay, Wisconsin, 
where she was reared, her father being a farmer 
in that vicinity. Nine children were born to 
them, named as follows: Rose, Louis, Henry, 
Mary, Silva, Arnold, Leo, James and Roy. 
Since the father's death Mrs. DeBock has suc- 
cessfully carried on the home ranch, and is as- 
sisted by Leo, who bids fair to be as successful 
in the work as^ his father was. They have a 
pleasant home, and many friends in the com- 
munitv. 



W. H. KOCHER. 

W. H. Kocher is one of the leading business 
men of Holdrege, Nebraska, and for the past 
twenty years has been associated with the com- 
mercial interests of this community. He has a 
large and lucrative trade, having been engaged 
in the building and contracting business since 
1887, and has gained a wide reputation as a 
master workman. 

Mr. Kocher is a native of New York state 
and removed to Wisconsin with his parents at 
the age of six years. He was engaged in the 
builders' trade for nineteen years before com- 
ing to Nebraska, having resided for that length 
of time near Madison, Wisconsin, and was prom- 
inently known all through that section. He first 
came to Nebraska in 1887, at once establishing 
himself in this business, and ever since has de- 
voted all his time to this work, meeting with 
the greatest success in every instance. He has 
made a specialty of putting up frame residences 
of the best class, and his work along this line is 
of the very highest order. The Ed. Titus' resi- 
dence in Holdrege is a specimen of the work 
done bv Mr. Kocher, which was built at a cost 
of about $10,000. The city of Holdrege has, 
for its size, more such residences than any other 
city in western Nebraska, and for this it is in- 
debted largely to the faithful and superior work- 
manship of our subject. He was one of the 
workmen who helped erect the Hampton House, 
the Citv National Bank, and other large build- 
ings here. Mr. Kocher built a fine residence on 
East avenue for his own occupancy, which is 
presided over by his wife with much taste and 
intelligence for the home comfort of herself and 
husband, there being no other members in the 
family. Here they entertain their numerous 
friends, and everything is of the highest order 
and modern convenience. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kocher are members and earn- 
est workers in the Presbyterian church here, 
and in all social and religious circles they are 
held in the highest esteem. He is a strong Re- 
publican in political sentiment, but has always 
refused all office preferment. 



HERMAN C. RINCKER. 

Among the successful self-made men of 
Dawes county may be truly noted Herman C. 
Rincker. He came to the new world from his 
mother country when but a boy, and since his 
residence here has displayed an enterprising 
spirit and the exercise of good judgment in a 
manner that commends him to all as a worthy 
citizen. He now resides in section 11, township 



556 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



31. range 52. and is one of the prosperous farm- 
ers of his locality. He went to that region as 
a pioneer, has accumulated a fine property and 
applied himself clo.sely to his calling. He is 
well versed in agricultural pursuits and possesses 
wliat years of exjjerience teach to the observing 
only. 

-Mr. Rincker was born near Weisbaden, Ger- 
many, in 1849. His father. \\'illiam T. Rincker. 
was a veterinarian, also engaged in the meat 
business, and our subject was a lad two vears old 
when his parents left their native land and came 
to America, settling in Chicago, where thev re- 
mained for a time, then went to McLean count\-. 
Illinois, locating in Lexington, where Herman 
was raised and educated. He became familiar 
with farm work as a boy. and drifted into dif- 
ferent kinds of labor, building telegraph lines, 
etc. In 1875 he came to North Platte, where 
he did line work for a time, then was trainman 
on the L'nion Pacific railway for thirteen vears. 
eleven years of this time having charge of a 
train as conductor. He left the railroad in 1888 
and went to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where he 
engaged in the meat business.' remained a year, 
then returned to Nebraska and settled in Craw- 
ford in 1889. opening a meat market there and 
continued in the trade up to 1901. building up 
a good business and making money. He bought 
his present farm in 1894 situated three-quarters 
of a mile east of Crawford, and has s])ent six 
years on the place, improving it in fine shape. 
He owns three hundred and twenty acres, thirtv 
of which are cultivated and forty of it under ir- 
rigation. He has a comfortable house, two-storv. 
and twenty-four by twenty-six feet in size, fitted 
up with modern conveniences, and evervthing 
about the farm bespeaks thrift and industrv. 

Our subject was married in 1888 to Char- 
lotte H. Diehl. whose father, John D.iehl, fought 
and died in the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Rinck- 
er have a family of two children, namely: F.dna 
and Clarence. 

Mr. Rincker is a staunch Republican, and 
takes an active interest in local and county af- 
fairs. 



THE .MISSES VAX ORSDOLL. 

Much has been written of the hardshi]is and 
privations endured by the men who are the 
pioneers of a new country, while but little is 
ever said of the fortitude and courage of the 
women. Their lot is immeasurably harder 
than that of the men. and owing to their con- 
finement to the household and its many duties, 
see less of the stirring events that go far toward 
lessening the tedium of a lonelv, sparselv set- 
tled land. 



The west has had an attraction for many 
maidens, .some of them teachers to whom the 
wide prairie meant the breath of life, some of 
them from other walks of life, while some 
came for health or adventure. Among this 
stream of emigration from the more thickly 
settled regions east of the Mississippi, came 
the Misses \'an Orsdoll. of Columbia City. 
Indiana, daughters of Henry Van Orsdoll and 
nieces of J. W. Pike, who was a pioneer in 
Cherry county about 1883. Miss Maude vis- 
ited the region in 1894, having been teaching 
in Iowa. In 1900 Miss Mary came, and with 
her, filed on homestead rights some six miles 
west of Valentine, erected the required build- 
ings and proceeded to hold down their claims. 
In June. 1904. they filed on their additional 
rights under the Kincaid law, and will when 
the title is perfected, own two sections of fine 
land, much of it good hay flats, the rest in 
range. They proceeded to stock it with cattle, 
and with the assistance of hired help are man- 
aging to increase their herds at a satisfactory 
rate. They have not escaped the usual ex- 
periences of pioneers. Miss Aland losing her 
first dwelling by a cyclone. A second was 
erected at once. In another instance, think- 
ing he had only a woman to deal with, one of 
the neighbors proceeded to cut hay on their 
land, expecting to haul it away. He soon 
learned his error and has not repeated the 
offense. Another was more successful, felling 
and stealing a fine hackberry grove that had 
sprung up on the place. This grove gave the 
name to Aliss Mary's place. "Hackberry Hall." 
which was christened with hot coffee to make 
the naming complete. 

After living for a time in the smaller claim 
house, Miss Maude erected in sight of the 
main road between \'alentine and Crookston, 
one of the best furnished dwellings in the hills, 
and named it "Prairie Manor." A view of 
this building appears elsewhere in this work to- 
gether with their earliest dwellings. 

The ladies are more versatile than most 
men. and can turn their hands to carpentering, 
painting, excavation, building fence or break- 
ing bronchos to ride or drive and training cat- 
tle to stand for the milking. 

Pioth sisters have travelled much through- 
out the west as well as in the east, and have 
met on intimate terms many men of distinc- 
tion. The}" were favored with an invitation 
by the state geologist of South Dakota to take 
a scientific trip through the Bad Lands. They 
are also intimately acquainted with most of the 
noted Indians, and speak quite fluently the 
language of the Sioux. Many are the speci- 
mens of Indian work they have secured which 
few can ac<|uire, so strong a friendship have 




fWfW\ 



iv.' 




MR. AND MRS. .ALMOX SI UAR'I 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 557 



the Indians for these girls from Indiana. 
Among the most notable trinkets in their pos- 
session are war clubs, the pipes of peace, an 
entire suit of Indian boy clothes, war bonnet, 
scabbards of note, pipe bags, ceremonial danc- 
ing mo<.casins, saddle blanket which appears on 
their favorite saddle horse in the illustration 
above mentioned, besides many minor trophies 
of their visit to the reservation. What has 
been accomplished in the sand hill country by 
these girls reared in luxury and ease in their 
eastern home, is an inspiration to others of 
their sex who would attain independence by 
their own eiTort, energy and indomitable will. 
On another page of this volume we present 
an interesting view of the residence and ranch 
property of the Misses Van Orsdoll. 



ALMON STUART. 

Almon Stuart, a prominent resident of 
Kearney county, Nebraska, has a pleasant home 
in Minden, where he resides with his family, 
highlv esteemed by all who know him. Air. 
.Stuart was born in Watertown, New York, De- 
cember 4th, 1821. He is a son of Asa Chapman 
Stuart, who fought in the war of 1812, The 
family moved to Michigan when our subject 
was a boy, and when a young man went to St. 
Joseph, Indiana, where he spent some time. The 
mother of our subject was Miss Elizabeth Sher- 
man Wilcox, whose father was in the Revolution- 
ary war. At the breaking out of the Civil wai 
Mr. Stuart enlisted in the 9th Indiana Infantry, 
Company I, and served for three years. He was 
all through \\'est Virginia and in the army of 
the Tennessee. He was twice wounded at 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and once at the bat- 
tle of Chickamauga, and still carries the ball 
that he received at the latter place, at the age 
of eighty-seven years. He fought in all the im- 
portant battles of the west, and relates with 
interest many interesting occurrences of that 
time. 

In 1878 Mr. Stuart came to Nebraska and 
took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres in Kearney county. He gave the town- 
ship in which he settled its name when it was 
organized as Cosmos, and was elected super- 
visor, also served as a member of the county 
board for three terms, proving a very efficient 
official. He was assessor for some years, and 
an active public-spirited citizen. He is proud 
of the fact that for over thirty years he has 
not owed any man a cent, and is in the enjoy- 
ment of a comfortable competence which en- 
ables him and his wife to surround themselves 



with all the comforts of life in their advanced 
years. They reside in their home in Minden 
surrounded by many warm friends, and do 
their best to make^he lives of their family and 
the community peaceful and happy. For fifty- 
nine years Mr. and Mrs. Stuart have traveled 
the path of life together. They are agnostic 
in faith, if one may so call it, living consistent 
lives, with charity for all. On another page 
will be found portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart. 

Mr. Stuart was married August 13, 1849, 
to Miss Elizabeth Jacjuith, a daughter of Asa 
Jaquith, a carpenter and joiner of old Yankee 
stock and who served his country in the war 
of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Stuart have four chil- 
dren, as follows : One son, Lincoln Almon, a 
member of the First Nebraska Regiment, under 
Colonel W. J. Bryan, in the Spanish war, now 
residing in Alinden ; Jesse Ovid Bion, engaged 
in the lumber business in Seattle, Washington ; 
Helen Elizabeth Ada Slusser, residing in Min- 
den : and Louisa Adeline Virginia Youngston, 
married. 

Mr. Stuart is a prominent member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and his wife of 
the Ladies Auxiliary of that post. 



ANDREW F. CHALBERG. 

Andrew F. Chalberg, a prosperous agricul- 
turist and stockman of Chappell precinct, has 
been a resident of Deuel county for the past 
twenty years, and during that time has gained 
a valuable estate for himself and the respect 
and esteem of his fellowmen. 

Our subject was born in Sweden, in 1859. 
He grew to manhood there, following farming 
as a boy, remaining in Sweden until he was 
twenty-four years of age, then came to the 
United States, and was the only member of his 
family to leave their native land. 

After arriving in this country Mr. Chalberg 
located in Muskegon, Michigan, and made that 
locality his home for about two years, drifting 
around afterwards for several years, and finally 
coming to Deuel county, Nebraska, in 1888. 
Here he filed on homestead rights on section 
6, township 12, range 44, proved up on a 
quarter section, and afterwards took additional 
land on sections 5 and 6, He erected a rude 
building as a dwelling, and other farm sheds, 
and began the improvement of his farm. Dur- 
ing the early part of his residence here he 
planted trees which are now a valuable feature 
of his place. At different times he met with 
disappointments in building up his homestead, 
but constantly added improvements as he was 
able, and now has the place all in fine shape. 



558 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Chalberg devotes about fifty acres to 
grain raising, and has plenty of good pasture 
and hayland for his stock, running about sixty 
head of cattle and some houses. He has been 
most successful in his farming ventures during 
later years, but during his early residence here 
the hardships endured were many and bitter. 
Conditions are now entirely different, and in 
the case of our subject's work all comforts of 
farm life are supplied and all machinery for 
lightening the farm labor is at hand. 

On March 1st, 1891, our subject was married 
at Omaha, to Miss Amelia S. Anderson, who was 
born in Sweden, coming to America in 1888. Mr. 
and Airs. Chalberg have four children, named as 
follows: Edward E., born February 11th, 1893, 
Elsie Sophia, born December 24th, 1894, Ester 
Caroline, born April 2Uth, 1902, and Ellen Mary, 
burn October 17th, lyOo. They are a happy and 
Congenial family, and have a pleasant home and 
uian\ friends. 

Air. Chalberg takes a commendable interest 
in local atfairs and lias aided in every way pos- 
sible to advance the best interests of his com- 
munity. He has built up a good home and has 
been a potent lactor in the development of the 
agricultural resources ol tlie locality. He is a 
i<.cpublican politically, and has held school uhices. 



AL WILI.F.RLING, 

Al Willerling is widely known throughout 
Rock county and the northern part of Ne- 
braska as one of the very first business men to 
make a permanent home and settlement in the 
thriving little city of Newport. Only one other 
business man of Newport is now here who 
was in tliat city and engaged in business at 
the time of his coming. He has met the people 
as they came to make their homes in the 
county. and by his accommodating spirit. honest 
methods and genial courtesy has won a host 
of friends who stand by him from the begin- 
ning. 

Mr. Willerling was born on a farm in Defi- 
ance county. Ohio. September 26. 1858. a son 
of Herman and Mary (^Ohlinger) Willerling. 
and was reared and educated in his native com- 
munity. His father owned a tannery in addi- 
tion to his farming operations, and divides all 
his time between the two occupations. His 
mother, born in this country, came of a Ger- 
man parentage, and the subject of this writing 
was her second child. In all. her family con- 
sisted of four children. When lie was seven- 
teen years old .M \\'illerling left home and 
sought work for himself in the pine woods of 
northern Michigan and from time to time he 



was also employed in the iron mines of that 
region. In the winter of 1882 and 1883 Mr. 
Willerling was engaged as a cook for a sur- 
veying expedition that penetrated far into 
western Nebraska, then Sioux county, and in 
the course of these explorations saw much of 
what is now Dawes, Box Butte, Scott and 
Bluff counties as well as many other parts of 
the state. For a time he was cook at Fort 
Robinson. In 1884 he came to Stuart, and 
made a homestead entry in Holt county, on 
which he put up a sod house. In the course 
of these enterprises displaying much business 
ability, A. C. Powell, of Stuart, put him in 
charge of a general store at Atkinson, where 
for four years Mr. Willerling remained in his 
employ. In 1892 he went into partnership 
with J. W. Henderson, opening a general store 
in Newport, his partner retiring in his favor 
the following year. In 1902 he sold out, and 
for two years made his home in Leigh. Ne- 
braska. In 1904 he set up in the wholesale hay 
business at Newport, and speedily became inter- 
ested in several mercantile enterprises. He 
has a feed and confectionery store which is 
largely patronized, besides a ranch of seven 
hundred acres devoted exclusively to hay, of 
which he at times cuts six hundred tons in a 
season. 

Mr. Willerling was married June 16, 1890, to 
Miss Mary Butler, daughter of Finley and 
Alargarett Butler, old settlers of Holt county. 
In political matters he is a Democrat, and has 
long taken an active part in local affairs. He 
holds membership in the ( Idd I'^ellows. the 
\\'orknien and the \\'oodnien lodges of New- 
port. 



GUSTA\' CARLSON. 

Gustav Carlson, one of the prominent citi- 
zens of \"alentine, is among the early settlers 
of Cherry county, where he has gained an en- 
viable reputation as a business man. 

Mr. Carlson was born in Engelholm. a vil- 
lage in the sotithern part of Sweden, in 1848, 
the eldest in a family of nine children. He grew 
to manhood in Sweden, and learned the car- 
penter trade with his father, beginning at the 
early age of twelve years. When twenty-one 
he left his parents' home and followed his 
trade for a year and a half, as overseer of a 
large force of carpenters on a farm in Sweden. 
He came to .\merica in 1871. landing in New 
York after a voyage of seven days. Going to 
Pennsylvania he secured employment with a 
railroad company, remaining in tlieir service 
for two vears. From there lie went to Homels- 




RESIDENCE OF DANIEL TRUAX, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 




REblUl.XCL AND KAXCll. 
Property of the Misses Van Orsdoll, located six miles west of Valentine. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



559 



ville, New York, where he worked at his former 
trade. Later he returned to Pennsylvania and 
entered the employ of George Lepert, a furni- 
ture manufacturer, with whom he worked as 
employee for ten years. Gradually rising in the 
work in that factory he soon became superin- 
tendent and had charge of all of the machinery 
for seven years. 

In 1884 our subject came to A'alentine and 
filed on a homestead eighteen miles northeast 
of the town. Here he built and lived in a sod 
house for a short time, during the building of 
a log house in which he lived the first years, 
farming while proving up on his homestead. 
He has since filed on a Kincaid homestead of 
four hundred and eighty acres one mile south 
of Valentine. 

In 1880 Mr. Carlson was married to Miss 
Amanda Anderson, a native of Sweden, who 
came to America with her parents when a 
child. Seven children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Carlson, namely, Alma, Amy, Effie. 
Hazel, Lloyd, Edgar and Levina. 

In 1891 the family moved to \^alentine 
where Mr. Carlson follows his trade, doing all 
kinds of carpenter and cabinet work. He has 
a fine shop twenty-two by one hundred and eight, 
and also does picture framing, plumbing, etc. 
He has erected nearly all of the principal build- 
ings in Valentine, and was appointed superin- 
tendent of construction of the Cherry county 
court house. 

In 1898 he started a hardware store but ran 
this for two years only, selling the business 
to return to his trade. In politics he is an In- 
dependent, takes an active interest in all local 
affairs, and is now on the town council serving 
his second term. Is a member of the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen. 



CHARLES J. OSBORN. 

Charles J. Osborn, an agriculturist of prom- 
inence in Cheyenne county, resides on his fine 
farm in Sidney precinct. He has been closely 
identified with the public affairs of his locality 
from the early stages of its development, serv- 
ing in dift'erent capacities at various times, 
during the period 1894-'96 holding the office 
of county clerk, and has always taken an 
active part in county and state politics. 

Mr. Osborn was born five miles from 
Hillsboro, in Montgomery county, Illinois, 
June 30th, 1862, a son of Samuel C. and 
Lydia (Kendrick) Osborn. who are now 
.deceased. He lived on the home farm 
and received the usual schooling of the farmer 
lad in those times, remaining with his parents 
until 1885, when he came to Nebraska and lo- 



cated in Cheyenne county, where he spent a 
few months, then turned back to the eastern 
part of the state for a time, returning to 
Cheyenne county in the spring of 1886, and he 
has made this section his home ever since. He 
filed on a homestead in section 22, township 
16, range 49, which he later sold, filing on an- 
other claim in section 14, township 14, range 
SO, now owning four hundred and eighty acres 
of deeded land, together with a full section, 
making a ranch of one thousand one hundred 
and twenty acres, which is known as the "Idle- 
wild Ranch and Dairy Farm." He is engaged 
to a large extent in dairying, and keeps a large 
number of cows, besides other stock. He was 
among the first to raise high-grade Shorthorn 
cattle in this part of the state, and has made 
a complete success of his venture. 

Mr. Osborn farms about one hundred and 
thirty acres, raising corn and small grains. He 
has erected good buildings of all kinds, and 
every portion of the ranch bears evidence of 
good management and prosperity. 

Mr. Osborn married Miss Iva Bewley, a 
native of Montgomery county, Illinois. The 
wedding occurred there November 4th, 1883, 
the twenty-fifth anniversary of which was duly 
celebrated in 1908 by all their neighbors and 
friends from Sidney and the surrounding 
country. The parents of Mrs. Osborn, Oliver 
H. and Sarepta (Meisenheimer) Bewlev. have 
both passed away. Mr. Osborn's family con- 
sists of the following children: Leo E., en- 
gaged in the decorating and painting business, 
residing in Sidney. One son, Maynard Waldo, 
now living in Sidney, married Winnifred Bix- 
by. Viola Blanche, Jesse R. and Clifford are 
still at home. They are a most interesting 
family, and have a pleasant home, surrounded 
by a large number of warm friends in their 
community. 

Mr. Osborn and his wife are both active in 
neighborhood affairs, the former now acting 
as school moderator, while the latter holds the 
office of treasurer, school district No. 77 . Mr. 
Osborn is independent of party lines, vot- 
ing for principle and men rather than political 
affiliation. He is a member of the Methodist 
church of Sidnev. 



DANIEL TRUAX. 

Daniel Truax. a resident on section 34, 
township 32. range 34, is one who can say that 
he has seen Cherry county from its first de- 
velopment through storms, drouths, and wild 
Indian scares until it has become the prosper- 
ous and orderly community which is now pre- 
sented to the world. It was a g'rand heroic 



s6o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXCF. AND BIOGRAPHY 



struggle, this building of an empire, this plant- 
ing of civilization on these wind-swept and 
sun-kissed prairies, and strong, heroic charac- 
ters were moulded and welded at its white 
heat. \Vho can ever tell the story of settle- 
ment or make the coming generation under- 
stand what privations and den als and endur- 
ance, the lofty courage went into the history 
of the pioneer days in Nebraska? We can be 
thankful that they lived, for we have great and 
noble states as their heritage to the good of 
the world. Mr. Truax did his full share in 
the development of the west, and his place 
among the men who made Cherry county is 
secure. 

Daniel Truax was born in Fulton, Pennsyl- 
vania. July '4. 1843. and was reared on a farm 
cultivated by his father, John Truax. The 
fatJier never came to the west, and indeed 
never left the county in which he was born 
and reared. His wife, the mother of Daniel, 
was Julia A. Malatte. and came of French de- 
scent. She was the mother of a family of 
eight children, of whom Daniel was third in 
order of birth. 

When Daniel Truax dt)nned the Union blue, 
and went into the Civil war as a member of 
Company C. Eighty-second Pennsylvania \'ol- 
unteer Infantry, he was twenty-one years of age, 
and began a career of which he and friends are 
justly proud. His regiment was attached to the 
First Brigade, Third Division of the Sixth 
corps of the Army of the East, and played an 
important part in the stirring events that at- 
tended the closing years of the great war. Mr. 
Truax served until the end of the war, and on 
the dawn of peace returned to his Pennsyl- 
vania home, and resumed the occupation of 
farming, which he had given up for the time 
to battle for his country, and for eleven years 
followed the plow in his native state. He was 
married June 16. 1865. to Miss Anna J. Truax. 
a native of Fulton county, Pennsylvania, 
where she was born May 6, 1844. Her people 
were .American born, but came of German de- 
scent, and were industrious and home-kee]Mng 
in the extreme. They clung closely to the old 
landmarks, and never left their native state to 
go west and grasp its great opportunities. 
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Truax became the parents 
of a family of seven children, David A., Laura 
P., and Joseph dead. The others, Harriet, E. 
Jane, and Joseph and Charles (twins), of 
wliom the three eldest are dead. These chil- 
dren were all born in Fulton county. Pennsyl- 
vania, but were reared in Nebraska. In 1871 
the 'I'ruax family removed to Carroll county. 
Illinois, and spent five years in farming ; while 
,is many nmre years were spent on an Iowa 



farm in Hardin county. In 1885 Mr. Truax 
located in Cherry county, but it was two years 
later that he brought his family to Nebraska. 
He did not begin his career in this state under 
very favorable auspices, as he had only fifteen 
dollars and a few horses with which to enter 
upon his work. His first business transaction 
was to contract a seventy-dollar debt in the 
purchase of three cows, as the beginning of 
his herd of cattle. He passed through some 
very hard times when he began, and a severer 
strain in 1893 to 1896. the d"y years of disas- 
trous memory to so many settlers. Today he 
owns a half section of choice farm land and 
four hundred and eighty acres of homestead 
entry. His land is well improved, fenced, and 
is largely devoted to horse raising, of which he 
has about fifty head, with perhaps twenty cat- 
tle. He is interested in thoroughbreds and 
some seasons follows the races. Dale, at the 
head of his stud, is a most beautiful specimen 
of running stock. \\'hen he first came to this 
region, it was all wild and but thinly populated, 
there being ony two section houses and a store 
in Cody. Mr. Truax is a Republican, and re- 
members with satisfaction and pride that he 
cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, when 
that eminent patriot was elected president for 
the second time. During the Indian rising of 
1891 he thought it prudent to leave for a time, 
but soon returned and has never lost faith in 
Cherry county : he feels much pleasure in con- 
sidering the very substantial results that have 
attended his labors. 

A picture of Mr. Truax's place will be 
found on another page. 



THE PLATTE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE, 
K1-:ARNEY MILITARY ACADEMY. 

The Platte Collegiate Institute. Kearney Mil- 
itar\' Academy, is one of the more noted edu- 
cational institutions of the state of Nebraska, 
and in its comparatively brief history has made 
a record for itself for thoroughness of teaching, 
high standards of management, and splendid 
ideals (^f scholarship second to none in the 
west. The making of character is recognized 
as the ultimate of instruction, and a lofty life 
is held possible for every young man who 
comes, as all do. into close personal relations 
with the principal and his assistants. The 
academy is pleasantly located In the vallev of 
the Platte river, about a mile and a half from 
the city of Kearney, and its situation is pe- 
culiarly favorable to the health and the spirits 
of its attendants. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



561 



BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 

The l^uildings are large and commodious 
and are in good condition. 

The new Cochran Hall has just been com- 
pleted at a cost of $50,000. It is built of rein- 
forced concrete, is ec|uipped with all modern 
conveniences and re(|uisites of a first-class 
school. It contains the rooms of the headmaster 
and family, study hall, chapel, hospital, office 
and dining room, and quarters for masters and 
eighty cadets. 

Kearney Hall is built of brick, four stories 
high, and contains carpenter's and blacksmith's 
shops, laboratory, recitation rooms and quarters 
for masters. 

Lewis Hall contains the gymnasium, a large 
well lighted room with about two thousand feet 
of floor space, completely equipped with appar- 
atus, horizontal and parallel bars, traveling 
rings, trapeze, etc. 

Cochran Hall contains quarters for forty 
cadets and two niastcs. 

Each room accommodates two cadets, is 
heated by steam, lighted by electricity, and 
furnished with the usual bed-room furniture. 

The grounds, which are thirty-five acres in 
extent, are level and afford excellent facilities 
for drill and for the various forms of athletics 
so essential to a complete education. Ample 
space is given for football, baseball, and other 
outdoor games, and two cement courts for 
tennis have been laid down this year. 

This school was founded in 1892 by the 
Rt. Rev. Anson R. Graves, LL.D., for the pur- 
pose of providing a thorough preparatory 
training, either for college or business, for 
young men and boys at a moderate price. 

The academy commends itself to those pa- 
rents who desire for their boys a school whose 
location is easily accessible, in a country 
whose climate is unequaled for healthfulness, 
and one in which, while every care is taken 
to provide everything essential to the proper 
instruction and well being of the boy, such as 
may be found in the best schools of its type, 
non-essentials are kept down, in order to allow 
the management to put the fees at such a mod- 
erate price as to be within the reach of all. 

The discipline and instruction are of the 
highest order, the boy is taught to work from 
right motives, every proper effort is made for 
his comfort and happiness, and the fact is 
never lost sight of, that the development upon 
right lines of the boy's character, is of as much 
importance as proficiency in studies, and this 
is more readily done, as the school is not so 
large in numbers, but that the boy must come 
into intimate personal relationship with the 
principal and instructors. 



The various members of the teaching force 
are men and women of much natural ability, 
broad and thorough scholarship, and bring to 
their work an enkindling enthusiasm that 
awakes quick response in the y^outh before 
them. The discipline of such a school is stim- 
ulating and not repressive, stirring up to the 
doing of what is right and good, and only_ neg- 
ative in a slight and lessening degree. A semi- 
military training has long been found most 
helpful in the formation of habits of punctuality, 
neatness and promptness. The daily drill 
gives physical exercise of the best sort, and 
the management makes its discipline a means 
to an end, and the performance of duty never 
becomes in its sight mechanical. 

Tlie academy makes an especial point of 
its manual training, and gives a course cover- 
ing two years' work, strictly modern and up- 
to-date. The wood shop is fully equipped 
with benches', each one being supplied with a 
complete set of tools, and lathes for both wood 
and iron work. 

The general course of study covers four 
years of work with a preparatory course for 
younger students. It includes the studies 
taught in the public schools up to the eighth 
grade, with the addition of a year in beginning 
Latin. It gives much attention to a reading 
course, which is intended to develop a taste 
for good reading. It has produced most satis- 
factory results. 

A marked feature of the academy is its 
cadet organization, representing as it does the 
very best educational ideas of the day along 
this line, and subject to such improvement 
as the experience of s'imilar scnools elsewhere 
may suggest. 



GEORGE D. CLARK. 

SJiould the reader ask for the name of a 
representative old tinier of western Nebraska, 
who has spent many years of his life in the 
building up of a farm and home in a country 
where but a few years ago there was a vast 
wilderness, and who is familiar with the early 
growth and development of this section, we 
would mention George D. Clark as a typical 
westerner, a man of sterl'ng character and 
energetic force of will, who has helped to 
make the history of this locality. Mr. Clark 
now resides in section 25, township 31, range 
49, and is held in the highest esteem by his fel- 
lownien and associates. 

Mr. Clark was born in St. Lawrence county, 
New York state, in 1852. His parents lived 
on the banks of the St. Lawrence river, the 



562 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEN'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



father being a tanner and harnessmaker by 
trade, who died after settling in Illinois, dur- 
ing the Civil war. The mother was Katherine 
Wilson, and both parents were of mixed 
nationality, of English and Irish stock. Our 
subject grew up in his native state until he 
was sixteen years of age. following farm work, 
and then learned the harnessmaker's trade 
after his father, and continued at that work 
for thirty years off and on. During his younger 
years Mr. Clark was quite an extensive traveler, 
having been all along the Pacific coast and the 
western states, and did not live long at any 
one place up to the year 1886. then came to 
Nebraska and settled in Dawes county. He 
located on a farm fifteen miles south of Chad- 
ron, and remained until proving up, then moved 
to his present place, taking this as a home- 
stead, and also proved up on it. Here he went 
through pioneer experiences, witnessing the 
drouth periods, although he was more fortu- 
nate than many of his neighbors in that he 
never had a total failure of his crops, and was 
always able to make a comfortable living, be- 
sides constantly improving his place and build- 
ing up his home and farm. He has been most 
successful in his different ventures, and stead- 
ily added to his possessions, now owning a 
ranch of eight hundred and eighty acres, and 
is engaged principally in stock raising, runnnv^' 
a large number of cattle and horses. He does 
mixed farming, and finds time to still follow his 
trade as harnessmaker a little here at home. 

In 1875 Mr. Clark was married to Isabelle 
Colton, whose father. Benjamin F. Colton, was 
a farmer in Michigan. In 18SS Mrs. Clark died. 
leaving a family of two children: Hattie and 
Frank'. Mr. Clark was married again in 190.3 
to Mrs. Elizabeth .Mien and has one child by 
the second marriage, namely: George Edward. 
Mrs. Clark had six children by her first mar- 
riage: Daisy, Joe, Fred, Fay. Margreta and 
Vernon. 

Mr. Clark has always taken an active inter- 
est in local and county politics, and served his 
district in different capacities since locating 
here. He is a staunch Republican. 



P. A. NORTON. 



Mr. Norton, one of the prominent citizens 
of North Platte, Nebraska, has been associated 
with the commerical interests of this locality 
for many years. He is an old settler in west- 
ern Nebraska, and is well-known and highly 
esteemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Norton is a native of Cook county, Illi- 
nois, and is a son of Philip Norton, who was a 



contractor connected with the building of the 
Union Pacific railway on the line which runs 
out of Omaha, constructed in 1865-'66 and '67, 
also in building this line further west. He 
died at Ogden, December 1st. in 1882, having 
been a contractor on the short line up to the time 
of his death, and having worked at this busi- 
ness nearly all his life. He was a native of 
Tipperary, Ireland, and came to this country 
when a youth, with his wife, who was Eliza^ 
beth Sheldona, born in England. Our subject 
was reared in Illinois, and on reaching his 
twenty-first year obtained employment with 
the Northwestern Railway Coniiiany. traveling 
all over the western part of the country, and 
was with the Union Pacific railway from 1874 
to 1876. He continued at this work for several 
years, and in 1881 located in North Platte, 
where he has resided ever since. For four 
years he was foreman of the roundhouse in 
North Platte, and in 1887 was made engineer, 
in which position he has been successful and 
faithfully served the road. He has a splendid 
record in this capacity, and in all the time he 
was with the railway company never had an 
accident to his train. 

Mr. Norton was married at Council Bluff's, 
Iowa, in 1880 to Miss Lizzie Holden. a native 
of Iowa City, daughter of James and Ann 
Murphy Holden. of that place, her father hav- 
ing been born in County Mayo, Ireland. Mr. 
and Mrs. Norton have one son. Philip James, 
who is connected with the Union Pacific rail- 
road, holding a responsible position in the 
company's shops at Council Bluffs, Iowa. 

Mr. Norton is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows lodge at North Platte, 
also the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
and the Maccabees. He belongs to the Brother- 
hood of Locomotive Engineers. George W. 
\'rooman Lodge No. 8S. of North Platte. 



CARL HEUMIER. 

Carl Heumier, a well-known ranchman and 
farmer of Sioux county, Nebraska, resides on 
section 21, township 32, range 54, where he is 
the owner of a valuable estate. 

Mr. Heumier was born in Wilstock. Bran- 
denlnirg. (lermany. in 1852. His father was a 
spinner and weaver in the woolen factory in 
that town, and Carl grew up in his native 
town and worked as a day laborer and teamster 
to help support the family. When he came of 
age he entered the German army and served 
the regular three years required by the laws 
of the country. 

In 1879 Mr. Heumier was married to Car- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



563 



oline Gundlouh, born and reared in the same 
town with our subject, and daughter of Fritz 
Gundlouh, who was a day laborer and sheep 
herder; her mother's name was Sofa (Schrader) 
Gundlouh. 

In 1883 Air. Heumier came to America, ac- 
companied by his family. After landing in 
New York city he came directly west to Wis- 
consin, where he settled on a farm in Rock 
county and worked rented land for a number 
of years. Our subject first came to Sioux 
county in 1889, locating on "gumbo" lan<l near 
Adelia. There he passed through many hard 
experiences, working out in the Black Hills in 
order to make a living as he had a h^rd time 
to get his farm in shape to raise crops, and 
the hard years came on when he had several 
failures and was at last compelled to give it 
up altogether. In 1894 he came to his present 
location, built a log house and started to im- 
prove his farm, also hauling cord wood and 
sold it to help keep his family. He opened up 
six acres of land around which he built a pole 
fence the first year, and his first crop on this 
was hailed out, but he did not give up heart 
and determined to win out and stick to his 
farm. He had a tough struggle, but has 
finally made a success of his undertaking by his 
perseverance and energy, and is proprietor of 
six hundred acres of land, seventy-five of 
which are cultivated and the balance in grass 
and pasture, also having a nice tract of tim- 
bered land. The place is well fitted up with 
good substantial buildings and all improve- 
ments, and his farm is one of the best kept and 
best equipped in his locality. 

Mr. Heumier is the father of fifteen chil- 
dren, the three eldest born in Germanv ; four 
have died, leaving the following: Elvena, 
Augusta, Frieda, Annie, Martha. ]\Iinnie, 
Louisa, Charlie, Sofa, Herman and Marie. 

The subject of this sketch is one of the 
old settlers of his community and has devoted 
much of his time and energy to building up 
and improving his locality, being an earnest 
advocate of good roads and assisting material- 
ly in every movement along these lines, and he 
has also aided greatly in establishing good 
schools in this section. 



DAN BARNES. 



Among the men wno came to Cherry county 
in the early days to build up a home in a new 
country where the opportunities were many 
for gathering a comfortable fortune, the gen- 
tleman above named was one of the first to 
settle in this section. He has spent many years 
in this work and now enjovs the fruits of his 



industry and perseverance, highly esteemed by 
all who know him. 

Mr. Barnes was born in Fillmore county, 
Minnesota, February 19, 1864. His father, 
Alvah E. Barnes, was a farmer of American 
stock, native of Ohio. When our subject was 
a young lad the family, consisting of five chil- 
dren, moved to Butler county, Iowa, where he 
was reared and educated. At the age of 
twenty years he started in farming on rented 
land, continuing for two years, then came to 
Nebraska, locating in Cherry county. He first 
settled on the Snake river, building a log house 
without nails, but only stayed there for two 
years and then took up his present farm as a 
homestead. During these first years he saw 
many ups and downs of pioneer life and often 
was compelled to work out in the neighbor- 
hood of his home, receiving seventy-five cents 
a day for his labor, and glad to get this, to sup- 
port his family, and tide them through hard 
times. He hauled posts and bones for thirty 
miles to Cody, selling the posts for eight cents 
each in trade and only half that in cash. He 
had three horses and forty cents in cash when 
he first landed here, and with this start has 
gradually forged ahead until he now owns a 
ranch of nine hundred and sixty acres, a large 
portion of which is hay and grazing land, on 
which he runs two hundred and twenty-five 
head of cattle, all full-blooded Aberdeen 
Angus. He deals exclusively in this breed, 
and his herd is conceded to be the best to be 
found in all western Nebraska. This herd has 
been under careful breeding for the past 
twenty-three years, and was first started in 
this county by Mr. John Shores. There are 
some exceptionally fine animals among them, 
and all are the very best of their kind. Mr. 
Barnes also keeps quite a number of horses. 
His place is well improved with fences and 
good buildings, his barn alone costing $850, 
built in 1903. A view of the residence and 
surroundings will be found on another page 
of this work. 

Mr. Barnes was married April 2, 1885, to 
Miss Ida Blaufuss, a native of Wisconsin, born 
in 1863. Her parents were both born and 
reared in Germany, coming to this country 
when quite young. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have 
a family of six children, all of whom were horn 
and raised in this state. They are named as 
follows: May, Cecil, Alta, Bryan, Mildred and 
Clare. The main ambition of Mr. Barnes is 
to give his children a good education, and in- 
tends to do this even though he has no fortune 
to leave them. They are all bright and intel- 
ligent, eager to please their father in his 
wishes, and have always attended school reg- 
ularly, riding seven miles to their district 



564 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



school. One daughter is a teacher, devoting 
part of her time to this occupation and also 
attending school herself. Their home is in 
section 29, township 30, range 34. 

Mr. Barnes has never taken any active part 
in politics although he has always voted the 
Democratic ticket. He is a member of the 
Cody lodge of Modern Woodmen of America. 
During the early days they had to go thirty- 
five miles for their mail and once during the 
Indian uprising the brothers did not have 
enough cash to buy a stamp to write an as- 
suring letter home. 



ISAAC X. MILLS. 

Isaac X. Mills is an active anil pushing 
farmer and business man whose home is on 
Bufifalo Flats, Brown county, Nebraska, and 
whose name is closely associated with the set- 
tlement of this part of the state where his 
fortunes have been cast these many years. He 
was born on a farm in Erie county, Pennsyl- 
vania, June 20, 1854, where his father, Alonzo 
Benjamin Mills, who came of German blood, 
was engaged in the practice of medicine. His 
mother, Helena Scott Mills, was born in Ger- 
many, and accompanied her parents to this 
country when she was twenty-one years old. 
The parents died on board the ship while 
making the voyage to this land of hope and 
promise, leaving the girl to proceed alone. 
Here she married and became the mother of 
a family of five boys, of whom Isaac N. was 
the second member. When he was five years 
old the family removed to Ohio, and there the 
husband and father died nine j^ears later, hav- 
ing in the meantime spent several years in 
Pennsylvania, and going a second time to Ohic. 
After his death the bereaved widow returned 
again to Pennsylvania, where young Isaac was 
reared to farming and lumbering. While still 
a young man he became a husband and the 
head of a home by his marriage July 5. 1877, 
to Miss Martha Johnson, a native of New 
York state. Her father, Russell Johnson, was 
a blacksmith and served in the United States 
army, where he received injuries which caused 
his death in after years. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Mills have come two children, Elton, born in 
1880, who married Florence Ferguson, and 
Alonzo, born in 1883, who married Grace Rick- 
ard. 

Mr. Mills came west in the fall of 1879, and 
spent some time looking over the country and 
seeking a desirable location before concluding 
where to cast his lot. For some time he was 
in Mcrritt county, Nebraska, where he lost 



five horses. Finally he decided to locate on 
what was known as Buffalo Flats, in Brown 
county, and in the north west quarter of sec- 
tion 2 he planted a tree that he might know the 
spot on his return. This was done whi'.e he 
was on a freighting expedition through the 
country, and was received with laughter by his 
companions who insisted that he would never 
see either the tree or the land again. Events 
proved, however, the wisdom of the action, and 
in due time the spot selected became the home 
of himself and family. 

Mr. Mills made a temporary settlement on 
Long Pine creek, and there he got out the logs 
for his first house and barn. For three 
weeks he lived on the creek without bread, but 
secured plenty of game and had a delightful 
time in certain ways. In this rough and ready 
life he was able to take care of himself, and 
though he slept the first three nights under a 
tree, he presently put a little comfort and order 
around him, and made ready for the coming of 
his family in May. 1880. The log house was 
still unfurnished, and was lacking windows, 
but it made the beginning of a home for the 
family. His first motive power in the shape 
of teams was two bulls and a donkey, and 
when he attended the first P'ourth of July cele- 
bration at Ainsworth he drove a bull and a 
cow for a team. At one time he was entirely 
without money, and all the food he had in the 
house of any kind was one batch of biscuits. 
He had done some work, and was promised his 
pay, but was disappointed in receiving it. He 
betook himself to the woods, where he cut 
cedar poles, and hauled them to Long Pine, 
where their .sale enabled him to buy provisions 
for the family. Mr. Mills worked in the stock 
yards at Long Pine during the fall seasons that 
followed ])r()longed drouths. Then he bought 
an old threshing machine, and made some cap- 
ital in operating it through the country. In 
1880 he was engaged in freighting from 
Columbus to Albion, Nebraska, and while 
engaged in this line took the contract of mov- 
ing a six thousand eight hundred pound safe 
to the latter point. This work he did in two 
days, making his first night at Genoa, and 
reaching Albion at the closing of the second 
day out, thus completing most successfully 
what he recalls as a terrific job. Before the 
safe was put in place it went through the floor 
into the cellar of the building in which it was 
first located . 

It is pleasant to note that after man}' hard 
and laborious years, whose constant strain is 
that of jirivation and denial, Mr. Mills and his 
excellent family have now entered into the 
enjoyment of prosperity on a very liberal 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORt. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



565 



scale. His farm comprises some two hundred 
acres, and with the exception of about fifteen 
acres it is all under cultivation. A modern 
and attractive farm house has replaced the old 
log and sod structure, which still stands and 
is used for a blacksmith shop. In 1907 he 
purchased a three-hundred-acre farm a short 
distance northwest of Long Pine on which 
his younger son is installed as manager. As 
would appear from the above narrative Mr. 
Mills is one of the oldest settlers of this region, 
and is widely known as a man of unbending 
integrity, unwearied industry, and a kind and 
neighborly heart. He is Independent in poli- 
tics and with the family is a member of the 
Methodist church. 



JACOB DRESSLAR. 

The place of the nativity of Jacob Dresslar 
is Morgan county, Indiana, where his birth 
occurred January 15, 1870. His father, John 
Dresslar, was of old American stock, but his 
far away ancestors came from Germany. Our 
subject's mother was born in Ohio and her 
name, in youth, was Martha McCoy. 

Until he was fifteen years of age, Jacob 
Dresslar spent his life in Indiana, but at that 
time in his history the famil}^ came west to 
Nebraska, locating in Dawson county on land 
near Overton. This was in 1885, and they 
were among the earliest settlers. Here the 
family lived for four years, and then in 1889, 
moved to Keith county. Our subject re- 
mained with his father until 1896 and helped to 
build up the home place, where his father died 
in Marcli, 1904. The father was prominent 
among the old settlers and was widely known 
and esteemed. With the aid of his sons he 
built up a beautiful home place, five miles 
south of Brule. 

Our subject took a homestead in August, 
1893, and commenced operations for himself, 
and here he resides today in a fine large mod- 
ern house with capacious barns and outbuild- 
ings surrounding. He experienced the usual 
hard times of the pioneer, witnessed the years 
of drouth, when the crops were almost total 
losses, and sometimes it was very discourag- 
ing; but he did not give up. He kept hard at 
it, improving his land and made a success, 
finally proving up on his homestead. He has 
a splendidly improved farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres, with a good house, barns and 
sheds: has a fine grove of forest trees, and the 
farm all well fenced. He has a fine orchard 
of cherry trees, twenty-five in number, one 
hundred plum trees, and has raspberries. 



gooseberries, and other small fruits in abund- 
ance. All this had been done by our subject's 
own work and is due to his good management. 
He has certainly done his share toward the 
advancement of the community in which he 
has lived. 

Jacob Dresslar was married, December 29, 
1898, to Miss Emma Dorran, born in Braid- 
wood, Grundy county, Illinois, a daughter of 
John Dorran, a native of England and a pio- 
neer of Dawson county, Nebraska, where he 
located in the early days of 1879. He served 
during the Civil war in the Twenty-third Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry. Her mother, Harriet 
Ranev, was born in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. 
Dresslar have had two children: Howard and 
Thelma. 

Jacob Dresslar is a Republican in his politi- 
cal affiliations and belief and has seri#ed his 
party in several official positions. He has 
been deputy assessor for several terms and 
has proven a capable and efficient public 
officer. 



HORACE E. GARDNER. 

Horace E. Gardner, who ranks foremost 
among the leading old settlers of western 
Nebraska, is one of the prosperous farmers 
and ranchers and owner of a valuable estate 
in section 31, township 21, range 33, Hooker 
county, and highly esteemed as a worthy citi- 
zen of his community. 

Mr. Gardner was born in Kalamazoo county, 
Michigan, in 1857. His parents were Americans 
of German descent and followed farming all 
their lives. Our subject was reared in his 
native county until he was fifteen years of age, 
then went into the lumber woods in northern 
Michigan and spent three winters employed 
in the lumber camps. In 1875 he emigrated to 
Iowa and secured employment with Chas. C. 
Orr & Co., in Sioux City, and remained there 
up to 1883, when he went to southeastern Kan- 
sas and spent about one year. He then went 
back to Sioux City and worked for his former 
emplovers, Orr & Company. In 1884 he came 
to Nebraska, landing in \'alentine, and 
freighted from there to Gordon, finally settling 
on a farm eight miles northwest of that town. 
His first house was built of sods, and he began 
to farm. He soon became owner of several 
ox teams, with which he broke up a tract of 
land, and in due time proved up on his claim, 
then returned to Sioux City and remained for 
two years. 

Our subject first came to Hooker county 
in 1901, settling on a ranch situated twenty 



566 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



miles southwest of Mullen. This contains 
four hundred and eighty acres of good range 
land, and is located in what is called "Antelope 
Valley." He farms one hundred and ten acres, 
and uses the balance for ranching purposes, 
engaging in stock raising to quite an extent. 

In 1879 Mr. Gardner was married to Miss 
Mehetabel Sager. at Sioux City. Iowa. Her 
father. Abraham Sager. was a farmer during his 
early life, and later was heavily interested in 
the lumber business at Wakesma, state of Mich- 
igan. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Gardner, who are named as follows : Fred, Sadie. 
Dennis, Mary. James and Oliver D. 

The family have a pleasant home, and are 
well liked in their community. Mr. Gardner is 
a Bryan Democrat. 



W. A. FLOREY. 



W. .\. Florcy. known throughout the com- 
munity in which he resides as an energetic and 
prosperous farmer and stock raiser, lives on his 
valuable estate situated on section 12, township 
34. range 41, which lies on the line betwen Sher- 
idan and Cherry county. 

Mr. Florey was born in Sheboygan county. 
Wisconsin, in 1860. and was raised on a farm 
there. His father. George Anthony Florey, 
served in Company K. Thirty-fifth Wisconsin 
Regiment, during the Civil war, being enlisted for 
three years of service: was taken ill and died at 
Chicago while on the way home, where he was 
going to recruit his health, in the year 1864. He 
left a widow and two children, of whom our sub- 
ject is the older. Our subject started in life for 
himself at the age of twenty, working in a cheese 
factory, and followed that work for several 
years, until he left Wisconsin for Nebraska. 
One year was spent in railroad work then he 
came to Sheridan county, settling in the lo- 
cality in which he still resides, in 1886. He 
took a homestead and proved up, adding more 
land as he was able. His mother and younger 
brother came to Nebraska and they all lived 
together until the latter's health failed and he 
was obliged to return to Wisconsin, but the 
mother still lives here with her son, W. A. 
Mr. Florey farmed during the dry years, but 
his crops failed several seasons and when he 
was unable to raise enough seed for the fol- 
lowing years stopped trying to farm and 
started in the cattle business. He gradually 
got ahead, and now owns one thousand seven 
hundred acres of land, and cuts annually about 
eight hvmdrcd tons of hay on his farm, having 
more hay than range land. He runs three hun- 
dred head of cattle and just enough horses to 



handle his ranch. He has a good set of buildings 
on his place, and his land is fenced, and alto- 
gether he is proprietor of a fine estate, and is 
doing well in his work. When he first came 
here he had nothing to start with, and is well 
content with what he has done. 

In 1903 Mr. Florey was married to Miss 
Hattie Wells, born in Manchester, Iowa, in 
1873. Mrs. Florey is a daughter of Henry and 
Sarah Mervin Wells, both New Yorkers, who 
settled in Iowa many years ago. Mr. and 
Mrs. Florey have two children : Leonard W. 
Florev, bom on June 20, 1904; and Eliza- 
beth,' born April "lO. 1907. 

Although Mr. Florey has never had time 
to devote to taking an active part in politics, 
he takes a commendable interest in local af- 
fairs of importance to his locality, and lends 
his influence for the benefit of the citizens 
of his community. He is a Republican. 



GEORGE CHRISTOPHER. 

George Christopher, now a resident of sec- 
tion 21, township 31, range 29, belongs to a 
race that has made most valuable contribu- 
tions to the great volume of American citizen- 
ship, not so numerous because the home coun- 
try is but a little tract of the earth, but in- 
dustrious, frugal, upright and intelligent to a 
high degree. How much the west and north- 
west owe to the Scandinavian countries, Nor- 
way, Sweden and Denmark, for the great flood 
of God-fearing and labor loving emigrants, 
may never be told, but the debt is very great, 
and the student of social and industrial con- 
ditions in those vast domains of the republic 
will never hesitate to acknowledge. 

George Christopher was born in Lancas- 
ter county, Nebraska. July 2, 1876, and is a 
son of James and Marie (Hansen) Christo- 
pher, both of whom were born and bred in 
Denmark. The father came to the Ignited 
."states in 1864. sailing from Liverpool in the 
steamship An>erica, landing at Portland, 
Maine. Coming west he was among the old- 
est settlers of Lancaster county, where he 
appeared in 1874. He helped on the con- 
struction (if the first postoffice building in the 
city of Lincohi, where he is now living retired 
from active life, but having a keen and vivid 
memory of these far away days and scenes. 

Mr. Christopher, the subject of this writ- 
ing, remained at home, and participated in 
the family fortunes until he reached the age 
of twenty-one years, when he struck out in 
life for himself, and spent the ensuing three 
years in farm work in Gage county. In 1896 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 567 



he was married to Miss Elmina Ellis, whose 
sister is the wife of Aaron VanWinkle, a 
sketch of whom appears on another page. 
Paul, Ray and George are the young children 
who have came to bless this union. 

The Christopher family removed to Cherry 
county in 1906, where the husband and father 
has speedily become one of the most import- 
ant land owners and operators of the entire 
county. He bought outright sixteen hundred 
and eighty acres of land, has leased three 
sections of school land, and has a Kincaid 
homestead of six hundred and forty acres, 
making in all forty-two hundred and forty 
acres under his management. On this vast 
tract of land he is branching out quite ex- 
tensively in stock raising, having at the pres- 
ent writing (1908) about eight hundred and 
fifty head of cattle, with one hundred and 
twenty head of horses. Here he has a good 
house, large and roomy barns, and a cattle 
shed three hundred and fifty feet long. Wind- 
mills of the most modern type provide ample 
water for the stock, and everything on the 
ranch seems to meet the most critical inspec- 
tion. A fine view of the place is shown on 
another page of this work. 

Mr. Christopher is a Republican, and has 
attended several county and state coiiventions 
of that party as a prominent and working 
delegate. While in Lancaster county he was 
a leading member of the party and his po- 
sition as a representative Republican has been 
conceded in Cherry county from the moment 
of his arrival. He is a member of the Ma- 
sonic order, affiliating with the lodge at 
Valentine. 



BISHOP AXSOX ROGERS GRAVES. 

Rev. Anson Rogers Graves, Protestant 
Episcopal bishop of the missionarv diocese 
of Kearney, comprising western Nebraska, 
was consecrated January 1, 1890, and has 
given eighteen years of his life work earnestly 
and successfully to this diocese. He was not 
discouraged by the great financial depression 
of 1892- '97, nor by the crop failures when from 
eighty to ninety thousand people left Ne- 
braska. Happily, in recent years of bounte- 
ous harvests thousands of this number have 
returned, and are eagerly settling on the fertile 
lands of this section of the country. Above 
all else, the splendid school for bovs, the 
Kearney IMilitary Academy, founded bv Bishop 
Graves in 1892 and carried by his efforts 
through the disastrous years that followed, 
is now blessed with great prosperity, so thai 



in addition to the fine buildings of the institu- 
tion already erected, the year 1907 sees an- 
other building erected, entirely fire-proof and 
costing over fifty thousand dollars. 

Anson Rogers Graves was born in Wells, 
Rutland county, Vermont, April 13, 1842. He 
worked his way through college, and was 
graduated at Hobart College in 1866 with the 
degree of A. M., and LL.D. was conferred 
on him by Hobart College and D. D. by Ra- 
cine College. He married in April, 1877, Mary 
Totten Watrous, of Brattleboro, Vermont. 
He was assistant pastor in Grace church, 
Brooklvn : rector of St. Luke's, at Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska ; assistant at Gethsemane church, 
Minneapolis, Minnesota ; rector of All Saints, 
Northfield, Minnesota; All Saints, Littleton, 
New Hampshire ; St. Peters, Bennington, Ver- 
mont, and rector for six years of Gethsemane 
church, Minneapolis. Bishop Graves is the 
author of various sermons and tracts, and 
is a man of superior education, greatly es- 
teemed by all. 

When Bishop Graves entered on his duties 
in this state, in 1890, there were three hun- 
dred and seventy-five communicants in his dio- 
cese. There are now over two thousand four 
hundred here. Then six clergymen carried on 
the work, now there are fifteen ; then twelve 
churches, now thirty ; church proprety was 
then estimated at forty thousand dollars, and 
now reaches three hundred thousand dollars; 
then there was no school here, and now we 
have the splendid academy with eighty thou- 
sand dollars in buildings and thirty-six thou- 
sand dollars endowment. 

Bishop Grave's family consists of the fol- 
lowing members : Rev. Fred D. Graves, of 
Alliance, Nebraska; Elliott V. Graves, instruc- 
tor in athletics and manual training in Law- 
rence L'niversity, Wisconsin, who was on the 
football team of the Nebraska University, at 
Lincoln, and well known throughout the 
country. Margaret married to Rev. G. G. 
Bennett; Gertrude, David AV. and Paul. 

The bishop's duties are to oversee the 
work of the Episcopal church in his district, 
secure clergymen for the work and see that 
they are paid, secure funds in the east for 
schools, endowments and missionary work, 
hold the church properties and see that they 
are cared for, visit all the stations where work 
is carried on once or twice a year and look 
after vacancies when they occur. In speaking 
of his work the bishop said : "During my 
episcopate I have baptized three hundred and 
eight, confirmed three thousand five hundred 
and forty-five, married twenty-two couples ; 
officiated at twentv-four burials, consecrated 



^68 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



six churches and dedicated many chapels, ad- 
mitted thirty candidates for holy orders, or- 
dained fourteen deacons, admitted one dea- 
coness, ordained thirteen priests, received or 
found working in the field sixty-four clergy- 
men, have lost by death, removal or deposi- 
tion forty- four. 

"Since I have been bishop there have been 
in our district 4.000 baptisms: 2,855 confirma- 
tions: 841 marriages: 1.328 burials by our 
clergy: 40.765 public services: and the money 
raised for all purposes $317,596. For a district 
of thinly scattered people with only four par- 
ishes barely self-supporting, and not one really 
wealthy churchman in it. we think this is a 
good showing." 



THOMAS DOYLE. 

Energetic eflforts and intelligence go hand 
in hand in the building up of one's fortune, re- 
gardless of the vocation to which they are ap- 
plied. One of the well-developed and highly 
improved estates of Sioux count}' is that 
owned and operated by Thomas Doyle, who 
resides in section 21, township M. range 55. 
and is the possessor of nine hundred and sixty 
acres of land. The comfortable circumstances 
enjoyed by this gentleman have been brought 
about by the exercise of judicious labor and 
painstaking care, and every appointment of his 
place bespeaks good taste and refinement. 

Thomas Doyle is a native of Tippcrary 
county. Ireland, born in 1849. his parents 
spending their entire lives in that country. 
He grew to manhood in his native county, fol- 
lowing farming as an occupation, and when 
he reached his thirtieth year determined to 
seek his fortune in the new world, so took pas- 
sage for America, landing in New York city 
in July. 1881. He came west immediately, 
settling first in Dubuque. Iowa, spending 
about three years in that city. He then came 
to Nebraska and secured work at railroad con- 
struction, going into the Black Hills, and from 
there to Casper, ^^'voming. Me later traveled 
through Washington and Idaho, but made no 
permanent settlement, and finally returned to 
Nebraska in 1891. taking up a homestead in 
section 17. township 32. range 54. In 1880 he 
bought his present farm where he still lives, 
which is situated on West Hat creek. He at 
once began to improve his farm, put up sub- 
stantial buildings and breaking up land for 
crr)ps. and while he went through many hard- 
shi])s during the first few years, has succeeded 
splendidly. lie has the ranch all fenced, and 
about one hundred acres under cultivation. 



also has plenty of range and hay land. He is 
engaged in stock raising on a large scale, and 
is doing well, operating his property along 
progressive lines, and is recognized as one 
of the well-to-do ranchmen of his county. 
The place is well supplied with good running 
water, and there is considerable timber on it. 

Mr. Doyle was married in 1880 to Cath- 
erine Dellaney, and two children were born to 
this union, but he had the sad misfortune to 
loose both children and mother in 1881. 

Mr. Doyle was married in 1902. the second 
time, to Alary Spannin. born in .\merica of 
(ierman descent, and they are the parents of 
three children, named as follows: Kate. Mary 
and Thomas. The family occupy a pleasant 
home and enjdy the respect and esteem of all 
in their community. Our subject has always 
taken an active interest in local affairs, and is 
among the honored pioneers of this locality, and 
no man. from what the people say. stands more 
on his word and integrity than does Thomas 
Doyle. 



JAMES McCLYMONT. 

James McClyniont. of Industry township, 
Phelps county. Nebraska, is one of the most 
successful and prosperous agriculturists in 
this locality. He resides in section 5. town- 
ship 5, range 19. where he has built up a fine 
farm and home, and is highly esteemed by 
all who know him. 

Mr. McClymont is a native of Knox 
county, Illinois, born in 1853, of Scotch de- 
scent, his father being Peter McClymont. Our 
subject came to Nebraska in 1889 and located 
on the farm where he now lives in 1889. ori- 
ginally purchasing a half section of land in 
section 5, township 5, range 19, and later add- 
ing the balance of this section and also one 
liundred and sixty acres wJiich lies across the 
road from his place, making a fine farm of 
eight hundred acres. .MI of this is first-class 
farming land, and he is engaged in mixed 
farming and stock raising. He has been very 
successful in his grain crops, and is progres- 
sive in his methods of farming. He also is 
widely known as keeping only the best grades 
of stcick. having a drove of from seventy-five 
to one hundred good grade Poland China hogs, 
and fifty to seventy-five white-faced cattle of 
the Hereford breed. Each winter he feeds 
and ships a few carloads of stock which nets 
him a good round sum. He keeps about twen- 
ty-five head of horses, preferring the full- 
blooded Percherons. and raises a number of 
fine colts. He is known throughout the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



569 



county as a successful, clear-headed and in- 
telligent citizen, always casting his influence 
for good. 

Mr. McClymunt was married in March, 
1878, to Miss Isabelle McDowell. 

Mr. McClymont is now serving as district 
supervisor, comprising the townships of In- 
dustry, Laird and Rock Falls. He was elected 
in 1905, and is a faithful public official, always 
looking to the interests of the community 
which he stands for. He is a Republican, and 
has been a member of the school board for the 
last nineteen years. He has also been a dea- 
con in the Congregational church at Loomis. 



JOHN H. PUTNAM. 

The gentleman here named is the oldest 
settler in Rock or Brown counties, and is 
well known throughout this section of the 
country as a successful and prosperous agri- 
culturist. He has been the foremost among 
the pioneers who have aided materially in the 
upbuilding of the commercial and social in- 
terests of the region, and enjoys a deservedly 
high standing as a citizen. 

Mr. Putnam was born in Clinton county, 
Michigan, May 7, 1843. and was raised there 
until 1852, when the family moved to Shia- 
wasse county. His father, William R. Putnam, 
of good old American stock, was born in New 
Jersey in about 1810, and died in Michigan 
in 1881, universally esteemed and respected. 
There was a family of seven children, of whom 
our subject was the third member. He went 
out into the world to make his ow-n way at 
the age of twenty-one, following farm work 
for three years in Michigan and Illinois, then 
taking up contracting and building as a trade. 
His principal work was building churches, and 
he did much of this in Iowa, where he located 
in 1868, remaining there for ten years, eight 
years of this time at Fort Dodge. In the fall 
of 1878 he moved to what is now Rock county, 
then unorganized, settling on a homestead on 
section 34, township 32, range 20, and lives 
on that place at the present time, to which 
he has given the name of Spring Arbor Farm. 
When he first came here there was not a 
family on Long Pine creek, the country was a 
wilderness, wild game was plentiful and as 
trapper and hunter he killed sixty-eight deer 
himself. He was here during the pony raids 
and cattle rustling, but was fortunate in never 
having lost any stock, although he had some 
heavy losses by drouths. He relates an in- 
teresting anecdote of an attempt of the famous 
Doc Middleton to steal his team while camp- 



ing one night some distance from home. He 
and his father-in-lav^^ witnessed the hard win- 
ter of 1880-'81, but got along without receiv- 
ing any assistance from the government. He 
stuck to his place through all the pioneer ex- 
periences that fell to the lot of the early 
settler, and now has a fine farm of seven hun- 
dred and sixty acres, all lying on Pine creek. 
One hundred and fifty acres is under cultiva- 
tion, with fifteen acres including three of 
orchard that have been subjected to irrigation. 
He keeps sixty head of cattle and fifteen 
horses, besides other stock. His farm is 
splendidly improved with good buildings and 
fences, and he is numbered among the pro- 
gressive and leading citizens of his commu- 
nity. At present he has partially retired from 
active farming, the business being carried on 
by his son. 

WHiile living in Iowa Mr. Putnam was 
married to Miss Sarah Brinckerhoff, of Grand 
Junction, whose parents, natives of New York, 
were early settlers in Rock county ; both 
have since joined the great majority. The fol- 
lowing children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Putnam : Ira Wayne, Bessie, now Mrs. 
Charles Sawyer; William Dayton. Alonzo B., 
who runs the home farm ; Clem and Agnes. 

In 1883 Mr. Putnam organized the Camp- 
meeting Association and served as president a 
number of years. He is deeply interested 
in educational affairs, and contributed the la- 
bor to erect the school near his home. 
Here he organized a Sunday school, the first 
west of O'Neil, and acted as superintendent 
for twenty years. For four years Mr. Putnam 
has been president of the Agricultural Society 
of Rock county, and takes an active interest in 
all afTairs of importance to the interests of his 
locality. He is an independent voter, and 
while in Iowa he was a member of the Congre- 
gational church. 

A view of "Spring Arbor Farm" will be 
found on one of the illustrated pages of this 
volume. 



THOMAS SHIPMAN. 

Perseverance and diligence are the stepping 
stones to success, and these characteristics, 
supplemented by honesty and good citizen- 
ship, are the leading attributes possessed by 
the gentleman herein named. Mr. Shipman 
has been a resident of Dawes county, Ne- 
braska, since the early settlement of this sec- 
tion, and has built up a comfortable farm and 
home here, and his name is closely identified 
with the upbuilding of this locality. He is 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



well known and highly respected throughout 
his community. 

Mr. Shipman was born in Pike county, Illi- 
nois, in 1862. His father, Alfred Shipman, 
was a farmer, of American stock, he having 
married Miss Almira Durrell, of Ohio. Our 
subject was reared in his native state, attend- 
ing the country school and helping his par- 
ents in the farm work, until he reached the 
age of eighteen. Then the whole family moved 
to Iowa in 1880, and in 1884 he came to Dawes 
county, with a party of three others, from Illi- 
nois, all traveling by team. Mr. Shipman located 
on section 17 . township il, range 52, and put 
up his first building, which was a log shack, 
and here ''batched it" for seven years, driving 
ox teams, breaking up his land and building 
up his farm. He proved up on his pre- 
emption, and took a homestead in about 1888, 
proving up on that also, and remaining for 
several years. In 190+ he moved to his 
present farm in section 28, township 32, range 
52. Here he has everything in first-class 
shape, with good buildings, fences and all ma- 
chinery for use on his farm. The place con- 
sists of four hundred and eighty acres and he 
engages extensively in stock raising, besides 
cultivating one hundred and fifty acres. In 
the spring of 1907 he had a fire which 
destroyed his stable, corrals and feed, but he 
is now planning to build other barns, etc. He 
has been unfortunate in having been burned 
out three times since settling here, the fires 
being caused by sparks from railroad engines. 

In 1892 our subject was united in marriage 
to ;\Iiss Barbara Cornell, daughter of Levi 
Cornell, an old settler in this county, now re- 
siding in the state of Washington. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Shipman have been born the follow- 
ing children : Harold, Ethel, Oliver, Hazel 
and Genevieve. 

In politics Mr. .Shijiman is not party 
bound, liut votes for the best man running. 



NICHOLAS SIMONS. 

Through exceptionally good management 
and persistent labors the gentleman herein 
named has ac(|uired a well developed farm, 
and is enabled to enjoy the comforts of 
modern farming surrounded by his famih- and 
a large circle of warm friends. Mr. Simons 
resides on section 21, township 34. range 23, 
Norden precinct, and has the satisfaction of 
knowing that his success has come to him by 
his own unaided efforts. 

Mr. Simons was born in Fulton county, 



New York, March 2i, 1861. His father, Peter 
Simons, was a farmer by occupation, who 
came to this country from France, his native 
land, in about 1850. and died in New York in 
1864. There were four children in his father's 
family, and he was the third in order of birth. 
When he reached the age of thirteen years his 
mother died, and as they had no relatives to 
look after them, the children were compelled 
to make their own way, and our subject 
worked on farms at times, also worked in the 
cotton factories, tobacco factories, and peddled 
goods through the country. At the age of 
nineteen he came west, locating in Crawford 
county, Iowa, where lie followed farming for 
several j'ears, and in 1886 came to Nebraska, 
settling in Keya Paha county. He at once put 
up a board shanty, and the following year built 
a sod house containing two rooms, in which 
the family lived for several years. The first 
years were hard ones to them, and oftentimes 
they endured privations and hardships, going 
through the drouth periods, when he was 
obliged to work out by the day to make a 
living. One year he put in fifteen acres of 
wheat, planting it four times, and each time 
the wind storms which swept the country 
would blow his seed out of the ground. He 
had a few head of stock, and managed to get 
along until the better years came on. His 
farm now consists of five hundred and sixty 
acres, and he engages in mixed farming and 
stock raising, mostly the latter. He has built 
a substantial house, barn and hen house, be- 
sides has wells and windmill with plenty of 
good water, and a fine grove of trees nicely 
growing. In 1901 he lost his health through 
overwork, and since then has not been able 
to do any hard labor. 

Mr. Simons is a strong Republican, and 
although he takes a keen interest in local af- 
fairs, could never be induced to accept office. 
He has been active in helping to build up the 
schools in his locality, and done his full share 
in the development of its commercial and edu- 
cational interests. 

Mr. Simons was married April 18. 1883. in 
Crawford county, to Miss Kathcrine Sander, 
daughter of Peter and Gertrude ( Peters) 
Sander, both born in Germany and coming 
to this country when very young. Mr. and 
Mrs. Simons are the parents of fourteen chil- 
dren, eleven of whom are living, named a? 
follows: Mary, now Sister Adelia of St. 
Francis' Convent. Lafayette, Indiana ; Annie, 
wife of William Langer, of Keya Paha county; 
Nicholas, John. Joseph. Katlierine. Charles, 
George. Matilda, l^urothy and Agnes. Those 
who flied were named Peter. Rose and Leo. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



571 



All but two of these children were born on 
the homestead in Nebraska. ]Mr. Simons is 
a Republican in politics and a communicant of 
the Catholic church. 



SIDNEY W. .FORD. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a. man of industrious habits, 
progressive and up-to-date in his methods of 
operating his fine farm, which lies in Madrid 
precinct, every appointment of which bespeaks 
his good management and individuality. He 
is one of the early settlers of Perkins county, 
and was very influential in shaping the affairs 
of the region during its development into a 
farming community. 

Sidney W. Ford was born in Jackson 
county, Illinois, in 1861. His father, James 
Ford, was a native of Ohio, and he married 
Mary Paxton, also born and reared in that 
state. The family settled in Grundy county, 
Illinois, when Sidney was three years old, and 
there he grew up on a farm, receiving a limited 
schooling and being taught at an early age to 
do all kinds of hard farm work. He started 
out for himself when a youth of fifteen. Later, 
at the age of twenty-one, he rented land, re- 
maining there up to 1886, when he came to 
Nebraska, locating in Perkins county on sec- 
tion 32, township 11, range Z7 . On coming 
to this region he shipped his goods to Ogal- 
lala, which was his nearest trading post, and 
drove from that place to his claim. His first 
dwelling was a frame shanty, and he lived in 
it for several years, then put up a sod house, 
steadily improving his farm and getting con- 
siderable of the land under cultivation. He 
was soon hit by the drouths and grasshopper 
periods, losing several crops from different 
causes, but remained there up to 1901, suc- 
ceeding in building up a very productive farm, 
then came to his present homestead, which 
is situated on section 4, township 10, range 
Z7 . Here he has put on splendid improve- 
ments, having a handsome residence, good 
barns, the place entirely fenced and cross- 
fenced, and it is considered one of the best 
equipped ranches in the county. There are 
about nine hundred and sixty acres all in one 
piece, and he has two complete sets of build- 
ings, engaging in mixed farming and stock 
raising. 

Mr. Ford was united in marriage at 
Verona, Illinois, in February, 1883, to Miss 
Ann Jones, of Welsh descent. Five children 
have been born to them, who are named as 



follows; Simon, Lloyd, Mary, Sarah E. and 
Minnie. 

During his residence in this vicinity Air. 
Ford has always manifested a true public 
spirit and has gained the respect and esteem 
of his associates through his straightforward- 
ness and sterling character. He has been an 
important factor in the advancement of his 
locality. During the construction of the Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy Railway through 
Perkins county he lent his aid in building the 
road. 



NELS W. OLSON. 

The advantages offered in America for the 
young man of thrift and enterprise to gain 
a footing and build for himself a comfortable 
home and become an honored citizen has in- 
duced many sons of the Scandinavian penin- 
sula to emigrate to the new world, and they 
are now found plying all trades and filling all 
professions. Agriculture comes in for her 
full share of these desirable citizens, and Chey- 
enne county, Nebraska, has many within her 
borders. The gentleman above named came 
from Sweden and has gained a high station 
in Sidney precinct, Cheyenne county, as a 
prosperous farmer and citizen of sterling char- 
acter. 

Nels W. Olson was born in the province of 
Skone, in the south part of Sweden, on May 
18, 1871, and was reared there to the age of 
sixteen years. At that time he crossed from 
Christianstadt to Copenhagen, thence to Ham- 
burg, whence he sailed for Baltimore, landing 
after a voyage of fifteen days. He located in 
Lincoln, Nebraska, and remained for one year, 
working in the track department of the Union 
Pacific railroad. He then came to Cheyenne 
county, and for several years after locating 
in this region worked for the Union Pacific 
Railway Company, again in the track depart- 
ment. He filed on a homestead in section 14, 
township 14, range 51, and later removed to 
section 36, where he now owns one thousand 
six hundred and sixty acres of fine farming 
land, and controls one thousand three hundred 
and sixty acres additional. He has built up a 
good home and ranch, having splendid build- 
ings of every description and all improve- 
ments. Lodge Pole creek runs through the 
place, which has much fine hay land and 
twenty acres of alfalfa. He runs about one 
hundred and fifty cattle and has made a suc- 
cess of his enterprise, and is classed as one of 
the leading men of his community. Mr. Olson 



572 



LCJMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIIXISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



makes a specialty of fine cattle, and has some 
splendid specimens of the Hereford breed. 

On December 28, 1895, Mr. Olson was mar- 
ried to Miss Tillie Berg, in Laramie City, 
Wyoming. Of this union four children have 
been born, named as follows: Oscar Albin. 
Carl Lubbig. Gustaf Clarence and Annie 
Elizabeth. Mr. Olson's parents never left 
their native country, the father dying there in 
1899, while the mother is still living. Hi? 
wife's parents are both deceased. Mr. Olson 
is a Republican in politics; he was reared in 
the Lutheran church and affiliates with the 
Masonic order in Sidney. 



wh.hel:\i :\rARTENS. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
progressive agriculturists of western Ne- 
braska, a hard worker and makes a close 
study of the soils in this region, although his 
financial means have not permitted him to 
carry on the experiments which he feels would 
eventually prove beneficial to the entire west- 
ern part of the state. Mr. Martens is held in 
the highest esteem by all who know him, and 
enjoys an enviable reputation as a man of su- 
perior intellect and ability. 

Wilhelm Martens was born in the town of 
Angern. Germany, in 1852. His father was a 
woodworker by trade, and lived and died in 
his native land. Our subject was reared and 
educated in the old country, receiving a bet- 
ter education than generally fell to the lot of 
the young German lads in those days, but he 
was a natural student and eager to absorb 
knowledge, and his parents were able to allow 
him to follow his natural inclinations. Dur- 
ing his boyhood days he also learned the ma- 
chinist's trade, and worked in machine shops 
in dififerent large cities there. He remained in 
Germany up to 1881, constantly following his 
trade and keeping up his studies at the same 
time, and was married there in 1877 to Miss 
.Anna Fehler, daughter of Wilhelm Fehler, a 
locksmith and manufacturer of weights and 
scales, also was employed by the German gov- 
ernment as scale inspector or tester. 

In April of the year 1881, Mr. Martens 
left his native land and came to America with 
his family, locating in South Bend. Indiana, 
and there followed his trade for three months, 
then went to Chicago and lived there for two 
years. He next went tn Denison. Iowa, and 
• bought an unimproved farm, all wild prairie 
land, and began farming, continuing on this 
place for four years, then traded the farm for 
a wagon shop and blacksmith shop in Denison, 
removing into the town, and there worked as 



a woodworker, making wagons and all kinds 
of woodwork, also farm machinery. In 1888 
he came to Dawes county, Nebraska, arriving 
here with very little money and nothing much 
to start with. He settled on a homestead 
in section 14, township 34, range 48, a tract 
of wild prairie land with no improvements. 
He, together with his wife and five small chil- 
dren, lived in a tent during the first year, then 
built a sod house and started to build up a 
home. He did well at first but the dry years 
soon struck them and they were unable to 
raise an}' crops, and his wife sickened and 
died, leaving him almost discouraged. They 
went through many hardships and much pri- 
vation, but still stuck to the place, and soon 
things changed for the better and he was 
able to get together quite a little property 
and improve his farm with good buildings, etc. 

Mr. Alartens now owns a fine ranch of 
twenty-five hundred acres, with one hundred 
acres under cultivation and forty acres of fine 
alfalfa, the balance being in grass and pasture 
land. He has built about sixteen miles of 
fence, and has a good substantial house, built 
in 1897. This house is built of mud and stone 
for the walls, with sides and roof of tin cans 
which our subject picked up in the vicinity of 
liis home, which are used almost as shingles 
would be on a roof, the whole house costing 
only about one hundred and fifty dollars to 
build. It is of commodious size, fourteen by 
twenty-six and fourteen by eighteen, and is a 
very comfortable dwelling. A picture of the 
family and the residence will be found on an- 
other page. 

Mr. Martens and his children. Minnie, 
A\'ilhelm, Annie, Louisa, Amanda. Ernest and 
Paul, are all well liked by their neighbors and 
associates, and enjoy a pleasant home. When 
Mrs. Martens died her last words to her hus- 
band were, "Take care of the children." and 
well has he fulfilled this charge, being both 
father and mother to his little ones, and as 
they grew up kept them all near him through 
times of trouble and suffering. Mr. Martens 
was married again in 1907 to Mrs. Elizabeth 
Strigl, of German stock, born in Nauenburg, 
Germany, and coming to America in 1883. 

In political views Mr. Martens is a Social- 
ist, and takes a deep interest in all local and 
national politics. It was on account of his 
honesty to his political principles which caused 
him to leave Denison, Iowa, and come to Ne- 
braska, as at that place his outspoken opinion 
regarding socialism and his loyalty to the 
cause of labor cost him his business and trade, 
and he was compelled to come to Dawes 
county a poor man. although he has never 
changed his mind about these matters. 




KKSii)i;xci-: AXi) !• \.\lll.^--\\■-\l. .maktkxs. 

Dawes County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



573 



JAMES GREENWOOD. 

In the person of the above mentioned gentle- 
man we find one of the oldest settlers of Frank- 
Hn county, recognized by all as a representa- 
tive citizen of that locality who has seen the 
growth and progress of the region from its 
early settlement. Mr. Greenwood came to 
the county in 1871, and has been one of the 
foremost in aiding its development, com- 
mercially, educationally and socially. Mr. 
Greenwood is a native of Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, and came to America with his parents 
when but two years old, the family locating 
in the southwestern part of Wisconsin, where 
two sons still occupy the old homestead. Our 
subject grew up there and received a good 
education. 

In 1869 he came to Nebraska, locating 
in Plattsmouth, where two companies were 
formed to locate town sites. Captain Murphy 
taking one company and starting Arapahoe, 
in Furnas county. (See sketch of this gentle- 
man on another page.) The other company 
came with ;\Ir. Greenwood, nine in all, and 
located at Franklin. The party consisted of 
our subject; George Fairfield, surveyor; Bill 
Wells, V. V. Leonard. A. M. Chase. Samuel 
Waugh, now of Lincoln; R. Baxter ^^'yndam, 
now an attorney of Plattsmouth ; George Poi- 
sel. a teamster, and A. M. Weaver. The only 
homesteaders were V. \'. Leonard and Mr. 
Greenwood, and the town was laid out on 
eighty acres. E. A. Kirkpatrick was one of 
the company, and he filed on the eighty, but 
the only one of this number who now resides 
in Franklin is our subject. He looked after 
the company's interests for a year, and in 
1872 returned to Plattsmouth. coming back 
here later and engaging in the general mer- 
chandise business in partnership with George 
Buck. In 1872 George O'Bannon. a cowboy 
from Texas, started a grocery here, and our 
subject ran his store for four years, and after 
getting the county seat here the town boomed 
for a time. Then Bloomington got the county 
seat and Franklin property went down for a 
while. Mr. Greenwood and his partner moved 
their store to Bloomington, and in 1881 re- 
turned and reopened the business. The Con- 
gregational Academy had then been started 
here by Rev. C. S. Harrison, who now resides 
at York. This academy has been a great boon 
to Franklin, with its three large buildings, fine 
campus and large attendance of western Ne- 
braska students. Through the influence of 
our subject, Mr. Buck and their associates, 
saloons have always been barred, and these 
gentlemen have given largely of their time 



and property to the upbuilding on a temper- 
ance and educational basis of the town of Frank- 
lin. Mr. Buck now resides at Lincoln. 

Franklin has prospered ever since the 
academy has been located here, attracting a 
good class of residents who have built up 
substantial homes and business places and 
have taken a pride in beautifying the park, 
streets and their private grounds, so that 
they now have a pretty and growing town. 
In 1873 George O'Bannon, the cowboy, 
jumped the town site of eighty acres and held 
it, so i\Ir. Greenwood and Mr. Buck took up 
an adjoining eighty for the town and laid 
it out, giving land for park, schools and 
churches, and also gave lots free to actual 
settlers. Mr. Greenwood was married in 
1874 to Miss Emma E. Buck, now deceased. 
His second wife was Ruth Kenyon. Mr. 
Greenwood has the following children : Jen- 
nie ; Grace ; Joseph K., taking a course in the 
law department of Grinnell College, Iowa, and 
J. A., now a student at the Franklin Academy, 
and an athlete of no mean reputation ; Lucille 
and David R. Mr. Greenwood was elected 
county commissioner and served for several 
terms, and has also been village trustee. 



MARTIN JOSEPH MANION. 

^lartin J. Manion. a popular and highly es- 
teemed citizen of Box Butte county, Ne- 
braska, was born in Dublin. Parish Kilfinch, 
Ireland, in 1850. He is a son of William 
Manion, a native of Ireland, who came to 
America in 1840. landing in New York on 
August 15th of that year, and he married 
^lar}' Foley, also born and reared in Ireland. 
After reaching this land they settled in Illi- 
nois, where the father followed farming for 
many years. Our subject was reared in Ire- 
land and lived there until he was thirty-eight 
years of age. In 1890 he started for America 
from his native shore and landed at New 
Orleans, and then came north to Omaha, 
where he remained for a time. He then came 
to Box Butte county, buying a relinquishment 
on section 1, township 27, range 48, and after 
filing on this property was in debt to quite 
an extent, but he began to open a farm, pur- 
chasing two plug teams on first landing here, 
and during the first six months lived in a tent 
until he could put up some sort of a dwelling 
place, then built a sod house and occupied 
that for a number of years. He witnessed the 
drouth periods, losing several crops, and for 
five years the only thing he raised was good 
crops of Russian thistles, also some good 



574 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



crops of potatoes. He was obliged to work out 
by the day and month a large portion of the 
time in order to make a living, hauling timber 
from Pine Ridge, camping out at night under 
his wagon, as did most of the travellers in 
those times, and often slept on the hard frozen 
ground wrapped in blankets, the snow many 
times covering the ground all around him. 
He made, in all, two hundred trips from the 
vicinity of his home and Pine Ridge. He did 
all kinds of hard work, breaking up land, etc., 
in order to make a little money, and all he re- 
ceived for a day's work was fifty cents, and 
was glad to get that. However, the better 
years soon came on and he was able to im- 
prove his farm, buying more land, and now 
owns a ranch of twelve hundred and eighty 
acres, running seventy horses and over two 
hundred cattle. He also devotes about two 
hundred acres to farming, and has his ranch all 
fenced, good buildirtgs on it, etc. 

^fr. Manion was married in 1870 to Jennie 
O'Mara, daughter of Patrick and Ellen 
(Bowen) O'Mara, both born and reared in 
Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Manion are the par- 
ents of six children, named as follows: Mayme, 
married, the wife of John Mahoney. of Nance 
county. Nebraska: \Villiam. Josephine, John. 
Thomas and Francis, who died in infancy. 
The family occupy a pleasant and comfortable 
home, and' are highly esteemed by their neigh- 
bors and fellow citizens. 

Mr. Manion is a Democrat and stands 
firmly for his convictions. He takes a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs, and has 
held school offices for several years past, and 
is niiw road overseer. 



CHARLES G. YOUNGQUIST. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community of Phelps county, Nebraska, 
none are better known or command a higher 
place as a progressive farmer and worthy 
citizen than the gentleman above named. Mr. 
Youngquist has been identified with the agri- 
cultural interests for the past ten years, and 
deserves special mention for the success he 
has attained in building up his farm and home, 
which is located in Industry township. 

Mr. Youngquist is a native of Sweden and 
came to America with his parents when an 
infant. He came to Phelps county with his 
father in 1880. The latter, John 'S. Young- 
quist, who took a homestead in Laird town- 
shi|i, subsequently added to his holdings 
there until he was proprietor of four hundred 



and eighty acres in that locality. He was 
very successful at everything he undertook 
from the start, and is now living in Holdrege, 
retired from all active business. Prior to com- 
ing to Nebraska the family lived at Goodhue, 
Minnesota, but our subject states that he 
would not at any price exchange his property 
here for land in that state. He has always 
had the greatest faith in the opportunities 
of this country, and has proved this to be 
well founded by his own success. 

Mr. Youngquist began on his present farm 
in 1898, and has been constantly adding to his 
acreage until he is now owner of a fine four- 
hundred-acre farm. Of this he has three hun- 
dred and fifty acres well tilled, and on this 
he raises fine crops each year. His corn crop 
in 1904 amounted to about seven thousand 
bushels, most of which is fed out on his farm, 
as he keeps about eighty to one hundred 
grade hogs and about the same number of 
cattle, -with horses sufficient for his farm use. 
He has recently put up one of the finest farm 
residences to be found in this locality, and 
his farm is supplied with a complete set of 
substantial buildings and modern machinery 
with which to successfully operate it. He 
has accomplished all this in the past eighteen 
years through his own individual efforts and 
perseverance, which shows that Nebraska is 
the place for the industrious, wide-awake 
young farmer. 

Mr. Youngquist was married in 1893 to 
Miss Emily Johnson, of Holdrege. They 
have a family of four children : \\'illiam, 
Edna. Harold and Ellen. 

Mr. Youngquist takes a commendable in- 
terest in all public aft'airs in his community. 
He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church in his township, and a trustee of the 
same. He also is a member of the school 
board. In political faith he is a Republican. 
Our subject has bought a residence and prop- 
erty in Loomis. where he intends to settle and 
make his home. He will still oversee the 
operating of his farm. 



CARSON HENNINGS. 

Carson Hennings, a practical farmer and 
thorough ranchman of western Nebraska, 
owns a valuable property in section 17. town- 
ship 2(1. range .=^0. Box Butte county, is an 
old settler in this region, who has always done 
his full share in local afi'airs tending to the 
bettering of conditions in his li)cality. Mr. 
Hennings' farm is a notable exception to most 







4 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



575 



farms in that his crops nearly always show 
up as among the very finest in the county on 
account of the thorough cultivation of the 
ground and his strict attention to the details of 
his operations. 

Carson Hennings was born in Oldenburg, 
near Bremen, Germany, in 1859. His father, 
George Hennings, was a farmer, and our sub- 
ject's boyhood was spent in assisting his par- 
ents in the work of carrying on the home farm, 
and attending the common schools where he 
received a thorough, old-fashioned training in 
the common branches of study, which stood 
him in good stead during his later years. 

In 1885 he left home and started for 
America, landing in Baltimore in that year, 
and he came directly west, stopping in Cin- 
cinnati, where he remained for one year work- 
ing in a dairy near that city. He was not 
exactly satisfied with the country there, so 
decided to try his fortunes farther west, com- 
ing to Grand Island. Nebraska, and looking 
around for a place to settle. He travelled 
over Box Butte county in his search and 
finally took . up a homestead on section 17, 
township 26, range 50, and also a tree claim in 
section 25, township 25, range 52. In 1888 
he returned to Germany for a visit, and there 
was married to Miss Anna Wemken, a native 
of that country. They returned to America 
and located in Box Butte county, on section 
17, township 26, range 50, put up a sod shanty 
and began their home. His first team were 
oxen, and with these he broke land for a 
small crop. At the time the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Ouincy Railroad was being built into 
Wyoming, and Mr-. Hennings was employed by 
that company, and later when the Chicago 
& Northwestern people were building their 
road through this region he was one of those 
who helped put it through. For a time he 
was employed b_v the Homestake Mining Com- 
pany, and in fact worked at anything he could 
find to do in order to get along and get started 
on his farm. 

During the years 1893, 1894. 1895 and 
1896 the drouths worked havoc in his lo- 
cality and he was unable to raise a decent 
crop. These failures were a severe setback 
to him, but as the years grew better he was 
able to add more land to his original farm and 
has built it up in fine shape, at the present 
time owning six hundred and forty acres, one 
hundred and thi«rty of which is devoted to di- 
versified farming. He has good buildings and 
everything necessary for the proper operation 
of the farm, and also deals largely in stock, 
keeping about seventy-five head of cattle and 
has five horses for his farming purposes. He 



keeps about twenty-five cows for dairy pur- 
poses, which bring him in a snug income. 

Since locating here Mr. Hennings has been 
active in local and school aiifairs. has served on 
the school board for many 3^ears and is one of 
the leading public-spirited men of his section. 
He is a Republican but is not actively inter- 
ested in politics, preferring to devote all of 
his time to his home and farm. 

Mr. and ]\Irs. Hennings are the parents of 
six children, namely: Lena, Anna, John, 
Henry, Carl and George. The family is held 
in high esteem as good citizens and kind 
neighbors. 



NELSON S. ROWLEY. 

Nelson S. Rowley, one of the prominent 
residents of Cherry county, Nebraska, is a 
very well known and highly esteemed mem- 
ber of this part of the state. He was born 
December 28. 1861, on a farm near Toronto, 
Canada, whither the family had moved from 
the states. His father, John Rowley, was a 
farmer of Yankee descent, and his mother was 
Miss Emily Goldsmith, both natives of the 
state of New York. 

Our subject is one of a family of eleven, 
he being the sixth child. About 1865 his par- 
ents moved back to New York state, and 
some three years later went to Shiawasse and 
Clinton counties, Michigan, where they lived 
until Nelson was fifteen, at which time his 
father died. Then the mother and younger 
children came to Nebraska in 1877, locating 
at North Platte, where our subject began life 
as a cowboy, in this manner helping to support 
the family. 

In the fall of 1880 he saw what is now 
Cherry county, but at that time was a part of 
Sioux county. As a young man Mr. Rowley rode 
over all the territory in this part of the state, 
many times being compelled to camp out, thus 
becoming familiar with Cherry county from 
one end to the other. In 1885 he filed pre- 
emption on section 30, township 30, range 31, 
his present residence, and has since followed 
the occupation of a rancher. In 1893 he filed 
under the homestead act on section 31, on 
which he lived five years and then moved back 
to his present home. In the summer of 1887 
he grew lonesome for a touch of wild life 
again and started with his brother for the 
"old outfit." Going by rail to Rapid City, 
thence by stage to Spearfish, Mr. Rowley, ac- 
companied by his brother, walked thence 
ninetv miles through flooded streams and wet 



5/6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



prairies to the ranch on the head waters of 
Little Powder river. 

Mr. Rowlej' was married, October 4. 1888, 
to Miss Ella Felch. who is a daughter of Ben- 
jamin F. and Clara (Bremmer) Felch, of 
Scotch and English descent, both old settlers 
of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Rowley have one 
adopted child, Maud E., who is being given 
the advantages of a higher education in the 
schools of \'alent'ne and a convent. Prior to 
her marriage Mrs. Rowley filed on a home- 
stead as Miss Felch, and in 1906 secured an 
additional four hundred and eighty acres un- 
der the Kincaid act. 

Mr. Rowley has gone through many hard- 
ships and met with much discouragement and 
loss, having been burned out four times by 
prairie fires, thereby losing all his barns, sheds, 
hay and much live stock, and these were only 
the large losses he sustained, for within seven 
years in which these fires occurred he ex- 
perienced many smaller losses also. How- 
ever, he did not lose courage, and is now the 
owner of sixteen hundred acres of land, with 
fine buildings and improvements, well stocked 
with cattle and horses, and has a leasehold on 
thirteen hundred acres additional, on which he 
runs some six or seven hundred head of cattle, 
one hundred and seventy-five horses and 
other stock. Mr. Rowley's ranch is located in 
section iO. township 30, range 31, of Cherry 
county, Nebraska. He is one of the progres- 
sive men in this section of the state, is num- 
bered among the old timers, and his name will 
figure in the history of Cherry county. Mr. 
Rowley was one of the witnesses of the Indian 
scare of 1888, and describes vividly the ex- 
periences of that terrible time, but did not 
take to flight as many of the neighbors did. 

Our subject takes an active interest in lo- 
cal politics, and in 1896 was nominated for 
sheriff by the Populists of Cherry county. He 
is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America at Valentine. One of the interesting 
illustrations in this work is a view of the resi- 
dence and surroundings. It will be found on 
another page. 



JAMES R. BIRDWELL. 

.•\ prominent place among the list of pros- 
perous and successful farmers of Cheyenne 
county is accorded the gentleman's name 
mentioned above. For manj' years he has 
been engaged in agriculture and conducts a 
large estate there. 

James R. Birdwell is a native of Harrison 
CMiinty, Indiana, born November 26, 1863, a 
-■■n r,f Thnmas R. and Mary A. (Waters) 



Birdwell. He made that locality his home un- 
til he was twenty-one years of age, living on 
a farm, and there he received a practical 
training as a boy and young man. His parents 
are still residing in Harrison county on the 
old homestead. 

Our subject arrived in Nebraska in Sep- 
tember, 1884. settling at first in Saunders 
county, and farmed there for three years, then 
came to Cheyenne county and filed on a home- 
stead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 
22. township 16, range 50, which is now the 
home ranch. He has improved this property 
well, cultivating one hundred and twenty-five 
acres and runs about twenty-five head of stock. 
The farm is supplied with good buildings, has 
a splendid water supply, and is well adapted 
to stock raising and farming. 

Mr. Birdwell married in Saunders county, 
Nebraska, November 24, 1887, Miss Anna E. 
Potter, who was born in La Salle, Illinois, a 
daughter of Charles and Ella (Bancroft) 
Potter. She came to this state with her par- 
ents when she was a girl of eleven, where both 
of her parents died. Mr. and ^Irs. Birdwell 
have four children, who are named as fol- 
lows : Thomas G., Alvah, James H. and 
Charles R. 

Mr. Birdwell is a Bryan Democrat with 
independent tendencies, and takes a commend- 
able interest in local affairs. He is a mem- 
ber of the Dalton Camp, Modern Woodmen of 
America, and of the Methodist church. 



JOSEPH L. WHEELER. 

• Joseph L. \\'heeler, an active and pushing 
business man and farmer of Long Pine, Ne- 
braska, has won a reputation and a standing 
second to none for the possession of those 
manly traits that mark the true American, 
such as honesty, a sterling integrity and an 
industrious habit that will not tire nor grow 
weary until the end is accomplished. While 
still in the prime of life he has become quite 
fore-handed, and shows in the story of his 
own career what steady labor, wise calcula- 
tion and unbending uprightness may accom- 
plish. Mr. Wheeler was born on a farm in 
Dodge county, Wisconsin, July 24. 1858, and 
is the oldest member of a family of eleven 
living children born to his parents. His 
father, J. T. Wheeler, is an old settler of 
Brown county, Nebraska, and his career forms 
the subject of an interesting sketch that ap- 
pears on another page of this work. 

When Joseph L. \\heeler was ten years 
of age his parents transferred themselves, 
their children and all their appurtenances to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



577 



Mahaska county. Iowa, where they main- 
tained a home for the following ten years, after 
which they resided in Grand Island, Ne- 
braska, for the five years following. In the 
fall of 1882 the subject of this writing came 
into Brown county, and for the ensuing five 
or six years divided his time between the work 
of helping the incoming farmers open and de- 
velop their claims and conducting the farming 
operations on the paternal homestead, and was 
of much assistance in the rearing of his 
younger brothers and sisters. On the 9th of 
February, 1889, he was united in marriage 
to Miss Emma Berger, a native of Nebraska, 
and a daughter of Eli Berger, one of the pio- 
neers in the settlement of Brown county. To 
this happy union were born two children, Bert 
and Flossy. 

From 1894 to 1899 he conducted a meat 
market at Long Pine. Mr. Wheeler turned 
to farming for himself in 1899, after closing 
his meat market, and two years later bought 
the farm on which we find him at the present 
writing. It is situated on Willow creek, and 
is a part of section 7, township 3Q, range 20. 
It is a very choice tract of land, one hundred 
and sixty acres in extent, and though partially 
improved at the time of his purchase, has been 
modernized and brought to date by its pro- 
gressive owner. New buildings have replaced 
the old, many fruit trees have been planted, 
and much small fruit is growing. He has one 
hundred and five acres under cultivation, and 
is making a marked success in his career as 
a Nebraska farmer. From the beginning Mr. 
Wheeler was always ready to push ahead by 
any honest enterprise. He broke bronchos, 
trained many a yoke of oxen to drive and 
never willingly let the "nimble nickle" go by 
unclaimed. He was, formerly an active Popu- 
list during the prosperous days of that party, 
and is now in the ranks of the Democrats. He 
is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America at Long Pine. 



JUDGE WATSON R. TOWNE, Deceased. 

Judge Watson R. Towne, deceased, whose 
picture appears on another page, was prob- 
ably one of the best known citizens of Cherry 
county. He was a resident of the county for 
more than a quarter of a century, and was 
closely identified with the history of its de- 
velopment. 

Mr. Watson was born in Franklin, \^er- 
mont, in 1834. His father, Ephraim Towne, 
a native of Massachusetts, was a farmer of 
English stock, and his mother. Miss Jane 



\\'inis, was a Canadian of Irish descent. They 
had a family of nine children, of whom our 
subject is the fifth, all reared and educated in 
Vermont. The boy secured a common school 
education and his time between school hours 
was devoted to hard farm work. At the age 
of twenty years he came to Chicago, securing 
employment with a commission firm with 
whom he remained for four years. Thence he 
went to ^Minnesota and joined the pioneers 
and for two years, with St. Paul as headquar- 
ters, engaged in trading with the Chippewa 
Indians in the Red river valley. In the fall of 
1859 he came back to Chicago, and at the out- 
break of the Civil war enlisted in the Chicago 
Dragoons, an independent company of cavalry 
which furnished its own horses, equipment, 
etc. Ordered to West Virginia, they partici- 
pated in a number of engagements and skir- 
mishes during the early months of the great 
conflict. After being mustered out he still 
longed for the excitement of a soldier's life, 
and went to Missouri as a scout, serving in 
the southwest until the year 1864. When the 
war was over he went to Colorado and there 
drove mule and bull teams, freighting in the 
mountains, leading the usual frontiersman's 
life until 1867, when he came to Nebraska and 
there worked for the government along the 
North Platte. In the fall of that year he left 
government service and freighted in Wyoming 
until the summer of 1870. at which time he 
came to Schuyler, Nebraska, and from then 
to the present has made this state his home, 
with the exception of nine years spent in 
Iowa. 

i\Ir. Towne traversed the entire western 
part of the state on horseback. For three 
years he was live stock agent for the Elkhorn 
Valley railroad, and subsequently owned and 
operated a large sheep and cattle range on the 
Minnechaduza. In the fall of 1890 he located 
in Valentine, becoming one of the leading 
public-spirited citizens of the town, being 
honored in 1896 with the nomination and elec- 
tion to the county judgeship of Cherry county, 
an honor four times repeated, showing with 
what approval and esteem his decisions have 
been received by his constituents within his 
jurisdiction. 

Mr. Towne was married in 1872 to Miss 
Olive O. Aldridge, who came of Canadian an- 
cestry. Four children have been born to them, 
and they are named as follows: George W., 
Nellie O.. Maude and Mabel, 

Mr. Towne was universally esteemed and 
admired, and enjoyed the respect and con- 
fidence of his associates. His career illustrates 
the versatility and steady attributes that have 
made pioneers of the west what thev are to- 



v-8 



CO-Mlr'ENDlL'Al OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



day — qualities that have given force to our in- 
stitutions and have made a garden out of a 
wilderness of barren plains. 



TAMES A. W. JOHNSON. 

Amona: the prominent business men of 
Georgia, Cherry county, the gentleman above 
mentioned occupies a foremost place. Mr. 
Johnson is well known all over this section 
of the country, and is highly esteemed as a 
citizen of true worth. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Cerro Gordo 
county. Iowa. March 16. 1867. He is a son 
of Sylvanus Johnson, whose sketch appears in 
this work on another page. ilr. Johnson is 
the third member in his parents' family of 
seven children and was raised in Iowa on his 
father's farm, where they lived the usual life 
of pioneers on the frontier of western Iowa, 
and later in Holt county. Nebraska, where 
they afterward settled. When he was twenty 
years old he came to Cherry county and be- 
gun as a homesteader, taking up a claim 
south of Georgia. The first days were spent 
in hauling wood to \'alentine for a dollar 
and a half a load, using ox teams, and in 
teaching school in the neighborhood, in which 
he was successful. He put up a log house 
with sod roof and remained here until proving 
up on his claim. Here he engaged in stock 
raising, and also in the well-drilling business, 
putting in wells all over Cherry and Keya Paha 
counties. In 1900 Mr. Johnson left his farm 
and moved to Georgia, trading cattle for a 
store in town, where he is now engaged in the 
mercantile business, carrying a good stock of 
general merchandise. He sold the farm and 
later bought a large ranch of about seventeen 
hundred acres on which he runs a num- 
ber of cattle, superintending its operation per- 
sonally in addition to his other interests here. 
In 1900 he was appointed postmaster of Kil- 
gore (Georgia station), succeeding his father 
in that office. 

On January 2.^, 1887, Mr. Johnson was mar- 
ried to Miss Mary \\'ray, whose father was 
an old settler in Holt county, and later moved 
to Cherry county. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson 
have five children, namely: Estella. Sadie, 
Bessie, Leonard and Ethel. 

Mr. Johnson is a prominent Republican, 
taking an active part in politics, serving on the 
central committee for ten or twelve years and 
has been serving as justice of the peace for 
an equal period of time. He has been dele- 
gate to both state and county conventions 
many times, and is one of the leading men of 
his community. 



JOHN ARMSTRONG. 

Among the leading old settlers of Box 
Butte county, Nebraska, none is more widely 
known or more highly esteemed than the gen- 
tleman whose name appears at the head of 
this review. For many years he has been 
closel}- identified with the agricultural inter- 
ests of this region, and he has done his full 
share in bringing about the present prosperity 
enjoyed by the residents of that locality. He 
has a pleasant home and well improved farm 
in section 11, township 17, range 49. 

Mr. Armstrong was born in the county of 
Fermanagh, province of Ulster, Ireland, on 
June 19, 1852. His father, John Armstrong, 
was also a native of that county and followed 
farming during his entire life, as did also his 
father before him. He married Elizabeth Wads- 
worth, of Huguenot stock. Our subject was 
reared and educated in his native land, attending 
the church education society school, and later 
the national school, receiving a better education 
than the average bov of his station, studying 
besides the common branches agriculture, bot- 
any, etc. ^^'hen he was twenty-seven years 
of age he came to the United States. One 
brother had previousl}- emigrated to this coun- 
try and had located in Cuming county. Ne- 
braska, and with him our subject spent a short 
time, later traveling to the Pacific coast and 
worked in the gold mines in that part of the 
country for about a year. In 1884 he came 
to Box Butte county for the first time, travel- 
ing all over this countrj' on horseback, camp- 
ing out nights on the ground. He also lived in 
Stanton county, but liked this region best of 
all on account of the price of land, and re- 
turned here, driving from Hay Springs with 
a team and wagon, carrying farm machinery, 
grain and seed, and driving four cows along. 
His first house was made of sod, in which he 
lived for about twelve years, occupying a home- 
stead and tree claim which he filed on as soon 
as coming here. This land was situated seven 
miles northeast of Hemingford. He had a 
pretty good start, owning a team and several 
cattle, some hogs and chickens, which was a 
great deal more than most of the settlers had 
to begin with. Me did well from the start and 
got through the dry years in good shape, as 
he did not try to farm any during those years. 
In 1899 he sold out his homestead and bought 
his present farm, which is located in section 11, 
townshi]) 27, range 49, the only reason for 
disposing of his former jilace being that this 
one offered better schooling advantages for 
his children. Here he has a fine estate consist- 
I ing of ten quarter sections, all well improved, 
I fitted with good buildings, wind mills, supply 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tanks, etc. He cultivates four hundred acres, 
and runs about two hundred head of cattle and 
thirty-five horses each year. 

Mr. Armstrong was married May 4, 1886, to 
Matilda Martz, who is a native of Prussia, born 
near Berlin, and came to America when a 
young girl with her parents, the family settling 
near Muscatine, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Arm- 
strong have a family of five children, all boys, 
named as follows : Will S., aged nineteen years, 
a graduate of the Creighton College of Phar- 
macy; Paul E., eighteen years old, who at- 
tended the Chadron Academy and later the 
Bayls Business College at Omaha, Nebraska ; 
John W., sixteen, living at home and attend- 
ing school at Hemingford high school ; Roy 
H., eleven, and Teddy F., two years of age, 
at home with their parents. 

Mr. Armstrong is determined to give each 
of his children a good education to fit them 
for the battle of life. The three eldest each 
own about twelve hundred dollars' worth of 
cattle and horses on the home farm, and have 
their own particular lot of stock to take care 
of, teaching them responsibility and as an in- 
ducement to remain at home and help their 
parents in the operation of the home ranch. 
Our subject is enthusiastic about the oppor- 
tunities offered in this region for any man will- 
ing to work, and states positively that there 
is no need or excuse for any one to want a 
home and good farm v^ho is energetic and in- 
dustrious. 

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong will 
be found on another page of this volume. 

Our subject and his family are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church of Heming- 
ford, Nebraska. He is a Republican, active in 
local affairs tending to the betterment of con- 
ditions in his locality. 



ANDREW GROVER WICKHA^T 

Andrew) Grover Wickham, residing in town- 
ship 25, range 33, Cherry county, Nebraska, ten 
or twelve miles northwest of Mullen, is count- 
ed among the old-timers of Nebraska, and is 
one of those men who has ever been v^'illing 
and ready to assist in the development of that 
locality and take a leading part in all school 
and public affairs. 

Mr. Wickham is a native of Westville, 
Champaign county, Ohio, born in 1840. His 
parents were of English blood, and took an 
important part in old colonial aft'airs. The fa- 
ther. Minor T., was a farmer all his life, and 
he married Martha Brown, of a well known 
family, and she died when Andrew was a small 



boy seven years old. He was reared and edu- 
cated in Ohio, and in 1861 enlisted in the 
United States volunteer service, becoming a 
member of the Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and afterwards saw hard service for 
several years. He was at the battle of Stone 
River, Chickamauga, in the campaign of At- 
lanta, Savannah and at Nashville, and also 
was through North Carolina with his regiment, 
taking part in many skirmishes. While on a 
foraging expedition in North Carolina he was 
captured March 20, 1865, and held prisoner 
for ten days near the close of the war. After 
the close of the war he went to Indiana, arriv- 
ing there in the fall of 1865, and began farm- 
ing on rented land, remaining there for twenty- 
one years, and at the end of that time came to 
Nebraska, spending the winter of 1886 at 
Broken Bow, and in the spring of the year 
1887 settled in the sand hills in Hooker county, 
nine miles southeast of Mullen. He drove 
through the country by team from Broken 
Bow, and after arriving at his claim at once 
erected a sod house, stable and sheds, and oc- 
cupied his sod shanty for several years, proved 
up on his homestead and improved it in good 
shape. In 1891 his wife departed this life 
and he soon afterwards removed to Mullen, 
where he could give his children the benefit of 
the schools. While living on the farm he went 
through some hard times, experiencing every 
phase of pioneer life, suffering from prairie 
fires, in one instance having had his sod barns 
burned to the ground and losing all their pos- 
sessions, also considerable hay, harness, etc. 

In 1904 Mr. Wickham took a Kincaid home- 
stead, which he is at present occupying and 
which is devoted to ranching. This is situated 
ten miles northwest of IMullen, in Cherry coun- 
ty, and he has this place in excellent condition, 
supplied with good buildings, fences and every 
improvement. He does a little farming. 

In 1860, before enlisting in the army, Mr. 
\\'ickham was married in Ohio to Susanna 
Schaetfer, and they reared a family of thirteen 
children, all but two of whom are living at the 
present time. They are named as follows: 
William H., died in 1890 in Chicago; John An- 
son, Ida ]\lay, Violet, George, Emery, Ella, 
Jessie, Andrew, Ollie (deceased), Frank, Elmer 
and Arthur. j\lr. Wickham has given to each 
child a good education, sending a number of 
them to Indiana to attend different schools, and 
they are a very bright and intelligent group. Por- 
traits of Mr. and Mrs. Wickham will be found 
on another page of this volume. 

Mr. \\'ickham was one of the first county 
commissioners in Hooker county at the time 
the county was organized, receiving his ap- 



58o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



pointment through Governor Thayer. Our 
subject is prominent in affairs in his locahty, 
taking an active part in all public matters. 



TRUMAN FREELAND. 

Truman Freeland, of whom a portrait ap- 
pears elsewhere, is one of the first settlers of 
the western half of Nebraska, coming to the 
state when many homesteads were yet to be 
taken within fifty miles of Omaha ; coming to 
the state when all that portion of Iowa west 
of Fort Dodge was mostly unsettled land, and 
no bridge yet spanned the ^Missouri river. 
Thousands of deer and antelope roamed over 
the country between Lincoln and Grand Island, 
and when he first saw the country north of 
the Platte and west of Columbus it was a wil- 
derness, uninhabited except by Indians, buf- 
falo, elk, deer and other wild animals roamed 
in countless numbers over the entire tract : 
there were also many beasts of prey, such as 
the mountain lion, bufifalo, wolves, coyotes and 
wildcats. Otter, beaver, mink and other fur- 
bearing animals were numerous in all the 
streams, and Mr. Freeland states that beaver 
dams were often raised to a height of three 
and four feet, and that near where he now re- 
sides trees were felled by the beaver, that 
were more than twenty inches in diameter. 

Mr. Freeland assisted in the construction of 
the first bridge thrown over the waters of the 
Platte and carried the chain when government 
surveys were made in what is now Custer and 
Loup counties. 

He was the second settler of what is now 
Garfield county, C. H. Jones and family having 
settled in the county a few days before his ar- 
rival as an actual settler. He erected the first 
residence on the valley of the North Loup 
river west of Haskell creek, and twenty miles 
above it, having but one neighbor nearer than 
twenty miles. Mr. Freeland assisted in the 
construction of the first school house erected 
in the county, the building being placed on his 
pre-emption ; Mrs. Freeland taught the first 
school held in the county. Mr. Freeland erect- 
ed the first frame dwelling built of foreign lum- 
ber erected in Garfield county, hauling the ma- 
terial from Grand Lsland, a distance of nearly 
one hundred miles. 

The subject of this sketch is decidedly a 
man of peace, and took but little part in the 
Indian troubles of pioneers days. Mr. Free- 
land received his education in the common 
schools of northern Illinois, and is a man of 
marked literary ability, his writings having 



appeared in various publications throughout 
the United States, not one of his contributions 
having been rejected. He is now publishing a 
volume of poems entitled "My Thoughts and 
Yours," a few stanzas of which, by permission 
of the author, we print below, as they are very 
appropriate in this volume. Mr. Freeland was 
born in Rock Island county, Illinois, February 
22, 1852, and came to Nebraska in 1869, where 
he has since resided. He settled in Howard 
county in May, 1872, and moved to Garfield 
county November 19, 1872, where he has since 
resided near Burwell, the county seat of Gar- 
field county, which was all government land 
at that time, the nearest town being Grand 
Island. During the first few years the nearest 
trading point for the settlers in this region 
from w'hich they could obtain groceries was 
Grand Island, located one hundred miles from 
their camp. 

Mr. Freeland was married February 3, 1874, 
to Miss Almira J. Russell, a native of \^er- 
mont, of English descent. Mrs. Freeland was 
a teacher in the first public school established 
in Garfield county. She departed from this 
life the 22nd day of August, 1907. Mr. and 
Mrs. Freeland have never had any children, 
but reared two which they adopted, a boy and 
a girl, Melvina and Earl. 

Mr. Freeland had always voted the Prohi- 
bitionist ticket up to several years ago, but 
has changed his political views of late years, 
and now leans toward the Socialistic cause. It 
can be truly said that he comes of genuine 
pioneer stock, his mother's father having been 
one of the pioneer settlers of Indiana, whose 
original purchase from the government in- 
cluded a portion of the battleground of Tippe- 
canoe in Marshall county, Indiana. Mr. Free- 
land's mother came to Rock Island county, 
Illinois, in 1832, when that country was yet 
a wilderness, and is still living in good health 
with her son Truman in Garfield county, Ne- 
braska. 

HILLS OF NEBRASK.X, 

No human foot e'er pressed thy sides 

For centuries unknown, — 
Wild beasts upon thy high divides 

Unmolested roamed. 

Once the home of finny tribes. 
Buried in the mighty deep — 

Tonight upon thy sloping sides 
Feathered songsters sleep. 

Monuments of God are ye. 

Piled at the toml) nf time, — 
Piled that man may wiser be 

Beholding thee — His work sublime. 




RESIDENCE AND PORTRAIT OF TRUMAN FREELAND. 
(Author of "My Thoughts and Yours.") 





ANDREW GROVER WICKHAM and WIFE. 



MR. AND MRS. JOHN ARMSTRONG. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTOPY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



581 



HILLS OF GARFIELD COUNTY. 
(1872) 

O'er all this rolling prairie land, 
Reigned perfect silence — solitude — 

O'er the billowy hills of sand 

And where the pines and cedars stood. 

Spreading elms and cottonwood 
Along the river's brink were seen, 

And here and there the silent flood 
Rolled through a grassy plain. 

In the valleys smooth and wide 
Roamed the buffalo, elk and deer : 

And gamboling on thy high divides. 
Were timid antelope everywhere. 



WILLIAM S. BIXLER. 

The above mentioned gentleman is well 
known to all the residents of McCook, Ne- 
braska, as the genial and popular proprietor of 
the Bixler opera house. He is one of the 
younger citizens of McCook, who by his faith 
in the city and his liberal enterprise is adding 
materially to the fame of McCook as one of 
the coming prosperous cities of the west. In 
1906 Mr. Bixler built and operated a large 
roller skating rink here, which was a popular 
amusement resort for the younger members of 
the community, and this year he has enlarged 
this rink so as to make it the largest and best 
equipped theater between Lincoln and Den- 
ver. The main floor is so constructed that it 
can be lowered evenly and used as a rink, 
thereby combining theater and rink. Every- 
thing is run in the very best manner, catering 
to all classes and tastes of this beautiful and 
cultured city. He has started right, and is 
determined to take every precaution to keep 
out worthless amusement companies, whose 
stock in trade is all in their show bills, pro- 
ducing only plays and operas that are worthy 
of the patronage of the very best class of peo- 
ple. These plays are limited to about four 
each month, and by this method his clients are 
not surfeited and are prepared to enjoy the 
occasional treats which he gives them. The 
McCook public has a well trained and critical 
taste in music and the drama, and to a less 
capable man it would be extremely difficult to 
always provide plays to their liking, but our 
subject strives hard to please the most par- 
ticular, and in this he has the sympathy and 
active support of the best people of the city. 
The auditorium seats ten hundred and fifty- 
eight people, and its acoustic properties are 
splendid. The main building is sixty by one 



hundred and forty feet, being fifty-four feet 
high over the stage, which is thirty-two by 
sixty, and forty feet high to rigging loft. The 
three drop curtains used in this playhouse 
would do credit to any theater in larger cities. 
The place is fitted up with four hundred elec- 
tric lights, and there are five dressing rooms. 
This theater is used for religious services, 
lectures and political demonstrations, thus fill- 
ing a great public need. 

Mr. Bixler has lived in McCook since his 
boyhood, having come here with his father in 
1884 from Pennsylvania, where the family lived 
near the Maryland line. His father, Hiram 
K. Bixler, owns a fine river bottom farm near 
McCook. Our subject was connected with the 
Burlington & Missouri Railway for seven 
years, and was chairman of the protective 
board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire- 
men for all the territory west of the Missouri 
river. He was one of those who helped to 
get the first schedule of the Burlington & Mis- 
souri Railroad after the great strike of 1887. 

Mr. Bixler was married to Miss Alice Coe, 
daughter of M. H. Coe, who settled in this 
county in 1884, now residing at Perry, Iowa. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bixler have one son and two 
daughters. 

Mr. Bixler is a deservedly influential and 
popular resident of McCook, and one who is 
always foremost in promoting the interest of 
all that tends to the growth and advancement 
of the communitv in which he resides. 



LOUIS MARTINSON, Deceased. 

Louis Martinson, who was numbered 
among the old and honored settlers of Kim- 
ball county, was a successful and fore-handed 
farmer of that region, was thoroughly identi- 
fied with life on the frontier and knew its 
light and dark shades by experience. His 
estate is on section 36, township 16, range 55, 
where he had a well improved farm and was 
classed among the well-to-do citizens of his 
locality. 

Mr. Martinson was born in Sweden, July 
26, 1851. He was the youngest in a family 
of eleven children, all growing up in their 
native land. When our subject was a young 
man he came to America with his wife and 
five children. They landed in the United 
States May 6, 1887. They came to Nebraska, 
settling in Antelopeville, Cheyenne county, 
which is now a part of Kimball county. The 
father homesteaded on section 24, township 
16, range 55, and began to improve a home and 



58^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



farm. They went through all the pioneer ex- 
periences in getting their farm started, going 
through good, bad and indifferent times, often 
meeting with disappointments in the shape of 
crop failures and other discouragements that 
fell to the lot of the early settler in that 
section, but finally succeeding in putting im- 
provements on their place and getting ahead. 

At the time of his death, our subject had 
a ranch of eight hundred acres, about sixty 
acres under cultivation, and ran a large bunch 
of cattle and horses. His son Charlie owns 
four hundred and eighty acres, farms exten- 
sively and keeps a small herd of cattle and 
horses. Since his father's death he has had 
charge of the ranch. 

Mr. Martinson was married in Sweden, in 
1875, to Miss Ellen Jansen, who died July 4, 
1908, on their homestead here. They were the 
parents of the following children : Hilda, wife 
of Walter Haycock, living in Kansas; 
Charlie A., mentioned above, single; Avery 
C, Millie, Peter, deceased ; Helen, wife of 
James Wells, living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, 
and Harry. 

Mr. Martinson was a Republican. He had 
held different local offices and always took an 
active interest in local affairs. He was also 
treasurer of school district No. 13. Since his 
death, which occurred October 1, 1908. his son 
Charles has assumed the management of the 
ranch which he now controls and operates. 
He was assessor for one term and school di- 
rector for a time, and has taken an active part 
in local affairs. 



JOHN W. RADFORD. 

John \V. Radford, known throughout Kear- 
ney county as a prosperous and successful 
stockman and ranch owner, resides in Logan 
township, where he has a fine home and farm. 
He came to this place in 1887 and homesteaded 
where he now lives, taking forty acres, and 
the same year bought another one hundred 
and sixty acres, and has since added to it 
until he is now proprietor of six hundred and 
forty acres of fine ranch and farm land. He 
farmed in Iroquois county, Illinois, prior to 
coming here, bringing some stock with him 
from that state, and has since kept increasing 
and improving his herds, and now has about 
one hundred and fifty head of good grade cat- 
tle. He prefers the white faces, and has one 
thoroughbred white-faced male at the head of 
liis herd, and has some fine animals among 
them. 

Mr. Radford was born in England in the 
3'ear 1850. His father, Robert Radford, was 



born in Somersetshire. England, and came here 
in about the year 1885, settling in Logan town- 
ship and living in this locality up to 1896, 
when he moved to Oregon, where he died in 
1898. He was eighty-six years old, and was 
well known to the residents of this county as 
a man of good business judgment and indus- 
trious habits. The mother, whose maiden 
name was Mary Langdon, was also a native 
of Somersetshire, England. 

Comparing this country with Illinois, where 
he farmed for twelve years, Mr. Radford states 
that he much prefers it here, as there is much 
more money to be made here, a man being able 
to do twice the amount of work and making 
dollars in Nebraska where he could only make 
cents in Illinois. He has a nice herd of Duroc 
Jersey red hogs, and has had marked success 
with them. He has tried the Poland China, 
but was unable to get as good results from 
that breed, and thinks the former are better for 
all purposes. He has about one hundred and 
fifty head on hand at present. He raises a 
number of mules and colts each year for mar- 
ket, and realizes good profits from this source. 
He has about eighty acres of good alfalfa and 
intends growing more right along. 

Mr. Radford was united in marriage in 1883 
to Miss Mary Sherrill, daughter of Jesse and 
Elizabeth Sherrill, who were from Kentucky 
and settled in Iroquois county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Radford have seven children, namely: Ben 
and Harry (twins), Letha, Lulu, Edna, Pearl 
and Nell. The family is highly esteemed in 
their community and prominent members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, our subject 
acting as treasurer and member of the church 
board. He is also school director in his 
district. 



DAVID V. MORGAN. 

David \'. Morgan, one of the well-to-do 
and probably one of the most prominent of 
the old settlers of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
resides on his fine estate in section 21, town- 
ship 31, range 48. where he has a pleasant and 
happy home, and is held in high esteem by 
his fellowmcn. 

Mr. Mdrgan was born in Coal Valley, Rock 
Island county, Illinois, in 1860. His father, 
Thomas Morgan, was a coal miner, and the 
family lived in the mining districts in that vi- 
cinity, and the father was finally killed there 
in May, 1865. soon after the Civil war. He 
was a native of \\'ales. and came to this coun- 
try in his young manhood, his wife also hav- 
ing been born in Wales. Our subject was 
reared in Illinois until he was nineteen years 




Mk^ !U;.VKV RETHMKVER. 




lll'.Xm' RF. I IIMF.VF.R. 



COxMPENDIUxM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BKJCiRAl'HY 



583 



of age, then came to Boone county, Iowa. He 
had traveled considerably through the middle 
and western states. He had worked in the 
coal mines from the time he was eleven years 
of age, spending altogether fifteen years in 
that work, and even after coming to this coun- 
try worked for a few winters in the mines in 
Kansas and Iowa. When he first came to 
Dawes tounty he teamed from Valentme, and 
then afterwards freighted for several trips, 
hauling produce, etc. He located on the sec- 
tion where he now lives, where he put up his 
first house, which was made of logs, and there 
"batched it" for a time. He brought a good team, 
of horses with him, and they were stolen from 
him, but he soon got another team and went 
to work building up his farm, breaking land, 
etc. During the first several years he dug 
fourteen wells, averaging two hundred feet 
deep each. The dry years overtook him and 
he suffered considerable loss at different times, 
but continued to build up his farm and improve 
the place, adding to his acreage constantly un- 
til he is now owner of four hundred and eighty 
acres of deeded land, besides operating quite a 
tract of leased land. He has been very success- 
ful, and is counted among the prosperous citi- 
zens of his locality, and is a man of sterling 
character and integrity. 

Mr. Morgan was married on January 25, 
1888, to Aliss Anna Frazier, of Lehigh Valley, 
Iowa. Her father, Robert Frazier, was a miner, 
and both father and mother were natives of 
England and were reared there, where Mrs. 
Morgan was born. Six children blessed the 
union of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, and are named 
as follows: Lulu, Edith, Blanche, Hazel, Law- 
rence and Ellsworth. 

Mr. Morgan is active in local public afifairs, 
and is serving as road supervisor at the pres- 
ent time. He is also on the school board and 
has served his district in dilTerent capacities 
for several years. He is a Republican. 



DANIEL A. HANEY. 

Daniel A. Haney, one of the pioneer settlers 
of Grant county, Nebraska, has acquired a val- 
uable property on the south line of the county, 
and is classed among the substantial ranch- 
men of his community, and enjoys the respect 
and esteem of his fellowmen. He has watched 
the growth of the region from the earliest days 
of its settlement, and has taken an active part 
in its development as an old-time resident. 

]\Ir. Haney was born in Moultrie county, 
Illinois, in 1863. His father, Isaac, was a well 
known farmer and ranchman, and an early set- 
tler in western Nebraska, and our subject was 



raised and educated here. The family settled 
in this state in 1871, in Saline county, and 
Daniel grew up on the home farm, passing 
through all the pioneer experiences so fa- 
miliar to the old settlers in this region. In 
1884 he left home and went to Kansas, re- 
maining there for several years, following 
ranching. He then returned to Nebraska and 
filed on a homestead in the southeastern part 
of Grant county, there putting up sod build- 
ings and "batching it" for about three years. He 
started his ranch, breaking up some land for 
crops, trying hard to farm same, but found he 
was unable to do very well, so gradually got 
into the cattle business and rode the range for 
a number of years. He lived on that ranch up 
to 1906, and succeeded in building up a good 
property, owning in all one thousand acres, all 
of which is deeded land, well improved with 
every kind of ranch building, fences, corrals, 
etc., and all in first-class shape. In the latter 
year he built a handsome residence in Hyan- 
nis, and now makes that his home, although 
he personally superintends the operation of 
his ranch. 

Mr. Haney was married in 1896 to Miss 
Minnie Goble, whose father, A. J. Goble, is a 
prominent old-timer and successful ranchman of 
Grant county. Four children have been born to 
our subject and his good wife, named as follows: 
Pearl, Jessie, Alma and Ethel. These form 
a charming and interesting group and they 
have one of the most pleasant and happy 
homes to be found. 



HENRY RETHMEYER. 

Henry Rethmeyer, a resident of Minden, 
Kearney county, is well and favorably known 
as a worthy citizen and good business man. 
He is a contractor and builder, and has fol- 
lowed this trade constantly since coming to 
Minden twenty-four years ago. 

Mr., Rethmeyer was born in Cook county, 
Illinois, February 13. 1858. He is a son of 
Fred and Dorothy (Dullmeyer) Rethmeyer, 
who came to Illinois from Schamberg, Lippe, 
in 1854, settling in Cook county, where he fol- 
lowed farming for many years. He is now 
eighty-six years of age, and his wife seventy- 
nine, both hale and hearty. Since locating in 
Kearney county Mr. Rethmeyer has built a 
good many dwelling houses and barns all 
over the county and also in the adjoining coun- 
ties. He has done work in Adams and Clay 
counties, and erected the German parsonage 
at Grand Island. This is a beautiful resi- 
dence, and he has put up many of the finest 
houses in his home town, of which his own 



584 



lo.mpendium of history, reminiscence and biography 



home is a good example. He employs four or 
five assistants and carries on a large business, 
giving the best of satisfaction with whatever he 
undertakes. He owns two houses here, and 
has met with pronounced success in his line, 
and has made all he is worth through industry 
and strict attention to his business, supple- 
mented by honesty and good judgment. On 
the grounds surrounding his residence he has 
in full bearing a fine orchard of cherries, ap- 
ples, plums, apricots, etc., showing that all 
of these fruits can be successfully grown in 
Nebraska if properly planted and cared for. 

Air. Rethmeyer was married in 1883 to Aliss 
jMary Heimerdinger, who came from Stuttgart, 
Germany, in 1S82. They are the parents of 
two children, namely: Alary, wife of John 
Slader, a farmer living in this county, and Ju- 
lia, wife of J. Blackburn, who is engaged in 
the fruit business in Banning, California. Mr. 
Rethmeyer has four grandchildren — Edward, 
Onita and Hilda, in Kearney county, and Ol- 
pha Alay, in California. 

In the summer of 1907 Air. Rethmeyer 
went into the cement block business and does 
considerable contracting in the line of cement 
work. He does cement floor work, porch col- 
umns, baluster work, steps, etc 

On another page of this volume will be 
found portraits of Air. and Airs. Rethmeyer. 



ALLISON C. HARBERT. 

Allison C. Harbert owns and operates a 
fine estate of seven hundred and twenty acres, 
located in section 20. township 34, range 42, 
where he has a pleasant and comfortable home. 
He is one of the leading agriculturists of 
Sheridan county, and is highly esteemed by 
all who know him. 

Air. Harbert is a native of Benton county. 
Iowa, born in 1866. He is a son of John D. 
Harbert, of American stock, born and raised 
in Ohio, now a resident of this county. There 
were three boys and four girls in his father's 
family, of whom he is the second member. 
At the age of twenty-one years he struck out 
for himself and came to Nebraska, locating on 
the homestead he now lives on. He first land- 
ed in Gordon, Alarch 16, 1887. and was obliged 
to borrow money to file on his land. He went 
to work at once building up his place, and 
never worked out for any one in his life. His 
father had a homestead near his own. and he 
worked on that until he took his own farm, 
assisting his parents in carrying on their farm 
and supporting the family. During these first 
years he worked very hard to get a start, and 
the dry years from 1893 on were very disas- 



trous to him. as he lost all his crops, and had 
to begin all over again when the good j^ears 
came along. He began to raise better crops 
after a time, and has been very successful of 
late years, having gone into the stock busi- 
ness to quite an extent, and also cultivates a 
large part of his land. 

Air. Harbert was living on his present farm 
during the Indian scare of 1891, occupying a 
sod house, and here he stayed during all that 
time, but never met with any serious trouble 
from the savages. He lost all his household 
goods in 1888 by fire, and this was a severe loss 
to him, having to rebuild and fit up his home 
with new goods. He has "batched" it ever 
since coming here, never having been married. 

Air. Harbert is well satisfied with condi- 
tions in this region, and thinks western Ne- 
braska the place to live. He has never taken 
an active part in politics, but votes the Re- 
publican ticket. 



IRVIN E. AIYERS. 

Irvin E. Alyers stands well among the 
younger settlers of Nebraska, and is pushing 
rapidly to the front at Newport, Rock county, 
where his sturdy manhood, manly character, 
and honorable methods give him prominence. 
His birth occurred on a farm in Erie county, 
Pennsylvania, July 22, 1868, where his father, 
George W. Alyers, was engaged in trade as a 
mason and also followed farming to some ex- 
tent, Irvin, the youngest child in a family of 
three, was reared to manhood in Erie county, 
where he received a somewhat liberal educa- 
tion. When he was eighteen years of age he 
struck out for himself, and secured work in 
the Pennsylvania lumber woods, where for 
thirteen years his time was entirely demanded. 
The young man found, however, as thousands 
of others had found before him, that opportu- 
nity grew harder for every oncoming genera- 
tion in the older_ regions, and that if a young 
per.son hoped to find place for himself in the 
work of the world he must "go west," and 
as Horace Greeley recommended, "grow up 
with the country." This he did in 1888, that 
year coming to Rock county, Nebraska, and 
making a homestead entry of a farm for him- 
self, on which at first was a sod shanty for 
a home and such rude shelter for the stock as 
he could hastily construct. He did his farm 
work with oxen, and at the end of five years 
was able to "prove up" and finally secure 
title. 

The wedding festivities of Irvin E. Alyers 
and Miss Etta j. Hornby were celebrated May 
1, 1895. She is a daughter of George C. 



CO.MPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



585 



and Myra (Jones) Hornby, who were for years 
pioneers of Rock county, and are now living 
in South Dakota. She has taken part in the 
earlier settlement of this part of the state, 
and is now, while still a young woman, reck- 
oned among the oldest pioneers of Rock coun- 
ty. To Mr. and Mrs. flyers have come two 
bright and charming children, Helen and Har- 
old. 

Mr. Myers brought his young family to 
Newport in 1898 that he might take a position 
as foreman of the E. L. Alyers lumber yard, a 
position he held until the month of C)ctober, 
1905. At that time he set up in business for 
himself in a store specially devoted to the hand- 
ling of feed and merchandise, of which he dis- 
posed May 21, 1907. 

Mr. Myers is a landed proprietor of stand- 
ing and owns a section of land, three hundred 
and twenty acres in Rock county and an equal 
amount in \\'heeler county, both tracts devoted 
to the production of hay. The Newport cream- 
ery, in which he was interested for a time, was 
largely indebted to him for its organization. 
In politics his influence is felt, and he is an 
active worker in the Republican party. He is 
a member of the \A'orkmen and Royal High- 
landers of Newport and the Modern Woodmen 
at Bassett. 



ISRAEL KIMBEL. 

The farming community northwest of Osh- 
kosh has an able representative in the person 
of Israel Kimbel. For many years he has 
been a resident of Deuel county, during which 
time he has been successful as an agriculturist 
and stockman, has gained an extensive ac- 
quaintance on account of his many sterling 
qualities, and is known as an energetic and 
prosperous farmer and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Kimbel is a native of Missouri, born 
]\Iay 3, 1861, but made the state his only a 
short time, his parents removing to Iowa, 
where he grew up. He and the family came to 
Nebraska in 1888, landing here in Deuel county 
on Alarch 7, during a heavy snowstorm, and 
drove out by team from Ogallala. In the same 
spring he took a homestead on section 13, 
township 17, range 45, proving up in due time, 
and members of his family now own land ad- 
joining to the amount of about sixteen hun- 
dred acres. Mr. Kimbel cultivates three hun- 
dred acres and runs a small bunch of cattle and 
quite a number of fine horses, also a good drove 
of hogs. He has the entire ranch well im- 
proved, and has an abundant water supplv, 
the home ranch being located on the Platte 
river bottom, seven miles west of the town 



of Oshkosh. It is one of the best situated 
tracts lying along the river, and is a very 
valuable property. He started on the ranch in 
1888 on wild prairie land, 'and lived in a tent 
the first six weeks until a sod house was built. 
Comparing the difference between that time 
and the present it shows Mr. Kimbel to be aij 
energetic and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Kimbel married Jennie A. Dowell, a na- 
tive of Illinois, the event occurring in Council 
Blufi's, Iowa, on September 14, 1882. Both 
parents of ]\Irs. Kimbel are dead. Mrs. Kim- 
bel's father was a pioneer in Montana, where 
Mrs. Kimbel spent thirteen years of her girl- 
hood days. Later the fafnily moved to Iowa. 
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Kimbel, namely: William Leroy, single; Jes- 
sie, wife of Grover Crane, living near the 
home ranch ; Pearl, wife of \'erde Fought, they 
residing north of Oshkosh on a farm : Gertrude, 
Bessie and Maude, all at home. The entire 
family of our subject are well and favorably 
known throughout the locality, and their home 
is one of the most hospitable to be found. Mr. 
Kimbel is a thoroughly congenial gentleman, and 
bears the reputation of being a true sportsman 
among those who love to hunt, and has partici- 
pated in many a fine hunting trip with a party 
of genial good fellows. Mr. Kimbel has done 
much in the way of assisting in the establish- 
ment of the schools in his locality, and taken 
an active interest in local affairs. In politics 
he is a Democrat. 

Mrs. Kimbel's mother was born and raised 
in Illinois. Her father was a prominent and 
well-to-do farmer of Manard county, Illinois, 
seventy-five miles from Springfield. He had 
an extensive estate. Mrs. Kimbel's grandfa- 
ther, William Dowell, was a Baptist min- 
ister, born in Kentucky. He made Illinois his 
home for many years, where he raised a fam- 
ily. Later he removed to Missouri. 



JOSEPH G. AKES. 

In the gentleman above mentioned we have 
one of the leading old-timers of Dawes county, 
Nebraska. He came to this region when it 
was a wild prairie land and through his indus- 
trious habits and energy succeeded in building 
up one of the valuable estates of the locality, 
and has been intimately identified with the de- 
velopment and growth of this section from the 
pioneer days. 

Mr. Akes was born in 1861 in Henry coun- 
ty. Iowa. His father. Granville S. Akes. was 
a farmer and mechanic, who came to Missouri 
with his family in 1865, settling in Gentry 
county, where our subject grew up, and was 



i86 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



educated, in Missouri, attending the common 
schools. At the age of twenty-one he went to 
Mills count}-, Iowa, where he worked out on 
farms for two years, and on May 15, 1884, came 
to Nebraska and settled on his farm in what is 
now section 8. township 31, range 51, Dawes 
county. His first house here was a rude dug- 
out so familiar to the pioneers of those days, 
in which he "batched it" for sceral years. The 
country was then in a wild state, wild beasts 
roaming through the regions, and often he 
heard the coyotes howl through the lonely 
nights when he lived alone in his dugout. He 
had all the experiences of the pioneer, hand- 
ling ox teams and freighting, while proving 
up on his farm and striving hard to win a 
home. He vv'as in the ranching and farming 
business from the first, and made money, ad- 
ding constantly to his acreage, and in 1907 
when he sold out his farm, he was owner of 
eight hundred and eighty acres, of vi'hich over 
two hundred were cultivated and raising gooa 
crops. He had built a good house, barns and 
other farm buildings, corrals, planted trees, 
built fences, and had one of the best improved 
places in his locality. \\"hen he came here he 
teamed from Sidney to \alentine, camping 
out nights on the journey, and for a time after 
locating lived in a tent on his farm, and also 
used a covered wagon as a dwelling place. 

On account of his ill health Mr. Akes was 
obliged to sell his ranch and moved to Craw- 
ford in March, 1907. Several years ago he was 
struck by lightning while working with a two- 
horse team hitched to a mower and the horses 
were instantly killed, while the shock injured 
his health for the remainder of his life. 

In 1890 Mr. Akes was united in marriage 
to Miss Iva J. Barnes. She is a daughter of 
William G. Barnes, a well known sawmill and 
lumberman. 

He is a Democrat. 



WILLIAM L. HOYT. 

William Hoyt. one of the extensive ranch- 
ers of Sioux county. Nebraska, resides in sec- 
tion 17, township 31, range 57, and has been 
associated with the agricultural interests of 
the locality for the past twenty-one years. He 
is a gentleman of untiring energy and perse- 
verance, and his character and reputation are 
beyond question. 

Mr. Hoyt was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 
1863. His father, Jacob N. Hoyt, was of Amer- 
ican stock, and carried on a paper manufac- 
turing business in the city of Cleveland for 
many years. The father married Mary Latti- 



mer, who was born and reared in -Delaware, 
Ohio, was also of American blood, and she 
died when our subject was three years old. 
Jacob N. Hoj-t was born December 15, 1831. 
and his family was of English descent, and 
were early pioneers of the New England states, 
settling in Concord, New Hampshire. Jacob 
N. Hoyt was one of the early residents of 
Cleveland, going there in 1853. and was em- 
ployed in the Cleveland postoffice as clerk for 
ten years. He was prominent in politics in 
that state, and was a prominent member of the 
Knights Teni])lar and of the ^Masonic lodge. 
In the year 1865 he went into the paper man- 
ufacturing business and continued in that busi- 
ness until 1869, when he moved to Illinois. He 
located on a farm in Macon county, remaining 
there for fifteen years, then went west to Kane 
county. Illinois, where he was engaged in 
dairying and farming until his death, which 
occurred in May, 1907. Ed and Walter, our 
subject's younger brothers, falling heirs to the 
home property, where they still live. 

In 1884 our subject struck out for himself, 
emigrating west, and located near Cheyenne, 
Wyoming, where he worked as cowboy on a 
large ranch, and there led a typical frontiers- 
man's career, spending a large p>ortion of his 
time on the plains, camping out wherever he 
happened to stop and was all over the country 
on horseback, often encountering many dan- 
gers such as are common to one following that 
mode of life. For a long time he was em- 
ployed by R. S. Van Tassel, starting to work 
for that gentleman shortly after coming west, 
and it was while in his employ that he chose 
his location for himself. 

In 1888 Air. Hoyt filed on a pre-emption 
claim in this territory, still continuing his work 
on the range, dividing his time between the 
two. spending his summers on the ranch and 
the winters on his claim. He proved up on 
the land and managed to get along pretty well, 
in 1891-'92 starting in the livery business in 
Harrison, where he remained for about two 
years. Previous to this he had taken a tree 
claim and opened up a ranch of his own, got 
tdgcther a nice bunch of cattle, and constantly 
increased his herd, and in 1896 purchased ad- 
ditional land, which forms a part of his pres- 
ent ranch. He now owns twenty-one hundred 
and sixty acres, all deeded land, and controls in 
all eleven hundred and twenty acres of leased 
land. His ranch is beautifully situated on Run- 
ning creek, close to Coffee .Siding, and all of 
it is fenced and has good buildings, including 
comfortable house, large bams, sheds, corrals, 
etc. Mr. Hoyt is engaged exclusively in cat- 
tle and horse raising and has met with splen- 
did success. He raises considerable hay and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



587 



has one hundred and seventy acres of finely 
irrigated hay land. 

Our subject is a thorough business man and 
a representative westerner, having seen as 
much of the ranching business as any one in 
this region. He likes to recall the time when 
he rode the plains and still has his old saddle 
in which he rode for twenty years, and figures 
that he has traveled in that length of time 
over one hundred thousand miles. Mr. Hoyt 
is among the well-to-do men of his locality, and 
besides his fine farm and ranch land is owner 
of two residence properties in Harrison. 

Mr. Hoyt was married in 1896 to Miss 
Rosa DeBock. daughter of Leopold M. and 
Nettie (Coonan) DeBock, whose sketch ap- 
pears in this volume. He is one of the pio- 
neers of this region, well and favorably known, 
and Mrs. Hoyt grew up in Nebraska. One 
child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt, 
Edith, born January 17, 1900, in Sioux county. 



WILLIAM A. WILSON, Deceased. 

\\'illiam A. Wilson, deceased, was for many 
years prior to his demise a leading agricul- 
turist and ranchman of Cherry county, Nebras- 
ka. He became widely known as a man of 
large intellectual ability, and his name will be 
long remembered as one of the strong and 
capable settlers of western Nebraska. 

Mr. Wilson was born in Hannibal, New 
York, February 2, 1863. His father, James 
G. Wilson, was a farmer by occupation, born 
of Irish-American stock, and his mother, 
Phoebe A. Perkins, of an old Vermont family. 
Our subject grew up in his native state, and 
at the age of twenty years came west and set- 
tled in Cherry county, Nebraska, taking up 
a homestead in the German precinct. There 
he lived in an old sod shanty, where he "batched 
it" for a short time. When he first came to this 
region he rode here from Antelope county, 
and this was a hard and dangerous journey 
in those days, as the country was very thinly 
settled and the Indians roamed at will all over 
this section. He began by building up his 
farm at once and spent many years on it. He 
had all the experiences of a pioneer life, went 
through the drouth periods and met severe 
losses and discouragements, but stuck bravely 
to his post and proved up on his homestead 
and pre-emption, principally engaged in stock 
raising during later years. He constantly 
added to his possessions until he owned a fine 
ranch of three hundred and twenty acres, all 
well improved, with one hundred and twenty 
acres cultivated, on which banner crops are 
raised. In 1898 he left the farm and moved to 



Georgia, purchasing a house and five lots, be- 
sides an eighty-seven-acre tract on which he 
built a good house and barn, still running the 
ranch, and engaged in stock buying up to the 
time of his death, which occurred June 28, 
1903. !Mrs. Wilson has filed on a five hundred 
and twenty-acre Kincaid homestead in sections 
19 and 20, township 34, range 30. 

Mr. \\'ilson was married in Hannibal, New 
York, December 16, 1884, to Miss Nina V. 
Henthorn, born in Sterling, Cayuga county. 
New York, a daughter of William and Mary 
(Doyle) Henthorn, the former a native of Ire- 
'and, the latter of Oswego county, New York. 
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wil- 
son, named as follows:- Carrie, a teacher of 
Cherry county, born November 21, 1885; Sew- 
ard, a graduate of the Nebraska Normal Col- 
lege at Wayne, born November 10, 1889; Vera, 
born October 31, 1892; Hazel, born December 
21, 1899, and Cy renins, born November 9, 1902. 
When Mr. Wilson brought his bride to Ne- 
braska buiifalo trails and wallows v^-ere plainly 
to be seen, while antelope, coyotes, swifts and 
prairie chickens were plentiful. A view of the 
residence of Mrs. Wilson is shown on another 
page in this work. 

Mr. Wilson was among the first white men 
to settle in this region and took an active part 
in the development of the state from its early 
settlement. He was a leading man of affairs 
in his community, serving as president of the 
Farmers' Alliance ; also president of the Farm- 
ers' Institute Association, and politically cam- 
paigned all over this part of the county in the 
interest of the Populist party, of which he was 
a leader. He was, with his family, a member 
of the Methodist church and affiliated with the 
Modern Woodmen of America. 



HARRY FINDLEY. 

Harry Findley, residing in Alma township, 
Harlan county, is a well known pioneer of 
western Nebraska, coming to Adams cOunty 
with his parents when a mere infant. He was 
born in Wapello county, Iowa, in 1873, his 
father settling on a homestead in Juniata 
township, Adams county, twelve miles west 
of Hastings, where the family lived up to 
1885, when the father, Frank Findley, died 
at the age of fifty-two years. The mother still 
makes her home with our subject, who is the 
youngest of a family of nine children. The fa- 
ther owned two hundred and forty acres of 
good land in Adams county. He was born in 
Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and was left 
an orphan when a babe. Our subject's moth- 



sss 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



er's people are from Germany, and on his fa- 
ther's side from Scotland. 

In 1903 Mr. Findley bought the farm on 
which he now lives and erected a good resi- 
dence and farm buildings. He has built up 
this farm and home, putting many improve- 
ments on the place, and has since been en- 
gaged in mixed farming. He raises thorough- 
bred red hogs, keeping about one hundred and 
fifty on hand all the time, and sells these at 
private sale in this and other counties. He 
has had excellent success in this line of work. 
his herd being headed by strains of Improver 
Juniors and Second, also Gold Dust, which 
are the best animals to be found anywhere. 
He keeps about fifty graded cattle, and is con- 
stantly improving his herd, but gives most of 
his time and attention to the proper care of 
his herd of Duroc Jersey hogs, which are his 
especial pride. His sales are attended by 
breeders and farmers from all over this sec- 
tion of the state, and he obtains Al prices for 
his stock. 

Mr. Findley was married in 1899 to Miss 
Estclla Robinson, daughter of George \V. Rob- 
inson, of Tekemah, Nebraska, who is an old 
settler in that locality. Mrs. Findley"s mother 
died when she was a babe. Our subject has 
no children. A brother of Mr. Findley. Rob- 
ert, lives in Omaha, and is engaged in the 
restaurant business. One sister, Mrs. Clare 
Robinson, also resides there, and another, Mrs. 
Lizzie Willis, wife of Lee \^'illis, lives in Alma 
township, this county. The third sister. Mrs. 
Lina Bowers, lives in Adams county. Mr. 
Findley has always been a Republican. 



JACOB MARTIN. 

One of the best known of the old-timers of 
Cherry county is Jacob Martin, familiarly 
known as "Jake." who settled in this localit)' 
when it was practically a wilderness. He 
now resides on the southeast quarter of sec- 
tinn 23. township 34. range 28. 

Mr. Martin was born in Franklin county, 
Pennsylvania, July 22. 1859, where his father, 
Jacob Martin, Sr., was a farmer of Dutch ex- 
traction, whose parents were born in Holland, 
cr)ming to this country early in life. Our sub- 
ject, whose mother was ^lary Butterbaugh 
Martin, is the fourth in a family of nine chil- 
dren, all reared in Pennsylvania, where he grew 
up accustomed to all kinds of hard farm work. 
At the age of twenty-one he left his parents' 
hr)me and came west to Lanark. Carroll coun- 
ty. Illinois, working for two years on farms in 
that locality. He then came on to X'^aientine. 



Nebraska, which was then a wild and lawless 
western town, arriving there at daybreak. May 
7. 1883, just in time to see a band of cowboys 
shooting up the signs on the streets, which 
spectacle was something entirely new to east- 
ern e_ves. Had he not spent nearly all his 
money in coming he would have boarded the 
next train for the east. He filed on a claim 
May 8, on the place he now occupies, putting 
up a rude shanty, seven by twelve, of second- 
hand boards, roughly made and without any 
floor or windows, lighted, though, by the 
cracks between the boards. Soon after he built 
a better house of pine poles, which served as 
a residence for a number of years. Having 
no money, he exchanged labor for the use of a 
team to haul the poles and help to erect them. 
For .some time he worked as a butcher, and 
was also employed by the government, freight- 
ing with ox teams, going through a regular 
pioneer existence, but withal succeeding very 
well at it. Me at one time owned ten yoke of 
oxen and a carload of cattle, but the Texas fe- 
ver broke out in his herd, killing all but one 
steer and two calves, and he was obliged to 
start afresh. Hiring out as a cook, he served 
at a government camp on Big A\'hite river in 
the Rosebud reservation. Here he saved his 
money and bought more cattle, again losing 
twenty-four head in a severe snowstorm, which 
left him only about ten head. In all he has 
lost one hundred and seventy-three head of 
cattle since coming to this state. However, 
he had plenty of grit and never gave up cour- 
age, but moved to Cherry county and started 
in the merrj'-go-round business, this venture 
also proving disastrous, his loss here footing 
up about thirteen hundred dollars. During 
1890 and 1891 he worked in the Rocky moun- 
tains, then returned to Pennsylvania, where he 
worked in the mills for seven years, in the 
fall of 1899 he went to Yakima county. Wash- 
ington, for two months and then found work in 
Seattle working on the street car line and at 
a sawmill planing the lumber for building the 
bridge streets of that place. From the«-e he 
went to \'ancouver by boat and at Calgary. Al- 
berta, invested in railroad land, which he sold 
two years afterward, doubling his money. In 
1890 he returned to this county, but being 
unable to sell out his homestead decided to 
remain and went to work improving and in- 
creasing his property. His farm now com- 
prises twelve hundred acres, with two hun- 
dred acres under cultivation, all fenced, with 
good substantial farm buildings covering two 
acres of ground, four of these buildings being 
built entirely of cement and stone and all of 
his own construction. He has spent over a 
thousand dollars for water supply, drilling 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



3 89 



wells to the depth of two hundred and twenty- 
five feet. 

Mr. Martin tells many interesting experi- 
ences connected with the development of this 
county, one of which was when he returned to 
his cabin to find it in possession of two fam- 
ilies, who could find no place else for shelter 
and took possession of his house. He had 
been away for ten days buying cattle at Nor- 
folk and finding the house occupied shared it 
with his new neighbors until they could erect 
cabins for themselves. 

Mr. Martin was married to Miss Eva 
Chaufty, October 23d, 1894. Her father, 
Henry Chaufty, an old settler of Cherry county, 
came from New York state, where he was born. 
He is now a resident of Oklahoma. The mother 
was Miss Efifie Huntington. Mr. and Airs. 
Martin are the parents of one daughter, Efifie. 
Mr. Martin is a public spirited citizen, takes a 
keen interest in all the aftairs of the county and 
state, having held local oiifice at different times. 
He is an Independent voter. Both Mr. and 
Mrs. Martin are members of the Dunkard 
church. The hardships through which Air. 
Alartin has passed seem almost inconceivable. 
On one of his freighting trips in the Black Hills 
he endured three days without food, at one 
time slept for a week in water several inches 
deep. In 1899 his feet were crushed by a heav- 
ily laden wagon passing over them, from the 
effect of which he is suiTering a partial par- 
alysis, though now slowly recovering. Mr. 
and Mrs. Martin have travelled extensively, 
going in their travels as far as California and 
Oklahoma. On another page in this work will 
be found a view of the residence, with portraits 
of Mr. and Mrs. Martin. 



SAMUEL PIERSALL. 

Samuel Piersall, whose name will be readily 
recalled 'by all familiar with the farming pop- 
ulation around Ainsworth, is one of the prom- 
inent and successful agriculturists of Brown 
county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Piersall was born on a farm near Pon- 
tiac, Michigan, May 22d, 1853. His father 
Thomas Piersall, was a mechanic of English 
and Dutch descent, born in New York state. 
Our subject was reared and educated in the 
state of Michigan, supporting himself from the 
time he was nine years old, by working at any- 
thing he could find to do. He spent several 
years in the lumber woods in that state, rafted 
on the rivers there, and followed a lumberman's 
life for eighteen years, from the cutting of the 
trees until the log's were sawed into lumber. 



In 1886 he came to Brown county, and took 
a homestead in southeast quarter section 9, 
township 30, range 22, proved up on this claim 
and lived here for two and a half years. His 
first building was a shanty made of logs. After 
leaving this place he moved five miles north- 
east of Johnstown, remaining there for six 
years. In the spring of 1894 he settled on a 
farm in section 19, township 31, range 21. 
There he went through many hard times dur- 
ing the dry years. He stayed on this place 
for twelve years, and raised onlv six 
crops oft' the land during all that time. July 
4th, 1897, when everything gave promise of a 
bountiful harvest, the worst hail storm ever 
known here, beat everything into the ground. 
Again, in 1898, when prospects for a good crop 
were the finest, a similar storm struck the 
vicinity and laid everything low. However, 
he persevered and stuck to his farm until 
March, 1906, when he moved to his present lo- 
cation. This place comprises one hundred and 
seventy-nine acres all in one piece, and two 
hundred and forty acres of leased land located 
east of the line, besides one hundred and sixty 
acres of fine hay land, also held under lease. 
Although he suffered heavy losses at different 
times during the bad years, the whole family 
worked industriously, and by their united 
efforts were able to make a good living, never 
wanting for the necessary comforts of life as 
other families did. Mr. Piersall tells of an ex- 
perience in which he saved the life of John 
Anderson, living five miles northeast of Johns- 
town. The latter was engaged in sinking a 
well and was on a platform down in the earth 
some sixty feet from the surface, and over a 
hundred from the bottom of the well when the 
curbing gave way and the ground caved in on 
him. Mr. Piersall was at work near by, and 
he saw the trouble and hastened to his assist- 
ance. Others came to help in the work of res- 
cue, and after several days of constant eft'ort 
to extricate Air. Anderson from his precarious 
condition, they received answers to their sig- 
nals made by pounding, which showed them 
that he was still alive. The digging* was con- 
tinued with renewed vigor, and in about nine 
days he was rescued, not much worse for his 
incarceration, except weak from lack of food 
and sufficient air. The only thing that saved 
him was the fact that the curbing and staging 
in the well had supported the dirt so that he 
was not crushed and smothered by its falling 
on him. However, it was a terrible experience, 
and during all this time Air. Piersall was un- 
able to sleep nights, and had it not been for 
him Air. Anderson would never have been 
taken out alive. 



590 



a).Ml'EXUlL.\l UF HiSTUKV. REM IXlSCKXCJi AND BIOGRAPHY 



( )n Jrtne 18. 1876, Mr. Piersall was married 
to Miss Emalora Westover, born in Canada, a 
daughter of James E. and Emaline (Barnes) 
\\'estover. They have a family of twelve 
children, named as follows : William S., George 
P., Edith L., Mvrtle B., Amos Dale. Emiline 
P.. Earl. Ray. Charles E.. Hazel L.. Walter D. 
and \'era Alberta. 

Mr. Piersall is now situated so that he can 
enjoy the fruits of his hard labor, and is well 
and favorably- known all over the community 
in which he resides He is an adherent of the 
People's party, a member of the Methodist 
church and affiliates with the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen at Ainsworth. 



OLE OLSOX. 



Ole Olson, residing in township 21. range 
15. Garfield county, is proprietor of a well de- 
veloped and valuable farm in section 12. which 
he has operated successfully for the past 
twenty years. He is one of the well-to-do 
residents of his locality, and is held in the 
highest esteem by all who know of him. 

Mr. Olson is a native of Sweden, born in 
1847. He was raised and educated in his native 
land. He remained with his parents until he 
reached the age of eighteen or twenty years, 
then left home and struck out for himself, com- 
ing to America in 1867. In 1889 he came to 
Xebraska and took up a pre-emption of one 
hundred and sixty acres on which he proved 
up. later homesteading one hundred and sixty 
acres more in the same locality. He worked 
faithfully, and though often meeting with dis- 
couragements, sometimes having partial fail- 
ure of crops, did not give up hope and kept 
on building up his farm and adding improve- 
ments as he was able, and also succeeded in 
putting some money away for a rainy day. He 
has a large portion of his farm under cultiva- 
tion, growing oats, corn and other small grains, 
also raises some stock and marketing several 
carloads of hogs each year, which net him a 
nice sum. He is engaged to quite an extent 
in dairying, keeping a large herd of cows for 
that purpose, and also raises milch cows for 
the market. His place is well supplied with 
water for his stock and household use. all of 
which is obtained from a deep bored well. 
pumped by wind mills into large supply tanks 
placed at different points on his farm. 

Mr. Olson was married in 1871 to Miss 
Frances Russell. Mrs. Olson was born and 
raised in Illinois, and came to Xebraska in 
1880. where she met and married Mr. Olson. 
One child has been born of this marriage, Lil- 
lie, now aged twenty-six years. 



Our subject is a Republican, but has never 
aspired to office, although he takes an active 
interest in local affairs which tend to improve 
conditions in his locality, and is always ready 
and willing to do his full share in aiding any 
movement to that end. 



C. E. MAGXUSON. 

Among the enterprising and prominent 
business men of Phelps county, Xebraska, none 
is better known or more universally esteemed 
and respected than the subject of this review. 
He is located at Loomis. and is one of the 
leading citizens of that place. 

Mr. Magnuson is a native of Sweden, born 
in 1863. Mr. Magnuson's father, Carl J., was 
born in Kalmare Lan, Smoland, Sweden, in 
1829. and came to American shores in 1863, lo- 
cating on a farm in the above county, where 
he officiated as a minister of the Swedish Mis- 
sion church. A large number of that con- 
gregation having settled in Phelps county, they 
sent for him to come to them, which he did, 
preaching for several years. From his boj'- 
hood our subject worked on his father's farm 
up until 1892. He was the only child of his 
parents, and the family came to Xebraska in 
1879. his father homesteading one hundred and 
si.xty acres in Laird township. He accumu- 
lated a large property, and at the present time 
is owner of five hundred and sixty acres of 
land in Phelps county. He resides in Loomis, 
retired from all active business interests. 

Mr. ]\lagnuson started in business in Loom- 
is district in 1892. He, in partnership with 
C. L. Grandlund. opened a general merchan- 
dise establishment in a large brick store built 
by the former's father. Rev. C. J. Magnuson. 
Loomis district is one of the best and richest 
farming communities in western Nebraska In 
1898 Mr. Grandlund retired from the busi- 
ness on being elected treasurer of Phelps coun- 
ty. {A sketch of Mr. Grandlund appears in 
tliis book on another page.) .^ince then Mr. 
Magnuson has carried on the business alone, 
which has grown and developed from the be- 
ginning until it is now one of the leading gen- 
eral stores in Phelps county. 

In 1892 Mr. Magnuson was married to Miss 
Emma Julia Burgland. of Kirkwood. Illinois. 
They have three children, named as follows: 
\''erne, now attending the leading school in 
the city of Holdrege : DeEtte and Gladys, at 
school here at home. Mrs. Magnuson is of 
great assistance to her husband in his rapidly 
increasing ijusiness. taking full charge of the 
books of the establishment, besides attending 
to her home duties. She taught school six 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPH 



591 



years previous to her marriage, both in Illinois 
and Nebraska. 

The family is highly respected in the com- 
munity in which they reside, and have a host 
of warm friends and acquaintances. Mr. Mag- 
nuson is a Republican. 



GEORGE O. WEISFLOG. 

George O. ^^'eisflog is a well-to-do young 
farmer of Cherry county, Nebraska, who has, 
through his thrift and industry, accumulated a 
competence in a comparatively short space of 
time. He was born December 18, 1870, in a 
small village in PennsAdvania, where his father, 
Herman ^^^eisflog, was a shoe-maker, follow- 
ing this trade until 1885, when the familv came 
to Nebraska and settled in Cherry county, being 
one of the pioneers in this locality. Both the 
mother and father of our subject were born 
and married in Germany, where their first four 
children were born. The subject of this sketch 
was the first of the family whose birth occurred 
in America. The greater part of his boyhood 
days were spent on the farm in ]\Iorgan county. 
Ohio. The family moved here from Pennsyl- 
vania. At the age of thirteen he and his 
brother Emile came to Nebraska. In the 
spring of 1883 they took up a claim in what is 
now called the German settlement. In two 
years the father, George, Oscar and Clara, fol- 
lowed the mother, with Henry and Annie re- 
maining in Ohio until the fall of that year. 
They built a sod shanty in which they lived the 
first year, breaking up the land with ox teams 
which they used for three years in all their 
work. All the water for their family use and 
for stock had to be hauled four and a half miles, 
from the Niobrara river, while their nearest 
trading post was at Valentine, twenty miles 
away. During this time our subject was liv- 
ing with his father, but at the age of twenty- 
one years he took a pre-emption on which he 
proved up, then took a homestead, and still 
occupies the latter as his place of residence. 
His ranch now contains nine hundred and sixty 
acres, most of which is in grazing land, al- 
though he has one hundred and fifty acres 
under cultivation on wdiich he raises fine crops. 
He has a good set of farm buildings, plenty of 
water and windmills, fences and all the farm- 
ing implements necessary to carry on the work 
of his large estate. 

Mr. Weisflog has gone through many hard 
experiences during the dry years ; for two 
years in succession he raised practically noth- 
ing except grass and little of that. His farm 
is situated in section i3. township 34. range 30, 
where he has resided continuouslv since home- 



steading it, excepting one year, 1905, when he 
had charge of a store at Gresham. Mr. Weis- 
flog had a severe misfortune on September 28, 
1901, whenhe lost his left arm in the accidental 
discharge of a gun which he was carrying. 

On August 6, 1896. our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss Minnie Tonniges, a native of 
Seward .county, whose parents were born in 
Germany and came to this country when young 
people. They settled in Cherry county in 1891, 
where the father died. Four children have 
come to bless the union of Mr. and ]\Irs. Weis- 
flog, named as follows: Willie, Artie, Viola 
and Leona. 

Mr. Weisflog has always taken an active 
part in local aiTairs, and has held different 
offices. He is a Republican and strong party 
man. He holds membership in C9.mp No. 
4207, Modern W'oodmen of America, of Crooks- 
ton. 



G. A. FORSLING. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community in Kimball county, G. A. Fors- 
ling takes high rank for his successful oper- 
ations during the past several years. He has 
a valuable estate on section 26, township 15, 
range 57, and is classed among the well-to-do 
and progressive farmers of the locality. 

Mr. Forsling was born in Sweden, July 
21st, 1877, and at the age of six years came 
to America with his parents, brothers and sis- 
ters. A history of two brothers. Clarence and 
Alfred, is given in another part of this volume ; 
also a review of the family history. 

They settled first in Chicago, then came to 
Phelps county, Nebraska, and landed in Kimball 
county about 1885. The father homesteaded 
on section 12, township 14, range 56. and there 
our subject grew up, assisted in carrying on 
the home ranch until the death of his father, 
October 16th, 1904. For sometime after the 
death of his father, he lived on and operated 
the home place, in the meantime seci.iring his 
present location. This ranch contains one 
thousand five hundred and twenty acres of 
deeded and more or less leased land. He has 
about fifty acres under cultivation, while the 
balance is used for pasture and hay land for a 
large bunch of cattle and some horses. Their 
residence is on section 26. which is a Kincaid 
homestead owned by Mr. Forsling's mother. 
The ranch is well improved with good build- 
ings and everything about the place shows 
good management and painstaking care in its 
operation. He is engaged principally in stock 
raising and dairying. 

On April 15th, 1908, Mr. Forsling was mar- 



592 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ricd to Miss Hilda Bergquist, the event taking 
place at Chappel, Nebraska. Mrs. Forsling was 
born in Colorado, coming to Nebraska with her 
parents, who were old settlers in western Ne- 
braska, living near Chappell, Deuel county, for 
a number of years. Her father, F. W. Berg- 
quist, was a Lutheran minister and a promi- 
nent man in his profession. Mrs. Forsling's 
parents are now living at Skandia, Kansas. 

Mr. Forsling takes an active part in all 
affairs of public interest. He is now serving 
as treasurer of school district No. 21. He 
has also served as road overseer for two years, 
and has done his full part in improving and 
developing the country in which he lives. He 
is highly, esteemed and is one of the represent- 
ative men of western Nebraska. 



MARTIN CHRISTENSEN. 

■ Martin Christensen, one of the old settlers 
of Nebraska, occupies a prominent position in 
Cherry county, and enjoys the respect and es- 
teem of his associates. 

Mr. Christensen was born in Copenhagen, 
Denmark, in 1865. and his father Gottlieb 
Christensen. was a prominent citizen engaged 
in the stock buying business. Our subject was 
raised and educated in the town of his birth, 
and after leaving school learned the painter's 
trade, which occupation he followed in his native 
country until 188v3, when he took passage for 
America, landing in Castle Garden. New York. 
After working at his trade in Chicago and 
Omaha for a time he came to Cherry county, 
Nebraska, spending several months here, then 
going to Omaha where he remained until the 
following year. In 1884 he returned to Fort Nio- 
brara, where he secured a painting contract at 
the fort. The excellence of his work secured him 
further contracts at Forts Robinson. Sidney, 
and Niobrara and was employed by the govern- 
ment in various parts of Nebraska until 1890, 
at which time he settled in Valentine. Here 
he followed his trade constantly, and has 
erected a fine residence, and owns one of the 
finest equipped paint shops in \'alentine, deal- 
ing in wall ])aper, paints, oils, varnishes, etc., 
and is doing a flourishing business. 

Mr. Christensen was nominated by the 
Democratic party for county treasurer in 1892. 
He has held the office oi chairman of the 
county central committee for the past ten 
years, and was one of the delegates who nom- 
inated William J. Bryan for president at the 
national convention in 1896. 

In 1890 he was married to Miss Clara 
Evarts, whose father, Burt Evarts. was one of 
the first settlers in Valentine, taking up his 



homestead in that part of \'alentine, where the 
flourishing mill and water power plant are now 
located. Four children have been born to Mr. 
and :Mrs. Christensen, who are named as fol- 
lows: Marie, Albert, Carl, and Genevieve. 
Mrs. Christensen iicc Evarts, died in 1898. He 
was married in 1899 to Miss Mary White, 
daughter of Bartlett White, a farmer and stock 
raiser near \'alentine and they have three chil- 
dren as follows: Leo, Martin and Francis. 



RICHARD :\I. DUNN. 

Richard M. Dunn, one of the leading ranch- 
men and farmers of Sioux county, has a val- 
uable estate in section 1, township 32, range 
57, which he has improved in fine shape by 
his energetic labors and perseverance. He has 
spent the past twenty-one years in this local- 
ity and has become one of the foremost citi- 
zens, highh' esteemed as a worthy citizen and 
a good business man, locating here in 1887. 

Mr. Dunn is a native of Jefferson county, 
Iowa, born in 1863 on a farm. Both parents 
were born in Ireland, coming to this country 
in the early days and settling in Colorado in 
1866, where the father, Patrick, followed the 
life of a pioneer cattleman and ranchman for 
many years. In Colorado they were located 
on a farm near Denver, and there Richard was 
raised, attending the country schools and help- 
ing the father in the work on their farm. The 
family lived on that place for twenty years, 
and then Richard came to Siou.x county, Ne- 
braska, locating on a pre-emption and home- 
stead, the first location being on Squaw creek. 
At that time Harrison was merely a town of 
tents and the surrounding country practically 
a wilderness, with but few settlers in this re- 
gion. \\"hen he landed here Mr. Dunn had 
a few head of cattle, and he immediately put 
up a log shack and "batched it" for twelve 
years. He first started in the cattle business 
during the early days of his settlement here, 
herding his own cattle and camping out at 
night in all sorts of rough weather, leading a 
typical frontiersman's existence. During the 
years 1897 and 1898 Mr. Dunn was engaged as 
foreman of the Guthrie ranch, near Douglas, 
Wyoming, for two years. In 1899 he came to 
his present homestead, and here he has erected 
good buildings and put on many improve- 
ments, owning all together about one thou.sand 
acres, situated in and about section 1, town- 
ship 23. range ^7. Fight hundred acres of this 
is used for ranching purposes, and the balance 
is under cultivation, devoted to the raising of 
grains, yielding good crops each season. 
Mr. Dunn was married in 1891 to Eva Sher- 



COMPENDIUM OF HlSlORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



593 



rill, whose father. John, is an old settler in 
this county. Her mother's maiden name was 
Lucy Reynolds. The following children have 
been born to Mr, and Mrs. Dunn : Henry, Les- 
ter, Margaret, Arthur and Vernon. The fam- 
ily is highly esteemed in their community, and 
take an active part in all social and school 
affairs in their neighborhood. ^Ir. Dunn is 
a loyal Republican, active in party politics. 



BENJA.MIN F. HOBSON. 

Benjamin F. Hobson, whose pleasant and 
attractive farm home may be found in section 
23, township 35, range 28, is widely known as 
one of the largest and most successful farmers 
and land owners of Cherry county, and his name 
is familiar to business men in all this region of 
Nebraska. The Hobsons are an old American 
family, and it's Cherry county representatives 
bring no shame on an honored name. They are 
true to the best principles of American citizen- 
ship, are linked in with whatever makes for a 
better community, whether in education, morals 
or business. 

Mr. Hobson was born on a farm in Lee 
county, Iowa, January 20th, 1855, where his 
parents, William and Mary (Colwell) Hobson, 
were well and favorably known. The Col- 
wells were an Irish family, and his mother was 
a native of the Emerald Isle. She was the 
mother of ^ family of nine children, two 
daughters and seven sons, of whom the subject 
of this sketch was the fifth in order of birth. 
He was reared on the farm in Poweshiek county, 
Iowa, whither the family moved about 1858, 
md remained at home until he had reached 
the age of twenty-eight years, assisting his 
father, and bearing his full share of the family 
burdens. He was married February 27th, 
1883, to Miss Adelia Janecroft. Her parents, 
John and Melissa (Murphy) Janecroft, were 
born and bred to a farming life, and were very 
successful in their chosen vocation. ]\Ir. and 
Mrs. Hobson have become the happy parents 
of a family of ten children, Mary AI. (Salmon), 
Elizabeth J. (Sharp), Grace V., a teacher in 
the Mission school on Rosebud reservation, 
Eliza A., Edna A., Belle, Frank, Fern, John 
and Etmice. 

Mr. Hobson came to Cherry countv. Ne- 
braska, and filed on a homestead in December 
following his marriage, moving with his young 
wife to their new possessions in June, 1884. 
Their first dwelling was a board shanty, twelve 
by sixteen feet in its dimensions, to which was 
added a sixteen foot addition in the fall, but it 
was sufficient to meet the requirement of the 
Hobsons for the coining three vears. These vears 



were not without their trials and troubles. Mr. 
Hobson kept on steadily improving the condi- 
tions of his home and business. He secured a 
more convenient and comfortable farm home, 
constructed various buildings, as they were 
needed, built some fence and broke some land. 
Among the many discouragements two crops 
failed entirely for want of rain, and hail de- 
stroyed everything six seasons. Forty-six head 
of cattle died on his hands from eating green 
corn stalks, and the first fall he spent in Cherry 
county was signalized by the loss of a span of 
mules in a great prairie fire. To-day he owns 
nine hundred and sixty acres of land, of which 
at least three hundred and fifty acres are under 
cultivation, and the rest is devoted to hay and 
pasture. Besides the house in which he lives, 
and the farm buildings around it, Mr. Hobson 
has another set of buildings on a distant part 
of the farm in which hired help may be housed. 
A view of the family residence and surround- 
ings will be found on another page" in this 
work. 

Mr. Hobson is a Republican, and takes a 
very active interest in local affairs. He has 
served as justice of the peace, as road overseer, 
and has been on the school board for years.' 
He is also a member of the election board, and 
helped organize the first schools of the neigh- 
borhood. His knowledge of section, township 
and range lines is not excelled by any man in 
this region. He is a member of Minnecha- 
duza lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, 
at Valentine, where he also holds membership 
in the Modern Workmen of America and the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen. Together 
with the hardships and discouragements of 
crop failures the settlers along the line of the 
reservation have from time to time been dis- 
turbed by Indian uprisings. In the spring of 
1890 Mr. Hobson took his family further from 
the seat of troubles and drove to Jacob Mar- 
tins, where a number of settlers were cono-re- 
gated for protection. The house being'' so 
crowded Mr. Hobson's family concluded not to 
remain and returned home." The Indians re- 
maining unsettled, the family spent one week 
in Valentine and have had since no fear of dis- 
turbance. 



MRS. ADDIE M. WOOD. 

The lady whose name heads this review is 
a highly esteemed resident of this region, 
where she owns and operates an extensive 
ranch, and the prosperity and order which 
surrounds the whole place is ample evidence 
of her ability and good business judgment. 
Mrs. Wood is counted among the leading old 



594 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settlers of Dawes county, and she has always 
done her full share in aiding in the develop- 
ment and growth of the region in which she 
chose her home, and is one of its foremost citi- 
zens. 

Mrs. Wood was born in Ogle county. Illi- 
nois, in 1862, and is a daughter of Reuben 
Alarker, a native of Pennsylvania and farmer 
by occupation, who settled in Illinois and was 
one of the pioneers of that state, where our 
subject was reared and educated. When she 
reached the age of fifteen years her parents 
came to Iowa and settled in Floyd county. In 
1879 she was married to Addison Wood, and 
they were blessed with four children, who are 
named as follows: Reuben and Robert 
(twins), twenty-three years of age. Vern, six- 
teen years old. and Clark, thirteen. All live 
with the mother, except Robert, who lives on 
his homestead adjoining his mother's estate. 

In 1887 our subject came west with her 
family, locating on a farm near Hay Springs, 
where they lived for one year, and went 
through pioneer experiences, occupying a dug- 
out, in which they were fairly comfortable. 
Thev next moved to Bo.x Butte county, where 
they filed on a pre-emption and started to build 
up a home and farm. In 1888 they came to 
Dawes county and settled on section 27, town- 
ship 31. range 47. and again began as pioneers. 
Here they built a shanty and started out with 
no capital at all except strong hearts and will- 
ing hands. Their first team were oxen, al- 
though they got some good horses, but with 
the oxen they broke up some land and put in 
a crop the first year and were able to raise 
good crops for several years, then were over- 
taken by the drouth periods and well-nigh be- 
came discouraged by constant failures, when 
for five successive years they were unable to 
even raise suflficient feed for their chickens; 
but though often becoming discouraged, Mrs. 
Wood stuck to the farm and as times grew bet- 
ter was more successful, and gradually im- 
proved and built up the place. She has person- 
ally conducted this farm since 1896. and is a 
progressive and thorough agriculturist, and 
everything is in perfect order and bespeaks the 
energy and good management of the owner. 
Her ranch now consists of six hundred and 
eighty acres of good land, and one son owns 
a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres 
adjoining. One hundred acres is under culti- 
vation, and she is extensively engaged in stock 
raising, principally cattle, running sixty to 
seventy-five head annually. .She has lately re- 
modelled her house, putting in a fine basement. 
Mrs. Wood has been director of school district 
Xo. 4<i for more than eight years. 



THOMAS MOORE. 

Among the prosperous farmers and early 
settlers of Phelps county, Nebraska, the sub- 
ject of this review, Thomas Moore, occupies 
a high position. He resides in Sheridan town- 
ship, where he has a fine farm and comfortable 
home, and is highly esteemed by all who know 
him. 

Mr. Moore is a native of county Antrim, 
Ireland, where he was reared until fifteen years 
of age, then came to the United States, settling 
in Illinois in 1863 and remained there for sev- 
eral years engaged in farming. He came to 
Phelps county in 1885 and purchased one hun- 
dred and sixty acres of land from the railroad 
company, situated in section 27, Sheridan town- 
ship, comprising the northeast quarter and has 
lived on this ever since. He at once went to 
breaking up the land, and built horse barns 
and farm buildings, adding improvements con- 
stantly. He also bought about the same time 
one hundred and sixty acres of school land in 
Laird township, but disposed of this ten years 
ago. He is engaged principally in grain rais- 
ing, and last year his wheat crop tested sixty- 
three pounds to the bushel, and was the best 
on the market, averaging up equal lo any place 
that he knows of. His first crop of corn in 
1889 showed a yield of over four thousand bush- 
els. He has farmed in Macon and Macoupon 
counties. Illinois, and states that a man can farm 
more land in Nebraska, and get an average crop 
as good, as in Illinois it is generally too wet, 
which is more harmful than the dry weather 
here. He keeps a number of grade cattle and 
some well-bred Percheron horses. He was 
for a time proprietor of a farm of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres located near Holyoke, 
Colorado, which is a valuable property, but he 
disposed of this in 1908. The farm on which 
he resides is almost adjoining the town of 
Holdrege. so that from his residence he can 
overlook that progressive place. The quality 
of his land and its nearness to Holdrege makes 
it very valuable, and his present success is a re- 
ward for his perseverance and industry, as he 
has stuck to this place through many hardships 
during the pioneer days. 

Mr. Moore is a son of Robert and Mary 
(Murphy) Moore, both born in Scotland, set- 
tling in county Antrim, Ireland, after their 
marriage, and emigrating to America in 1863. 
They located in Illinois in the pioneer days of 
that state, where the father soon after died. 
The mother, with five sons and two daughters, 
still reside in Macon county, Illinois, Our sub- 
jest was married to Hattie H. Stennett. of 
Logan county, Illinois, in 18*^2. and they have 




KKSIUENCE Ul- A. A. WliNTWORTl 
Kcya Palia County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIU|kI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



595 



five children. The family is held in the highest 

esteem by all who know them. Mr. Moore is 

a member of the Presbyterian church. Po- 
litically he is a Republican. 



ARTICE A. WENTWORTH. 

Among the earliest settlers in Keya Paha 
county, who have been largely instrumental in 
the growth of the financial and social interests 
of that region, a prominent place is given the 
gentleman whose name appears at the head of 
this review. He has always been found ready 
to further the interests of the community 
where he chose his home, and has gained a 
wide and enviable reputation as a worthy citi- 
zen and substantial agriculturist of Pine pre- 
cinct. 

Mr. Wentworth was born on a farm near 
North Appleton, Maine, February 1, 1854, and 
was reared and educated there during his early 
years. His father, Thomas A. Wentworth, a 
native of Hope, , Maine, came to Fontanelle, 
Washington county, Nebraska, in 1868, taking 
up a homestead there, where the family lived for 
some years, then moved to Burt county, and in 
1887 settled in Keya Paha county, where the 
father died November 16, 1887. The mother. 
Nancy B. (Hall) was born near Magog, Maine. 
She resides in Keya Paha county with her son. 
Our subject is the second child in a family of 
eight ; four were pioneers in Nebraska. When 
he was twenty-one years of age, he started out 
for himself, following farm work; purchasing 
a farm in Burt county, he continued on that 
place for several years, coming to Keya Paha 
county in 1883, where he located on a home- 
stead in section 2, township 32, range 20. which 
he still owns. When he first settled here there 
was not a thing on the place except a little 
timber on the creeks. He put up a nice house 
and other improvements, and then bought his 
present home on section 24, where he has four 
hundred and eighty acres of good farming land, 
part of which is used for pasture. He keeps 
about eighty head of cattle, twenty horses, and 
each year markets eighty hogs. He has a good 
orchard on each farm, with apples and other 
fruits, and besides a lot of natural timber has 
planted a large number of forest trees. For 
eighteen years he lived in a log house, but 
now he has one of the finest country residences 
in the county. He has had a hard time in ac- 
quiring his present possessions, and during the 
dry years had heavy losses and often became 
discouraged. When he first landed here all he 
had was a team, wagon and a few tools, and 
three dollars in money, and was obliged to 
haul wood to Atkinson, which he traded for 



flour and provisions. He has done his share 
in building up this region, and would not care 
to go through homesteaders' experience again. 
We present on another page a fine view of this 
beautiful country place with the new buildings 
and picturesque surroundings. 

On July 11, 1878, Mr. Wentworth was mar- 
ried to Miss Ellen Hill, from Xoble county, 
Indiana, a daughter of Edwin and Henrietta 
(Thorp) Hill. They are the parents of two 
children, namely : Fern E. and John Orson, 
both now living in Pueblo, Colorado, in the real 
estate business. 

Mr. Wentworth is a Populist and strong 
Bryan man. He has always been active m 
local affairs, and in 1892 was elected county 
commissioner, serving for six vears. 



ARTHUR D. BAKER. 

Arthur D. Baker, a highly respected resident 
'of his township, has spent many years of his life 
in this region, and is one of the leading old set- 
tlers of Dawes county, where he has devoted his 
energies to the interest and welfare of his adopt- 
ed town and county. 

Mr. Baker was born in Waterloo, Black- 
hawk county, Iowa, January 24, 1857. He is a 
son of David Baker, of old Puritan stock, born in 
Maine, a farmer by occupation, who died here 
November 25, 1906. The mother, Rebecca Able, 
was a Quakeress, born in Ontario, Canada. Our 
subject was reared in Iowa until fourteen years 
of age, then with the rest of his family moved to 
Kansas, locating in Elk county, where his young 
manhood years were spent on a farm. In 1888 
he left Kansas, driving overland in a covered 
wagon, and struck Nebraska, locating on a home- 
stead in section 5, township 30, range 51. The 
trip took six weeks, and the time was full of 
incidents and rough experiences, camping out at 
night in the wagon beside the roadway. He im- 
mediately went to work building a log house, 
and occupied this for six years, employing his 
time in breaking up the farm, and cutting logs 
which he hauled to the town of Crawford and 
traded for flour and provisions. He went 
through many hard times, witnessing the drouth 
periods and other discouragements, but has never 
had a complete failure of crops. Success at- 
tended his efforts, however, and he is now in 
comfortable circumstances, being proprietor of 
four hundred acres of good land, about seventy 
acres of which is cultivated and the rest in pas- 
ture land and timber. There is an abundance of 
wild fruits on his place, and he has at dififerent 
times cut lumber from the place for buildings, 
etc. He has a good house, barns and other build- 
ings, and all his land is fenced. He has a num- 



596 



COMi'ENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND. BIOGRAPHY 



ber of good horses, and keeps quite a large herd 
of cattle and hogs. 

In 1880 Mr. Baker was married to Miss Ellen 
Long, whose father, Peter L. Long, was a farmer 
in Elk county, Kansas, and her mother. Miss 
Annie Stuck, was of Pensylvania German stock. 
Mr. and Mrs. Baker are the parents of the fol- 
lowing children : Chester R., married, Arthur 
D.. Jr., Charles O. and Florence E, 

Mr. Baker is a stanch Republican. He has 
helped organize and establish schools in his sec- 
tion of the county, and was the first director in 
his district, serving in all for sixteen years in 
that capacity. 



EMIL ZALESKY. 

A striking example of what may be accom- 
plished by persistent effort and good manage- 
ment is found in the life of the gentleman 
whose name is at the head of this article. For 
many years Mr. Zalesky has resided in Chey- 
enne county, and he has gained a valuable 
estate by his own efforts, and incidentally has 
become well known and is universally re- 
spected. 

^Ir. Zalesk)- was born in Hanover, Kansas, 
February 25th, 1879, and grew to the age of 
eight years in that locality, at that time coming 
with his parents to Nebraska, settling in Chey- 
enne county. The father took up a homestead, 
improved it in good shape, and our subject 
has also become owner of two hundred and 
eighty acres on section 12, township 13, range 
48, which he has built up into a good farm and 
ranch. He has put good buildings on the 
ranch, and cultivates about one hundred acres, 
running also thirty head of stock. He is con- 
sidered one of the well-to-do men of his com- 
munity, and is progressive and up-to-date in 
his methods of operating his farm. His par- 
ents occupy a homestead on section 18, town- 
ship 13, range 47 where the}' also have a valu- 
able property. 

Mr. Zalesky was married in Sidney, Ne- 
braska, August 2d, 1905, to Agnes Hcnzl, who 
was horn in B(jhemia July 24th. 1882, and came 
to America with her parents in 1888. Her 
father, Anton Henzl, settled in Cheyenne county 
with his family, filed on a homestead in sec- 
tion 14, township 13. range 47, where he now 
has a good home and ranch of three hundred 
and twenty acres. He has about one hundred 
and fifty acres under cultivation, and keeps 
about twenty-five head of stock. Mrs. Henzl 
died here on April 15th, 1907, leaving the fol- 
lowing children: Agnes, wife of our subject, 
Joe, Frank, Josie, Mary, Tony, Jerry, John, 
James and Annie, all at home. 



Mr. Zalesky and his good wife have two 
children. Emil and Blanche. In political views 
Mr. Zalesky is a Republican, and firm in his 
convictions. Like many of his countrymen, he 
was reared in the Catholic church. 



JAMES R. CHAPMAN. 

James R. Chapman, a prominent old-timer 
of western Nebraska, resides on section 14, 
township 34, range 23, Keya Paha county, 
where he has built up a good home and farm 
and is well known throughout the locality as 
a leading citizen and successful farmer. 

Mr. Chapman was born in County Corn- 
wall, England, in 1861. His father, Richard 
Chapman, was a farmer, and lived and died in 
his native land. Our subject was the youngest 
in his parents" family, and was raised and edu- 
cated in England, starting out to make his own 
way in the world at the age of nineteen. He 
came to America, landing in New York city. 
May 3d, 1880, and went direct to Platteville, 
Wisconsin, where he followed farm work for 
two years, then went to Calumet, Michigan, 
and worked in the copper mines for two years. 
He then returned to England for a five months' 
visit and again came to Wisconsin, in 1885 
coming to Nebraska and locating in this 
county. He settled on a pre-emption in section 
13, township 34, range 25, and put up his first 
building, which was a dugout slabbed on the 
inside, "batching it" there for a couple of years. 
The first year he broke up part of his land with 
a yoke of oxen and started farming, living on 
the place for three years, then went to the 
Black Hills and was in Lead City for three 
years, working in the mines there. The work 
there was very hard and extremely dangerous, 
and he had several narrow escapes from acci- 
dents and death, so decided to go back to Keya 
Paha county, which he did, and lived on his 
tree claim for five years. In July, 1900, he 
settled on his present homestead, situated in 

section 14. township, which was 

an entirely unimproved piece of land. He put 
up a combination log and frame house and 
opened his farm, with eighty acres in cultiva- 
tion and the balance of his section is used for 
hay and pasture for his stock, of which he has 
a large number. He w^ent through the dry 
years and had heavy losses which set him back 
considerably, also was hailed out three times, but 
stuck to his ]ilace and now has a valuable piece 
of land, well improved. 

Mr. Chai)man was married in 1887 to Miss 
Eliza Switzer, whose father was an old settler 
liere, originally from Ohio. Eight children 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



597 



have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, 
named as follows: John, \'ictor, Margaret, 
lames, Annie, Paul, Earl and Bessie. 

Mr. Chapman helped build up the schools 
in his locality and did his share in the up- 
building of this region since coming here. Po- 
litically he is a Republican. 



"THE CHURX RANCH." 

Among the most successful ranch enter- 
prises of Cherry county none has merited a 
wider reputation that that known in local par- 
lance as "The Churn." The ranch house is 
situated on section 5, township 31, range 36, 
and is without doubt one of the largest and 
finest dwellings in the ranch region of western 
Nebraska. It was erected in 1902, is two 
stories high, containing fourteen rooms, includ- 
ing a large bath-room with running water to 
supply domestic needs. The barn is also one 
of the largest in the range country, and is but 
one of a number of large buildings and sheds 
with which the place is equipped. An elevated 
reservoir, served by its own windmill, gives 
water pressure sufficient to throw a stream 
above the house in case of fire. There is shed 
room for the sheltering of three thousand head 
of stock, with convenient corrals surrounding, 
and all supplied with an abundance of good 
water. Not the least attractive feature of the 
ranch is the groves, five in number, which have 
attained a growth far beyond the usual plant- 
ing in the west. There are sixteen wells and 
windmills on the place affording an abundance 
of good water. The ranch contains something 
over four thousand acres, much of which is 
fine hay land with live hundred acres seeded to 
alfalfa, which in this region attains luxurious 
growth. There are at all times about two 
thousand head of cattle and two hundred head 
of horses on the place, all of a high grade of 
breeding. The comp.any that established this 
ranch was organized January 1st, 1886, con- 
sisting of Shadbolt, Fleischman. Trowbridge & 
Gates, the latter of whom sold out to his three 
partners. Later Trowbridge sold to Hubert 
Shadbolt (brother of George E. Shadbolt). and 
the firm name was then changed to Shadbolt 
Bros. & Fleischman, William Fleischman still 
retaining his interest throughout the different 
changes of ownership. 

The Shadbolt brothers were born in She- 
boygan county, Wisconsin, Hubert, the elder, 
now residing at Emmetsburg, Iowa. He left 
home to make his own way in life at the age 
of sixteen, while George lived with his parents 
until completing his eighteenth year. After 
spending four years in Colorado, mostly follow- 



ing the range, he travelled as far west as 
C)regon, looking the country over for a good 
location for an' enterprise such as they have 
since organized, and finding nothing in the far 
west seemingly superior to Nebraska, came to 
Cherry county in 1886 and became a partner in 
organizing the ranch afterwards known as 
"The Churn." 

William Fleischman is a native of Germany, 
and after immigration lived in Wisconsin a few 
years prior to joining the company organizing 
"The Churn," which he did January 1st, 1886. 

Mr. George E. Shadbolt was married on 
December 14th, 1904, to Miss Anna Thompson. 
They have two daughters, Viola Theresa and 
Ella Leona. 

The hospitality of "The Churn" is proverb- 
ial. Everywhere western hospitality is cor- 
dial, but that dispensed at the above ranch is 
the essence of the best, it being made the 
stopping place of freighters and travellers 
going to or from the railroad stations, as well 
as for those passing through the region east 
or west. An interesting picture of the "Churn 
Ranch" property will be found on another 
page of this volume. 



CLARENCE E. PARK. 

Clarence E. Park, who, within the past sev- 
eral years has accjuired a valuable estate in sec- 
tion 6, township 34, range 42, is a gentleman 
of rare intelligence and much enterprise, and 
a worthy and highly esteemed resident of Sher- 
idan county. Since coming to this section he 
has met with some discouragements in the way 
of financial losses, but in the main has pros- 
pered and is now recognized as one of the sub- 
stantial agriculturists of his community. 

Mr. Park was born in Sarpy county. Ne- 
braska, in 1869. His father, Gilbert G. Park, 
was a native of Pennsylvania, farmer by occu- 
pation, and came west, settling in Nebraska 
in 1885, and located in Sheridan county, where 
he died in 1889, leaving a family of five chil- 
dren, of whom our subject was the third mem- 
ber in order of birth. He was raised on his 
father's farm in Sarpy county and in Omaha 
City while a youngster, but since fifteen years 
of age his life has been spent in Sheridan 
county, ^^'hen he reached the age of twenty- 
years he started out for himself, working out 
on a ranch in the vicinity of his home up to 
1886. when he located on a homestead contain- 
ing eighty acres of land in 1896 and later took 
an additional one hundred and sixty acres 
under the Kincaid act. and began to establish 
a farm and home. During the first years on 
his father's farm the drouth caused him severe 



598 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



losses to crops, and he had a hard time in keep- 
ing up, but managed to get along and gradu- 
ally conditions grew better and he was able 
to save a little money and add to his property. 
He now owns nine hundred and sixty acres of 
good land, deeded property, and of this he has 
fifty acres cultivated and about eight acres in 
alfalfa. He runs quite a bunch of stock, and 
now has seventy-five head on his place. 

Mr. Park was married in 1891 to Miss Eliza- 
beth C. ^largrave, a native of Richardson 
county, Nebraska. Her father, Charles T. Mar- 
grave, is a farmer, who was born in Iowa and 
who has followed ranching since coming to 
Sheridan county, Nebraska. He now resides in 
this county, having located here in 1885 with his 
wife and three children. Elizabeth being the 
eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Park have a family of 
five children, named as follows: Beth, Sarah, 
Margaret, Jeannette and Charles, all born and 
raised in this county. 

Mr. Park devotes his entire time and energy 
to the improvement and biiilding up of his 
home and farm, and has never sought public 
preferment. He is a strong Prohibitionist and 
has never voted any other ticket. 



JAMES H. WIKER. 

James H. Wiker, an old timer in western 
Nebraska, now living in Davison precinct, 
Cheyenne county, was bom in Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, December 11th, 1849. 
He was one of a family of twelve children, of 
whom ten are still living, he being the third in 
order of birth. The family moved to Musca- 
tine county, Iowa, in 1858, where our subject 
was raised and educated, following farming 
during his boyhood. 

In the spring of 1887 he came to Cheyenne 
county, bought one hundred anrl sixty acres of 
railroad land and began stock raising. He then 
went to Omaha and lived for eight Vears, em- 
ployed at the stock yards and at carpentry, and 
at the end of that time, returned to Cheyenne 
county, filing on a homestead on section 6, 
township 16, range 50, now being proprietor 
of half a section of good farming and ranch 
land. He has about one hundred and fifty 
acres cultivated, and runs from fifty to seventy- 
five head of cattle and twenty-five horses. His 
place is well improved with good buildings and 
fences, well supplied with water, and alto- 
gether is one of the valuable estates in the 
county. 

Mr. Wiker was married on January 27 , 1877. 
in Muscatine county, Iowa, to Miss r>arbara 
A. Smith, who is a native of the state of Ohio, 
i hey are the parents of one child, William H. 



Wiker, born in December, 1879, now living at 
Spaulding. Nebraska, where he is engaged in 
the jewelry business. 

In political sentiment Mr. W'iker is a 
staurrch Republican and takes a deep interest 
in county, state and national afifairs. He is 
prominent in local and school matters, serving 
at present as moderator of district No. 61. 



CHARLES L. VAUGHT. 

Charles L. \'aught is a native of Iowa, and 
was born on a farm in JelTerson county in 1861. 
His father, Jacob, was a native of Indiana and 
served as a veteran in the Civil war. The 
mother. Nancy Dole, was American born, but 
was of Dutch descent. 

Our subject was reared in Iowa, in Jeffer- 
son and Jasper counties on a farm, assisting 
his father. He left home in 1883 and for a 
year worked out. Then in the spring of 1884, 
he came to Plum creek in Nebraska, on the 
Union Pacific Railroad, and from there he 
drove over to the Middle Loup river. He and 
a partner, who was with him, bought a ranch 
and our subject located a pre-emption claim 
and a tree claim west of Halsey, Nebraska. 
Then he \vorked for what is familiarly called 
a "cow outfit" for five years, roughing it and 
camping out. with the cow boys. He was on 
the range all over western Nebraska, to Al- 
liance on the west, and over Cherry county. 
ITc helped to organize Blaine county and took 
a leading part in the afifairs of the early days. 
He located on his present ranch in 1891 and 
now has four hundred acres thoroughly im- 
proved. On the farm adjoining stands an old 
log house, built in 1872, one of the landmarks 
of the pioneer times. Our subject saw many 
hardships during his pioneer life and "batched" 
it for a number of years and was accustomed 
to privations of all kinds. 

Charles L. \'aught was married December 
12, 1893, to Carrie Perkins, daughter of Daniel 
Perkins. She was born in the state of Iowa. 
At the age of eight came to South Dakota with 
her parents, stayed one year, then moved to Cus- 
ter county, Nebraska, remained there four years, 
then moved to Thomas county in 1887. 

Mr. \'aught has a home to be proud of. His 
fine farm lies along the Middle Loup river, with 
plenty of water, grazing land and a soil that 
will raise splendid crops. He has plenty of 
timber for all purposes and has his farm fenced 
and cross-fenced in excellent shape. In spite 
of hard times and crop losses and the burning 
of two hundred tons of hay one season, and 
many other setbacks that came to him during 
these years, Mr. Vaught has maintained a 




p: o 
d U 

ti 






COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



599 



steady courage and good feeling and has won 
out in good shape. He is fine companion, a 
fluent conversationalist, and is always full of 
good cheer and friendliness. These character- 
istics have won for him a large circle of friends 
who always have a good word for Charlie 
Vaught. 



JENS THOMSEN. 

Jens Thomsen, who resides on section 1, 
township 34, range 29, in Cherry county, is 
one of the leading old-timers in this section, 
who has always done his full share in the 
betterment of conditions throughout the com- 
munity in which he lives. Mr. Thomsen was 
born in Denmark, July 29, 1856. His father, 
Thomas, was engaged in making wooden shoes 
for many years in his native land and died 
in Denmark in 1892. 

There were seven children in his father's 
family, of whom Jens was the fourth member, 
all being reared in Denmark. In early life he 
worked out on farms in the vicinity of his 
home, and learned the brickmaker's trade, fol- 
lowing this occupation for many years. When 
he was thirty-two years of age he left his 
home and came to America. After landing in 
New York city he came west to Omaha, Ne- 
braska, where he secured work in the brick 
yards and remained for some time. He next 
went to Schuyler, Colfax county, and there 
engaged in ranching and farm work, but in the 
spring of 1890 returned to Omaha and again 
obtained work in the brick yards for one sum- 
mer. During that fall he moved to the west- 
ern part of Cherry county, establishing a brick 
yard, but owing to hard times could not sell 
the product of his first kiln. The following 
spring he returned to the brick yards at 
Omaha, where he found work for one season. 
During the years of hard times his debts ac- 
cumulate'! and for money to purchase a team 
he was required to pay twenty-four per cent., 
which, running for four years, virtually caused 
him to pay double for his horses. It is over 
such obstacles as these that the early settlers 
have come through to success. 

In 1892 ^Ir. Thomsen moved to Gordon, 
taking up a homestead in the western part 
of Cherry county. Here he lived in a sod 
shanty, and went through many hard experi- 
ences, losing crops by drouth and hail, every- 
thing seeming to be leagued against him for a 
time. He stuck to the farm, however, and 
proved up, then sold out and went to X'alen- 
tine, where he rented a truck farm located 
south of the town. Here for seven years he 
devoted his time very successfully to garden- 



ing, and with a good market in Valentine for 
his produce, of which he raised an excellent 
quality. 

In the spring of 1906 he bought his pres- 
ent farm located northwest of Valentine, com- 
prising three hundred and twenty acres, over 
one hundred of which are cultivated. Besides 
operating this he leases considerable land in 
the vicinity, and is engaged in dairying as well 
as grain and stock raising. It is equipped with 
good substantial buildings, windmill, tanks and 
so forth, making it one of the most desirable 
estates on the table. 

Mr. Thomsen was married in 1891 to Miss 
Caroline Stopp, a native of Denmark, who 
came to this country in 1890. Nine children 
were born to them, named as follows: Thom- 
as, Sophia, Minnie, Lauritz, Emma, Jens, Lina 
and Lily (twins), and Annie, all except the eld- 
est born in Cherry county. 

Mr. and Mrs. Thomsen are members of the 
Fraternal Union of America and of the Lu- 
theran church. 

A view of the family residence and its sur- 
roundings will be found elsewhere in this work. 



LORENZO J. WILSON. 

The gentleman above mentioned is counted 
among the oldest settlers in Sioux county, 
Nebraska, and' since locating here, in 1889, has 
taken a foremost part in the development of 
this region. Incidentally he has built up a 
good home and farm in section 21, township 
33, range 57. 

^Ir. ^^'ilson was born in Springfield, Keo- 
kuk county, Iowa, in 1860, descended of Dutch- 
Irish stock. His father, John P. Wilson, was 
a well known physician in Iowa, practicing 
there for many years, and died in Springfield 
when our subject was a small boy. Lorenzo 
Wilson's great-grandfather was a soldier in 
the Revolutionary war, and was captured by 
the British, held in irons for nine months, 
and nine months without irons, total eighteen 
months in prison. Until he died there plainly 
showed on his legs the cruel scars made by 
the irons he was bound in so long. 

Our subject's mother was Frances A. Lin- 
ville, of an old Quaker family, born in Penn- 
sylvania. 

Our subject grew up in Iowa, obtained a 
common school education, and was early 
obliged to make his own way in the world, 
starting for himself at the age of fourteen 
years, working on farms in the vicinity of his 
home town. In 1880 he came to Frontier coun- 
ty, Nebraska, where he remained for a short 
time. That part of the state was at that time 



6oo 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



entirely undeveloped country, and he was not 
ver}^ favorably impressed with the region, so 
returned to Iowa and followed farminnf for nine 
years, where he managed his grandfather's 
farm. The latter. Isaac G. \\''ilson. was one 
of the pioneers in Iowa, and died there in 
1887, at the age of ninety years. Mr. Wilson 
came to Nebraska to locate permanently in the 
summer of 1889. filing on a pre-emption and 
tree claim situated in section 21, township 3^. 
range 57, and here built a log shack and 
"batched it" up to 1903, continuing to improve 
his farm in good shape. He was quite exten- 
sively engaged in the cattle business during 
the first years he was in this locality and made 
some monej' in his stock raising operations. 
Mr. Wilson is now in very comfortable cir- 
cumstances, but passed through many hard- 
ships and privations during his early settle- 
ment here, being obliged to work as a cow- 
boy when he roughed it. camping out on the 
ground in all sorts of severe weather for weeks 
at a time, and suffering from exposure. He 
is now the owner of a ranch of eight hundred 
and eighty acres, also leases six hundred and 
forty acres near his ranch, and besides this ex- 
tensive place manages his mother's farm of six 
hundred and fortv acres located in sections 15 
and 21. 



JOITX R. WORTIILEV. 

.Vmong the men wlin came lo Nebraska in 
the early seventies is the subject of this sketch. 
John R. Worthley. now retired, residing at 
North Platte. Lincoln county. 

Mr. \\'orthley was born at the top of 
Worthloy Hill, near Manchester. New Hamp- 
shire, and was reared and educated there. In 
18.^9 he obtained cmjiloynicnt with the Hanni- 
bal & St. Joe Railway and was connected with 
that road during, the Ci\il war. In 1868 he 
came to Nebraska and went to work tor the 
I'nion Pacific Railway, being pit boss and ma- 
chinist in the shfips of the com]iany at Omaha. 
He had learned the machinist's trade while 
still living in Manchester during his boyhood 
days. In 1873 he moved to Lincoln county, 
continuing at railroad work for eleven years, 
and then in 1885 he settled on a ranch located 
three miles north of Xnrth Platte, engaging 
in the live stock and milk business. He re- 
mained on this ranch up to 1905. then rented 
the place and moved to .Xorth Platte. The 
ranch comprised one thousand acres of good 
land, part bottom and part hill land, and is a 
valuable property. Mr. \\'orthley was very 
successful in its operation, and has been well 



rewarded financially for the years of hard la- 
bor he put in there. 

Mr. Worthley was married in 1861 to Miss 
Mary Parke, of Brookfield. Missouri, daugh- 
ter of John and Sarah (Berry) Parke, who 
came west from Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, in 
1840, settling in Iowa. A son of Mr. Worth- 
ley is connected with the Union Pacific Rail- 
way at Ogden. holding a responsible position 
with the company at that point. 

The W'orthleys came from England and 
Scotland to .America during the seventeenth 
century, settling in New England, and the 
family name and history is among the first 
and l^est of the old New Englanders. Our 
subject's mother was Miss Phoebe Roby, 
whose family was one of the first to settle in 
N'ew England. 

Mr. XX'orthley is one of the leading citizens 
of X(irtli Platte, and a man who has always 
striven to identify himself with the best in- 
terests of his community, and is respected and 
esteemed by all who know him. He is a mem- 
ber of the .Masonic blue lodsje. 



W 



LIAM M. lODENCE. 



William M. lodence. one of the old settlers 
(if the region where he chose his home in the 
early days, occupies a good home and valuable 
projierty in section 30, township 28, range 47, 
I'ox Ruttc county. He has done his share in 
the upbuilding of his locality, and is well and 
fa\-(irably known throughout this part of the 
state. 

Mr. lodence is a native of Christian county. 
Illinois, born on a farm in 1860. His father, 
Henry, was born in Germany and came to 
America when a boy twelve years of age, 
and is the only member of his family who e\er 
left the mother country. He married Jane 
Miller, a native of Illinois, whose parents were 
Kenlnckians and early settlers in Illinois. Our 
subject was raised in his birthplace until he 
was eighteen years of age. receiving his educa- 
tion in the country schools and helping his 
father work the home farm, and in 1S7S the 
whole family came to Nebraska, settling in 
Seward county, where William started out for 
himself. He had a pretty good practical train- 
ing in a business way, a fair education for those 
days, and made some money by teaching 
school in the \icinity of their home, also keej)- 
ing up his own studies and constantly forging 
ahead. He soon afterwards began studying 
law at Seward, and was admitted to the Bar 
in 1887, and the same year located in this 
county, at Hemingford. He began practicing 
law at Hemingford, antl was one of the first 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAFH^i 



601 



attorneys to open an office in that town, and 
remained there for sixteen years, building up 
a good practice and an enviable reputation ex- 
tending throughout Dawes, Sheridan, Sioux 
and Scotts Blufif counties. In 1897 he started 
purchasing land and laid the foundation of his 
present extensive ranch, moving to the place 
in 1903. He now has one of the most valuable 
estates and best improved ranches in this sec- 
tion, engaging almost exclusively in horse and 
cattle raising. He owns in all thirty-six hun- 
dred acres in sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 30, in 
township 28, range 47, and also in sections 13, 
23 and 26, in township 28, range 48. 

Mr. lodence was united in marriage at 
Seward, in 1885, to Mary Culliford, who was 
born in England in 1860 and came to America 
when a young girl. Her father, Thomas Culli- 
ford. was a well-to-do seed merchant of Bath, 
England. Mr. and Mrs. lodence are the parents 
of two children, Charles Gladstone, aged 
twenty years, and Mary, eighteen years of 
age. 

Mr. lodence is a strong Democrat and has 
held public office, serving as county attorney, 
being elected in 1896. 



JOHN TIMM. 

Among the prosperous citizens of Brown 
county who have spent many years in this lo- 
cality is the subject of this review, John Timm, 
owner of a valuable estate in Garfield precinct. 

Mr. Timm was born in Henerau, Holstein, 
Germany, January 16, 1854, and there raised 
on his father's farm. He is the fourth mem- 
ber in a family of six children, and lived at 
home assisting his parents on the farm until 
his father's death, when he left home and be- 
gan a career for himself. In 1879 he came 
to America, sailing from Hamburg in Novem- 
ber on the steamship Selesia, and landed in New 
York. He came to Valparaiso, Indiana, which he 
reached December 4, and where he remained 
for ten years, working on the railroad during 
this time. In 1889 he traveled farther west, 
locating in Brown county, Nebraska, and set- 
tled on his present farm in section 6, town- 
ship 31, range 21, where he built a log house 
of one room, in which he lived for several 
years. His start was on a very small scale, 
consisting of one horse, one pony and one 
cow. He at once went to work breaking up 
the prairie land and improving his farm, and 
was getting along fairly well when, in 1897, 
he lost his entire crop by hail and suffered 
other losses the same year, so he was obliged 
to give up the place. He then took a home- 
stead in section 1, township 31, range 21, put 



up a shanty, and lived in this for five years, 
proving up on his claim. In 1905 he moved 
back to his first farm, where he built a fine 
new two-story house, a new barn, granary 
and other buildings, until he now has a ranch 
of one thousand acres, of which two hundred 
and twenty acres are cultivated, the remamaer 
being in pasture and meadow. He engages 
principally in the cattle raising business, which 
he finds most profitable, and had he devoted 
his attention to this line of work in earlier 
years he would have been much better ofT, and 
would not have been afi'ected so much by the 
dry years which caused him such heavy losses 
when he first came to Nebraska. In the spring 
of 1907 he rented the farm and purchasing a 
small place adjoining Ainsworth, is taking 
life easy in town. 

Mr. Timm was married March 7, 1877, 
while living in Germany, to Miss Katie Storm, 
whose parents came on to America after their 
daughter had settled here, locating in Grand 
Island, Nebraska, where her father's death oc- 
curred in 1886. One child came to bless this 
union, Anna, born in Germany in 1879. She 
is now Mrs. Arthur Daniels, living in this lo- 
cality. Mr. Timm is one of the old settlers 
in this part of the county, and has done his 
full share in the building up of the country, 
well meriting his high standing as a substan- 
tial business man and worthy citizen. He is 
independent in politics and a member of the 
Lutheran church. 



JAMES A. BROWN. 

James A. Brown, proprietor of one of the 
most valuable estates in Franklin county, Ne- 
braska, has been a resident of that locality for 
twenty-five years. He is prominently known 
throughout the western part of the state as 
one of the foremost farmers and stockmen in 
Nebraska, and after many years hard labor in 
building up his business is now prepared to 
enjoy the remaining years of his life in peace 
and comfort, surrounded by a host of good 
friends and acquaintances. He still looks after 
his farm and business. Mr. Brown is a native 
of Massachusetts, and was born in Rowe. four 
miles from the Hoosac Tunnel, in 1849. His 
father was Hezekiah Brown, son of Captain 
James Brown, who fought in the Revolutionary- 
war. 

Our subject was raised in the east and 
came to Iowa in 1876, where he was engaged in 
farming and stock raising for a number of 
years. In 1883 he located in Grant township, 
Franklin county, Nebraska, where he pur- 
chased three hundred and twenty acres of land. 



602 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



also leasing six hundred and forty acres of 
school land, and began farming, continuing at 
this work up to the present time. During the 
years he has followed farming he met with 
marked success in every enterprise, and from 
his experience in other states, finds Nebraska 
far ahead of some eastern states. 

Mr. Brown owns one thousand one hundred 
and twenty acres of good land in all. and has 
three houses and three large barns on his 
estate. He rents a part of the land now, hav- 
ing tenants living on the land. He has about 
one hundred and fifty cattle, all thoroughbred 
Shorthorns, and forty-five grades. The thor- 
oughbreds are from stock brought here from 
Iowa bv Dr. Finley, and the herd is one of the 
finest in this part of the state. He also has a 
great many Poland China hogs, and he feeds 
all the grain he raises on his place and then is 
compelled to buy some. Mr. Brown has one 
brother, John, who owns a fine farm of one 
hundred and sixty acres in Grant township. 
W'm. D. lives at Rosehill, Kansas, and Ida m 
Massachusetts. 

Our subject was married in 1889 to Ella 
Olson, who was born in Wisconsin. Mrs. 
Brown has two children from a former mar- 
riage, Ellery and Paul. Mr. Brown is a Re- 
publican, and takes an active interest in local 
affairs in his community. He has been a mem- 
ber of the school board for a number of years, 
and is one of the substantial and worthy citi- 
zens of his county, held in the highest esteem 
by his fellowmen. 



\VILLI.\:^I W. STICKLER. 

In compiling a list of the representative 
farmers and ranchmen of Keith county, Ne- 
braska, a prominent place is accorded the name 
of William W. Stickler. For many years past 
he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits 
in Paxton precinct, and has done his full share 
as an old settler towards the development of 
the better interests of his community, and en- 
joys the respect and esteem of all who know 
him. He has a comfortable home Dn section 
22, township 14, range 35. and is the owner 
of a good farm. 

^[r. Stickler was born in the city of Joliet, 
Illinois, July 10, 1863. His father, Jacob, was 
a farmer, born in Pennsylvania, of German 
stock, who married Sarah Bentz, also of Ger- 
man parentage. Our subject grew up in Ben- 
Urn county, Indiana, where his parents moved 
when lie was a small child, remaining at Iiome 
until he was twenty-one years of age, then 
emigrated to Lexington, Dawson county, Ne- 
braska, where he spent a short time, then 



came to Keith county. Here he filed on a 
homestead, taking possession May 1, 1886, the 
claim being located on section 12, township 
12, range 37. When he landed in the region 
all the money he had in the world was thirteen 
dollars, and he worked out during the first 
summer, and earned monej' with which to put 
a few improvements on the place. His first 
team was of oxen, which he broke and used 
for two seasons. His first buildings were of 
sod, his shanty being a rude shack, and in this 
he lived, "batching it" for five years. Much of 
his time was spent working out in the vicinity 
of his homestead, and during these years he 
witnessed all the pioneer times, going through 
droughts, losing several crops by the dry sea- 
sons, also experienced severe hailstorms which 
destroyed what the droughts did not take. 
However, he stuck to his claim up to 1900, 
then sold out and moved to a rented farm, 
which was situated in the North Platte val- 
ley, remaining there for three years, when 
he purchased his present homestead on sec- 
tion 22, township 14, range 35. This was ar> 
old farm which had run to weeds, and he went 
to work improving it, putting up good build- 
ings, fenced it, and now has everything in good 
shape. He has nice large hog pastures, keep- 
ing quite a drove of this stock, thirty acres 
of alfalfa, ten acres of sugar beets, the same 
amount in oats, and thirty acres of corn. This 
is for the present season of 1908. 

Mr. Stickler was married on August 1, 
1900, to Miss Lena Lark, born in Boone coun- 
ty, Iowa. To them have been born the fol- 
lowing children: Mildred, Krnia and Wilma. 
Mr. Stickler takes an active interest in local 
affairs, voting the Pojnilist ticket. He is a 
member of the Paxton camp. Modern Wood- 
men of .America. 



LUTHER LVDELL. 

Luther Lydell is a native of Missouri, and 
was born on the W'hite river, in Berry county. 
May 11. 1873. His parents, Lyman Lydell 
and Laura (Scott) Lydell, were farmers by 
occupation and emigrated to Louii county, 
Nebraska, in 1879. They drove through from 
Missouri in a covered wagon in the orthodox 
emigrant way and located near the village of 
Taylor. During the first fall they lived in a 
tent, enduring many hardships and often hav- 
ing to fight prairie fires for hours in order 
to save their property from utter destruction. 
Once, when the father was away, a fire swept 
up, partly consuming the tent, and the most 
strenuous efforts of Mrs. Lydell and the chil- 
dren were necessary or everything would have 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BlUGRAPH' 



003 



been destroyed. At this time the nearest rail- 
road point was Central City, one hundred and 
twenty miles away, and many times Luther 
and his father camped out and slept on the 
ground on their long trips for supplies. They 
built a sod house and other buildings in the 
fall, and winter found them more comfortably 
situated. It was on this farm that Luther 
grew up and learned the ways of farming. 

The subject of our sketch remained at home 
working for his father until the spring of 1892, 
when he struck out for himself, working out 
at different kinds of labor until the spring of 
1895. At this time he drove overland with 
team and wagon to Walla Walla, Washington, 
enjoying on the trip many interesting expe- 
riences, camping out, hunting, etc. From 1897 
to 1899 Mr. Lydell lived in Taylor and con- 
ducted a prosperous freighting business. He 
settled at his present farm in 1899, giving his 
principal attention to stock raising, at which 
he is making a good success. He is well and 
favorably known as a successful business man, 
farmer and stock raiser, and he has in many 
ways added to the material growth and solid im- 
provement of the community. 

In the spring of 1897 occurred the wed- 
ding of Mr. Lydell and Miss Minnie Clark, 
whose father was a pioneer of Illinois and a 
veteran of the Civil war. In an early day 
her father came to Loup county, Nebraska, 
where he died. Mrs. Lydell's mother was 
Katherine Ridgeway before her marriage. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lydell has 
been blessed with five children — Edna, Esther, 
Ruth, Ralph and Theresa — a most interesting 
group, and all go to school near their home. 



ADAM S. CARMAN. 

It would be impossible to give a sketch of 
the history of western Nebraska without in- 
cluding a sketch of the life of Adam S. Gar- 
man, who is one of the most prominent of the 
old settlers. He was born in York county, 
Pennsylvania, March 15, 1849. His father, Pe- 
ter Carman, was born in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, and was a farmer by occupa- 
tion. His mother, Mary Swartz, was also born 
in the Keystone state. 

Mr. Carman lived in Pennsylvania for sev- 
eral years and received a good common school 
education. In 1871 he came to Illinois and 
settled in Fulton county, where he farmed. 
He then went to Iowa, where he spent one 
summer, after which he returned to Fulton 
county, going into the well drilling business, 
which he followed for eight years in Fulton 
and McDonough counties before coming to 



Hall county, Nebraska, in 1883, where he 
farmed for four years. 

In the spring of 1887 he came to Deuel 
county, Nebraska, and settled on a homestead 
thirty-five miles northwest from Ogallala. He 
built a sod house on the claim and after prov- 
ing up he sold the homestead and returned to 
Hall county after seven years' absence. Dur- 
ing the hard times of the early nineties Mrs. 
Carman taught school to keep the family in 
provisions while Mr. Carman attended to the 
heavier duties of the ranch. 

He returned to Ogallala in 1899 and opened 
a restaurant, which he conducted for fifteen 
months. He opened his present fruit and con- 
fectionery store in 1900, and since that time 
he has added to the stock from time to time. 
He also buys and ships cream, and from a very 
small beginning he has built up a very suc- 
cessful business and is regarded as a good 
type of the old settler. He owns three lots 
and a comfortable residence in Ogallala. 

He was married in 1879 to Miss Cristine 
Weese, who was bom and reared in Fulton 
county, Illinois, where her father, Samuel 
Weese, a native of Tennessee, was a successful 
farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Carman have five chil- 
dren—Charles, Frank, Dolly, formerly a teach- 
er, now the wife of Leroy Dodson, now livino- 
in Detroit; Sam, and Cora, bookkeeper and 
typewriter in the county judge's office. 

Mr. Carman is a Republican and a member 
of the Lutheran church. 



PETER RIEGE. 

Prominent among Cherry county's old set- 
tlers is Peter Riege, who since the fall of 
1883 has made this region his home and done 
his share in the developing of the agricul- 
tural resources of this section of the country. 
Mr. Riege lives in section 10, township 33, 
range 30, where he has built up a valuable 
property through his industry and good man- 
agement. 

Mr. Riege is a native of the village of Ro- 
senweide, province of Hanover, Germany, born 
September 4, 1840. His father, Peter, Sr., was 
a gardener and laborer in the fatherland, where 
both he and his wife lived and died. There 
was a family of six children, our subject beino- 
the only one who grew to manhood. He was 
reared in his native country, following gar- 
dening until he was forty-one years old, when 
he came to America. Sailing from Hamburg, 
March 9, on the steamship Lessing, he lande^^l 
m New York city March 27, and immediately 
started for the west, arriving in Platte county, 
1 Nebraska, where he had friends from the old 



6o4 



lUMFENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



country. Here he rented land for three years, 
then left and moved to Cherry county, driving 
from X'alentine with an ox team and wagon, 
in which he carried his household goods and 
farming tools. He located on the Niobrara 
river and put up a log licus'^ and the neces- 
saiv sheds for the stock and then found him- 
self two hundred dollars in debt. He worked 
hard, broke sod and planted his first crop, 
reaping a bountiful harvest. During the suc- 
ceeding years he saw hard times and had a 
struggle to make a living for his family. By 
perseverance he added to his land, erected a 
better dwelling and several miles of fence. He 
is now proprietor of nine hundred and sixty 
acres in this county, and operates besides this 
one hundred and sixty acres adjoining, belong- 
ing to his son Herman. This place is well 
supplied with timber, and a large part is used 
for hay land, with quite a portion of it in a 
high state of cultivation. 

^fr. Riege was married in Germany, April 
15, 1864, to Aliss Lizzie Richman. Her par- 
ents were also engaged in gardening in the 
old country, and lived and died there. Mr. 
and Mrs. Riege had a family of six children, 
three of whom are dead, the surviving three 
named as follows: August, now employed in 
San Francisco; Herman, who lives with his 
father and assists him in the management of 
the home farm, and William, who is farming 
four miles west of his father's farm. Mrs. 
Riege died February 28, 1886, only a few years 
after the advent of the family to Nebraska. 
All are members of the Lutheran church of 
German precinct. 

\\'hen the family first came here they suf- 
fered many hardships, especially during the 
dry years, and when their crops failed had a 
hard time to get the necessary supplies, be- 
ing often compelled to go without coffee for 
want of money to buy it, but in spite of many 
discouragements and hardships they pros- 
pered and now enjoy the fruits of their hard 
labors. In 1906 Herman visited his native 
village, where he remained three months 
among childhood scenes with relatives. 



JOSEPH S. KA LB LINGER. 

Located very pleasantly in section 20, town- 
ship 34, range 28, is to be found the some- 
what notable gentleman whose name intro- 
duces this biographical writing. He has been 
identified with the history of Cherry county 
from a very early date, and his contributions 
to the making of northwestern Nebraska, while 
they have largely consisted of those unobtru- 



sive ways and habits of which little mention 
is ordinarily made, have been such industrious 
habits, such persistent and invariable honesty 
of purpose and force of character, and such 
an earnest desire to live the best American 
life, that he is widely known as one of the lead- 
ing and influential early settlers of the county. 

Mr. Kalblinger was born in Butler county, 
Pennsylvania, ]\Iay 26, 1858, his birthplace be- 
ing a farm house, and his associations from 
the first being with agricultural interests. It 
is natural therefore that he should be a farmer, 
and that he should find success in life's en- 
deavors in the tilling of the soil. 

Andrew Kalblinger, the father of Joseph 
S., was born in Germany and found a home 
in the United States in 1855. His wife, Bar- 
bara, died when the subject of this sketch was 
six months old, leaving him the youngest of a 
family of seven children. The father did not 
long survive the loss of his wife, and with his 
death the young orphan became a member of 
the household of his uncle, where he remained 
until he had passed the age of six years. For 
the ensuing twelve years he made his home 
with John Heyls, of Prospect, Butler county. 
Pennsylvania, and when he was eighteen years 
of age betook himself to the oil country, where 
he was employed at Petroleum, Pennsylvania, 
as a tool dresser for some two years. In 1877 
Mr. Kalblinger came into Nebraska and en- 
gaged in farming near Nebraska City for some 
six vears. While here he was married in 
March, 1885, to Miss Sarah J, Mapel. Her 
father, William Mapel, was of German de- 
scent, and her mother, Martha (Jenkins) Ma- 
pel. belonged to an old American family. Mr. 
and Mrs. Kalblinger have a bright and inter- 
esting family of nine children — Eunice Maude, 
Nettie Belle. Andrew Joseph, Harold Ernest, 
William Melvin, Harry Clinton, Jennie Gladys, 
Roy Arlington and Guy Kitchncr — all of whom 
were born in Nebraska. 

In the s])ring of 1886 Mr. Kalblinger came 
to Cherry county and filed on a claim on sec- 
tion 29, township 35, range 28, and built a 
sod house. Mrs. Kalblinger joined him in the 
fall following and their home has been in 
Cherry county ever since. In 1898 they bought 
the farm where we find them at this writing. 
Then he acquired a title to two hundred 
and eighty acres, consisting chiefly of raw prai- 
rie land, which they have greatly improved 
with the needed farm buildings, fences and the 
bringing of some fifty acres under cultiva- 
tion. Mr. Kalblinger is largely engaged in 
dairying, and plans to do much more in this 
line in the very near future. So far as he 
knows ho is the first to discover that western 



COiMPENDIUxM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



605 



Nebraska is adapted to dairying and the first 
to ship cream as a farm product, consigning to 
the Hygia Creamery Company, of Omaha. 

^Ir. Kalblinger passed through the famous 
four ' dry seasons that proved so ruinous to 
the hopes and endeavors of thousands of the 
early settlers, and though facing much priva- 
tion and suffering, did not give up. During 
the Indian scares the family slept two nights 
in Valentine and two nights the neighbors 
held fort in ilr. Kalblinger's big sod house 
in section 29, not knowing what minute they 
might be attacked. He now holds a fine stand- 
ing in the local circles in which his useful 
life is passing. Politically he is a Republican, 
but has never sought or held office. He is 
noted as always speaking well of his neigh- 
bors, and one and all in turn bear high trib- 
ute as to his character and genuine worth. Air. 
Kalblinger is a member of the Ancient Order 
United \\'orkmen lodge at Valentine and to- 
gether with his family is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

A view of the family residence will be 
found on another page in this work. 



THOMAS A. GREEN. 

Thomas A. Green, residing on section 5, 
township 26, range 50. of Box Butte county, 
Nebraska, is regarded as one of the leading 
citizens of his locality. He has always been 
one of the important factors in the upbuilding 
of his region, aiding materially in its devel- 
opment and growth from the time of its early 
settlement. 

Thomas A. Green was born in Rutland 
county, Vermont, in 1858, and was raised and 
educated there. His father was of. English de- 
scent and his mother of German descent, both 
born and reared in America. The father died 
at the good old age of eighty-si.x years and 
the mother died at the age of forty-eight. 

When our subject was twenty-four years 
of age he learned the carpenter's trade, and 
worked at that for a number of years in 'his 
native state, leaving there in 1883 and start- 
ing for the west. He spent several years in 
Iowa, working at his trade near Council Bluf?s. 

He came to Box Butte county in 1885 and 
filed on a pre-emption and tree claim, on which 
he lived and proved up, and the following year 
took up a homestead in section 5, there erect- 
ing a sod cabin and began farming. A\'hen 
landing here he was obliged to go to North 
Platte for all his supplies, purchasing a team 
for -this purpose, and also broke up some land, 
on which he planted a small crop. 

\\'hen the Burlington Railroad was put 



through this section he worked for three days 
for that company. Mr. Green saw many hard 
times from the drouth periods ; he was hailed 
out also and lost three crops from these causca, 
one season being completely burned out by 
the hot winds. However, he kept on trying to 
improve his farm, also purchasing more land 
as he was able, and is now the owner of five 
full sections, over three sections of which i& 
deeded land, all of it fenced and fitted up with 
many improvements. He farms one hundrefl 
and sixty acres and engages principally in the 
cattle and horse raising business, running sixty 
head of the former and one hundred and fifty 
of the latter. A picture of the ranch property 
appears on another page. 

Mr. Green is an independent voter. 



AUSTIN E. DIXON. 

To the men of perseverance and stalwart 
determination who went to Nebraska when 
it was yet undeveloped as an agricultural and 
commercial region, the present prosperity en- 
joyed there is due. Among the early settlers 
of Harlan county who has been intimately 
identified with its development and has gained 
an enviable reputation as a citizen may be 
mentioned Austin E. Dixon, a prosperous and 
successful farmer of Alma township. 

Mr. Dixon is a native of Licking county, 
Ohio, and came here from Boone county, Iowa, 
where he lived for a number of years as a 
young man. His father, Jacob Dixon, died 
when our subject was a young boy. His 
grandfather, Joseph Dixon, came to America 
when a young man from England, and fought 
in the Revolutionary war in the New Eng- 
land militia. There were eleven children in 
his father's family and he was the youngest, 
the family being scattered all over the United 
States and engaged in different enterprises, 
but he stuck to farming and stock raising all 
his life and is amply repaid for his eft'orts 
in the ownership of a fine farm and compe- 
tent fortune, which will insure him comfort 
for the remainder of his days. When he first 
came to Nebraska in 1877 he homesteaded 
one hundred and sixty acres in Alma township, 
and has since bought more until he now owns 
three hundred and twenty acres of fine land, 
and has been very successful in every ven- 
ture. Mr. Dixon served in the Civil war for 
eight months with the Eighteenth Missouri 
Regiment. He was at the last battle of Nash- 
ville, then through Alabama and North Caro- 
lina, the battle of Roundhead, and with the 
rtgiment in the grand review at Washington 
at the close of the war. 



6o6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Our subject was united in marriage to 
Miss Christina Johnson, of Boone county, 
Iowa. They are the parents of three children, 
namely: Ernest S.. who married Myrtle Pret- 
tyman. daughter of Lewis Prettyman, assist- 
ant county treasurer of Harlan county, resid- 
ing at Alma. They have two children. Lewis 
and John. The second son, James M., married 
Emma Prettyman, sister to Myrtle, and both 
reside with their families on this section, hav- 
ing comfortable homes of their own. Mr. Di.x- 
on's only daughter, Mary A., lives at home 
with her parents, and she with her mother 
and father spent 1906 on the Pacific slope vis- 
iting Mr. Dixon's brothers who reside there. 
Mr. Dixon is a member of the Evangelical 
church and a highly respected citizen of his 
community. In political sentiment he is a 
Prohibitionist. 



JAMES M. ALDERMAN. 

James M. Alderman is a wholesale dealer 
in choice Elkhorn valley hay, with headquar- 
quarters at Newport, Nebraska, and meets a 
constant demand for his goods from many 
quarters. A man of push and energy, he asks 
no favors as he meets the competition of trade. 
He is resourceful in emergencies, knows what 
he wants, and meets to the letter every en- 
gagement or representation that he makes. 
Newport counts him among its most enter- 
prising and pushing citizens. 

Mr. .\lderman was born in Kansas City, 
Missouri, .August 16, 1870, a son of James ^I.. 
Sr., and Sarah J. (Kinder) .\lderman. Al- 
derman blood comes from Germany, though 
the parents of the subject of this writing were 
American-born. The senior Alderman was 
for a time a nurseryman in Brownville, Ne- 
braska, where our subject was reared and edu- 
cated. He is the fifth child in a family of 
seven sons and one daughter born to his par- 
ents. 

When Mr. Alderman was twenty years of 
age he took upon himself the direction of his 
own life, and in the month of June. 1890, he 
came to Newport, Nebraska, with the inten- 
tion of learning the telegraphic art. Here, 
however, he found his brother already well 
established in business, and the younger Al- 
derman was appointed postmaster, a position 
which he held for some four years, proving very 
acceptable to the patrons of the office. When 
he finally left the postofTfice he did so that he 
might go into another line of business that 
did not seem to be fully covered by any enter- 
prise already established in Newport. In 1895 
he went into the hay business, in which he has 



increased his dealings every year. In the ter- 
ritory stretching from \^'ood Lake to Stuart he 
has bought hay very extensively, and has main- 
tained offices at both Wood Lake and Bassett. 
For a time he worked in partnership with W. 
H. Allen, but of late years has operated 
alone. How extensive his operations have 
been may be judged from the fact that in 
1907 he shipped from Newport alone over 
twelve hundred carloads of hay. 

Mr. Alderman was married November 14, 
1898, to Miss Grace Barr, whose father. John 
Barr, was at one time much interested in the 
oil business in Pennsylvania. The mother, 
who was Eva Mason prior to marriage, in after 
years became an old settler in Nebraska, and 
for a time lived in a sod house on a homestead 
claim, quite a contrast to the comfortable 
dwellings of the east. To Mr. and Mrs. Alder- 
man have come three children to bless their 
union — Geneva, Donald and Anona. 

Mr. Alderman is a stanch Democrat, is a 
member of the Royal Highlanders, and with 
his family is a communicant of the Episcopal 
church. 



JOHN H. WILLER. 

.■\mong the leading old settlers and public- 
spirited citizens of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
the gentleman above mentioned deserves a 
foremost place. Mr. \\'iller has aided in no 
slight degree in the developing of the com- 
mercial resources of this region, and has done 
his full share in bifilding up the schools and 
doing all in his power for the betterment of 
conditions socially and politically. 

Mr. Wilier is a native of Kendall county, 
Illinois, born on his father farm January 26, 
1863. His father, William H. U'iller. was 
born in Ireland and came to America when 
a boy, as also did his mother, whose maiden 
name was Anna Kelley. Our subject was 
reared in Illinois until he was twenty-one 
years of age, and in 1884 he left home and 
started out to make his own way in the world, 
working in that state at anything he could find 
to do for three years, in the tile factories and 
sawmills, etc. In 1887 he came to Crawford 
and took up a pre-emption and tree claim, 
proving up on them in due time. He built up 
his farm, and also helped build the Hall grist 
mill at Crawford, and was afterwards em- 
ployed by the concern for seven years. In 
1892 he filed on a homestead but did not set- 
tle on it until 1896, then proved up. He 
bought the west half of section 35, township 
31, range 52, where he now resides. He now 
has a ranch of nine hundred and t\v(?ntv acres. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



607 



and has one hundred acres of this in a high 
state of cultivation, raising splendid crops of 
small grain. His place is all fenced, and he 
has about sixteen miles of good fencing, with 
plenty of timber and running water on the 
ranch. He raises cattle, horses and hogs, run- 
ning one hundred and nineteen head of cattle, 
fourteen horses and quite a number of hogs. 
Everything is kept up in the best condition 
possible, and bespeaks the thrift and industry 
of the owner. 

In 1895 Mr. Wilier was united in marriage 
to Miss Maud L. Marquis, daughter of Charles 
Marquis, who died when Mrs. Wilier was a 
child, five years old, her mother is still living in 
New York state. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilier three 
children have been born, namely : Herman. Clara 
and Bessie. 

Mr. Wilier has made a success of his ven- 
tures, and richly deserves his good fortune. He 
is a good citizen, well liked by all, and enjoys a 
happy and comfortable home. He is a reformer 
in his political views. 



W. O. RUSSELL. 

W. O. Russell, a well known real estate 
dealer of McCook, Nebraska, is one of the 
prominent business men of the town. He is 
thoroughly versed in his line of work, and is 
a highly respected and worthy citizen, and one 
of the old settlers in this locality, having re- 
sided for the past thirty-six years in Red- 
willow and Furnas counties. 

Mr. Russell is a native of Pennsylvania, 
and was raised there. His father, John C. 
Russell, served in the Civil war for three years 
and three months in the Thirty-second Iowa 
Infantry, and during this time was in the field 
all over Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Ala- 
bama and Mississippi, taking part in all the 
battles of these campaigns under the com- 
mand of General A. J. Smith. During the 
time he was serving as a soldier his wife, ac- 
companied by her son, the subject of this 
sketch, and one daughter, visited him at Island 
No. 10, and the impressions he received of 
an army in the field are still quite fresh in his 
memory. Our subject's mother was Miss Ma- 
ria A. Prime, born in Indiana, and she has 
four brothers — George, Daniel, J. T. and Jacob 
Prime — all of whom settled in Furnas county, 
Nebraska, many years ago, two still living here 
and two in California. One son, John P. Rus- 
sell, is road foreman of engines, located at Bir- 
mingham, Alabama, in the service of the Mem- 
phis & Northern Alabama Railway. Prior to 



1888 he was connected with the Burlington & 
Missouri Railway at this point. Our subject's 
great-great-grandfather, Mr. Coleman, of 
Pennsylvania, was a soldier in the War of 
1812, and was killed during battle. In 1884 
the Russell family held a reunion in Furnas 
county at the home of Jacob M. Prime, and 
at this affair there were over seventy rela- 
tives present. 

Mr. Russell came to Nebraska in 1872, lo- 
cating one-half mile west of Edison, Furnas 
county. His father settled here with his fam- 
ily, coming from Hamilton county, Iowa, 
where he had farmed for many years, being a 
pioneer settler there, who, prior to this, had 
lived in Illinois. When the family came to 
Furnas county our subject was fourteen years 
old, and this was then almost a wilderness. 
There were but few settlers here, and the In- 
dians were camped all along the Republican 
river, and the pioneers experienced many hard 
times and scares from the red skins, but never 
had any severe trouble through them. Lowell 
was then the trading point, and this was 
eighty to ninety miles distant from Edison. 
They went to farming their land and man- 
aged to get along very comfortably, hauling 
their supplies from Lowell, and often having 
a hard time in making the trip. In 1874 a 
bridge was built across the Platte river, and 
after this was completed they hauled wheat to 
Kearney, a distance of sixty-iive miles. The 
second mowing machine in this district was 
owned by our subject's father. This was pur- 
chased in Lowell at a cost of one hundred and 
ten dollars. He also built the first wire fence 
in this section. 

Mr. Russell has been sheriff of Redwillow 
county. He held this office during the years 
1888 and 1889. and that was one of the busiest 
times in the history of the county, being the 
time of the great railway strike, and he was 
kept busy attending to the duties connected 
with his office, conducting a large number of 
foreclosures, etc. He was the man who started 
the first livery barn in McCook, in 1882, hav- 
ing moved into the town in the month of April 
of that year. He has resided here since that 
time, and also owns a fine farm in Redwillow 
county. He has served on the local school 
board, and is a charter member of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Re- 
publican. 

Mr. Russell married Miss Louisa McCor- 
kle, of McCook, and they have three sons — 
Harrison, Lovel and \^'ray — living, and those 
dead are Ora O., William \\'. and James. The 
daughters living are Jessie E., Floyd A., Mary 
M. and Lottie Mav. Mr. Russell's father, also 



6o8 



':OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



his sisters, with the exception of one, who lives 
in Oatville, Kansas, all reside in California. 

Our subject's father, J. C. Russell, has a 
history, as follows: His grandparents, Chris- 
topher and Isabella Russell, came from Eng-' 
land to Pennsylvania in 1807. His father, Wil- 
liam Russell, was born in England in 1799 and 
came to Pennsylvania in 1807. William Rus- 
sell was married to Sarah Coleman in 1835. 
John S. Russell, our subject's (W. O. Russell's) 
father, was the son of that union, being born 
in 1838. When John C. Russell was eight 
years old the family moved to Ogle county, 
Illinois. The father, William, worked at car- 
pentering for one dollar and a quarter a day 
for two years. Later the family moved to Bu- 
reau county, Illinois, and bought forty acres 
of prairie land, which was operated by his son 
while he (John G.) still followed the carpen- 
ter's trade. The son operated this farm for 
five years. They then sold and came to Ham- 
ilton county. Iowa, in 1832. The father, \^"il- 
liam. bought some land, which his son oper- 
ated while he still clung to his former occu- 
pation, that of carpenter. John C. Russell 
worked the farm until about 1857. He was a 
great hunter and spent winters hunting deer, 
turkey, geese, ducks and quail. John C. Rus- 
sell was married to Miss Marie Angeline 
Prime in 1857. 

In 1862 he enlisted in the Iowa \'olunteer 
Infantry, Company K, Thirty-second Regi- 
ment, and served three years and thirteen days, 
during which time he participated in about 
fourteen hotly contested battles. In 1872 he 
came to Furnas county, Nebraska, with his 
family, among whom was his son, William O. 
Russell. They spent four weeks on the road 
with their teams and covered wagons, the same 
time taking care of a small hefd of stock which 
they brought along with them. They located 
a homestead on the northeast quarter of sec- 
tion 34, township 3, range 22. He farmed here 
in Redwillow and Furnas counties until 1893, 
when he moved to California, where he now 
resides at Turlock. The first Republican con- 
vention was held on his homestead in a very 
early day, during the time when wild game 
was still plentiful on the prairies. 

Our subject, William O. Russell, has three 
uncles. Samuel Russell, James C. Russell and 
Milton Fisher, all of whom arc pioneers of this 
part of Nebraska. Fie also has four sisters — 
Eva A., Sarah R.. Mary and Angeline; also 
three brothers, John P.. Warren N. (deceased) 
and Roy. 

Mary Prime, our subject's mother, was 
born in 1838 in Indiana. Her father, John 
Prime, and her mother, Rebecca (Hutloj 



Prime, were both residents of that state. They 
came to Hamilton county in the early days 
and settled near Homer. Mary Prime had six 
brothers and two sisters — George, Daniel, Na- 
thaniel, John v., William, Jacob, and the sis- 
ters, Mary Ann and Margarette. 



CHARLES S. HAWK. 

Prominent among the leading old settlers 
of Dawes county, Nebraska, the gentleman 
whose name heads this personal history is en- 
titled to a foremost place. Mr. Hawk is a 
man of active public spirit, always lending his 
aid and influence for the bettering of condi- 
tions in his community, and has served his 
district in the capacity of justice of the peace, 
and as school director for many years past. 
i\Ir. Hawk resides in township 30, range 47, 
where he has a pleasant home and valuable 
estate. 

Mr. Flawk is a native of Westmoreland 
county. Pennsylvania, born in 1867. His fa- 
ther. William Hawk, was a farmer, also a na- 
tive of Pennsj'lvania. born of German par- 
entage, and he married Martha Speelman. also 
of German stock, born in that state. The 
family came to Ohio about 1872, settling on a 
farm in Darke county, where our subject was 
reared and educated, attending the country 
schools when he was not assisting in the farm 
work on the home place. At the age of nine- 
teen years he left home and came to Wash- 
ington county, Nebraska, locating near Blair, 
and there followed farm work for one sum- 
mer. In the fall of 1887 he went to North 
Platte and did not settle permanently during 
the first two years in this section of the coun- 
try. He worked at different occupations, be- 
ing employed as a grocery clerk, hotel clerk 
and at other work, and then returned to Wash- 
ington county and went back to farming in 
partnership with a brother, William L. Hawk, 
and continued at that during 1890, 1891 and 
1892. He next moved to Thurston county, lo- 
cating on the Omaha reservation, where he 
leased Indian lands and farmed for some time, 
leaving there in 1901, when he came to Dawes 
county and bought his present ranch. Here 
his buildings are on section 6, township 30, 
range 47, and his ranch consists of fifteen 
quarter sections, all adjoining in one solid 
body. .Antelope postoffice is located on this 
ranch. He has one hundred acres under cul- 
tivation and thirty acres of fine alfalfa, with 
a splendid grove of ash and cottonwood trees. 
There is plenty of good water on the place, 
and he has three wells and windmills, com- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



609 



fortable house and good farm buildings. He 
has a nice orchard and lots of small fruits 
planted, and everything to make a model farm 
home. He has built fifteen miles of fence en- 
closing his ranch, and also cross fences. He 
is largely engaged in raising Hereford cattle 
and horses and mules, which he finds most 
profitable. 

When our subject landed in Herman, Ne- 
braska, March 3, 1887, he had a very common 
outfit of clothes and but ten dollars in cash. 
This was the extent of his worldly posses- 
sions. After spending two years in the North 
Platte country he returned to Washington 
county, Nebraska, going to the village of Her- 
man. Like most farmer boys, while working 
on his father's ranch he had the ambition to 
move to the city and live the gentleman's life, 
wearing fine clothes and leaving the so-called 
dreaded farm work, but, after working as a 
clerk in a grocery store for a year, he found 
that city life was much more monotonous and 
tiresome than he had expected and that there 
were a great many more temptations and a 
great deal more strife there than back on the 
old farm, and he was anxious to return to 
the simple life of the country. Our subject 
was very fond of horses and cattle and decided 
to own some. So in the winter of 1889 and 
1890. he and his brother William borrowed 
three hundred dollars from their father with 
which to make partial payments on horses and 
machinery in order that they might start to 
farming. They rented one hundred and eighty 
acres of land in Washington county, Nebras- 
ka, and farmed there for about a year with 
fair success. The next year William, our sub- 
ject's brother, decided to quit farming, so our 
subject rented one hundred and sixty acres 
and "batched it" for about two years. During 
these two years he barely realized enough to 
pay rent and interest. Our subject then moved 
to Thurston county, Nebraska, and leased land 
on the Omaha Indian reservation. It was at 
this time that he went to Avoca, Iowa, and 
was married, and then he returned to his ranch, 
where with the assistance of his estimable 
helpmeet he began to accumulate a little 
money. After living there for eight years our 
subject decided to leave the reservation and 
buy a home in some other locality, so they 
sold out most of their belongings, realizing 
about six thousand dollars. They moved to 
Dawes county, Nebraska, where he purchased 
his present home, then amounting to nineteen 
hundred and eighty acres of land, and also 
one hundred head of cattle. 

Not being satisfied with raising common 
grade cattle he went to Gumming county, Ne- 



braska, and purchased sixty head of registered 
Hereford cattle, never regretting this purchase. 
Later in the same year he bought a Spanish 
jack. At this time he had twenty-six head 
of horses ; now he has one hundred and five 
head of horses and mules, one hundred and 
fifty head of cattle, of which one hundred and 
twenty head are thoroughbreds. They sell 
their surplus stock every year and realize a 
fine profit. Our subject has added three hun- 
dred and twenty acres of new land to his 
ranch and also has not forgotten to improve 
the conveniences of their home, the house be- 
ing piped for water, this doing away with the 
old pump and carrying of water. They still 
have some inconveniences to overcome, one 
being the distance of thirty miles which the 
two daughters have to go every week in order 
for them to take their music lessons. 

Each member of the family has their lit- 
tle interest in the ranch, owning cattle and 
horses, and thus the interest in caring for 
the stock is kept up. Since coming to this 
section of the country our subject has seen 
material changes in the country, values of land 
being quadrupled. Our subject is a firm be- 
liever in the old tried and true maxim, 
"Honesty, practical economy and industry will 
lead to success." 

In the spring of 1893 Mr. Hawk was united 
in marriage to Miss Sarah M. Beistline, daugh- 
ter of Simon A. Beistline, a farmer of Penn- 
sylvania German stock, who settled in Ne- 
braska in 1894. To Mr. and Mrs. Hawk have 
been born three children, named as follows: 
Howard F., aged fourteen years; Stella G., 
aged twelve, and Ruth A., aged nine years. 

Mr. Hawk is a Democrat and a strong 
party man. 



TAYLOR S. NORTHUP, Deceased. 

Taylor S. Northup was born in Sandy Hill, 
Washington county. New York, in the year 
1831. His father, American-born, was a man- 
ufacturer of note in his day and made the first 
steel plow produced in America. Our subject's 
mother was Ruth Taylor before marriage, be- 
ing of American nativity; her father was a 
farmer in New York state. 

Taylor S. Northup was married in 1860 to 
Miss Helen Amigh, of Hudson, New York, 
where her father was a leading merchant. The 
noted Rev. Henry Ward Beecher officiated at 
the wedding. Mrs. Northup is a lady of schol- 
arly attainments and of wide literary culture 
and was principal of Rutger's College. New 



6io 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



York, for some time, and was the first woman 
in America to be appointed to a professorship 
of mathematics. She is a graduate of Utica 
Female Seminary, at Utica. New York, one of 
the celebrated institutions of learning in the 
eastern states. 

Taylor S. Northup was reared in New York 
state, graduating from the high schools. He 
then took up work with his father and was 
foreman of the foundry until he went to Brook- 
lyn, where he secured the contract for and 
built the main sewer in the city. He after- 
wards entered the government employ and 
was United States assessor for five years; then 
a custom house ganger for nine years, and for 
three years was mine superintendent at Ne- 
vada, New York. In 1893 he came west to 
Blaine county and went into the cattle busi- 
ness, remaining on a homestead until 1903. He 
then purchased the present farm on section 
17. township 17. range 28. in Logan county, 
where he made a marked success at farming 
and stock raising. The farm of three hundred 
and twenty acres is located eight miles south of 
Gaudy. Mr. Northup was one of the leading 
old settlers of Nebraska and was well and fa- 
vorably known over several of the western 
countries. Mr. Northup died October 7, 1908, 
of heart failure. 



FRANK TELLER. 

Frank Teller, long and prominently known 
in Perkins county. Nebraska, was born in 
Wayne county. New York, in 1852. coming of 
old '.Xmerican' stock, his father being a native 
of New York state and his mother of good old 
Yankee ancestors. The former died in his na- 
tive .state, while the mother was for several 
vears a resident of Nebraska, and died in Buf- 
falo county in 1892. 

Our subject made his native state his home 
until he was twelve years of age. when the 
family came to Illinois and lived there for 
nine vears. he attending the common schools 
and following farm work as a boy. In 1871 
they came to Nebraska and were among the 
earliest .settlers in Lancaster county, locating 
on Rock creek. From the time Mr. Teller left 
New York state he had supported himself and 
helped take care of his mother, and on com- 
ing to Nebraska he began farming on a small 
place which he bought, succeeding in making 
a very good living. He distinctly remembers 
the town of Lincoln when it was a mere village 
and has watched the growth of different sec- 
tions of the state from their earliest settlement 
by white men. He has passed through all the 
Nebraska times, witnessing grasshopper raids, 



drouths and suffering hardships and privations 
of every kind in building up a home. In 1875 
he went to Iowa, spent one year there, then 
was in Texas for about two years and in In- 
dian Territory and Oklahoma for some little 
ti.ne. traveling from one state to another with 
a team and covered wagon, leading a typical 
nomadic existence for several years. 

In 1881 Mr. Teller' returned to Nebraska, 
settling in York county, and remained for four 
years, following farming. He left that sec- 
tion and moved to Perkins county, landing 
here in 1885, locating seven miles from the 
Colorado state line, taking up a homestead on 
section 30, township 10. range 40. Ogallala 
was his nearest trading point and postal sta- 
tion, and that town was thirty-five miles from 
his claim. He built a sod shanty, started to 
break up land for crops, and went through the 
drouth seasons during 1893. 1894 and 1895. be- 
ing scarcely able to raise half a crop, but stuck 
to his place and finally proved up on it. A 
part of this time he went to Richardson coun- 
ty, where he was able to secure work, also 
spent a short time in Buft'alo county, coming 
back to western Nebraska in 1899. and set- 
tling near his old homestead, remaining there 
up to 1903. He then located near Madrid 
and spent two years, purchasing his present 
farm on section 24, township 10. range Z7 . in 
1905. and now has a quarter section of good 
land. He has improved this with good build- 
ings, including a house costing one thousand 
dollars, of commodious size, substantial barns 
and other outbuildings, and engages in mixed 
farming and stock raising. 

On January 20. 1887. Mr. Teller was mar- 
ried to ^liss Lizzie Alexander, daughter of 
Samuel D. Alexander, who was an old home- 
steader in Perkins county and well known as 
a shoemaker, following that occupation for 
many years in the vicinity. Three children 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Teller— Edna Belle, 
Llovd and Harlow. 



HENRY R. NEUMANN. 

Henry R. Neumann, residing in Lodgepole 
precinct.' Cheyenne county, is a typical repre- 
sentative of western Nebraska, and has the 
honor of having been born and reared in the 
countv in which he now lives. His father, 
Henry, came to this region before the Union 
Pacifi'c Railroad was put through this section 
and he is one of the genuine old-timers in 
this localitv. His marriage to Miss Fedelia 
McMurrav.' of Sidney, in 1867. was the first 
wedding to be celebrated in the young town, 
and together thev bult up a good home and 




I S3&J 



OsO 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



6ii 



reared their little family of three children, 
meeting with much sorrow in being obliged 
to lay to rest in death five other children who 
died in childhood. Those who grew to ma- 
turity were Rosebud, Henry and Ray, all be- 
ing reared and educated in Cheyenne county. 
The family of Neumann is closely identified 
with all the early history of western Nebras- 
ka, Mr. Neumann traveling here overland im- 
mediately after the close of the Civil war, in 
which he was a soldier, and saw much hard 
large cottonwood trees in his yard, where the 
children of the two races played together. The 
father and mother retired from active life and 
moved from Nebraska to Denver, Colorado, in 
1902, taking life easy in their declining years. 
During his active years he accumulated about 
four thousand acres of Nebraska land, most 
of which he sold before retiring. After our 
subject grew to manhood he bought the old 
homestead in section 31, township 14, range 
47, comprising three hundred and twenty 
acres, on which is the substantial rock dwelling 
in which the family lived for years, with rock 
barn and other buildings. His fine ranch land is 
situated on Lodgepole creek, with a good sup- 
ply of running water, making it well adapted 
to stock raising as well as farming. He farms 
about fifty acres, and deals in cattle, running 
about sixty head, and also half a hundred 
horses, and is one of the progressive and well- 
to-do ranchmen and highly esteemed citizens 
of his community. 

Mr. Neumann was married to Pluma E. 
Dickinson, daughter of Friend Dickinson, a 
well known ranchman, owner of the ranch by 
the same name, located near Lodgepole, Ne- 
braska, of whom an extended sketch appears 
on another page. Mrs. Neumann's mother 
died June 20, 1886, and the father at present 
resides in Lodgepole. The marriage of our 
subject and Miss Dickinson was celebrated 
on the bride's father's ranch on March 28, 
1894, and was largely attended by the friends 
of the contracting parties. In political views 
Ivlr. Neumann is a loyal Republican. 



WILLIAM A. PETTYCREW. 

William A. Pettycrew, a successful and 
prominent business man of Valentine, is one 
of the old settlers of Cherry county, and a 
man who has done his full share toward the 
upbuilding of the community. He well merits 
his high standing as a citizen and the success 
which has attended him. 

Mr. Pettycrew was born in Mercer county, 
Pennsylvania, May 19, 1855. a son of James 
Pettycrew, of Scotch-Irish descent, who fol- 



lowed farming and merchandising in Penn- 
sylvania prior to his emigration to Iowa. Our 
subject, the fourth in a family of eleven chil- 
dren, was reared and educated in Iowa, resid- 
ing there until he was thirty years old. He 
followed farming as an occupation, owning a 
farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres, 
which was well stocked and kept in a good 
state of cultivation. In 1885 he came to Cherry 
county, pre-empted a claim and after com- 
puting title took a homestead and tree claim 
situated six miles northwest of \"alentine, 
where he remained until 1895, establishing a 
comfortable home on a farm comprising four 
hundred and eighty acres. After enduring and 
surviving the devastating drouths of the early 
nineties he decided to quit farming and enter 
the business world, so moved to Valentine in 
1895, where he established a grocery store, 
later adding other departments until he is 
now the proprietor of one of the leading gen- 
eral stores here. 

In 1878, ]\Ir. Pettycrew was married to Miss 
Adelia E. Carpenter, who died leaving three chil- 
dren, namely: Archie D., Inez A. and Floyd M. 
In 1906 ]\Ir. Pettycrew married Miss Fannie D. 
Muchmore, a successful teacher in Cherry 
county, and a very estimable lady. 

Mr. Pettycrew enjoys an enviable reputa- 
tion as a business man of great ability, and 
has the respect and confidence of all who 
know him. 



GARROLD O. FAIRHEAD. 

Garrold C). Fairhead is one of the old-timers 
who has seen his share of the hard times that fall 
to the lot of the pioneers in an undeveloped 
country. He has gone through many tough ex- 
periences, but in spite of everything has alwavs 
managed to enjoy life, making the best of hard 
situations, never complaining at his lot, and now 
he has a comfortable home and is surrounded by 
hosts of friends in the locality where he chose 
his home. 

Mr. Fairhead was born in England .Septem- 
ber 9, 1861, and came to Canada with his mother 
in 1873, where they remained for seven years, 
before Mr. Fairhead crossed the borderland to 
the United States. His father, James Fairhead, 
died while the family lived in England, and his 
mother's death occurred in 1901, in Nebraska. 
Our subject is the fifth member of a family of ten 
children. At the age of twelve years he started 
out to make his own living, working on farms 
during the summer months and attended schools 
in the winter months. He landed in Sioux City. 
Iowa, in 1880. There Jie followed farming for a 
time, then took charge of the C. C. Orr ranch 



6l2 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\FHY 



and remained on it four years. In the latter 
part of 1883 he came to Cherry county, locating 
sixteen miles southeast of Gordon on a home- 
stead, holding this tract of land for several years. 
In making his start here he was compelled to sell 
one horse to buy the relinquishment on pre-emp- 
tion land and later sold the other one, and with 
this money he bought six heifers, and this was 
his start in the cattle business. Since then he has 
done exceedingly well, in 1896 purchasing his 
present home of nine hundred and sixtv acres, 
four hundred and eighty acres being a Kincaid 
homestead, besides operating a tract of leased 
land. He always has about five hundred cattle 
and twenty-five horses on the range. When he 
came to this country he was obliged to walk to 
Valentine and back again, there being no railroad 
through here at that time. There were no set- 
tlers on the Niobrara river and he had no neigh- 
bors, this part of the county then being almost a 
wilderness. Soon after this the dry years struck 
the locality and he lost all his crops, and in addi- 
tion to this one of his horses was stolen which he 
later recovered east of \'alentine. After these 
years he met with success in his work, his crops 
brought good returns, and he now has a well im- 
proved ranch, all fenced, and he has erected a fine 
two-story house costing three thousand dollars, 
and is proud of the fact that he has the finest hay 
meadow in this locality, extending two and a half 
miles along Bear creek. His place is fitted with 
all the machinery necessary for his ranch oper- 
ations, and he is a thorough and systematic 
ranchmen, owning a very valual)le estate. A fine 
view of the residence will be found elsewhere in 
this book. 

In 1888 Mr. Fairhead was married in Sioux 
City, Iowa, to Miss Julia Boden, a native of On- 
tario, Canada, of Scotch-English descent. Mr. 
and Mrs. Fairhead have four living children, 
named as follows : Gladys, Joy, Lee and Grace, 
two dying in early life. 

In political faith Mr. Fairhead is a Republi- 
can, and although he takes no active part in 
county affairs, he is wide-awake and keeps 
abreast of the times in all matters of public in- 
terest. The family are members of the Meth- 
odist church. 



JOSEPH FICKEL. 

Joseph Fickel, one of the prosperous farmers 
of Sheridan county, Nebraska, has resided on his 
well improved estate in section 23. township 34, 
range 41. for the ])ast twenty-two years, and is 
well and favorably known all over this section 
of the country. 



Mr. Fickel was born in Putnam county, Ohio, 
in 1859. He is a son of Eli Fickel, also a native 
of Ohio, and a farmer by occupation, who, with 
his wife and family of ten children, moved to 
Iowa, where our subject was raised on a farm, 
working with his father until he was twenty-six 
years of age, and then struck out for himself. 
In 1885 he left home and came to Sheridan 
county with three other young men, and located 
on the place where he now lives, he being the 
only one to settle permanently in this locality. 
When he first came here he drove through from 
\'alentine to his homestead, and at that time 
there were very few settlers around here, the 
nearest neighbors living four miles away. He 
"batched it" for nearly fifteen years, and was so 
busy in building up and improving his place that 
he never felt lonesome or homesick. He had 
brought three horses with him and a supply of 
feed, and started to farming at once. He had 
good crops for several years, and was just get- 
ting nicely started when the dry years struck 
him. He could not raise anything, so quit farm- 
ing and started in the stock business, and had 
such good success that he has continued in it 
since then. He has accumulated a nice property, 
constantly adding to his farm until he now owns 
one thousand seven hundred and sixty acres of 
land. He and his brother together own nine- 
teen quarter sections, part farming and part pas- 
ture land, but do not cultivate very much of it, 
preferring to devote the time and attention to 
stock raising. Our subject has acquired all of 
his property through hard and persistent labor, 
and by buying when the land was cheap. It is 
now worth a good round sum. but he would not 
care to sell, as he is perfectly contented in this 
locality. He has seen his share of hard times 
since coming here, and would not care to go 
through a pioneer existence again, but* feels 
that he did right in coming here, as he could not 
have gotten together as much property in Iowa 
as he has here, and when he hved in Iowa he 
was made aware of the fact that it was the land- 
owner who made the money, so he decided to go 
into a country where he could get free land and 
grow up with the country. 

Mr. Fickel was married in 1899 to Miss 
Esther Nelson, a native of Denmark, who came 
to America with her parents when but five years 
old. Her father. Hans Nelson, located in Sher- 
idan county on a homestead in 1885, and is still 
living in Sheridan county. Two children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fickel, namely: 
Martha and Dorothy, both born and raised in 
this locality. 

Mr. Fickel is an independent voter, but leans 
toward the Democratic party. 



COxAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



613 



VICTOR C. CARLSON. 

Victor C. Carlson, who occupies a prominent 
place among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community of Phelps county, Nebraska, is 
proprietor of a valuable estate in Sheridan 
township. He has spent his entire career as a 
farmer in this state, and is a citizen of worth 
who commands the esteem of all with whom he 
has to do. 

Mr. Carlson was born in Henry county, Illi- 
nois, in 1867. He is a son of C. J. Carlson, who, 
at the age of sixty-seven years, is still residing 
on his five hundred and eighty-acre farm 
three miles north of the town of Holdrege, 
which adjoins his son's farm. The father 
came to America from Smoland, Sweden, in 
1864, and settled in Henry county, Illinois, 
where he farmed successfully up to the time 
he came to Phelps county, in 1880, pur- 
chasing one hundred and sixty acres. He 
afterwards sold this place and bought one hun- 
dred and sixty acres where he now lives, which 
he has improved with good buildings — house, 
bams, etc., and has added to his original hold- 
ings until he has a farm of five hundred and 
sixty acres, all Al land, which he, together with 
the help of his sons, still operate. He is a mem- 
ber and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal 
church of Holdrege, and is held in the highest 
esteem by all who know him. When our subject 
reached his majority he went to Colorado and 
homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, re- 
maining there until 1894, when he sold this place 
and returned to Phelps county, purchasing the 
farm where he now lives, consisting then of 
eighty acres. He erected a good house anil 
barns, and has steadily improved the place, add- 
ing to the acreage until he now owns four hun- 
dred acres of good farming land. His onlv 
brother, Fred B. Carlson, assists his father in the 
operation of the latter's farm. Our subject and 
brother also own seven hundred and twenty acres 
jointly in Cottonwood township, which is used 
for pasture land, and this they intend to convert 
into an alfalfa ranch at an early date. He also 
owns six hundred and forty acres of land across 
the road from this seven hundred and twenty 
acres. Our subject engages largely in stock 
raising, and has from one hundred and thirty 
to one hundred and forty Shorthorn cattle, and 
one hundred and ten pure bred Poland China 
hogs. He keeps a sufficient number of horses 
for farming purposes and also breeds horses and 
mules for the market. His brother. Fred, farms 
on a large scale with his father, and in 1Q05 har- 
vested a crop of two hundred and twenty-five 
acres of corn, seventv-five of wheat, and thirtv 



of oats. For the year 1906 our subject put in 
three hundred and forty-five acres of wheat, and 
reaped a banner crop, and also had one hundred 
and fifty-five acres of corn in that same year. 
He has unlimited faith in the future of Ne- 
braska' farming and stock raising, and thinks 
this is the best country on earth for this pur- 
pose. 

In 1893 ^Ir. Carlson was married at Akron, 
Colorado, to Miss Laura A. Anderson, daughter 
of Andrew M. Anderson. Five children have 
been born to them, who are named as follows : 
Lawrence, Warren, Wesley, Vernon and Vincent. 

Mr. Carlson take.s a commendable interest in 
local aflfairs, and was school director of district 
No. 20. In politics he is an independent voter. 



HENRY WARNEKE. 

Henry Warneke. a very successful and fore- 
handed ranchman of Bowen precinct, has been a 
resident of Sioux county since its organization, 
having voted at the time the county was formed 
and has helped considerably to bring about the 
present prosperity of the region. 

Mr. Warneke is a native of Germany, born 
in Hanover in 1857. His father, August, was 
a farmer and came to this country with his 
family in 1872, and is now living in Iowa, near 
Kingsley, Plymouth county. After landing in 
America Mr. Warneke came directly west, lo- 
cating in ^^'isconsin, where he remained for eight 
years, then came to Sachs. Iowa. He started for 
himself in Iowa, at first engaging in the meat 
business at Odebolt, Iowa, following that line for 
some time, then bought cattle and grain at Ode- 
bolt, remaining in that part of the country up to 
1886. In the fall of 1886 he came to Harrison, 
Nebraska, and opened a general mercantile store, 
his wife being the third white woman to settle 
in that place. He run that business for two 
years and did very well, then took up land and 
established the "Warneke Ranch," which is sit- 
uated on Running Water creek at the head of 
the Niobrara river, southwest of Harrison, and 
close to the Wyoming line. At the time he 
went on this ranch it was entirely unimproved 
land, and he was obliged to start at the begin- 
ning, putting up buildings, fencing it, etc., and 
spent considerable money on it in getting it fitted 
up right. The ranch now contains three thou- 
sand acres, which extends for four miles along 
the river bank and is splendidly located for 
ranching purposes. He has put in two irriga- 
tion ditches, 'and has about four hundred acres 
of hav land under irrigation, also some cultivated. 



6i4 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



The place is all fenced, and has a handsome resi- 
dence which he built at an expense of three 
thousand dollars. This dwelling is fitted with all 
modern improvements and is one of the most 
imposing buildings in the county. 

Mr. Warneke keeps about six hundred head 
of cattle, all of the Hereford breed. He has a 
large number of trees on the place, many of 
wWch he planted himself, and the ranch shows 
everv indication of the best management and at- 
tention to details, presenting to the chance trav- 
eler through this section a most pleasing picture 
of rural comfort and elegance. 

Mr. Warneke was married in Iowa in 1881, 
to Hannah Kellmer, whose parents settled in 
Iowa as pioneers, both having been born and 
raised in Schleswig, Holstein, Germany. To 
them have been born the following children, 
namelv: Mildred, employed as a stenographer in 
the county clerk's office at Harrison ; Edna, mar- 
ried and living in Chicago, and Mabel, occupying 
a position as clerk in Omaha. Mr. Warneke is 
a Republican, and stands firmly for his convic- 
tions. 



LESLIE W. CRAXE. 

Leslie W. Crane, a well-known ranchman and 
farmer on section 27 , township ZZ, range hi , 
is a leading old settler of western Nebraska. He 
came here when this country was new and very 
thinly settled, and has stayed to enjoy the pros- 
perity which has come to the region, now enjoy- 
ing a pleasant home, and is classed among the 
trulv worthy citizens of his community, who has 
always assisted materially in the development of 
his locality. 

Mr. Crane was born in Sandusky county. 
Ohio, on a farm, in 1866. His parents were of 
American stock, and his father's father was a 
soldier in the Revolutionary war, being a mu- 
sician and was killed in battle. The mother, 
whose maiden name was Elizabeth Hawk, raised 
her family of four children, and after her hus- 
band's death, left the east and moved to Iowa, 
settling in the western part of .\udubon county, 
in 1871, locating near Council Bluffs. As a boy. 
Leslie worked hard, doing a man's work on a 
farm when little more than a child, also attend- 
ing the district schools during the winter sea- 
sons. In 1886 he left Iowa and emigrated 
further west, locating finally in Wyoming for 
one year, then he went to Leadville, Colorado, 
wliere he spent a while. 

Mr. Crane first came to Nebraska in 1887, 
and landed in Sioux county in the spring of that 
year, locating in the Hat Creek basin, filing on 
a pre-emption. He made that place his home 



for about ten years, during that time improving 
the farm and working out by the day and month 
to make a living and keep up his expenses on his 
pre-emption. Part of this time he worked as a 
ranchman, cowboy, and anything he could get to 
do, and many nights were spent out of doors, 
sleeping on the ground exposed to the inclement 
weather with no sort of a covering to protect him 
from the elements. For weeks at a time he did 
not know what it was to sleep in a bed or under 
a sheltering roof. He was obliged to travel 
over the region on horseback, making trips 
through Wyoming and into the Big Horn basin. 
One year was spent at Harrison, where he worked 
at general work, and went back and forth to his 
home to see after his cattle. In 1898 Mr. Crane 
located on his present ranch, and at the same 
time he took up an additional Kincaid homestead 
in sections 27, H and 34, in township ii, range 
yj . He has added to his 'possessions, improved 
the whole place, at the present time owning in 
all six hundred and forty acres of good farm and 
ranch land. Mr. Crane has quite a herd of cat- 
tle and horses and makes a snug sum each year 
by marketing several carloads of his stock, 
mostly horses. During the summer of 1906 our 
subject was hailed out, losing all his crops, which 
was a severe loss to him, although it was the 
only time he had a complete failure from any 
cause whatever, since coming to this region. 

In 1891 Mr. Crane was united in marriage 
to Emma Sherrell. Thev have one child, Ellen, 
born the 24th of July, 1893. 

Mr. Crane is active in local and county aft'airs, 
and votes the Independent ticket, always trying 
to elect the best man on the ticket. 



JOHN H. BUSH. 

John H. Bush, now of section 28, township 
li, range 28, belongs to that large number of 
thoughtful and experienced men, widely informed 
as to affairs and public interests, and linked in 
with all forward movements that Gerinany has 
contributed to the welfare of the United States. 
He is most industrious in his daily habits, and 
thoroughly conscientious and upright in all his 
dealings with his friends and neighbors. 

Mr. Bush was born in the village of Reichc- 
hach, ]3rovince of Darmstadt, Germany, .April 
18, 1856, where his parents, Henry and Gretch- 
cn < Goetz ) Bush, were engaged in farming. He 
was bred to that career himself, but early in life 
learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed 
for a number of years, working at that influstry 
in Switzerland, France. Holland and England. 
In the last named country he was employed in 
the city of London, and became quite familiar 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BiOGKAPHY 



6i- 



with the great metropoHs of the world. On the 
twenty-first day of Alay, 1881, he sailed from 
London in the steamship Canada, and after a 
voyage of fourteen days landed in the city of 
New York, where for the first time his feet 
pressed American soil. It seemed to him that he 
would do well to see what he could of this new 
world before settling down to make any portion 
of it his abiding place, so accordingly he traveled 
much, and followed several kinds of labor be- 
fore we find him in Cherry county. He was a 
gardener on the Hudson river, and a farm laborer 
in the state sixty miles northwest of the city. He 
worked at Pittsburg, Chicago, St. Louis and 
New Orleans, largely following his trade, and 
for some three years in Peoria, part of the time 
at 512 North Adams street. He followed shoe- 
making in Kansas, at Anthony, for a time, and 
on the 5th of May, 1888, came into Cherry 
county, bringing his wife, Mary (Baker) Bush, 
to whom he had been married in March of the 
previous year. Her father, Henry Baker, was 
of German blood. She was born at Cologne in 
the Rhine province. They- sailed from Hamburg 
on the steamer Neckar. landing in New York 
where they lived some years. The mother died 
in Germany. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bush have reared seven chil- 
dren : Frank, Albert, Elizabeth, Julius, Mary, 
George and Charles. 

yir. and Mrs. Bush made, their first settlement 
some fifty miles southwest of Valentine, where 
he secured a pre-emption claim on Bordman 
creek, making his home for a time in a sod house, 
and carrying on his farming operations with 
oxen. Mr. Bush soon built a considerable log 
house, which the young couple furnished suit- 
ablv for the times, and prepared to enjoy their 
home. Their dreams, however, were shattered 
bv the disaster of a fire which consumed the 
house and all its furniture, leaving them nothing 
but the clothes upon their backs, whereupon 
Mr. Bush disposed of his interests at that point, 
and settled on a homestead entry, where we find 
him at this writing. He began with one hundred 
and twenty acres, which his industry and hard 
work have since increased to a full section of 
choice land. Here his handsome grout house, 
built with his own hands, faces the Niobrara 
river, and the entire ranch shows the manage- 
ment of a successful farmer, a man not afraid of 
hard work and familiar with the best methods 
of modern tillage of the soil. He has a fine 
orchard, devotes part of his land to market gar- 
dening, and runs a dairy of fifteen to twenty 
cows. 

^Ir. Bush is highly respected and trusted and 
for a vear was mail carrier on the route between 



Valentine and Chesterfield postofifice. He has at 
times served his county as judge of elections. 
He is a member of the Valentine Camp No. 1757, 
Modern Woodmen of America. On another 
page will be found a picture of Mr. and Mrs. 
Bush, together with the residence. 



SAMUEL TAYLOR. 

Samuel Taylor, one of the practical and suc- 
cessful agriculturists of Brown county, has been 
a potent factor in the development of the farm- 
ing interests of the community in which he re- 
sides. Mr. Taylor was born April 22, 1833, in 
Grayson county, Virginia, and is a son of P'rancis 
Taylor, a native of the state of Virginia, who 
died there in 1873 at the age of seventy-eight. 
Our subject is the seventh member of a family of 
thirteen children, and was reared and educated 
in Virginia. In 1855 he started out for himself, 
coming west to Nebraska City, but remained only 
a short time, going to Missouri, where he lived 
for the next fifteen to eighteen years. At the end 
of this period he moved to Monona county, Iowa, 
and rented a farm on which he lived for five 
years. He finally drifted back to Nebraska in 
1885, settling on a homestead in Brown county, 
one mile from the mouth of Plum creek, and 
proved up on this claim. Then he went to Mead- 
ville, in Keya Paha county, where he received the 
appointment as postmaster under Cleveland's ad- 
ministration, which position he held for five 
years, still running his farm in connection with 
this work. After the expiration of his official 
term he came back to Brown county, near the 
mouth of Hazel creek, where he bought land on 
which he made his home for ten or eleven vears. 
This is a splendid piece of property, covered 
with a fine growth of natural timber, and here 
he built up a pleasant home, adding manv im- 
provements, including irrigation of part of the 
land, and then took a homestead under the Kin- 
caid law, where he erected a good set of build- 
ings, and is residing on this property at the 
present time. He had a hard time in getting 
started in early days, and experienced manv of 
the discouragements that fell to the lot of the 
pioneers in this locality, going through the 
drouth periods, wdien no crops could be raised, 
damage by severe hailstorms, and having a hard 
time to get along, but has gained success 
through persistence and hard labor, and enjovs 
a goodly share of prosperity. In 1858 Mr. Tay- 
lor was married to Miss Nancy Witlkinson, a na- 
tive of Iowa, whose father w'as a farmer bv occu- 
pation, and an old settler in that state. Mr. 



6i6 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and ;\Irs. Taylor have a family of four children, 
who are named as follows : George, Frank, Eliza, 
Avife of Frank Stevenson, and Charlie. The fam- 
ily is well known in the community in which they 
reside, and is highly respected. 

Mr. Taylor is a man of energetic character, 
and classed among the leading men in this part 
of the county. In political faith he is a staunch 
Democrat. Mrs. Taylor is a member of the 
Baptist church. 



HARM A. FECHT. 

In the person of Harm A. Fecht, mentioned 
above, we have another of the sturdy sons of Ger- 
many who left their native land in their young 
manhood and came to America to carve out for 
themselves a name and fortune in the land of 
liberty and freedom, and well has he succeeded, 
now being one of the prosperous and well-to-do 
ranchmen of Union Valley precinct, Cheyenne 
county, highly esteemed by his fellowmen as a 
good citizen and progressive farmer. 

Mr. Fecht was born in the village of Wies- 
ens. near Aurich, province of Hanover, Germanv, 
on March 5, 1862, receiving a common school 
education, following farm work as a boy. There 
were five children in his father's familv, and he 
was the fourth in order of birth. Both parents, 
Albert and Tatje (Huls) Fecht, spent their entire 
lives in Germany, and the children are now 
scattered in different parts of the countrv, our 
subject coming to America at the age of seven- 
teen, sailing from Bremen Haven March 2d, on 
the Maine, since wrecked, and after a voyage 
of eleven days, landed in New York, with barely 
enough money to pay his way to Golden, Adams 
county, Illinois, where he joined a cousin, Her- 
man Miller, who was living there. He imme- 
diately went to work to make his own way in 
the world, taking anything he could find to do. 
Later, he made his way to Hancock cotmty, 
where, after two years at farm labor, he rented 
land, which he cultivated for about seven years. 
In the spring of 1888 he came to Cheyenne 
county and filed on a homestead of one hundred 
and sixty acres, in section 2. township 16, range 
48, on which he made final proof and received a 
patent from the government. Although he has 
seen some hard times during the bad years, and 
often found it difficult tn make a living, he per- 
severed, and gradually improved his place, put- 
ting up good buildings, fenced his land, and 
worked into the stock raising as he became 
more prosperous : he now owns one thousand 
two htuidred and eighty acres of deeded land 
besides controlling imder lease six hundred and 
fortv acres of school land. He has about two 



hundred acres under cultivation and raises good 
crops of corn and small grain. He also has 
plenty of hayland and pasture for his stock, run- 
ing one hundred and fifty head of cattle and 
twenty horses. Mr. Fecht was married in the 
Lutheran church at W'yerts, Nebraska, Septem- 
ber 26. 1889, to Miss Martha S. German, who 
was born in Illinois and came to Nebraska with 
her parents, Charles and Sophia German, who 
were early settlers in the region ; the mother is 
now residing at Jacksonville, Illinois. Five 
children have been born to Air. and Mrs. Fecht, 
all of whom are living at home, named as fol- 
lows: Henriette J. AL, Anna H., Albert C, 
Viola E. L., and Arthur H. 

The family has a fine six-room, two-story 
residence, with excellent barns and out buildings. 
They enjoy all the comforts of ranch life, and 
are among the leaders in neighborhood affairs, 
well liked by all. Mr. Fecht takes an active in- 
terest in all matters relating to state ami local 
politics, and has served in different capacities 
on the township board. He is moderator of 
school district No. 54. Politically he is a Re- 
publican. The family are members of the Luth- 
eran church. 



PLACER TUCKER. 

Placer Tucker, a large ranch owner and suc- 
cessful agriculturist of township 21, range 34, 
Hooker county, Nebraska, resides in section 28. 
Here he has spent many years of his career and 
has become a prominent member of his com- 
munity, having taken an active part in its up- 
building from the early days of its settlement. 
He is a native born Nebraskan, and is a splendid 
representative of the western state. 

Mr. Tucker was born in Thomas county in 
1885. His parents were of American blood, his 
father. Clancy Tucker, a well-known ranchman 
and fanner who came to Hooker county with 
his family in 1881, traveling by team from 
North Platte, and after arriving here took up a 
location on Dismal river. During his first years 
in that locality the father was obliged to haul 
posts to North Platte, a distance of seventy-five 
miles, camping out nights under his wagon, in 
many instances, in order to make a living for his 
family. .As soon as he got a little start he 
began in the stock business, settling on his pres- 
ent homestead in 1886, and there built up a per- 
manent ranch and good home. He was elected 
county commissioner and held the office for sev- 
eral terms, also served as county surveyor, as- 
sessor, and took an important part in county 
affairs up to the time of his death, which oc- 
curred November 3, 1904, and the mother also 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



died September 2d, in the same year, they leav- 
ing a family of eight children, who are named 
as follows :AIartha L., who was appointed post- 
mistress at the Eclipse station in 1905. the postal 
station having been established in that year on 
the home farm; Placer (the subject of this 
sketch). W'aldron, Ora, Francis. Susie. Lester 
and Ezra. 

Since his father's death Placer, with his 
brothers and sisters, has operated the home 
ranch, consisting of eight hundred acres of 
deeded land and one thousand two hundred and 
eighty of homestead, and besides this extensive 
place they lease one section of school land. The 
place is well supplied with clear running water 
the year around, and splendidly improved with 
good buildings and every convenience for its 
successful operation. Nearly all of the ranch 
is devoted to stock raising, but about eighty to 
one hundred acres is used for farming purposes. 
Placer Tucker was elected county surveyor of 
Hooker county in 1907. and now holds the posi- 
tion. He is a very satisfactory official and merits 
the high opinion in which he is held by the 
people. 

FLETCHER N. WHIPS. 

Fletcher N. Whips, one of the leading "old 
timers", of western Nebraska, resides on section 
31, township 9, range 38, Perkins county, where 
he has a valuable estate. He is also a prominent 
veteran of the late war, and a man of wide repu- 
tation as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Whips was bom in Perry county. Ohio. 
in 1847, of American stock. His father. Simon 
P. Whips, was born in Maryland, married Mary 
Ann France, a native of Ohio, they settling in 
Indiana on a farm, where our subject was 
reared. When he was a lad of fifteen years he 
enlisted in Company I. Thirty-fourth Indiana 
Volunteers, and went south with his regiment, 
saw active service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ar- 
kansas, ]Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and 
Texas. He was among the detachment that 
helped clean out the rebels all along the Missis- 
sippi river clear into Texas. During his service 
his regiment took part in the following engage- 
ments and sieges : Riddles Point and Island No. 
10. Missouri ; Fort Pillow, Tennessee ; Grand 
Prairie and Duvalls Bluff, .\rkansas ; Yazoo 
Pass, Grand Gulf.' Port Gibson. Raymond, Big 
Black River, Champion Hill, Mississippi : Pleas- 
ant Hill, Spanish Lake, Louisiana, also Vermil- 
lion Bayou and Carrion Crow, Louisiana, and 
Palmetto Ranch. Texas. Besides these was at 
the siege of New Aladrid. Missouri. Mcksburg 
and Jackson, Mississippi. 



After being discharged from the army Mr. 
Whips returned to Indiana and entered school, 
afterwards spending five years in teaching in the 
public schools near his home. He came to Ne- 
braska, locating in Butler county in 1872. and 
was one of the party who located the county 
seat of that county, lived as a pioneer and made 
it his home up to 1889. building up a good prop- 
erty and becoming one of the leading residents 
of his locality. During his residence in that part 
of the state he taught school at different times. 
He finally sold his farm and engaged in the 
hardware business at Octavia. ran it for five 
years, then disposed of it and came to Perkins 
county, purchasing his present homestead. Here 
he has one thousand one hundred and twenty 
acres, including some leased land. His place is 
fitted with good buildings of all kinds, fences 
and every convenience in the way of farm ma- 
chinery, wells, wind mills, etc.. and engages prin- 
cipally in stock raising, although he cultivates a 
portion of the land, raising small grains mostly. 

In 1870. on September 4th, Mr. Whips was 
married to jMiss Mary E. Goodwin, daughter of 
Rev. Smith Goodwin. Five children were born 
to them, who are named as follows : Mary E., 
Jennie B., Ruth, Sarah and Frank \l.. all of 
whom are grown up and married, and settled in 
homes of their own. 

Mr. Whips is a Republican and takes an ac- 
tive part in politics in his county. While living 
in Butler county he held the office of county su- 
pervisor, and has held other important offices. 
He has been instrumental in a large measure in 
building up different localities where he has re- 
sided, anrl helped establish two schools and three 
dift'erent churches at different times. 



ABIJAH B. 0\'ERMAN. 

Among the prominent citizens of Crookston, 
Nebraska, who is also one of the oldest settlers 
in western Nebraska, a first place is accorded the 
gentleman whose name heads this review. 

Mr. Overman was born in Boone county, 
Iowa. December 23, 1863. His father, Levi H. 
Overman, is a well known farmer and old set- 
tler in Cherry county, locating here about the 
year 1886. He is of .American stock, born 
near Terre Haute, Indiana, and the mother, 
whose maiden name was Susanna Eckles. is a 
native of Ohio. Our subject was reared in Iowa, 
and at the age of nineteen years came west to 
Nebraska, settling in Cherry county where he 
opened up a homestead in section 29. township 
35, range 30. When he landed here he had one 
horse, four cows, and his household goods. He 
put up a rude sod shanty and broke up his first 



6i8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



piece of land with a team of cows, driving these 
animals like oxen. He had a hard time getting 
started and keeping his family in provisions, and 
spent many days working through the harvest 
for fifty cents per day. To get a start in poul- 
irv he planted ten acres of trees for a dozen 
chickens. Things looked dark to him for a 
long time, but he stuck to his farm and proved 
up on it, and after that bought a farm of four 
hundred and eighty acres on Minnechaduza 
creek, nine miles northwest of Crookston, re- 
maining there for thirteen years ; and while on 
this place was extensively engaged in stock 
raising and at times freighting through western 
Nebraska and South Dakota, many times camp- 
ing out on bitterly cold winter nights under his 
wagon. In 1902, while on a trip through the 
country, he spent four days traveling through a 
severe storm, in all that time never being inside 
of a house, getting what comfort he could around 
a camp fire ; this was on Cutmeat creek. South 
Dakota, and the second day he ran out of food 
and tinally struck an Indian camp, where he se- 
cured some "jerked meat" and cofTee and re- 
mained recuperating for one day. 

Mr. ()verman came to Crookston in 1904, 
and ran a saloon for two years, and in the fall 
of 1906 he opened a grocery store. He has a 
fine line of goods and a large floor space, carry- 
ing a complete stock of groceries and provisions 
and has a good trade throughout the surround- 
ing country. He is a good business man, attend- 
ing strictly to his business and does not seek 
public preferment in any way, never having held 
any ofifice except local. Politically he is a Re- 
publican and is a charter member of Crookston 
lodge, Modern Woodmen of America. 

In 1882 Mr. Overman was married to Miss 
Rosetta Lamb, daughter of Andrew J. and Edith 
(Griggsbv) Lamb, of American stock. Nine chil- 
drcd have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Overman, 
of whom seven are living, named as follows ; 
Herman, Laura. Guv, John, Olive, Susie and 
Delia. 



JOHN NOVAK. 

The gentleman above named resides on sec- 
tion 29, township 35, range 28, in Cherry 
county, Nebraska. Mr. Novak has lived in Ne- 
braska for the past score of years or more, and 
has done his full part in the upbuilding of the 
community in which he chose his home. 

Mr. Novak was Yinrn near Prague, r>ohemia, 
under the Austrian government, February 24. 
18-W. a son of Joseph and Leby (Doorak) 
Novak. He grew to manhood there and came 



to America with his parents in 1862. Landing in 
New York city the emigrants at once struck out 
for the west, settling near Eastport, Tama 
county, Iowa, on a farm where their young fam- 
ily grew up. He remained at home until he 
reached the age of twenty-eight years, then 
started out for himself, purchasing eighty acres 
of land. Not meeting with sufficient success he 
disposed of his land and for fourteen years was 
engaged in railroad work in the round house, 
repairing engines and as extra fireman. In 1884 
he came to Cherry county and took up his pres- 
ent farm as a homestead and tree claim. He 
went through hard times in getting started, and 
at first was unable to build a home for himself, 
for two months occupying the log cabin of 
Tacob Martin, jointly with John Rychon and his 
family, so that there were sixteen persons in all 
under one roof, only twelve by fourteen in extent. 
The stable built for two horses was occupied by 
four horses and two cows. Mr. Novak at once 
began building his first house, which was a sod 
structure and his family lived in this for ten 
vears. He had but very little capital to begin 
life here — a team of horses, a cow and a yoke of 
steers, all of which soon after his arrival died, 
part of them of Texas fever, a disease prevalent 
at that time. At one time his only live stock 
consisted of one calf, which had been given him 
during the time this disease was raging among 
the stock in this section of the country. This one 
calf was Mr. Novak's start in the cattle business, 
to which he has added largely since those hard 
times. P)eing devoid of implements his first 
breaking was done with plows borrowed, when 
the neighbors were not using them. Nowadays, 
he has a full equipment of the latest farm im- 
plements all his own. He had many severe 
losses through failures of crops on account of 
the drouths and hail, etc., but be persevered and 
through his imlustry has accumulated a fine prop- 
erty with a substantial house, a large barn, twen- 
ty-eight by thirty-two, and numerous outbuild- 
ings, all in good condition. He now owns three 
hundred and twenty acres of land, well improved, 
and has a fine grove of forest trees, an orchard 
including ajiplc, i)car, peach and plum trees and 
smaller fruits, such as grapes and berries. Mr. 
Novak began in Cherry county with seventy-five 
cents and at one time was reduced to two quarts 
of meal with two feet of snow on the ground. 
A chance service to a couple of soldiers replen- 
ished his empty pocketbook, and soon after a 
favor to a "squawman" supplied the family with 
a hundred pounds of flour. Since then times 
have never been hard again. 

Mr. Novak was married in Tama county, 
Iowa, February 24, 1S69, to Miss Kate Ilencal, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



619 



a native of Bohemia, and a daughter of Joseph 
and Anna (Marsi) Hencal. Five children have 
been born to them, namely: Mary, Joe, Julia, 
Willie and James. Air. Novak is a Republican, 
and takes a leading part in all local affairs of 
importance. He was appointed postmaster of 
Britt postoffice in November, 1906, and ac- 
cepted the position to prevent the closing of the 
postoffice, which is now located at his residence 

Mr. Novak is a member of the Presbvterian 
church, while Mrs. Novak is an adherent of the 
Catholic faith. 

On another page of this work will be found 
a view of the residence of Mr. Novak. 



JAAIES M. POLLARD. 

James M. Pollard, owner of the "Little Klon- 
dike Ranch," of Grant township, Franklin coun- 
ty, Nebraska, is one of the oldest settlers in this 
county. He has been a prominent member of the 
community since locating here, and one of the 
foremost in every movement to develop the re- 
sources of the locality. He was supervisor for 
district No. 6, elected to that office in 1903, and 
served a second term. He has held many local 
offices in the gift of the township, and has been 
a member of the school board for many years. 
Mr. Pollard was born in \\'aterville, Maine, 
where his ancestors settled in the early days. His 
father, George Pollard, died there, while the 
mother, after being left a widow, moved to Wis- 
consin late in the fifties with her two sons, our 
subject and his brother George, the latter still 
living there. Our subject grew up there, and in 
1871 he took a trip through the western states, 
visiting western Nebraska, locating here in 1884. 
taking a homestead. Since then he has added 
to his possessions constantly and now owns five 
hundred and twenty acres, covering land in 
Thompson Creek valley near the forks of West 
and East Thompson creek, where it widens out 
into a. fertile valley. During the first few years 
he had rather a hard time to get along, and was 
compelled to run in debt, but after getting a start 
was very successful and has made a good thing 
here. His place is called "The Little Klondike 
Ranch" because of the productiveness of the 
valley, his corn crop averaging forty, and as 
high as sixty bushels per acre, wheat from 
twenty to thirty-five. He cuts four crops of 
alfalfa in one season, and always gets three big 
yields, with an average of a ton per acre each 
crop. He has always been more or less en- 
gaged in stock raising, keeping only high grade 
stock, and has plenty of pasture for all his stock 
including from one hundred to one hundred and 
fifty cattle, and from two hundred to three hun- 



dred Poland China hogs, selling a large num- 
ber each year. Air. Pollard has several acres 
of Russian mulberry treees, in which thous- 
ands of blackbirds live, and also has a fine 
orchard including apples, peaches, cherries 
and plums. He takes the greatest pride 
in building up his home and farm, and his ef- 
forts are well repaid in the well-kept place, 
which shows the best of care in its management. 
Air. Pollard was married to Aliss Jennie F. Tap- 
lin, daughter of William Taplin, of Cheboygan 
county, Wisconsin, who died in service during 
the Civil war. He was a member of the Twen- 
ty-seventh Infantry from that state, and was 
a highly esteemed citizen and brave soldier. 
Air. and Airs. Pollard have one child, Ivan M., 
aged sixteen years, who is at home with his 
parents. The family are members of the Baptist 
church, and active in the Spring Valley Union 
Sabbath school. Our subject is active in public 
affairs in his locality, and a strong Republican. 
In 1896 he ran on that ticket to represent his 
district in the state legislature. He is a Alaster 
Alason, also a member of the Fraternal Aid. 
Air. Pollard is the possessor of the mane of a 
buffalo which he shot in the pioneer days of this 
region. 

EDWARD SATEREN. 

The gentleman herein named is well known 
by the residents of Dawes county, Nebraska, as 
one of the leading old settlers of his locality, 
and a man who has done his full share in the 
upbuilding of the agricultural and commercial 
interests of his community. Air. Sateren re- 
sides in section 16, township 31, range 47, where 
he has a fine home and valuable estate, and en- 
joys the esteem and respect of his fellowmen. 

Air. Sateren was born in Goodhue county, 
Alinnesota, on a farm near Zumbrota, in the 
year 1860. He was raised there until he was 
about nineteen years of age, when his parents 
settled in Cuming county, Nebraska, where they 
were pioneers. The father, John Sateren, was 
born in Norway, and came to this country in 
1849, where he was soon after married to Aliss 
Alary A. Johnson, who had arrived in America 
in 1851, coming from Norway with her parents. 
After locating in Nebraska, our subject only 
spent one winter here, then returned to Alinne- 
sota where he remained for three and a half 
vears, and in 1881 he came back to Cuming 
county and began farming, continuing at that 
work for a few years. In 1889 he came to 
Dawes county and leased school land, which he 
has farmed up to the present time, building a 
log cabin in which he lived up to 1904. When 



620 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



he arrived here he had three horses, and he put 
in a crop on rented land, raising a sod crop of 
corn. The drouth periods soon came on and al- 
though he never had a total failure, his losses 
were heavy and he was unable to get ahead very 
fast, but was able to get a fair corn crop each 
year, which helped out considerably. He began 
in the stock business and gradually forged ahead 
and now owns three hundred and twenty acres of 
deeded land and leases five hundred and twenty 
acres of school land, operating all of this. He 
cultivates seventy-five acres himself and rents 
out one hundred and ten acres, and engages in 
the dairy business, which he finds very profitable. 
In the summer of 1907 he was unfortunate in 
losing his cattle shed, seventy by thirty feet, and 
quite a number of fence posts by a fire, and this 
was a serious loss to him, but he soon built up 
again. Mr. Sateren's mother lives with him. 
and is quite active at the age of seventy-seven 
years at her last birthday, April 17, 1908. 

^Ir. Sateren is a man of active public spirit, 
and is keenly alive at all times to the best inter- 
ests of his community. Tie has held school office 
for many years, and assisted in building up the 
schools in his locality. He is a Republican and 
strong party man. 



FRANK PIERCE. 

Frank Pierce, one of the well-known ]iioneer 
settlers of western Nebraska, resides on section 
35, township 30, range 52, Dawes county, where 
he has built up a good home and farm and be- 
come one of the prosperous and highly esteemed 
citizens of his community. 

Mr. Pierce was born in Nora, Illinois, in 
1S60, and is a .son of Arleigh Pierce, a promi- 
nent physician of that section. His mother was 
lietsy Sweet Pierce. When our subject was a 
small boy his parents removed to Dane county, 
Wisconsin, where he was reared and educated, 
attending the common schools. He came to 
Custer county, Nebraska, in 1881, and was one 
of the pioneers there, working for a large cattle 
company for a year, then returned to Wisconsin 
for three years. He next located in Iowa, where 
he remained for three years, then came to Dawes 
county, where he has since lived. He first settled 
on a farm six miles from Belmont, and there 
went through many hardships which are familiar 
to all settlers in a new country, living in a log 
cabin for some years. He started his farm and 
proved up on his pre-emption, remaining there 
up to 1893, when he moved to a hrrincstead lo- 
cated three miles east of I'elmont, on which he 
proved up. afterwards selling it at a good figure. 

( )ur sul)ject bought his present farm in 1902, 



where he has put up good buildings, fences and 
all necessary improvements, making a fine farm 
and home. There is plenty of natural timber on 
the place, and clear springs of running water, and 
he has one of the finest places in his localitv. He 
is progressive and up-to-date in his farming 
methods, and one of the successful and pros- 
perous men in the county. 

In 1887 }ilr. Pierce was married to Miss 
Delia Wheeler, whose parents were early settlers 
in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have a family of 
seven children, who are named as follows: 
Helen, Florence, Bessie, Howard, Arthur, Lil- 
lian and Ronald. , 

Mr. Pierce has helped in the building up of 
his territory, taking an active part in local and 
county [)olitical affairs, also lending his influ- 
ence and financial aid in all matters for the de- 
velopment and growth of his comnumity. Po- 
litically he is an Independent. 



CHARLES A. HANSON. 

Charles A. Hanson, one of the early settlers 
in Sheridan township, Phelps county, Nebraska, 
is a gentleman of unusual perseverance and 
thrift and has always been a potent factor in the 
development of the agricultural interests of that 
region. 

Mr. Hanson was bom in Bosfund, Sweden, 
and came to this country in 1871. He re-visited 
his native land in 1906 in company with his 
brother, Fred Hanson, a prosperous farmer of 
Divide township, Phelps county, and states that 
affer years of absence the country of their na- 
tivity was to them, as to all who so return, a dis- 
appointment to them. Their life in America has 
been so free and full of splendid opportunities 
and successes, especially to the Swedish settlers 
here, that while they properly cherish the father- 
land, its customs and language of their ancestors, 
this land has become a home to them in every 
sense of the word, so that there is no desire left 
for any other. Mr. Hanson came to Phelps 
county in 1878 and homesteaded one hundred and 
sixty acres, where he now resides. In 1891 he 
bought a timber claim in section 2, and a year 
later purchased eighty acres lying opposite, so 
that he now owns four hundred acres of land. He 
is engaged principally in grain raising, and his 
cro]) in 1905 anaounted to three thousand bushels 
of wheat and five thousand bushels of corn. He 
has gone through every pioneer's experience 
since locating here, and has seen some hard times, 
but does not regret his hard labors, for through 
them has come success and he now has a valu- 
able estate surrounded by all the comforts and 
conveniences of a model rural home. He is the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REiMINlSCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



621 



proprietor of a one hundred and sixty-acre farm 
located in Sheridan county, which he rents out, 
and in all his holdings are five hundred and sixty 
acres. He keeps from forty to fifty hogs and 
common grade cattle, with enough horses for 
his farm work. 

Mr. Hanson was married in 1882 to Miss 
Anna Johnson, of Sweden. They have five sons, 
Oscar, Joseph, Hilmer, Emil and Gustave, and 
one daughter, Emma. The family occupy a fine 
residence, and there is a beautiful grove of trees 
surrounding the place, with orchards and all 
kinds of small fruit for family use. Mr. Hanson 
has been a member of the school board for sev- 
eral years, and is secretary' of the Lutheran 
church at Holdrege, also a deacon in that church. 
In political faith he is a Republican. 



PETER C. GIPSON. 

Peter C. Gipson, who for the past twenty 
years has resided in Keya Paha county, Ne- 
braska, and during that time has acquired a fine 
property as a result of his industry and good 
management, is widely known in his locality 
and held in the highest esteem as a farmer and 
citizen. He has a pleasant and substantial home 
in Pine precinct, and is recognized as one of 
the prominent men of his community. 

Mr. Gipson was born on a farm in Den- 
mark, January 3, 1857. His father came to 
America and died in Davenport, Iowa, where 
he was residing at the time. Our subject lived 
with his parents until he was sixteen years of 
age, then started for the new world, sailing from 
Liverpool to New York city in 1873. He came 
west and settled in Lorain county, Ohio, where 
for two years he worked in the stone quarries in 
Lorain, thirty miles west of Cleveland ; thence 
he went to Woodbury county, Iowa, intending 
to go to the Black Hills, but hearing of the burn- 
ing of wagon trains by troops to prevent settle- 
ment of the Black Hills at that time, he gave up 
the trip. He lived in Woodbury county up to 
1885, and followed the work of a farmer. After 
this he went to Yankton, South Dakota, and was 
there for one year, then came to Nebraska and 
located in Keya Paha county in 1886, settling on 
a farm in section 5, township 32, range 19. He 
took a homestead and proved up on it, having 
built a log house which he lived in for several 
vears. Here he experienced the usual hardships 
and privations of the early settler, going through 
the drouth periods, etc., and lost two crops suc- 
cessivelv. Since that time he has been very suc- 
cessful in his efforts, and has bent all his ener- 
gies to building up his farm and improving his 
property. When he first struck the county he 



was obliged to pay two hundred dollars for his 
land, which was considered to be the poorest 
ground in the whole neighborhood, but he stuck 
to it, and made a success of his venture, and has 
since bought land adjoining his farm after his 
neighbors gave up trying to farm. He has cul- 
tivated this land and now owns as good a farm 
as anyone in the locality, and is proprietor of 
over one thousand two hundred acres, all im- 
proved, fenced and cross-fenced. He has planted 
small fruits, and has a fine orchard of cherrv, 
plum and apple trees in good bearing condition. 
There is a fine growth of natural timber on his 
farm besides groves planted around the dwelling, 
and altogether he has one of the best places in 
the section. He has been engaged to quite an 
extent in stock raising, and also raises splendid 
crops of grain, most of which he uses on his 
farm. He cultivates about two hundred and 
fifty acres, and the balance is used for hay and 
pasture lands for his stock. A view of the' place 
is presented on one of the illustrated pages of 
this volume. 

Mr. Gipson was married in* 1884 to Miss 
^Serena Jepson, born in Denmark, whose death 
occurred in this county in 1894. Four boys were 
born of this union, namely : Oscar, George, 
Charlie and Aimer. Mr. Gipson is a Populist in 
politics, a member of the Lutheran church and 
of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 



FLOYD JONES. 

Floyd Jones, a representative old settler and 
prominent agriculturist of Deuel countv, is a res- 
ident of Lisco precinct, and owner of a fine es- 
tate comprising about eight hundred acres sit- 
uated in the vicinity of section 14, township 17, 
range 45. He is widely known throughout the 
region as an energetic and thrifty citizen, and 
enjoys an enviable reputation as a progressive 
and thorough stockman. 

Mr. Jones was born in Waupaca county, Wis- 
consin, on March 3. 1856. There were three 
children in his father's family, he being the eld- 
est. The father was a native of New York 
state and the mother of Pennsylvania, the for- 
mer now deceased and the latter still living. 
Our subject grew up in Wisconsin on a farm, 
receiving a limited schooling through attendance 
at the district schools during the seasons of year 
when farm work was rather dull, and he re- 
mained at home until about thirty years of age, 
then came to Nebraska, settling in what was 
then called Cheyenne county, and later known 
as Deuel county, where he now resides. He took 
a pre-emption and timber claim and proved up 
on the former only, going through the usual pio- 



622 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



neer experiences during the first few years, wit- 
nessing the drouth periods, etc. He has added 
to his original holdings as his circumstances 
justified, and now has a valuable property, 
having much of his land in hay and grazing 
land for a large bunch of stock, running one 
hundred head of cattle and twent}- horses. He 
has made a specialty of the stock business and 
has been most successful in this branch of 
work. His ranch is supplied with a complete 
set of good buildings and improvements of all 
kinds, and he is called one of the wealthy resi- 
dents of his district, He started the ranch 
from the wild prairie land and has done won- 
derfully well. 

In September. 1891. Mr. Jones was mar- 
ried in Chappell, Nebraska, to Miss Mary 
Henderson. ^Irs. Jones was a native of Illi- 
nois, coming to Deuel county in 1888. and after 
her arrival here took up a pre-emption and 
also filed on a tree claim, proving up on both of 
those, and this land is now a part of the home 
ranch. She is a woman of more than ordinary 
intelligence, energetic and of charming per- 
sonality, and, together with her husband, is 
much admired by' all who know them. They 
have no children. Their ranch is beautifully 
located on the bluffs near the Platte river, and 
is one of the most sightly- spots in the locality. 
Besides the home ranch, Mr. and Airs. Jones 
have about nine hundred acres situated in 
other parts of Deuel county, which is used in 
connection with the home ranch. 

Since locating in Deuel coimty Mr. Jones 
has been regarded as one of the leading citi- 
zens and public spirited men of the times, 
having been a potent factor in the develop- 
ment of the agricultural resources of this sec- 
tion. Politically he is a Democrat. Mrs. 
Jones' father (John Henderson) still lives in 
Illinois at the age of eighty-five, which anni- 
versary he celebrated December 25. 1908. He 
is a hale and hearty old gentleman and still 
looks after his own affairs, which is of no 
small amount. 



PER ANDERSON. 

The life of a pioneer is a hard one in any 
country and serves to bring out all the re- 
sourcefulness there is in a man, and. if he 
succeeds, he must have pluck and energy and 
sturdiness of character to back him. The sub- 
ject of this sketch had the.se characteristics 
and has wrought his way to success at his 
chosen calling, farming. 

Per Anderson came of good stock, being 
born in Sweden July 28. 18.S1. on a farm. 
I.eft without a father at eight and a half years 



of age, he had to work hard at farming and in 
the mines of his native land. 

Our subject was married in Sweden, in 
1880. to Tilda Rassmussen, who was born in 
1851. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have five chil- 
dren, named: Gusta, Oscar, Hilda. Maud and 
Amanda. 

Mr. Anderson came to America with his 
wife and one child in 1885, landing in New 
York chy. and from thence came west to Ne- 
braska, locating in Burt county, where h€ 
worked out for eleven months. Then he went 
to Blaine county, arriving there July 20, 1886, 
and locating on a homestead a day or two 
later about five miles north of the North Loup 
river. Our subject built a sod house, twelve 
by fourteen feet, and settled down to pioneer 
life. He had two cows which he used for a 
team the first year and then he got a team 
of colts which he worked when they were 
two years old. He broke up a little land and 
raised a sod-crop, which was about half de- 
stroyed by hail. In 1888, the crops were good 
and our subject kept on breaking more land 
with his team of cows. Then came the drouth 
years and several crops were almost complete 
losses, and the family had to depend on the 
cows and milking to make a living. Mr. An- 
derson kept on buying land, some of it on 
time ; his cattle increased and the farm stead- 
ily improved. He also took a Kincaid home- 
stead and sold his right when he sold his 
farm. On June 24. 1906. our subject sold out 
everything, cattle, land and improvements. 
realizing three thousand five hundred dollars. 
For six months after he lived with his son-in- 
law, and in December. 1906. he purchased the 
farm where he now lives. He has a fine farm of 
two hundred and eighty acres of good land in 
Loup county near Taylor. He lives in a nice 
new house, just completed, and has about him 
all the evidences of success and prosperity. In 
1907 he sold five hundred dollars' worth of 
corn from the farm and the whole crop that 
year brought him one thousand dollars. Mr. 
Anderson has been deeply interested in public 
affairs and has won the esteem of his neigh- 
bors for his sturdy and irreproachable char- 
acter. 



MOSES A. SWIFT. 

Probably no one of the citizens of Lodge 
Pole precinct. Cheyenne county, has shown a 
more active spirit, or done more for the up- 
building of the better interests of his commun- 
ity than the gentleman whose name heads 
this review. Air. Swift has resided in Chey- 
enne county for over twenty-three years, dur- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAI'llV 



623 



ing which time he has formed a wide acquaint- 
ance and is held in the highest esteem as an 
agriculturist and worthy citizen. He is a man 
■ of unquestionable character and well merits 
his success and enviable reputation. 

Moses A. Swift was born in Brecksville. 
Cuyahoga county, Ohio, on July 8, 1839, and 
grew up there, receiving a common school 
education. On August 10, 1861, he enlisted in 
the United States regular army, at the New 
England hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, being as- 
signed to Company B, Sixth United States 
Cavalry, and saw active service for three years, 
receiving his final discharge on August 11, 
1864, at Washington, District of Columbia. 
He took part in the battle of the \A^ilderness 
anxl other engagements, also did detached duty 
at Fortress Monroe, where after recuperating 
from a six weeks' illness he was assigned to 
the dispensary, where he was continued on 
duty some eighteen months. After leaving the 
army he returned to his home place and re- 
mained there for a little over a year, then 
went to Montana, traveling by wagon and fol- 
lowing the trail through the country via Boze- 
man Cut-oflf : the last settlement in Nebraska 
was Columbus and a lone blacksmith shop 
near Guide Rock. When he reached his desti- 
nation he started to do work at placer mining 
at Helena, going in the winter to Red Moun- 
tain City, where he worked in the mines of 
the Liggett Company until July ; thence he re- 
turned to Helena remaining until October 7th, 
when he turned his steps toward Ohio, on the 
way spending some time in Wisconsin. He 
remained in Ohio for one year, then emigrated 
to Fremont county, Iowa, where he followed 
threshing and corn shelling, then a profitable 
employment, for about eight years. In the 
fall of 1875, he left Iowa and moved to Sedg- 
wick county, Kansas, farmed there for about 
nine years before coming to Cheyenne county. 
During President Harrison's administration 
Mr. Swift was postmaster at Lodge Pole, and 
at that time was also engaged in the retail 
meat business. He followed that work for a 
number of years, and in*1892 filed on a home- 
stead in section 20. township 13, range 46, and 
has been engaged in ranching ever since. He 
has filed an additional homestead for one 
hundred and sixty acres of good land under 
the Kincaid law and on this keeps about one 
hundred and twenty-five head of stock. In- 
terested with him in the stock business is his 
son, Ray Swift, who is a very energetic and 
industrious young man, owning a quarter sec- 
tion adjoining his father's original homestead 
in which he owns a reversionary interest. 

On June 23, 1874, Mr. Swift was married 



to Marcia Evarts, in Pottawattomie county, 
Iowa. She died April 3, 1882, leavuig three 
children, Riley Clark, a railroad conductor, liv- 
ing at Nahunt, South Dakota, Ray Richard, 
interested in ranching with his father, and 
Charles Henry, a physician of Nahunt. 

Our subject was married the second time 
to Gertrude Evarts, a native of Mexico, Os- 
wego county. New York, and one child re- 
sulted from this union, Mary Marcia Swift, 
who is now attending high school at Kearney, 
Nebraska. 

Mr. Swift has always been prominent in 
local and state affairs, and has had genuine 
western experiences, going through all the 
pioneer times in the west. He is a staunch 
Republican, and has always been one of the 
leading citizens of his community. Mr. Swift 
cast his first vote, in 1860, for Abraham Lin- 
coln and has voted the Republican ticket ever 
since. While living at Tabor, Iowa, he joined 
the Masonic order, of which he was a member 
many years. 



WILLIAM T. BULLIS. 

Among the substantial business men and 
old settlers of Valentine, the gentleman whose 
name heads this review is probably one of the 
best known. He has been closely identified 
with the commercial interests of this locality 
for many years and has gained the respect and 
confidence of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Bullis. the eldest in a family of nine 
children, was born August 22, 1838, in Niag- 
ara county, New York, on the banks of Lake 
Ontario. He is the son of Arnold Bullis, who 
removed at an early day to Lee county, Illi- 
nois, where our subject was reared and edu- 
cated. During the war he enlisted in Com- 
pany C, One Hundred and Fourth Regiment, 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and saw service 
from Chattanooga to Atlanta, thence in the 
Fourteenth army corps with Sherman in the 
world-famous march to the sea and up through 
the Carolinas, followed by the most imposing 
military spectacle on the western hemisphere, 
if not on the globe, the grand review at Wash- 
ington. 

Mr. Bullis possessed an iron constitution, 
never knowing a sick day, and was always 
ready for duty from the time of his enlistment 
to the close of the war. After an honorable 
discharge he came back to his old home in 
Illinois, remaining for a time, then removed to 
Iowa in the fall of 1865, locating in Franklin 
county, where he farmed for ten years, ac- 
quiring in that time a fine one hundred and 



624 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



twenty-acre farm. In 1886 he sold his farm 
and camtf to Cherry county, settling on a 
homestead fourteen miles nortlnvest of \'alen- 
tine. Here he remained for three years until 
appointed deputy sheriff, when he moved to 
\'alentine, serving for four years. In 1890 
he was appointed postmaster at Fort Nio- 
brara, which office he held for two years, re- 
signing to return to X'alentine. Shortly after 
this he moved to Britt, and opened a general 
merchandise store, being instrumental in es- 
tablishing a postoffice there, remaining in 
Britt for seven years. At the end of this time 
he sold out and again came back to Valentine, 
purchasing a fine house, and opened a pool 
hall in the building he at present occupies, of 
which he is the owner. 

Mr. Bullis is a Republican in politics, and 
takes an active interest in all local affairs ; he 
served as marshal of Valentine for about 
seven years in the early days. 

In 1859 he was married to Aliss Eliza Zorn, 
of German ancestry, who has presented him 
five children, named as follows: Melinda, Wil- 
liam, a farmer : Charles, now in the livery busi- 
ness in \'alcntine ; Nellie, and John, proprietor 
of an undertaking, furniture and hardware 
establishment in the Red Front store, Valen- 
tine. They are all married and well estab- 
lished in life, a comfort and credit to their 
parents. 

Mr. Bullis is a member of Colonel Wood 
Post No. 208, Grand Army of the Republic, of 
\'alentine. For over forty years he has been 
a member of the Masonic fraternity and was 
one of the organizers of the local lodge, of 
which he served some twelve years as w-or- 
shipful master, having filled that position in 
the Iowa lodge. Through his long member- 
ship he is an honorary member of the state 
grand lodge. 



HENRY A. COOK. 

Among tne early settlers of Keya I'aha 
county, who have been instrumental largely 
in the growth of the financial and social in- 
terests of that region, a prominent place is 
given the gentleman whose name appears at 
the head of this review. He has always been 
found ready to further the interests of the 
community, where he chose his home, and 
has gained a wide and enviable reputation as 
a wfirthy citizen and substantial agriculturist 
of Burton precinct, where he has built up a 
fine farm and home, and boasts of the finest 
yard to be found in his county. 

Mr. Cook was born in Schuvlkill countv, 



Pennsylvania, February 10, 1862. His lather, 
Louis Cook, was a farmer of German descent, 
also timber contractor, and at the present 
time lives on the place on which he was born. 
He married Sarah Headingcr, of Welsh stock, 
whose ancestors came to America in 1772; 
they were the parents of ten children, of 
whom Henry A. was fifth in order of birth. 
He was reared on his father's farm, where he 
learned to do every kind of hard work, helping 
to grub and clear their place. At the age of 
seventeen years he left home and came to 
Carroll county, Iowa, where he followed farm 
work for three years, then went to Yankton, 
but remained but a short time. He next lo- 
cated in Cedar county, Nebraska, and there 
worked on a farm for three years, then came 
to Keya Paha county in 1885. Here he took 
a homestead on section 14, township 34, range 
20, which he relinquished to the government 
after two years. He next took up a pre-emp- 
tion on section 23, and still owns this place. 
He planted fifteen acres of trees of all kinds, 
including one hundred apple trees, eighteen 
cherry trees, besides crab-apple, peach, apri- 
cot, pear, German prunes, ciuince, mulberry 
and walnut trees, also hickory and chest- 
nut. He has a fine shrubbery, the finest in 
fact in Keya Paha county, with cedars trimmed 
neatly as in Italian gardens. The entire place 
has a parklike appearance, with its many 
groves dividing the dififerent lots. The gar- 
den contains gooseberries, currants, rasp- 
berries, grapes and strawberries, and alto- 
gether he has one of the finest orchards and 
fruit farms in this section of the country, 
much of the stock brought from the east, all 
of which are cared for by himself. Tic has 
thirty acres growing in alfalfa, from which a 
fine yield of hay is produced annually. 

Mr. Cook's farm consists of nine hundred 
and sixty acres, two hundred acres under cul- 
tivation, and the balance used for hay and 
pasture for his stock. He keeps fifty cattle 
of his own and winters two hundred and fifty 
additional head; he raises annually about fifty 
hogs and twelve horses. He has erected sub- 
stantial farm buildings, and has a pleasant 
and comfortable home for himself and family. 
A view of the home surroundings showing 
orchards, walnut plantation, garden and lots 
surrounded by tall groves is presented for in- 
spection elsewhere in this work. Our subject 
has done his full share in the development 
of this region as an old settler, and his suc- 
cess and high station is a fitting reward for 
his labors. 

"Sir. Cof>k was married in Cedar countv, 
lulv 13. 1887. to Miss Eva \\ithrow. Her 




RANCH RESIDENCE OF O. B. WEISFLOG, 
Cherrv Countv, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF HENRY A. COOK, 
Kcya Paha County. Ncliraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



62 r 



father was of English descent, born in Ken- 
tucky, and her mother, Mary Wolf, of Eng- 
lish-German stock; from the age of fourteen 
until the time of her marriage Mrs. Cook re- 
sided in California. To Mr. and Mrs. Cook 
the following children have been born : Fern 
v.. Perry H., Pearl M., Bertie H., Russell O., 
Hazel V. and Kenneth R., all living at home 
at this writing 

Mr. Cook is a Republican in politics and 
with his wife are members of the ^lethodist 
church. He affiliates with the Royal High- 
landers. He has traveled much in the east 
as well as the west, including Iowa, Illinois, 
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New 
York, Canada and ^lichigan, but finds no 
place like Nebraska in general, and Keya Paha 
county in particular. 



OSCAR B. WEISFLOG. 

Oscar B. Weisflog, the subject of this per- 
sonal history, resides on his well improved 
property located in section 35, township 34, 
range 30, Cherry county. He is an early set- 
tler of western Nebraska, and has watched the 
development and growth of this region from 
the start, lending his aid in the upbuilding of 
the community, and is highly esteemed by all 
who know him. 

Mr. Weisflog was born in Bridgeville, Ohio, 
January 31, 1874, and is a son of Herman and 
Ainelia (Grosser) Weisflog, who were early 
settlers in Nebraska. The father was born in 
Saxony, Germany, in 1835, coming to this 
country with his wife and four children when 
a young man. Our subject was reared in 
his native state until he was .eleven years of 
age, then with his parents came to Cherry- 
county, assisting them in carrying on the 
farm up to 1895. After leaving home he went 
to \\'yoming, where he clerked at the post 
exchange at Fort D. A. Russell, but did not 
remain there for a very long time, as he was 
not satisfied with conditions and decided to re- 
turn to Nebraska, arriving in Cherry county 
in 1896. For three years he was engaged in 
carpenter work in that vicinity and on Rose- 
bud reservation, and during that time filed 
on his present homestead and proved up on 
it. Here he has built up a fine ranch of six 
hundred and forty acres, farming twenty acres, 
and has good buildings and all improvements 
necessary to the proper running of a model 
ranch. He is engaged more in ranching than 
in farming, running a large bunch of stock, 
and is counted one of the prosperous and suc- 
cessful men in this region, having made every 
dollar of his fortune by his own unaided ef- 



forts. A view of the residence and surround- 
ings will be found on another page in this 
work. 

Mr. Weist^og has met with losses and dis- 
couragements. In March, 1888. the family was 
burned out by prairie fire, and at other times 
were compelled to fight this danger both night 
and day in order to save at least a part of 
their farm property. They saw many hard 
times, and during the early days were often 
without any food save hard biscuits and 
scanty other supplies to save them from hun- 
ger. Their water supply was also very scarce 
and the first two years they lived here were 
obliged to haul water five miles from the Nio- 
brara river for both stock and household use. 
Their first possessions of live stock consisted 
of a yoke of oxen and one cow. 

On June 19, 1902, Mr. Weisflog was mar- 
ried to Miss Maude H. L. Markl, a native of 
Chicago, daughter of Alois and Cecelia (New- 
gabauer) Markl, the former a native of Hun- 
gary, whence he came in early manhood. Mr. 
\\'eisflog is a member of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen of Valentine. 



PETER JOHNSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this 
personal history is the owner of a well im- 
proved estate situated in section 27, township 
34, range 41. Mr. Johnson was born in Den- 
mark in 1862, and came to America when 
eleven years of age. His father, John P. 
Johnson, came here in 1873 and now resides in 
Knox county. Our subject's mother died when 
he was a boy only five years old, and he was 
the second member in her family of five chil- 
dren, he being one of a pair of twins. 

When he was eighteen years of age he 
started in on his own account, and went west 
locating at Pine Ridge, where he carried mail 
from Fort Robinson to Pine Ridge. He filed 
on his first land in 1884, settling on this land 
the following year and remained until he had 
proved up. This was a tree claim and pre- 
emption, and after a time he sold these out 
and took his present place as a homestead in 
1887 and has engaged in farming. He lived 
here through the dry years and had a hard 
time to get along at that time, losing all his 
crops for several years in succession and be- 
coming pretty well discouraged. However, 
the better time soon came along and he was 
able to raise good crops and caught up so he 
began to improve his place and has added to 
his farm until he now owns one thousand five 
hundred acres in three different tracts, culti- 
vating about two hundred acres of this, and 



626 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



using the balance for hay and grazing land for 
his stock, of which he keeps about one hun- 
dred head all the time. He has been living in 
the town of Gordon since 1901, keeping a man 
on his farm, as he wishes to give his children 
the advantage of the better schools, but per- 
sonally superintends the management of his 
farm. 

Mr. Johnson was married in 1891 to Miss 
Cena Nelson, daughter of Hans Nelson, then 
a resident of Cherry county, but now a resi- 
dent of Sheridan county. Mr. and Mrs. John- 
son have six children, namely: Charles, born 
in 1891, Albert, born in 1894, Anna, born in 
1897, Clara, in 1900. Eunice. 1903, and Rich- 
ard, born in 1906, all reared in this locality. 
Mr. Johnson is well satisfied with conditions 
in this section of the country and has no de- 
sire to live anywhere else. He would not 
care to go through his earlier experiences 
again, although he states that those were his 
happiest days. 

Politically Mr. John.'^on is a Populist but 
does not pay much attention to politics. Says 
he is well satisfied with the present adminis- 
tration, and content to let others do the work 
of running the government. 



JAMES W. \VOL\^INGTON. 

Tames W. Wolvington is one of the leading 
old settlers of western Nebraska, coming to 
this section of the country in the early stages 
of its development, and through industry and 
perseverance has succeeded in building up a 
comfortable home and valuable estate, and 
incidentally gained an enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen and progressive agriculturist. 
Mr. Wolvington resides in section 8, town.ship 
31, range 47. 

Mr. Wolvington was born in Iowa City, 
Iowa, in 1858. His father, David Hamilton 
Wolvington, was of American blood, a painter 
by trade, and died when our subject was a. small 
boy. He married Miss Helen Landry, born 
in Ohio, of American stock. At the age of 
nine years James started out to earn his own 
living, going out among strangers and work- 
ing on farms for his board and with the 
<:hance of attending school at times when he 
was unable to find work to do, which was not 
often the case, and he grew up used to hard 
labor from the time of his early childhood. 
He had many rough and sad experiences in 
this occupation, and not until he was fourteen 
years old was he able to obtain any wages for 
his labors. He remained in the vicinity of 
Iowa City and Cedar Rapids up to 1889, work- 



ing in the latter city for seven years, engaged 
with a transfer company. 

In March of 1889 he came to Sheridan 
county, where he filed on a pre-emption of 
eighty acres, five miles southwest of Hay 
Springs, and built a dugout in which he lived 
the first summer. Here he started a farm and 
home, but sold out in the fall of the same year, 
taking up his present homestead in Dawes 
county, and building a sod shanty, in which 
he lived for many years. During the first 
few years he had a hard time in getting started, 
the drouths effecting his crops materially, and 
for several years he was barely able to make 
a living. He kept on working hard to improve 
his property, constantly adding to his farm, 
and now owns a ranch of one thousand eight 
hundred and eighty acres, all of which is 
fenced, having in all about fourteen miles of 
good fencing. He has built good barns, a 
large and comfortable house, and all improve- 
ments on the place, such as wells, two wind- 
mills, etc. He engages in farming and stock 
raising, cultivating about one hundred and 
sixty acres of his farm, with the rest in pas- 
ture and hay land. 

In 1882 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary Hamilton, of Iowa, daughter of 
Ed. A. Hamilton, a blacksmith and farmer of 
that place, he having come to this country 
from Ireland in the early days. To Mr. and 
Mrs. W'olvington have been born the follow- 
ing children : Frank, Willie, Walter, Minnie, 
Earl, Pearl, Raymond, Mary, Theda and Freda 
(twins). 

Mr. Wolvington is active in local affairs, 
and is director of his school district and acted 
as a member of the board for the past ten 
years. He is a Republican, and makes a suc- 
cess in any official capacity. 



JOHN T. STUART. 

The above mentioned gentleman is one of 
the leading citizens of North Platte, where he 
resides with his family, enjoying the confidence 
and esteem of a host of friends and acquaint- 
ances. 

Mr. Stuart was born in Cazenovia, New 
York, in 1854. His father, Henry Stuart, was 
an engineer on the Lake Shore railway before 
that road was laid through to Chicago. In 
1869 he became master mechanic at Wasatch 
on the Union Pacific railroad, his run being 
from that place to Evanston, remaining there 
for several years, then returned to Illinois. 

In 1886 our subject came west, locating at 
North Platte, and commenced work with the 
Northern Pacific railway, being employed as 











•'HOMESTEAD UANTH- OF HEL.MER HEXSVOLl), 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



627 



a fireman, and remained at that until 1890, 
when he took charge of an engine. He is a 
faithful and efficient engineer, fully trusted by 
his superior ofificers, and has been more than 
successful in the work he chose. In 1893 he 
became insurance secretary of tlie order of 
Locomotive Engineers, and still holds this 
position for local Lodge No. 88, In 1896 he 
was made general secretary of the same lodge, 
holding this office at the present time, and 
was elected as a delegate to the international 
convention at Memphis, held in 1906. He is 
an active member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows lodge at North Platte, and a 
prominent worker for its interest. 

Mr. Stuart was married in 1885 to Miss 
Frank I. Meagher, of Aurora. Illinois. Three 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Stuart, who are named as follows : Frank, a 
graduate of the North Platte high school, now 
attending Highland Park College, Des Moines, 
Iowa ; he was captain of the high school cadets 
in 1905; two daughters, Irene and Maria, 
are with their parents in North Platte, and 
are very popular among the young people of 
the town. Mrs. Stuart's mother's name was 
Margaret Devine, a daughter of William De- 
vine, who was a pioneer settler at Somonauk, 
on the Dixon & Galena road in Illinois. 

Mr. Stuart is an active, intelligent man 
who keeps abreast of the time, and is convers- 
ant with all afifairs of public interest, especially 
in matters pertaining to his business, and to 
the interests of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers. He and his family are members and 
active workers in the Episcopal church at 
North Platte, and they have a beautiful home 
and fine property in this city. 



HELMER RENSVOLD. 

Helmer Rensvold, one of the prominent 
early settlers of Box Butte county, Nebraska, 
is proprietor of an extensive farm in and about 
section 14, township 26, range 51. He is a 
man of excellent business qualifications and in 
whatever enterprise he has embarked he has 
met with unbounded success. He has also 
been an important factor in the development 
of the agricultural and commercial resources 
of that region, and is widely and favorably 
known throughout this and the adjoining 
counties. 

Mr. Rensvold was born in ^^'inneshiek 
county, Iowa, in 1866, on a farm. His father, 
Hogen R., was a native of Toten, Norway, 
as was also his mother, Karn Rensvold. Our 
subject grew up in Iowa, attending the coun- 
try schools and during odd hours and vaca- 



tions helped his parents carry on the home 
farm, and at the early age of fourteen years 
he was competent to take a man's place on 
the farm. 

In 1885 the father came to Nebraska, leav- 
ing Helmer, with the balance of the family, 
to run the farm in Iowa, and this he did suc- 
cessfully for two years; at that time they all 
left the place and moved to Nebraska, coming 
to Hay Springs by train, and from there drove 
by team to the homestead on which the father 
was located, and where the latter died in the 
spring of 1889. Helmer filed on a homestead 
in the vicinity a short time after coming here. 
The family went through the usual pioneer ex- 
periences, beginning with very small capital, 
but by dint of hard work and perseverance 
succeeded in building up a good home and 
farm. 

Mr. Rensvold now lives on section 14, 
township 26, range 51, owning altogether 
fourteen quarter sections of good land. Dur- 
ing the first years in this part of the country 
he went through the drouth seasons and saw 
many hard times, and at one time a whole 
year passed in which he never saw ten dollars 
all in a bunch. He is engaged in the sheep 
ranching business on quite a large scale, hav- 
ing started in this enterprise in 1893 with a 
drove of about one hundred sheep, and has 
made money by the venture, and is increas- 
ing his flocks largely ; also is going into the 
cattle business on a large scale. His farm is 
well improved, and he raises some small grain 
and has plent}' of hay and pasture. 

In June, 1891, Mr. Rensvold was married 
to Miss Bramine Kvernum, who is a native of 
Norway, coming to this countrv with a cousin in 
1889. Mr. and Mrs. Rensvold have four chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Hans P., 
Hilda, Carl, and a baby. Palmer. 

Our subject takes an active part in local 
and school afifairs, has been a member of the 
school board for a number of years, serving 
as director and moderator. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics. An interesting picture of the 
"Homestead Ranch" of Mr. Rensvold will be 
found on another page. 



FRED W. HUCKE. 

Fred W. Hucke. proprietor of an exten- 
sive and well cultivated farm in section 19, 
township 27. range 49, Box Butte county, 
Nebraska, was born in Iowa county. Iowa, in 
1869, son of a farmer who came to this country 
from Germany when a lad of ten years, his 
parents settling in Iowa as pioneers. They 
came to Nebraska, locating in Bo.x Butte coun- 



6_'8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOuKAPHY 



ty in the early days of its development, driv- 
ing from Iowa with a team and covered wagon 
in 1885. The mother was born in Ohio of 
German parents. As a boy our subject worked 
out by the month in his native state, begin- 
ning to help support his parents at the age of 
fourteen years, and in 1886 he came to Box 
Butte county, Nebraska. After landing here 
he obtained work at freighting, from Hay 
Springs, also in winter logging in Pine Ridge, 
and also a portion of his time was spent in 
breaking up land for different farmers in their 
locality, as he had a good team of oxen which 
he bought on coming to this section of the 
country. 

In 1891 ^Ir. Hucke filed on a homestead in 
section 4, township 27, range 50, "batching it" 
for one year, living in a dug-out and frame 
building combined. During the following year 
he was married to Miss Hester Ball, a native 
of Monroe county, Iowa, daughter of J. A. 
Ball, a well known farmer and ranchman who 
settled in this county in 1886. After his mar- 
riage Mr. Hucke started to farm, and his sole 
capital was fifty cents in money, two horses 
and a wagon, so he was obliged to go in debt 
to the extent of one hundred and sixty dollars. 
This was just about the time the dry years were 
coming on and lie suffered loss of crops for sev- 
eral seasons, being compelled to work out by 
the day in order to make a living for his fam- 
ily, and through failures and discouragements 
he was slow in getting ahead very much, so 
left his farm and went west to Kansas in 
1901, where he rented land and again tried 
farming, remaining for a year. This venture 
proved a failure and he gave up the fight, re- 
turning to Nebraska and again settling in Box 
Butte county, this time renting some land, and 
as the years were growing better all the time 
and he was able to raise good crops, he did 
very well and in 1903 purchased the farm. 
This was situated in section 5, township 27, 
range 49, and he has made money since locat- 
ing there. He raises good crops, constantly 
improving his place by putting up good build- 
ings, fences, etc. One hundred acres are cul- 
tivated, having about four hundred and eighty 
acres which he devotes to grazing and hay 
land for his stock, as he keeps about sixteen 
head of horses and forty cattle. When he 
came here he paid about seven hundred dol- 
lars per quarter for his land, and has since 
sold a part of it for three thousand two hun- 
dred dollars per quarter, which shows the 
rapid increase in value. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hucke are the parents of 
five children, namely: Estella, V'ern, Carl, 
Ina and Alta. The family are well liked and 



highly respected in their community as worthy 
citizens and good neighbors. 

Mr. Hucke is an Independent voter, and 
while he docs not devote much time to politics, 
has at different times held local office, and 
has always done his share as a loyal citizen in 
helping to build up his locality. 



OLIVER P. BILLINGS. Jr. 

Oliver P. Billings, Jr., residing on section 
24, is a prominent farmer of Keya Paha coun- 
ty. Mr. Billings was born in Winneshiek 
county. Iowa, in 1877, and is a son of Oliver 
P., an old settler in this county, born in Con- 
necticut of good old American stock. He was 
a representative in the state legislature in 1898, 
and served one term, elected by the Populists. 
He has also held local office and has always 
taken a prominent part in politics, is well known 
throughout the state as a public speaker of 
note, and has stumped through Keya Paha 
county many times for his party. He has 
also served on different committees in the 
Populist party. 

In 18— he was married to Nancy J. Smalley, 
of American blood, and they settled in this 
county in the early days with their little 
famil}^ of three children, of whom our subject 
is the eldest. Their first home was in Holt 
county, and they drove from there by team, a 
distance of two hundred miles, spending about 
two weeks on the trip, driving with them 
a bunch of cattle. Their first building was a 
dugout, and in this the family lived for two 
years, then built a log house, father and son 
handling ox teams and doing freighting 
through the country. 

Here they went through the drouth per- 
iods, and during the hard times land could be 
bought for fifty dollars per quarter section, 
and they farmed all the land at this" time they 
could handle, our subject starting to plow 
when hut eight years of age. Together they 
handled two hundred acres of land and always 
had a crop, sometimes, however, not getting 
very much for their labor, and once losing 
their entire crop by hail. 

Mr. Billings has been successful of late 
years in his farming operations and is now 
]iroprietor of a nine hundred and si.xty-acre 
farm, two hundred of which is cultivated, the 
balance all fenced and used for pasture and 
hay land. He engages quite extensively in 
horse raising, and always has a large number 
of these animals on hand. 

.Mr. Billings was married in 1898 to Miss 
Pearl .M . Bacon, daughter of William Bacon, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRx\PHY 



629 



an old settler in Keya Paha county, originally 
from England, who married Nancy Melchi, of 
Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Mr. and Mrs. 
Billings have a family of three children, name- 
ly: Mabel, Jane and Ida. 

In political faith ]\Ir. Billings is a Socialist. 



ALFRED FORSLING. 

Alfred Forsling, a prominent ranchman and 
all-round man of affairs in his section of the 
country, is proprietor of an extensive ranch 
situated on Lodgepole creek, known far and 
wide as the "Buckbrush Ranch," and one of 
the leading men of his county. His home is 
on section 36, township 15, range S7 , Kimball 
county. 

Mr. Forsling is a native of Sweden, born 
December 10, 1861. He is the second child in 
a family of nine children, five sons and four 
daughters, and grew to the age of eighteen 
years in his native land. He then came to the 
United States, locating in Chicago, stayed 
there for two years, then w^ent on to Denver, 
Colorado, where he spent one year and re- 
turned to Chicago. In the summer of 1883 
his father, mother and three brothers and a 
sister joined him, and the whole family emi- 
grated to Phelps county, Nebraska, arriving 
there in the spring of 1884. They lived in 
that vicinity for about two years, then came 
to Kimball county, which was then a part of 
Cheyenne county, the father taking a home- 
stead and beginning to establish a home here. 
Our subject did not come with the rest of the 
family, but went to Colorado, where he pre- 
empted a tract of land, proved up on it and 
sold out. He remained in Colorado for sev- 
eral years, then .he, too, came to Kimball coun- 
ty in 1895. and located on school section 36, 
township- 15, range S7, which is now the home 
ranch. He has built this up in good shape, 
putting up good buildings and adding im- 
provements, and has broken up land so that 
he cultivates about seventy acres at the pres- 
ent time, raising good crops of grain, etc. The 
ranch contains nearly fifteen hundred acres, 
and is devoted principally to stock raising. Mr. 
Forsling running about three hundred head of 
cattle and one hundred and seventy-five head 
of horses. 

Our subject was united in marriage to 
Ida M. Johnson, on March 12, 1890, in Hold- 
rege, Nebraska. Mrs. Forsling was born in 
Sweden and came to America in 1881 all 
alone, both her parents being dead. Six chil- 
dren have been born to them, named as fol- 
lows: Guy W., C. Luther, Elmer T., Agnes 
Beatrice, Ellen Amelia, and a baby born Aug- 



ust 14, 1908. ^All are bright and intelligent 
children, and make a charming family group. 
They have a pleasant and comfortable home, 
and e'njoy the friendship and acquaintance of 
a host of people, well liked by all. 

Mr. Forsling is prominent in neighborhood 
affairs, is a director of district No. 21, also 
served as assessor of his county for two terms. 
During the years 1900-1901 he was county 
commissioner, being elected on the Repub- 
lican ticket, and is a strong party man. 



HENRY A. WEISFLOG. 

Among the early settlers of western Ne- 
braska who has aided materially in the develop- 
ment and growth of the region in which he 
settled as a pioneer the gentleman above 
named deserves a foremost place. Mr. Weis- 
flog resides on section 2S, township 34, range 
30, Cherry county, and has been identified with 
the county from the time the family located 
here, always aiding in any movement which 
was for the betterment of conditions in his 
locality. 

Mr. Weisflog was born in Zanesville, Ohio, 
March 22. 1878. His father, Herman Weis- 
flog, was born in Germany and came to this 
country when a young man, the family settling 
in Nebraska in 1885, in this county. The 
mother, Amelia Harmon, was also of Ger- 
man blood. When our subject was twenty- 
one years of age he started out for himself 
and took up a homestead in township i?), 
range 30, on which he lived for a time, then 
moved to his present home, where he put up 
good buildings and rapidly improved the place. 
He now has a ranch of six hundred and forty 
acres, much of it good tillable land, with a 
complete set of good farm buildings, and an 
abundant supply of water. 

Mr. Weisflog was married November 9, 
1904, to Miss Lizzie Forth, daughter of Chris 
Forth, a native of Germany and an old settler 
in Cherry county, coming west about 1890. 
Mr. and Mrs. Weisflog have one child, a daugh- 
ter named Margaret. They are members of 
the Lutheran church. 



FRANK MASON. 

Frank Mason is one of the leading citizens 
of Valley county, who owns a well improved 
farm in section 17, township 20, range 16, and 
has spent the past twenty years in this lo- 
cality. Mr. Mason is a man of industrious 
habits, who has made many friends bv his 
strict integrity and many sterling qualities of 



O.^io 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



heart and mind, and is held in, the highest es- 
teem by all who know him. 

Mr. Mason was born in Austria in 1856, 
and grew up there until a young man, follow- 
ing a line of general work, anything he could 
get to do. In 1884 he left his native land and 
came to the United Staters to seek his fortune 
and build up a home. He first located in New 
York, spending several years there working 
as a cigar maker. He came west and located 
in Nebraska in 1888. settling in Valley county, 
where he began farming. He went through 
hard times during the first few years, exper- 
iencing many discouragements from poor 
crops and different causes, but stuck to his 
work and succeeded in building up a good 
farm, now owning two hundred and forty 
acres of good farming land, and is engaged to 
quite an extent in grain raising principally, 
and also cuts a big crop of hay each year. He 
keeps quite a herd of stock on his place, rais- 
ing cattle and hogs for the market. 

Mr. Mason was married in 1885. while 
living in New York city, to Annie Havacek, 
also a native of Austria, who came to this 
country in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Mason are the 
parents of six children, who are named as 
follows: Frank, Annie, Mary. Rosie, Joe and 
Charles. The family are devoted members of 
the Bohemian Catholic church of \'alley coun- 
ty, and well liked by all who know them. 

Mr. Mason has always voted the Demo- 
cratic ticket up to several years ago, but now 
leans toward the Independent party, voting 
for the best man up. He is an admirer of Mr. 
Bryan. 



HERMAN WATT. 

Among the large ranch owners and well- 
known stockmen of Kearney county. Nebras- 
ka, the name of Herman Watt occupies a fore- 
most place. He has resided in this locality for 
the past twenty-five years and has built up a 
good farm and home through honest effort 
and industry. Mr. Watt is a man of marked 
ability, occupies a high position socially, and 
is highly esteemed as a citizen. 

Mr. Watt was born in the year 1864. In 
1884 our subject located in Logan township, 
engaging in stock raising and farming, and 
has accumulated a nice property, being pro- 
prietor of nine hundred and twenty acres of 
land, three hundred and twenty acres in sec- 
tion 26. Logan township, and the balance in 
Newark township. He has recently gone into 
the stock business on quite a heavy scale, run- 
ning about a hundred cattle, all high grade 
stock. He has now two hundred and fifty 



young pigs, which are the finest lot of hogs 
anyone ever saw. All are high grade Poland 
Chinas, averaging one hundred and twenty- 
five to one hundred and fifty pounds each, and 
certainly will be a nice lot when he markets 
them. Mr. Watt also handles quite a few 
horses, and has now about seventy, usually 
keeping from fifty to eighty on his farm. He 
has always had the best success with the 
Poland China breed of hogs. He raises plenty 
of grain on his farm, and feeds it all out be- 
sides buying some to meet his needs. In 1907 
his wheat crop was four thousand bushels 
and corn crop three thousand. He has sixty 
acres of alfalfa and gets fine crops each season. 
In 1906-1907 during the winter, he fed and 
shipped two car loads of horses and two loads 
of cattle, and got a nice profit from their sale. 
His brother, W. R. Watt, of Minden, is one 
of the heaviest and most successful dealers in 
horses and mules in all western Nebraska. 
Neither our subject nor his brother are pio- 
neers of Kearney county, but both are held in 
the highest esteem as business men of success, 
honesty and push, and deserve a high position 
among the worthy citizens of Kearney county. 



FRANCIS H. HIGGIN. 

Francis H. Higgin resides in section 10, 
township 32. range 27. Cherry county, where 
he has a large ranch, and is listed among the 
successful and prosperous men of the county. 
Mr. Higgin was born in Bancroft Hall in 
Lancashire. England, May 6, 1855. His father, 
also Francis H. Higgin, was a farmer and 
both of his parents died in England. Our sub- 
ject, the third son. was raised and educated 
there and grew up with his seven brothers 
and sisters, assisting the family in the farm 
work, and in 1883 he started out to seek his 
fortune in the new world, landing in New York 
in the latter part of the year, and traveled 
across the L^nited States until he reached Ne- 
braska, where he located. This was his first 
experience in being away from his parents' 
roof, and it was a momentous trip for the 
young man among strangers in a strange 
land. He settled March 28. 1884. in Cherry 
county, taking a homestead in section 31, 
township 33. range 27, and still owns this tract 
of land. When he landed here this section was 
a barren country without any improved lands 
and very sparsely settled. He put up his 
first building himself, erecting a log house, 
and lived in this for some time, later putting 
up a sod house. His sole capital in money 
when he struck this county, after paying land 
fees, was three cents, and he was without any 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



631 



provisions to start with, but managed to hustle 
around and get work in the neighborhood and 
supply himself with a few necessaries and so 
was able to get along for a time. These were 
very hard times to him, and he was almost 
discouraged during the first 'winter, but he 
kept hard at it and succeeded in establishing 
his home and farm. At first he stuck to farm- 
ing and tried to cultivate his land and raise 
crops, but soon found that this did not pay. 
He gradually got into the stock business and 
made much more money at that, so quit farm- 
ing and gave his entire time to stock raising. 
He had given up trying to farm just before 
the dry years came on, so he was not af- 
fected by the drouth periods so much, and 
with the exception of losing some horses he 
has done well since coming here. Has his 
place well improved with a complete set of 
substantial farm buildings, and has put up about 
fifteen miles of fence. He has spent a large 
amount of money in building up his farm, and 
bent every energy to rtiake it one of the best 
ranches in this section. He has planted a 
large number of trees on his farm, and has a 
fine orchard. His ranch comprises two thou- 
sand five hundred and sixty acres, all good 
land, and has about three hundred of this 
broken, but does not aim to raise grain for 
market, using it all on his farm. 

Mr. Higgin was married December 26, 
1882, to Miss Alice Ormesher, of English birth, 
who came to America a month after marriage. 
Mr. and Mrs. Higgin have one child, Mary 
A. Higgin, living at home with her parents. 

Mr. Higgin gives his entire time to the 
work on his farm, and has never held any 
office, but votes the Republican ticket, and 
takes a keen interest in all affairs of the coun- 
ty and section in which he lives. He is one 
of the leading citizens of his locality, and. has 
added materially in the upbuilding of his com- 
munity. One of the interesting illustrations 
in this work is a view of the residence of Mr. 
HiffSin. 



THOMAS L. HOPKINS, Jr. 

Thomas L. Hopkins, Jr., a public spirited 
citizen and well known resident of Box Butte 
county, has a nice farm under first-class im- 
provement, making for him a most creditable 
and desirable home. He is considered one of 
the old timers in this region, and has taken an 
active part in the development of the com- 
munity in which he chose his home many 
years ago. 

Mr. Hopkins was born in Dodge county. 



Wisconsin, in 1874. His father, T. L. Hop- 
kins, St., was a native of England who came 
to this country and settled when a young 
man, he having married a young woman who 
was also born and raised in England, a Miss 
Sarah Jackson. 

Our subject grew up in Wisconsin and 
when he was thirteen years of age the whole 
family came to Nebraska, locating in Box 
Butte county. They settled near the Nio- 
brara river, and there put up a rough sod 
building and began the regular pioneer ex- 
periences. The second winter they located 
here Thomas was obliged to walk a distance 
of three miles to the nearest school. They 
went through hard times, working at what- 
ever they could find to do, and our subject did 
freighting, making long and tedious trips 
through the country, and many a night was 
spent lying on the ground in all kinds of bad 
weather. He put all his earnings into the fam- 
ily fund, and remained at home until he was 
twenty-one. During the dry years they were 
unable to do more than make a living and 
were unable to get ahead very much, and one 
year Thomas and some of his neighbors made 
a cross-country trip to O'Neil into eastern Ne- 
braska, where they obtained a job husking 
corn, also working in the harvest fields, and 
anything they found to do, and thus made a 
little extra money. 

When he reached his majority our sub- 
ject filed on a homestead in section 23, town- 
ship 28, range 48, and held down his claim, 
working out in Chadron part of the time until 
he was able to prove up on his land. He also 
took a business course at the Fremont Busi- 
ness College, spending two terms there, and 
when he returned to Chadron, had just twenty 
cents left in his pocket, so he was compelled 
to go to work to make a living for himself. 
This was in the spring of 1894, and he took 
charge of Putnam's ranch on the White river, 
and spent four years in that position. After 
leaving this ranch he settled on his homestead 
permanently, began farming, and met with 
good success in his work, all of which was 
gained through his own good management 
and hard labor, as he had absolutely no capital 
to start with. Mr. Hopkins' ranch consists 
of eleven quarter sections of deeded land, and 
he also leases seven quarters, all of which is 
fenced, and he has in all nine miles of good 
fencing on the place. He had erected good 
buildings, has a splendid supply of water, 
windmills, etc. 

September 10, 1903, Mr. Hopkins was mar- 
ried to Myrta D. Bolin, whose father, Eldridge 
Bolin, is a farmer residing near Hay Springs. 



632 



COMPEJNUIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mrs. Hopkins was a teacher in the Hay 
Springs schools for three years, and also 
taught in other schools in the countV. Mr. 
and Mrs. Hopkins are the parents of two sons, 
namely: Roscoe. aged three years, and Ron- 
ald, aged two years. 

.Mr. Hopkins is a Republican, and has held 
precinct and school offices and since coming 
here has taken a commendable interest in 
neighborhood and county affairs. 



CHARLES L. LATTA. 

Charles L. Latta. residing in Kennedy ]ire- 
cinct. Cherry county, is one of the old timers of 
this region, having come here in 1887. and has 
done his full share in the upbuilding of the com- 
munity in which he chose his home. 

Mr. Latta is a native of Noble count\-. Indi- 
ana, born November 6, 1864, on a farm. His 
father, Robert S. Latta. followed farming, serv- 
ing as minister in the Methodist church, of which 
he was for a time an itinerant preacher. He was 
a native of McLean county. Illinois, a man of su- 
perior mind with a vein of poetry in his nature 
which he was able to express in choice English. 
Of his many poems none perhaps excels in 
thought and expression "The Bells of Ligonier." 
The mother. Mary Trimbleson. was of English 
and Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Our subject is 
the youngest in a family of eight children, and 
was reared in Indiana, attending the countr\ 
schools and assisting his parents in the farm 
work until he was sixteen years of age. then 
started out for himself, following farm work for 
a time near his home. In 1880 the family came 
to Nebraska, locating in Gage county, from 
which region Charles returned to Indiaiia in the 
spring of 1882, attending Purdue University at 
Lafayette until fall of 188.\ three school vears. 
In the winter of 1887 the family removed to 
Loup county, remaining until September. 1800. 
when they started overland to the Black Hills. 
settling near Custer City. Here they oi)erated a 
saw mill and were doing well until the panic of 
1893. which proved disastrous to manv enter- 
prises. Saving what they could from tlic wreck of 
their enterprise the family came to Cherrv county 
in 1893, settling on Gordon creek, where the par- 
ents continued to reside until 1900. Our subject 
took up a homestead of four hundred acres in 
section 10. township 30. range 30. and proved 
up on it. He worked this place for himself, and 
then moverl back on his father's ranch, running 
the two places, the latter situated in section 12. 
township 30. range 30. This latter tract contain- 
ing one thousand one hundred and twenty acres 
Mr. Latta purchased, making a most dcsirab'*.- 
ranch, all located on Gordon creek. The places 



are well improved and well stocked, running 
about two hundred head of cattle and twenty 
horses, one favorable feature of the region being 
its freedom from swamp fever. 

On the 1st of March. 1896. Mr. Latta was 
married to Miss Daisy M. Stilwell, daughter of 
Elias Stilwell. an old settler in Cherry county, 
now residing on his ranch at the east end of 
Hackberry lake, where, in 1907, he erected a fine 
new residence. He first came to Nebraska in 
1883, opening a harness shop in Wilsonville, re- 
moving to Cherry county two years later, plying 
his trade in \'alcntine many years. He was mar- 
ried in Kansas to Miss Emma Crees, of .\rkansas. 
Mr. and iMrs. Latta have a family of four chil- 
dren, named as follows: Willie. Ral])h, Oliver 
and Idell. School is a difficult problem in the 
sparsely settled ranch country. Being in no dis- 
trict whatever. Mrs. Latta has solved the prob- 
lem by holding school daily for the usual term 
in their home. 

Mr. Latta devotes his entire time and atten- 
tion to the building up of his home and ranch, 
and is highly esteemed as a worthy citizen and 
good neighbor in his locality. He is a Socialist 
and strong believer in the rights of that partv. 
He is a member of the \^alentine lodge Modern 
Woodmen of America. 

.A view of the residence with portraits of Mr. 
and Mrs. Charles L. Latta. also portraits of iMr. 
and Mrs. Robert O. Latta. will be found on an- 
other page of this work. 



C. E. JOHNSON. 

C. E. Johnson, known all over Henry 
county. Illinois, and the adjoining counties by 
reason of his large purchases of cattle as "Ed. 
Johnson." came to this section twenty years 
ago. locating on the south one-half of section 
35. Centre township, owned at that time by 
J. H. .Anderson, our subject's father-in-law. 
now deceased. Mr. Johnson has been engaged 
in the stock business since that time, and dur- 
ing that time has bought and re-sold many 
farms in this locality, on all of which he has 
made large profits. Besides the half section 
on which he now resides, he owns a c]uarter 
section in 36. and 33. also a >vhole section in 
Cottonwood township. Phelps county. During 
all of this time he has been engaged in buying 
cattle, sorting out the feeders and shipping 
some forty to fifty cars to market annually in 
some years. He now ships from ten to fifteen 
cars each year. Before coming to Nebraska 
he fed cattle in Illinois, and states that in his 
opinion Nebraska is far ahead of that state 
for feeding purposes, and that cattle can be 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



63- 



fattened much quicker and cheaper in Nebras- 
ka than in Illinois. 

Mr. Johnson is interested in South Dakota 
lands, owning one hundred and sixty acres in 
that state. He has a tine residence in this county. 
and has built up a comfortable home here, where 
the family is well known and highly esteemed. 
He was married in 1887 to Miss Emma C. And- 
erson. Seven children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Johnson, named as follows : Martin 
(adopted), Joseph, Burnie, Ruthy, Roy, Carl and 
Walter. 

Politically ^^Ir. Johnson is a Republican. 



RUFUS S. JONES. 

Rufus S. Jones, who has done his full share 
in helping the settlers build up the farming inter- 
ests in Nebraska, is a resident of Brown county, 
where he is engaged extensively in stock and 
grain raising. Mr. Jones was born August 20, 
1841, in Stark county, Illinois. He is a son of 
Sheridan Jones, a farmer of Welsh descent, and 
his mother was Miss Ann Meek, of old Ameri- 
can stock. The family consisted of six children, 
the youngest being our subject. He was reared 
on his father's farm, remaining under the pa- 
rental roof until his enlistment in Company I, 
One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, seeing service in Georgia, Alabama 
and Tennessee, following a soldier's fortune for 
over a year, when he was discharged and re- 
turned home. He remained with his parents 
until 1871, then went to Iowa, settling in Clark 
county. Here he followed farming for the two 
years, when he grew discontented and wandered 
back to his old home in Illinois, remaining for ten 
years before turning again to the west. Coming 
to Brown county, he took up a homestead in sec- 
tion 32, township 32, range 21, and was among 
the first settlers in this locality, and from his 
farm not a single house could be seen in any 
direction. He had brought with him a team of 
horses, and went to work building a rude house 
out of logs. After this was completed he began 
breaking up his land, and at the same time con- 
tinued working at his trade as a carpenter. He 
had a hard time in getting started, and when the 
drouth periods struck the locality for two years, 
he faithfully planted his crops but was unable to 
raise even enough for seed the next vear. How- 
ever, he stuck to it, and through sheer persist- 
ence, after experiencing all kinds of hardships 
and privations, succeeded in accumulating a nice 
property. His farm comprises three hundred 
and twenty acres, one hundred and fifty acres 
under cultivation, all improved with good build- 
ings, fences, etc., and well stocked. There are 
a number of springs on the place and an abund- 



ance of timber in the canyons. He is engaged 
principally in stock-raising, which he finds very 
profitable. 

In March, 1866, Mr. Jones was married to 
Miss Mercy Taylor, a native of Kentucky. They 
are the parents of seven children, all of whom 
were born in Illinois, and who are named as fol- 
lows: Ralph E., Minnie L., Gertrude M., John 
L., Pearl C, Stella B. and Bert J. 

Mr. Jones devotes his entire time and atten- 
tion to the bulding up of his home and farm, 
and is a man of thorough and systematic meth- 
ods in his work. He has gained success through 
his perseverance, industry and good manage- 
ment, and may be truly classed among the self- 
made men of this region. In politics he is thor- 
oughly independent of party ties and the party 
lash. 



THOMAS AI. THORNTON. 

Thomas 'SI. Thornton, residing now with his 
son Benjamin on section 20, township 30, range 
52. Dawes county, Nebraska, is one of the pio- 
neer settlers of the western part of the state, and 
he has helped by every way in his power to build 
up the region where he chose his home in the 
early days of the state's history. 

Air. Thornton is a native of Pike county, 
Illonois, born in 1837 on his father's farm. He 
is the son of Joel Thornton, born in 1800 in Pike 
county, of English and Welsh descent. The 
father died May 5, 1876. Our subject's mother 
was Annie Honaker. of German stock, born in 
1804, and died in Page county, Nebraska, in 1896. 

The subject of our sketch enlisted August 12, 
1862, in Company K, Iowa Infantry, and saw 
hard service during the war, engaging in thirty- 
two battles. He was severely wounded near 
Camden, on the Washita river, in Arkansas, 
April 7, 1864, and still carries the bullet in his 
leg. He was honorably discharged September 
7, 1865. 

Mr. Thornton came to Dawes county, Ne- 
braska. May 17. 1888, settling on a farm nine or 
ten miles from Crawford, and there built up a 
fine ranch and home. He has been very success- 
ful since coming here and at one time owned five 
sections of good land in the western part of the 
county, where he was extensively engaged in 
stock raising. Of late he has sold out to his sons 
and their uncle, retaining for himself onlv about 
two hundred acres. The sons and their uncle, Mr. 
Abbots, own about eleven sections of land and 
they run from three hundred to five hundred head 
of cattle and from seventy-five to one hundred 
head of horses every year. They stand high as 
the leading stockmen of this part of the country. 
Their places are finely improved, supplied with 
several fine sets of buildings, three wind mills 



(^3A 



CO-MPENDlUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and many miles of fencing, in all about thirty 
miles of three wires. The Thornton farms are 
well supplied with natural timber, wild fruits, 
etc.. and there are streams of good running 
water the year round on the north farm. 

Mr. Thornton was married at Montgomery 
Iowa, February 28, 1869, to Miss Augusta F. 
Abbots, of American stock. To them have 
been born the following children: Walter J., 
Freeman C, Lewis M. and Benjamin A., all 
living here and on adjoining lands. 

Mr. Thornton takes a deep interest in all 
local affairs and is classed among the prominent 
and leading citizens of his county, highly es- 
teemed by all who know him. 



R( )1'.ERT H. McNAMEE. 

Robert H. McNamee, the subject of this per- 
sonal history, resides on section 33, township 31, 
range 26. in Cherry county. Nebraska, where he 
has built up a fine home and farm through his 
industry and good business management. 

Mr. McNamee was born in Jackson county. 
Ohio, June 5. 1852. and was reared and edu- 
cated on his father's farm. He is a son of 
Hiram and Mary (Henry) McNamee, the 
former of Scotch-Irish, and the latter of Irish 
descent, though both American born. In 1860 
the family moved by wagon to Harrison county, 
Misstiuri, the journey of one thousand miles con- 
suming two months' time, where they remained 
fur twenty-five years. Our subject at the age of 
nineteen married and began farming on his own 
account, which he continued in Missouri until 
his advent to Nebraska. November 12, 1885, he 
moved into Brown county, settling near Bassett, 
after a journey of four hundred and fifty miles 
bv wagon, consuming fourteen days, the 
mother and cliildren coming by train. He only 
lived there for one and a half years, then located 
in Cherry county, where he has lived continu- 
ously ever since. He took up a homestead near 
the town of Merriman. residing in the west end 
of the county seven years, about six years of 
this time acting as foreman on a large ranch 
near Pine Ridge reservation. Selling this tract 
Mr McNamee located near Wood Lake, where 
he built up a fine home, which he sold in 1890 
and moved to Wood f^akc, where he engaged in 
the hotel business, putting up a large building 
and equipping it in fine style for a village hotel. 
Ranching had greater charm for our subject, so 
he disposed of his hotel after twenty months 
and came into possession of his present tract of 
two thousand and fort\' acres, which was im- 
proved and nearly all fenced. This is in five 
different fields, and is a valuable piece of prop- 
erty. He keeps three hundred cattle, and besides 



this runs stock for other people in the vicinity, 
in all pasturing about five hundred head. About 
eight hundred acres of this land is fine hay land, 
and he cuts a large crop each year, the surplus 
being sold. 

.Since coming to this state he has built up and 
improved three places, spending between four 
and five thousand dollars, building and furnisii- 
iug the hotel, putting over two thousand five hun- 
dred dollars' worth of improvements on one 
ranch, and over two thousand in buil^lings, etc., 
on the ranch where he now resides. 

Mr. McNamee was married March 19, 
1871, to Miss Clara Butcher, born in Jackson 
county, Ohio, in 1850. They hdve eight children 
named as follows : Spencer R., Kenton B., Leon- 
ard P., Hesse E., Loha, now Mrs. Arthur W. 
Richardson ; Lillie, wife of W. T. Bailey ; Her- 
vey R.. and Herman, of whom the five elder 
were lx)rn in Missouri, and the three younger 
in Nebraska. 

Mr. McNamee has always been active in poli- 
tics, and has never missed a vote since coming 
of age. He adheres to the principles of the Re- 
publican party. He holds fellowship in the 
Wood Lake lodge of Modern Woodmen of 
.America. 

A view of the residence with portraits of Mr. 
and Mrs. McNamee will be found on another 
page of this work. 



ALBERT HALEY. 

Albert Haley, postmaster at Sjiarks, Cherrv 
county. Nebraska, is well known throughout the 
vicinity in which he resides. Mr. Haley is among 
the early settlers in Sparks precinct, and has 
watched the growth and aided in the develop- 
ment of this region from its beginning, and is 
counted one of the leading worthy citizens of the 
place. 

Mr. Haley was horn in I'^ayette county, Illi- 
nois. Sc])tember 30. 1866, on his father's farm. 
The latter, John Franklin Haley, was of Irish 
descent, born in Illinois and lived there all his 
life, his death occurring in 1880. The mother, 
whose maiden name was Mary J. George, was 
also born and raised in the prairie state, dying 
there in 18'")". .\lbert was the youngest in his 
parents' family of three children, and on the death 
of his father, started out for himself when fif- 
teen years of age. going to Nodaway county, 
Missouri, where he followed farm work for 
two years. Coming to Cherry county, he drove 
o.x teams, <lid freighting, hauled posts, etc., 
handling five and six yoke of oxen at a time. He 
was thus employed for about three years, camp- 
ing out nights winter and summer under his 
wagon, traveling all over this part of the coun- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



63 = 



trv when there was nobody but soldiers and cow- 
boys here. At that time there was not a house 
on "the table"' and only five or six along the river 
bottoms for thirty miles east of Fort Niobrara. 
In 1888 he settled on a homestead in section 14, 
township 34, range 25, and put up his first build- 
ing, which was a log house with a sod roof. 
Here he built up a good home and farm, con- 
sisting of a quarter section all fenced, with 
ninety acres under cultivation when he sold the 
place in 1906. June 28, 1906, he sold out his 
farm and had shipped his goods to Missouri 
and started to drive with his family to that state. 
On the road he met C. F. Callen, owner of the 
Sparks store, and closed a deal for that empo- 
rium and has since been engaged in mercantile 
pursuit at that point, where he also serves as 
postmaster. For two years, while living on his 
farm, Mr. Haley drove the mail wagon from 
Sparks to Valentine and then disposed of his 
contract in this branch of government service. 

In 1895 our subject was married to Miss 
Maud Allen, whose father, W. J. Allen, was an 
old settler in Cherry county. A sketch of him 
and his family appears elsewhere in this work. 
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Haley, namely : Jno. Floyd, Ervie P., Alma J., 
Martha E. and Everett Chauncey. 

Mr. Haley is a Democrat, and takes an active 
interest in local party alTairs. 



HERMAN G. MILLER. 

The opportunities aliforded honest industry to 
gain a footing in America were embraced by the 
gentleman whose name heads this article, and he 
is now one of the recognized substantial and in- 
fluential agriculturists and ranchmen of Chey- 
enne county, Nebraska, He came to that region 
in its early days of development, and has passed 
through all the strenuous Nebraska times, be- 
coming by his labors in behalf of his adopted 
state one of the leading citizens and well-known 
supporters of all that goes to make up the lo- 
cality a prominent section in the western part 
of the state. 

H. G. Miller was born in the village of 
Papens, adjoining the city of Aurich, province 
of Hanover, Germany, October 14, 1845, and 
was the fourth child in a family of ten children, 
born to his parents, Gerd and Gische (Dirks) 
Miller ; but five of these are living at this time. 
The family came to America in 1852, sailing 
from Bremen Haven, and after a voyage of eight 
weeks, landed in Ne\y York, thence thev trav- 
eled by river, canal and lakes to Chicago. Here 
they took a flat boat down the canal to the Illi- 
nois river, which landed them at Peoria. At 



Peoria they took a steamer for St. Louis, and 
at this point they secured passage on an up river 
boat, which carried them to Quincy, Illinois; 
from Quincy they went direct to Clayton town- 
ship, Adams county, Illinois. The thirty miles 
from Quincy to Clayton township, were made in 
a covered wagon, which also carried their pos- 
sessions. They arrived at their destination on 
September 2d. There they farmed for about 
thirty years, our subject working for himself 
after he grew to manhood, and in the spring of 
1884 he came to Nebraska, locating first in 
Johnson county and two years later in Cheyenne 
county. He filed at once on a homestead on sec- 
tion i4, township 16, range 48, taking up one 
hundred and sixty acres. He went through 
hard times during the first few years, and met 
with many discouragements in the way of finan- 
cial loss from failure of crops, through drouths, 
hail, prairie fires and grasshoppers, but never 
gave up hope, determined to succeed in spite of 
all obstacles. How well he has succeeded is evi- 
denced by his fine ranch of six hundred and 
forty acres, all fitted with good buildings and 
improvements, about one hundred and eighty 
acres being in a high state of cultivation ; he en- 
gages in stock raising on quite a large scale, 
running about one hundred cattle and twenty- 
five head of horses. 

Mr. Aliller has an interesting career outside 
of his farming operations, having taught school 
for a number of years throughout Cheyenne 
county, and is well-known as a local educator, 
possessed of a good training, and a man of su- 
perior talents and broad character. He is also an 
auctioneer of wide repute, having acted in that 
capacity throughout the region, and is thor- 
oughly familiar with the whole country from his 
travels in following his career as a teacher and 
auctioneer. For seven years he was a member of 
the Illinois National Guards, serving as lieuten- 
ant of Company I, participating in the East St. 
Louis railroad riots. Mr. Miller was secretary 
of the Bryan Political Club in Cheyenne county. 
He has also held various local offices, acting as 
justice of the peace, notary public, deputy county 
assessor, and is equally prominent in church and 
social life in the community. He served as su- 
perintendent of Sunday schools for some years, 
and is a trustee in the German Lutheran church 
near Weyerts. of which he is a member as are 
the other members of the family. 

Mr. Miller has a pleasant home and interest- 
ing family. He was married in Adams county, 
Illinois, October 15, 1865, to Miss Trientje 
Behrens, who was born in Germany and came 
to the L'nited States at the age of thirteen years 
with her parents, Ekke and Anche (Fecht) 
Behrens. Mr. Miller is the father of the 



636 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



following children : Sophia, wife of Henry G. 
Henrichs; ^linnie, living at home: George, a 
thresherman : Anna, wife of John Henrichs ; 
Rena. wife of Chris Jurgens; Mary, married to 
Jijhn Jurgens, all living near the home ranch : 
Hannah (deceased) ; Ekke Berney. Dirk G. and 
Herman J. are living with their parents and 
assist in the operation of tiie home ranch. 

In political views Mr. Miller is a loyal Demo- 
crat, and lends his influence for good local gov- 
ernment. 



JAMES H. COOK. 

James H. Cook, numbered among the old 
and honored settlers of Sioux county, Nebraska, 
was born at Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1857. He 
was reared in that locality, having very poor 
schooling advantages, being only able to attend 
the common schools, but in after life his wide 
experience gave to him extensive knowledge of 
all affairs of state and nation, and today he is a 
well-read and intelligent gentleman with whom 
it is a pleasure to meet and converse. His father. 
Henry Cook, was an old sea captain, born in 
England, and all of his male ancestors for gen- 
reations back were seafaring people. 

When James was a lad of twelve years of 
age. he left home and went into southwestern 
Texas, where he secured work as a cowboy, and 
for years traveled over the plains of Texas and 
other western states, working as a rancher, scout 
and guide for the United States troops. He was 
with Captain McNally's celebrated Texas 
Rangers on trips at different times as guide 
and scout and his services were at times inval- 
uable, as many desperate and lawless characters 
had often to be dealt with. He also acted as 
guide with the Fourth. Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and 
Eighth United States Cavalry, as a guide and 
ha(Kmany thrilling experiences while acting in 
this capacity. During the late Indian campaigns 
near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, he was in the 
service of General Miles. These took place dur- 
ing the years 1800-91, and a number of those 
old Indian chiefs are still visitors at Mr. Cook's 
home, often bringing him valuable presents of 
beadwork. trinkets, etc.. which help in a con- 
siderable degree to make his home one of the 
most interesting to the visitor in western Ne- 
braska that is to be met with. He has many 
Indian relics, and with each of these is connected 
some interesting and historical anecdote. 

During the time Mr. Cook acted as a 
guide, he traveled with the L'nitefl States 
troops all over Arizona and New Mexico, 
and associated with the different classes of 
people, and in his rovings has learned to 



speak fluently the Spanish language, as well 
as several Indian dialects. In reviewing the 
incidents connected with his early western 
life.* mention should not fail to be made 
of the fact that he helped lay out many of the 
famous cattle trails from Texas into the north- 
ern states, and he also has the distinction of hav- 
ing aided in surveying the first trail into Yel- 
lowstone Park. 

In the year 1886 Mr. Cook came to the old 
cow ranch in Sioux county, which was established 
by Dr. Graham, in 1879, and was located about 
twenty-three miles south of Harrison. Dr. Gra- 
ham anil Edgar Bronson were the first men who 
brought cattle to Sioux county. Thus Mary C. 
Graham, who came to the ranch in the follow- 
ing year, was the first white woman to settle in 
Sioux county. She held the first religious serv- 
ices ever held in that part of the state, for the 
cowboys on the ranch. She has since made her 
home on the Vanch. and for several years was 
postmistress and had charge of the United States 
weather station at Agate for several years. At 
the lime our subject took hold of the ranch it 
was nothing but an old time western cow ranch, 
with shabby buildings and scarcely any improve- 
ments. He has installed an irrigation system, 
dug ditches and made a lovely garden spot of 
the ranch home. Trees have been set out with 
the design of beautifying the place, walks and 
driveways built, and the residence, grounds and 
ranch house would be a credit to any city and 
compares favorably with the finest homes, both 
inside and outside. Mr. Cook"s private den, with 
the best collection of Indian relics in the west, 
is one of the most pleasant corners of the house. 
The ranch consists of about eight thousand 
acres, extending along the Niobrara river ; and 
about one thousand acres of it are under culti- 
vation. The most interesting feature of this 
ranch is its deposits of fossils. It contains the 
most extensive deposits of vertebrate mammals 
of any place in America. Scientists from all over 
the country have been there to get specimens 
and study the subject, and Mr. Cook has enter- 
tained many of the most noted scientists of both 
hemis])hcrcs on their visits to this part of the 
west. 

Jolni F. Cook, a brother of our subject, has 
been one of the managers of the ranch, coming 
here in 1887. .\gate jxistoffice, the mail station 
of our subject, was established in 1893. John F. 
Cook being jiostmaster for several years since its 
establishment. Before coming to Agate Springs 
ranch, he traveled all over the western part of 
the I'nited States from C)ld Mexico to British 
Columbia. He was for several \ears associated 
with the ranch operated by his brother in New 
Mexico, and while there he had an active hand in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



637 



the work of establishing law and order in that 
country. He is at present deputy state game 
warden and justice of the peace. 

James H. Cook gave to the ranch its name 
calling it the "Agate Springs Ranch" on account 
of the many different kinds of agates found on 
the place. It is a wonderful spot and too much 
can not be said in describing its beauties and nat- 
ural resources, Mr. Cook having made of it a 
model and ideal ranch home. 

In 1886 Mr. Cook was married to Aliss Katie 
Graham, daughter of Dr. E. B. Graham, of 
Cheyenne, Wyoming. Two sons were born to 
this union, namely : John, born in 1898, now at- 
tending school at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; and 
Harold, born in 1888, who is a geologist and 
scientist, having been elected a member of the 
American Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 
and has the destinction of being the youngest 
member of that body, and, considering his youth, 
this is a great honor. He went to the University 
of Nebraska in 1907 and 1908, and while there 
was a member of the geology department and 
the state geological survey. At present he is a 
member of the American Museum of Natural 
History staf¥ and will continue his studies at 
Columbia University. 

In politics, although never a candidate for 
office, Sir. Cook has always taken an active part 
locally. He has had considerable influence at 
\\'ashington through his acquaintance with prom- 
inent easterners whom lie guided through the 
western states during his early career on hunt- 
ing trips, etc. 



JOHN CLASEN. 

The efforts put forth by the gentleman above 
named to make for himself a good home and 
comfortable competence have called out the 
heartiest praise of his fellowmen. and too much 
can not be said in his favor. ^Ir. Clasen has 
gone through many disappointments in his en- 
deavors and often became discouraged, but 
through perseverance and hard work has over- 
come many obstacles and richly deserves the 
success he has attained. 

Mr. Clasen was born in the village of Sassen, 
near Coblenz, in the Rhine Province, Germany. 
October 8, 1836. His father, Anton Clasen, was 
a farmer, and died in the fatherland in 1866, and 
the mother, who was Susanna Simon, died in the 
same year. Our subject grew up in Germany, 
following farming and cattle raising, also deal- 
ing in hogs and sheep to some extent, and dur- 
ing the war with France served in the German 
army in the pioneer corps and was stationed 
near Metz during the siege of that city. In 
April, 1872, he came to the United States, sail- 



ing from Hull by way of London. After a 
twelve days' voyage on a steamer of the German 
line he landed in New York city, April 28, 1872. 
He started west on April 30, in that same year, 
and settled in Fond du Lac covmty, Wiscon- 
sin. After working here in a brick yard for a 
year he removed to ^Mitchell county, Iowa, set- 
tling in Stacyville, where he resided for fifteen 
years. He next moved to ]\lilford, Iowa, where 
he made his home for five years. In 1892 he 
came to Cherry county, Nebraska, and took up 
his present farm as a homestead, which is situ- 
ated in section 32, township 34, range 31, and 
started a home. He built a farm house and first 
met with misfortune in the loss of a team of fine 
horses. The dry years followed and he was 
unable to raise a crop, making it hard to sup- 
port his family. But he endured all the hard- 
ships and is now proprietor of two hundred and 
eighty acres of good land, improved with a good 
house and farm buildings, well of good water, 
windmills and fences. He is assisted in his farm 
work by his son Tony, and running ninety head 
of cattle, twenty-four horses and other stock. 
From eighty to ninety acres of land are under 
cultivation, and on this they raise good crop.s, 
and are counted among the successful and pros- 
perous farmers in their vicinity. Prior to emi- 
grating Mr. Clasen worked in the coal mines of 
Essen, Germany, some two thousand feet below 
the surface, but feeling safer above ground he 
found three months of mining enough. In 1902 
a bolt of lightning running along a wire fence 
near which Mr. Clasen was driving in his stock, 
prostrated him. This is a shock from which 
few men recover. 

Mr. Clasen was married in Wisconsin in 1873 
to ]\Iiss Katherine Cramer, a native of that state, 
daughter of Anton and ^Mary (Brust) Cramer, 
of German descent. To Mr. and Mrs. Clasen 
the following children have been born : Mary, 
wife of Anton Long, of Iowa; Pete (deceased) ; 
^latt and Joe, living in South Dakota ; Anton, 
Lambert (deceased), Annie, Frank, Henry, 
Rose and Caroline. 

]\Ir. Clasen is an adherent of the Republican 
party and a member of the Catholic church. 



ANSON B. AIcDOWELL. 

Prominent among the progressive farmers of 
Sheridan county is the subject of this review, a 
yovmg man of sterling character and good busi- 
ness judgment. He is energetic and industrious, 
and has gained a fine farm and pleasant liome 
in section 2, township 33. range 41. 

Mr. McDowell was born in Pennsvlvania in 
1871, and was ra'sed there until he was fifteen 
years of age. His father, Cyrus F. McDowell, 



6.?5 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



was of Scotch- American descent, and served his 
country during the Civil war, and was later in 
the navy. Our subject is the eldest of fliree 
children, and came with his parents to Sheridan 
county, Nebraska, in 1885, and one year later 
learned the printer's trade. He worked on the 
first paper ever printed in Gordon, and followed 
this occupation for two years, after which he 
clerked in a store for one year. He then started 
at farming, and during his first year at this 
business the dry season came on and ruined all 
his crops, which caused him to lose nearly 
everything he had saved. After this he started 
in the cattle business, putting what capital he had 
left in this venture and succeeded from the start. 
He had a brother interested in a ranch, and they 
worked together, and in 1902 he bought his 
present home, each year becoming more exten- 
sively engaged in the stock business, until he 
now owns one thousand six hundred and eighty 
acres of good land and devotes nearly all his 
time and attention to this work, doing but very 
little farming. He has a fine herd of one hun- 
dred and twenty-five thoroughbred Shorthorns, 
and this is from a start of fifteen head of cattle. 
His farm is well improved with good buildings 
and all fenced, and he is counted among the suc- 
cessful ranchmen of his community. 

Mr. McDowell was married in 1902 to Miss 
Genevra Bresee. who was born in Iowa, in 1869. 
Her father. David Bresee. was an early settler 
in Iowa, and later a pioneer settler in Nebraska. 
Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have no children. When 
he landed in Nebraska he was obliged to go in 
debt for the purchase price of his land, and he 
has steadily worked up, gradually adding to his 
farm until he is now owner of as valuable a 
piece of property as there is in this locality, his 
land being worth more than double the price 
he paid for it. His first impressions of Ne- 
braska are very amusing, and he savs he will 
never forget the time he first struck Valentine. 
He had never seen a tent until he landed here, 
and he was sure that every Indian he met was 
after his scalp. He is a Republican, and has hei(1 
local office, always taking an active interest in 
all party politics. 



IRVINE STREET. 

Prominent among the well-known farmers of 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is Irvine Street, who 
resides in Wcstmark township. He has been a 
resident of this locality since 1885. and has 
passed through all the pioneer experiences that 
fell to the lot of the early settler in this state. 

Mr. Street is a native of Iowa, born near the 
town of Martinsburg, Iowa, and was reared 
there, receiving a common school education. He 



is a son of Joseph Street, who died near Creston, 
Iowa. He started out for himself when young, 
and in 1884 began working as a thresher in his 
home county, and since that time has followed 
this business constantly. He came to Nebraska 
in 1885, settling in Williamsburg township, 
Phel]js county. He bought eighty acres of land 
in \\ estmark township the following vear. and 
still lives on this homestead, where he has built 
up a good home and farm. His place is im- 
proved with a good set of farm buildings, com- 
fortable house, and all conveniences of modern 
farm machinery. He engages in mixed farming 
and operates a threshing machine during the 
threshing season. He has been engaged in this 
work since first coming here, all over Phelps 
and the adjoining counties, and through this 
has become one of the best known men in this 
section. He is considered one of the best thresh- 
ers in this part of the state, and no one is better 
qualified to judge of a machine and its work, or 
to operate it with better success than he. One 
brother. Byron Street, came to Nebraska with 
our subject, and was associated with him in this 
business up to the time of his death, which oc- 
curred February 21. 1905. In the opinion of 
Mr. Street, this country is away ahead of his 
native state on account of the healthy climate, 
and it is a much pleasanter place to live, as there 
is no mud here during the spring and fall months 
as in Iowa. Grain is a better crop here, and 
the corn crop as good or better than there. He 
states that he has threshed wheat yielding as 
high as fifty-one bushels to the acre in Ne- 
Ijraska. and the grain is nearly always of No. 1 
c|ualit\-. bright and u]) to standard weight. 

Mr. Street married Miss Eva Brooks in 
1890. She is a native of Illinois. They have 
one daughter. Leila. The family are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church in \\'illiams- 
berg. Mr. Street is a strong Republican. 



HOMER A. PRIDDY. 

Homer A. Priddy, who occupies a prominent 
place among the younger members of the ranch- 
ing community of Sioux county, is one of the 
early settlers in that region who has built up a 
fine estate and gained an enviable re])utation as 
a worthy citizen and progressive ranchman. He 
has been one of the foremost men of his locality 
during the past many years, and has done his 
full share in the development of the resources 
of the country where he chose his home. 

Mr. Priddy was born in Jasper county. Iowa, 
in 1861. on a farm. His father came of German 
stock, and his mother of F.nglish-lrish blood, she 
being a descendant of Sir Francis Drake, well 
known in the history of Great Britain. Our sub- 




JOHN MICHAELSEN. 




HENRY MICHAELSEN. 



COMPENDIUIM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



639 



ject was raised in Iowa, as a boy learning all 
kinds of farm work, attending the common 
schools, and later the Greenfield high school, of 
which he is a graduate. He learned the trade of 
blacksmith at Greenfield and followed that occu- 
pation considerable during his entire career. 
While living at the latter place he was married 
to Miss Maggie Woods, daughter of William R. 
Woods, who had followed the trade of black- 
smith from his boyhood da_vs. Mrs. Priddy's 
mother was, prior to her marriage, Sarah Brin- 
ton, of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. 

In 1888 our subject and his family came to 
Sioux county and filed on government land lo- 
cated on Monroe creek, and at that time there 
was but one white settler between that place and 
Harrison. He put up a log shanty twelve by 
fourteen feet, and started to develop a farm, 
having a team of mules and one horse. His en- 
tire cash capital was seventy-five dollars. He 
arrived in the region driving his mules, coming 
all the way from Iowa, camping out under the 
wagon, cooking their meals over camp fires. The 
first several years were hard ones, and thev had 
difficulty in making a living, as several crops 
were utter failures, and Mr. Priddy finally 
opened a blacksmith shop in Harrison and fol- 
lowed his trade at that place for twelve years, 
driving to and from his homestead, and man- 
aged to make quite a little money in this way. 
During that time he improved his place in good 
shape and bought additional land, so that he is 
now owner of a fine ranch of one thousand two 
hundred acres, part of which is used as hay land, 
and the balance as range for his stock, as he runs 
quite a herd of cattle. There is plenty of run- 
ning water the year around, and he has consider- 
able natural timber on the place. He has good 
buildings, and about seven miles of fencing. His 
residence is on section 8, township 32, range 56. 

Mr. Pridd}' and his estimable wife are the 
parents of five children, named as follows : Lin- 
lev R., Dollie R., Karma D., Edouard T. and 
Noel M. 

During the winters the family live in Harri- 
son, where the children have a better opportu- 
nity for attending school. Our subject is active 
in local affairs, and for five years held the posi- 
tion of postmaster of Harrison, serving from 
1902 to June, 1907. Politically he is a Republi- 
can and lends his influence for the best prin- 
ciples of his party. Mr. Priddy has a nice 
stream, Monroe creek, passing through his farm, 
well stocked with mountain trout, and it bids 
fair to be one of the best fishing places in the 
west. His place abounds in some fine wild game, 
such as deer, etc., and he is trying his best to 
protect them from the ravages of the hunters and 
sports. 



JOHN AND HENRY MICHAELSEN. 

The two gentlemen whose names head this 
personal history reside in section 15, township 
26, range 50, Box Butte county. Nebraska, and 
are leading old settlers of the western part of the 
state who have made this region their home for 
the past twenty-three years, and are well known 
and highly esteemed by all who know them for 
their thrift and energy, as well as for being 
thorough farmers and good business men. We 
take pleasure in presenting portraits of both 
these gentlemen on other pages of this work. 

Both John and Henry Michaelsen were born 
in Hanover Province. Germany. Henrv in 1845, 
and John in 1848, sons of farmers, the father 
having followed the trade of a harnessmaker for 
many years, and both parents lived and died 
in their native land. The two brothers served 
in the German army during the war of 1870 
and 1871, fighting for their country as all loyal 
subjects were compelled to do. John came to 
America in 1881. and lived in New York one 
year, then settled in Wisconsin where he re- 
mained for a time, then drifted to Omaha and 
spent four years there employed at different 
kinds of work in that city, where his brother, 
Henry, joined him in 1883. coming 'directly 
from the old country. In 1885 they came to 
Box Butte county, where each filed on a home- 
stead, and upon their arrival here John had just 
seventy-five cents and Henry but ten cents in 
money in their pockets, and this was their start 
in a business way. They began their homes, 
living in the open air for a time, then built a sod 
house, cooking their meals over a camp fire in 
old tin cans which they found, and during the 
early days had a struggle to make a living. 
However, they stuck to their purpose through 
all kinds of hardships and privations, and finally 
proved up on the land, gradually improving it 
with buildings, fences, etc., and together now 
own a fine ranch of about nine hundred and 
thirty acres. They raise cattle and horses prin- 
cipally, and are doing well, and are worthy citi- 
zens. But a short time after coming here they 
bought two cows. One of these died soon after 
they got it, and the other, for which they paid 
twenty-five dollars when she was a two-vear- 
old. was the beginning of their entire herd. They 
kept the increase from this animal, while using 
her product for their living, and from her have 
sold over two hundred head, and after keeping 
her for fourteen years sold her for thirty dollars. 
The brothers are now classed among the 
prosperous an.d enterprising residents of their 
locality, and have succeeded beyond their wild- 
est hopes since locating in this section of the 
country. 



640 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



COLUMBUS A. DUNCAN. 

Should the reader ask to see one of the very 
finest farms in Rock county, Nebraska, or be- 
come acquainted with one of the most thorough 
and capable farmers in all this region, he would 
be taken to the farm owned and operated by the 
gentleman with whose name this article begins. 
Here he would see careful cultivation of the 
soil, that thorough tillage without which suc- 
cess is not possible anywhere ; the various farm 
buildings are modern and ample for all the needs 
of the day ; the machinery that is needed saves 
labor and earns interest ; the stock is of good 
grade, and year by year improves, and the 
farmer himself hale and hearty, now in the prime 
of life and at the maturity of his manly powers, 
"with his natural force unabated and his eye un- 
dimmed." A good farm to visit, and a pleasant 
gentleman to meet. 

Columbus A. Duncan was liorn on a farm in 
Monroe county. Arkansas. March 6, 1855. the 
tenth child in a family of twelve children of 
Willis and Nancy (Matlock) Duncan, and in- 
herits good American blood from both branches 
of his ancestry. In 1869 the family came to the 
north, to make a home in Watonwan county. 
Minnesota, where he grew to manhood and his 
education was completed in the public schools. 
The young Columbus from a very early age did 
what he could' to help his parents and much hard 
work came to him as he grew older. When he 
attained his majority, he began for himself, and 
for some years followed farming in Minnesota. 
In 1877 he entered into marriage with Miss 
Mary Southerland, daughter of James and 
Martha (Green) Southerland. Her father was 
a farmer, and the family was well and favorably 
known in the state. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have 
had five children come to bless their union : 
Charles E., Walter S., Nettie L., Nellie V. and 
Wilma M. 

Four years after their wedding Mr. and Mrs. 
Duncan came to Nebraska to make a home on 
government land, where their homestead rights 
might still be exercised. They made the journey 
from Minnesota to Rock county in a covered 
wagon and brought two cows with them. When 
Mr. Duncan arrived here he had only two dol- 
lars in nmney and a debt of twenty-five dollars 
behind him which had to be paid, but he was rich 
in courage and strength, and rejoiced to live and 
labor for his wife and two children. For a time 
a dug-out made a home for this little family, 
but after two years he was able to replace it with 
a better shelter. At first he worked for others 
where he could find work to do, cut posts for 
barter, at the railroad points, and. as might be 
imagined, made but slow headway, but he per- 



severed. The second year he was here he se- 
cured an ox team, and prospects brightened for 
success. It was in vain, however, as a protracted 
drouth swept away all chance of a crop, and 
after the drouth came sickness in the family. 
Twenty years have rolled by since the Duncans 
arrived. They no longer suffer and toil and all 
but starve — that has forever passed. He owns, 
as already noted, one of the finest farms in north- 
ern Nebraska, consisting of five hundred and 
sixty acres, on which he erected ample build- 
ings, and has provided a full stock of farm ma- 
chinery, a good house, barns, and a grove of for- 
est trees which gives what fuel the family needs. 
He also has about two hundred apple trees. In 
addition his son Charles owns a tract of eighty 
acres of land acquired under the Kincaid home- 
stead law. and together father and son have a 
fine pasture of at least one hundred and twenty 
acres, while Mr. Duncan's home pasture em- 
braces an entire quarter section. 

Mr. Duncan helped to construct the railroad 
when it was put through Newport, thereby se- 
curing funds to support the family during the 
famine years. 

In political matters he has affiliated with the 
Populist party. He has attended many conven- 
tions as a delegate, and is now chairman of the 
Rock county central committee. He is a mem- 
ber of the Mariaville lodge No. 399. Ancient 
Order of United Workmen, of which he is 
recorder and his son Charles is master workman. 
He has been president and general manager for 
a number of years of the Independent telephone 
line between Newport and Mariaville and has 
proved to be a very efficient officer. When Rock 
county was separated from Brown. Mr. Duncan 
was the first assessor of his precinct, an office he 
held a number of terms. 



CHARLES W. HUDSON. 

Among the leading and substantial agricul- 
turists of Cherry county. Nebraska, the gentle- 
man whose name heads this review occupies a 
prominent place. Mr. Hudson lives on section 
4. townshi]-) 34, range 25, where he has one of 
the valuable estates in that locality, well im- 
prijved. and enjoys a peaceful and happy home. 

Mr. Hudson is a native of Nodaway county, 
Missouri, born .'^eptember 20, 1857, the third in 
a family of eight children. His father, John 
Hudson, a carpenter by trade, was one of the 
early settlers and farmers in this comity, coming 
here in 1883. He married Miss Rutelia Lamar, 
of American stock. Saturday. December 31. 1853, 
and to them were born a family of eigiit chil- 
dren, two cif will mi (lied in infancv. He was 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



641 



reared in his native state, becoming inured to 
hard work during his boyhood years, and came 
with his parents to Cherry county where he 
helped his father to open his farm. He soon 
afterwards took a homestead and tree claim in 
the vicinity of his father's home, and with ox 
teams broke the prairie sod which he cultivated 
in addition to helping on his father's claim until 
1892, when he made a home for himself, build- 
ing a good house and other farm buildings, and 
he is now owner of three hundred and twenty 
acres, of which one hundred is under cultivation 
and the balance in prairie meadow and pasture. 
His farm is all fenced, has a bountiful supply of 
good water, from several wells, with windmills, 
and a fine young orchard. During the drouths 
in his locality he lost two crops, and from a 
patch of eighty acres of land one year got 
thirty-five bushels of corn. A severe hail in 
1907 left nothing in its track. However, he kept 
his courage during the hard times, and has be- 
come one of the prosperous and successful farm- 
ers of Cherry county. 

Mr. Hudson was married October 26, 1892, 
to Miss Hattie Berry, daughter of Preston Berry, 
a farmer and old settler in Knox county, Ne- 
braska. He took up a claim in Holt county, 
where he died in 1873. He served in Company 
B, Tenth Iowa Volunteers, and was a prominent 
member of the Grand Army of the Republic. The 
mother proved up on the Holt county claim and 
in 1882 came to Cherry county, where she pur- 
chased the ranch of her son-in-law at what is 
now known as Berry bridge and which she still 
owns. Five children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Hudson, who are named as follows : Etta, 
Gladys, Edmund, Dorothy and John, all born 
and reared in this locality. The family is well- 
known and highly respected by all and enjoy a 
pleasant and comfortable home. 



PER MATTSON. 

Per Mattson, whose successful career dem- 
onstrates w-hat may be accomplished by persist- 
ent labor and honest dealings, is proprietor of 
a valuable farm in section 30, township 15, range 
43, and is known throughout Deuel county as 
one of the worthy citizens of this locality. 

Mr. IMattson was born in Sweden, December 
10, 1864, and grew up there, receiving a lim- 
ited schooling, working on his father's farm 
during his boyhood. In 1882 he, with his father, 
mother and brother, came to America, thev set- 
tling at first in Pennsylvania, where thev lived 
for two years, then came to Nebraska, landing 
in Deuel county in October, 1885. The father 
homesteaded in section 30, township 15, range 



43, and this is now used as the home ranch. Here 
they went through pioneer experiences in es- 
tablishing their home, going through hard times 
during the drouth seasons, often having a bitter 
struggle to get along, but worked hard to im- 
prove the homestead and finally succeeded in 
proving up on the claim. The family were 
among the very first settlers in the region, and 
have taken part in every movement which was 
started to develop the natural resources, re- 
maining to enjoy the prosperity which has 
overtaken the locality. The father died in 1891, 
while our subject's mother makes her home with 
her son on the home ranch. 

Mr. Mattson is now proprietor of a good 
farm, owning in all four hundred and eighty 
acres, considerable of which is under cultivation. 
He has a complete set of good farm buildings, a 
good well with windmill attached, and all con- 
veniences and machinery necessary, and has a 
pleasant and comfortable home. He has a herd 
of about eighty cattle, and a good bunch of 
horses, with plenty of pasture and hay land, also 
good groves, etc. In 1908 he built a fine resi- 
dence, and altogether has one of the best im- 
proved farms in the locality. 

Mr. Mattson was united in marriage to Miss 
Emma Ulson, on December 15, 1907. Mrs. 
Mattson was born and raised in Sweden, coming 
to America in 1891 and located in Chicago. 



c. F. Mcdowell. 

For over a score of years the gentleman 
whose name heads this review has resided in 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, where he has built 
up a fine farm and comfortable home through 
his perseverance and industry, supplemented by 
his good business judgment and capability. 

Mr. McDowell was born in Mercer county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1841, and is a son of Isaiah 
McDowell, of Scotch-Irish descent, a native of 
eastern Pennsylvania, who settled in fiercer 
county when it was first opened up. He had a 
family of twelve children, and our subject was 
the tenth member, all raised on the home farm. 
When the war broke out our subject enlisted in 
the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Pennsyl- 
vania Regiment and served up to 1863, and after 
being discliarged, then entered the L'nited States 
navv and served until the close of the war. Just 
after the close of the war he learned the cabinet- 
maker's trade and opened a shop, but was not 
successful and lost all the money he had in this 
venture. In 1869 he located in the "oil country" 
in his native state and lived there until 1885. He 
stayed in the oil regions for seventeen years, 
and managed to save up one thousand three hun- 
dred dollars, then came west and landed in Ne- 



642 COMPEXDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



braska in 1885, locating in Sheridan county on 
his present homestead, and has since that time 
lived on this farm continuously. When he first 
moved on this place tliere were twelve pine poles 
on the farm, and the balance of his timber 
needed for a house had to be hauled a distance 
of twenty miles, so he started to build a sod 
house, and put up a rough dwelling and waited 
until the first train should come through this 
section so he could have the lumber hauled by 
freight for the roof. He was the first to re- 
ceive lumber shipped over the new road into 
Gordon, and also got some of the first flour made 
at the Gordon mills. He had a hard time get- 
ting started on his farm and lost quite a sum of 
what he had saved when he came here. He just 
got nicely caught uj) when the dry years struck 
him and this put him back again so that he 
had to make another start. During the late 
years he has been very successful, engaging 
princii)ally in stock raising and not trying to 
farm verv much, and now owns a farm of four 
hundred and eighty acres, and has some of the 
best land in this section of the country. 

Mr. Mcltowell was married in 1870 to Miss 
Ella IJerlin, born in Clarion, Pennsyjvania, in 
1849. Her father, Nicholas Berlin, of German 
descent, w-as an old resident of Clarion county, 
who died at the advanced age of eighty-nine 
years. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have a family 
of three children, named as follows: Anson B., 
Elizabeth and Milton B. 

The family have a pleasant home and are well 
and favorably known throughout the entire com- 
munity in which they reside. Mr. McDowell 
has spent many years here and has watched the 
development of this territory from its inception. 
He is one of the very first settlers in this locality 
and the only one within a radius of four miles 
to stay on his original homestead. He has done 
his full share in opening up the country and is 
familiar with conditions which have existed here 
since the early days and tells many interesting 
experiences which he has passed through. Mr. 
McDowell has never acted in anv official capac- 
ity, nor has he ever served on a jury in his life. 
He is a Populist, but always votes for the best 
man in local affairs. 



MICHAEL r.RKXX.W. 

Michael I'.rennan, a farmer of ability and 
piogressiveness. resides in section 12, town- 
ship 31, range 48, and is one of the leading old 
settlers and respected citizens of Dawes coun- 
ty. He has watched the growth of that sec- 
tion from its early development, succeeded in 
building up a good home and farm, and may 



be classed among the self-made men of his 
locality. He is now well-to-do and enjoys a 
pleasant home and peaceful surroundings. 

Mr. Brennan was born in Carbon county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1845. He is of Irish descent, 
his father and mother both having been born 
in Ireland, coming to this country when young 
people and settling in Pennsylvania, where 
their family of children grew up, the father 
working in the coal mines for many years in 
that section. Our subject was also employed 
in the mines when but a young lad, and at the 
breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in 
the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served 
for one year, taking part in many campaigns 
and battles. 

After the war he returned to his home 
county and remained there for some time, 
then started west with his family, locating in 
Boone count}-, Iowa, and later in Green coun- 
ty, spending two years in the coal mines there. 
. Mr. Brennan first came to Dawes county 
in 1885, driving all the way from Iowa with 
a team and covered wagon containing his fam- 
ily and household goods, the trip taking -a 
month on the road. 

He located on a farm ten miles from Hay 
Springs and sixteen miles from Chadron, and 
put up his first building of sod and logs, in 
which the family lived for quite a time. 
Their start was very small, and they had a 
hard time to get along during the first few- 
years, witnessing the dry years when nearly 
everything he planted failed him. One year 
he sowed one hundred bushels of seed wheat, 
and did not even get enough back for seed. 
During these hard times he left home and 
went into Hooker county, where he worke 
out on a farm in order to make a living for his 
family, and also spent some time in Wyoming 
in the coal mines. However, he stuck to his 
farm through it all, and has now built up a 
good home, has improved much of the land, 
put up good buildings, three windmills, and 
lias one well three hundred and twenty feet 
deep. His ranch consists of about nine quar- 
ter sections of good land, nearly all fenced, 
and he runs a large number of horses and cat- 
tle, and also farms one hundred and seventy- 
five acres. 

Mr. Brennan was married while still liv- 
ing in Pennsylvania, in 1870. to Miss Mary 
Walsh. Her father, James Walsh, was born 
in Ireland, and worked as a coal miner in 
Pennsylvania, and in his later years farmed there 
for many years. He marrietl Elizabeth Hoben, 
a native of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Brennan 
was born January 10, 1855, and reared in that 
state. She is a good, kind-hearted lady, full 




RESIDENCE AND FAMILY— MICHAEL BRENNAN. 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 




SCENE ON RANCH— MICHAEL BRENNAN, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 



CO]\IPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



643 



of jolly good cheer and hearty sympathy with 
anv one in distress. No one is ever turned 
away hungry from her door. Twelve children 
came to bless the union of our subject and his 
wife, namely: Jilart, James, Charles, Lizzie, 
John, William, Thomas, Fred, Terry and Joe. 
Alice and ^Maggie, both deceased, the former 
being killed by a cow on the farm ; the latter 
dying in infancy. An interesting picture is 
presented on another page showing Mr. Bren- 
nan's famih- and some of his ranch property. 



C. H. WOODRUFF. 

C. H. Woodruff, of Alma. Nebraska, owner 
of "Ash Grove Farm", located on the eastern 
outskirts of Alma, comprising three hundred 
and fifty acres of the finest river bottom and 
second bottom land, is one of the leading citi- 
zens of his locality. He has lately erected a 
handsome residence on this place, and is a 
gentleman of sterling qualities who enjoys a 
wide circle of friends. 

Mr. Woodrufif was born in 1849. His father, 
J. H. Woodruf¥, came to Ogle county, Illinois, 
in 1840, from Great Barrington, Massachu- 
setts, and in 1884 moved to Nebraska, settling 
in the village of Sutton, Clay county. He died 
at Alma in 1905, aged eighty-eight. He married 
Miss Frances Williams, of Illinois, born in 
\\'estfield, Massachusetts. One son. E. M., 
was a pioneer settler of Cla)- county, this state, 
and is now in the treasury department at 
Washington, District of Columbia. Our sub- 
ject's mother is a descendant of Roger Williams 
of old colonial days. 

In 1882 Mr. ^^'oodrufT. our subject, located 
at Sutton, Nebraska, living there for a time and 
then engaged in the general merchandise busi- 
ness at Keene, Kearney county, running this 
for five years. He also was at Norman for a 
time, and in 1894 came to Harlan county, 
starting a farm. He has since bought a num- 
ber of farms here when land was cheap, and in 
1903 realized on these and invested in his 
present fine property. He has one of the fin- 
est groves in the locality, and his place is all 
in a high state of cultivation, well improved 
with good buildings, fences, etc. The alfalfa 
crop and its possibilities bespeaks this farm a 
fortune. He now has seventy-five acres of 
alfalfa land. Air. WoodrufT has started a herd 
of Shorthorn cattle of the best strain — 
Scotch. The bull heading Mr. Woodruff's 
herd is Lord Linton. Also Lord Lancaster is 
a bull of Mr. ^^'oodruff's breeding and raising. 
He will have fall and spring sales at Alma, 
Nebraska, in conjunction with F. A. Heath, of 
Naponee. making Alma one of the best Short- 



horn markets in the country. He also has a 
herd of pure bred Poland China hogs, and 
raises a large number each vear for the mar- 
ket. 

September 10. 1879. our subject was united 
in marriage at Rockford, Illinois, to Miss Net- 
tie Jewell. Mr. and Mrs. \\'oodrulif are the 
parents of the following children : May. Inez, 
Chester (deceased), Harry, Henry, Grace, 
Frank, Percy (deceased), and Bertha. Mr. 
W'oodrufif's son Henry is engaged in the stock 
business with his father, and they have jointly 
established a dairy business. They have a 
breed of dairy cattle in the country, and some 
fine animals for sale. 

Mr. \\'oodruft' is an active member of the 
Congregational church here, and his family are 
prominent in social circles, and all are highly 
esteemed in their community. In politics Mr. 
Woodruff is a Republican. Mrs. Woodruff 
died April 7. 1904. mourned by a large circle 
of friends. 



OLAF SATEREN. 

As a citizen of integrity and worth and a 
man of industrious and energetic character 
this gentleman is well known to the people 
of Dawes county. Mr. Sateren is counted 
among the oldest settlers on the "table," com- 
ing to Dawes county in the year 1885, before 
that section was organized under its present 
name. He has been largely instrumental in its 
development and growth, and richly deserves 
a prominent place as one of its foremost citi- 
zens. He resides in section 15, township 31, 
range 47. and has a ver}- fine ranch. 

Mr. Sateren was born in Goodhue county, 
Minnesota, in 1856. and is a son of John Sat- 
eren. a native of Norway, who came to Amer- 
ica when a young man, landing in New York 
in 1842, and who settled in ^Minnesota on a 
farm, where his family grew up. The mother 
was also born in Norway, and now lives with 
her son Edward, at the ripe old age of seventy- 
seven. Our subject helped his parents in the 
farm work from his early boyhood, and re- 
ceived his early education in the country 
schools, later attending school at Zumbrota, 
Minnesota, for some time. In 1877 he left 
home and came to Nebraska, locating in Cum- 
ing county, near Wisner, where he farmed for 
about three years, and also worked on the 
steamboats on the Missouri river, plying be- 
tween Yankton and Bismarck. 

In the spring of 1882 he went to Valen- 
tine, teaming from Long Pine, and there sum- 
mered a bunch of cattle, camping out all 
through that summer and leading a tvpical 



644 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



cowboy's existence. In the fall of that year 
he went to North Dakota and remained three 
months, spending the time in W'ells county, 
and up near the Canadian line, where he 
worked at the threshing business. He next 
returned to Nebraska, going to Wisner, where 
he spent some time, and in the fall of 1885 
took up a homestead situated in section 15, 
township 31, range 47, in Dawes county. There 
his first building was a board shanty, and he 
lived in this for a time, then put up a sod 
house. During the first year he worked in the 
woods, getting out timber and teaming, but 
after that time devoted his entire time to farm- 
ing his homestead. He remained on the place 
continuously up to 1890, then went to Wyo- 
ming, where he spent one winter in the log 
camps north of Lusk. He also put in two 
years in the Sand Hills in Cherry county, 
where he worked at ranching. In 1900 he 
again went into North Dakota with a large 
drove of horses. He came back to Dawes 
county in 1901 and again began farming and 
building up his estate. He was successful in 
his ventures and gradually added to his acre- 
age until he is now proprietor of a ranch of 
eight hundred acres, well improved and in 
first-class shape in every way. 

Mr. Sateren has always taken an active 
interest in affairs of interest in his locality and 
aided every movement for the betterment of 
conditions in his community. He has served 
his district as road overseer, also acted as 
dfrector of the district school, and is a worthy 
and influential citizen. Politically he is a 
Republican. 



JULIUS A. RAUER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is well known throughout Cherry 
county as possessing a broarl and intelligent 
mind, taking a deep interest in all matters per- 
taining to the advancement of educational ques- 
tions of this locality. Mr. Rauer resides on 
section 6, township 33. range 31, and is highly 
esteemed as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Rauer was born in Freiberg, Province 
of Silesia, Germany, April 6. 186.r His father, 
August Rauer, was a laborer in the old country 
and died when our subject was but a year and 
a half old ; he remained with his mother, Mary 
(Ende), until he reached the age of twenty, then 
came to America, sailing from Antwerp on the 
Bergcnland of the Red Star line, and landed 
in New York city in Tjctober. 1885. after a voy- 
age of ten days. He located first at Mansvillc. 
Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, where he 
worked in the coal mines for one year, then 



came west to Warren county, Iowa, and spent 
one winter working in the mines there. He 
next went to Omaha, securing work on the Bur- 
lington & Missouri railway in western Nebraska 
during March. April and May, 1887: he then 
came to Cherry county, and on May 15 of that 
year filed on the homestead which is his pres- 
ent home. During the first six months after 
coming he worked on the waterworks at Rock 
Springs and Green River in southwestern Wy- 
oming in order to get a start. He built a sod 
house and a stable of the same material, break- 
ing up his ground with a yoke of oxen which 
he used for a time before he was able to pur- 
chase horses. He went through the drouth 
periods and had a hard time getting a start, 
"batching it" for several years. In 1894 he sold 
off his chattels and went into the Black Hills 
and Big Horn mountains, and there followed 
ranching, mining, cutting ties, and anything he 
could get to do, remaining for three years. He 
returned to Nebraska and remained for two 
years, then went back to the mountains, where he 
spent a \ear and a half, and in 1902 came back 
to his farm and has lived on it constantly since 
that time. The house he had erected was de- 
stroyed by fire November 14, 1907. He has 
three hundred and sixty acres of good land 
and all well improved, and he is also part owner 
in a threshing outfit, which is run all over the 
neighborhood through the threshing season. 
Mr. Rauer has seen all the different phases of 
pioneer life, traveling from Omaha in a wagon 
and to the Big Horn mountains by the same 
means. When he first located here he was com- 
pelled to haul all the water for use on his farm 
from a creek two and a half miles away, and 
his nearest trading post was Valentine, a dis- 
tance of twenty-eight miles from his home, or at 
Tuxton. nineteen miles distant. He is one of 
the old-timers, and has taken an active part in 
the history of the country from its beginning. 
Politically he is an independent voter, and is 
a member of the Georgia lodge. Modern Wood- 
men of America. 

In June. 1903. Mr. Rauer was married to 
Mrs. Florence BoUes, bom near Manchester, 
Iowa, daughter of George and Phoebe (Hand- 
cock) Draper. One son, Charles, was born of 
her first marriage. 



W. R. \RRNON. 

.-\mong the well-known railway men of the 
western part of Nebraska the subject of this 
re\iew hulds a prnmincnt place, lie has been 
in this line of work for many years past, and 
is thoroughly familiar with all branches of the 
business. He is a resident of North Platte, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



645 



Nebraska, where he has built up a pleasant 
home. 

Mr. Vernon is a native of Muskingum 
county, Ohio, and was raised there. His tather, 
John \"ernon, died March 17, 1903, at Boone, 
Iowa, where he had lived for forty-seven 
years. His mother was Miss Caroline Lam- 
bert, also of Muskingum county, Ohio. Our 
subject entered the employ of the Union Paci- 
fic Railway Company at Cheyenne, Wyoming, 
in 1880, and worked as a brakeman and con- 
ductor on that road for six years, traveling 
between Cheyenne and Sidney, and later from 
North Platte to Denver. In 1886 he moved 
to North Platte and was appointed yardmas- 
ter on February 15th of that year and has held 
that position continuously ever since. During 
the twenty-one years which he has held this posi- 
tion and had charge of the North Platte Union 
Pacific yards, not a person has been injured, nor 
has any animal or vehicle ever received a 
scratch, although the traffic over these tracks is 
very heavy. He has been a member of the Order 
of Railway Conductors since 1892, and held the 
office of secretary of that order, division 35, for 
ten years, serving up to 1904, and attended the 
Order of Railway Conductors' convention which 
was held at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in June, 
1904. He is also a Mason. 

Mr. Vernon was married November 7, 1873, 
to Miss Ida M. Templin, daughter of \V. D. 
Templin, a veteran of the Civil war, member of 
Company D, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, in 
which he was first lieutenant. He was in the 
Red River expedition, and on that expedition 
lost a limb. He served as mayor of Boonsbor- 
ough, Iowa, and also held the position of agent 
at that place, and is one of the most prominent 
and highly respected citizens of that locality. Mr. 
and Mrs. Vernon have five sons, all of whom 
are now active and useful young men, each a 
promising member of the profession he has 
chosen. They are named as follows: C. L., a 
brakeman on the Union Pacific Railway ; John, 
and Charles, both following the same occupa- 
tion ; William, who was connected with the same 
road : Jessie, at present attending school. Harrv 
was killed in an accident on the Union Pacific 
railway at Lodgepole, February 28. 1904. His 
son John was married September 18, 1907, to 
Miss" Jennie McMicheal. She died October 23, 
1908. 



SOLON D. STUART. 

Solon D. Stuart, one of the truly self-made 
men of Keya Paha county, is a prosperous bus- 
iness man of this community. 

Mr. Stuart was born on a farm in Caledonia 



county, \''ermont, July 6, 1856, of Scotch-Ger- 
man parentage and is the fifth in a family of 
seven. When a young boy his parents, Seth and 
Sarah (Harvey) Stuart, moved to Illinois, where 
they located on a farm in Stark county, and here 
he was reared and educated, receiving a com- 
mon school education. In 1879 Mr. Stuart started 
out for himself, settling in Mahaska county, 
Iowa, where he followed farming for eight 
years. 

In 1880 he was married to Miss Alice N. 
Guthrie, whose father. John D. Guthrie, was an 
American of Irish descent. To them four chil- 
dren have been born, namely, Inza F., Hazel L.. 
Laura A. and Wayne. In 1885 our subject 
moved his little family to Keya Paha countv, set- 
tling on a pre-emption in section 34, township 
32, range 22. His start was very small, and 
his first home was a sod house in which he 
lived for two years. Here he experienced manv 
hardships and privations, suffering from the 
drouth periods, and to support his familv Mr. 
Stuart did contract work, three years of this 
time being spent in Iowa. 

In 1900 Mr. Stuart came to Springview, 
where he opened a grocery and drygoods store, 
which he operated six years before exchanging 
it for a farm of four hundred and eighty acres 
on Turkey creek, three miles southwest of 
Springview. The buildings form a page of il- 
lustrations in our work. He has also done con- 
siderable contract and bridge work in this 
county. 

Mr: Stuart is one of the oldest settlers in 
this county, a public spirited citizen, and has 
done his full share in the making of the historv 
of Keya Paha county. In politics he is Re- 
publican. 



JAMES W. COOK. 

James ^^". Cook, one of the leading pioneer 
settlers in Nebraska, is a farmer by occupation, 
who has built up a good home and gained the re- 
spect and esteem of all who know him. Mr. 
Cook was bom in Upper Canada, February 18, 
1852, within twenty miles of London. His father. 
John Cook, was a farmer of Scotch descent, and 
came to Michigan with his family in 1861. His 
mother was Miss Louisa Whaley, born in Eng- 
land, who came to Canada with lier parents at 
the age of eleven years. There were nine chil- 
dren in the family, of whom our subject is the 
third member in order of birth, and he was 
reared and educated in Michigan. In 1879 Mr. 
Cook came to Nebraska with his family, settling 
in Colfax county, purchasing a farm there, on 
which he resided up to 1899, the place comprising 
one hundred and twenty acres, for which he paid 



646 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



six dollars per acre. After he had worked this for 
several years, improving the farm to some ex- 
tent, he sold it for thirty-five dollars an acre. 
He had done exceedingly well on this farm, and 
accumulated quite a snug sum, and after the 
sale moved to Urown county, settling on his pres- 
ent ranch of six hundred and forty acres located 
in section 23. township 32. range 21. Part of 
this is used for grazing, and he has part under 
cultivation and raises banner crops on the land. 
Nearly all the hay and grain he raises is fed out 
on his farm, as he is extensively engaged in stock 
raising, giving particular attention to mules and 
hogs, which he finds more profitable than other 
stock. On the Niobrara river bottoms he has 
his best farming land, on which he raises splendid 
crops, having twenty-five acres of alfalfa. A 
fine brook running through the place supplies the 
family and stock with an abundance of water. 
\\'hen desired this is turned into a flume, which 
carries it to a water mill, which grinds all the 
feed needed for stock on the farm. A fine stone 
arch cave furnishes cold storage for milk, butter, 
etc. Mr. Cook was married in January, 1876. to 
Miss Stella Sherman. Two children were bom, 
one of whom. Elgin, survives. In June. 1879, 
while the family lived in Colfax county. Mr. 
("ook"s first wife died, and on June 19, 1888. he 
was married to Miss Mary Sebert, two children 
resulting from this union, Celia and William. 
Mr. Cook takes an active part in all county and 
local affairs, and has served his school district 
in various capacities at different times. In po- 
litical sentiment he is a Republican. In religious 
faith the family are followers of Mrs. Eddy in 
Christian Science. 



R. F. DAILEY. 



Another one of the prominent old-timers of 
western Nebraska, and a well-known cattleman 
who has passed through all the experiences of the 
pioneer of that region, is found in the person of 
the gentleman above named. He now resides on 
section 6, township 17. range 45. Lisco precinct, 
where he owns a valuable estate and is held in the 
highest esteem and respect by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Dailey was born in Stevenson county. Ill- 
inois on -April 17. 1857. He was the youngest child 
in a family of eleven, and with his brothers and 
sisters was raised on a farm, attending the 
country schools, where he received a somewhat 
limited schooling and remained at home until 
he was eighteen years of age. At that time he 
struck ont for himself, going to Iowa, and spent 
ten years there, then went to Leavenworth. Kan- 
sas, remaining a year, coming to Greeley county, 
Nebraska, driving through the country by wagon 
train. After about a year in that locality he re- 



turned to Kansas, then returned to Nebraska and 
settled in Deuel county, then Che\'enne county, 
in the fall of 1887, wliere he has since remained. 
He filed on a homestead on section 6, township 
17. range 45. and during the first few years met 
with many discouragements in getting his ranch 
started. He witnessed the drouth years, when 
for four seasons he raised no crop of any kind. 
He went through sod-house experience and 
often had a hard time to get along, but by 
dint of honest labor and strict attention to his 
ranch work he was able to add improvements in 
the wav of erecting good buildings, fencing his 
land. etc.. and became possessor of one whole 
section of land, which he devotes to stock rais- 
ing and farming. He now has a herd of about 
one hundred head of stock, cattle and horses, 
for which he has abundant pasture, and raises 
a large amount of hay each year. 

Mr. Dailey was married in April, 1882, in 
Butler county, Iowa, to Miss Ellen Noonan, 
who is a native of New York state, her par- 
ents being pioneers in Iowa, where she was 
reared. The parents of both ]\Ir. and Mrs. 
Dailey are dead. Seven children have been 
born to our subject and his wife, namely; Ber- 
nard F., Patrick, who died April 19, 1884, Win- 
nifred. John E., ^Margaret, ^lary. and Robert, 
who died September 8, 1900. Mr. Dailey is the 
only member of his family to settle in Deuel 
county, while }ilrs. Dailey has one sister liv- 
ing here. 

Our subject is one of the substantial and 
highly esteemed citizens of his township, has 
been an important factor in its development, 
and has filled dift'erent local offices. In poli- 
tical sentiment he is a Democrat. When he 
first settled here he had to haul supplies thirty 
miles, and many nights camped out on the 
roads, his meals consisting of potatoes and 
bacon, using a molasses can for a coffee pot. 



JOHN G. STETTER. 

Foremost among the early settlers in Ne- 
braska is the subject of this review, who has 
seen the develojiment and growth of Valentine 
from its start. 

Mr. Stctter was born in Richmond, Virginia, 
August 1. 1856. His father. John G. Stetter, 
Sr.. was born in Germany and came to this 
country when a young man. here following the 
occupation of a farmer and dairyman. Our 
subject lived with his parents in \'irginia until 
he reached the age of twenty, when he struck 
out for himself, coming west to Fort Robinson, 
Nebraska, to what was then called Sioux county, 
driving by team across the country, camping 
out summer and winter in government service. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



647 



While at Camp Robinson he was he was ap- 
pointed the first sheriff of the county, serving 
in this capacity for one year, when he was ap- 
pointed head ambulance driver under General 
Crook. Later under Gen. E. V. Sumner, he 
saw service, driving teams all over the west 
where the country was literally overrun by 
renegades, horse thieves and stage robbers from 
the south. In Crook's expedition at Fort Rob- 
inson Mr. Stetter came to Fort Niobrara, where 
his brother handled the beef contract for the 
United States government and the same con- 
tract for the railroad, as the first railroad into 
\'alentine was then in the course of construction. 

In 1885 our subject was married to Miss 
Maggie Danley, who conducted the first Sab- 
bath school in Dawes county, and they were 
the first couple ever married in that county. At 
this time he had the beef contract at Fort Rob- 
inson, and they lived in a dugout, where their 
first child, Leta A., was born, she being the 
first white child born in Dawes county. Miss 
Leta attended the Valentine high school, grad- 
uating with high honors, and entered the State 
L'niversity, graduating from that institution in 
1906, and was elected principal of the Dewitt 
high school in 1906-'07, filling the same posi- 
tion at IMcCook in 1907-'08, teaching English lit- 
erature, Latin and German. She is a lirilliant 
writer and scholar and a young woman of rare 
talent and ability, of whom her father is justlv 
proud. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa 
society. 

In 1884 Mr. Stetter opened a saloon in \'al- 
entine, soon after closing this out and going into 
a meat market in Chadron, Nebraska, which 
he conducted until 1890, then returning to Val- 
entine and again going into the saloon business. 
He is also the owner of saloons at both Codv, 
Nebraska, and Hot Springs, South Dakota. At 
one time he followed the fortunes of a pros- 
pector in the Black Hills country, and while 
there was nothing better to do, went on the 
stage as a comedian in the Gem Theater under 
the management of Al. Swarringer. He is a 
natural-born story teller and entertainer, a man 
of wonderful resource and conversational abil- 
ity, and this fact has made it possible for him 
to mix with the greatest characters of the west 
in the early eighties. He has been intimately 
asfbciated with men who stand high in the 
army and nation, among whom are General 
Miles, Major Woods, and others equally notable. 

Mr. Stetter has resided in Valentine almost 
constantly since March, 1890, and after the 
death of his first wife, which occurred February 
8. 1890. he was married May 20, 1896, to Miss 
Fanny Barling, who was born in England, and 
was a dressmaker in ^"aIentine at the time of 
her marriage. 



Mr. Stetter is a staunch Democrat, repre- 
senting his community at different conventions, 
and takes an active part in all local and state 
politics. 



GEORGE H. IRELAND. 

Among the well-known residents of Sheridan 
county is George H. Ireland, a man' of sterling 
character and active public spirit. He has re- 
sided in this locality many years and has be- 
come closely identified with its history. He has 
a well improved farm and pleasant home and en- 
joys the respect and esteem of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Ireland was born in Illinois June 19, 
1850, and in his infancy came west to Iowa with 
his parents, who settled n^ar Iowa City, where 
his father had land warrants from the Mexican 
war, taking the land for them. His father. 
Lemuel L. Ireland, was of American stock, born 
in C)hio, and had served for two years in the 
Mexican war. He tried .to enlist in the Civil 
war, but was refused on account of his age. Our 
subject is the oldest in a family of nine chil- 
dren, and at the age of twenty-two he started 
out for himself. Previous to this he had worked; 
out at different times, being employed on his- 
uncle's farm for two years. He went to Adair 
county, Iowa, where he fanned for eleven years, 
andjhere saved considerable money. In IVIarchi 
1887. he came west, landing in Gordon, Ne- 
braska, and has lived here ever since. For the 
first two years he worked rented land, them 
located on his present homestead. The first 
year he settled on this farm he built a sod house, 
in which he lived up to 1906, when he moved 
into a fine cement block house, thirtv-two by- 
thirty-eight feet, and he now has one of the 
most pretentious dwellings to be seen anywhere 
in this locality. During the dry years he jplanted 
his crops faithfully and spent much hard labor 
cultivating them, but could not even raise enough 
for seed, and to support his family he was com- 
pelled to work out by the day. At the time of 
the Indian war in this part of the country, 
during the years 1890- '91. they lived in fear for 
their lives, but bravely stuck to their home, and 
came through it without having experienced 
any serious injury. He now owns six hundred 
and forty acres of good farming land and forty 
acres of timber, the latter being in the vicinity 
of Wounded Knee. Of this, he has under cuf- 
tivation one hundred and fiftv acres, and the 
balance is used for hay and grazing. He also 
keeps a large drove of stock, "which nets him a 
nice sum each year. Of late years he has been 
very successful in his farming and stock raising 
operations, and has improved his place with 
good buildings, machinery, fences, etc. 

_Mr. Ireland was married in ;878 to Miss 
Alice C. Wilkinson, born in Illinois in 1854. 



648 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Her father. Wilson G. Wilkinson, was a farm- 
er of American stock, born in Virginia, and her 
mother. Elizabeth Slaughter, was born in In- 
diana. Mr. and Mrs. Ireland Jiave five children, 
namely: Roy, Earl and Pearl (twins), Ethel and 
Fred, all of whom were raised in this county. 
In political faith Mr. Ireland is an inde- 
pendent voter, and takes an active interest in 
the affairs of his party. He has held local office 
at different times, and has gained the confidence 
of all who know him. 



WILLIAM KADAS. 

Should the reader ask for a representative 
German-American farmer of Cherry county. 
Nebraska, for a man who embodies in himself 
the best elements of the old German character 
who has quickly entered into the hopes and am- 
bitions of modem .America, the name that heads 
this sketch might well be given him. Mr. Kadas 
resides on his well-kept farm in section 31. 
township 35. range 34, where he has built up a 
comfortable home. 

Mr. Kadas was born in the city of Alt Stet- 
tin on the Oder river. Germany. February 1, 
1852. His father was a sharpshooter in the Ger- 
man army, and in 1848 received a severe wound 
at Verschen. Poland, while in the service of his 
country, from which he died in 1864. Our sub- 
ject himself was in the Sixth Cavalry and 
served in the Franco-Prussian war, in 1871, re- 
ceiving a slight wound in a skirmish at Sainte. 
His family were among the rich and influential 
Germans and he was never taught a trade, as 
all of the poorer classes in that country are 
obliged to do. When a young man he made a 
tour of Russia, England and France, and then 
embarked for the new world, coming to Wis- 
consin in 1873. where he began working on a 
farm and later was employed in a tannery at 
La Crosse. He came to Cherry county in 1885, 
and his first job after locating here was on the 
railroad as a section hand. He only worked 
at this a short time, and in the same year took 
up his present homestead and started a farm. 
He built a frame house of good size, sixteen 
by twenty-four, and went to work with a will 
in improving his property. He was one of the 
earliest settlers in this part of Cherry county, 
and has done his share in building up the re- 
gion. He is well known all over the community, 
and commonly called by his friends and ac- 
quaintances "Dutch Bill." a sobriquet which 
was applied to him when he first worked on 
the section to distinguish him from "Calico," 
"Wild." and "Irish" Bills, there being four Wil- 
liams at work at that time, and the name has 
stuck to him ever since. He has established a 



good ranch, owning nine hundred and sixty 
acres of land, with one hundred and thirty cul- 
tivated and the rest in pasture and grazing 
land. His residence is fourteen by twenty, and 
he has a good barn twenty by eighty, with neces- 
sary sheds, with wells and windmills, and his 
whole place is under fence. A fine view of the 
residence and surroundings will be found else- 
where in this volume. 

Mr. Kadas was married in 1871, while liv- 
ing in Germany, to Miss Alina Schueler, a native 
of Germany, where she died after giving birth 
to two sons, both of whom also died in the old 
country. 

Mr. Kadas is a jolly, sociable man, well 
liked by everyone with whom he comes in con- 
tact. He is a Republican in politics, and is a 
member of the Co^y lodge, ]\Iodern Woodmen 
of America. 



THOMAS M. FREEMAN. 

In listing the self-made men of Cheyenne 
county. Nebraska, who have become well-to-do 
agriculturists, and have aided materially in the 
development of the farming interests of this 
region, a prominent place is accorded the name 
of T. M. Freeman. For many years this gentle- 
inan has followed farming in Cheyenne countv. 
during which time he has met with pronounced 
success and is known as one of the substantial 
citizens and well merits his high standing. 

Thomas M. Freeman was born in Cham- 
paign county. Illinois, on the 23d day of Decem- 
ber, 1855. He was raised and educated there, 
living on his father's farm as a boy, attending 
the country schools and receiving a fair edu- 
cation for those days, while assisting his par- 
ents in carrying on the work on their farm. 

He came to Wayne county, Nebraska, in 
1885. spent about a year and a half there, then 
moved to Cheyenne county, landing here on 
May 18, 1887. immediatelv taking up a home- 
stead in section 34, township 17, range 50, which 
is his present ranch, or the beginning of the ex- 
tensive place he owns at this time, which con- 
sists of one thousand six hundred acres. He has 
develo]3ed a fine farm and ranch, erecting a 
splendid set of buildings, and has made a com- 
plete success of farming and ranching. He cul- 
tivates about two hundred acres, and runs about 
one hundred cattle and a large bunch of horses. 

Mr. Freeman has passed through all the 
early Nebraska times, when he first located here 
there being but a few straggling settlers in the 
region where he chose his home, and he has 
watched its growth and development from its 
earliest stages. He is a true westerner in s[)irit 
and a genuine old-timer of the state, always tak- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



649 



ing an active interest in all that tends to the 
benefit of his locality. He is a stanch Repub- 
lican in political faith. 

The father of our subject is still residing 
in Champaign county, Illinois, also the other 
members of his family, but the mother has been 
laid to rest for about twentv rears. 



ANDREW LEONARD. 

Andrew Leonard, residing in Washington 
township, Franklin county, came to Nebraska 
in 1884 and purchased the farm on which he 
now lives, consisting of one hundred and sixty 
acres in section 1. 

Mr. Leonard was born in Ireland in county 
Galvvay, where he was raised. His father, James 
Leonard, came from Ireland with his family, 
settling in Champaign county, Illinois, where 
they lived for many years. Our subject enlisted 
in the Fourth Illinois Cavalry and served for 
three years under Grant and Sherman. He took 
part in the battles at Fort Henry, Fort Donald- 
son, Bedford Landing. Pittsburg Landing, 
Corinth, at the siege of Vicksburg, and then 
went with his regiment to Natchez, and during 
all the times he participated in these different 
actions he was only wounded four times. 

After the war closed Mr. Leonard returned to 
Illinois, and spent some years in that state. He 
located in Franklin county in 1884 and at once 
started to build up a good farm and home, and 
has met with pronounced success in his work 
here, has a comfortable home and is highly es- 
teemed by all for his good qualities as a citi- 
zen, neighbor and patriot. He is a member of 
the Grand Army of the Republic and the 
family are devoted members of the Catholic 
church. Mr. Leonard has been a member of 
the school board in his district for many years, 
and has also served as assessor for his town- 
ship. 

Mr. Leonard was married to Miss Rose 
Kellogg, of Champaign county, Illinois, and to 
them have been born the following children : 
Thomas, a farmer and living at home : Andrew, 
residing at Salt Lake City, Utah; Ruskin, of 
Nuckolls county, Nebraska, and Dan, a farmer 
in this countv. 



PETER BELGUM. 

Peter Belgum. who owns a well improved 
farm in this section, has been a resident of Box 
Butte county for more than twenty years past, 
settling here in the year 1886. Mr. Belgum 



was born in Norway in 1864, his native town 
being about one hundred miles from Christiana, 
where he grew up and was educated until he 
was twelve years of age, when his father came 
to this country with his family of three children, 
of whom our subject was one member, their 
ship landing in New York city June 2S. 1877. 
They immediately struck out for the western 
states, and settled in Boone county, Nebraska, 
where they were among the first pioneers in that 
part of the state: The father built a house and 
opened up a farm and met with good success 
while on that place and the father still lives in 
Boone county. Our subject's mother died in 
the old countrv when he was about eight vears 
old. 

\\'hen our subject was twenty-one years of 
age he came west and began working for him- 
self, settling in Box Butte county, where he 
filed on a homestead, and he still occupies this 
claim, which is situated in section 33. township 
26, range 48. He put up a sod house and 
broke up land for crops with an ox team which 
he brought with him, and during the early days 
he also worked out by the day and week on 
neighboring farms, freighting, and anything he 
could find to do. He did construction work on 
the Burlington railway, which was being built 
from Broken Bow to Newcastle, South Dakota. 
He was able to get along pretty well in this 
way up to the time the poor years struck this 
locality, and then for eight years was unable to 
get ahead to any extent, barely making a living 
on account of failures of crops due to drouths, 
etc. He kept hard at it, however, and as the 
years grew better, conditions becoming more 
favorable, he began to build up his farm and 
add to his land, so that at the present time he is 
owner of half a section of good land and has 
a good farm, highly cultivated and well improved 
with buildings, etc., and engages to quite an ex- 
tent in raising cattle and horses. Mr. Belgum 
also operates one thousand two hundred and 
eighty acres of leased land, which he uses for 
pasture and ranching purposes for his herds of 
cattle and horses. 

During the early years in this region Mr. 
Belgum camped out at night under his wagon 
when making trips through the countrv, and 
went through all the pioneer's experiences and 
privations. The section was very sparsely pop- 
ulated, there being only a few houses on the 
road between his farm and Hay Springs when 
he first settled here. 

Mr. Belgum was married in 1885 to Lena 
Olson, born in Norway. Five children came to 
bless this union, namely : Oscar, Julius, Tillie, 
Albert and Juliar, who died at the age of six- 
teen, in October, 1901. Mr. Belgum had the sad 



6^o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEN'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



misfortune to lose his good wife by death Octo- 
ber 15, 1905. 

Mr. Belgiim has been on the school board 
for a number of years, and takes an active part 
in the upbuilding of his district. 



W. R. HARLAN. 

Persistent industry and patient perseverance 
has placed this gentleman among the prosperous 
agriculturists of Phelps county, Nebraska. He 
came to Nebraska in 1880, locating in York 
county with his father. Dr. Elihu Harlan, who 
bought a farm there, which he still owns and re- 
sides on it at the present time, now aged eighty- 
three years. Dr. Harlan was bom and brought 
up at Liberty, Union county. Indiana. He was 
a skillful physician and pharmacist, practicing 
his profession in Iowa for several years, but on 
coming to Nebraska gave it up for farming. 

Our subject began his farming career in 
Iowa, and came to Nebraska, locating in the 
above county in an enrly day. He purchased a 
relinquishment and homesteaded in Union town- 
ship on one hundred and sixty acres, farming 
this for five years. Here he lost by death his 
wife. She left one son. Elroy, sixteen years of 
age. After h,er death Mr. Harlan went to 
Colorado, where he bought some irrigated land, 
remaining there for some years. While in that 
state he married Miss Wilson, a native of 
Ohio, and one child has been born to them, 
named Ralph. He sold his property in Colorado 
at a good advance over what it cost him, and 
came back to Nebraska, investing in land near 
Loomis. Phelps county, consisting of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres. He also bought one hun- 
dred and sixty acres near Bcrtrand and recently 
disposed of this, and has purchased one hun- 
dred and sixty acres situated two miles north- 
west of Holdrege, which he intends to keep for 
a home and not to sell. This farm is improved 
with a fine house, barns and outbuildings, and 
has a fine grove of trees growing nicely. It is 
one of the best located and the finest home farms 
in the county. Two years ago this was sold for 
one thousand dollars, and the price Mr. Harlan 
paid for it was twelve thousand dollars, and 
at the present time he could take an advance 
over this figure should he wish to do so, show- 
ing the rapid appreciation of lands in Phelps 
county. 

When Mr. Harlan came here he had no 
capital, and worked for five years on his fa- 
ther's farm. Since then he has made all he has 
by his own hard work and shrewd business 
methods in buying and selling lands. He has 
had wide experience in Iowa and Colorado, and 
strongly states that Nebraska is the "best ever" 



and he considers the greater success of the last 
few years due to the fact that people have 
come to know better the country, its soil and 
requirements, as this was true in his own case. 
He now, after plowing, harrows down the land 
two or three times, making the soil fine and 
level so it will stand dry weather and still pro- 
duce big crops. In 1906 on one piece of land 
he raised forty bushels of wheat to the acre, 
and a piece put in later made twenty-five 
bushels, but all of it went sixty-three pounds 
per bushel and was bright and Al grain. 

Mr. Harlan is a strong advocate of potato 
culture in Nebraska. In 1905, from a patch of 
forty-four acres, he raised four thousand bushels 
of potatoes, all fine stock. He has all of the 
best potato machinery and thoroughly under- 
stands the matter of growing this vegetable. 
One year in Iowa he raised one thousand bush- 
els from a patch of ten acres, selling the entire 
crop at one dollar per bushel, and this year he 
is also getting the same price at the market in 
Holdrege. There is no better preparation for 
other crops than to use the land for potatoes the 
previous year, except that it sometimes makes 
the ground too strong for oats. More money 
can be made from the culture of potatoes than 
from any other crop, as one man can easily 
attend to forty or fifty acres. However, one 
should not plant here varieties that make many 
potatoes to the hill, as should there be a dry 
season the potatoes will be very small. The 
Ohio Acme, Daughter of Early Rose and 
Carmen No. 3 are the best kinds for this state, 
running about .^i.x large perfect potatoes to the 
hill. 



LEWIS M. McCOY. 

In reviewing the history of Dawes county, 
Nebraska, the citizens who have contributed to 
her welfare must be given special mention, and 
a prominent place among their number must 
be accorded the gentleman above named. Mr. 
McCoy is a pioneer settler, coming here in 1886, 
and is one of the best-known and most highly 
respected men in his region. He is a prosper- 
ous agriculturist and has built up a comfortable 
home and fine farm near Crawford, where he 
enjoys a peaceful and contented life. 

Mr. McCoy is a native of Washington coun- 
ty. Indiana, horn in 1848. His father. Isaac 
L. McCoy, was of Irish-Scotch descent, a stock- 
man by occupation, who married Deliatha 
Stuart, born of English parents. Wlien our sub- 
ject was five years old the family moved to 
Iowa, settling near Burlington on a farm and 
were pioneers in that section, but did not re- 
main there for long when they moved to Davis 




MR. AND MRS J \Mi:S H. SKINNER. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



651 



county, living there for five years. They next 
went to Monroe county, and during this time 
our subject was acquiring a common school 
education and assisting his parents in the work 
of carrying on their farm. About 1871 he 
went to Kansas, where he spent two years, then 
came to Brownsville. t Nebraska. He had trav- 
eled all through Nebraska while it was still a 
territory, and he and his father did freighting 
from O/naha to Denver, the former making the 
trip three times when the Indians were in a 
hostile state. From Brownsville Mr. McCoy 
went to Emerson, Iowa, where he was engaged 
in the hotel business for a time, and then to 
Kearney, Nebraska, where he remained for 
seven years. In 1886 he came to Dawes county, 
driving through the country with a covered 
wagon, and the first summer he was here lived 
in a tent, building a log house in the fall. He 
first settled on a pre-emption and later on a 
homestead. His first supplies were hauled from 
Chadron. Crawford was then merely a tent 
town. During the first years his nearest neigh- 
bor was five miles away, and Indians were nu- 
merous in his locality. He at that time owned 
three ox teams and hauled timber from his farm 
and for others in the vicinity, which he ex- 
changed for provisions. He saw some hard 
times, being hailed out a few times and meet- 
ing other losses and discouragements. He en- 
gaged in the ^tock business a number of years 
ago. and is still following this and farming a 
part of his ranch of two thousand forty acres, 
all fenced and improved with good buildings, etc. 
There is a good grove of natural timber on the 
ranch, and good clear springs of running water, 
making it an ideal stock ranch. 

yir. INIcCoy was married in 1869. at Glen- 
wood, Mills county, Iowa, to ^liss Ellen Otis, 
whose father, Barnabas Otis, was a mechanic 
and machinist, and a prominent citizen of that 
county. Mr. and Airs. AlcCoy have a family of 
six children, who are named as follows : Irving, 
Guy, Lulu, Bertha, Barney, and Ruby, all of 
whom are married and settled in homes of their 
own near the parental home. Mr. McCoy and 
his wife are grandparents to eleven children. 

In politics our subject is a Democrat on re- 
form movements and takes an active interest in 
all local and county affairs. He has held the office 
of justice of the peace for fifteen years, and is 
now a notary public. 



JAMES H. SKINNER. 

Foremost among the old settlers of western 
Nebraska who have aided materially by their in- 
fluence and personal effort in developing that 
region, is the gentleman whose name heads this 



review. Mr. Skinner was one of the first to 
take up homestead rights here, and the first 
public school was held in his home, as was also 
the first Sabbath school, of which his wife was 
the leading spirit. Airs. Skinner was also the 
first school teacher in the district, and the first 
religious service in this vicinity was held at 
their home, both our subject and his wife tak- 
ing an active part in all these affairs. Both 
Air. Skinner and wife are of the Presbyterian 
faith. They went through all the pioneer ex- 
periences, suffering the many hardships and 
privations so familiar to the people who settled 
here when the country was new, inhabited chief- 
ly by Indians, and with all kinds of wild beasts 
roaming the forests. From the earliest days of 
settlement in this part, our subject and his wife 
have watched the growth and development and 
during those years have managed to accumulate 
a nice property by dint of good management 
and earnest effort, and are now in position to 
enjoy their declining years in peace and com- 
fort. They have a pleasant home in section 17, 
township 25. range 49, and are held in high es- 
teem by all who know them. 

James H. Skinner was born in Waterford, 
Erie county, Pennsylvania, April 13. 1835. His 
paternal grandfather was born in Ireland, came 
to America during the early settlement of 
Pennsylvania, where our subject's father was 
born and lived all his life. He married Alary 
Ann Certson, of Erie county, Pennsylvania. 
Our subject was raised in his native state and 
lived with his parents there until he reached the 
age of eighteen years, then left home and came 
to Illinois. He only remained a short time, then 
returned to his parents' home and began work- 
ing as a carpenter and painter, following that 
occupation for some time. 

Air. Skinner was married in 1867. to Aliss 
E. T. Durham, whose father, Ezra Durham, was 
a capitalist, of English descent, and her moth- 
er's maiden name was Lucinda Head. In 1884 
the young couple settled in Alichigan, at Alaple 
Valley, and spent two years in that locality, 
then struck out for the west, coming to Ne- 
braska April 2, 1886. Here Air. Skinner filed 
on section 17, township 25, range 49, driving 
to his new home from Hay Springs, which was 
the nearest railway point, seventy or eighty 
miles distant. They were obliged to camp out 
at night, as the settlers' homes were few and far 
between, and had with them their entire posses- 
sions. 

They put up a rude shanty as a dwelling, and 
started to make a home, having -a hard time dur- 
ing the first years, meeting with every form of 
disappointment in the way of failure of crops 
and other discouragements, but never thought 



652 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of giving up, and finally succeeded in develop- 
ing their farm in good shape, putting up sub- 
stantial buildings and doing all the work of 
building up his home and farm with his own 
hands, aided by his faithful life companion, and 
today they own a fine estate of four hundred 
and eighty acres as a result of their persever- 
ance and pluck. 

Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have a family of six 
children, named as follows : Henry ].. Eva, 
Edgar, May, Maud and Myrtle, constituting an 
interesting family. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. 
Skinner will be found on another page of this 
volume. 

Our subject has always done his full share 
as a public-spirited citizen, giving freely of his 
aid in every movement which has been started 
toward promoting the best interests of his com- 
munity. He has held different local, ofifices 
justice of the peace, school director and road 
overseer. Politically he is a Republican. 



LEWIS L. MILL.\RD. 

Lewis L. Millard, a prominent farmer of 
Keya Paha county, Nebraska, is one of the men 
who carries on a diversified system of agricul- 
ture in a most successful manner, with results 
that richly reward his thrift and industry. He 
resides on section 19, township 34. range 22, 
and is a splendid specimen of a clear-headed, 
progressive agriculturist, his well-kept farm 
bearing evidence of his tact and good manage- 
ment. 

Mr. Millard was born in Jeflferson county. 
Wisconsin, March 7. 1859. His father. George 
E. Millard, was a farmer and early settler in 
Johnson county. Nebraska, coming here in 1866 
with his family. He was of old Welsh stock, 
born in America, and married Caroline Madison. 
born in New York, of -American parents. Our 
subject was raised on the frontier, where he at- 
tendefl the country schools and assisted his par- 
ents in carrying on their farm, beginning this 
work when but seven years old. The family 
lived in Johnson county up to 1885. then settled 
in Merrick county, the father now residing in 
Scotts Bluff county. 

.■\t the age of twenty-six Lewis left home 
anrj struck out for himself, settling in Keya 
Paha county on a homestead located eight and 
a half miles northwest of Sjiringview. Here 
he put up a rough sod shanty and remained on 
that farm with his familv up to 1904. building 
up a good home and farm there, the place con- 
sisting of four hundred and eighty acres on 
which he had put gooc] buildings, jjlanted a large 
orchard, and carried on mixed farming on two 
hundre<l acres. He witnessed the drouth per- 



iods, but never actually suffered from hardships, 
always being able to make a good living and 
enough to keep constantly improving his prop- 
erty. 

In 1904 he sold out that farm and purchased 
his present homestead, where he has nine hun- 
dred and sixty acres, three hundred and fifty 
of which is under cultivation. He has a good 
house, barn, granary, windmills and tanks, and 
all the equipment necessary for operating a 
model farm. Since coming here he has also 
planted many fruit trees and has a fine grove 
of forest trees. 

Mr. Millard is a blacksmith by trade, and 
for eighteen years had a shop on his farm and 
did considerable work for his neighbors and 
people living in his vicinity. 

On September 20, 1883, our subject was 
married in Helena, Nebraska, to Miss Charlotte 
Montgomery, daughter of Thomas M. and 
Prudence ( Pierce) Montgomery, both of Amer- 
ican blood, the former a painter by trade, re- 
siding in \'igo county. Indiana, at the time of 
his death, which occurred in Florida, whither he 
had gone in search of health. Mr. and Mrs. 
Millard have a family of five children, namely: 
Walter, living in Colorado ; Guy, in Long Pine ; 
George, living in Keya Paha county : Gladys 
and Myron. 

From the time of his early settlement in 
this section of the state. Mr. Millard has been 
active in advancing the commercial and educa- 
tional interests of the region. He was one of 
the leaders in establishing the schools here and 
deserves much credit for the part he has al- 
ways taken in the upbuilding of his community. 
Poiitically he is a Populist and takes an active 
interest in party affairs. 



JOHN J. MANDEVILLE. 

John J. Mandeville is a native of Indiana, 
being born in Jasper county of that state, in 
1857. His father, Giles, was descended from 
early colonial stock of Holland-Dutch blood. 
His mother. Mary (Krantz) Mandeville. was 
of Scotch stock and her family dates back to 
Revolutionary war times. 

Our subject was reared on a farm in the 
state of Indiana until he attained manhood. 
His educational facilities were limited and in 
his young days he had but little schooling. He 
loved to go up into the woods and hunt for 
wild game and was a great hunter, his father's 
place at P.eaver Lake being the headquarters of 
the hunters of a widespread country. Thus he 
acquired the spirit of the chase and hunted a 
great deal in his youth. He learned to read and 
write when he was twentv vears old, and then 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



653 



became a great student, reading all the books on 
history and literature he could find, and by this 
means he picked up a good education. 

The marriage of Mr. Mandeville occurred 
in 1888, when he was wedded to Miss Ruth 
Boaz, daughter of Robert E. Boaz, a dentist 
and old settler of Dunning, Nebraska. Her 
mother was Miss Lucilla Wiley in her maiden 
days. 

' Mrs. Mandeville is a graduate of the Hum- 
boldt high school and has taught school and is 
a lady of culture and refinement. Her parents 
trace their ancestry back to English people who 
settled in Jamestown, Virginia, in the early his- 
tory of the country. ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Mandeville 
have one child, Robert G., the first child born in 
the village of Dunning, Blaine county, Nebraska. 
Our subject's early life was full of varying 
experiences and he traveled into several states, 
going to Lincoln, Nebraska, thence to Dakota 
and back to Indiana. In 1883 he came west to 
Holt county, Nebraska, where he followed hunt- 
ing as a business. He filed on a pre-emption 
claim and proved up. He then lived at Atkin- 
son, Nebraska, for several years, where he did 
an extensive game business. In 1887 he went 
to Dunning and engaged in the same business, 
meeting with good success. The same year he 
located a homestead near the town of Purdum 
and proved up on the land in 1889. Later he 
proved up on a tree claim and secured a tract 
of Kincaid land. He now has a splendid ranch, 
known as the "Dusky Heights Ranch," of eight 
hundred acres of deeded land and six hundred 
and forty acres under twenty-year school land 
leases. He also has forty acres near Dunning 
and five acres of timber on the Aliddle Loup 
river. His ranch is splendidly improved in 
every respect and he may be justly proud over 
the success that has been wrought by his in- 
dustry and intelligence. He gives special care 
to his fine orchard containing three hundred 
peach trees, one hundred apple trees, also pear 
trees and an abundance of small fruit. As he 
looks about him, he can hardly realize that 
when he came to the country his start was only 
a shot gun, a dog, and thirty dollars in money. 
There is certainly a vast difference between his 
fortunes then and now : and he has made it all 
by his own effort. Of his land he cultivates 
about one hundred and twenty acres, the bal- 
ance being devoted to stock grazing and hay 
purposes. 

John J. Mandeville has filled an important 
place in the affairs of his community and has 
held numerous positions of trust and' responsi- 
bility. He was appointed county treasurer in 
1889 ; has been county surveyor for five or six 
terms and has been for years an officer of his 
school district which he helped to establish. Our 



subject has been closely identified with all mat- 
ters of local interest and no one can be more 
progressive and public-spirited than he. Through 
all the years of pioneer hardships, drouth, hail 
and hard times he has pushed his way upward 
till he attained the success that he so justly 
merits. 



FRANK V. LOVENBURG. 

Frank V. Lovenburg, residing on section 25, 
township 9, range i7 , has for many years past 
been identified with the development and ad- 
vancement of Perkins county and is proprietor 
of one of the valuable farms of that locality. 
He was one of the early pioneers here, and al- 
though considerable of his time has been spent 
away from the region, he has always looked 
upon it as his permanent home, and is a familiar 
personage to all who have called it their home 
since the early days. 

Mr. Lovenburg was born in Tama county, 
Iowa, on a farm in 1863. His father and mother 
were both natives of Bohemia, coming to Amer- 
ica during their youth, and settling in Iowa, 
where they resided up to 1870. They then 
went to Kansas, locating in Republic county, 
where our subject was reared and educated, 
spending his entire boyhood days on his father's 
farm until he was eighteen years of age, when 
he left home and has made his own way in life 
since that time. He went to Iowa and worked 
in the coal mining regions near Des Moines for 
two years, then returned to Kansas and was 
employed as a clerk in his father's store for a 
time. In the spring of 1887 he came into Ne- 
braska, driving through the country with a team 
and covered wagon, and covering the entire dis- 
tance from his former home in Kansas to this 
section in this way, spending the nights camp- 
ing out under his wagon, the trip consuming 
nine days. He took a pre-emption on section 
25, township 9, range 37, and proved up on it 
in due time. During the first few months he 
had no house to live in, but occupied his wagon 
as a dwelling, finally building a sod shanty in 
which he lived for two years. He went through 
hard times, having a rather difficult time to get 
started owing to unfavorable crop conditions, 
and in 1889 went back to his old home in Kan- 
sas, engaging in the livery business at Narka, 
Kansas, which he carried on for two years, but 
was not successful and lost money in the ven- 
ture, so gave it up. He again returned to Per- 
kins county, remaining for about a year, then 
went on the road as traveling salesman, and 
worked all over Kansas, Iowa and Dakota, and 
followed this business for about seven years, 
in the employ of the McCormick Harvester and 
Machine Company. 



654 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REiMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



In 1897 Mr. Lovenburg again located at 
Xarka, Kansas, and established himself in the 
implement lousiness in partnership with his 
l)rother. William, and continued this for nine 
years, building up a successful trade. In 1906 
thev were burned out, suffering a severe loss, 
and after this misforunte gave up the business, 
and our subject came back to Perkins county, 
settling on his farm, and has since made it his 
home. Here he has four hundred antl eighty 
acres, with about seventy acres used for grain 
raising, and the balance is devoted to the mule 
raising industry. He has some very fine young 
animals on his place, and is building up a good 
business in this line, being a thorough judge 
of his work and a capable business man. Mr. 
Lovenburg has good improvements on his ranch 
and everything is kept up in good shape, the 
whole appearance of the place bespeaking good 
management and thrift in its operation. 

Our subject was married in 1887, to Miss 
Antiiony Stranskey, who was bom in Bohemia, 
she coming to America with her parents and 
settling in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Lovenburg 
have a family of seven children. Mr. Loven- 
burg takes a commendable interest in the affairs 
of his community, and has held different local 
offices. 



HERMAN E. MILLER. 

Herman E. Miller, well-known as a leading 
farmer and public-spirited citizen not only in 
the vicinity of where his fine and admirable farm 
is to be found, but also throughout Sioux coun- 
ty and the adjoining country, where his many 
sterling qualities are familiar to all who know 
the prominent residents of the section.- A por- 
trait of Mr. Miller will l)e found on another 
page of this volume. 

Mr. Miller was born in Trebto-on-Rege. 
Germany, in 1847 and lived there until he 
was ten years old. His father, Peter, was a 
farmer in that country, and brought his family 
to the L'nited States in 1857, settling on a farm 
in Door county. Wisconsin, where our subject 
grew to manhood, assisting in carrying on the 
home farm and attending the country schools. 
where he received a limited schooling. 

In 1874 Mr. Miller came to Central City, 
Nebraska, and farmed in that vicinity for 
about fourteen years, building up a good farm 
and improving it in good shape. He next moved 
to Sioux county, landing here in 1888, locating 
at first on Soldier's creek, six miles from Craw- 
ford. While living on that place his wife died, 
and soon afterwards our subject had the mis- 
fortiuie to be robbed by bandits and relieved of 
three hundred and sixtv dollars in cash, and 



was also swindled out of three thousand dol- 
lars in a contracting deal. He had hard times 
during that period, was unable to get ahead any, 
and finally left the place and moved to the Pine 
Ridge country, in 1900. and has remained in 
that vicinity ever since, living on three different 
farms and improving all to quite an extent, and 
has gone through many bitter experiences. 

Mr. Miller finally settled permanently on the 
place he now occupies, which is situated in sec- 
tion 14, township 32. range 54, and here he has 
put on good improvements in the way of build- 
ings, fences, etc. The place is well supplied 
with timber and fine trees of all kinds and well 
supplied also with good water for all purposes. 
The ranch contains four hundred and eighty 
acres, and he uses eighty acres as farm land, 
running a large number of stock on the bal- 
ance of four hundred acres. 

Although our subject has gone through 
many hardships and discouragements, he has 
succeeded in making the most of his opportun- 
ities and is at last the proprietor of a nice prop- 
erty. His handsome residence is connected by 
telephone with Crawford, and is supplied with 
every modern comfort and convenience, and is 
a model of rural progress. 

Air. Miller was married in 1870 to Bertha 
Miller, who was also born and raised in Ger- 
many. They have a family of eight children, 
namely — Theresa. Regina. Peter. Hannah. Mag- 
dalena. Antony, Annie and Eddie. The mother 
died in 1888. Our subject was married again 
the second time, taking as a helpmate. Airs. Mar- 
garet Fricke. and they have a family of children 
as follows: Henry. Bertha, Agnes, Herbert. 
Anton and Emma, the last two mentioned lacing 
the children by a former marriage of Mrs. Miller. 

Mr. Miller has done his full measure in de- 
velopment the commercial and agricultural in- 
terests of his community, but has steadily re- 
fused to take an active part in politics, prefer- 
ring to devote his entire time and attention to 
his home and farm. 



JOHN WEIRICH. 

John Weirich, a well known farmer and 
ranchman of Cherry county, Nebraska, is one 
of the leading old timers of that section of the 
state. He has spent many years in this region, 
and has contributed in no small degree to the 
welfare and assisted in the development of the 
farming resources of the locality in which he 
chose his home. 

Mr. Weirich was born in I^Salle county. 
Illinois, on the present site of Streator, Janu- 
ary 20, 1859. His father, Joseph Weirich. was 
a coal miner, born in the Kingdom of Prussia. 




HERMAN E. MILLER. 




RANCH OF F. B. JAMES, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



6'.- 



near the Rhine, and his mother was also a na- 
tive of that country, both coming to the United 
States when young. There was a family of 
six children, of which our subject was the fifth. 
He lived in Illinois until ten years old, when the 
whole family came to Iowa and settled on a 
farm in Cass county. He remained with his 
parents until twenty-one years of age, then 
started out for himself, following farming as 
an occupation. He bought a farm in Cass coun- 
ty and farmed that for three years, then came 
to Nebraska, settling in Cherry county in 1887, 
five and a half miles south of Crookston. Here 
he took up a pre-emption and proved up, remain- 
ing there for two years, then moved to Sarpy 
county in the hopes of benefiting his wife's 
health. Here he secured a farm which he oper- 
ated in connection with his trade, harnessmaker, 
which he had learned when a youth in Iowa. He 
returned to Cherry county in 1899. taking up a 
homestead on section 21, township 34, range 31, 
and there started to build up a farm and home. 
He has improved the place with good buildings, 
engaging in stock raising and ranching, and 
has added to his original holdings until he now 
has in all eight hundred acres of land, all en- 
closed with good fence. He has accumulated 
a nice property as a result of his industry and 
thrift, and is one of the representative citizens 
of his community. 

Mr. Weirich was married in 1884 to Miss 
Clara Hegedorn, daughter of Fred and Mary 
(Abel) Hegedorn, both born in Germany, emi- 
grating before their marriage, which occurred 
in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Weirich have one 
child, Elinora A., wife of John H. Fisher, who 
owns a ranch on section 22, adjoining Mr. Wei- 
rich's on the east. To this couple have been born 
three children. Daniel, Delia and an unnamed 
baby. 

Mr. Weirich has voted the Republican ticket 
for many years, and is a strong party man, but 
does not take an active part in politics, prefer- 
ring to devote his entire time and attention to 
his home and ranch. All are members of the 
Baptist church. 

FAY B. JAMES. 

Fay B. James, a prosperous agriculturist 
and ranchman of section 18, township 25, range 
31, Cherry county, is a leading citizen of that 
locality who has improved a fine ranch and 
met with marked success, incidentallv gaining 
the respect and esteem of his associates bv his 
sterling qualities and integrity of word and 
deed. 

Mr. James was born in Grayson countv, 
Vermont, in 1880, and reared in Texas and 



Nebraska on a farm. A sketch of his father, 
S. L. James, appears in this volume. During 
his boyhood years our subject, with his par- 
ents, moved to Texas, and after spending several 
years in that state, came to Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, arriving there in March, 1888, when that 
region was just being started and settlers were 
coming in slowly. There they went through all 
the pioneer experiences, helping materially in 
building up the locality. Fay living at home 
with his parents until 1901. Then he filed on a 
homestead in section 18, township 25, range 31, 
and started a ranch of his own, putting up nec- 
essary buildings and improving it as fast as he 
was able. He had some hardships, but got along 
in good shape, and is now owner of a ranch con- 
sisting of six hundred and forty acres, all 
fenced, which he uses as a stock ranch princi- 
pally, although he does some farming. 

In 1904 Mr. James was united in marriage 
to INIiss Sallie Holland, of Texas, daughter of 
Lafayette Holland and Isabella (Parks) Hol- 
land, of American descent. Our subject and 
his estimable wife have two children, Clara and 
Vera. They have a pleasant home, and have a 
host of warm friends and good neighbors in 
in their community. A picture is presented on 
another page showing a ranch scene on Mr. 
James' property. 



GEORGE VASEY. 

One of the most enthusiastic, intelligent and 
successful farmers in Harlan county is the gen- 
tleman above named, and by his thrift and in- 
dustry has accumulated a valubale estate, con- 
sisting of two hundred and forty acres, on which 
he has a handsome house fitted up with every 
modern convenience, including heat, bath with 
hot and cold water connections, etc. His farm 
is located in Eldorado township, and the soil 
is all good river bottom and second bottom 
land, on which he is able to raise banner crops 
of all kinds. He is treasurer of the Harlan 
County Agricultural Association, with the fair 
grounds at Alma, and is one of the up-to-date, 
progressive men of his county. 

Mr. Vasey is a native of Yorkshire, England, 
and was raised on his father's farm there, the 
latter coming to America with his family many 
years ago, and settling in Nebraska in 1885, 
where he died in 1893, at the age of seventy. 
Mr. Vasey farmed in Christian county, Illinois, 
for several years before locating here, and from 
there he moved to Gage county, this state, for 
six years. His experience with the methods 
and soils of those places have been of great 
value to him in his agricultural pursuits here, 
and he considers, taking everything into ac- 
count, that the Republican Valley is far ahead 



636 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of anv place he has ever seen. Since coming 
here lie has made a special study of corn culture, 
and firmlv believes in "thoroughbred corn," i. e., 
that each farmer should select the best possible 
seed and plant a patch by itself for seed, and in 
this patch he should pull out all the non-bearing 
stalks, as otherwise these will fertilize the others 
and much of the seed will thus be non-produc- 
tive. It is his nature to study thoroughly what- 
ever subject he has on hand, and in this way 
he reaches the best possible results in each part 
of his work. 

Mr. \'asev first located in Harlan county in 
1893, paving two thousand five hundred and 
fifteen dollars for his land, and at the present 
time it is worth more than fifteen thousand dol- 
lars, which is good evidence of the advance 
which has taken place throughout this part of 
the state jn the past few years, due entirely to 
the efforts of such farmers and business men as 
our subject. He runs from fifty to one hundred 
high grade cattle on his farm, and about one 
hundred to two hundred hogs. He crosses 
Shorthorn cattle with the Red Polled, the former 
being his favorite for milk and beef. He feeds 
his calves flax meal, preparing them for mar- 
ket the first season, and sells them at an aver- 
age price of fifty dollars per head, thus making 
a good profit, whereas he figures that keeping 
them for two or three years and then selling at 
seventy-five dollars per head is not making as 
much money. There are fine springs on his 
j)lace for his stock, and he also has a splendid 
irrigation ditch in operation. To keep his farm 
free from grasshoppers he always keeps a num- 
ber of guinea fowls, and finds this a very effec- 
tive method of keeping those pests down. 

Mr. Vasey was married in 1868 to Miss 
Margarette Tindell. To them have been born 
thirteen children. In 1895 Mr. Vasey was elected 
justice of the peace, and at present is serving as 
chairman of the Eldorado township board, hav- 
ing been a member of that board for some years. 
He is also on the school board, and one of the 
active members of that bodv. 



WILP.ER DiILW'EN. 

The gentleman liercin named is prominently 
known as a citizen of integrity and worth who 
has given much of his time and financial aid in 
the ujjbuilding of his section, and who has al- 
ways been found standing on the side of right 
and doing his full share toward meeting and 
jiroviding for the jjublic welfare. Mr. DeHaven 
resides in section 13, township 30. range 47, 
D.awes county, where he has a pleasant home and 
valuable estate. He also has a homestead over 



in Sioux county, Nebraska, where he spends a 
part of the time. 

Mr. DeHaven was born in Washington 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1874. His father, Jehu 
DeHaven, was a farmer by occupation, and set- 
tled in Dawes county in 1885. Both he and his 
wife, who was Miss ]\largaret BeazcU, were of 
American stock. They were among the pioneers 
in this region and raised their family here, 
going through all of the experiences familiar 
to the early settlers in western Nebraska. When 
our subject was two years of age they left 
Pennsylvania and settled in Marshall county, 
Iowa, where they farmed up to the time of 
locating in this county, where they took up a 
homestead south of Antelope Springs. Here 
their first building was a log cabin and they 
lived in this for about nine years, proving up on 
their land. Later they moved near Hay Springs 
to give the children the benefit of the better 
schools, and the mother still resides in that local- 
ity, the father having died in 1899. 

At the age of nineteen years Mr. DeHaven 
started out to make his own way, going on a 
rented farm, on which he lived for some time, 
then began a home for himself. He took a 
homestead and devoted all his time and energy 
to building it up and improving it, gradually 
adding to the place, and is now owner of a fine 
ranch consisting of four hundred and eighty 
acres, on which he engages in mixed farming 
and stock raising. His place is well imjjroved, 
and he is one of the prosperous and progressive 
agriculturists of the section, highly esteemed by 
all as an energetic farmer and good business 
man. 

Mr. DeHaven was married in 1895 to Miss 
Lulu Ferrel, daughter of Elijah Ferrel, an old 
settler in Sheridan county. The Ferrels were 
among the pioneers in that vicinity, locating 
there in 1884. and Mrs. DeHaven was raised 
and educated there. To Mr. and Mrs. DeHaven 
the following children have been born : Ida, 
aged eleven years : Delbert, aged eight years ; 
Francis, aged four years: ami an infant two 
months old. 

Mr. DeHaven has served his townshi]-) in 
different ca]iacities, having been on the school 
board for some years, and is active in all local 
affairs. He is a Republican in political belief. 



CAPT. C. H. B.\RRRTT. 

The above gentleman is one of the promi- 
nent business men of McCook, Nebraska, and 
well-known as a lea<ling builder, contractor and 
architect. 

Mr. Barrett was born at Syracuse, New 
"S'nrk. and is a son of Henry J. and Sarah Cum- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



657 



mings Barrett, both natives of New York state. 
Hismaternal grandfather was a soldier in the 
French army and served under Napoleon, and 
after coming to American shores was an ad- 
ministrator of a large estate near Syracuse, and 
was also a school teacher in that locality. At 
the breaking out of the Civil war Mr. Barrett 
enlisted in the Fourth Michigan regiment on 
Alay 16th. At this time the family lived at 
Tecumseh, Michigan, where they had settled. 
He served in Company G, as a private, then 
was promoted to corporal and soon afterwards 
sergeant. In the spring of 1865 the Fourth 
?vlichigan regiment was reorganized and he was 
commissioned as captain of Company C, which 
was composed of veterans from the old Fourth 
Michigan, all of whom had re-enlisted. This 
was a reward for meritorious conduct in action, 
and he was cordially congratulated by his super- 
ior officers a number of times, and is justly proud 
of this recognition. He was with the Army of 
the Potomac at the battle of Bull's Run, first 
and second, at Malvern Hill, Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville, Laurel Hill, and in skirmishes 
nearly all of the time he served as a soldier. He 
was also at Spottsylvania Court House, and at 
the surrender of Lee, and on the latter occasion 
thr^e hours after negotiations had been com- 
pleted the tree and rail had all been cut into 
pieces and carried away as mementoes of this 
greatest victory in the history of our country. 
After this he went with his regiment to Texas 
and mustered out February 26, 1866, under spe- 
cial orders in favor of veterans. In 1898 his son, 
Henry J. Barrett, enlisted at Washington, D. 
C, in Captain King's command for the Cuban 
war. He was in the trenches before Santiago, 
and re-enlisted in the Second United States In- 
fantry. He died in 1905. Another son, Ed. 
Bunker Barrett, enlisted in the First Missouri 
regiment to serve in the Spanish war, and after- 
wards in the Second United States Cavalry and 
served in Cuba. He now resides near St. Louis. 
Missouri. Mr. Barrett has two sons now living 
in Colorado and one in Oregon. One brother, 
Edwin Barrett, served in the Civil war 
with the Third Michigan Cavalry, and was 
killed in action. The men of this familv were 
always among the first to respond to the call 
of their country for aid, and gladly gave their 
services wherever needed, all brave soldiers who 
risked their lives for the honor of their native 
land. 

Mr. Barrett came west locating in Jackson. 
Missouri, where he served as marshal for two 
years, and afterwards as deputy sheriff for four 
years under Hon. Siebert, state auditor for 
Missouri. He then went to Colorado, settling 
eight miles from Denver, at the town of Ar- 



mada, and after a short residence there he 
struck out for Nebraska and in 1902 came to 
McCook, where he has since continuously re- 
sided. 

He has built up a lucrative trade here and 
has erected many of the finest residences in the 
city. He has gained the confidence and esteem 
of his fellowmen, and is recognized as one of 
the foremost citizens, always lending his in- 
fluence to further the commercial and educa- 
tional interests of the locality in which he chose 
his home. 

Mr. Barrett is a Republican politically, and 
takes a deep interest in all local affairs. He is 
senior vice-commander of the Grand Army of 
the Republic post at McCook. 



HAMILTON HALL. 

Hamilton Hal! has been recognized as one 
of the foremost citizens of Box Butte county for 
the past twenty years and more, and through his 
long residence in this part of the state of Ne- 
braska has helped to make the region what it 
now is, watching its progress and assisting in its 
growth by giving liberally of his time and 
financial aid. Mr. Hall has developed a fine 
ranch through his hard work, and is now one 
of the well-to-do men of his locality. 

Hamilton Hall was born in Montgomery 
county. \'irginia, in 1859. His father, A. C. Hall, 
was a minister of the gospel in the Methodist 
Episcopal church and spent many years preach- 
ing in the eastern states. He married Miss 
May Cromer, of Montgomery county, Virginia. 
In 1864 the family came to Ohio, and there our 
subject grew up. his parents living at different 
places in that state during his boyhood years. 
He received a good education, and at the age 
of fourteen years started out for himself, fol- 
lowing farm work and making his own way in 
the world from that time on. He finally left 
Ohio and drifted into Illinois, later spending 
some time in Oregon and in traveling through 
the western states. 

In 1886 Mr. Hall first came to Box Butte 
county, locating near Lakeside, several miles 
east of Alliance. He took up a homestead on 
which he proved up and lived for four years. 
His first dwelling was a sod house, and for 
quite a while he lived alone in this, doing his 
own cooking, etc. In 1890 he moved into 
Dawes count}-, settling on the Niobrara river, 
east of Marsland. and here he engaged in ranch- 
ing, starting first at raising cattle, and after a 
time began in the sheep business. He remained 
in that region for four years, then returned to 
Box Butte county and located on his present 



658 



COxMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ranch, erecting a good set of ranch buildings 
and improvements, such as barns, corrals, etc., 
with everything fixed up in first-class shape. His 
ranch is located in and adjacent to section 23, 
township 28, range 50, consisting of six full 
sections of land, all of which is fenced and cross 
fenced. He has four wells and windmills in 
operation, and gets a bountiful supply of good 
water both winter and summer. He has made a 
great success of his venture, and lias gained 
all his property by hard labor and perseverance, 
his sole capital when he landed here being about 
two dollars in cash, and during the first few 
years here he was obliged to work out by the 
day in the country in order to make a living 
and start his farm. 

Mr. Hall was married in Nebraska in 1889 
to Aliss Elizabeth Grant, daughter of John A. 
and Jemima (Rockhold) Grant, of Perry coun- 
ty, Ohio. j\lr. and Mrs. Hall are the parents of 
five children, who are named as follows : Jona- 
than, Mary, Jemima, Ivy and Charles. The 
family are well known and highly esteemed in 
their community. 

Mr. Hall stands foremost in his locality as 
one of the oldest settlers, and is an active public- 
spirited citizen. He is a Republican. 



GEORGE E. DOUGLAS. 

The life of the gentleman named herein fur- 
nishes an example worthy of emulation to the 
rising generation. Through good management, 
persistent effort, strict integrity and painstaking 
care in the details of farming, Mr. Douglas has 
acquired a valuable estate and is known through- 
out the locality in which he resides as one of 
the leading old settlers. His home is in sec- 
tion 5, township 24, range 47, Box Butte coun- 
ty, and is one of the hospitable and pleasant 
places one would wish to visit. 

George E. Douglas was born in Washura 
county, Wisconsin, in 1856. His parents were 
of American stock, his father born in New York 
state. He settled on a farm in Wisconsin dur- 
ing the pioneer days of that state, and there our 
subject was raised and educated, and during his 
boyhood attended school in the old log school 
house so familiar to the settlers in the early 
days. About 1861 the family moved to Min- 
nesota and settled near Mankato and lived 
there at the time of the Indian massacre which 
took place in 1862, and they were there through 
all the excitement of the different encounters 
with the redskins for several years. 

The father entered the service of his coun- 
try, leaving the mother and her little family to 
keep the home .e;oing, and Genrtje, although a 
mere boy. was a great belj) U> the fnniil\-. WHien 



he was fourteen years of age his mother died 
and he was soon afterwards obliged to strike 
out for himself and make his own way in the 
world, following farm work in Minnesota, also 
working on the railroad and as a sailor on the 
Mississippi river. When he was eighteen he 
went to Wisconsin and worked for his uncle, 
who owned and operated a farm and store at 
St. Cloud. From there he moved to Fort 
Dodge, Webster county, Iowa, and there farmed 
for about seven years. 

Mr. Douglas first came to Nebraska in 1878, 
and located on the old Pawnee Indian reserva- 
tion, now Nance county, remaining there for 
seven years. In 1885 he arrived in Box Butte 
county, tc;ffning from the eastern part of the 
state through the wild country and on the trip 
ran across many wild deer, antelope, elk, wild 
horses, etc. His first location has been his 
home all these years. This is located in sec- 
tion 5. township 24, range 47, and he has built 
up a good farm and ranch, living for a number 
of years in a rough shanty and going through 
many bitter experiences. He was obliged to 
haul all supplies from Hay Springs, fifty miles 
distant, and for a number of years did all his 
teaming and farm work with ox teams. For 
several years he made a good living and was 
able to save a little money by selling household 
goods through the country, also handled all 
sorts of kitchen utensils, etc., using a large 
wagon containing his wares. In the earlier 
days this was a familiar sight to the settlers, and 
the visits of the "peddler" was eagerly looked 
for by all. 

Mr. Douglas is now proprietor of a ranch 
of five hundred acres, and one son. George, owns 
a section of land adjoining the homestead. He 
also leases other land, and engages in .mixed 
farming and stock raisings dealing exclusively in 
hogs and cattle. His place is well supplied with 
good buildings and every improvement for 
properly operating it as a stock farm. Our sub- 
ject has always devoted a great deal of his time 
to the culture of small fruits, and has a fine 
orchard containing all kinds of trees in good 
liearing condition. He is an authority on this 
subject, and in 1907 he had charge of the Bur- 
lington exhibit car. which was sent all through 
eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. 
Mr. Douglas himself has prepared many ex- 
hibits for different affairs, showing the prod- 
ucts of his own farm mostly. He will make a 
long trip this year through the east, with Bur- 
lington route farm products exhibit car : crops 
grown under irrigation and dry farming. He 
has made several such trips before with wonder- 
ful success and to the great good of his country. 

In the fall of 1878 our subject was married 
to Miss Ida R. Merrill, whose father, J. B. Mer- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



659 



rill, was a well-known ranchman and farmer in 
the Pawnee Indian reservation. Mr. and Mrs. 
Douglas have a family of nine children, namely : 
George A., Augusta (married), Earl. Frank, 
Clarence, Charlie, Etta, Lizzie and Louis. Mr. 
Douglas lost his wife November 5. 1906, and 
has never married again. 

Mr. Douglas is prominent in local affairs 
and takes an active part in county and national 
politics, always voting the Republican ticket. 
A picture of George E. Douglas and family is 
presented on another page of this volume. 



CORNELIUS HULSHIZER. 

Among the early settlers of Nebraska who 
have labored for the upbuilding of that region, a 
prominent place is accorded the gentleman 
whose name heads this review. 

Mr. Hulshizer was born on a farm in Ohio 
March 15, 1853. Godfrey Hulshizer, his father, 
a native of Germany, was by trade a miller, 
coming to this country when a young man, and 
his mother was Miss Phoebe Young, of English 
stock. Our subject is the seventh member in a 
family of eight children, there being also five 
half-brothers and sisters. The family came to 
Illinois, settling in Mason county, where he was 
reared and educated, assisting in the farm work 
until eighteen years of age, when he went to 
work for his father, who was at that time oper- 
ating a mill. He followed this employment for 
about eight years, and at the end of that time 
had the trade thoroughly mastered. In 1872 
he came west to Nebraska, spending two years 
in looking over the state and getting familiar 
with conditions here, and in 1874 located in 
Seward county, where he remained for nine 
years. He then came on to Brown county and 
took a homestead in section 30, township 32, 
range 20, where he put up a log house and 
built a shed out of hay in which to shelter his 
horses. His first years here were hard ones, 
and during that time he gained a livelihood b\' 
getting out timber, cord wood and posts, which 
were exchanged for provisions in town, these 
trips occasionally necessitating his being out 
late into the night. During the dry vears all 
his crops were ruined and he found it hard to 
get along, but by perseverance and a detennined 
will, he was able to overcome these difficulties, 
and succeeded to make a fairly comfortable liv- 
ing for his family. In 1896 he began to irrigate 
his land, and by this means is able to raise good 
crops. On a patch of six acres of ground one 
year he raised three hundred and sixty bushels 
of corn, this averaging sixty bushels to the 
acre, which is considered a pretty fair yield for 
that locality. His farm comprises six hundred 



and forty acres, of which he has fifty acres under 
cultivation, and the remainiler is hay and graz- 
ing land. He has it well slocked and improved. 
On March 4, 1877, Mr. Hulshizer was mar- 
ried to Miss Harriet Gordon, of Pennsylvania 
Dutch stock, whose father was one of the pio- 
neer settlers in Seward county, settling there 
before the city of Lincoln was started. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hulshizer have three children, namely: 
Arthur, Roy, and Clarence. Mr. Hulshizer is 
one of the men who has always taken a deep in- 
terest in the educational affairs of the locality in 
which he resides, helping to build up good 
schools and using his influence toward the bet- 
terment of conditions in his community. He is 
Republican in politics. 



KASPAR WOLF. 

Kaspar Wolf, one of the very earliest set- 
tlers in Cheyenne county, coming» here in 
1879, when the region was practically in an 
entirely undeveloped state, has remained to 
build up a fine property and become recog- 
nized as one of the leading citizens of his 
locality. He is proprietor of a large and well 
improved estate, devoted to ranching purposes 
principally and has made a splendid success 
in that line. His residence is in Colton pre- 
cinct, where he has a pleasant and comfort- 
able home, and is one of the well-to-do and 
worthy citizens. 

Mr. \\'olf was born in the village of Nieder 
Elbert, Rheinisch Nassau, September 16, 
1864, a son of Peter and Magdalena (Miller) 
\\'olf, the father a miller in Germany. He 
died in 1875. Kaspar was given a good edu- 
cation and reared there until fifteen years of 
age, then started out in the world for him- 
self to relieve his mother of his support ; tak- 
ing passage at Antwerp, on the "Rudolph," 
an emigrant ship, he earned his passage to 
America as a deck hand. After a passage 
lasting six or seven weeks he landed in New 
York and earned his passage thence to Bal- 
timore on a coasting vessel. He came di- 
rectly west, having enlisted in the United 
States army and was stationed at Sidney, and 
later at posts in Washington, Wyoming, Ne- 
braska, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. 
He became thoroughly familiar with the west- 
ern country while in the army and made a 
brilliant record as a soldier, receiving promi- 
nent mention for his faithfulness to duty, and 
was discharged at Sidney, Nebraska, after a 
service of eight years and nine months. After 
leaving the service, he engaged in cattle rais- 
ing and for a time prospected in the Black 



66o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Hills and in Colorado but was not fortunate 
enough to strike a good lead. 

Mr. Wolf first homesteaded in 1889, but 
after starting a farm he abandoned the place 
and allowed it to go back, and later home- 
steaded on section 2, township 15, range 48, 
taking this farm in 1896. He stuck to the 
place, constantly improved it, erected good 
buildings, planted trees, and now has a fine 
estate, consisting, of six hundred and forty 
acres of deeded land, besides controlling four 
hundred and eighty acres additional. About 
one hundred acres are in a high state of cul- 
tivation on which he raises splendid crops, and 
he is engaged to quite an extent in stock rais- 
ing, running one hundred cattle and and a 
small bunch of horses. The ranch has a com- 
plete set of good buildings, corrals, all fenced, 
and every improvement necessary for the op- 
eration of a model ranch and farm. 

On September 7, 1892. Mr. W'oU was mar- 
ried to Mary Freichs, at Sidney. She was a 
native of Adams county, Illinois, and came 
to Cheyenne county with her father, Herman 
Freichs, in 1886, they being among the pio- 
neers in that region, and the family are well 
known to all the old timers. Six children 
came to bless the union of our subject and 
his estimable wife, named as follows: Ru- 
dolph, Magdalene, Mary, Paul, Katie and 
Alice, all of whom are living at home, each 
assisting in a large measure to carry on the 
home ranch. 

Since his residence in this county Mr. Wolf 
has taken an active interest in every move- 
ment for the betterment of conditions, and 
his name will be remembered through all the 
coming history of the state of Nebraska as 
a leading man in the county's affairs. He 
is a stanch Democrat, uses his influence for 
the good of the party, and has attended nu- 
merous conventions of the party as a dele- 
gate. He is a member of the Modern Wood- 
men of America of Sidney. 



J. BLOOMER HULL. 

J. Bloomer Hull, better known as "James 
B. Hull." was born in Iowa in 1860 on a farm. 
His father, Henry Hull, was born in Ireland 
and emigrated to this country when a young 
man, and his mother was of Scotch descent, 
bom and raised in Illinois. Our subject was 
the youngest in his father's family and was 
reared in Iowa, where he became familiar with 
all kinds of hard farm work. His father died 
when he was but a lad of twelve years, and he 
remained with his mother until he reached his 
twentieth year, when he began work as a brake- 



man on the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul 
railway, continuing at this for two years. In 
1885 he came to Valentine and took a tree claim 
northwest of town, and for a time he had a 
pretty hard time. His first building was a sod 
house, and he spent his time farming and doing 
any kind of work he could get. One year later 
he began freighting, this work taking him among 
the Indians a great deal, and he stuck to it for 
about three years, going through many rough 
experiences, often being compelled to camp out 
at night. Subsequently he was on the Rosebud 
reservation for eight or ten years, where he 
ran a boarding house connected with the In- 
dustrial school. 

After this he went to work as a bartender 
and in 1899 started in the saloon business for 
himself. He still owns the tree claim which 
he took up on coming to Cherry countv, and 
also a fine house in \'alentine. 

Mr. Hull was married to Miss Annie Lan- 
ner, who is of German descent, born and 
raised in Iowa. In politics Mr. Hull is a Re- 
publican, and takes an active interest in all 
party affairs. 



WILLIAM BATEMAN. 

William Bateman, more familiarly known 
as "Uncle Billy," an old-timer of Sheridan 
county, was for years recognized as one of 
the representative citizens of this locality. 

Mr. Bateman was born in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, in 1832, was raised there and lived with 
his parents until he was twenty-three years 
of age. His father, John Bateman, was a 
stage driver before the railroad was intro- 
duced in their vicinity, and he and his wife 
never left the mother country. In 1885 our 
subject came to America and located in Wis- 
consin where he remained for thirty-two years 
with the exception of one winter which was 
spent in Idaho. He is a butcher by trade, and 
followed that occupation at different times in 
his younger days. In 1864 he crossed the 
plains and engaged in the stock business, 
which he has followed almost constantly since 
coming to America. In 1887 he came to Sheri- 
dan count}' and filed on the homestead which 
he occupied for many years, moving his fam- 
ily here the following spring. He experienced 
some pretty hard times during the dry years 
which struck the locality soon after he set- 
tled here, and lost all his crops for several 
seasons, and his finances got so low that had 
he paid his debts he woulil not have had any- 
thing left. He worked hard in establishing 
his farm, and gradually added to it until he 
became the proprietor of nine hundred and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



66 1 



sixty acres of good land. His ranch was well 
improved and he built a good house, barns, 
etc., making a pleasant home and valuable 
estate, which he gained by dint of his indus- 
try, supplemented by the strictest integrity, 
and he well merited the success and high 
standing accorded him in his community. In 
1907 he sold his farm property and returned 
to Wisconsin on a visit. He has bought prop- 
erty in Gordon, however, and intends to make 
that place his home. 

Mr. Bateman was married in 1871 to Miss 
Elizabeth Caunt, who was born in England 
and came to America with her parents when 
a young girl. Her father never liked America 
and was dissatisfied after settling here. Her 
mother, who was Miss Anna Smith, was born 
in England, in 1825, and is now living in 
South Dakota and enjoying the best of health. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bateman have a family of eight 
children, namely: Nelson, William, Margaret, 
Louisa, Matthew, Fred, Elizabeth and Lillian, 
all of whom, excepting three which died in in- 
fancy, grew to young manhood and woman- 
hood. 

In 1904 Air. Bateman returned to England 
fnr a visit, and intends to go again soon, as 
he enjoys revisiting the scenes of his boyhood 
and living over again the happy days he spent 
in the mother country. He is one of the old- 
est men in this part of the state, but is hale 
and hearty, does not know what sickness is. 
He is an inveterate reader, never using eye- 
glasses or any aid for his sight. He keeps 
abreast of the times, and is one of the best 
informed men in the community. He is a Re- 
publican. He takes an active interest in party 
affairs, but has never held any office in Ne- 
braska but has served his party in different 
capacities while living in \\'isconsin. He has 
a host of acquaintances and enjo_ys the friend- 
ship and esteem nf everyone who knows him. 



FRANK L. RUNDOUIST. 

The above named gentleman is one of the 
old settlers in this part of the state of Ne- 
braska, and has been closely identified in the 
development and growth of this locality, aid- 
ing materially in the upbuilding of the com- 
munity in which he chose his home. 

Mr. Rundquist was born in Wexeo, Sweden, 
in 1846, and came to America when he was 
twenty-one years old. He located in Minne- 
sota, remaining there for some years, and in 
1879 came to Phelps county, settling on a tim- 
ber claim in Sheridan township, section 14. 
Here he built a sod house and went to work 
improving the property. He soon after built a 



frame dwelling. He planted trees on his farm, 
and had a grove of eighteen acres, and was 
very successful in his farming operations, rais- 
ing grain, and niixed stock. He had a large 
number of chickens, and about fifty to seventy- 
five hogs. His wheat crop averaged twenty- 
two and corn fifty bushels to the acre. He 
remained on this place up to 1904, then sold 
his holdings, and purchased the eighty acres 
where he now lives, situated on section 32, of 
Sheridan township, Phelps county. This prop- 
erty adjoins the town of Holdrege. He has 
this farm well improved, and is very comfort- 
ably situated. In 1906 Mr. Rundquist visited 
Sweden, remaining for two months, and went 
all over the country around Stockholm. He 
visited the fair at Nochapin. 

Railways have made a great change in that 
country, and many small towns have sprung 
up all around in the \'icinity of his old home. 
The timber is rapidly Ijeing cut down, and 
everything much changed from the time he 
lived there. Every man is obliged to serve 
three years in the army, and the people are 
very slow in taking up modern improvements, 
and it is next to impossible to accumulate any 
great amount of wealth in that country. 

Mr. Rundquist was married in 1876 to Miss 
Sophia Peterson, of Sweden, and they have a 
family of three children, namely: Anna, Sally 
and William. 

Mr. Rundquist takes a commendable inter- 
est in all matters of public interest in his com- 
munity, was assessor of his township for ten 
years, and under the new law, acts as deputy, 
which he has held since 1905. He is also a 
member of the school board. In political faith, 
he is an indepenrlent voter. 



WILLIAM H. KENNEDY. 

W'illiam H. Kennedy, a well known resident 
of Cherry county, Nebraska, is a man of enter- 
prising spirit and good citizenship. He was 
born in Omaha, August 23, 1864, and is a son 
of Hon. B. E. B. Kennedy, an old settler 
of Cherry county, and now a prominent at- 
torney, practicing in Omaha, where he settled 
in 1858. He was one of the first mayors of 
Omaha, and a member of the state legislature. 
Our subject's mother was Miss Frances Nims, 
of an old American family. Mr. Kennedy, the 
second in a family of three children, grew up 
in Omaha, attended the city schools, after- 
wards studied law and was admitted to the 
bar. For the period of two years he was iden- 
tified with the Midland Guaranty & Trust 
Compan}-. and at the expiration of that time 



662 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



associated himself with the Union Pacific Coal 
Company for one year. 

In the year of 1885. Mr. Kennedy came to 
Cherry county, Nebraska, and took pre-emp- 
tion in section 29, township 30, range 30. and 
proved up. Then he returned to Omaha for 
a time and assisted his father in the latter's 
law office until 1893, when he came back to 
Cherry county, settling near what is now Ken- 
nedy postoffice (which office was named after 
him), on his tree claim on section 31. In 1894 
he w-as married to Miss Nancj' E. McAlevy, a 
school teacher, daughter of Samuel E. Mc- 
Alevy, who was a ranchman and one of the old 
settlers of Cherry coijnty. Five children re- 
sulted from this union, named as follows: 
Benjamin, Samuel, Charlotte, Curtis and Eliza- 
beth. 

Mr. Kennedy is at present engaged in stock 
raising and ranching, and is the owner of a 
six-hundred-and-forty-acre ranch, located in 
section 31, township 30, range 30, and section 
5, township 29, range 30, Cherry county, Ne- 
braska. His brand is known as the "Flying E. 
Bar" ranch. He is one of the substantial old 
settlers of this county, and has done his full 
share in the making of history of this section 
of the country. He has passed through many 
hardships and discouragements in reaching the 
success to which he has attained, and is re- 
spected and admired as one of the leading cit- 
izens of Cherry county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Kennedy is a stanch Democrat, and has 
held local office at different times. Since No- 
vember, 1906, he has served as postmaster at 
the office which bears his name. 



OCTAVE HARRIS. 

Octave Harris, the subject of this personal 
history, was born in Biddeford. Maine, in 1860. 
came west durine the pinnccr days of Nebras- 
ka, and is now living in peace and plenty on 
his handsome and well-appointed farm in sec- 
tion .'i. township 28. range .^4. Sioux county. 
He is well entitled to the rich measure of suc- 
cess that has come to him through hard work 
and thrift, as a result of many years of en- 
deavor and economy, and is now reaping well- 
deserved reward. Mr. Harris resides in sec- 
tion .'^. township 28. range 54. and is one of the 
well-known and highly respected citizens of 
his locality. 

The father of our subject. Jr.hn P>. Harris. 
was a farmer all his life, he settling in Colo- 
rado in 1878. AVhen Octave was two vears of 
age his mother died. He lived in his native 
state until he was nine years of ace. then came 
west wMth a sister, locating in California, re- 



maining there for one winter. In 1871 he went 
to Fort Collins, Colorado, and worked out on 
ranches as a cowboy, and while yet a young 
lad rode all over the western country, round- 
ing up cattle along the Powder river, and all 
the streams in this western county. For five 
years he lived with and was employed by An- 
drew McGinley, who is a prominent old set- 
tler and well-known ranchman of Sioux coun- 
ty. Octave located in this county in 1880, and 
for about five years worked as a cowboy, rid- 
ing on horseback all through the country from 
Platte City to South Pass, Wyoming, and was 
familiar with every part of western Nebraska. 

In 1885 Mr. Harris located on a ranch of his 
own, situated on Running Water river, which 
was, at that time, entirely unimproved prairie, 
and he had to start at the very beginning to 
build it up. He first put up a log house and 
remained on the land up to 1892, then came to 
his present location, filing on it as a homestead. 
He is now proprietor of one thousand six hun- 
dred acres, also operates a large tract of leased 
land as a ranch. He has a fine brick house of 
commodious size. 36x36 feet, two full stories 
high, with a nine-foot basement, and is one of 
the handsomest residences in the locality. He 
is engaged principally in the cattle and horse 
business, raising many animals each year for 
the market and breeding purposes. 

Mr. Harris was married on March 7, 1885, 
to Caroline N. Abler, whose father. Lewis M. 
Abler, was a carpenter and wheelwright, and 
emigrated from France to this country during 
young manhood. Five children were born to 
our subject and his good wife, namely: Lewis, 
James Lester, Fred Abler, Frank and Addie 
May, all born and raised in this county. 

Mr. Harris is a Republican in political be- 
lief. 



KARL LURZ. 



The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history, owns a fine estate in Cherry 
county, Nebraska, located in section 13, town- 
ship 31. range 26. where he has built up a com- 
fortable and pleasant home. 

Mr. Lnrz was born in the village of Augs- 
berg. Kingdom of Bavaria. October 28, 1843, 
and is a son of Gottlieb Lurz, a huntsman by 
occupation, living in .'\ugsbcrg, where he raised 
his family of eight children, of whom our sub- 
ject is the second member. At the age of 
twelve he began work, brick making, at which 
he was engaged for many years. At thirty 
he was superintendent of a large brickyard 
and seven years later established a business for 
himself, which he conducted until emigrating 




RESIDENCE OF KARL LURZ, SR., 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



663 



to America. Sailing from Antwerp on the Red 
Star liner Wiessland, in 1891, he landed in 
New York after a voyage of twelve days. 
Settling in Buffalo, he remained for nearly 
four years, working as a brickmason, W'hile 
his son followed carpenter work in an ice box 
factory in that city. May 7, 1894, the family 
moved to Cherry county, where they took a 
homestead, the father on section 13 and the 
son on section 14, both of whom still live 
on and own these farms. Mr. Lurz has spent 
considerable money in improving the farm, 
building fences, barns, etc. The farm consists 
of one thousand four hundred and forty acres, 
most of which is hay land. For some time he 
was engaged in stock raising, but of late he 
has sold off the stock and has now turned his 
entire tract into a hay farm, shipping large 
quantities of baled hay each season. 

Mr. Lurz was married in Germany, in 1867, 
to Miss Eva Schnelle, who died in January. 
1884. They had a family of children, 
namely: Fannie, now Mrs. Oley Brockley, 
living in Montana ; Mary, wife of Karl Hoff- 
stedder, and Karl, Jr., born October 29, 1875. 
The latter is his father's right-hand man, and 
the two are associated together in all their 
dealings. When they came to this section they 
lived in sod houses for some years, then put 
up substantial frame houses and have pleas- 
ant homes. Karl, Jr., was married July 4, 
1904, to Miss Ida Wilke, a native of Nebraska, 
born in 1888. They have two children, Elsie 
and Millie. Karl, Jr., is a member of Wood 
Lake Camp No. 2947, Modern Woodmen of 
America. Both father and son are stanch 
Democrats. They are highly esteemed in the 
locality in which they reside and are prosper- 
ous and worthy citizens. Mr. Lurz and his 
family are members of the Catholic church. 

A view of the family residence is shown else- 
where in this work. 



WIXFIELD S. PHILLIPS. 

W'irtield S. Phillips, a leading old settler of 
Dawes county, Nebraska, is the owner of a 
fine stock and grain farm in township 30, 
range 52, where he, with his family, enjoy a 
pleasant and peaceful life, surrounded by a 
host of warm friends and good neighbors, liv- 
ing on his Kincaid homestead. . 

Mr. Phillips is a native of Van Buren coun- 
ty, Iowa, born in 1855. His father, i\loses 
Phillips, was of Irish-German extraction, a 
farmer by occupation, and married ]\Iiss Sarah 
Silvers, of Ohio. Our subject was reared and 



educated in Iowa, where he was brought up to 
do all sorts of hard farm work, and during his 
boyhood years learned the lesson of responsi- 
bility and energy from his sturdy parents, 
which stood him in such good stead in later 
life. In 1879 he left Iowa and driving overland 
settled in the western part of Kansas, locating 
in Decatur county. The trip was made in a 
covered wagon and took many weeks, the 
nights being spent in camping out along the 
way. The first year he was in Kansas the 
drouth destroyed his small crops, but after that 
had better success and he remained there for 
seven years, when he sold out his holdings for 
a good sum and returned to Iowa. He spent 
three or four years there, then decided to go 
back to Kansas, and in the fall of 1890, left the 
latter state and came to Nebraska, settling in 
Dawes county, where he began farming on 
rented land, which he worked for a couple of 
years, then bought his present farm in section 
18, township 30, range 52, and later took a 
Kincaid homestead adjoining this farm. He 
and his wife now own one thousand one hun- 
dred and forty acres of good land located on 
Dead Man's creek, and here he has fine run- 
ning water for his stock, of which he keeps 
quite a large number. There is plenty of 
natural timber on the place, wild fruits, etc., 
and he raises good crops of small grains, cul- 
tivating about seventy acres, while from forty 
to fifty acres can be irrigated. He has been 
very successful in his different ventures, and is 
counted one of the wealthy men of his locality, 
all gained through his thrift and industry, sup- 
plemented by good business judgment and 
honesty of dealings. When he lived in Kansas 
he dwelt in a sod house for a time and had to 
start farming with wild, raw prairie land, ut- 
terly unimproved, and succeeded in building 
up a good home there. 

Air. Phillips was married in 1877 to Miss 
Malinda Hughes, daughter of Jerry A. 
and Elizabeth (Wycoff) Hughes, and to them 
have been born eight children, seven of whom 
are living, named as follows: John, Hollie, 
Rollie, Mose, Elsie, Lottie and W^infield. Tim- 
othy, second of the children, is deceased. 

In political views our subject is a strong 
Republican. 

JOHN W. DANIELS. 

John W. Daniels is w^ell entitled to a prom- 
inent place among those who have helped to 
make Cherry county a prosperous section of 
Nebraska. He has worked hard, faced many 
privations with a strong and courageous spirit, 
and managed his affairs wisely and well, so 



664 



:OMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



that, while still in the forties, he is deservedly 
written in this history as one of the leading 
citizens of this region. His home is in secton 
3, township 30, range 29, and here he has built 
up one of the leading agricultural establish- 
ments in Cherry county. 

Mr. Daniels was born near ^lorrison, White- 
side county, Illinois, April 29, 1860, where his 
parents, David and Mary (Potter) Daniels, 
had long been established as successful till- 
ers of the soil. Both were American born, the 
father a native of Massachusetts, the mother 
of Ohio. John W. was their second in a fam- 
ily of eight children. He was reared on the 
farm, where he remained until reaching the 
age of seventeen years, when he left home to 
determine his destiny for himself. Naturally 
he followed farming, to which he had been 
reared, and for which he seemed to have a 
special fitness. For a time he worked in this 
line in Iowa, and then went into the southern 
part of Nebraska, where he rented land for 
two years on a farm in Adams county. In 
1884 he made his first appearance as a set- 
tler in Cherry county, and in August of that 
j'ear located on a pre-emption claim. Here 
he lived alone for some years, and had for Jiis 
"bachelor" home a sod house, a most modest 
and unassuming structure, but equal to his 
needs in those early days. He did his farm 
work with oxen, and carried on such grain and 
corn farming as was customary at that time. 
His constant effort, however, has been to get 
away from grain as his main line, and become 
a stock breeder. This he is doing and on a 
very large scale. He owns an extensive ranch 
consisting of twent\--four hundred and eighty 
acres, well watered by Gordon creek and 
Watts and Meadow lakes, which border it, and 
suitable alike for pasture or hay, and here he 
is developing a very important horse, mule 
and cattle industry. He has taken advantage 
of the homestead, pre-emption and tree claims 
in securing his land, and has a Kincaid home- 
stead of four hundred and eighty acres. 

Mr. Daniels was married May 8, 1889, to 
Miss Minnie E. Davis, a native of Kane coun- 
ty, Illinois, reared in Bureau county of that 
state. Her father, William S. Davis, an old 
settler in Cherry county, is a native of War- 
ren county. New York. After fifteen years' 
residence in Illinois he migrated to Thayer 
county, Nebraska, in 1880, and five years later 
to Cherry county, where he took up a home- 
stead with a tree claim on Schlage creek. Her 
mother, Margaret Swartout. is of German de- 
scent, a native of Dutchess county. New York. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Daniels two children have 
been born, Carl .\. and Ralph R. 



Mr. Daniels has taken an important part 
in local and county affairs and has repeatedly 
been elected to high positions by the Repub- 
lican party. He has attended many conven- 
tions and other political gatherings and con- 
ferences as delegate and a leading member of 
the party. In the fall of 1898 he was elected 
clerk of Cherrj- county, and served four years 
in that position, proving in everj- way a com- 
petent and trustworthy official. He affiliates 
with the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
at \'alentine. 

On another page of this volume we present 
a picture of Mr. Daniels" ranch residence and 
the family group. 



EDWARD G. GREEN. 

Nebraska has much to be grateful for in 
the achievements of its hardy pioneer settlers 
who dared to penetrate into what were then 
dry and desert regions to inake fertile homes 
and farms with the assurance of better things 
in store, and an irresistible faith in its future. 
Heated winds swept its arid prairies and all 
vegetation seemed to perish, but thej- saw pos- 
sibilities, and sod houses and shacks arose 
and fringes of settlement continually crept to 
the west, until the state becomes imperial in 
its agricultural development, with its forests 
of fruit and timber, and its magnificent herds 
of horses and cattle. .Among those who are 
honored as the veterans of this great strug- 
gle is Edward G. Green, of Kirkwood pre- 
cinct. Rock county, who is still at the prime 
of his life with his natural powers still un- 
abated or his manhood unbroken — so new and 
young is this Nebraska in its making and his- 
tory. 

Mr. Green was born in Monroe county, Ar- 
kansas, February 8, 1868, and is the fourth 
member of a family of seven children born to 
his parents. George \\'. and Amelia C. (Dun- 
can) Green, both of whom were descendants 
of old .American stock and lived to the best 
traditions of their ancestry. In the spring of 
1878 the family remo\ed to \\^atonwon county, 
Minnesota, and the following year to Rock 
county, Nebraska, making their journey over- 
land from Minnesota in what was called 
a "prairie schooner," propelled by oxen, and 
requiring four weeks for the completion of the 
trip. The family home was made on sec- 
tion 18, township 32, range 17, and here the 
varying fortunes of pioneer days were expe- 
rienced to the full. 

When Edward G. Green had reached the 
age of twenty years he was united in mar- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



665 



riage with Miss Cora White, whose father, 
Ezra White, was a farmer and miller in Iowa. 
To this union have come four children — Roy, 
Blanche, Delpha and Elden. After his mar- 
riage Mr. Green pre-empted land in the south- 
ern part of Rock county, where he built a 
sod house which became the home of the new 
family for some three years. At that time 
many were attracted by the promise of the 
new country just being opened up to the world 
hy the completion of the Northern Pacifijc 
Railroad. Mr. Green and his wife spent two 
years in Oregon, but were not entirely satis- 
fied with the country, and returned to Rock 
county in 1893, and for the ensuing three years 
were residents of Long Pine or vicinity. Later 
Mr. Green rented land near the old homestead, 
which he cultivated for four years, after which 
he bought his present farm in sections 19 and 20, 
township 32, range 17. and here we find him 
at the present time well situated and becom- 
ing prosperous to a marked degree. He has 
remodeled the dwelling house, put up good 
buildings, and in general greaty improved 
the place. The evergreen grove filling the front 
lawn is an especially attractive feature of the 
place. His farm is one of the choice quarter 
sections of the county. 

Mr. Green is a Republican in his political 
associations, and takes much interest in lo- 
cal conditions and questions. He has been pre- 
cinct assessor and is regarded as one of the 
most reliable and substantial citizens of the 
day. The family are members of the Kirk- 
wood Methodist church. 



ZACARIAH C. HARRIS. 

Zacariah C. Harris, who lives on section 
30, township 21, range 17, has not always been 
a farmer. For years he was in the employ of 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway 
Company as a fireman and locomotive engi- 
neer and is familiar with hundreds of miles 
of the company's roadbed in Nebraska. Mr. 
Harris is a member of the Brotherhood of 
Locomotive Engineers and still keeps up his 
membership, although he does no railroading. 
He purchased his present model little farm in 
1895, but did not move upon it till 1907, since 
which time he has made it his home. 

Mr. Harris is a native of ]\Iarine City. 
Michigan, where he was born in 1863. His 
father, Orsemus Harris, was a shipbuilder at 
Marine City, Michigan, born in Vermont, and 
was of English ancestry. His mother was 
Miss Lovicy Allen before she was married and 
was of German descent. 

When our subject was a year old the 



family moved to Wisconsin and settled in the 
little city of Waupaca, where fhey lived until 
1877. In this year the family came to Ne- 
braska, driving through in a covered wagon, 
and, after a trip lasting five weeks, they set- 
tled in Greeley county. Here our subject 
grew to manhood, engaged in farming on the 
home place and elsewhere. He remembers 
the old sod shanty, the first home of the fam- 
ily, and also that he farmed over the ground 
where the city of Greeley Center now stands. 

It was in the city of Greeley Center where 
Mr. Harris was married in 1885 to Miss Ida 
Henderson, daughter of Nels H. Henderson, 
a pioneer farmer of Greeley county and for- 
merly a resident of Wisconsin. Her mother 
was Miss Lena Larson before marriage. 

In 1886 our subject went to Valley county, 
Nebraska, and settled near Burwell on the 
North Loup river, where he farmed for two 
years. Then for two years he worked in a 
lumber yard, and in 1890 he quit that business 
and went to railroading, first in Burwell and 
later in Lincoln. He started work as a loco- 
motive fireman and later became an engineer, 
following the employment for sixteen years. 
He lived in Lincoln for a number of years up 
to 1900, and had runs on the railroad both 
ways from the city. Mr. Harris is a good citi- 
zen and possesses the business intelligence 
and push that always characterize the suc- 
cessful railroad man. 



C. J. OLDAKER. 

C. J. Oldaker, who is one of the old-timers 
on the table, in Kimball county, Nebraska, 
resides on his well improved estate in sec- 
tion 8, township 16, range 55, and has be- 
come one of the influential citizens of his lo- 
cality. He is a man of industrious habits 
and excellent business ability, and well merits 
his success and enviable reputation as a farm- 
er and citizen. 

Mr. Oldaker was born in Johnson county, 
Iowa, August 10, 1860, and was the second 
child in a family of ten. He lived in Johnson 
county until he was twenty-one, then went to 
western ^Montana and remained in that vicin- 
ity for four years. After that he drifted around 
to different points, finally returning to his 
home place. He came to what was then Chey- 
enne county, now known as Kimball county, 
in the fall of 1888, took up a homestead of a 
quarter section, and proved up on the land. 
Here he has passed through all the pioneer 
times, gradually adding to his original farm 
until he is now owner of four hundred and 
eighty acres, all well improved, and about one 



666 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



hundred and forty acres under cultivation. He 
has placed gooM buildings on the ranch and 
runs a large bunch of cattle and horses. His 
place is one of the valuable estates in the sec- 
tion, and he is counted among the prosperous 
and successful farmers and ranchmen of his 
region. 

Mr. Oldaker's father is dead, while his 
mother resides in \\'ellman, Iowa. He also 
has five brothers and three sisters living, re- 
siding in different parts of the country. 

Our subject was married to Miss Clara 
K. Kennedy, a native of Illinois, whose par- 
ents now live at Boulder, Colorado. Eight 
children have been born to our subject and his 
good wife, as follows: Roval C, April 19, 
1889; Elmo M., April 18, 1891 (died August 

13, 1891) ; John Gilbert, Mav 31, 1892; Bessie 
Fav, Julv 2. 1894; Lolo M.. July 30, 1896; 
Clarabel A. L.. June 15, 1898; Earl F., June 

14, 1902; Clifford L., July 15, 1907. The chil- 
dren live at home with their parents, where 
they have a pleasant home, and all are popu- 
lar among the younger residents of their lo- 
cality. Mr. Oldaker has been connected with 
the local schools in dift"erent capacities for 
a number of years, and takes a commendable 
interest in all local affairs. In politics he is 
independent of party. 



CLAYTON KELLAM. 

Clayton Kellam is one of Franklin's most 
prominent public-spirited citizens. Mr. Kel- 
lam for many years was engaged in farming in 
Franklin and Gage counties, coming to Ne- 
braska from Macoupin county, Illinois, in 1881, 
and through exceptionally good management 
and persistent labors acquired a valuable prop- 
erty here and a comfortable and pleasant 
home. Mr. Kellam moved to Franklin in 1901, 
where he takes an active interest in local at- 
fairs along the lines of improvement and de- 
velopment of his localitj-. 

Mr. Kellam is a son of David Kellam, a na- 
tive of Delaware, and Ruth ( Peter) Kellam, 
who settled in Illinois in 1830. Mrs. Kellam 
last resided at Beatrice. Nebraska, where she 
died at the age of ninety-one years. She en- 
joyed good health and an active mind up to 
the last. She was a daughter of Rev. Wil- 
liam Peter, a pioneer preacher in the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church of Kentucky. He rode 
the circuits with Rev. Cartwright and the 
pioneer band who carried Methodism into the 
wilds of the west. Rev. Peter was born in 
Kentucky, grew up there, and in 1830 he 
came west to Illinois, where he lived for only 
ten days, then died, leaving a widow with a 
large family of children. 



Mr. Kellam, our subject, grew up in Illi- 
nois. After coming to Nebraska he purchased 
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Mid- 
land township. Gage county, and conducted 
this farm up to 1901, also being interested in 
the real estate and insurance business with 
offices at Beatrice, where he had a large pat- 
ronage and handled many deals in farming 
lands throughout that locality. He is a capa- 
ble business man and was one of the foremost 
men of his section to push the development of 
the country, and has been an important fac- 
tor in its growth. Six years ago he purchased 
the E. B. James farm, located one mile south 
of Franklin, on the river bottoms, the bluffs 
of this place overlooking the town. This farm 
has a good dwelling house and all improve- 
ments, and is a nice property. Mr. Kellam 
sold the place in 1906, as he wished to give 
up working hard, and is now prepared to spend 
his years in comfort and quiet, enjoying the 
fruits of his long years of labor. 

Mr. Kellam married Nettie Forwood, 
daughter of T. B. Forwood, a native of Dela- 
ware, whose parents were pioneers in Illi- 
nois. Mr. and Mrs. Kellam have the follow- 
ing children: Alfaretta, married to C. J. Furry, 
in business in Franklin ; D. M., a druggist, and 
Mildred, at home. 

Politically our subject is a Republican, and 
he has always been an active worker in his 
party. Mr. Kellam was appointed postmaster 
at Franklin by President Roosevelt in 1907. 



JAMES E. PETTYCREW. 

James E. Pettycrew, who resides in section 
26. township 35. range 28, Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, was born in Mercer county, Pennsyl- 
vania, on a farm, November 10, 1852. His fa- 
ther, James Pettycrew, and his mother. Miss 
Magdalena Bash, were both of .\merican 
stock. Our subject is the third in a family of 
eleven children and grew up in Marshall coun- 
ty, Iowa, where his parents settled in 1855 on 
a farm. Here he found plenty of hard work 
to do during his boyhood years. At the age of 
seventeen he left his parents' home, first buy- 
ing one hundred and sixty acres for himself, 
which later he allowed to revert and then pur- 
chased eighty acres in Marshall county, which 
he farmed several seasons. For five years he 
resided in Marshalltown, dealing in pumps and 
windmills. In 1884 he came to Cherry county, 
arriving here February 1, bringing with him 
a team of mules and three cows, together with 
his household gonds. Here he located on his 
present farm, his first dwelling being a mere 
shell of a house, in wliich the family lived until a 
better <ine couM be erected later. I lis present 



COiAIPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



t)6; 



large, commodious dwelling, with modern im- 
provements, was completed in the fall of 1907. 
He endured many hardships and privations, 
witnessing the drouth, during which time his 
crops were utterly ruined two years, leaving 
him but scant forage for his cattle and little 
food for his family. However, he endured to 
the end, and now owns a farm of sixteen hun- 
dred and eighty acres, of which three or four 
hundred are under cultivation, with the bal- 
ance devoted to meadow and pasture, seeded 
with alfalfa and brome grass. His ranch is 
improved with a fine set of farm buildings, well 
and windmill, and he also has a twenty-acre 
grove of splendid trees. 

November 1, 1876, Air. Pettycrew was mar- 
ried to JMiss Julia AI. Carpenter, whose par- 
ents, John Alilton and Frances AI. (Billings) 
Carpenter, now deceased, were both old set- 
tlers in Cherry county, hailing from the state 
of New York. Air. and Airs. Pettycrew have 
two children, namely: Edyth, now Airs. Frank 
Cowden, of Garnett, Kansas, and Earl, who 
lives with his parents. When Air. Pettycrew 
settled on his present ranch his was the first 
white family living this far out in the coun- 
try on what is called "the table." 

In political sentiment our subject is a Pop- 
ulist and has served as a delegate to conven- 
tions at diiiferent times, always taking an ac- 
tive interest in party affairs. He has always 
maintained that western Nebraska is a great 
country for the poor man, there being greater 
opportunities for advancement if one has en- 
ergy and determination. 



RUBEN BUCHANAN. 

This is a name very familiar to those ac- 
quainted with the leading ranchmen of Dawes 
county as that of a man who has acquired 
more than a local reputation for his indus- 
trious habits and high personal character. He 
is the owner and operator of one of the larg- 
est ranches in this part of the state, his resi- 
dence being located in section 6, township 32, 
range 49. 

Air. Buchanan was born in Hendricks 
county, Indiana, in 1856, a son of Ruben AI. 
and Christina (White) Buchanan. His father 
was born in Kentucky, our subject believes, 
while his mother was a native of Ohio. When 
our subject was sixteen years of age his fa- 
ther died, after which he left his native state 
and went west into Alissouri, settling in Gen- 
try county, which place he made his home un- 
til 1885. In the spring of the year 1885 he 
came to western Nebraska, where he drove a 
team out of Valentine, filed and proved up the 



claim which is his present home. Only one 
who has had the experience of the early set- 
tler in this western country can well under- 
stand the hardships with which they had to 
contend in those early days. A-Iany a time our 
subject walked to Chadron, from which place 
he pushed his supplies to the dugout which 
was the first home he knew in Nebraska. His 
first team was a yoke of oxen, broken in by 
himself. Too much credit cannot be given 
for the success which he has attained, and by 
his good management and unremitting labor 
he has made his ranch one of the finest in 
Dawes county. He was not discouraged by 
the droughts of this western land, which he 
successfully withstood, but met all reverses in 
a business-like manner. 

Air. Buchanan now is the proprietor of a 
well appointed ranch of twenty-two hundred 
and sixty acres, located on Deadhorse creek, 
fifty to one hundred acres of which are under 
cultivation. He has a large amount of stock, 
making a specialty of horses and cattle. 

In politics Mr. Buchanan holds to Repub- 
lican principles. He has always been quite 
prominently identified in local affairs, having 
held various school offices for years. 

In 1905 Air. Buchanan and Aliss Ollie Brod- 
rick were united in marriage. Airs. Buchan- 
an's parents are both deceased. One child, 
Christina Lorene, born July 24, 1906, has come 
to bless this union. 

The name of Mr. Buchanan will surely be 
found on any list of the prominent old set- 
tlers of Dawes county. He has always been 
the first to lend a helping hand to one in need, 
and the many warm friends who have had the 
pleasure of his hospitality will be glad to read 
of his successful and honorable career. 



DANIEL ADAAISON. 

Daniel Adamson is one of the prominent 
citizens of Cherry county, Nebraska. He was 
precinct assessor, elected by acclamation, and 
takes an active part in all precinct affairs. Mr. 
Adamson himself got up and circulated the 
petition for the installation of the Cody-Rolp 
mail route, which gives him a mail box with- 
in two and a half miles from his home. 

Mr. Adamson was born in County Sligo, 
Ireland, September 17, 1867. His father was 
Walter S. Adamson, born and reared in Scot- 
land, and was one of the leading stockmen of 
the section in which he resided. His mother 
v^-as Aliss Alary J. Higgins, who came of good 
old Irish stock. They had seven children, of 
whom Daniel was the fifth. When he was but 
seven or eight years old both parents died, 



668 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORV, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



and at the age of fourteen years he started 
out in the world to make his own fortune. He 
took passage for America from Liverpool in 
the City of Chester, of the Inman line, and 
landed in New York city the day on which 
President Garfield died. In 1881 he came west 
to Marithon county. Wisconsin, and there 
lived with an uncle until he was sixteen, when 
he wandered on to Jones county. Iowa. Here 
he remained for one year, then came to Cherry 
county. Nebraska, in 1884, and started as a 
cowboy, working on the T. O. ranch for W. 
E. \Vaite and later for the Enlow Cattle Com- 
pany. Subsequently he worked on cattle 
ranches in \\'yoming during the years of 1884, 
188.=; and 1886, then went to Wyoming in 1887, 
working there for seven years for different 
ranchmen. In 1890 he came back to Cherry 
county, took up a homestead, and from this 
time on made it his home, though for three 
years worked during the summer seasons on 
Wyoming ranches to maintain himself. This 
homestead is located on section 24, township 
30. range 34, and consists of nine hundred 
acres of fenced land, with good house, barns, 
windmills and many other improvements, be- 
sides three hundred and eighty acres on the 
Niobrara river adjoining the Niobrara forest 
reserve. 

Mr. .^damson has experienced many pio- 
neer hardships. One peculiar incident of the 
winter of 1884 and 1885 is worthy of men- 
tion. With a comrade he had a camp in the 
center of a hay stack. This was gradually 
eaten into by cattle, and one morning a steer 
got on top of the stack and fell through, ne- 
cessitating their finding another camping 
grounfl. He and his companions made a camp 
in another stack, which in the course of a few 
days caught fire and burned up. Then they 
were driven to make a dugout, in which they 
lived for a time. 

On January 1, 1904, our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss .'\dda E. Ainslie, a native of Can- 
ada. Her father, James Ainslie, was a farmer 
and an old settler of Cherry county, Nebraska, 
who married Miss Catherine Wigle. Mr. and 
Mrs. .\damson have a family of three boys, as 
follows: Walter A., Arthur D. and George 
I., all born in Cherry county. 

In the fall of 1903, just previous to Mr. 
Adamson's marriage, his range was burned 
off by prairie fires, and it was a desolate home 
to which he brought his bride. However, he 
went to work with all the energy and cour- 
age born of a hardened ranchman, and built 
up a comfortable home, and is now one of the 
successful men of the county. Mr. .Adamson 
began with only ordinary range cattle, and has 



bred them up until now he has one of the 
finest bunches of Hereford cattle in the state 
of Nebraska. 

Mr. Adamson has many personal friends 
and is universally esteemed and respected. He 
has always voted the Democratic ticket. The 
family holds membership in the .Methodist 
Episcopal church. 

Attention is called to a view of the resi- 
dence and surroundings shown on another 
page of this work. 



A. S. ERICKSON. 

A. S. Erickson. a prominent resident of 
Funk. Divide township. Phelps county, Ne- 
braska, is one of the foremost business men 
in his community. He has large interests in 
various business enterprises here, and the suc- 
cess which attends him in every venture is 
sufficient evidence of his ability and good 
judgment. 

Mr. Erickson is a native of Sweden. His 
father, Andrew Erickson, came west in 1882 
and purchased six hundred and forty acres of 
railway land, paying two dollars and fifty 
cents per acre for it, and later bought four 
hundred and eighty acres, making in all eleven 
hundred and twenty acres of land. He was 
very active in bringing settlers into Phelps 
county, and aided materially in the develop- 
ment of the commercial and farming interests 
of this locality. He farmed his lands here 
up to 1894, then removed to Idaho Falls, where 
he now owns three hundred and twenty acres 
of land so centrally located that it is worth 
one hundred dollars per acre. While a resi- 
dent of this county he served on the county 
board for some time, and was recognized as 
a successful business man and active citizen. 
Our subject began business in Funk in Feb- 
ruary, 1897, being appointed postmaster in 
May of the following year. He established a 
hardware, lumber and agricultural implement 
business, and this has developed very rapidly 
and has grown into a most profitable business 
for the owner. The town of Funk is a very 
progressive place, and does more business than 
any other place of its size situated on the Bur- 
lington railway. For the year ending June, 
1905, the freight receipts at Funk reached 
the sum of sixty thousand dollars, and of this 
amount over twenty thousanrl dollars was 
paid by Mr. Erickson. Previous to 1903 he 
had farmed extensively in this locality, and 
was engaged in raising and feeding stock, but 
in that year he sold his three hundred and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



twenty acres of land and since then has given 
his exchisive attention to his present business, 
which has increased twenty-fi.ve per cent, each 
year for the past four years, which proves con- 
clusively the great prosperity and rapid growth 
of this section of the state. 

Mr. Erickson has four brothers, as fol- 
lows: J. E. Erickson, superintendent of the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy stock yards at 
Montgomery, Illinois ; C. L. Erickson, exten- 
sively engaged in the sheep business in Idaho, 
and who has recently started a bank at New- 
castle, Wyoming ; F. Erickson, a farmer of 
Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Henry Erickson, 
treasurer of Phelps county, whose sketch ap- 
pears in this book. 

Mr. Erickson was married in Holdrege in 
June, 1891, to Miss Risberg. They have a 
family of two children, Harold and Svea. 

Mr. Erickson is a man of active public 
spirit, and takes a commendable interest in all 
local and state affairs. He is an independent 
voter, and from 1890 to 1894 held the ofSce 
of clerk of Phelps county. He was also clerk 
of Center township for a number of years. He 
has built up a comfortable home in Funk, and 
enjoys the respect and esteem of his associates. 



LEONARD DOUT. 

For manv years past the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal history has been a 
leading citizen of his community. He opened 
up a farm from wild prairie land, was intimate- 
ly associated with the development of the re- 
gion where he chose his home, and by his un- 
tiring perseverance and integrity gained an en- 
^"iable reputation. His estates lie in section 
8. township 33, range 56, Sioux county, Ne- 
braska, and every corner of his ranch bears 
evidence of painstaking care and good man- 
agement in its operation. 

Leonard Dout was born in Perry county. 
Pennsylvania, in 1861. His parents were both 
born in Germany and came to America when 
young, settling in Pennsylvania, where they 
followed farming for many years. Leonard 
grew up there and worked in Philadelphia as 
hat finisher when a boy of fourteen years of 
age, two years later coming west and locating 
at Decatur, Illinois, where he remained for one 
year. He then went to Waterloo, Inwa, land- 
ing there in 1878, spending about three years 
in that vicinity, and there cast his first vote. 
He next went to North Dakota, locating in 
the Red river valley, and settled near Erie. 
North Dakota, close to Fargo, and was there 
for about two years. His next move was to 
Fremont, Nebraska, where he spent one win- 



ter, and in the spring of 1886 came to Sioux 
county. Chadron was the nearest railroad 
point to his location, and he came by team from 
that place, stopping at Crawford and looked 
carefully over the country around Harrison, 
and finally picked out a location on War Bon- 
net creek, using his covered wagon as a house, 
and camping out in the open many nights be- 
fore settling. He took a pre-emption, built a 
log cabin and "batched it'' for about a year, 
then went to work to improve his place and 
proved up and worked the farm for about nine 
years, building up a good ranch. He also filed 
on a homestead and proved up, making a good 
success of his ranching ventures. He built 
ditches and put in an irrigating system, farm- 
ing forty acres. Wild game was plentiful while 
he was in that locality, and he shot many deer 
and other animals. In 1895 he sold out that 
place and purchased his present ranch, con- 
sisting of twelve hundred acres, which was 
slightly improved when he took it, and he has 
improved it in good shape, building a reser- 
voir and ditches, having quite a large tract 
under irrigation. His buildings are all on sec- 
tions 7 and 8, in township 33, range 56, the 
ranch being situated on Jim creek. There is 
considerable timber also on the place, a fine 
water supply and everything to make it an 
ideal situation for ranching purposes. 

Mr. Dout was married in 1896 to Miss Myr- 
tle M. Zimmerman, daughter of William H. 
Zimmerman, who was an early settler in Sioux 
county, locating here in 1886, a sketch of 
whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. 
Dout was born in Pennsylvania, the family 
moving to Nebraska when she was a small girl, 
where she was reared and educated. Two chil- 
dred have been born to their union — Irva L., 
born in 1898, and Clarence H., born in 1902. 

While Mr. Dout takes a commendable in- 
terest in local afifairs. he has never sought 
public preferment, devoting all his time to his 
home and ranch. In political sentiment he is 
a Republican. 



WILLIAM H. HARVEY. 

As an old settler of Keya Paha county, an 
agriculturist of untiring energy and persever- 
ance and a worthy citizen, the gentleman here- 
in named needs no introduction to the people 
of his locality. He has spent over twenty 
years of his life in their midst and has gained 
a host of stanch friends and incidentally gained 
a comfortable home and placed himself and 
family in position to enjoy the declining years 
of his life in peace and quiet. He is a resident 
of Simpson precinct. 



670 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Harvey was born in Fulton county, 
Illinois, March 14, 1840, the eldest in a family 
of eight children. He was reared and edu- 
cated on a farm, where he was brought up to 
do all kinds of hard labor. His father, Sam- 
uel D. Harvey, of Pennsylvania Dutch blood, 
settled at Altoona, Knox county, Illinois, in 
1847. During the Civil war he served with 
honor in the Waterhouse Battery. When our 
subject was twenty-one years of age he enlist- 
ed in Company D, Seventeenth Illinois In- 
fantry, and served three years and thirty daj^s, 
during that time taking part in four big bat- 
tles and many skirmishes. 

After the war he returned to Illinois and 
began farming in Knox county, which he later 
abandoned for a position on the Burlington 
road, rising during the ten years' service to 
conductorship of a freight run between Gales- 
burg and Aurora. In the year 1882 he moved 
to Des Moines, Iowa, where he spent the first 
winter putting the trucks under narrow gauge 
cars on a branch line of the Wabash. For the 
following four years he followed farming in 
that locality. In 1886 he came to Keya Paha 
county, locating seven miles northeast of 
Cams, on section 29, township 33. range 18. 
and still owns this place, but is now living on 
another tract of his land. He improved his 
homestead, built a sod house in which they 
lived for fourteen years; in fact, the family 
"wore out" three sod houses before they finally 
erected a frame residence. During the early 
years he went through many hard times, los- 
ing three crops in succession through drouths, 
but was fortunate in not losing much stock 
through cattle rustlers, as did so many of 
the pioneers of this region. Many times the 
family were unable to buy shoes, wrapping 
their feet in rags as substitutes for regulation 
footwear. He became discouraged at so much 
hard luck and often felt like leaving the place, 
but stuck to it, and won success, as he now 
owns two thousand acres of land, while each 
of his three sons acquired six hundred acres. 
He runs three hundred head of cattle and forty 
hogs, all registered stock, and also forty horses 
and mules for use on the farm, as he culti- 
vates about a hundred acres each year. His 
home place is one of the best improved in this 
county, and he is counted one of the most 
successful men throughout the region, as he 
had only fourteen dollars in money when he 
first crossed the Xiobrara at Cams, and now is 
as well off as any one in the locality. He gives 
his sons credit for part of his success, as dur- 
ing the hard times they worked at whatever 
they could get to do to support themselves 
and assist in taking care of the family. Dur- 



ing the first years he was obliged to sell his 
pre-emption for the mortgage and ten dollars, 
but from that time has steadily advanced and 
improved his place. In 1908 Mr. Harvey 
leased his ranch to the two eldest sons that he 
and his wife might retire and take life easy 
during their declining years. 

Mr. Harvey was married December 20, 
1866. to Miss ^Iary B. Scott, born in Xew York 
state, her parents, James and Eliza (Ronk) 
Scott, being early settlers in Illinois. Mr. and 
^Irs. Harvey have three sons — George D., Ar- 
thur P. and Claude L., the last named being 
the Chicago & Northwestern agent at Merri- 
man, while the first two are still living at 
home. 

Mr. Harvey richly deserves the success he 
has won. as he has been a potent factor in the 
upbuilding of the region where he chose his 
home, and has always maintained the strict- 
est integrity in all his dealings with the resi- 
dents of this county and vicinity. He is a Re- 
publican, but does not take an active part in 
politics, never having had the time to devote 
to public attairs. A view of his fine country 
residence, with its barns and outbuildings, is 
presented to the reader on another page. 



FRANK LESSIG. 

Frank Lessig. whose well tilled farm in 
Brown county is carefully operated and yields 
a good annual income, is a gentleman of thor- 
ough business methods and progressive spirit. 
He has spared no oains in bringing this tract 
of land to a high state of cultivation, and well 
merits the success which has attended his ef- 
forts. 

Mr. Lessig was born in Fannettsburg, 
Pennsylvania. July 19. 1869. His father is a 
carpenter by trade and one of the pioneer set- 
tlers in Brown county. Nebraska, and a sketch 
of this gentleman will be found on another 
pacre in this volume. Our subject is the eld- 
est in a family of four living children, and was 
raised in Pennsylva'nia. there receiving a com- 
mon school education. .At the age of sixteen 
years he left home and started for the west- 
ern states, traveling through Colorado. Kan- 
sas and southern Nebraska, visiting Omaha 
and other points of interest in tjiis territory. 
.After an extended trip he returned home and 
remained with his parents until he was twenty- 
four years old. assisting his father in estab- 
lishing his farm, then began farming for him- 
self, taking a homestead in section 3. town- 
ship .31. range 21. on May 29. 1894. He put 
up a sod house here, in which he lived for 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



6-1 



ten vears. going through many hardships dur- 
ing the dry years, when he suffered severe 
losses through the destruction of his crops, 
and this nearh^ compelled him to throw up 
his farm. However, he then started in the 
cattle business, and this proving successful 
he was enabled to pull through the hard times. 
In the fall of 1905 he erected a comfortable 
two-story house of commodious size and has 
barns, corn cribs, two granaries and a black- 
smith shop which make him the possessor of a 
fine a set of buildings as can be found in this 
county. Mr. Lessig is engaged principally in 
stock raising and mi.xed farming, and of late 
years has been very successful in both lines. 

On November 21, 1893, 'Wx. Lessig was 
married to Miss Lillian Galligan, a native 
of the state of Michigan, reared and educated 
in Brown county, Nebraska, where her fa- 
ther is an old settler, having located here in 
1882. INIr. and Mrs. Lessig have two children, 
named James and Orva. They have a pleas- 
ant home and comfortable surroundings, and 
enjoy a large circle of friends and acquaint- 
ances. Mr. Lessig takes an active part in 
local political affairs, and has held different 
offices in his county. In the fall of 1905 he 
was elected county commissioner, now serv- 
ing in that capacity. In political faith he is 
a Republican. Mr. Lessig and family are 
members of the Methodist church, and Mr. 
Lessig is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge 
at Ainsworth. 



HARRY D. LUTE. 

Harry D. Lute, one of the most prominent 
ranchmen and well known old settlers of west- 
ern Nebraska, resides in Paxton precinct, 
Keith county, where he has been associated 
with the farming interests for nearly a quar- 
ter of a century, going through pioneer expe- 
riences with his parents and becoming one of 
the potent factors in the development and 
growth of the natural resources of that sec- 
tion. 

Mr. Lute was born in Holstein. Germany. 
January 8, 1870. His father, John Lute, had 
come to America a few months before our sub- 
ject was born and when he was an infant the 
mother followed her husband to the new 
world, where they together started to build 
up a home. They made their first settlement 
in Omaha, but after remaining there for about 
six months came to Lincoln county, and the 
father followed railroading, and for ten years 
was section foreman with headquarters at 
Nichols. In 1873 they moved to Julesburg, 
living there for five years, then went to Brule, 



Nebraska, all of the time working as section 
foreman, until January, 1882. Mr. Lute pur- 
chased land near Ogallala. gradually worked 
into the cattle business, and made that his 
home, increasing his herd as he became able, 
and finally gave his entire attention to the 
business. In 1886 the family moved to the 
North Platte valley, locating near Paxton, 
where the father built up an extensive ranch, 
also devoting considerable time to farming. 
He was the first man to hay feed cattle in the 
winter in his section of the country. He was 
also instrumental in getting the first irrigat- 
ing system into operation in that part, and 
was one of the foremost men of his time, al- 
wa3-s using every endeavor to aid his locality 
in bettering conditions. He died in August, 
1901. and his death was a severe loss to the 
community. While living in Brule he served 
as county commissioner and in 1898 was again 
elected to the office. 

After his father's death our subject took 
the management of the home ranch and has 
continued it ever since. The place consists of 
nine thousand acres, lying along the North 
Platte river on both sides, and is one of the 
most valuable properties in that part of Ne- 
braska. It is devoted almost exclusively to 
ranching purposes, Mr. Lute having a herd of 
eight hundred to a thousand cattle. There 
are all kinds of excellent improvements, good 
buildings, plenty of trees and everything to 
make it a model ranch. John Lute was one 
of the first men to begin the raising of alfalfa 
and his success demonstrated the fitness of the 
soil for this product. About two hundred and 
fifty acres of the ranch are under irrigation, 
while twelve hundred acres may be placed un- 
der ditch. In 1908 the large ranch was di- 
vided into a number of farms and the mother 
built an elegant modern residence on her son's 
place. 

Mr. Lute was married in 1904 to Miss 
Lulu Woods, daughter of Mathew Woods, an 
earlj- settler in Chase county, and a veteran 
of the Civil war. Her mother was Agnes 
Hanna before marriage. 

Mr. Lute is a graduate of the State Agri- 
cultural College, class of 1904, He is county 
crop reporter for the L'nited States agricultural 
department and regular correspondent for the 
Nebraska Farmer, the Twentieth Century 
Farmer, the Iowa Homestead and other agri- 
cultural journals. In addition to the old home 
ranch Mr. Lute owns fifteen hundred acres 
along the North Platte with one hundred acres 
under ditch and fourteen hundred acres of it 
irrigable. His large barn, destroyed in May, 
1908, by a cyclone, was immediately replaced 
by a much finer one, constructed of concrete 



67: 



COMPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



blocks, one of the best built and equipped 
barns in the region. 

Mr. Lute is a Republican in politics and a 
member of the Episcopal church. 



A. L. DAVIS. 



A. L. Davis, widely known throughout this 
part of the country as a prosperous farmer 
and stock raiser, has been a resident of that 
locality for many years, and has aided ma- 
terially in its development and growth. His 
home is in township 33, range 42. 

Mr. Davis was born in Ohio in 1861. His 
father, Andrew Davis, was a native of Ohio, of 
.American stock, and served in the Twenty- 
third Regiment during the Civil war. The 
family moved to Indiana when our subject 
was a small lad, and there he was reared and 
educated. He was the seventh member in a 
family of eight children, and struck out for 
himself at the age of thirteen, working around 
on different farms in the vicinity of his home, 
and in following this occupation he received 
manj' hard knocks and rather rough treatment 
which sometimes falls to the lot of young men 
in his position. In December, 1884, he came 
to Sheridan county, Nebraska, and settled on 
the place he now occupies. He immediately 
began farming, but had practically nothing to 
start with. However, he had a pair of strong 
hands and a willing heart, and with his sole 
possessions — a trunk containing his clothes 
and sixteen cents in money in his pocket — he 
went to work. At first he met with many dis- 
couragements, and during the dry years lost 
all his crops, as so many others did. At that 
time land in that locality could be bought for 
one hundred and fifty dollars per quarter sec- 
tion. He stuck to his homestead through all 
the hard times, and since then the rise in 
value of the land here has placed him in good 
shape financially and he has gradually added 
to his ])roperty until he now owns nineteen 
hundred and twenty acres of good tillable land. 
He engages in both farming and stock raising 
on a large scale, cultivating about three hun- 
dred acres, and the balance is used for hay 
and grazing for the large bunch of stock which 
he usually keeps on hand. His place is im- 
proved with a fine set of farm buildings, and 
all the machinery necessary to oi)erate a large 
farm in good shape. He is proud of his suc- 
cess and is perfectly satisfied with the locality 
in which he chose his home. 

Mr. Davis was married in 1889 to Miss 
Mina Coon, who was born in Wisconsin in 
1872. Her father, Abraham Coon, was a na- 
tive of Ohio, and her mother, Cornelia Cur- 



tis, was born in Illinois of American stock. 
She was the youngest member in a family of 
thirteen children. 

Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of ten 
children, who are named as follows: Andrew 
H., Claude C, Cora B., Lillian M., Mary G., 
Pearl E., Howard L., Glen, Elmer and Leo, all 
of whom were born and raised on the home- 
stead which they now occupy 

Mr. Davis has a pleasant home and interest- 
ing family and devotes his entire time and atten- 
tion to the building up of his farm. He is a 
Populist, takes an active interest in local af- 
fairs, and has served his township in different 
capacities at various times. 



OLAUS BOGSETH. 

Olaus Bogseth, one of the early settlers 
and now prosperous farmers of Wheeler coun- 
ty, Nebraska, lives on his well tilled farm 
of four hundred and forty acres situated in 
Clear creek township and vicinity, where he 
has spent the past twenty years of his ca- 
reer, principally in WTieeler county, Nebraska 

l\Ir. Bogseth was born in Norway in 1857 
and grew up there, coming to America in 1888 
when thirty years of age. He is a son of An- 
drew and Anna (Holderson) Bogseth, both of 
whom died in their native land, his father in 
1893 and his mother in 1895. Our subject was 
a very poor man when he first came to this 
part of the state, and was obliged to work out 
bv the day in order to obtain the money neces- 
sary for filing on a government claim. He first 
bought one hundred and sixty acres and later 
took up a homestead and pre-emption, and 
proved up on it. He now owns two hundred 
and eighty acres of good farm lands in the 
county. He rapidly developed a good farm, 
built up a comfortable home, has fine and sub- 
stantial buildings, and is now comfortably well 
oft'. He cultivates a goodly portion of the land, 
growing small grains, potatoes, etc., also raises 
some stock for market each year. He is par- 
ticularly interested in the breeding and rais- 
ing of good horses, and has quite a large num- 
ber iif fine animals on his place. 

In 1S84 Mr. Bogseth was united in the 
bonds (if wedlock to Christine Warner, she 
born and reared in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bogseth arc the parents of six children, who 
are named as follows: Alfrida (deceased'), Axel, 
Carrie, Olive, Hilma and Lola, which form 
an intelligent group. Parents and children are 
devoted members of the English Lutheran 
church of Ericson, and are highly respected 
members of society in the community in which 
they reside. 




EDWARD CRIGLER AND FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



673 



Politically Mr. Bogseth is an independent 
voter, always for the best man and good gov- 
ernment. He has served for years as town- 
ship assessor, and filled this office with good 
ability and honesty. 



EDWARD CRIGLER. 

Edward Crigler, who is a resident of town- 
ship 30, range 49, and who has demonstrated 
his own ability as a farmer and his standing 
as a man and citizen, was born on a farm in 
Gallia county, Ohio, in 1843. He is a son of 
Ruben Crigler, who was a farmer and a native 
of \^irginia. His mother, Annie (Fortner) 
Crigler, was also born in Virginia. 

When our subject was ten years of age the 
family moved to Illinois, where they settled 
on a farm in Knox county, and were among the 
pioneers of that state. When the Civil war 
broke out, realizing the duty he owed his na- 
tive land, Mr. Crigler enlisted in Company L, 
Second Nebraska Cavalry. While with this 
regiment he saw service in Dakota and Ne- 
braska, where he participated in several en- 
gagements with the Indians. 

At the close of the war Mr. Crigler re- 
turned to Illinois, where he remained until 
1879. He then went to Iowa, where he spent 
a short time in Madison and Adair counties. 
He is a pioneer of Nebraska, having settled 
in Gage county this same year, 1879. He re- 
mained there for eight years, and in 1888 came 
to Sioux county, where he settled on govern- 
ment land. Here he built a log cabin and re- 
mained two years. He then came to Box 
Butte county, where he took a homestead lo- 
cated on the Niobrara river. He proved up 
his claim, built a nice home and put in many 
improvements. He has successfully withstood 
the many hardships which the pioneers of this 
western country experienced, and reclaimed 
from the wild prairie a good farm, which by 
his own thrift and economy he has converted 
into a comfortable home for himself and fam- 
ily. In 1903, having sold his claim in Box 
Butte county, Mr. Crigler purchased land in 
Dawes county, locating about ten miles east 
of Belmont, where he remained for three years. 
He then settled on the land which is his pres- 
ent home, having his residence on section 10, 
township 30, range 49. Here he engages ex- 
tensively in the raising of live stock with his 
son-in-law. Alva Robbin=;. 

In 1873 Mr. Crigler and Miss Jane Miller 
were united in marriage. She is a daughter of 
Joel Miller, who was a farmer and blacksmith, 
and -a native of Pennsylvania. Her mother 
was Marv (Rolston) Miller. Mr. and Mrs. 



Crigler had two children, namely: Annie R. 
and Ilah P., both deceased, and have one 
adopted son, Harry, who is a bright young fel- 
low and a great help to his mother and fa- 
ther. 

Mr. Crigler devotes his attention very close- 
ly to his ranch, takes an active interest in all 
matters of local interest, and is quite promi- 
nently identified with the growth and devel- 
opment of both Dawes and Box Butte coun- 
ties. He has worked hard and the success 
with which his efforts have met is well de- 
served. He has a large circle of friends in the 
surrounding community, who consider that he 
has done wonderfully well, and that his career 
is to be regarded as a marked success. A pic- 
ture of Edward Crigler and family will be 
found on another page. 



CASPER F. NICKEL. 

Casper F. Nickel, a prosperous, progres- 
sive and enterprising farmer of Blaine town- 
ship, Kearney county, Nebraska, is one of the 
leading old settlers of this locality. When he 
came here he settled on a wild prairie farm 
and through industry and energetic efforts has 
succeeded in building up one of the valuable 
estates of the locality and is considered one 
of the substantial agriculturists of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Nickel was born in 1852 in Germany, 
and came to this country when a young 
man. In 1879 our subject homesteaded and 
took up a tree claim in Kearney county, after- 
wards adding to his farm until he is now the 
owner of eight hundred and eighty acres of 
good land. X'alentine Nickel, a brother of our 
subject, has a place located directly across 
the road from the old military reservation of 
Fort Kearney. He was in this locality in 1876 
when the United States soldiers were stationed 
here. Immediately after taking up his home- 
stead he started to build up his farm, also go- 
ing into the raising of stock, and has contin- 
ued at the work ever since. He runs from one 
hundred and fifty to five hundred cattle annu- 
ally and a number of hogs, marketing about 
three carloads of the latter each year, and in- 
tends to increase this line of business right 
along. He handles registered Duroc Jersey 
hogs and the Poland China breed, and prefers 
the Poland Chinas, which he has had experi- 
ence with in former years. He keeps high- 
bred Shorthorn Scotch cattle, male and female, 
and feeds all the grain and hay he raises on 
his own farm. He has been most successful 
in his stock raising operations, but deserves 
the best of success, as he gives all his time 



6-4 



COMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and attention to the business. He keeps about 
twelve horses for his farm work, and raises 
horses for market, having from thirty to forty 
for shipment each year. He has a thorough- 
bred Percheron stallion and ten brood mares. 
His stallion. "Dewey," captured first premium 
at the Kearney county fair as a two-year-old, 
and in his opinion the Belgium Percheron is 
the only horse to breed. 

Mr. Nickel was married to Miss Augusta 
Engbert, daughter of John Engbert, who came 
from Germany and located in Logan township, 
Kearney count)-, in 1886. and who has the rep- 
utation of being one of the most successful 
farmers in the county One son and three 
daughters have come to bless the union of our 
subject and his good wife, namely: G. Au- 
gust, who is on the ranch with his father ; 
Minnie, wife of Patsy Ryan, of Blaine town- 
ship; Annie, living at home, and Lillie. at- 
tending college at Kearney. Nebraska. The 
family are members of the Minden Lutheran 
church and worthy members of society. Our 
subject is highly esteemed for his sterling 
qualities by all who know him. 



ARTHUR H. GROVE. 

Arthur H. Grove, one of the best known 
pioneers of Box Butte county, considered 
among the early settlers of this region as a 
business man of more than ordinary capacity, 
is possessed of a wide knowledge of the his- 
tory of the development and growth of this 
section of the state, and has been an important 
factor in its success. He and his father han- 
dled the first United States mail in this sec- 
tion of the country, first at Grand Lake, then 
at Alliance, also a postoffice on section 4. town- 
ship 25, range 48, where our subject now lives. 

Mr. Grove was born in the city of Free- 
port, Illinois, in 1868, and reared there, at- 
tending the city schools, where he received a 
good education, graduating from the high 
school, and later was a student at Mt. Morris 
College, Illinois. He came west to Dakota in 
1885. where he lived about one year, then 
moved to Bo.\ Butte county, settling with his 
parents, who were on a homestead in section 
4, town.ship 25. range 48. Here they had built 
a sod house, also a dugout addition, in which 
they lived during the early days. The father 
and son Arthur opened a store at Grand Lake 
and in the city of .Mliance, handling the L^nited 
States mail there also. They had a small store 
on their farm, also handling L'nited States 
mail there, our subject himself selling some of 
the first goods that were ever sold in Alliance, 
which at that time was called Grand Lake. 



They kept the store after the change of name 
from Grand Lake to Alliance. Arthur knew 
very little about farming as a boy, but he 
started in to breaking up land for crops and put 
in some grain and after they had been here a 
short time he bought out his father's rights to 
the homestead, sold his mercantile interests, and 
gave his whole attention to farming. He han- 
dled o.x teams and led a typical pioneer life, 
freighting, and when making long trips through 
the country camped out many times under his 
wagon, and many times while going long dis- 
tances would be caught in a heavy snow storm 
and obliged to sleep on the snow covered ground. 
During those days he "batched it" on his farm, 
doing all his own work, cooking, etc., often feed- 
ing a whole threshing outfit. 

He was very successful in building up and 
improving his place and gradually added to his 
land until he now owns one thousand four hun- 
dred and forty acres, situated six miles from 
Alliance. He farms one hundred acres of this, 
and in good years had as high as two hundred 
acres in crops. In 189§ he lost his barn, five 
hundred bushels of corn, one hundred tons of 
hay and feed, also other property by fire, sut- 
fering a loss of S3.000. Mr. Grove engages to 
quite an extent in cattle raising, and has made a 
great success of this branch of the business, 
handling the Aberdeen Polled Angus breed. 

Mr. Grove was married in 1897 to Matilda 
Zobel. whose parents were old settlers in Kear- 
ney county, Nebraska, and came to Box Butte 
county in 1893 : here they settled near Heniing- 
ford. Box Butte county. Nebraska. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Grove the following children have been 
born : Phillip T. and Arthur W.. both of whom 
are now going to school in Alliance. 

Politically our subject is a Democrat, and 
has served his county as commissoner for sev- 
eral terms. He has always been active in local 
affairs, and has been an important factor in build- 
ing u]) the schools in this region. In I'^OA- 
Mr. Grove went to old Mexico, engaging in the 
mining business for about one year, then took a 
trip through the southeastern part of the L'nited 
.States as far south as New Orleans, but finally 
decided that old Box Butte county was good 
enoueh for him. so returned to his ranch here. 



J. IT. ROSENFELT. Dfxi--\si:d. 

T. H. Rosenfelt. deceased, was a prominent 
ranchman of Cambri4ge. Furnas county. Ne- 
braska, and was numbered among the successful 
and prosjierous stockmen of this section of the 
country. 

Mr. Rosenfelt was a native of Illinois, born 
in 1856. He came to Frontier county, this state, 





^ffv^^l 








^^«^ 







MR. AND MRS. JOHN HENDERSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



675 



in 1877, and opened up a ranch in the Medicine 
Valley, stocking his ranch with two hundred 
head of cattle. At this writing his estate has a 
herd of five hundred cattle and the ranch com- 
prises one thousand eight hundred acres, which 
is all deeded land. He was one of the largest 
buvers and shippers of stock in this county, 
each vear sending to market from Cambridge, a 
hundred cars of cattle and hogs. He owned a 
number of pure bred Hereford cattle, and kept 
mostly high grade stock. He located in Cam- 
bridge in 1893, and for three years was engaged 
in the grain business, but sold this out to Cooper 
& L\nn. of Humboldt, Nebraska. Since then 
until his death, he devoted his entire time and 
attention to the care of his stock, and found 
that it was a most profitable venture, as this 
country is especially adapted for stock raising 
and there is no place better fitted for the pur- 
pose, as there is plenty of pasture land and good 
water, besides the climate here is the finest to 
be found anywhere, with mild winters, so that 
there is no danger of losing stock through severe 
storms. When Mr. Rosenfelt was fourteen 
years old he moved to Lancaster county, Ne- 
braska, where he was reared. 

Mr. Rosenfelt was married in 1883 to ]\Iiss 
Lucy A. Light. They had one son, J. Allen 
Rosenfelt, who took a course at the Kansas 
City Veterinary College, but now has charge of 
his father's estate. 

Mr. J. H. Rosenfelt died here at Cambridg"e 
in April, 1907. greatly missed by numerous 
friends and business associates. He always took 
an active interest in public affairs and in reform 
measures. He was public-spirited and progres- 
sive. 



ANDREW A, CARLSON. 

Andrew A. Carlson, one of the successful 
and prominent old-time farmers and ranchmen 
of western Nebraska, is a man of sterling char- 
acter and who through industry and good man- 
agement has come to be one of the largest land- 
owners in Dawes county. He has a pleasant 
home in section 11, township 33, range 52, and 
is highly esteemed by his associates and all who 
know him. 

Mr. Carlson was born in Osterjotland, Swe- 
den, in 1851. and was raised and educated there. 
He came to America in 1873, and came west im- 
mediately after landing in New York city, 
locating in Pennsylvania, where he spent two 
years, then went on to Texas, where he was em- 
ployed on the railroad up to 1883, after that 
s])ending one year in old Mexico, there also 
working on the road. He returned to Texas, and 
railroaded all over that state. Missouri. Louisi- 



ana, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Dakota and 
Wyoming, traveling besides in other states, and 
saw all of the western part of the United States 
while in this line of work. 

In 1879 he came to Dawes county and took 
up a homestead in section 14, township 33. range 
52, starting a farm and home. He put up a 
small shack and "batched it" up to 1893, then 
was joined by his father and mother, who had 
journeyed from their native land to spend their 
last years with their son, and after living here 
some years passed away, the mother's death oc- 
curring in about 1900, and the father's in March, 
1893. 

During the first years in trying to establish 
a farm Mr. Carlson went through some pretty 
tough times, losing several crops by drouth and 
other causes, but he stuck to the farm and as 
time went on conditions became more favorable 
and he succeeded in his ventures to a marked 
degree, adding to his original holdings constant- 
ly, until he and his wife together now own four- 
teen quarter sections of deeded land. He has 
put up good buildings and many improvements 
on the place, and has a big grove in fine grow- 
ing condition, having set out all the trees him- 
self. Big Cottonwood creek runs through his 
ranch, furnishing plenty of good living water 
the year round, and making an ideal farm for 
stock raising, in which work he is engaged ex- 
tensively, and has always been since coming here, 
after the first four years. He now runs one 
hundred and thirty head all the time, and has 
been very successful in this branch of work. 
In 1905 he moved on to his present homestead 
in section 11. where he has another complete set 
of good farm buildings. Mr. Carlson was the 
first man in this part of the country to build a 
dam and water reservoir for cattle. 

In 1893 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Ida Dickson, a native of Tama county, 
Iowa, of American stock. To them have been 
born the following children : Mary, Lizzie, 
Roger and Clara, and the family is we'll liked by 
everyone, and enjoy a pleasant and happy Home. 
Mr. Carlson has done his share in building 
up this section of the country and been a leader 
in developing its natural resources. He has 
held the office of assessor for one year, and also 
was road overseer in his district. 



JOHN HENDERSON. 

John Henderson, familiarly known as "Scot- 
ty" to all who reside in a large part of Box 
Butte county, is probably one of the best-known 
and most highly respected citizens of his local- 
ity, and is also an old settler and substantial 
farmer who has gained a competence through 



676 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



his energetic eflforts and industrious habits. His 
residence is in section 7. township 24. range 51, 
and there he has a comfortable home, surrounded 
bv all the comforts and manv of the luxuries of 
life. 

Mr. Henderson was born in Dumfriesshire. 
Scotland, in 1861, on a farm. Both parents were 
bom and raised in that country, and farmed 
there all their lives, and our subject was reared 
and educated there, attending the country 
schools during his boyhood. When he was but 
nine years of age he left home and made his own 
way in the world from that time on, his first job 
that of driving' a burro delivering milk, and for 
the first six months at this employment received 
the magnificent sum of one pound of English 
money. He worked at difTerent things there for 
a number of years, then decided to leave Scot- 
land and try a new country, so took passage for 
America, landing here in 1879, and going direct- 
ly west to Cheyenne. Wyoming. He worked 
his way on the ship over here, taking care of a 
herd of fifty-si.x black Polled Angus bulls, which 
were being brought here from Glasgow for 
breeding purposes. 

The shipment was laid over for three months 
in Quebec, and our subject had a good chance 
to see the country there. After arriving in the 
west he secured employment herding sheep, and 
followed that for some time, then started 
freighting from Cheyenne to Fort Laramie, also 
worked as a cowboy on different ranches through 
Wyoming for a period of eight years. He trav- 
eled on horseback all over W'yoming, Montana, 
Dakota and Nebraska, and was familiar with 
all the old cow trails over those states. He fin- 
ally gave up that occupation and came to Ne- 
braska to locate permanently, filing on a home- 
stead in section 7. township 24. range 51. Dur- 
ing the first few years, all his work on the ranch, 
freighting, etc.. was done with mule teams. As 
a cowboy, sheep herder, etc., he had managed 
to save up about four hundred and fifty dollars. 
also owned a team of ponies, and so had a fairly 
good start. He started at once to improve his 
farm, put up good buildings and lived a regular 
pioneer life, meeting with many hardships, los- 
ing several crops, etc. He worked hard and 
gradually bought more land, and is now propri- 
etor of a ranch of four thousand acres, all 
deeded land. He purchased the old Hart ranch 
a number of years ago. which is now a part of 
his valuable property, and the famous old Sid- 
ney trail runs directly through his place. 

Mr. Henderson engages exclusively in the 
stock business. He has a large herd of cattle 
for breeding and market purposes, and is one 
of the largest and most successful ranchmen in 
this region. During the winter of 1904 he lost 



seven hundred head of cattle through a severe 
stonn, and at various times has suffered heavy 
losses of stock. His ranch is beautifully situ- 
ated on the Snake creek, and he has it im- 
proved in the best possible shape. He has four 
wells and four windmills, has erected a hand- 
some residence, and the entire place is fenced 
and fitted with good buildings, etc. 

Mr. Henderson was married in 1888 to Miss 
Jennie Allen, daughter of Robert Allen, who is 
a Canadian by birth, and now lives at Ontario. 
Mrs. Henderson was one of the early homestead- 
ers in Nebraska, coming here in 1887. Mr. and 
Mrs. Henderson have five children, named as 
follows: John A.. Dick, Harold. James and 
Margaret. Portraits of ^Ir. and Mrs. Hender- 
son will be found on another page. 

Politicallv Mr. Henderson is a Democrat. 



LEONIDAS H. LILLY. 

Leonidas H. Lilly is a worthy representa- 
tive of the sturdy western pioneer, who has 
passed through every phase of frontier life and 
has been an important factor in the upbuilding 
of his community since coming to Nebraska many 
years ago. He is now a resident of the thriv- 
ing town of Kimball, and one of the leading 
business men there, being engaged in the livery 
business, and also has a stage line and takes 
mail contracts. 

Mr. Lilly was born in Indiana on October 
5. 1854. living there until about two years of 
age. when his parents, with their family of four 
sons and four daughters, removed to Livingston 
countv. Illinois. Subse(|uently there were four 
more girls horn to the father and mother, mak- 
ing a family of twelve children. The parents 
remained in Illinois until their death. Our sub- 
ject went to Montana in 1880. where he lived 
for about six years, and engaged in buying and 
shipping horses and stock. He remembers dis- 
tinctlv the days when buffalo were plenty in that 
vicinity, he himself having two hundred to his 
his credit in 1881. 

He followed the business of buying and 
shipping horses up to 1888, then went to Ne- 
braska, locating in Kimball county, and went 
into the livery business in the town of Kimball, 
soon afterwards securing the mail contracts 
from the United States government, which he 
carried on for about four years. Two years 
were si)ent in Utah and one year in Cheyenne, 
Wyoming, where he carried on the livery busi- 
ness, finally returning to Kimball county in 1897. 
He then embarked in the ranching and cattle 
industry, following this up to 1905. at which 
time he moved into the village of Kimball and 




O 2 

O £■ 

W c 

O = 



COMPENDIUiAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



677 



again established a livery barn and took mail 
contracts. He is considered one of the prosper- 
ous men of his locality, and has built up a good 
patronage through strict attention to business 
and honest and fair dealings. 

In October, 18S9, Mr. Lilly was married at 
Kimball, to Miss Flora Stanley, who was born 
in Indiana and raised in Illinois, where her par- 
ents settled about 1850. While on a visit to a 
sister living in Kimball, Miss Stanley met her 
present husband. Our subject's parents are 
both dead, while his wife's father and mother 
still live in Illinois. During 1889 and 1890 Mr. 
Lilly was deputy sheriff of Kimball county, and 
while serving in this capacity experienced nu- 
merous thrilling adventures, winch he relates m 
a particularly interesting manner. 

In 1891 he was elected county commissioner, 
serving for three years. He is a strong Re- 
publican. 



GEORGE W. LADELY. 

George W. Ladely, an influential and popular 
citizen of Cherry county, Nebraska, holds his 
enviable position in the community by force of 
character, industrious habits and unquestioned 
integrity. His home is in section 15, townsliip 
29, range 35. and here he has displayed those 
peculiar qualities that have made him so mark- 
edly successful in life's struggles. 

Mr. Ladely was bom in Muskingum county. 
Ohio, November 29, 1850. where he was reared 
to a rural life. His father, William Ladely, a 
farmer all his life, married Cornelia Slack, the 
mother of the subject of this personal history, 
and both were natives of the state of Pennsyl- 
vania, the former of Holland ancestry and the 
latter of German stock. They had a family of 
nine children. George W. being their second 
child, he remaining at home until he was twenty- 
one years of age, then started in life for him- 
self, obtaining employment on farms in Iowa. 
In 1888 he came to Cherry county, where he 
took up a pre-emption claim, proved up and 
sold it. For two years he worked on the Gillas- 
pie ranch, then settled on the place which he 
now occupies as a homestead. He has gone 
through hard times since locating here, and 
has put in many years of hard work, but has 
met with good success, now owning a ranch of 
two thousand one hundred and twenty acres 
known as the H. L. ranch, which is stocked 
with one thousand head of cattle and one hun- 
dred and fifty horses. He has good buildings 
on his place, his house costing one thousand four 
hundred dollars, and barn one thousand one 
hundred dollars, together with other farm 
buildings which are among the best to be found 



in this region. ]\Ir. Ladely built his present house 
in 1906. L'p to that time he had lived in a sod 
house, which was a very comfortable dwelling 
that he erected in 1882. The new residence is 
unusually large for a ranch house and is fur- 
nished in keeping with the exterior. Running 
water is supplied by one of the four flowing 
wells on his farm, which range in depth from 
fifty to three hundred and sixty feet, this mak- 
ing his ranch one of the best and most valuable 
in the county. 

Mr. Ladely was married May 1, 1890, to 
Miss Elizabeth Kime, born in Iowa in 1858, 
daughter of Levi N. Kime, of German descent, 
and a native of Ohio. Her mother, Nancy Lay- 
port, before her marriage, was also a native of 
Ohio, of French-English descent. ]Mrs. Lade- 
ly's father and her husband were the first set- 
tlers on this part of Gordon creek, and have 
both lived here continuously since locating. They 
have been very successful, and the latter is satis- 
fied that he has done much better than had he 
remained in Iowa, as the opportunities for ac- 
quiring land are far ahead of that state, and 
the climate and conditions better in every way. 
A view of the family home and surroundings 
will be found elsewhere in this volume. 

Mr. Ladely is a Republican in political sen- 
timent. 



HORACE G. WALLINGFORD. 

Horace G. Wallingford, a prominent resident 
of Cherry county, Nebraska, is one of the lead- 
ing ranchmen of the country. He is one of the 
early settlers of the county, and after many hard- 
ships and discouragements has succeeded in the 
business which he has undertaken in no small 
degree. 

Mr. Wallingford's father was A. J. Walling- 
ford, an old settler in Cherry county, Nebras- 
ka, and his mother was Miss Matilda Gray, of 
Scotch and Irish descent, American born. Mr. 
Wallingford is twelfth of a family of thirteen 
children, and was reared in Franklin county, 
Nebraska, until he was eleven or twelve years 
of age. In 1884 he came to Cherry county with 
his father during the pioneer days, settling on 
the Snake river six miles from the mouth, they 
being the third family to settle on this river. 
Here the father established a saw-mill on Snake 
creek opposite the mouth of Steer creek canyon. 
After taking up their residence here, they han- 
dled ox teams, freighters, and passed through 
all the experiences familiar to the people of 
those days, enduring all the privations and dis- 
couragements which the pioneers had to con- 
tend with in the building up of a new country. 

When twenty-one years of age our subject 



6/8 



CO^JPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIX.ISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



started in life for himself, taking up a home- 
stead on Boardman Creek, on which his first 
habitation was a sod shanty. He was married in 
1897 to Miss Etta Hoti'man, whose father was 
an old settler in Iowa. Four children were born 
to Mr. and Mrs. Wallingford. named as follows: 
Edna, Willie, :Mildred and Orval. 

Mr. Wallingford proved up on his homestead 
and took a Kincaid homestead in 1904, and has 
since made many improvements in the way of 
building, stocking up his ranch with cattle and 
Other live stock, etc. He is numbered among 
the old timers who have watched the growth 
of this part of the country from the start. Mr. 
Wallingford"s ranch is located in sections 25 and 
26, township 30, range 32. in Cherry county, 
Nebraska, and is stocked with two hundred and 
seventy-five head of cattle : he is called one of 
the successful younger ranchmen of the county. 
His first start in life was derived from the pro- 
ceeds of hunting, and he is now the owner of 
six hundred and forty acres, comprising the 
ranch on which he lives and also has interests 
in other lands, his wife owning one hundred 
and sixty acres adjoining. 

Mr. Wallingford well remembers \'alcntine 
when it was only a small side station. He has 
always taken an active interest in local affairs, 
and is a man of sterling character, universally 
esteemed by his fellowmen. In politics he is a 
Republican. 



EDWIX B. SMITH. 

Edwin B. Smith was born in the state of 
New York, in Warren county, in 1853. His 
father, John Smith, was also a native of Xew 
York. His mother, Experience (Hack) Smith, 
was born in Vermont, her parents being from a 
long line of American ancestors. The father 
was agent for a large lumber company, but lived 
on a farm in the timber country. Our subject 
lived on the old farm his grandfather cleared up 
when a young man. The family lived for about 
six years in Vermont, in the old town of Bran- 
don, and later moved to Warren county, Xew 
York, where Edwin was reared, receiving a 
country school education. 

In 1882 our subject came west to Nebraska, 
locating on a farm in Valley county, not far 
from the town of Ord, which was then only a 
struggling village with no railroad. After two 
j-ears he took a homestead, and. as he had but 
little to start on. his improvements were very 
primitive. Materials and supplies had to be 
hauled from St. Paul, Nebraska, the nearest 
railroad point, and it was here that he had to do 
his marketing of hogs and wheat for some time. 



In 1884 he came to Blaine county, finding a 
good location on the Xorth Loup river. He came 
in a covered wagon and with few supplies. He 
worked hard and was getting things in good 
shape when a prairie fire swept away stable and 
sheds, killing one of his horses, and burning 
the wheels of his wagon and also some hay, lum- 
ber and his harness. This was very discouraging, 
coming just at the time when he was getting 
started, and Mr. Smith was almost at the point 
of giving up. But with unconquerable grit he 
held on and soon saw better times. Several 
good crops came in succession, and he had the 
best sod crops ever raised : grew potatoes, 
melons, beans and plenty of garden stuff, so that 
he got along very nicely, and. with six head of 
cattle to start in stock raising, the future looked 
much brighter. But next came the years of 
drouth and our subject was very much dis- 
tressed. But he did not have enough with 
which to get out of the county, so he had to 
stay and struggle along as best he could. He 
came to his present location on section 25, town- 
ship 23, range 21, in 1894. This was a tree 
claim which he purchased. It was wild prairie 
land with no improvements. He put up a sou 
home, twenty by forty feet, and bought a twelve 
by fourteen board shanty ten miles away and 
moved it to his farm, where it was used as a 
stable. 

He stuck to his farm and made fine improve- 
ments. But he had a bad fire in 1893, losing a 
large frame barn, fourteen by twenty-four feet 
and fourteen by eighteen feet, harnesses, sad- 
dles, hay and several calves, and it took magnifi- 
cent courage to bear the loss. Xow he has a 
fine ranch, as good as can be found in all the 
county. He. has five quarter sections of land 
along the X'^orth Loup river, and, with his sons' 
homesteads, controls several sections of excel- 
lent land. He has a good house, built in 1907-"08, 
good barns, sheds, corrals, dipping tanks, has 
fourteen to fifteen miles of fence, four hydraulic 
wells and cisterns, windmills, etc., indeed one of 
the most completely equipped ranches in Blaine 
county. He has fine groves of trees on differ- 
ent parts of the ranch, has a number of apple, 
plum and cherry trees and an abundance of small 
fruit. 

Mr. Smith has been an intelligent participant 
in all local political matters and has been elect- 
ed to various positions of trust and responsi- 
bility. He held the ofiice of county clerk of 
Blaine county for two years, and has also been 
a member of the local school board. Our sub- 
ject was here during the county-seat fights when 
Brewster, Le Dora and Blaine Center were hotly 
contesting for the honor of being the seat of the 
county government. Throughout all his fron- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



679 



tier experiences and later life in Blaine county, 
Mr. Smith has been ever ready to sanction all 
movements tending for the betterment of his 
community and he has performed his share in 
adding to its material development. 

Edwin B. Smith and Aliss Anna L. George 
were married March 1, 1876. Mrs. Smith was a 
native of New York. Her father, an expert 
mechanic and boat builder, died September 27, 
1908, in the state of New York. Her mother 
was Margaret Stillson, who died in 1884. Mr. 
and Mrs. Smith have been the happy parents of 
eight children — Truman, Morvice, William G., 
Earnest (deceased), Mark, Wesley, Eva and 
Arthur. 



WILLIAM L. WESTON. 

William L. Weston, who for over a score of 
years has resided in Keya Paha county, Nebras- 
ka, and during this time has acquired a fine prop- 
erty as a result of his industry and good man- 
agement, is widely known in his locality, and 
held in the highest esteem as a citizen and pro- 
gressive farmer. 

Mr. Weston was born in Linden, Iowa coun- 
ty, Wisconsin, February 20, 1861. His father, 
John H. Weston, was born in England, and 
came to this country when a young man, where 
he followed the profession of a teacher. He 
was a man of wide experience, and an extensive 
traveler, having been all through the European 
countries, also in South Africa. His health 
failed and after coming to this country he devoted 
his entire time to teaching as an occupation. He 
married Miss Carolina Brooks, whose parents 
settled in Wisconsin in the early days, going 
into the region of the lead mines, where she was 
born and raised. Our subject was the third 
member in his parents' family of four children, 
and he was raised in the vicinity of the lead 
mines, working in the mines as a boy. When 
seventeen years of age he went to Marquette, 
Michigan, and worked in the mines for a year ; 
thence he came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, working 
for two years before returning to Wisconsin, 
where for three years he was employed in a 
creamery at Edmund. When he was twenty- 
four years of age he came to Keya Paha county, 
traveling by rail to Ainsworth, landing there on 
November 4, 1885. From Ainsworth he was 
obliged to take a team and drive through, and 
while on the journey was overtaken by one of 
the worst blizzards in years, from which he took 
shelter in a dugout, one of the rendezvous of the 
famous Doc. Middleton. On locating here he 
at once put up a sod house, and lived in it for 
seven years, proving up on his homestead. He 
did evervthina: that came to his hand in order 



to make a living and improve his farm, hand- 
ling ox teams with which he broke up consider- 
able land. This place was situated on section 11, 
township 34, range 23. 

During the years 1893. 1894 and 1895, Mr. 
Weston lived at Hartington, in Cedar county, 
Nebraska, doing any work he could secure, 
and for one year was in the livery business at 
Armour, South Dakota, dealing in real estate 
much of the time. This was during the drouth 
periods and the panic. In 1895 he returned to 
Keya Paha county, living for a short time on 
section 11 before locating on section 34, town- 
ship 34, range 22, where he lived for six years 
prior to taking up his present farm in section 10, 
township 34, range 22, both places being situ- 
ated on Cottonwood creek, and which he still 
owns ; his possessions altogether consist of five 
quarter sections of fine land. One hundred acres 
are under cultivation and the rest in hay and 
pasture land, with a fine orchard of plum, apple 
and cherry trees, with Cottonwood creek run- 
ning through the place, supplying fine clear 
water the year around. ^Ir. Weston has erected 
a solid stone house, a milk house of the same 
material with barn, granary and other neces- 
sary buildings of frame construction. 

Marlbank postofiice was established on our 
subject's present farm in 1883, and since 1896 
Mrs. Weston has served as postmistress, with the 
postofiice re-established in their home. 

Mr. Weston is thoroughly familiar with con- 
ditions throughout this section of the country 
and has aided in the development and growth of 
the region from its early days. Politicallv he is. 
a strong Republican, attending all the county- 
conventions as a delegate, and one of the prom- 
inent public-spirited citizens of his community. 
While still living in Wisconsin Mr. Weston 
was married November 14, 1883, to Miss Emma 
Jane Williams, daughter of John and Jane 
(Reed) Williams, both born in England "and 
afterwards early settlers in Wisconsin. To Mr. 
and Airs. Weston two children were born, 
namely: Earl, born in Wisconsin in 1884, and 
Velma, born in 1890, in Keya Paha county; The 
family are all members of the Methodist church. 
Formerly Mr. Weston was a member of the 
Pythian order and the Woodmen, but owing to 
distance from lodge has allowed his member- 
ship to lapse. 



OTIS W. HAHN. 

For over twenty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this review, has been identified with 
the development of the financial and social in- 
terests of Cherry county, has gained a high sta- 



68o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tion as a citizen, and incidentally become one of 
the leading men of his community. 

Mr. Hahn was born in Rio. Knox county, Ill- 
inois. December 2, 1860. His father, Moses 
Hahn, was a farmer and came of American 
stock. His mother, a native of Somersetshire, 
England, came to this country when a young 
girl. Our subject was fifth of twelve children 
born to his parents. Early in life he became in- 
ured to hard farm work and at the age of 
twenty, starting out for himself, bought a farm 
in Nodaway county. Missouri, whither his par- 
ents had moved in 1880. He spent four years 
on this farm, which he sold in 1884 and came 
to Cherry county, settling on a homestead in 
section 27, township 35, range 28, where he 
built a small house, covered with tar paper. As 
a start he had two good teams, a wagon, two 
cows and some farm machinery, and at once set 
to work building up his home. In the spring of 
1885 he helped to organize the first school in 
this locality, the school being held in his own 
Tiouse, his wife acting as the teacher. During 
the drouth periods they were able to raise but 
very little besides the feed absolutely needed to 
supply their stock, suffering hard times but never 
despairing, and now his farm comprises three 
hundred and twenty acres, half of which is 
under cultivation. He has this improved with 
good farm buildings, including a large barn and 
granary with corn cribs, etc. .Altogether Mr. 
Hahn operates at times nine hundred and sixty 
acres of land, and has also been extensively en- 
gaged in the cattle and horse raising business. 
Mr. Hahn was married in Illinois in 1880 to 
Miss Lura Melton, of American parentage, and 
of this Lmion five children were born, as fol- 
lows: Mabel. Lloyd. Clement, .\nna and Otis D. 
He is a Democrat politically, and takes an 
active part in party politics, attending conven- 
tions as delegate, and is an earnest worker for 
his party. He has served a term or two as 
deputy county treasurer. He afifilliates with the 
Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen lodges of Valentine. 



WILLIAM LOCHMILLER. 

\\'illiam Lochmiller. who occupies a foremost 
place among the early settlers in Nebraska, has 
been engaged in farming in Brown county for 
many years, where he has a thoroughly im- 
proved farm. He has a wide circle of acquaint- 
ances, anfl is recognized as a gentleman of ac- 
tive public spirit, highly respected and esteemed 
in tile locality in which he resides. 

Mr. Lochmiller was born in Crawford coun- 
ty. Iowa, January 3, 1864. His parents, Cas- 



par and Sophia Lochmiller, came to the United 
States from Germany in 1859 or 1860, shortly 
after the birth of their first child. They located 
in Iowa, where their family of seven children, of 
whom our subject is the fourth member, were 
reared and given the advantages of the coun- 
try schools, assisting the father in the farm work 
during the time not spent attending school. In 
1877 the father left Iowa and came to Nebraska, 
taking a homestead in section 10, township 30, 
range 22, Brown county. Here he put up a 
dugout as his first building, and started farming 
for himself, "hatching it" for two years, with the 
assistance of some of the boys who had joined 
him, the remainder of the family coming in 1879. 
He remained on this homestead until his death 
in the spring of 1904. William, the subject of 
this review, remained with his father until his 
marriage, when he took up a homestead also in 
section 10, living here twenty-one years in all, 
going through hard and uncomfortable exper- 
iences during the drouth periods, severe winters, 
grasshopper raids, and all the hardships which 
the pioneer settlers had to endure at those times. 
After a hard struggle in getting started he 
came out all right, steadily improving his farm, 
putting up good buildings, and erected a fine 
house and large barn with accommodations for 
sheltering sixteen horses, granaries, carriage and 
machine sheds, windmills, fenced all his land, 
and altogether made his one of the finest fanns 
in the county. He remained on this until 1904, 
when he moved to his present farm in section 35, 
township 31, range 22. having previously pur- 
chased three quarter sections of land here, and 
he also has a fine two-story eight-room house 
conveniently arranged and fitted u]) with many 
modern imjirovements. lie has a large barn, 
built in 1903, granary, large chicken house, 
blacksmith shop fitted up with anvil, vise 
and bellows, and all the tools necessary for 
the repairing of farm machinery. He also has 
erected two windmills together with a fine milk 
house near by. At the time he bought this farm 
but ninety acres were broken up, and the whole 
place was overgrown with brush. He has since 
cleared all of the land, planted one hundred apple 
trees and a large number of cherry, plum and 
other small fruit trees, all growing in fine con- 
dition. He is engaged to quite an extent in 
stock raising, running fifty head of stock cattle 
and fourteen milch cows, which net him a snug 
sum each year. In the fall of 1906 he bought 
twenty acres in the western part of .\insworth. 
where he erected a comfortable house, bams 
and other buildings and has practically retired, 
surrendering the operation of the farm to his 
eldest son. 

In June, 1885, Mr. Lochmiller was married 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to Miss Bertha Sobel, who came to this coun- 
try from Germany when a young girl. The_\^ 
have four children, namely : Otto, Willie, Hat- 
tie and Eddie, all born in Brown county. July 
5, 1899. Mr. Lochmiller met with a sad misfor- 
tune in the death of his wife, who was accident- 
ally killed during a cyclone. The family saw 
the storm coming up and they all ran to the cel- 
lar for protection, when i\Irs. Lochmiller, sup- 
posing one of the children had been left behind, 
started to open the cellar door, and just at this 
instant the cyclone struck the house moving it so 
that she was caught under the timbers and in- 
stantly killed. This was a terrible blow to the 
family, the manner of her death making it all 
the more harrowing. In 1900 Mr. Lochmiller 
married Mrs. Henrietta Schneidereit. a native 
of Germany, who came to this country in 1882 
with her husband, locating in Council Bluffs, 
where they lived for seven years, then moved to 
Blaine county, Iowa, where he was accidentally 
killed in 1898. leaving her with the following 
children : Herman, Fred. Lizzie. Anna, Albert, 
Rhinehart and Henry. When the family first 
settled in Iowa they went through much priva- 
tion, and just as they were beginning to get a 
start, the husband and father lost his life by be- 
ing shot. C)ne child was born to Mr. Lochmiller 
as a result of this second marriage, Ella, born in 
their present home. They are members of the 
Lutheran church and in politics Mr. Lochmiller 
is a Democrat. 



MICHAEL F. EGAN. 

Michael F. Egan. a prominent ranch owner 
and stockman of Dawes county, will surely ap- 
pear on any list of the old settlers of western 
Nebraska. He was born in the mining regions 
of Wisconsin in 1849. a son of Constantine and 
Jane ( Morne) Egan, both of whom were natives 
of Ireland. Here he spent the earlier portion 
of his life, having started to work in the zinc and 
lead mines at the early age of twelve years. 
Twenty-two years of his life were spent fol- 
lowing this occupation. 

In 1885, Mr. Egan came west into Box Butte 
county, Nebraska, working for a time at team- 
ing in \'alentine. In 1886 he pre-empted a 
claim in township 32, range 47, and in February, 
1887, proved up on his claim. Here he made the 
start which developed him into one of the most 
successful ranchmen in western Nebraska. He 
brought the lumber with which to build his home 
from Wisconsin. In the fall of 1887 he took a 
homestead, proved it up, and later sold it for 
one hundred and fifty dollars, realizing quite a 
small sum of money by the transaction. The 
following year, 1899, he purchased his present 



farm in section 26, township 32. range 47, lo- 
cated at the head of the Little Bordeaux creek. 
Here Mr. Egan has erected a nice home to- 
gether with good barns and sheds in which to 
house his stock. From time to time he has pur- 
chased adjacent lands, until at the present time 
he has a ranch comprising an area of one thou- 
sand six hundred acres of deeded and leased 
land, three hundred acres of which are culti- 
vated. His ranch is one of the largest in this 
locality, and a large portion of the land has been 
fenced. Some portions of the land are covered 
with matured timber. During the past six 
years Mr. Egan has equipped his farm with 
many modern improvements, until at the present 
time a more modernly fitted ranch could not be 
found in this part of the state. He has suc- 
cessfully withstood the drouth periods, and the 
many hardships which confronted the earlier 
settlers in this section of the country. Our sub- 
ject engages extensively in the raising of cattle 
and horses, and has made an enviable reputation 
as one of the leading ranchmen of western Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Egan was married in Wisconsin in Oc- 
tober, 1875, to Katherine Kent, daughter of 
Patrick and Ellen (Egan) Kent, both of whom 
were natives of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Egan 
are the parents of thirteen children, viz : Con- 
stantine. Ellen and Laura, both of whom are 
school teachers ; Patrick, Katie, who is married ; 
Michael, Daniel and Julia, eight children born in 
Wisconsin ; Margaretta, Lizzie, Mary. John and 
Walter, five children born in Nebraska. 

In political matters Mr. Egan generally takes 
strong Republican ground. He has always 
been prominently identified with educational mat- 
ters here, having served as a school officer for 
many years, and has assisted in the building and 
opening of several of the schools in this county. 
He has always taken an active part in the devel- 
opment of Dawes county, and enjoys the respect 
and confidence of a host of warm friends in the 
community in which his useful life is passing. 



J. M. BROWN. 

J. M. Brown of Holdrege, Nebraska, is pro- 
prietor of a valuable estate in Phelps county, 
and among the pioneer settlers of this locality. 
He has spent many years in building up this 
property, and now has retired imm all active 
business. 

Mr. Brown is a native of Smoland, Sweden, 
born in 1845, and came to this country in 1869, 
locating near Burlington, Iowa. He is now the 
owner of three hundred and twenty acres in- 
cluding the west half section 17. of Divide town- 
ship, and farmed this land from 1887 up to 1903, 



682 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



at the end of which time he located in Holdrege. 
He has his farm well improved with good build- 
ings, fences, etc., and the place is operated by 
his son, Fred Brown. He has a herd of eighty 
pure bred Hereford cattle, also a large number 
of graded cattle, and a drove of Duroc Jersey 
hogs. He raises banner crops on his land, his 
wheat crop running up to forty bushels per acre. 
Year before last he procured some genuine Tur- 
key wheat seed from the Nebraska Agricultural 
College at Lincoln, and from five bushels of seed 
he raised one hundred and five bushels of fine 
wheat. He sold a part of his crop, and from 
the seed he reserved, this year raised five hun- 
dred bushels, the yield being thirty bushels per 
acre. 

Mr. Brown's son Fred is clerk of Divide 
township, and president of the Farmers' Eleva- 
tor Company just completed at Funk, with a 
capacity of twenty thousand bushels, in which 
two hundred farmers are stockholders. One 
son. Eben Brown, operates a store in Funk, Ne- 
braska. Another son. Elmer, is engaged in 
farming, and is recognized as one of the most 
successful young agriculturists in the locality. 
He. together with his father, operate about a 
thousand acres of land, and raise from ten to 
eleven thousand bushels of grain each year. 
Previous to settling here Mr. Brown farmed in 
Iowa, and he considers Nebraska far superior 
to that state for farming and stock raising. The 
country is healthier here, and the people get 
along better, and he says that had he remained 
there he would not have been nearly so well off 
as he is today. 

Mr. Brown married Miss Matilda Johnson, a 
native of Sweden. Their family consists of 
the sons above mentioned, and two daughters. 
Mrs. C. R. Wegert. of Lincoln, Nebraska, and 
Miss Edna Brown, of Holdrege. The family are 
members of the Lutheran church, of which Mr. 
Brown has been a trustee for nine years. Politic- 
ally he is a Republican. 



CHRISTOPHER E. WEYERTS. 

Christopher E. Weyerts is one of the pioneers 
of Cheyenne county who has been an important 
factor in the development and growth of the 
region, where he has spent the past twenty-five 
years. He has extensive ranching interests, all 
of which have been acquired by dint of his own 
energy and perseverance. He is known through- 
out the county and enjoys the confidence and 
esteem of all. 

Mr. Weyerts was born in the village of Bur- 
hoffe. province of Hanover. Germany, on the 
22d day of November, 1866, and was reared 
there until the age of fifteen years; he was the 



third in a family of six children bom to his par- 
ents. The family sailed from Bremerhaven 
March 22. 1881. on the Elbe and after a voy- 
age of nine days arrived in New York. They 
settled at first in Peoria, Illinois, and spent one 
year there and for three years our subject was 
employed in a store in Flatsville, coming to 
Cheyenne county in the spring of 1886. They 
were among the earliest white settlers on the 
table land, their first location being what was 
later called Weyerts Postoffice. 

Our subject filed on a homestead on section 
26, township 16, range 48, and there he began 
the farm which has now reached immense pro- 
portions, he being proprietor of two thousand 
two hundred and forty acres, and is classed 
among the wealthy residents of the county. He 
has two hundred acres under the plow, raising 
splendid crops, and has a complete set of sub- 
stantial farm buildings, including a handsome 
residence, fine groves, and every convenience to 
be found on a model ranch. He keeps one hun- 
drd and twenty-five head of cattle and forty 
horses. The place is one of the best equipped in 
the county, and a drive over the entire ranch 
will convince the visitor that systematic efforts 
and painstaking care are used in the operation 
of the place. 

Mr. Weyerts' parents, Tonges and Maria 
(Rolfs) Weyerts, are both dead, and he is the 
only remaining member of this prominent fam- 
ily now- living in Cheyenne county. On March 
16. 1892. he was united in marriage to Miss 
Anna Hinrich, a most charming and estimable 
lady, who was born in Golden. Adams county, 
Illinois, a daughter of Henry and Anke (Onnan) 
Hinrich. natives of the province of Hanover, 
Germany. Five children have been bom to this 
union, namely: Tonges, Henry, Mary, John and 
Margaret, who form a most interesting family 
group. They have a pleasant home, surround- 
ed by every comfort that a rural residence af- 
fords. 

In politics Mr. Weyerts is a Roosevelt Demo- 
crat. He is active in neighborhood affairs, act- 
ing as a member of the school board in his com- 
munity. The family are regular attendants of 
the Lutheran church at Weyerts, of which he is 
a trustee. 



HENRY J. WINTON. 

Henry J. Winton. who rcsiiles on section 19, 
township 26. range 51, Box Butte county. Ne- 
braska, is the owner of a fine farm here. He has 
made his name and influence felt as a capable 
and worthy citizen since settling here in 1886, 
and is one of the pniminent old settlers of this 
resfion. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



683 



Mr. Winton was born in Koblenz, Rhine 
Province, Germany, in 1848, and was reared in 
his native country, learning the mason's trade as 
a boy, and followed that work in Germany for a 
number of years, traveling in Westphalia and 
Rhine Pronzen. He served in the German arm}' 
for four years and at the age of twenty-six was 
married to ]Mary Christine Kreuzberg, who was 
a native of the same town as our subject. 

In 1878 he came to America with his family, 
landing in New York in 1880, and immediately 
struck out for the western states, settling in 
Iowa, where he bought a farm of eighty acres 
situated in Crawford county, and there engaged 
at farming for several years. In 1886 ^Ir. Win- 
ton came to Nebraska and settled in Box Butte 
county and selected the site which is his present 
homestead. His first dwelling was a sod build- 
ing, as also were his barns, and he went to work 
to improve his place, breaking land for crops, 
and was obliged to haul all the family supplies 
from Hay Springs, which was a distance of 
seventy miles. When he came here he drove 
through the country from Iowa, also bringing 
along a herd of cattle. After he had settled in 
the sod shack with his family there was barely 
enough room for a bed and table, as he had 
the building filled with grain, etc. He was get- 
ting along very well when the drouth seasons 
struck him and for three years was hardly able 
to raise enough to get his seed back which he 
planted, although he managed to raise enough 
potatoes which furnished the chief food for the 
family. 

Mr. Winton is now proprietor of a fine ranch 
consisting of three sections, all of which is 
fenced and well improved with good farm build- 
ings, wells, windmills, etc. He has all kinds of 
modern farm machinery, and operates his farm 
and ranch along advanced lines. He has plenty 
of good grass to run his stock, a nice grove of 
trees, and always has a splendid garden and 
plenty of small fruits for domestic use, such as 
gooseberries, currants, etc. 

Air. and Mrs. Winton are the parents of the 
following children : Joseph H., Mary, Chris- 
tine, Jacob, Gertrude and Henry. 

]\lr. Winton has held school ofiice in his dis- 
trict for the past several years, and has always 
taken an active and commendable interest in 
local affairs. Politically he is a Republican. 



MARTIN BECKER. 

Martin Becker, a successful farmer and 
stock raiser of Cherry county, Nebraska, resides 
on a fine farm located in section 31, township 35, 
range 26, and has gained an enviable reputation 



as a citizen of true worth. Mr. Becker is a na- 
tive of Schwarzen Hazel, Germany, born 
September 23, 1858. He was reared and edu- 
cated on his father's farm in the fatherland, the 
fifth in a family of eight children. At the age 
of fourteen he became a wagon-maker's appren- 
tice, serving several years, afterwards doing all 
kinds of work in the vicinity of his parents' 
home. In 1881 he took passage for the new 
world, landing in New York in the summer of 
that year. Coming to Ohio he worked at his 
trade in the Milburn wagon factory at Toledo, 
and in a factory at St. Marys, in Auglaize coun- 
ty, until 1884, and then, feeling an ambition to do 
for himself, came to Nebraska, settling in Otoe 
county, where he remained for one year. On 
April 6, 1885, he took up a homestead in section 
31, township 35, range 26, and still lives on this 
place. His first dwelling was a sod house and 
the family lived in that for three years before 
moving into a more comfortable log dwelling. 
He went through the usual pioneer's life, ex- 
periencing many hardships and discourage- 
ments, but stuck to it through all, only giving 
up once and then went to Wisconsin looking for 
a better place to locate, but satisfied that this 
was the better state came back after an absence 
of seven weeks and started in again, making an 
enviable success of his farming operations in 
Nebraska. His entire capital on returning from 
Wisconsin, one hundred and twenty-five dollars, 
he invested in cattle and started in the stock 
business, in which 'he has been successful at both 
that and mixed farming. His ranch consists of 
six hundred and forty acres of land, improved 
with good farm buildings and fences. He keeps 
about one hundred head of cattle and also a num- 
ber of horses and altogether has a fine farm and 
home. 

Mr. Becker was married October 21, 1882, 
to Aliss Anna Knierim, born in Erkshausen, 
Germany, who came to America on the same 
boat that brought him. They have a family of 
seven children, named as follows : Mary, Annie, 
Henry, Lydia, Otto, Martha and Edith, all born 
in this state except Mary, whose birth occurred 
in Ohio. 

Mr. Becker takes a personal interest in the 
building up of his community and lends his aid 
in all afifairs of importance regarding the edu- 
cational and commercial advancement of his lo- 
cality. He has been a director in the school for 
ten years, and one of the prominent men in the 
county. He is Independent in politics and looks 
for the best man on the ticket instead of voting 
blindly for the party. 

Mr. Becker holds fellowship in the Modern 
Woodmen, the Woodmen of the World and, with 
Mrs. Becker, is a member of the Fraternal Union 



684 



CO.MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of America. His recollections of early struggles 
in the west are still vivid. During the period of 
hard times he supported his family by chopping 
and hauling wood from the canyons. The early 
Indian scares did not disturb them to a great 
e.xtent, only one night did they abandon their 
home, holding fort with neighbors at Mr. 
Archer's, three miles east of their ranch. A 
view of the family residence will be found else- 
where in this work. 



GEORGE W. FOWLER. 

.Among the progressive and substantial agri- 
culturists of Sheridan county, Xebraska. a 
prominent place is accorded the subject of this 
sketch. 

Mr. Fowler was born in Dane county. A\'is- 
consin. in 1860. His father, Preston Fowler, 
was a farmer of .American stock, raised in X^ew 
York state, and he died when our subject was 
five years old. He was the only child, and lived 
with his mother until he reached his fifteenth 
year, when he struck out for himself, working at 
anything he could find to do. He followed fac- 
tory work in Illinois for two years, and in 1880 
came west and landed in southeast X^ebraska, 
where he remained until 1884, when he came to 
Sheridan county, settling on the place he now 
occupies, and has lived here continuously since 
that time. When he located on this farm all he 
had to start with was a team and some farm- 
ing implements. He at once went to work, and 
b\- perseverance and industry has accumulated 
a nice property, comprising eight hundred' 
acres of good farming land in section 13. town- 
ship 35. range 43, of which about one hundred 
acres is highly cultivated. He has his farm 
well improved and runs about eighty to one 
hundred head of stock. During the dry years 
he suffered heavy losses in the destruction of 
his crops and was almost back to where he 
started, but after the hard times had passed 
lie was able to raise good crops, and has been 
very successful in his different ventures. 

In 1884 Mr. Fowler was married to Miss 
C. Pielle Glcason, a native of Wi.sconsin, born 
in 1860, of .American stock. Mr. and Mrs. 
FoVler have a familv of five children, named 
as follows : Ruby Elsie. Carrie P.ellc. Pres- 
ton. Frank E. and George L.. all born and 
raised on the present homestead. The family 
have a wide acquaintance and are highly re- 
spected by all who know them. 

Mr. Fowler is an Inrlcpcndent in politics, 
and although he takes a keen interest in public 
affairs, both local and state, he has never held 
any office, as he has never had the time to de- 
vote to these matters. Mis whole attention is 



engaged in building up his farm and home, 
and everything bears evidence of thrift and 
good management in the operation of his es- 
tate. He is one of the old-timers of Sheridan 
county, and enjoys the confidence of his fellow- 
men. 



FRANK S. CLAPPER. 

Frank S. Clapper, one of the best known 
prominent pioneers of Brown county, resides 
on section 12, township 27, range 24, where he 
has a good farm and pleasant home, situated 
on the banks of a beautiful little lake. Mr. 
Clapper has endured many hardships in ac- 
cumulating this property, and can recount 
many thrilling experiences of the early days in 
this part of the country. 

^Ir. Clapper is a native of Elk Horn, Wis- 
consin, born January 17, 1846. His father, 
Jacob Clapper, of German descent, was a tan- 
ner by trade during his early life and later a 
farmer. In a family of eight children our sub- 
ject is the third member, being reared in the 
state of his birth, near the pineries, where he 
became familiar with life in the big woods. At 
the age of twenty-three years he emigrated to 
Kansas, where he took up a homestead in Re- 
public county^ in the western part of the state. 
-At the end of three years he moved to Gage 
count3% Nebraska, where he lived for several 
years at Blue Springs and Wymore, following 
his trade as a mason. In 1884 he moved to 
Blaine county, Xebraska, near Brewster, 
where he took a timber claim. There he put 
up a sod building and lived in it for ten years, 
working with o.xteams for several years, being 
obliged to haul all his supplies for eighty miles, 
from Xortli Loup, which was the nearest rail- 
road point. During these trips he camped out 
at night under his wagon. .At one time he 
drove one hundred and sixty miles with an ox 
team to get a gallon of kerosene. One of the 
children was sick and needed medicine at 
night, hence the long drive. Mr. Clapper had 
but twenty-five cents in cash at the time. An- 
other time he was compelled to go for two or 
three weeks without flour, and again for sev- 
eral days had only a few potatoes to live on. 
Their nearest neighbor was twelve miles away, 
and it was weeks that he did not see anyone 
excejJt his own famil3^ These were hard 
times, and often did he regret having come 
here, but as the years grew better, and the 
country became more thickly settled times 
changed and he is now glad that he stuck to 
it, and is perfectly satisfied with conditions 
now. He moved to P)rown county in 1894, 
settling on his present place. For seven years 




RESIDEN'CH OF F. S. CLAPPER, 
Brown County, Nebraska. 




FARM PROPERTY OF ANDREW CARR, 
Keya Paha County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



685 



he lived in a sod house, adding a comfortable 
frame dwelling and other buildings since, there 
being no improvements whatever when he 
took the place. His ranch comprises twenty- 
four hundred acres, including his sons' two 
sections. He is extensively engaged in stock 
raising, and keeps one hundred and twenty 
head on his place, besides running a large 
number for other people. He has good build- 
ings now, conveniently arranged, and with 
good water, fruits and other comforts of rural 
life, enjoys his possessions to the full in the 
declining years of his life. 

On another page of this volume will be 
found a picture of Mr. Clapper's property. 

Mr. Clapper was married, July 4, 1879, to 
Miss Mary Wilson, born near Independence, 
Iowa, a daughter of John J. and Almeda (Vin- 
ing) Wilson. To them have come five children, 
namely: Florence, wife of John Hollowpeter, 
of Brown county ; Carl, deceased : Charlie, who 
is mail carrier from Lakeland to Midvale : John 
and Frank, the latter dying in 1904. 

Mr. Clapper politically holds with the Re- 
publican party. 



ANDREW CARR. 

The subject of this personal history was 
born June 25, 1850, near Clinton, Iowa, on his 
father's farm. The latter, Eli Carr, was of old 
American stock, a native of Pennsylvania, 
moving about 1853 to Winona county, Minn. He 
came to Nebraska about 1862, settling in Rich- 
ardson county, and living there and in Ne- 
maha county until 1883. Coming to Keya 
Paha coupty that year he became one of the 
leading citizens, his death occurring here in 
1885 ; the mother, whose maiden name was 
Katherine Shults, of Pennsylvania Dutch par- 
entage, died in Richardson county. Our sub- 
ject was the oldest member in a family of nine 
children, and he was reared in Iowa and Ne- 
braska and educated there, attending the coun- 
try schools. At the age of twenty he started 
out for himself, on the railroad in Texas and 
on farms in Missouri and Kansas. After his 
marriage he rented a farm in Richardson coun- 
ty, and remained there for twelve or thirteen 
years. In 1883 he, with his family, came to 
Long Pine during the month of April, and lo- 
cated on his present homestead, situated in 
sections 27 and 34, township 33, range 20. Here 
he was about the first settler to take up land, 
there being no dwellings on the tables and few 
along the river; his first dwelling was a log 
house, in which they lived for some time, then 
put up a sod house addition. He kept on im- 
proving and building up the farm, and al- 



though meeting with many failures and dis- 
couragements in the shape of drouth periods 
and crop losses, he never thought of quitting, 
but was determined to stick it out and win, 
which he did. At one time, when times were 
particularly hard, he went into Cedar county, 
Nebraska, many miles from his home, where 
he secured employment at husking corn in 
order to support his family .As a first shelter 
on arrival in this county the family lived in 
a shack made of carpets hung on poles, and 
three times, before a house could be built, the 
family were drenched with rain, which poured 
through the carpets. 

After putting in many hard years the good 
times came on and he was able to get ahead, 
and he now has a comfortable home and is 
proprietor of five hundred and twenty acres of 
good land, two hundred acres of which is 
cultivated, the balance being used for pas- 
ture land. There is a good growth of natural 
timber on his place. He has good buildings, a 
commodious barn and corn crib being built in 
1908. The dwelling, with its outbuildings, situ- 
ated on section 21 . are presented in an engraving 
elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. Carr was married June 24, 1880, in 
Richardson county, to Miss Elizabeth Cal- 
houn, daughter of Zedic Calhoun, of Welsh 
descent. Air. and xMrs. Carr have a family of 
thirteen children, all of whom are living, named 
as follows: Fred W., Harry C, Claude F., 
Clyde L., Maud M., Nettie P., Effie J., Ida A.' 
George A., Echo M., Hazel, Charlie and Ern- 
est. They are an industrious and energetic 
family, highly esteemed by all who • know 
them. Mr. Carr and his sons engage exten- 
sively in contracting and building, residing in 
Springview. 

Mr. Carr is a man of active public spirit, 
popular with his associates and always fore- 
most in any scheme which tends to the bet- 
terment of conditions in his locality. In 1900 
he was elected county commissioner and 
served for three years. He is a member of 
the Populist party, and is prominent in po- 
litical aflairs. 



FRANK S. VOSIKA. 

Frank S. Vosika, a well-known resident of 
Lodgepole, Nebraska, has won for himself a 
good standing by his integrity and honest deal- 
ings, and is highly respected for his many ex- 
cellent qualities and manly worth. 

Mr. Vosika was born in the village of Drahov 
Bohemia. November 5, 1866, and grew up in 
that country, where he received the usual edu- 
cation of the youths of his class. He came to 



686 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



America in 1880, landing in New York, whence 
proceeded to Saline county, Nebraska, following- 
farming seven years. In 1887 he came to 
Chexenne county, and filed on a homestead on 
section 14. township 12, range 48. started a farm 
and remained for a number of years, proving up 
on the land, and later sold it at a good profit. He 
afterwards bought a large ranch of one thousand 
one hundred and twenty acres in antl adjoining 
section 18, township 13, range 46, and still owns 
this property, using it as a ranch, called the 
Hillside Stock Farm, and on this ranch he 
keeps a large number of cattle and horses. 
About two hundred acres are used for grain 
raising and the whole place is in first-class shape, 
with good buildings, fences, and well improved 
and splendidly equipped for raising stock on a 
large scale. Mr. \^osika has been very success- 
ful in his ventures, and still operates the ranch, 
although he. with his family, reside in Lodge- 
pole for the advantage of good schools : they 
reside part of the year on the ranch. 

Mr. Vosika was married at Sidney, on De- 
cember 24, 1894. to Miss Mary Kutis, xvho was 
born in Marshall county, Kansas, in 1873, her 
parents coming to Cheyenne county in 1887. 
Six children were born to Mr. and JNlrs. Vosika. 
named as follows: Mollie. Rosa, Mary, Josie. 
Annie and Kate, and are a bright and interest- 
ing group. Mr. Vosika's parents are at present 
resi(ling in Gregory county. South Dakota, and 
his wife's parents live in Oklahoma City, Okla- 
homa. Our subject is a representative citizen, 
and takes a commendable interest in local affairs. 
He is a loval Democrat. 



P. X. AXDRESEN. 

P. X. .Andresen. the subject of this review, 
is numbered among the representative farmers 
of Divide township. He is the owner of a 
valuable estate in section 18, Phelps county, 
where he has built up a pleasant and com- 
fortable home. 

Mr. .Andresen is a native of Flensburg. 
Holstein. born in the year 1868. and came to 
this country when an infant with his parents, 
settling in Brooklyn, New York. In 1881 he 
came to York county, Nebraska, with his fa- 
ther. Christopher Andresen. who served in the 
Danish army during the war with Germany 
in 1864, and taken as a prisoner by the enemy. 
In 18 — his father sold his farm in York coun- 
ty and purchased three hundred and twenty 
acres of farming land in Divide township, 
Phelps county, paying ,$10,000, and which is now 
worth $20,000. In 1O03 our subject went in tor 
himself, buying one hundred and sixty acres lo- 
cated in section 18. Divide township, for wliich 



he gave S5.000. and this has doubled in 
value since then. He has lived on this prop- 
erty since that time and farmed with good 
success, raising excellent crops, his wheat run- 
ning twenty-five, corn forty, and oats forty- 
five bushels per acre, all of .which is of Al 
quality. He keeps from fift}' to one hundred 
hogs, twenty cattle, and about a dozen horses, 
and has his place well improved, with good 
substantial buildings, fences, etc. 

Mr. Andresen was married to Miss Ro- 
setta Georgiana Lucas, a native of McLean 
county. Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Andresen have 
two children. Charles Edward, and an infant 
son, Clarence. 

iMr. Andresen enjoys the confidence of his 
associates, and has held numerous positions 
of trust. He is at present secretary of the 
Farmers Elevator Company, located at Funk, 
Nebraska, with a capacity of twenty thousand. 
This elevator was built at a cost of $6,000. and 
the company has an authorized capital of $25,000. 
In ]iolitical faith he is a Democrat. 



JACKSON METTLEN. 

Jackson Mettlen, known throughout Sioux 
county as a gentleman of enterprise and pros- 
perity, is owner of a well improved estate in 
section 3. township 28, range 54. He is an old 
settler in that region, and has developed his farm 
through earnest and persistent ef¥ort, supple- 
mented by good management and honest deal- 
ings with all. 

Mr. Mettlen was born in Petersburg, Men- 
ard county, Illinois, in 1855. His father. B. C. 
Mettlen. was of German-American descent, a 
carpenter by trade. Our subject was reared 
in his native state, starting for himself in the 
grocery business at Minier, Illinois, in 1879, 
and remained there up to 1885, then came to 
Nebraska, locating seven miles west of Hem- 
ingford. in Box Butte county. There he took 
up a homestead, bought a team of mules and 
farmed lor seven years, and also ran a store 
and was postmaster for two years at Lawn, in 
Box Butte county. He came to Sioux county 
in 1895. and went on the old "33 ranch", re- 
maining for several years, locating on his pres- 
ent homestead in 1896. This is situated on the 
Niobrara river, is well supplied with pasture 
and hay land, and good water supply, etc. 
There are one thousand one hundred acres in 
the place, and he has succeeded in improving 
it in first-class shape, putting up good build- 
ings, fencing the entire ranch, and installing 
a fine system of irrigation. Mr. Mettlen is 
now irt comfortable circumstances, has a pleas- 
ant home and lives in contentment, surround- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ed by all the comforts of our modern rural life. 

On October 18, 1887, Mr. Mettlen was 
united in marriage to Sadie Irion. Her father, 
John Irion, was an old settler in Box Butte 
county, where she grew up. Her mother was 
Susan Osborn, and her parents were also 
among the earliest settlers in this region. Dur- 
ing the early residence of Mr. Irion and his 
family in Box Butte county, he was obliged 
to haul water a distance of seven miles for 
household purposes, and they went through 
every hardship and suffered many privations 
incident to pioneer life in the region. Mr. and 
Mrs. Alettlen are the parents of six children, 
named as follows: Blanche, now married, re- 
siding in Sioux county; Clark, Grace, Bessie, 
Floyd and \^era, the last mentioned now de- 
ceased. 

Our subject is a Republican, has always 
been active in local affairs, in 1899 having been 
elected county commissioner, serving one 
term. 



TRUMAN P. MOODY. 

Truman P. Moody is one of the oldest set- 
tlers in Dawes county and vicinity. He came 
here many years ago when this section had 
more population than the county could sup- 
port, and many were forced to leave, but he 
was one of the fortunate ones who stuck to it, 
and has been amply rewarded for his persever- 
ance and industry in the possession of a fine 
farm and home built up by hard labor and 
energetic effort. He has been of material aid 
in building up the locality since he chose this 
part of the country for his home, and deserves 
much credit for the part he has taken in local 
and county affairs. 

Mr. Moody was born in Rock Island coun- 
ty, Illinois, in 1850, on his parents' farm. His 
father, Wilson B. Moody, was also a native 
of Illinois, and followed farming all his life. 
Our subject grew up in his native state, at- 
tending the country schools and helping with 
the work of carrying on the farm, remaining 
in Illinois up to 1876, then he moved to 
Iowa, settling in Adair county, at first farm- 
ing on rented land and later purchasing an 
eighty-acre farm, where he lived for a number 
of years. He then came to Dawes county, 
Nebraska, and located on his present farm, in 
section 32, township 34, range 52, the country 
here being then but very thinly settled and 
he was among the first to locate in this town- 
ship. His first building was a board shanty, 
fourteen by twenty-four feet in size, having but 
one room, and he occupied this for quite a time. 
He attempted to farm on this gumbo land, but it 



was a failure, so he ga\e it up and went to 
Iowa, where he spent one year. This was 
during the dry times throughout the section, 
and it was hard for anybody to make even a 
living on account of the loss of crops, etc., 
and Mr. Moody finally decided to go into the 
stock business, and picked up a few cattle 
and about one hundred and fifty sheep as a 
starter. He kept adding to his herd, and buy- 
ing land, and now owns a ranch of two thou- 
sand acres, all d'eeded land, and his sons each 
own homesteads. Besides his ranch in Dawes 
county he owns four hundred acres in Custer 
county, and has plenty of good pasture for his 
stock, the farm also being well supplied with 
springs and running water. The ranch is all 
fenced, and he has put up good buildings and 
improvements, and devotes his entire time and 
attention to the stock business, raising both 
cattle and sheep, for which he finds a ready 
market at all times. This ranch extends along 
the Big Cottonwood creek, and is one of the val- 
uable estates of the county. 

At the age of twenty-one Mr. Moody was 
married to Miss Pauline Knapper, born and 
raised at Whiteside, Illinois, daughter of Got- 
leib Knapper, a farmer of German descent. 
Mr. and Airs. Moody have a family of seven 
children, who are named as follows: William, 
Katie, Clara, Perry, Albert, Robert and 
Thomas. 

Politically Mr. Aloody is an Independent 
and takes an active interest in local and coun- 
ty affairs, serving as assessor for his district 
several terms. 



J. A. H. GOUDIE. 

J. A. H. Goudie, one of the old-timers of 
Harlan county, Nebraska, resides on his pres- 
ent farm in Sappa township, where he enjoys 
a retired life free from all hard labor, after 
many years of hardship and responsibility. He 
has a beautifully kept place of forty acres, all 
set out to fruit trees of every kind, and takes 
genuine delight in keeping this in the very 
best condition, enjoying his declining years in 
a peaceful and comfortable home. He is a man 
of much experience, and intelligent and genial in 
his manners to all whom he meets. 

Mr. Goudie is a native of Franklin county, 
Indiana, born in 1842. His father, James Gou- 
die, was born in Pennsylvania, and his mother, 
who was Susannah Mathieson, was born in 
county Tipperary, Ireland, and came to Amer- 
ica at the age of seven years. His grand- 
father, also James Goudie, was of Scotch ex- 
traction, and came to this country in the early 
days, via the north of Ireland, settling in 



688 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Pennsylvania. Our subject grew up in In- 
diana, and in May, 1861, he enlisted when only 
nineteen years old in the Twentieth Ohio In- 
fantry, and served for three months, in Sep- 
tember oi tile same year enlisting in the Thir- 
ty-seventh Indiana, serving witli the Army 
of the Cumberland at Stone River, Murphys- 
boro, and later' in Chattanooga, Lookout 
Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, 
Dalton, Resaca. Atlanta and all battles of 
that campaign. On the march to the sea he 
was one of the guards that delivered C. L. 
Valandingham to General Bragg of the con- 
federates. Our subject was one of those who 
took part in the grand review at Washington, 
and then re-enlisted as a veteran for three 
years. During his life as a soldier he was 
wounded three times, twice at Stone River, 
and once while delivering dispatches in Ten- 
nessee. After the war he settled in Cham- 
paign county, Illinois, remaining there up to 
1878, then came to Nebraska, where he took 
a homestead and engaged in farming, follow- 
ing that work up to 1890. when he retired to 
the forty-acre farm on which he now lives. He 
has been on the school board, township board, 
and has served as assessor for several years. 
He is also a prominent member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic of Orleans, and a man 
whom all delight to honor. Politically he is 
a Republican. 

Mr. Goudie was married in 1866 to Miss 
Rowena Schultz, of Franklin county, Indiana, 
and thev have one son, Edgar, living in Stam- 
ford. 



GEORGE L. TAYLOR. 

George L. Taylor, vice-president of the 
First State Bank, of Hemingford. whose per- 
sonal character and conceded ability well qual- 
ify him for the position which he holds, and 
who takes a leading part as a ranchman and 
citizen of Bo.x Butte county, where his many 
broad acres show him to be both industrious 
and persistent, was born on a farm in Madison 
county. New York, in 1862. In 1864 the family 
came west and settled in South Dakota. Here his 
father, Charles N. Taylor, was a dealer in nur- 
chandise and a farmer and stock raiser, and en- 
gaged in many different enterprises. His 
mother was Mary (Baker) Taylor. 

Mr. Taj'lor spent the earlier years of his 
life in South Dakota, where he received his 
education and assisted his father in his busi- 
ness. He completed his education at the 
South Dakota University at Vermillion, after 
which he taught school in South Dakota and 
Nebraska. In 1885 he came to Box Butte 



county, Nebraska, driving from South Dakota 
with a team and covered wagon, and located 
on section 24, township 28, range 51, where 
his first building was a sod shanty. At this 
time Hay Springs was his trading point. 
Thruugh years of adversity and prosperity he 
worked hard to make a home for himself, and 
by the practice of thrift and economy he has 
acquired an estate of three thousand seven 
hundred and twenty acres of land, and has 
many acres of leased land extending to the 
Niobrara river, a small portion of which he 
has under cultivation. His ranch is well 
fenced and cross fenced, and he has erected a 
substantial and commodious house together 
with other suitable buildings. There are good 
wells and wind mills on his place. On an- 
other page will be found an interesting picture 
showing a scene on Mr. Taylor's stock ranch. 

The wedding ceremonies of Mr. Tajdor 
and Miss Bertha White occurred in 1888. Her 
parents, John T. and Minerva (Parks) White, 
were prominent old settlers in South Dakota. 
Ten children came to bless this union, viz: 
Ruth, Edna, Olive, Charles, Helen, Harold, 
Amy, Arthur, Gladys and Mabel. 

In political matters Mr. Taylor adheres to 
Republican principles. He has always been 
])roniinently identified in educational matters 
here, where he has assisted materially in the 
organization and building of the schools, and 
where he now holds the office of school direc- 
tor. He was instrumental in the organization 
of the First State Flank of Hemingford, of 
which institution he holds the office of vice- 
president. His career is a striking illustration 
of persistence, pluck and energy, and shows 
what possibilities this great western country 
has opened to the thrifty and ambitious man. 



lOll.X .ME\TCH. 



The name of John Mc\ich will surely ap- 
pear on any list of the prominent old settlers 
of western Nebraska, as he is wiilely known as 
an agriculturist of ability and a man who has 
taken an active interest in the growth and 
development of this western country. 

Mr. Me\ich was l)nrn in Kenosha. Wis- 
consin, October 3, 18f)0. He is a sun of Peter 
and Mary Mevich. His father was a native of 
Germany and his mother of Ireland. When 
our subject was but a babe, the family moved 
to Bureau county, Illinois, where he was 
reared and educated, attending the public 
schools. Ill the spring of 1882 he left Illi- 
nois and went to Hamilton co-'nty, Iowa, 
where he engaged in farm work. He remained 
there until 1886, coming to ( )gallala, Keith 




SCENE ON STOCK RANCH UF GEORGE L. TAVLOl 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, Nebraska, in the spring of that year. 
He made a tiling for a homestead on the north- 
west quarter of section 7, township 16, range 
42, in what was then Cheyenne county, but 
which has since been divided and now forms 
a part of Deuel county. He proved up on his 
homestead and purchased adjoining property, 
and his farm now consists of six hundred and 
forty acres. The ranch is located on the Blue 
creek, and is well equipped with good im- 
provements. Mr. Mevich engages quite ex- 
tensively in stock raising and runs about two 
hundred head. He is especially interested in 
the raising of hogs, of which he has a fine 
herd, some of his animals having taken sev- 
eral prizes. For three years he has taken first 
prizes at the Denver stock show. Our sub- 
ject is well and favorably known throughout 
the vicinity as an agriculturist and stock raiser 
of ability. He has had his share of pioneer ex- 
periences, going through the hardships of 
those early days with a spirit of enthusiasm 
which has won for him one of the finest ranches 
to be found anywhere. 

Mr. Mevich was married to Miss Grace 
White, March 31, 1890, at Hutchinson, Deuel 
county. She is a native of ^Minnesota, and a 
daughter of ^^'ellington and Mary (Langton) 
White, who came to Deuel county in 1886. 
Her parents are both living and reside at 
Lewellen, Nebraska. The father of Mr. Me- 
vich died about 1876, when our subject was a 
mere boy. His mother is still living, and re- 
sides in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Mevich are the 
parents of two children, Ruth and Charlotte, 
both of whom live at home with their par- 
ents. 

Mr. Mevich is a Republican in politics. 
He has always taken an active interest in all 
afifairs pertaining to the welfare of western 
Nebraska. He has spent his time on his farm 
and ranch, and leases two hundred acres of 
irrigated land, and on this raises the best of 
alfalfa. 



ROBERT J. \\'ESTOVER. 

Robert J. Westover, of section 6, township 
24, range 38, Grant county, Nebraska, is one 
of the best known men, largest land owner 
and ranchman of his locality. He has spent 
many years in western Nebraska, having oc- 
cupied his present ranch for over twenty-one 
years, and during that time has developed a 
fine property and met with splendid success 
in his enterprise. 

Mr. \\'estover was born in Delaware coun- 
tv, Iowa, in June, 1863. His father, A. 



H. \\'estover, was a farmer by occupation, of 
Dutch stock from Pennsylvania, his father 
being of Pennsylvania Dutch blood, and his 
mother of Scotch-Irish. Our subject's mother 
was, prior to her marriage. Miss Ann Bella, 
a native of Ireland, of pure Scotch-Irish 
blood. The family settled in Iowa as pioneers 
and lived there up to 1870, then came to Ne- 
braska, traveling by team to their new home 
in this state, camping out along the way and 
suffering from exposure during rough weather 
on the trip. Upon arriving in Nebraska they 
settled near Lincoln, in Lancaster county, and 
there went through the usual pioneer exper- 
iences, but remained there until our subject 
was seventeen years of age. He then left 
home and went into Colorado, locating near 
Greeley, where he worked as a cowboy and 
followed ranching for one year in that vicin- 
ity. He came back to Nebraska and settled 
at Lincoln, but only spent a couple of years 
there, then drifted into South Dakota and rail- 
roaded there during one summer. He next 
located in David City, Nebraska, for one year, 
starting in the horse business, working there 
for two years as a "broncho buster." Mr. 
Westover's next move was to Albion, Boone 
county, Nebraska, and there he was elected 
town marshal and served for three months- 
He went to Laramie City, Wyoming, from Al- 
bion, and worked on a cattle ranch for four- 
teen months, then came to Grant county, Ne- 
braska, arriving there in the fall of 1887, 
where his wife was the first white woman to 
settle, and their's the first house ever built irF. 
that section that had a floor in it. They came 
into Grant county by team, driving from Lar- 
amie City, and also brought a bunch of horses: 
with them. They lived for a time in Cherry 
county and, after filing on a homestead, went 
through hard times during a number of years, 
experiencing their worst times in 1892, when 
they had the misfortdne to lose a large bunch 
of cattle on account of severe storms which 
swept that region. Mr. Westover lived in the 
latter vicinity three years, then moved to his 
present location and began in the ranching 
business. His place now consists of one thou- 
sand one hundred acres, all fenced and im- 
proved with good buildings, etc. He has a valu- 
able estate, and keeps a bunch of five hundred 
cattle and seventy-five horses, handling almost 
exclusively the Hereford and Durham breed of 
cattle and heavy draft horses. 

Our subject was married in 1884 to Miss 
Lizzie Christman, daughter of Philip Christ- 
man, a pioneer in Boone county, Nebraska. 
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Westover, namely: Harry, Alta, Mabel, and 



690 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Lena, the youngest, now nine years of age. 
The family occupy a nice residence in Hyannis 
during tlie school session, in order to give the 
children better educational advantages. Mr. 
Westover is a Bryan Democrat. 



THOMAS C. MORRISON. 

Thomas C. Morrison, a resident of Kirk- 
wood precinct, Rock county, Nebraska, a na- 
tive of the Isle of Man, born December 5, 
1858, exhibits the characteristic virtues of his 
Manx ancestry, and is a worthy representa- 
tive of a race not largely known on this side 
of the ocean. Still in the prime of life he is a 
hard working and industrious farmer : and 
rupon the broad foundation of integrity, industry 
.-and thrift, he has reared a very successful 
vcareer. 

Thomas C. Morrison is the only son of his 
parents, Thomas and Margaret (Corrin) Mor- 
rison, and from the time he was twelve years 
old has made his own way in the world. His 
father was a miner, and when the son shifted 
for himself he crossed the ocean, finding em- 
ployment for about a year in the Pennsylvania 
mines; then he journeyed west to Illinois, 
Rock Island county, where he spent the next 
seven or eight years in various coal mines of 
that region, becoming master of every detail 
of the business. 

In the spring of 1880 Mr. Morrison was 
married to Miss Maggie Atkinson, a daughter 
of Thomas Atkinson, English born and bred, 
and a successful farmer of Clinton county, 
Iowa. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. 
Morrison made their home in that county for 
about a year while the husband was engaged 
at the coal chutes of the Chicago, Milwaukee 
& St. Paul railway. He farmed for the en- 
suing two years, and then moved to the west- 
ern part of Iowa, where he occupied a farm 
two years in Ida county, and for the same 
period in Woodbury county. 

In 1890 Mr. ^iorrison came to Nebraska 
and secured a home in Rock county, pre-empt- 
ing at first in section 5, township 32, range 18. 
on which, however, he very soon filed home- 
stead papers, proving up in due reason and 
securing for himself and family one of the 
choicest farming tracts in the county. It con- 
sists of four hundred and eighty acres fronting 
the Niobrara river, and presents many charm- 
ing scenes as the river sweeps along its way. 
Especially as a stock and cattle ranch does it 
afford possibilities which are already being 
realized in this region. 

Mr. Morrison is broad minded and pro- 
trressive in his agricultural ambitions, and has 



put down one of the best wells in the county, 
a notable improvement when one considers 
a drouthy past. He has planted fruit trees 
adapted to the soil and climate as well as a 
variety of small fruit. He has planted a grove 
which is doing well, and which is liberally 
supplemented by a native growth of timber, 
luxuriantly flourishing since the old devastat- 
ing prairie fires have ceased. He engages in 
grain and stock farming, and is building up 
very extensive dairy interests, which have al- 
ready become very promising. In 1894 he 
faced his worst year, when the crops were 
largely destroyed by heat and the dry weather, 
but in the main he feels that he has been ex- 
ceptionally fortunate since his establishment 
in Rock county, and takes a justifiable pride 
in the results that crown his labors, "of which 
the end is not yet." In political views he is 
a Prohibitionist, and is a member of the Kirk- 
wood Methodist church. 



JEFFERSON D. TEETERS. 

As an old settler of Cherry county. Ne- 
braska, and an agriculturist and ranchman of 
untiring energy and perseverance, the gentle- 
man above mentioned needs no introduction 
to the people of his locality. Air. Teeters has 
spent the past twelve years in this section of 
the country, where he is building up a good 
ranch and is highly esteemed by all as a 
worthy citizen. 

Mr. Teeters was born in Steuben county, 
Indiana, 1862, and is a brother of \\"ilson J. 
and Willis J. Teeters, whose sketches appear 
in this volume. They are of old American 
stock, the father having been a farmer in their 
native county in Indiana, and later an early 
settler in the eastern part of Nebraska. 

At the age of about twenty-two. our sub- 
ject started out for himself. He had received 
a common school education, and was familiar 
with all the work of carrying on a farm. His 
parents moved to Monona county, Iowa, when 
he was a lad of fifteen years, residing there 
for two years, then came to Nebraska, locat- 
ing in Burt county in 1880. He farmed in 
that section of the country up to 1896. then 
moved to Cherry county, and in March, 1897, 
took up a homestead in sections 2 and 3, town- 
ship 29. range 34, proving up on it, and in 1904 
acquired four hundred and eighty acres addi- 
tional under the Kincaid law in section 9. He 
lived in a sod house for a time, building a 
neat frame house in 1907. In 1904 he moved 
to his present location in section 9. which he 
has improved with good buildings, well, 
fences, etc. He is engaged exclusively in 



^ ♦***». 






A.i*j 



J**- 






^! 




RANCH HOUSE ON SEC. 24. BUILDING 5ITE FOR. NEW RESIDENCE 




RESIDENCE OF S.VMUEL BUCKMINSTER, 
Section 25, Township 33, Range 37, Cherry County, Xcbraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



691 



stock raising, and is recognized as one of the 
prosperous and successful ranchmen in this 
vicinity. He is associated in this and other 
enterprises with his brothers, Wilson J., Wil- 
lis J. and Morris L., whose combined holdings 
exceed five thousand two liundred acres. 

Mr. Teeters' home ranch contains eight 
hundred acres, and he runs from seventy to 
eighty head of cattle the year round. 



SAMUEL BUCKMINSTER. 

Samuel Buckminster, a prosperous farmer 
of Cherry county, Nebraska, has built up a 
fine home and valuable estate in Merriman pre- 
cinct. 

Mr. Buckminster was born in New Hamp- 
shire October 29, 1849. and came to Council 
Bluffs, Iowa (then called Kingsville), when 
only a year old. His parents, Lenox and Maria 
(Waldo) Buckminster, were both of American 
stock. They settled near Council Bluf¥s, where 
our subject was reared and educated, being 
the younger of two children, and the only one 
now living. When but nine years old he be- 
gan to support himself, doing all kinds of 
work. During his boyhood years he was em- 
ployed driving team, freighting, and on rail- 
road construction, within eighty-five miles of his 
father's home, and for the period of twelve years 
never once saw him. He made his first trip across 
Nebraska in 1863, and in later years was 
freighting and working on railroads, still con- 
sidering Council Bluffs his home. In 1884 
he settled ten miles south of Gordon, and en- 
gaged in farming, remaining here for six vears, 
then moved on the Snake river, where he 
lived for eight years, engaged in the stock 
business. At the end of this time he moved 
to his present farm, and at once went to work 
establishing his home, engaging in the stock 
business and mixed farming, and has been 
very successful in raising excellent crops. He 
is located on what is called Missouri Flat, in 
section 25. township 33, range 2i7 . where he 
owns one thousand two hundred and eighty 
acres of farming land, including two hundred 
acres of Kincaid homestead. His ranch will 
support two hundred head of cattle and a 
number of horses, as well as being well adap- 
ted to mixed farming. He has seen his share 
of the ups and downs of the state along with 
the rest of the old timers. He has a complete 
set of substantial farm buildings and a good 
supply of farm machinery for carrying on a 
well conducted farm. A view of the residence 
is to be found on another page in this work. 
December 20, 1871, Mr. Buckminster was 
married to Miss Emilv Debolt. a native of 



Pennsylvania, born in 1853. Her father, 
George Debolt, was a French-American, while 
her grandfather served in the war of 1812. 
Mr. and Mrs. Buckminster are the parents of 
eight children, namely: Frank, Mollie (dead). 
Flora, wife of Martin Lowry, Sadie (dead), 
Charles, Katie. George and Leo. 

Mr. Buckminster thinks that Nebraska is 
the place for a poor man to come, and the suc- 
cess which he has attained is evidence that if 
a man goes to work with a will and deter- 
mines to succeed, everything will come to him. 
He came here with practically no capital and 
has gained a valuable property, pleasant 
home, and has the respect and esteem of his 
fellowmen. Politically he is a Democrat, but 
is not a radical, always voting for the best 
man on the ticket. During the Indian upris- 
ing he did not, like many, flee the country, but 
held down his place. 



CHARLES W". CRAMER. 

Charles W. Cramer is one of the pioneers 
of Cherry county, and is known throughout 
this locality as a prosperous and energetic 
farmer. 

Mr. Cramer, the third in a family of eleven 
children, was born in Knox county, Ohio, Oc- 
tober 29, 1839. His father, Levi Cramer, was 
American born, of German ancestry, and one 
of the pioneers of western Ohio, dying shortly 
after moving to Nebraska, in 1884. His wife 
was Miss Rebecca Phillips, a native of Mary- 
land, daughter of William and Polly (Walker) 
Phillips. Charles W. Cramer began hard farm 
work at an early age, being but fifteen when he 
first swung a cradle in his father's grain fields, 
and from this time on he made his own way 
besides helping to support his father's family. 
He^ lived with his parents at home until 1861, 
when he was married to Miss Phoebe Gaskill, 
daughter of Josiah and Catherine (Van de Vere) 
Gaskill, the former a farmer, of American 
stock. Three children have blessed this union, 
as follows: Melissa A., wife of E. D. Mason, 
living at St. Joe, Missouri, the mother of two 
sons; Harrison M., residing in Valentine, 
father of four children, and Thomas W., also 
married, who is a farmer, having four hundred 
and eighty acres lying in sections 7, 8 and 18, 
township 34, range 28, of Cherry county! 
While still in Ohio our subject had a small 
farm, on which he made his home until 1878, 
then went to Butler county. Nebraska, where 
he remained for three years, buying a forty- 
acre farm, which he sold, moving soon after to 
Knox county, in 1881, and took a homestead, 
remaining here for twelve years, living for a 



bg:; 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



time in a dugout, twelve by ten feet in size. He 
drove into Knox county with ox teams and cov- 
ered wagon. Hard times followed, brought on 
by grasshopper raids, drouths and all the priva- 
tions usual to the pioneers of that time. In 1893 
he traded his homestead for a farm of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres in section 18, township 34, 
range 2S. Cherry county. This farm had no im- 
provements, but Mr. Cramer at once built a 
house, barn and fences, and now has under cul- 
tivation ninety acres, also a finely growing 
young orchard. July 4, 1894, he had the finest 
prospect of a corn crop one could wish for, 
but hot winds sprang up and in the short 
space of six days a match would have burned 
the field up. It was with losses such as these 
that he had to contend. Mr. Cramer is one of 
those who has helped to make the history of 
Cherry county. Has held office at different 
times, serving a term as assessor, and since 
1893 as school treasurer in his district. He is 
proud of the fact that his district is entirely 
out of debt. He has always been active in re- 
ligious work, and when first settling in the 
county was superintendent of two Sabbath 
schools for four years. The family adhere 
to the Methodist church of Valentine. In pol- 
itics Mr. Cramer is an Independent. 



JOHN G. LEMONS. 

A leading old timer of western Nebraska 
is found in the gentleman above mentioned, 
he having come to Dawes county about 1887, 
when that region was just beginning to be 
settled by many who had come to this new 
countrj' to build up a home and fortune 
through industry and perseverance, and who 
by dint of good management and often-times 
much privations have accumulated a compe- 
tence to last them through their declining 
years. Mr. Lemons resides in section 33, town- 
ship 30, range SO, where he has a comfortable 
home and is held in high esteem by a host of 
w^arm friends and good neighbors. 

Mr. Lemons was born in Monroe county, 
\'irginia, in 1863, on his father's farm. The 
latter, James Lemons, spent his whole life in 
that state, and it was there that the early 
years of our subject's life were spent. He re- 
ceived a common school education, and was 
trained in the proper operation of a farm, re- 
maining with his parents up to his eighteenth 
year, then left home and came west to Illinois, 
locating in Cameron, Warren county, follow- 
ing farm work in that vicinity for six years. 
He next went to Kansas, where he remained 
for a year, working in Ness county. Mr. Lem- 
ons first came to Nebraska, landing in Dawes 



county, in the winter of 1887-'88, and located 
on a homestead in section 33, township 30, 
range 51. He at once put up a log cabin and 
started to build up his farm, and during the 
first few years found it rather up-hill work 
owing to the new country, where it was hard 
to obtain the proper facilities for operating a 
farm to advantage, but he stuck to the work 
and devoted his whole time and attention to 
improving the place. The dry years overtook 
him and although he suffered losses at dif- 
ferent times, never had a complete crop failure, 
and was able to make a living for his family 
and also to add to his acreage gradually. His 
ranch now consists of one thousand acres, of 
which he has one hundred acres in a high 
state of cultivation and always raises good 
crops. The farm is well improved and has 
comfortable and substantial buildings, fences, 
and everything in the best possible shape, 
showing good management in all branches of 
the business. In 1901 Mr. Lemons made a 
trip to Alberta, Canada, thinking he might 
find a place to locate, but found no better 
country anywhere than he has right here, and 
is well satisfied to spend the balance of his 
years in this part of the country. 

Mr. Lemons has done his full share toward 
building up the region, and has aided mater- 
ially in advancing its best interests, helping to 
establish schools, and taking an active part in 
the local government. He has served on the 
school board for a number of years, and has 
also held the office of assessor for one term. 
Politically he lends his influence toward re- 
form movements. 

In 1888 Mr. Lemons was married to Miss 
Harriet A. Forbes, of Dawes county, Nebras- 
ka. To Mr. and Mrs. Lemons eleven children 
have been born, who are named as follows: 
Guy. Leah, James. Mary, Opha, Velva. Ruth, 
Crete. John and Lcvina. and .A.sa, deceased. 



J. N. BONNER. 



J. N. Bonner, an estimable citizen of North 
Platte, Nebraska, is well known throughout 
the locality in which he resides, and highly 
respected by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Conner is a native of Wisconsin, ana 
was born in Outagamie county, near .Apple- 
ton. His father is John N. Bonner, Sr., and 
a farmer and old settler in Wisconsin, where 
his family was reared and educated. One son, 
Adelbert, was employed by the Union Pacific 
Railway Company as an engineer, and was 
killed in 1899 in an accident on that road. 
Our subject came to Nebraska in 1873, locat- 
ing at North Platte, and went to work in the 



COMPENDIU:\I OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



693 



locomotive department of the Union Pacific 
railroad. He worked his way up and is now 
engineer on a passenger train, running from 
North Platte to Grand Island. He began in 
the locomotive department at the age of six- 
teen, beginning as fireman. He started run- 
ning as an engineer in 1881 at the age of twen- 
ty-one years, and has followed it continuous- 
ly ever since, and has a splendid record to his 
credit. He was the youngest engineer in years, 
when appointed, of any then serving. Through 
strict attention to duty and carefulness in de- 
tails he has had the best of success and is one 
of the road's most trusted employes. 

Mr. Bonner was married in 1883 to Miss 
Etta Stebbins, daughter of Hon. Lucian Steb- 
bins, who came to Nebraska in 1873, and be- 
gan as a ranchman. He was a native of Mas- 
sachusetts, born in South Wilbraham, of Puri- 
tan stock, tracing back his ancestors to the 
Mayflower, and then on back to 1086. and his 
wife was Miss Elizabeth Perry Walsh, of 
Pike county, Illinois. In the early days Hon. 
Lucian Stebbins first crossed the plains in 
1857, and was known all along the Pacific 
coast from British Columbia to Panama, and 
was one of the first to write and agitate for 
the formation of the Populist party, of which 
he is one of the foremost members at the 
present time. He served his country during 
the Civil war in the Fifteenth California Vol- 
unteers, and won high honors as a soldier. 
He has served his community in different ca- 
pacities since locating here, and in 1897 was 
representative from the fifty-fourth district in 
the state legislature. He is the owner of two 
good farms located near North Platte. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bonner have a family of four 
children, named as follows: Carl and .\del- 
bert, both attending school, Elizabeth, who is 
an accomplished musician, and one of the fin- 
est pianists in this locality, now attending Lin- 
coln Conservatory of Music. She was a mem- 
ber of the High School Sextette, a musical or- 
ganization of North Platte, who have traveled 
over the state and sung in a number of the 
larger cities with great success. Helen, who 
is also at school. The family is highl)' respect- 
ed in North Platte, and they have a ])leasant 
and comfortable home. Mr. Bonner is a mem- 
ber of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- 
neers. 



LOUIS CARLSON. 

Among the representative agriculturists 
of Brown county. Nebraska, who have be- 
come prosperous and substantial citizens 
through persistent efi^ort and strict integrity, 



a prominent place is accorded the gentleman 
above named. 

Mr. Carlson was born in the village of 
Hanbo, Sweden, July 11, 1848. His father, 
Lars Carlson, was a farmer, while his mater- 
nal grandfather, Michael Arbohm, was a cop- 
persmith in that country. The whole family 
came to America in 1850, father and eldest 
son coming in the spring of that year, while 
the mother, with her father and two small 
children, did not reach American shores un- 
til the week before Christmas, having been 
on the water since spring. The second birth- 
day of our subject was celebrated on board 
ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. 
Each division of the family came across the 
states by way of the Hudson, Erie canal 
and the Lakes, landing in Chicago, going 
from there direct to Victoria, Knox county, 
Illinois. Here our subject was reared and 
educated, attending the common schools, the 
while assisting his father in the work of the 
farm, the elder brother, Michael, having died 
on August 20, 1862, throwing the burden of 
helping the father in the farm work on Louis, 
then a lad of some fourteen years. He re- 
mained faithfully at his post until 1871, when 
he began farming for himself, working at it 
for nine years in Illinois. He then came west 
to Iowa, where he bought a farm of one hun- 
dred and twenty acres, situated four miles 
southeast of Essex, which in three years he 
sold and bought a store in Essex. Two years 
later he sold the store and bought a three- 
hundred and twenty-acre tract three miles 
north of town, on which he lived for eleven 
years, when, selling this he assumed charge 
of the C. E. ^Anderson farm, containing eleven 
hundred and thirty acres, and acted as man- 
ager and foreman for eight years. 

In 1901 Mr. Carlson first came to Brown 
county, secured a fine tract of land and at 
once went into catttle raising, also began op- 
erating five or six hundred acres of farming 
land. Here his sons have taken up home- 
steads and they control altogether, father and 
sons, five thousand acres of grazing and farm 
land, including some leased land. He and 
each of his sons have erected a fine set 
of farm buildings, and they have five wind- 
mills on the tract. Mr. Carlson has retired 
from cattle raising, but the sons keep five 
hundred head of cattle all the time. Mr. 
Carlson has been very successful in his farm- 
ing ventures, has built up a valuable estate 
through perseverance and energy, and richly 
deserves honorable mention among the repre- 
sentative men of Nebraska. 

Mr. Carlson was married at \"ictoria, 
Knox county, Illinois, Alay 1, 1871, to Miss 



694 



COMPENDIOI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Albertina L. Severin, born near the village of 
Soderham, Sweden. Her father, Lars Severin, 
was a merchant and surveyor, coming to 
America with his daughter in 1865, his wife 
having died prior to their emigration. He af- 
terward returned to Sweden, married there 
and came back to America, settling in New 
Jersey, where he died. Four children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carlson, of whom 
three are now living, namely : Sadie, married 
to Frank Stronberg, and living at Essex, 
Iowa, the parents of six children : Henry, who 
married Amelia Nordquist. the father of two 
children. Mabel and Ernest ; Ernest Carlson, 
who married Stella Jones, the father of four 
children: Henry Glen, Donald A. and Dorothy 
A. (twins), and Leonard. ^linnie, the young- 
est born of our subject, is deceased. 

Mr. Carlson is a Bryan Democrat. He is 
a member of the Methodist church, and while 
living: in Essex fraternized with the Odd Fellows. 



SAMUEL M. THOMAS. 

Of the prominent and leading old settlers 
of Sioux county, Nebraska, none are held in 
higher esteem by their fellow citizens than 
Samuel M. Thomas. He has been a potent 
factor in the development and growth of his 
locality and is a man of untiring energy, pos- 
sessed of sterling characteristics, and has pros- 
pered in his chosen calling. 

Mr. Thomas was born in Iroquois county, 
Illinois, in 1853, on a farm. He is of Welsh 
and Irish stock, the father born in Wales, 
while the mother. Emaline Cortright, was of 
Irish extraction, born in Illinois. Our subject's 
grandfather Cortright was one of the first set- 
tlers in Iroquois county, and was well known and 
highly respected by all who knew him. Sam- 
uel W. Thomas grew up in his native state, 
following farming with his father, as a boy 
and young man ; at the age of twelve starting 
to hustle for himself, and has made his own 
way in the world ever since. Several years 
were spent in Iowa, where he farmed on rent- 
ed land, but became dissatisfied with condi- 
tions there, and came to Nebraska in the fall 
of 1888. locating in Sioux county. He drove 
overland from Illinois and Iowa, carrying his 
goods in a covered wagon, in which his wife 
rode, camping out along the way on the jour- 
ney, encountering many difficulties and suffer- 
ing exposure from the weather, but reached 
their destination in safety. 

On arriving in Sioux county Mr. Thomas 
settled on a homestead in Hat Creek valley, 
where he put up a log cabin, partly dugout, and 
began to make a home and develop a farm. 



He had a team and wagon, and broke up land, 
putting in sod crops the first year, and even- 
tually proved up on the place, living on it up 
to 1895. During the first five or six years he 
was obliged to work out in the vicinity of 
their home to make a living, spending a part 
of his time in the Black Hills, and also worked 
as a cowboy on different ranches in that re- 
gion. One fall he made a trip into the Sand 
Hills near Hyannis, with a bunch of cattle to 
winter. He bought land in Sioux county and 
lived on it until 1901, then moved to his pres- 
ent location in section 10, township 23, range 
57. and there put up house, barns and other 
improvements, having a valuable property, lo- 
cated on Squaw creek. There is a fine supply 
of water, one big spring having its source near 
his house, and altogether it is one of the most 
desirable ranches in the vicinity. The place 
contains six quarter sections of deeded land, 
with three quarters of Kincaid homestead, all 
fenced and a nice lot of timber, etc. 

In 1873 our subject married Miss Adeline 
Burroughs, daughter of Abe Burroughs, a 
farmer of Iroquois county, Illinois. Mr. and 
Mrs. Thomas have five children, namely : The- 
resa, Charles, Ira, Henry and Samuel, all of 
whom are grown, three married and in homes 
of their own. 



BENJAMIN HANEY. 

Benjamin Haney, one of the earliest set- 
tlers in western Nebraska, and a man who 
helped organize the county in which he now 
resides, is also one of the best known and 
most highly esteemed citizens of Grant coun- 
ty. He is a successful ranchman, although he 
now resides in Hyannis, where he owns and 
occupies a fine residence. 

Mr. Flaney was born in Moultrie county, 
Illinois, in 1849. His parents were both of 
.\merican blood, and followed farming all 
their lives. Benjamin was raised in his native 
state until he was about seventeen, when the 
family came to Nebraska, landing here in 1866. 
The}- first settled in Gage county, and later 
Benjamin took a homestead in Saline county, 
where he was among the earliest settlers. 
There he went through the usual pioneer ex- 
periences, witnessing grasshopper raids, when 
he lost three crops in succession, and had a 
very hard time to get along and make a living. 
He was married there in 1872 to Anna M. Ry- 
der, whose father, Thomas L. Ryder, was a 
farmer and an old settler in eastern Nebraska, 
her mother's maiden name being Jane Reed, 
of English descent. The young couple start- 
ed nut bravely to establish a home in that part 




BEN HANEY and FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



695 



of the state, and succeeded remarkably well, 
remaining there up to 1887, then struck out 
farther west, coming to Grant county in the 
same year. North Platte was then their near- 
est postofifice and trading station, and all sup- 
plies had to be hauled from that point. Here 
they went through many hardships, spending 
many nights camping out on the ground while 
making trips through the country by team, as 
the settlers' homes were very few throughout 
the region, and often for many miles one would 
not see even so much as a sod hut in driving 
through the country. He finally located on a 
ranch in the southern part of the county, put 
up rough buildings and started at ranching, 
and got into the stock business, and has met 
with decided success, succeeding in improving 
a good ranch, and at the present time owns 
and operates a whole section of good land, 
which is devoted principally to ranching pur- 
poses. He still personally superintends the 
running of this place, but resides in Hyannis, 
moving into the town in 1901. 

i\Ir. Haney's family consists of nine chil- 
dren, named as follows: Thomas, residing in 
Saline county, Nebraska, on his own farm, 
James, Frank, George, Carrie, Mary, Rufus, 
Augusta and Homer. The sons have good 
ranches which lie near their father's place, and 
and also successful ranchers and stock growers. 
A picture of the family group is presented on 
another page of this volume. 

In 1905 Air. Haney was elected county 
commissioner, serving in that capacity at the 
present time. He has always taken an active 
part in local affairs of a political nature, and 
is a inan of superior attainments, broad-mind- 
ed and liberal in his views, always standing for 
the best interests of his community. He is a 
Brvan Democrat. 



WILLIAM O. LOVENBURG. 

Persistent industry has placed this gentle- 
man among the prosperous agriculturists of 
Perkins county. He is one of the earliest 
settlers of the region, and his home in section 
23, township 9, range ^7 . Madrid precinct, 
has been gained only by the strictest economy 
and excellent management. The hardships 
which at different times have fallen to the 
lot of Mr. Lovenburg would have heartily 
discouraged one of a less persistent nature, 
but have only tended to make him more de- 
termined and spurred him to greater action. 
With undaunted courage he has faced mis- 
fortunes, suffering and hardships incident to 
the life of a pioneer of the western states. 



and he has remained to enjoy a fitting re- 
ward for his labors. 

Mr. Lovenburg was born in Tama county, 
Iowa, in 1861. His father, John Lovenburg, 
was born in Bohemia, where his parents lived 
and died, he coming to America and was one 
of the pioneer homesteaders in Perkins 
county, arriving in this country in 1887 alone. 
He married Mary Kasl, also born in Bohemia, 
coming to the United States with her parents 
in 1857, the family settling in Tama county, 
Iowa. Our subject's maternal grandmother 
was Kate Kasl, born in Seci, in Plzen Bo- 
hemia, and his grandfather, Vaclav Kasl, born 
December 8, 1818, came to America in 1857, 
settling in Kansas in 1871, being among the 
earliest settlers in Republic county, of that 
state. They spent many years there, raising 
a large family, and now are the grandparents 
of forty-four grandchildren and fifty-six great- 
grandchildren. An uncle of our subject was a 
soldier in the Civil war. 

Mr. Lovenburg was raised on a farm in 
Kansas, remaining with his parents until he 
was twenty-two years of age, and then farmed 
on rented land in Kansas for three years, 
coming to Perkins county in 1887. He filed 
on a homestead on section 23, township 9, 
range Z?, starting on wild prairie land with- 
out any improvements whatever. During the 
first six months he was compelled to haul 
all water for domestic use a distance of five 
miles. He went through "sod shanty experi- 
ence," and experienced also the usual pioneer 
hardships incident to drouths, crop failures, 
etc., his worst years being from 1890 to 1896, 
but managed to make a scant living and 
stayed through it all, gradually growing into 
the stock business when the years were un- 
favorable for grain raising. In 1901 Mrs. 
Lovenburg died, her death occurring on Au- 
gust 13th, and shortly afterward our subject 
returned to his old home in I-Cansas, engag- 
ing in implement business with his brother, 
Frank V. (a sketch of whom appears else- 
where in this volume), at the town of Narka. 
They built up a good business, and as stated 
before, had the misfortune to be burned out 
in 1906, so quit the business and our subject 
came back to his homestead in Perkins county 
and has since lived on it. He is owner of a 
fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres, 
with about one hundred and sixty acres culti- 
vated, and the balance in grass, engaging to 
quite an extent in stock raising. His place is 
well improved with good buildings, fences, 
etc., and is one of the valuable estates in the 
vicinity. 

Air. Lovenburg was married in 1883, his 



696 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



wife's maiden name being Anna Seka. born in 
Bohemia, and to them were born the following 
children : Sherman, now deceased : Lottie ; 
Bertha, who died on the home ranch in March, 
1908: Stanford; Walter, also deceased; Ellie, 
Linda and Olga. 

Mr. Lovenburg has always had the repu- 
tation of being an active and public-spirited 
citizen and has exerted his influence in behalf 
of a better public service and morality, taking 
a leading part in local affairs, helping establish 
and build up the schools in his vicinity. He 
is an independent voter. 



THEODORE F. GOOLD. 

Theodore F. Goold was born in Kewanee. 
Illinois, December 25, 1877. His father. 
Henr\- L. Goold. was Scotch-Irish and his 
mother (Florence Hurd in her youth) was of 
German nationality. The family came west to 
Nebraska when ^Ir. Goold was tt /ears old. 
his father engaging in the stock busmess until 
1897. 

Mr. Goold was reared in Keith county, 
attending school there and later going to the 
State University, from which he was gradu- 
ated in 1902, after completing the scientific 
course. He was associated with his father 
in the ranching business until 1906. at which 
time the Citizen's Bank of Ogallala was es- 
tablished and he became cashier of that in- 
stitution. His efforts, combined with those 
of his associates, have made this bank a suc- 
cess from the start and it is now doing a good 
business. The deposits of this bank are guar- 
anteed. 

Mr. Goold was married in ( )gallala. Se])tom- 
ber 26. 1908. to Miss Jennie Smith, a daughter 
of Francis M. Smith, deceased. Mr. Goold 
is a member of the Masonic order, holding 
membership in the Blue Lodge at Ogallala 
and the Sisostris Temple, thirty-second de- 
gree Masons, at Lincoln, and also of the Tem- 
ple of the ^lystic Shrine. 

His father. Henry L. Goold, now chair- 
man of tthe board of county commissioners, 
held the office of regent at the State L'nivcr- 
sity from 1896 to 1902. He has taken an ac- 
tive part in Republican i)olitics and has been 
honored with positions on committees of 
prominence. His birth occurred in Yates City, 
Illinois, December 26. 1851. 

He lived in that city until grown and 
attended the Northwestern L'niversity. until 
his health failed, when he went to Califi)rnia, 
where he spent three or' four years in educational 
work and farming. He went into the furni- 
ture business in Kewanee. Illinois, and also 



bought and shipped horses from Nebraska, 
doing an extensive business. In 1880 he 
moved to Nebraska, where he engaged in 
stock raising, in which he has been very suc- 
cessful. He has a ranch of six thousand acres, 
some si.x miles southeast of Ogallala. 

Henry L. Goold has taken a great interest 
in the educational matters of the region and has 
been a member of the board of education in 
Ogallala. He helped to establish the experiment 
station in connection with the State University 
while regent of that institution. He has been 
a great success as a farmer and stock breeder, 
raising draft horses of the Shire breed and 
shorthorn cattle. He is an example of what per- 
severance will do for a man in either east or 
west. 



JOHN \'. GL()\"ER. Deck.vsed. 

John V. Glover was, for many years prior 
to his death, a leading farmer and prosperous • 
citizen of Sheridan county, Nebraska. His 
family still reside in this locality and arc well 
and favorably kncnvn throughout the com- 
munity. 

Mr. Glover was l)orn in Orange county, 
Indiana, in 1843. His father, John B. Glo- 
ver, was born in Kentucky of American stock, 
and his mother was Elizabeth B. Childs. a mem- 
ber of the well-known Chase family of English 
descent. The family moved to Glenwocxl. Iowa, 
when our subject was thirteen years old. In 
1862 he took a trip across the i)lains, and in the 
fall of the same 3'ear enlisted in the Independ- 
ent Battery of Colorado Artillery, commanded 
by Captain \\'illiam McClain, serving in this 
company for two years. During this time he 
contracted the measles and when this disease 
left him his health failed and he was dis- 
charged from the army. From 1865 to 1868 
he followed the carpenter's trade in Lawrence, 
Kansas, and during the latter year he engaged 
in farming and continued at this for five 
years. At the end of that time he established 
himself in the mercantile business in Louis- 
ville, Nebraska. He was successful in this 
venture, and built up a nice trade, but in 1878 
had the misfortune to be burned out. losing 
everything he had. and was obliged to start 
all over again. The following year he erected 
a large stone and brick store and opened up 
with a new general stock of merchandise, and 
sixin had a profitable trade built up. From 
1880 to 1885 he held the position of postmaster 
at Louisville. In 1884 he came to this lo- 
cality and settled on his present farm as a 
premption. moving on it with his family in 
the following year, and here he built a Sdd 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIIXISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



697 



house in which they have lived ever since. 
This was the first white family to se.ttle in 
this vicinity, and their sod house was the first 
building ever erected here. 

Mr. Glover was married in July, 1865, to 
Miss Alma E. Wilson, born in Ireland in 
1845, who came to America with her parents 
when a young child. ^Ir. and ]\Irs. Glover 
were the parents of four children, who are 
named as follows: Florence A., born Au- 
gust 17, 1866; George W, born August 15, 
1868; Walter, born September 20, 1871; and 
Clara M., born July 6, 1875. The sons re- 
fused to take advantage of the college edu- 
cation which' their father offered to give them, 
but the girls were eager to avail themselves 
of the opportunity, and each has received a 
full college course. On November 21, 1896, 
j\Ir. Glover died as the result of an accident. 
He was slightly deaf, and during a fire, while 
attempting to cross the street was struck by 
the hook and ladder truck. He was not killed 
instantly, but went to Los x-\ngeles soon af- 
ter, and died there from the injuries received 
in this accident. Since his death his wife 
has managed all his affairs and the well-kept 
home and surroundings bear evidence of her 
ability and good judgment. The family have 
gone through considerable trouble, but have 
always had the sympathy and assistance of 
good friends and helpful neighbors. Mrs. 
Glover now operates six sections of land, 
farming about one hundred and fifty acres, 
and keeps about four hundred head of cattle. 
The whole place is v\-ell improved v^^ith good 
substantial buildings, and all fenced. She de- 
votes her entire time and attention to the 
affairs of the large property, personally super- 
intending everything, but the labor attached 
to the management of a place of this size is 
almost too much for one person to under- 
take, and she is desirous of renting her place 
to a good, responsible person. Mr. Glover 
was a strong Republican, always took an ac- 
tive interest in party politics, but never sought 
any honors at the polls. He was a member of 
the Grand Army of the Republic, of the Ma- 
sonic lodge, and Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, and was buried by the Odd Fellows 
with all the honors of the order. 



ANDREW STEELE. 

Andrew Steele resides on his large farm 
situated in section 35, township 34, range 35, 
Cherry county, and is well and favorably 
known by all in this locality. 

Mr. Steele is a native of Scotland, born 



February 20, 1848, and came to Canada with 
his parents when he was eight years of age. 
Leaving Scotland in a sailing vessel, they were 
buffeted by storms until the vessel sprung 
a leak. After a perdous time, during which 
the continued use of the pumps kept the ves- 
sel afloat, they reached Liverpool where Air. 
Steele and his family re-embarked in the 
Black Star liner, Australia. Landing in 
New York they went by rail to Coburg, Can- 
ada, later settling near Trenton. His father, 
John Steele, a native of Scotland, emigrated 
to the county of Hastings, Ontario, settling 
on a farm near Trenton. Our subject is the 
third member in a family of five children, and 
at the age of sixteen years started in life 
for himself, securing employment in a saw 
mill. He spent one winter working in the 
pineries, then learned the miller's trade in 
Trenton, Ontario, and followed this for six- 
teen years in Canada. In 1872 he left Can- 
ada and moved to Minnesota, w'here he 
worked at his trade for twelve years, then 
bought a farm in that state, whi'ch he lost 
through a succession of crop failures. He 
then became discouraged and left his farm 
there with nothing to show for his hard labor. 
He came to Cherry county in November, 
1886, his only capital being' a team and four 
cows, driving overland the entire distance 
from Minnesota to Nebraska, requiring six 
weeks to cover the journey of six hundred and 
fifty miles. He located on the farm he now 
occupies, and went to work in building up 
his home. His first dwelling was a log house, 
which burned down about a year and a half 
later, consuming the entire contents. He then 
erected a stone house with a sod roof and oc- 
cupied this for many years. He has improved 
his place wonderfully, adding to his acreage 
until he is proprietor of twelve hundred and 
eighty acres of good land, of which four hun- 
dred acres can be cultivated, and has one hun- 
dred and twenty acres of good hay land. He is 
engaged in both farming and stock raising, 
also dairying on a large scale, milking about 
thirty cows and shipping the cream to Lincoln. 
He has the record of receiving the largest 
check for cream sent to anyone at Cody, his 
product amounting to two hundred and' sixty 
dollars for six months during the summer of 
1906. Mr. Steele has a fine grout house, 
20x36, erected in 1903, with a commodious 
cellar under it. besides a vegetable cellar, 
12 X 18 feet. His barn is a good, large build- 
ing. 20x114, and he has one hundred and 
eighty feet of stone shed, granary (14x20), 
and a large hen house. He has spent con- 
siderable money in these buildings, and to 



698 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



show for it has as finely improved a place as 
can be found in this locality. He raises good 
crops each year, his crop in 1906 amounting 
to over three hundred bushels of potatoes and 
thirty hundred bushels of corn and other 
grains. He keeps one hundred and twenty- 
five head of cattle, about thirty head of horses 
and some hogs. His farm is well sujiplied with 
water, extending two miles along Bear creek 
flowing through his farm, and he has a beauti- 
ful spring of clear water which never fails. 
A view of the residence and surroundings 
will be found on another page in this work. 

Mr. Steele was married in 1871 to Miss 
Julia H. Sabin, born in London, England, in 
1855. She came to Canada with her parents 
when a young child, her father's death oc- 
curring soon after settling here. Ten chil- 
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Steele, 
namely:' John T. : Annie G., wife of J. Tru- 
ax : ^lary J., wife of George Johnson : Edith 
B., wife of James McDowell : Ira ( )., James A.. 
\\'illiam P., Ada J., wife of Chas. Wilson ; .-Mice 
R., Lyle J. Six of these were born in Minnesota 
and the four youngest in Nebraska. 

In 1902 Mr. Steele spent the summer in 
Canada, and in 1906 he made another trip 
accompanied by his wife, and during the lai*er 
journey Mrs. Steele was taken ill with heart 
failure and died in Peterboro, Ontario, on 
May 6. During the Indian war in Nebraska, 
in 1891, Mrs. Steele was the only woman on 
the flats who did not leave, she preferring to 
remain with her husband through the danger- 
ous times rather than leave without him. 

Mr. Steele has always been one of the 
public-spirited citizens of his community and 
his hospitality is proverbial. Politically he is 
an Independent voter, at times having served 
the communitv in local oflices. 



MESSRS. PATTERSON &• WINGARD. 

The above firm is one of the most success- 
ful in Kearney, where they are engaged in 
buying and selling alfalfa seed and other 
grains. The business was established in 
January, 1903, and since that time they have 
built up a trade that reaches all over the 
country, enriching Bufifalo county and west- 
ern Nebraska. They are the largest dealers 
in the west in alfalfa, buving the best grades, 
cleaning and assorting this, so that the prod- 
uct they send out is the very best on the 
market. This is sold all through the western 
states and as far east as Ohio. During the 
year 1905 they shipped a large amount to 
Russia, where some parts of the country is 
admirably adapted to the growing of this 



grass. In the same year the firm handled 
at K^rney alone five hundred thousand 
pounds of the seed. It is a recognized fact 
by all the large and small dealers in field corn, 
and sweet corn seed, that the seed grown in 
Nebraska is superior to the product of any 
other region, and in this line also the firm 
of Patterson & Wingard are leaders. Ne- 
braska now grows three-fifths of all the sweet 
corn seed used in the United States, and its 
reputation is growing constantly so that it is 
impossible to estimate the wealth that this 
industry, together with the alfalfa seed busi- 
ness, will grow to in the years to come, and 
the great value it will give to Nebraska corn 
and alfalfa lands. The reason for the suc- 
cess of this industry is in the fact that the 
nights here in the late summer and early au- 
tum allow these grains to come to perfect ma- 
turity. The seed corn handled by the firm 
is grown by farmers under contract with Pat- 
terson & Wingard. The firm is this year 
( 1906) ofl:'ering cash prizes of five hundred 
dollars for the best farm products in each line 
which they handle, and these will be competed 
for at the harvest festival to be held in Kearney 
during the month of October. 

Patterson & Wingard also have an increas- 
ing demand tor millet seed, which is largely 
grown in this section. One St. Louis firm 
has this year contracted for the product of 
seven hundred acres, to be used in the manu- 
facture of poultry food. The firm is this 
year growing a special strain of field seed 
corn, six hundred acres, which receives the 
closest care, and will bring a handsome price 
from the eastern firm for which it is con- 
tracted. These successes show the splendid 
possibilities of western Nebraska as a grain 
country to all who are alert, resourceful and 
industrious. 

One of the largest implement, wagon and 
buggy establishments in western Nebraska is 
conducted by Patterson & Wingard, and their 
trade in this line extends over a large territory 
around Kearney and vicinity. 



i OSCAR !■■. SHAW. 

Oscar F. Shaw, residing on section 20, 
I township 35, range 52, is numbered among 
j the leading old timers of Dawes county, who 
has done his full share as a settler and ranch- 
man in building up the region where he chose 
his home. 

Mr. Shaw is a native of Crawford county, 

I Indiana, born in 1865. He is a son of John 

E. and Elvira Williams Shaw, old settlers in 

i Custer county, Nebraska, coming here in 



CO^IPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



699 



1880. Our subject was reared in his native 
state until fourteen years of age, then with 
his parents came to the central part of Ne- 
braska, where they were among the pioneers 
in starting a farm and home. Custer county 
was then wild prairie land, and there was 
plenty for our subject to do in assisting his 
parents in the work on their homestead, and 
he remained with them until he was eighteen, 
then left home and moved to Cherry county, 
where he worked on a cow ranch as a cowboy 
for some time. This ranch was located seven- 
ty-five miles south of Valentine on the Loup 
river, and after working there for a time he 
found employment on different ranches in that 
section, and became thoroughly familiar with 
the whole of Cherry county. 

In 1892 Mr. Shaw came to Dawes county, 
locating twelve miles north of Crawford, 
where he started in the cattle business, re- 
maining there for three years, then moved to 
his present ranch in section 20, township 35, 
range 52. Here he put up a log cabin and be- 
gan at once to make a success of the ranch- 
ing business, and has certainly made a success 
of it. He has a good set of substantial farm 
buildings, corrals, etc., with five miles of 
fencing. He is now owner of six hundred and 
forty acres of land, and ranges over several 
sections in South Dakota and Nebraska, run- 
ning six hundred head of his own stock, cat- 
tle and horses, besides twelve hundred head of 
sheep, the latter being his main line of the 
work. His nearest neighbor is two and a 
half miles from his home. 

Mr. Shaw was married in 1894 to Miss 
Kate L. Moody, daughter of Truman P. 
Moody, an old settler in this locality, whose 
sketch appears in this work. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Shaw four children have been born, 
namely: Lloyd, Truman, Berenice and Em- 
erson. 

All of Mr. Shaw's time is taken up in su- 
perintending the work of "his home and ranch, 
and he has never sought public preferment, 
although he lends his aid and influence in all 
movements for the betterment of conditions in 
his community. 



JOHN HAYS. 

The gentleman above mentioned is one 
of the oldest settlers of Alliance, Nebraska, 
locating there when the town consisted merely 
of a few tents and board shanties, and since 
coming here he has been one of the leading 
citizens, assisting in every movement in the 
development of the region, doing his full share 



in building it up and in the making of the 
history of this part of the state. He lives 
in section 10, township 25, range 47, where 
he has a pleasant home and vakiable estate. 

Mr. Hays was born in ]\Iercer county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1831. His father. James 
Hays, was a farmer by occupation, American 
birth, descended from Irish stock. He mar- 
ried Mary Kuhn, of German-Scotch parent- 
age. Our subject was reared in his native 
state and followed farming anc^ building as 
a young man. In 1853 he came to Hender- 
son county, Illinois, there engaging in farm- 
ing and remained for seventeen years, and 
became owner of a farm of eighty acres, did 
fairly well but was not satisfied with condi- 
tions there and decided to go farther west, 
so came to Page county, Iowa, in 1872. He 
rented a farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres, was very successful in its operation and 
remained there for si.xteen years. He ne.xt 
came to Nebraska and took up a tract of gov- 
ernment land situated in section 10, town- 
ship 25, range 47, in 1887, when Hay Springs 
was the nearest railroad town to his claim, 
sixty or seventy miles distant. Here he put 
up good sod buildings and started farming, 
but in 1890 the hard times struck him and 
he had two complete crop failures, and besides 
these, a number of partial failures, so that 
he became very much discouraged although he 
would not give up and gradually was able 
to build up his place and improve it with 
good buildings, etc. He now has eight hun- 
dred acres of good land, all fenced and cross 
fenced, and farms one hundred acres, and en- 
gages principally in the raising of horses and 
cattle, also hogs. He has two good wells 
with windmills and supply tanks, and every- 
thing is kept up in first-class shape. During 
the early years of Mr. Hays' residence in this 
region he was obliged to haul wood for fuel 
from Pine Ridge, a distance of fifty miles, and 
during these trips camped out at night, each 
trip taking four days. 

January 6, 1853, Mr. J. Hays was married 
in fiercer county, Pennsylvania, to Miss 
Rachel Richards, a daughter of Owen and 
Nancy Richards, a farmer of ]\Iercer county. 
Mrs. Nancy Richards was of American birth, 
descended from Irish stock. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hays are the parents of six children, who 
are named as follows. James M., Nancy L., 
Mary, Newton, who assists his father in the 
running of the home farm, and the only son 
with him at present ; Mina and Louis, the 
last two living on adjoining land and in sight 
of their father's ranch. Mr. Hays lost his wife 
in the month of March, 1889, just before he 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



moved the family from Iowa to Box Butte 
county. 

Mr. Hays is a strong Republican, ami has 
always been active in local affairs. 



GEORGE H. \ARGASOX. 

George H. Vargason, one of the more pros- 
perous farmers of Nebraska, is widely known 
as one of the earliest settlers of Rock county, 
and many strong friendships center at his 
modest and unassuming farm home in Kirk- 
wood precinct. Coming at a day when these 
manv broad and productive farms were in the 
wilderness and only existed in the prophetic 
imagination of those who knew what the 
pioneer settler was able to do by thrift and in- 
dustry, he has remained with the "west" un- 
til he' saw it blossom and bear rich fruit, and 
reaps the ample reward of his own perception, 
courage and persistence. 

Mr. Vargason was born in Buchanan 
county, Iowa, January 12, 1860, and was the 
third member of a famliy of four sons that 
came to bless the marriage of Harry ]vl. and 
Mary E. (Bessey) Vargason. His parents 
were devoted to agricultural pursuits, and re- 
mained on their farm in Iowa until their re- 
moval to Rock county, Nebraskka. in 1882. 
Young George was accustomed to hard work 
from his earliest youth, and received his edu- 
cation in the public schools of his native com- 
mimity. In 1883 the Vargasons came west, 
sojourned fifteen days in Running Water. 
South Dakota, crossed the river to Creighton, 
Nebraska, where they remained a few weeks, 
then all located on government land near what 
was known as Mariaville postoffice in Rock 
county. Here they built a frame shanty of 
poles and boards, which they covered with tar 
paper roofing, and ])resently George and his 
father were able to prove up their claims, 
which was their home until 1903. That year 
they sold out to good advantage and established 
themselves where they are found at the writ- 
ing of this article. 

Mr. X'argason was married in Delaware 
county. Iowa. January 1. 1884. to Miss Ida 
S. Lee. a native of that county, and a daugh- 
ter of Arnold R. and Lydia (Adams') Lee. 
who came of old American stock, and were 
successful at farming. The father prides him- 
self on his unwavering support of the Re- 
publican party. Mrs. \'argason was a most 
charming and attractive lady, and became the 
mother of five children. Harry, .\llic. Archie. 
Fern anrl Orval. All these children were born 
in the same house, but tlie house was moved 
to another farm prior to the birth of the 



youngest. She was called to the better land 
October 31, 1903, leaving behind sweet and 
tender memories of a dear and faithful wife 
and mother. 

Mr. \'argason knows b)- personal experi- 
ence what the hardships of frontier life in the 
old pioneer days of Nebraska mean. He has 
seen the fairest crops and the most delight- 
ful promise wither and perish under a rain- 
less sky and the cattle perish for want of 
pasturage. But the rain belt has moved to 
the west and farm life is now as full and rich 
and complete as anywhere in the world. Here 
he owns four hundred and eight}' acres of 
fine land in sections 33 and 34. township 33. 
range 17, upon which he has a neat cottage 
residence, a good barn, granary and other 
structures that the successful management of 
the place may need. On this farm he has 
about a thousand fruit trees, a few of which are 
already bearing, and all in good condition. It 
fronts on the Niobrara river for more than 
a mile, and presents special facilities for stock 
raising. 

Mr. Vargason has taken a somewhat active 
part in local politics and he is regarded as 
one of the leading citizens of the county, but 
he has never been willing to accept a pub- 
lic position. His own affairs have always 
seemed to him a sufficient field for all his ac- 
tivities. He is a believer in Republican prin- 
ciples and a member of the Odd Fellows, and 
\\'orkmen"s fraternities, the former at New- 
port and the latter at Mariaville. 



TOHN SASS. 



John Sass, whose settlement in Box Butte 
county, Nebraska, took place when this region 
had barely been opened up to the emigrants 
who were looking for a fertile part of the 
countrj- to locate and build up good homes, 
is now well-known as a prosperous farmer 
and worthy citizen. He has a highly culti- 
vated and well-improved estate, and enjoys 
all the comforts of rural life. His portrait 
will be found on another jiage. 

Mr. Sass was bom in Germany in the vil- 
lage of Holsein. in 1840. His father. Luther 
Sass, was a miller at that place, and lived 
in that vicinitv during his entire life. Our 
subject grew up in Germany, and as a boy 
learned the miller's trade after his father, 
following that work until he was about forty 
years of age, then came to the United States 
with his family of five in number, settling 
in Iowa in 1882, and there followed railroad 
work for four years. In 1886 he came to Ne- 
braska and settled in Box Butte county, fil- 




JOHN SASS. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



701 



ing on a homestead, his present liome, in sec- 
tion 11. township 25, range 49. There he went 
through the usual pioneer experiences, freight- 
ing through the country, camping out nights, 
etc. His first team was a pair of horses, but 
he had the misfortune to lose them through 
some sickness, so bought a team of oxen, 
which did considerable work for a long time. 
He got along very well in breaking up his 
place but was unable to raise anything but 
small crops, and had a hard time to make 
a living and do much in the way of improving 
his farm. Many seasons his crops failed and 
he was obliged to work out to provide for his 
family, but never gave up hope and stuck 
to his place. As the times grew better he 
gradually put up good buildings, increased 
his acreage, and now owns a ranch consisting 
of four quarter sections, all of which is 
fenced and in first-class shape. 

Air. Sass was married in Germany, in 1866, 
to Anna Eckmann, who emigrated to this 
country with her husband and who has been 
a faithful helpmeet during the many years 
of hard labor here, fighting for a home and 
competence for their declining years. Mr. 
Sass had the sad misfortune to lose his wife 
July 1, 1907. ;\Ir. and "Sirs. Sass were the 
parents of three children, namely: Hannah, 
John and Mary. 

Our subject has always been an earnest 
worker and advocate for the best interests 
of his locality, and has given his best efforts 
in aiding its development. Politically he is a 
Republican. 

GEORGE FOLKERTS. 

In listing the self-made men of Cheyenne 
county who have become well-to-do farmers 
and ranchmen and have aided materially in 
the development of these interests in that 
region, a prominent place is accorded the 
name of George Folkerts. For many years 
this gentleman has followed farming and stock 
raising in Eagle precinct, has met with pro- 
nounced success, and is known as one of the 
substantial citizens and well merits his high 
standing. 

Mr. Folkerts was born in the village of 
Sandhorst, near the city of Aurech, Hanover, 
Germany, March 17, 1852. He was the third 
of a family of seven children, six of whom are 
still living. He grew up in his native coun- 
try, following farming during his youth and 
remained there until he was sixteen years of 
age. then came to the United States with his 
parents. The family sailed from Bremenhaven 
on the Niagara, and after a vovage of six weeks 



landed in New York. The family first located in 
Adams county. Illinois, living about ten years 
there, then went into Morgan county, that state, 
and with the exception of two years more 
in Adams, lived there until the spring of 1887, 
when they came to Nebraska, settling in Chey- 
enne county. George took up a homestead on 
section 28, township 16, range 47, proved up 
on a one hundred and sixty-acre tract and 
this was the nucleus of his present valuable 
estate consisting of eleven hundred and twenty 
acres, his residence being on section 32. His 
ranch is now splendidly improved with good 
buildings. A new one and one-half-story 
residence of seven rooms was built in the 
summer of 1908. He has one hundred and 
twenty-five acres under cultivation and runs 
fifty head of cattle and quite a number of 
good horses. 

Mr. Folkerts' father and mother came to 
Cheyenne county, also, about 1887. and they 
were well-known old-timers of the region, liv- 
here many years, although both have de- 
parted this life. 

In 1878 our subject was married in Mor- 
gan county, Illinois, to Carrie Rehck. and to- 
gether they came to the western country to 
build up a home and fortune. I\Irs. Folkerts 
died in 1900, leaving the following children : 
Anna, wife of John Weyerts, now living in 
Perkins county. Nebraska ; Maggie, married 
to William Bauer, also living in Perkins 
county; Sophia, married to John Johnson, re- 
siding in Hayes county ; Mary, wife of Fred 
Bauer, living at Weyerts ; and Emma and 
John, unmarried, living at home. Mr. Folk- 
erts was married the second time, on Septem- 
ber 12, 1903, in this county, to :\Irs. Hilka 
Gross, who was born in Germany and came 
to this country in 1866. 

Mr. Folkerts is a good citizen and takes an 
active interest in local afifairs, at present serv- 
ing as moderator of school district 52. In 
politics he is a Roosevelt Democrat. He is 
a member of the Lutheran church. 



JAMES GROUT. 

James Grout, one of tlie representative 
farmers of Marion township. Franklin county, 
owns and operates a good farm consisting of 
four hundred acres of land, and is extensively 
engaged in mixed farming and stock raising. 
He is supervisor for District 5, and occupies a 
high position as a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor, ^^'hen but a boy sixteen years of 
age he hunted bufifalo in this county and ad- 
joining country, having killed a number when 
he was not much more than a bov. He claims 



702 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the honor of being the youngest buffalo 
hunter in tiiis part of the country. 

Mr. Grout was born in 1856 in Scott 
county, Iowa, and was raised in that state. 
He came to Nebraska in June. 1869, at the 
age of fifteen years. His parents came to 
Franklin county and located on a homestead 
in section 6. Marion township, and he lived 
at home until he was twenty-one. then started 
out for himself, taking u]) a timber claim of 
one hundred and sixty acres, and to this has 
added two hundred and forty acres adjoining, 
on which he resides. Here he engages in stock 
and grain raising, and keeps a large part of 
his land for pasture, running about a hun- 
dred cattle and from one to two hundred 
hogs all the time, all high grade animals. 
The farm is well supplied with water and 
trees, and there is a complete set of sub- 
stantial farm buildings, everything in the best 
possible condition, and altogether, one of the 
valuable pieces of property in the county. All 
of Mr. Grout's time is put in on his farm, 
and he is well repaid for his labors in the good 
crops and rich returns from his stock, etc. 
"Our subject was married in 1878 to Miss Liz- 
zie Curtis, who is a daughter of T. M. Curtis, 
who homesteaded in Marion township in the 
year 1874. coming to Nebraska from Iowa. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Grout five children have 
been born, who are named as follows : Harry, 
living on a farm of two hundred and forty 
acres adjoining his father's place; David, who 
runs the home place with his father; Frank, 
attending the high school at Franklin, and 
two daughters, Bessie and Ina. Mr. Grout 
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Woodmen lodge at Frank- 
lin. The family belong to the Congregational 
church in Franklin, and are among the highly 
esteemed citizens of their community. Mrs. 
Grout^died in 1893. mourned by many friends. 
This left Mr. Grout with a family to raise, 
which he has accomplished. 



M. F. WRIGHT. 

M. F. Wright, one of the old settlers of 
Nebraska, helping materially in the develop- 
ing of the eastern part of the state for many 
years, and who has watched its progress al- 
most from its earliest pioneer days, now lives 
on section 13, township 21, range 16. He is 
considered well-to-do, and enjoys a comfort- 
able home and well improved farm, all of 
which he has earned by his thrift and industry, 
supplemcntcfl by good management and per- 
sistent endeavor. 

Mr. Wright is a native of Mercer county 



Missouri, born in 1867. Me is a son of A. H. 
and Jcnett (McDougle) Wright. His father 
and mother were farmers who settled there 
many years ago, and he grew up there and 
was taught to do all kinds of hard farm work 
in his boyhood, receiving but a limited edu- 
cation, or such as could be obtained by at- 
tending the old-time district schools. He now 
lives in Burwell. Nebraska, and has a nice 
comfortable home. Our subject left home at 
the age of twenty-one years, and came to Ne- 
braska with his parents, landing in Garfield 
count)' in December, 1885, when he was only 
eighteen years old, and has lived here ever 
since. His father took up a homestead of one 
hundred and sixty acres, and at once started 
his farm and home, often in the early days 
meeting with many discouragements during 
the dry years, losing crops at different times, 
which was a serious setback to him during the 
pioneer years when he was trying so hard to 
get together a little property. However, when 
the better years began he was successful in 
raising good crops of corn, wheat, oats and 
rye, also getting together quite a lot of stock, 
and is now in comfortable circumstances. Be- 
fore going to Nebraska he helped his father 
farm in Missouri, but considers this state 
much better for the poor than Missouri, as a 
man can farm more land here and it is cheaper. 

Mr. Wright was married to Miss Cora 
Kester. born and raised in Iowa. She is a 
daughter of W. K. and Ann (Rap^) Kester. 
They have a pleasant home and are the par- 
ents of five children, two boys and three girls, 
namely: Cora, Martha, Annie, Elmer and 
Clarence. 

Politically Mr. Wright is a Republican, 
but has never devoted any time to public 
affairs. 



CAPT. DAMD A. PIERCY. SR.. Df.ce.\sed. 

Captain David A. Piercy, deceased, was 
born in 1837. at Ogdensburg. New York state. 
Here he spent his boyhood days and when he 
was about twenty years of age came to Minne- 
sota, where he engaged in Indian trading in 
the northern part of that state. During the 
Civil war he enlisted in the Fifth Iowa Cav- 
alry, which was made up of troops from 
Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, and he was 
promoted from sergeant to first lieutenant 
during the three years of hard service that he 
saw in the south. He then raised a battalion 
of three companies and was promoted to cap- 
tain of Company L, which formed a part of 
the Twenty-sixth' New York State Volunteer 
Cavalrv. It was his company that was one 




^ o 

a 5 



COMPENDIU.AI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



703 



of the ones which was sent in search of J. 
Wilkes Booth. His company was employed 
part of the time in the west, serving with 
the troops fighting the Indians on the frontier. 
He died in 1906 at Macon, Georgia, where he 
had gone the previous fall for the benefit of 
his health. Mr. Piercy was one of the early 
settlers in Omaha, whither he emigrated in 
1886 and was engaged in the hardware busi- 
ness for eleven years as manager for the Mel- 
ton Rogers Iron Company and for the suc- 
ceeding eleven years was head of the firm of 
Piercy & Bradley, one of the largest firms of 
iron-mongers in Omaha. His health failed 
while he was a member of this firm and he 
gave up the business and went south for a 
time, then returning to Nebraska he located 
in Cherry county in the spring of 1884. He 
settled on the farm which he occupied at the 
time of his death. This farm is situated in 
section 6, township 20, range 30. Here he 
put up rude farm buildings and began as a 
pioneer. He was an important factor in the 
development of this region, being instru- 
mental in the establishment of several differ- 
ent postoffices and mail routes in the south- 
ern part of this county. Having a good 
knowledge of surveying he practiced that 
science to a great extent. He began ranch- 
ing soon after settling in Cherry county, and 
was very successful in all his ventures, con- 
trolling at the time of his demise eight hun- 
dred acres of the finest hay land and one 
thousand acres of range, all improved and 
well stocked. 

Mr. Piercy was first married in Ogdens- 
burg. New York. March 1, 1863. to Aliss Caro- 
line L. Battelle. three of whose children are 
living, Caroline L. (Archard), Mary E. and 
Nellie (Lanning). He was married a second 
time in June, 1876. in Omaha, to Miss Libbie 
Stout, a native of Oswego, New York. They 
had a family of seven children, of whom four 
survive: Agnes J.. David A., Jr., Leonard D. 
and ^^'illiam \\'.. all residing near Kennedy. 

Owing to failure in health Mr. Piercy 
sought recuperation in the south in the fall of 
1905, but failing in what he sought he passed 
away at Macon, Georgia, in March. 1906. His 
wife survived him only about two months, her 
death occurring in ]\Iay. 

Mr. Piercy was prominent in local affairs, 
and was highly esteemed as one of the leading 
ranchmen in the southern part of the county. 
He was well known throughout the com- 
munity for his integrity and true worth, and 
his family had the sympathy of tlie entire com- 
munity at his death. He was an enthusiastic 
worker in the Episcopal church, erecting a 



sod chapel at Kennedy, which now stands as 
a monument to an earnest, God-fearing man. 
He was formerly a member of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows. 

David A. Piercy. Jr.. was born in Omaha, 
August 15, 1878, and was but a lad when 
the family moved to Cherry county in 1884. 
At the age of fifteen he began life for him- 
self as an employe of Robert Gillaspie and 
remained with his first employer for five years. 
For the eight }iears following he was en- 
gaged in the cattle business for William 
Erickson, when he began business for him- 
self. He now owns six hundred and forty 
acres of land under the Kincaid homestead 
act, and holds three thousand acres more un- 
der lease, running about one hundred head of 
cattle and fifty horses. His homestead claim 
dated from 1905, on which he erected in that 
same year a neat cottage and suitable out- 
buildings. His brand is J. I. C. He is a 
member of the Woodlake Lodge of Odd Fel- 
lows. 



AARON VAN WINKLE. 

Aaron Van Winkle, a prosperous and suc- 
cessful young ranchman of Cherry county, 
Nebraska, was born on a farm in Henderson 
county. Illinois, August 29, 1869. a son of 
James and Sarah (Hedges) \'an Winkle, both 
of American birth and inheriting the best tra- 
ditions of their New England ancestry. Mr. 
Van ^^'inkle has not yet reached middle life, 
but. has witnessed many changes in farming 
methods and the dift'erences in rural life in the 
]Mississippi valley and on the western plains. 

Aaron Van \Vinkle. the eldest in a family 
of nine children, was reared under the par- 
ental roof, and remained on his Illinois home 
place until he reached the age of twenty 
years. In 1891 he came into Nebraska, and 
settled in Lancaster county, where he was 
engaged in the cultivation of a rented farm 
for some four years, but later on he bought 
a place, \^'hile there he was married to Miss 
Annie Ellis, a daughter of Daniel W. and Rachel 
(Martin) Ellis. Her parents were both farm- 
ing people, and are still living in Lancaster 
county. Mr. and Mrs. \'an Winkle are the 
happy parents of a family of six children: 
Guy. Ernest. Rachel. James. John and Ruth. 
In 1906 the Lancaster county farm was sold, 
and the family removed to Cherry county, and 
here INIr. \'"an Winkle bought twelve hundred 
and eighty acres, a part of the Payton ranch 
with the dwelling on section 32, fronting 
Gordon's creek, and affording every oppor- 



704 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGR.\PHY 



tunity for stock raising on a most extensive 
scale. It is improved with good buildings, 
and is entirely devoted to hay and pasture. 
In politics Mr. \'an Winkle takes an independ- 
ent position, and demands good men to re- 
ceive his ballot. A view of the family resi- 
dence with portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Van 
Winkle form one of the interesting illustra- 
tions in this work. 



W. W. BECK. 



The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the oldest settlers in 
the region of township 23, range 46, Deuel 
county, and was born at Portland. Jay county. 
Indiana, in 1864. His father, W. J. Beck, was 
a native of Ohio, of Irish descent, a farmer 
by occupation, born in Ohio in 1833, and died 
in Portland. Indiana, January 16, 1893. Our 
subject's miither. whose maiden name was 
Emmaline Brown, came of German stock, born 
in Ohio. March 29. 1831. and died in Nebra.ska. 
May 30. 1908. Grandma Brown lived to the 
age of ninety-two years. Mrs. Beck's par- 
ents lived within seven miles of our subject's 
people when the family lived in Ohio and 
were neighbors there, and always were very 
friendly, visiting back and forth during the 
time when they were growing up. They nat- 
urally saw a great deal of each other and 
their friendship ripened into love, and they 
were married in Jay county. Indiana, when still 
quite young. They had a family of seven chil- 
dren, of whom three are dead, our subject be- 
being the third member in order of birth. All 
four are living within a short distance of each 
other here in Sheridan county. Xebraska. and 
have fine ranches. 

Mr. Beck remained with his parents on 
the home farm in Indiana up to the time he 
was twentv-three years of age. and then de- 
cided to strike out west, and hearing that 
Nebraska was a splendid state for a young 
man starting out in life, came to Omaha in 
188" and worked there for a short time. In 
the same year. 1887. he came to this locality 
and filed on a homestead situated in section 7. 
township 24. range 46. and also took up a 
tree claim, hut sfion after gave the latter up. 
He did not reside on his homestead during 
the first winter, but made his home in Omaha 
and drove back and forth, and did what he 
could to improve his place. In the spring of 
1889 he settled on the claim and worked on 
neighboring ranches, and also put in a small 
cro]) for himself and raised a fairly good 
crop, but the fnllowing year was not so suc- 
cessful. -<i he quit trying to farm his place 



and worked out for the following five years, 
still living on his place. He held this place 
up to 1902. and then sold it for four 
hundred dollars. While he was working out 
he saved his money and got together 
quite a little sum which he invested in cattle, 
having in mind the idea that he would engage 
in the ranching business on his own account 
as soon as he was in shape to do so. This 
had been his intention when he first came 
west, but he wanted to learn something about 
the business before starting, and he gained 
experience through his years spent on ranches 
in this section. When he had some money 
ahead he purchased a quarter section of land 
and established a ranch of his own. This was 
in 1893. and two years later his mother came 
here and together they took a claim and moved 
on it, starting in with sixty-five cattle and 
eight horses. He has since followed this ex- 
clusively, and now owns a ranch of six hun- 
dred and forty acres, and besides this his 
mother, brother and sister own three sec- 
tions in the same locality. They are all as- 
sociated together in the business and now run 
about ninety horses and five hundred head of 
cattle. They have plenty of range and raise 
enough hay to run their stock through the year. 
^Ir. Beck has done well since coming here 
and is perfectly satisfied with what he has ac- 
complished, but would have made still more 
had he been more familiar with the conditions 
of the country. He intends to stay here as 
long as he is obliged to work, as he likes the 
climate and could not do any better anywhere 
than lie is here. When he first struck this 
section Whitman was his nearest trading post, 
and at that time .-Mliance was just being 
started. He had many interesting experiences 
during the first years of his residence here, 
and states that he will never forget his drive 
here from Omaha. He intends soon to build a 
substantial house and farm buildings on his four 
hundred and eighty-acre homestead, and this 
will make him the proprietor of as fine an es- 
tate as there is in this locality. Mr. Beck is 
a Republican, and always votes that ticket, 
but has never taken an active interest in party 
politics, as he has not had the time to devote 
to these aflfairs. 



EDWARD PIKE. 

Edward Pike, one of the amliitious and 
successful young ranchmen of Cherry county, 
Xebraska. shows by his own career what thrift 
and energv may still accomplish in develop- 
ing a home out nf the new lands of the west. 

The parents. Joseph W. and Lacy (Xorth) 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



705 



Pike, reared a family of seven children, named 
as follows: William M., John N.,' Charles C, 
George W., Lizzie, Edward and Albert. 

The subject of this sketch was born in 
Page county, Iowa, January 1. 1870. whence 
his parents moved to Plymouth county, Ne- 
braska, in the fall of 1876. In 1883 the'father 
came to \^alentine, securing land under the 
homestead, pre-emption and tree claims, the 
family following two years later. 

In the spring of 1885 Edward Pike came 
to \'alentine, and remained with his father 
until 1890. That year he was married to Miss 
Mary- Metz, a native of Indiana, a daughter 
of John Metz, who came from Germany. The 
Metz family has been long and favorably 
known in Cherry county as among the very 
early settlers of this region. After farming 
for some years Mr. Pike, in partnership with 
his brother, Albert, bought a store in Sioux 
City, Iowa, in the fall of 1895, which they 
disposed of in the spring of 1897 and returned 
to Cherry county to engage in ranching and 
farming. He owns three hundred and twenty 
acres in section 14, township 34, range 29, and 
here he has developed a very comfortable 
home. This land he secured by purchase and 
homestead entry on which he has now proved 
up. In addition he operates quite a large 
tract of leased land and is becoming known 
as a careful and successful ranchman and 
farmer. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Pike three children have 
been born : Ada, Grace and Jennings. 



FRITZ HOFFMAN. 

Fritz Hoffman, residing on his Kincaid 
homestead in section 13, township 29, range 
52, Dawes county, is one of the prominent and 
successful farmers of his locality who settled 
here many years ago and has built up a good 
home and farm by dint of his industry and 
good management, and gained an enviable 
reputation as a progressive farmer and worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Hofifman was born in Posen Province, 
Germany, in 1875. His father, Rudolph Hoff- 
man, followed farming all his life, and came 
to America in 1892. Our subject grew up in 
Germany, assisting his father in carrying on 
the home farm and also working for himself 
on farms in the old country up to the time 
of his sixteenth birthday, and then started 
for the United States, landing in New York 
city in January, 1891, and immediately struck 
out for the west, locating in Crawford, X^e- 
braska, spending the first six months in this 
country engaged in general work on a farm. 



working for his board with his brother. He 
worked out for seven years in the vicinity 
of Crawford, and also was through South Da- 
kota and in the Sand Hills in Nebraska. His 
father had also come to America, and settled 
on his present farm in section 23. 'township 
29, range 52, which he took as a homestead, 
and on which he put up good buildings and 
has a comfortable home. Our subject pur- 
chased six hundred and forty acres of land, 
and also has the same number of acres of 
homestead land. Both father and son's land 
is well improved with good buildings, fences, 
graves, and plenty of nice water with neces- 
sary windmills, etc. Both engage to quite an 
extent in stock raising, handling principally 
cattle. Mr. Hofifman has over a hundred 
head of cattle and sixteen head of horses, and 
has built up a good business in stock, find- 
ing it very profitable. He started with very- 
small capital, and during the early days in this 
section of the country after purchasing a mare 
for fifty dollars lost one of his other horses, 
and was left with only a team to work his 
farm with, and was in no better shape than at 
first, and in those days even a small loss was 
a very serious matter to him. He was over- 
taken with many misfortunes, sickness, etc., 
one brother dying of sickness and another ac- 
cidentally shot. Our subject now farms two 
hundred and fifty acres of land, had one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres in wheat in 1908. 
He and his father together own three sections 
joining. Our subject built a fine new home. 
Mr. Hoffman is active in local affairs, and 
has held office at different times, serving as 
road overseer for some time. Politically he 
is a Republican. 



WILLIAM ROTH. 

William Roth, one of the oldest settlers of 
the western part of Nebraska, resides on one 
of the most extensive farms in the section 
where he is located, and is classed among the 
well-to-do and substantial citizens of Box 
Butte county, Nebraska. He takes a leading 
part in local affairs, and is a gentleman of un- 
usual perseverance and thrift, who has taken 
an important part in the development of this 
region. He enjoys a nice home and has a host 
of warm friends and good neighbors, all of 
whom admire him for his many sterling 
qualities. 

]\lr. Roth was born in New York state in 
1863. His birthplace was near New York 
city. His parents were of German parentage, 
born and reared in that country and settled 
in the eastern part of the United States when 



70b 



COMPEXDIOI OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



young people. They afterward came west 
and settled in Kansas, where they were among 
the pioneers of that state. Our subject was 
about fifteen j'ears of age when the family 
moved to Kansas, and there he grew to man- 
hood, working on the home farm and helping 
liis father do all the hard work in breaking up 
their land, handling ox teams, freighting, etc. 
The father was engaged in sheep raising on 
a large scale, and he also got a good knowl- 
edge of how to raise and care for a ranch. 

In 1885 he left home and came to Ne- 
braska, driving from Kansas to Box Butte 
county with a team and covered wagon, 
camping out at night along the way. On 
reaching this vicinity he settled on a home- 
stead in section 8, township 26, range 51, then 
returned to Kansas and remained there for 
one year. He then came back and took pos- 
session of his claim and started to improve it, 
putting up buildings and planting crops. 
During the first years he had a hard time to 
get along and only was able to make a scant 
living, but his brother, who was with him, 
owned ox teams and they worked at freighting 
and managed to get on in a small way. There 
were times when nearly every crop he put 
in was a failure and he was often tempted 
to give up the struggle, but still stuck to his 
claim and instead of trying to farm, started 
in the cattle business and dairying. He met 
with decided success in these lines, and now 
owns a large herd of cattle and has a farm of 
eleven hundred and fifty acres, all fenced and 
improved in first-class condition. 

Mr. Roth was married in 1891 to Mary 
Bartos, a daughter of Mauritz Bartos, a well- 
known farmer of this county, of Bohemian birth. 
The following children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Roth: ,\lbcrt. Lillie, George, Emma. 
Frank and Charles. 

Mr. Roth is a Democrat in political views, 
and stands firmly for his convictions. He takes 
an active part in local affairs, has helped to build 
up the schools in his locality, and has held 
the office of school moderator for several vears. 



JAMES WRIGHT. 

The subject of this ])crsonal liistorv came 
to C.rant county, Nebraska, in ISSfi. with prac- 
tically nothing as a foundation for his present 
prosperity save a brave spirit and willing heart, 
and has succeeded in building up one of the 
finest ranches in the section. His entire at- 
tention has been devotetl to his home interests, 
and he has gained a high station as a succes';fnl 
farmer and ranchman, also as a substantial citi- 
zen of his rnmninnity. Mr. Wright resides in 



section 26. township 22, range 37, and there the 
family occu])y a pleasant and comfortable home 
surrounded by all the comforts of rural life. 

James Wright is a native of Grant county. 
Wisconsin, born in 1851. and is of Dutch stock 
on his mother's side, she having been Miss 
Sarah BoUenbaugher. of Wisconsin. Her 
father's name was Ajolon BoUenbaugher. a lead- 
ing citizen of that community. 

Our subject was reared on a farm in Wis- 
consin, where he found plenty of work to do as 
a boy. receiving a common school education. 
He left home about 1876. at that time coming 
west and settling in Hamilton county, Nebraska, 
on a farm which he made his home for about ten 
years, and was married there to Lvdia Sorrells, 
daughter of Thomas Sorrells. a prominent pio- 
neer and farmer in that county. Mrs. Wright 
died in that vicinity, leaving a family of four 
children. Mr. Wright was married the second 
time the 16th of April, 1908, to Miss Annie 
Dannenbrock, of ^^'ashington County, Kansas, 
of a prominent German family. 

In 1886 Mr. \\'right came to Grant countv. 
teaming from North Platte, and located in the 
valley where he now has his home. His first 
buildings were a sod house, barns and corrals, 
and he went to work and rapidly built up a good 
ranch, which now extends for several miles 
along the valley, known as Wright's valley. 

One brother. Owen W. Wright, who resides 
in Hamilton county, is interested with our sub- 
ject in this ranch, in which they have made 
good improvements, all of which has been ac- 
complished by hard work and good management. 
Mr. Wright has gone through hard times since 
locating here, suffering at different times from 
drouths, severe storms, etc., and many times has 
fought prairie fires night and day when home- 
steads and range were threatened with destruc- 
tion. 

Mr. ^^■right is the father of four children, 
who arc named as follows : Ben, Charies W.. 
Ajolon and .Arion, all living and fine workers on 
the ranch.' 

Our subject has always taken a commend- 
able interest in local affairs, although he has 
never aspired to office. An interesting picture 
is ]irescnted on another page of Mr. \\'right. 
together with his residence and family group. 



H. J. r.L'SHXELL. 

H. J. Bnshnell, residing on one of the well 
improved estates of Loss creek, is one of the 
prosperous and enterprising agriculturists of 
Deuel countv. and has a host of friends who hold 
him in the highest esteem. 

Mr. Bushnell was born in Windham countv. 




JAMES WRIGHT and SOXS. 




MR. AND MRS. J.\MES WRIGHT AST) THEIR RESIDENCE. 
Grant County. NeljrasUa. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 707 



Connecticut, on November 15, 1865, and was 
the second member in his father's family of 
five children. At the age of eighteen years he 
came to Nebraska in company with a brother, 
E. N. Bushnell, who is now located at LaGrande, 
Oregon. He first located at Fairmount, and 
later in old Cheyenne county, now Deuel county, 
arriving here on April 1, 1884, joining his 
brother who came the previous year. Mr. Bush- 
nell took a homestead the following year and 
proved up on the place, afterward selling it, 
and then located on section 10, township 16, 
range 44, where he has a home ranch of six 
hundred and forty acres, and also considerable 
hay land and grazing in the vicinity. He runs 
a herd of two hundred and thirty head of 
cattle and forty horses, and is making a splen- 
did success of his business. His ranch is situ- 
ated on the Platte river, and is one of the 
best stock ranches in the county. Mr. 
Bushnell is an oldtime cattle and horse man 
and is known throughout the region as one of 
the best judges of stock in the state. 

Mr. Bushnell has passed through all the 
old Nebraska times, and taken an active and 
leading part in the history of the upbuilding 
of the western part of the state. In the early 
days he was associated with a number of the 
old-time cattlemen in the operation of some 
of the large ranches, who like himself, are 
now among the wealthy and most successful 
ranchmen in the west. 

Mr. Bushnell was never married. Politic- 
ally he stands for Republicanism, and is an 
earnest worker for party principles. 



HARRY A. \VHFELER, 

Harry A. ^^''heeler. although not one of the 
oldest settlers in this locality, comes of one of 
the oldest families, and has identified himself 
so closely with the interests of Brown county. 
Nebraska, that he has become highly respected 
and is known throughout the community in 
which he resides as a citizen of genuine worth. 

Mr. Wheeler was born on an Iowa farm 
May 28, 1878. His father. John Thomas 
Wheeler, was one of the pioneer settlers in 
Brown county. Nebraska, and well known all 
over this region. When Harry was seven years 
old he came here with his parents and grew 
to manhood in the vicinit}- in which he now 
makes his home, attending the pioneer schools. 
He bought a farm in section 1. township 30, 
range 21, in 1902, and began the work of im- 
provement and building up a home. This was 
in an entirely unimproved condition when he 
purchased it. He now has a comfortable dwell- 
ing, good barns and outbuildings, with a good 



growth of young trees, making a valuable piece 
of property comprising two hundred and forty 
acres, of which one hundred and fifteen acres 
are under cultivation. He is constantly adding 
to the value of his estate and is numbered 
among the prosperous and successful young 
farmers in the vicinity of Long Pine. 

Mr. Wheeler was married in Logan, Iowa, to 
Miss Myrtle Burger, who is a native of the 
state of Nebraska, but who had been living 
some five years in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Wheel- 
er have a family of three children, who are 
named as follows : Rose, Jennie and Alfred, all 
born on Buffalo Flats. 

As one of the younger meipbers of the 
farming community in Brown county, Mr. 
Wheeler has done his full part in the upbuild- 
ing of the agricultural interests in his locality, 
and he is regarded as an enterprising citizen 
and a man of strict integrity, who enjoys the 
confidence and esteem of his fellowmen. He 
votes the Democratic ticket and affiliates with 
the Modern Woodmen of .America camp at 
Long Pine. 

FRED W. SPENCER. 

To Fred W'. Spencer is willingly accorded 
a leading position among the prosperous 
ranchmen of western Nebraska. And he 
merits the high reputation in which he is held 
by the community, for he has been eminently 
successful in his chosen walk of life. He has 
advanced ideas relative to stock raising, be- 
lieving that the best is none too good and he 
carries that belief into his daily practice. 

Mr. Spencer was born on a farm in Scott 
county, Iowa, in 1858. His father, Webster 
M. Spencer, sprang from ancestors that came 
from England to America over two hundred 
years ago. Our subject's mother was Emma 
McMinn before marriage and w-as of Scotch 
ancestry. 

Our subject was reared on the farm of his 
parents in Iowa and became inured to the 
hard work of the farm. He attended the 
country schools and aided his father with the 
farm operations until about 1880. when he 
spent some time in western Iowa. He came to 
Blaine county in 1886. 

Mr. Spencer was united in marriage to 
;\Iiss Alvira Clay in March. 1882. She was 
the daughter of Ben Clay, an old settler who 
lived on a homestead on the North Loup river, 
in Blaine county, until he died in 1889. Mr. 
and I\Irs. Spencer have five children : Harry, 
Maud, \\'alter. Roy and Alfred. 

Our subject, his wife, with her father and 
brothers, came to Blaine countv bv team and 



7o8 



COMPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



covered wagons in 1886, and all located on 
land near each other. Mr. Spencer took a 
homestead, built a sod house and made other 
improvements. He had the misfortune to lose 
one of his horses that died, and he had to 
use an ox team for a long time. Our subject 
spent two years in Colorado driving oxen, 
"bull whacking" they call it, and he learned 
by experience what ''roughing it" meant. In 
early days all supplies and materials were 
hauled from Ord. sixty-five miles away, which 
required many long trips on the road. Crops 
were fairly- good up to 1890 and the family 
got along very well, adding nice improvements 
to the farm. Then came the seasons of drouth 
and for a number of years the crops were al- 
most total failures. Our subject lived on the 
homestead until 1896, when he proved up and 
bought the place where he now lives. This 
farm was slightly improved when he bought 
it and it made the beginning of his splendid 
ranch 'home. He has eleven hundred and 
twenty acres %f his own and leases three 
hundred and twenty acres more, that he needs 
for his stock raising enterprises. On his farm 
one finds splendid improvements, good house, 
large and commodious barns and outbuildings, 
fences, a fine orchard, groves and small fruits. 
Since the early days Mr. Spencer has engaged in 
the cattle business, buying and selling stock. 
Now he raises all that he can conveniently 
handle on his own farm. He keeps Hereford 
stock and also has fine registered bulls of that 
stock. He runs all together about three hun- 
dred and forty head of cattle and has three 
registered bulls. Mr. Spencer has also raised 
and shipped many hogs and meets with good 
success. His practice is to finish his own cat- 
tle when the crops warrant it and he does 
his own shipping to eastern markets. 

Mr. Spencer has had many ups and downs 
during his business career. Once his property 
was almost entirely wiped out by fire, but he 
has recouped his losses and made steady ad- 
vance to wealth and prosperity and promi- 
nence. He is one of the county's most public- 
spirited citizens and is active in the affairs of 
his community. He has held various offices 
of trust and was county commissioner a num- 
ber of years ago. 



\V. H. P.EEKMAN. 

W. H. P)eekman, who for a score of years 
past has been identified with the agricultural in- 
terests of Sheridan county, Nebraska, is the 
owner of a fine farm and home in township 
33, range 42. He is an experienced farmer 
and a citizen of whom his township may be 
justly proud. 



Mr. Beekman was born in New Jersey in 
1844 and moved to Jersey county, Illinois, 
when a lad. and was there raised and edu- 
cated. His father and mother were both na- 
tives of New Jersey. His mother died at Jer- 
seyville, Illinois, in 1885. His father, a butcher 
by trade, died shortly after coming to Ne- 
braska in 1889. At twenty years of age our 
subject started in life for himself, going first 
to Montana, where he remained for about eight 
years, following both mining and the butcher 
business: then went to Madison, Wisconsin, 
with the Gosshart Reaper Works as foreman ; 
also traveled for same concern as salesman 
on the road. He then moved to Moline, Illi- 
nois, where he worked in the Moline Plow 
Company's shops as foreman for seven years. 
In 1885 he came to Sheridan county and lo- 
cated on his present farm, which is situated 
in section 19. township 33. range 42. At that 
time the railroad only came as far as Valen- 
tine, and travelers were obliged to make the 
rest of the journey on a construction train. 
Before permanently settling in this locality 
Mr. Beekman traveled all over the western 
country, and since coming here has been per- 
fectly content to remain on his homestead. 
He was among the first settlers in this val- 
ley, but even at that time the land was nearly 
all taken. He only pre-empted eighty acres, 
and never used his homestead right, but bought 
all the land he now owns. During the first 
years he lived here he saw some hard times, 
the dry seasons causing him severe losses, and 
several times he lost his entire crop through 
hailstorms. At one time he went back to the 
butcher business and worked at that for three 
years, and has since worked out on farms to 
get a new start after the drouth had stripped 
them of all their crops. He often became dis- 
couraged, but stuck to it through all hard- 
ships, and now is very glad he did so. for he 
could never have done as well anywhere else. 
His farm comprises six hundred and forty 
acres, and of this he has about three hundred 
acres under cultivation, running about one 
hundred head of stock, and when he came to 
this place he was several hundred dollars in 
debt. He has put all his buildings on the east 
side of the section, and has all the modern 
improvements in the way of machinery, wind- 
mills, etc., necessary to run a model farm. 
He has also installed a system of water works 
on his place, which forces the water all through 
his barns and house where he wishes it to go. 
He has a good orchard of apple and small fruit 
trees. 

Mr. Bcckn;an was married in Madison, 
Wisconsin, in 1870. to Mrs. Harriet Fowler, a 
native of New York state, born in 1838. Mr. 
and Mrs. Beekman have three children, who 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



709 



are named as follows: Minnie E., W. H. and 
Richard E. Mrs. Harriet Fowler had one child 
by her first marriage, George \\'. Fowler. Mr. 
Beekman has given each of his sons a one- 
third interest in the land and proceeds as an 
inducement to stay on the farm and assist him 
in working it, which proves a very good way 
of solving the problem of "how to keep our 
boys on the farm." In years past he voted 
the Populist ticket, but has changed his views 
and now leans toward the Socialists. He is 
prominent in all school matters and has served 
on the school board for nine years. 



B. F. MOORE. 



B. F. Moore for many years has been one 
of the leading citizens and prosperous agri- 
culturists of Sioux county. He came here dur- 
ing the early days of its settlement and has 
developed a fine ranch in section 12, township 
28, range 54, and become closely identified with 
the best interests of the community where he 
has passed so many years of his career. His 
residence is on section 12, township 28, range 
54, and he has a host of friends throughout 
that vicinity, all of whom honor him for his 
integrity of word and deed. Mr. Moore's ranch 
is situated at the mouth of Whistle creek and 
is known as the old Lower 33 ranch, contain- 
ing four deeded sections besides the leased 
land. 

Mr. Moore was born in Pennsylvania in 
1839, of American parents. He grew up in his 
native state, where both father and mother 
were born and reared. 

When our subject was twenty-tv^'O years 
of age, at the breaking out of the w-ar, he en- 
listed in the United States volunteer army, 
served through the entire war and did not re- 
turn home until 1868. He left the. east and 
came to Colorado in 1870, traveling through 
different parts of the west for several years, 
engaging in buying cattle or whatever he 
found to do that he thought there was a dol- 
lar in, landing in Sioux county about 1889. 
His first location was on Soldiers creek, and 
he lived in that vicinity for several years, then 
removed to Running Water river, starting at 
once in the ranching business, and from that 
time has been constantly engaged in the stock 
business. He had hard times during the 
early years, but has always managed to get 
along in some way, and for the past few years 
has met with splendid success, building up 
a good ranch and accumulating a nice prop- 
erty. He is owner of sixteen quarter sections, 
all good ranching and farm land, and is one 
of the well-to-do and prominent ranchmen of 



his locality. \Mien he first came to this re- 
gion he was obliged to haul all his supplies 
from Sidney and has experienced every phase 
of life on the frontier. He has done his share 
in the developing of this region, and is a typi- 
cal representative of the west, broad-minded 
and liberal in his views on every subject. 

In 1871 Mr. Moore was married to Mary 
Dickerson, who died in 1896. This union was 
blessed with a family of eight children, name- 
ly: Jennie M., Joe A., Rebecca, Frank, Ger- 
trude, Harry, Charles W. and Mary. Mr. 
Moore was married the second time in 1899 to 
Aliss Mary Mills, of Chicago, Illinois. 

Our subject takes a deep interest in county 
and national politics, voting the Republican 
ticket. 



R. N. JOHNSON. 

R. N. Johnson, a representative farmer and 
leading stockman of Harlan county, resides on 
his fine estate in Eldorado township, and is 
recognized as one of the enterprising and pro- 
gressive citizens of his county. He is a man 
of superior ability and education, and in per- 
sonal appearance bears a striking resemblance 
to our late president, \\'illiam McKinley, be- 
ing also of the same Scotch-Irish extraction, 
while his mother's people, the Mowers, were 
among the early German settlers of Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Mr. Johnson is a native of Clinton county, 
Pennsylvania, and was born in 1859. eight 
miles west of Lockhaven. His father and 
mother, William Everett and Elizabeth Mow- 
er Johnson, both of Clinton county, removed 
to Carroll county, Illinois, in 1865. For many 
years Mr. Johnson resided in Carroll county, 
where he held a first-class teacher's certificate 
and taught school, and later followed farming 
and teaching in Guthrie and Anderson coun- 
ties, Iowa. Since coming to Nebraska he has 
devoted his attention exclusively to farming 
and stock raising, operating a ranch consist- 
ing of four hundred acres, and raises corn, 
alfalfa and feed of all kinds. He also deals ex- 
tensively in stock and has a herd of twenty- 
five thoroughbred white-faced cattle, from the 
celebrated Rogers herd of McCook, Nebraska. 
He intends to develop this herd to as many as 
he can handle comfortably on his ranch, and 
as he is a man of good business judgment 
and ability he adopts the methods to suit the 
needs and conditions of this part of Nebraska 
in his farming and stock raising operations, 
thus securing the best possible results. Each 
year he raises and feeds about one hundred 
and twenty-five grade cattle, and from two to 



710 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



three hundred hogs, from which he derives a 
considerable income. 

Mr. Johnson was married while living in 
Guthrie county, Iowa, to Miss Caroline Kret- 
zinger, daughter of John and Mary (Boone) 
Kretzinger, that family having come from 
Licking county, Ohio, and the Boones from 
West Virginia, the Boones being of the same 
family as Daniel Boone, of national fame. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born the fol- 
lowing children : OHie and Bessie, both teach- 
ers in the Harlan county schools ; four sons, 
namely, Everet, Nathan, Daniel McKinley and 
Robert, who according to their ages assist in 
the farming and stock operations, and Caro- 
line, born September 24, 1908. For two years, 
from 1893 to 1895, Mr. Johnson and his family 
resided in Holdrege, where he was engaged in 
the livery business. 



CAPTAIN ED. B. MURPHY, Dece.vsed. 

Captain Ed. B. Murphy, one of the best 
known residents in western Nebraska, late of 
Arapahoe, Furnas county, was the first set- 
tler in this place. He laid out the town of 
Arapahoe, and for many years was one of the 
leading citizens here, lending his influence and 
aid in building up the place and furthering its 
commercial and educational welfare. 

Mr. Murph}' was born in Limerick, Ireland, 
and came to America at the age of fourteen 
and came with his parents, who settled in Wayne, 
Michigan. .\t the breaking out of the Civil 
war he raised a company at Ottumwa, Iowa, 
and was appointed captain of Company A, 
Seventh Iowa Cavalry. He and Colonel Sum- 
mers served in the west against the Indians, 
and had command, and at one time had charge 
of twenty companies at Fort Kearney. They 
fought the Indians at the Blue and had a big 
battle at Julesburg, and went through mar^)' 
exciting and dangerous times. After the war 
he ran a ranch called "Alkali Lake Range," 
located on the California trail near Fort Mc- 
Pherson. Here the Indians got so bold and 
dangerous that he was obliged to abandon it. 

In 1871 Mr. Murphy came to Arapahoe, he 
being the first white settler in this region. 
He took up a homestead of one hundred and 
sixty acres, on which he laid out the town, 
giving it the name it now bears, after the famous 
Indian chief. He began selling oH lots, then 
bought more land, and also was engaged in 
the stock business, buying and selling cattle. 
He had a farm of two hundred and forty 
acres, and this was stocked with a big herd, 



and he was very successful in these ventures. 
Mr. Murphy was well versed in law, and for 
eight years was justice of the peace, acting 
in this capacity for a great number of people 
in the early days. During his later years he 
engaged in the hardware business, handling 
hardware, furniture, paints, farming imple- 
ments, machinery, harness and tinware, and 
enjoyed a good trade all through his section 
of the country. 

Mr. Murphy was married in 1854 to Miss 
Margaret Murphy, of A\'ayne, Michigan. Four 
children were born of this union, named as 
follows: Laure, wife of William Miles, of 
Stockville. Nebraska, now deceased; Ellen, 
who married her brother-in-law two years after 
the death of her sister; Ed. B., Jr., in the lum- 
ber business at Curtis, Nebraska, and Frank 
D., a real 'estate dealer of Long Beach, Cali- 
fornia. In 1867 Mrs. Murphy died at a ripe 
old age. 

.Mr. Murphy was married the second time 
to Miss Lizzie Billings, daughter of Samuel 
Spencer Billings and Lucinda Johnstone Bil- 
lings, the former moving from Hartford. Con- 
necticut, to Iowa in the early days of that 
state. He was a merchant, and at one time 
owned eight stores in Keokuk, Iowa, also the 
Billings House and the opera house at that 
place, being counted one of the wealthiest men 
of Iowa. He later located at Plattsmouth, Ne- 
braska, where he died in 1890. Our subject's 
maternal grandfather, John Johnstone, lived 
near Pittsburg, and owned the salt works on 
the Ohio river, settling in Bonaparte. Iowa, 
where he engaged in the mercantile business. 
Mr. Murphy's children by his second marriage 
were as follows: Lee Spencer Murphy, born 
October 23. 1879, educated at Kearney Mili- 
tary College. In 1898 he enlisted in the Thirty- 
second \'^olunteer Infantry, Company B, going 
to the Pliilippines, where he served for two 
years, taking part in the battles there, being 
killed at Bataii by an ambush while guarding 
the provision train. He was a fine young man 
in every respect, admired by all who knew him 
for his excellent qualities, and his death at 
the age of twenty years was a sad blow to his 
family and friends. He was corporal of his 
company, and was brought home for burial. 
A daugliter of our subject, Edna I., has been 
a teacher in the Arapahoe schools for five 
years. She was educated here and at the Peru 
Normal School. Another daughter, Grace Bil- 
lings, was educated in this city, and is now a 
teacher in Billings, Montana, One son, Stuart 
Robert, resides in Arapahoe. 

Mr. Murphy was a man of wonderful per- 
severance and great endurance. He was of 




E. C. WOLF. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



711 



splendid physique, six feet two inches in 
height, handsome and of fine appearance. He 
was a prominent member of the Masonic 
Lodge and also of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. Politically he had always voted 
the Republican ticket, and was a strong advo- 
cate of the principles of that party up to the 
time of his death, which occurred on January 
25, 1899. He was admired by all who knew 
him for his sterling character and excellent 
qualities, and in him the state of Nebraska 
lost one of its foremost citizens and repre- 
sentative men. 



PRES. WILSON. 



The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history was for many years a prominent 
agriculturist of Dawes county, Nebraska, and 
is one of the leading old settlers in this sec- 
tion of the country. He was successful ■ in 
building up a good farfn and home in section 
12, township 33, range 50, and accumulated a 
comfortable property and lived in the town of 
\\'hitney for years, where he is engaged in the 
livery and stock business. 

Mr. Wilson was born in Jackson countv, 
Ohio. July 11, 1845. His father, William Wi'l- 
son, was a farmer and stock raiser, of Ameri- 
can blood, born in Jackson county, Ohio, who 
settled in eastern Nebraska in the early days, 
his death occurring there in 1883. He mar- 
ried Miss Margaret Stevenson, also of Ameri- 
can birth, born in Kentucky. When our sub- 
ject was two years of age the family settled 
in Mercer county, Ohio, where he grew up, 
enjoying a frontier life in a timbered coun- 
try and assisting his father in building up a 
farm and home in the wild country. They 
next moved to Illinois, locating in Hancock 
county, where he started out for himself, fol- 
lowing farm work. In 1870 he went to Mis- 
souri and also farmed, remaining eight years, 
then left that state and settled in Lancaster 
county, Nebraska, where he was among the 
early pioneers. In 1882 he came to the town 
of Cortland, Gage county, Nebraska, and there 
started a livery stable, which he ran for about 
a year. In 1885 he came to Dawes county, 
being among the party of emigrants that came 
to Chadron. He located on government land 
located half a mile east of A\'hitney, and he 
at once built a small shack and started a farm, 
going through all the pioneer experiences and 
often having a hard time to get along. He 
built up a good place and remained there up 
to 1901. His farm contained two hundred 
and forty acres, with good buildings and im- 
provements, and he made a success of his 



farming operations. He came to W'hitney in 
1901 and engaged in the livery and stock busi- 
ness, having a good livery barn and a good 
patronage. He also owns a comfortable res- 
idence and is well-to-do, and one of the worthy 
citizens of the place and county. 

Air. Wikon was married in the fall of 1879 
— November 23 — to Miss Mary E. Marshall, 
daughter of Ralph and Amelia (Stuart) Mar- 
shall, the former a native of Ireland, where he 
was a cabinet maker in his younger days. Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilson are the parents of one son, 
Clyde, born July 20, 1880. 

Our subject has served as assessor for one 
term, and takes an active interest in local 
public affairs. Politically he is a Democrat. 
On the 22d of October, 1907, our subject 
bought a fine farm of two hundred acres in 
section 21, township 33. range 50, and moved 
to it iu March, 1908. The farm was partly im- 
proved with good buildings, running water the 
year round, plenty of timber and the best 
spring in the county. He is building up a fine 
ranch, and has fine crops this year. 



E. C. WOLF. 



Mr. E. C. ^^'olf, a prominent banker of Big 
Springs, Deuel county, Nebraska, is one of 
the old settlers of this county. He was born- 
in Brule, Keith county, Nebraska, December" 
11, 1876. a son of H. D. Wolf and Mary (Erick- 
son) W^olf, natives of Germany. 

Mr. Wolf received his early education in' 
the schools of Nebraska and attended the Fre- 
mont Normal School at North Platte, Nebras- 
ka. In 1879 the family moved to Deuel cotmty,- 
Nebraska, where his father engaged in rail-- 
road work and later homesteaded a claim, fol- 
lowing ranching for several years. He also 
took a tree claim and a pre-emption claim, 
and is one of the most widely known and high- 
ly respected old settlers in western Nebraska. 
A sketch of Mr. Wolf appears elsewhere in 
this work. 

Our subject was principal of the Chappell 
schools for three years in 1899, 1900 and 1901, 
and was instructor at the Deuel countv teach- 
ers institute in 1900, 1901 and 1902. "in 1906 
he came to Big Springs, Nebraska, and in Feb- 
ruary of the same year organized the Farm- 
ers' State Bank of Big Springs, opening for 
business on the 14th day of that month. Mr. 
B. F. Clayton is the president of the bank, H. 
I. Babcock, vice-president, and Mr. Wolf cash- 
ier. They have an authorized capital of twelve 
thousand dollars. Our subject assumes the ac- 
tive management of the bank, and by his strict 
attention td business and unquestionable hon- 



712 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



esty he has gained the confidence and respect 
of the community in which he lives. 

Mr. Wolf was united in marriage to Miss 
Ada Sine in Lodge Pole, Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, August 15, 1900. She is a daughter 
of Eugene and Mary (Myers) Sine, natives of 
Iowa and old settlers of Cheyenne oounty. To 
this union two children have been born, name- 
ly: Blanche, aged six years, and Helen, aged 
three. 

Mr. ^^'olf is a Republican in political mat- 
ters. He has always been prominently identi- 
fied in matters of local interest, ever ready to 
lend a helping hand where needed, and has 
gained the respect and esteem of the commu- 
nity in which he resides, both socially and in 
business. 

He is a member of Golden Fleece Lodge, 
No. 205. Ancient Fr.ee and Accepted Masons, 
at Chappell, Nebraska, joining in March. 1900. 
A portrait of Mr. Wolf will be found on an- 
other page of this volume. 



JOSEPH BARKHURST. 

Joseph Barkhurst is the genial proprietor of 
a fine ranch of four hundred and eighty acres 
in Box Butte county, where he has spent the 
past twenty years of his career. This ranch 
is well improved with all kinds of good farm 
buildings, handsome residence, surrounded by 
a beautiful lawn and many trees, and embraces 
one of the most valuable estates in that lo- 
cality. He has made a grand success since 
coming to this section and is now numbered 
among the prominent old settlers and sub- 
stantial farmers of the county. 

Mr. Barkhurst was born in Harrison coun- 
ty. Ohio, in 1835. His father was of Ger- 
man descent and his mother of Welsh stock. 
During the boyhood of our subject the family 
lived in two different counties in Ohio, the fa- 
ther following farming all his life. Joseph 
was reared and educated in his native state, 
assisting in carrying on the home farm, and 
as a boy was well accustomed to doing all 
kinds of hard farm work, which served him 
in good stead during his later struggles as a 
pioneer in the western states. When he was 
about twenty-two years of age he moved 
to Missouri and lived there for about two 
years, and from there moved to Nebraska, 
landing in Nebraska City on April 12, 1860, 
and there went through pioneer experiences. 
When he arrived in that locality he had 
just twenty-two dollars and fifty cents in 
cash in his pocket, and rented a farm for 
two years, meeting with admirable success, 
and then bought a farm of forty acres. He 



made good and his hard work and intelligent 
management brought him great success in all 
his undertakings, after once getting a start. 
In the fall of 1888 he came to Box Butte coun- 
ty^ and filed on a tract of land as a homesteader, 
locating on what is now his ranch, situated in 
section 8. township 25, range 48, six miles from 
.\lliance. He erected a good residence and 
added every improvement in the way of ma- 
chinery, farm buildings, fences, wells, etc.. and 
although going through all sorts of hardships, 
failures of crops and other disappointments, 
always managed to raise a small crop, even 
when the neighbors around him had lost their 
all, and he has steadily forged ahead and ac- 
cumulated a nice property^ attending strictly 
to the business of building up his farm and 
home, and from the time of his settling on that 
place up to the time he had proved up on it, 
had never spent a night away from home. 
When he did prove up he had sixteen thou- 
sand growing trees, and no other man in the 
county could say that at that time. 

Mr. Barkhurst was married to ^liss Eva- 
line Mossman, daughter of James Mossman, 
a farmer of Coshocton, Ohio. Mr. and ]\Irs. 
Barkhurst are the parents of a family of nine 
children, who are named as follows: Sarah E., 
James M., Annie, Josephine, Frank T., Lillie 
M., Charles N.. Hattie and Eugene. All of 
the children are married and nicely settled in 
homes of their own, and our subject is the 
proud grandfather of several interesting young 
folks, and he has three great-granilchildren 
living, and all live in Bo.k Butte county. Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Barkhurst is a Republican in political 
sentiment, takes a commendable interest in 
local and county affairs, and stands firmly for 
his convictions. 

A picture showing several ranch scenes 
on Mr. Barkhurst's property will be found on 
another page. 



FRANK DIXON. 



Frank Dixon, a well known and successful 
farmer residing in Holt precinct, on section 3, 
township 34, range 22. is one of the worthy citi- 
zens of Keya Paha county. 

Mr. Dixon was born in Passaic county. New 
Jersey, March 27. 1856. and is a son of John 
and Jane ( King) Dixon, the former born in 
Ireland, coming to America with his parents 
when an infant. In 1857 he removed with his 
family to Boone county, Illinois, and five years 
later to Howard county. Nebraska, where he 
died in 1894. Our subject is the third member 
of his parents' family of six children, all reared 




ON RANCH OF J. BAKKIIl K 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 




RANCH SCENE— J. BARKHURST, 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



7^3 



in Nebraska, where they were among the first 
whites to settle. As a, boy lie assisted his father 
in the farm work, and in this way received prac- 
tical instruction and knowledge of this business, 
and afterward chose agriculture as his life work. 
In 1881 he came to Keya Paha county, and for 
the first two years lived on the north banks of 
the Niobrara river : they drove to the county 
with two yoke of oxen, camping out on the 
way at night under the wagon. He at once 
went to work establishing a farm, built a log 
house and broke up some land for crops, and 
remained on the place for two years. At this 
time wild game of all kinds was plentiful in the 
region, and during 1881 and 1882 Mr. Dixon 
killed thirty-four deer on his premises, which 
furnished a large part of the family provisions. 
He moved to his present farm in 1885, his first 
dwelling being a sod house, which was later re- 
placed with a more substantial building. He 
cultivated part of the land, engaging from the 
start quite extensively in stock raising, and on 
this account was not so much afifected by the 
dry years as many others in the vicinity. He 
now runs about three hundred head of cattle on 
his ranch, consisting of one thousand three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, the greater part of which 
is devoted to hay and pasture. He has a fine 
grove of forest trees, and a thrifty young or- 
chard, making his ranch one of the most valu- 
able properties in the county. 

]\Ir. Di.xon was married in 1886 to Miss 
Sarah Eason, a native of Minnesota, daughter 
of William and Rosa Eason. old settlers in 
Brown county. To Mr. and Airs. Dixon have 
been born three children, namely : Elmer. Ar- 
thur and Alma, all of whom were born and 
reared on their present homestead. The family 
occupy a pleasant home and are popular mem- 
bers of the community. 

Politically Mr. Dixon is a Republican, prom- 
inent in party affairs, having attended numerous 
conventions as a delegate, and many times of- 
fered an office, which he would never consent 
to accept, preferring a quiet private life to tak- 
ing a part in public ai?airs. 



FRANK ZALESKY. 

Frank Zalesky. Jr., who occupies a promi- 
nent place among the younger members of the 
farming community of Colton precinct, is one 
of the early settlers of Cheyenne countv, and 
is engaged extensively in agricultural pursuits. 
He has built up a fine farm, and has gained an 
enviable reputation as a citizen and has a host 
of friends. The subject of this sketch was born 
in Bohemia, July 29. 1876, and came to Amer- 
ica with his parents when but one year of age : 



they sailed from Bremen and landed at Balti- 
more, whence they joined relatives in Wash- 
ington county, Kansas, where they remained 
engaged in farming up to 1887. At that time 
they moved to Cheyenne county, where thev 
have since followed farming and ranching. The 
father, Frank Zalesky, Sr., was born in Bo- 
hemia about 1840, and he settled in Cheyenne 
county in 1887, taking up a homestead in sec- 
tion 18, township 13. range 47, and has devel- 
oped this into a fine ranch, the place consisting 
of nine hundred and sixty acres, which he de- 
votes mostly to ranching purposes, running 
about seventy-five head of stock. He has a fam- 
ily of five children, of whom our subject is the 
eldest member. Frank. Jr.. is proprietor of three 
hundred and twenty acres of fine land in section 
2. township 13. range 48, where he farms about 
fifty acres, and runs fifty head of stock. He is 
a progressive, up-to-date agriculturist, has im- 
proved a good ranch, and is counted among the 
successful and prosperous men of his locality. 

Our subject has gone through some hard 
times since settling in this county, and has 
met with different serious accidents, among 
the most remarkable the following: In 1887, 
while attempting to draw water from a new 
well, the heavy bucket used in drawing up the 
water, got beyond his control, the rope caught 
him and he plunged headlong and with fright- 
ful velocity down the ninety-foot well. His 
father, who fortunately was near, descended 
as quickly as possible, and when he reached 
the surface of the water, only the feet of the 
boy were visible. He was brought to the top 
unconscious and remained so for four days, 
hovering between life and death, and for three 
weeks he was unable to do any work. 

Mr. ^Zalesky was married to Sophia Jenik. 
on August 21, 1900, in Lodgepole precinct. 
Mrs. Zalesky was born in Bohemia, on No- 
vember 20, 1847, coming to the United States 
with her parents when a small girl. Three 
children were born to our subject, namely: 
Sophia, Mary and Rosa. 

The family have a pleasant home and is 
highly esteemed as worthy citizens and good 
neighbors in their community. Mr. Zalesky 
is a man of strong convictions, and politically 
is affiliated with the Republican party : he was 
reared in the Catholic church, in which all his 
children have been baptized. 



CHARLES H. FAULHABER. 

A striking example of what may be ac- 
complished by persistent effort and good man- 
agement is found in the life of the gentleman 



714 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



whose name is at the head of this article. For 
many years Mr. Faulhaber has resided in sec- 
tion id. township 17 . range 29, and has gained 
a valuable estate by his own labors. He is 
wideh- known and universally respected, hav- 
ing been an early settler in Cherry county. 

Charles H. Faulhaber was born in Mani- 
towoc county, \\'isconsin, in 1861. His father, 
Lewis, was born in Germany and was a child 
of two or three years when his jiarents 
came to America. He married Helen Souder, 
also a native of Germany, who came to this 
country at the age of two years. Our subject 
was reared in \\'isconsin until he was thirteen, 
then the whole family came to Nebraska, set- 
tling in Lancaster county, and began farming, 
they being among the earliest settlers in that 
section, and the country was full of Indians 
and wild game. They went through the usual 
pioneer experiences, roughing it, many times 
camping out, etc., and had a hard time to get 
along, but succeeded in building up a comfort- 
able home in time. In 1886 Charles and a 
brother came to Cherry count)^ driving in by 
way of Johnstown, at which place they spent 
one year, and in the spring of 1887 located on 
the present ranch as a homestead. They put 
up a rough shanty, worked hard to improve 
the place, and also worked on the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy railway, which was then 
being put through the section, helping build 
that line into Whitman. Charles "batched it" 
for the first four years, and in 1890 was married 
Miss Jennie Martin, daughter of Adam Martin, 
who was an old settler in Cherry county, com- 
ing here in the fall of 1886. Mr. Martin was 
one of the most prominent among the pioneers, 
taking a leading part in building up the coun- 
ty, and a man of superior intelligence and at- 
tainments, giving his best aid in all afifairs 
which tended to the good of the locality. 

After his marriage, Mr. Faulhaber and his 
wife started to make a good home and ac- 
cumulate a competence for themselves, and 
worked hard and faithfully with this end in 
view, now being handsomely rewarded for 
their efforts in now owning a fine ranch of one 
thousand five hundred acres, which is situated 
three miles northwest of Brownlee. The place 
is all fenced and improved with good buildings, 
including a comfortable house, all necessary 
barns, sheds, etc. He has about forty acres 
cultivated, and uses the balance as a stock 
ranch, making a specialty of the breeding and 
raising of high grade Hereford cattle. He has 
a large herd of registered animals, and the 
reputation of having the finest beef cattle in 
his county. 

Mr. Faulhaber's family consists of his wife 



and five children, as follows: Roy, born in 
1892; Carl, born in 1894; Ruby, born in 1896; 
Forrest, born in 1903, and Irvie, born in Jan- 
uary, 1907. They are a most happy and con- 
genial family, and have a pleasant home, sur- 
rounded by every comfort and convenience of 
rural life, and enjoy a host of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 



JAMES J. KINNEY. 

James J. Kinney, known throughout Kim- 
ball county as a man of good citizenship and 
untiring energy, is a resident of Kimball, where 
he is held in the highest esteem. Mr. Kinney 
is a genuine "old-timer," and in the years he 
has resided in this region he has had much to do 
with the development of the county, both in a 
financial and social way. He is one of the fore- 
most public men, having held numerous county 
and local offices, at present serving in the capac- 
ity of county attorney. 

Mr. Kinney was born in Roscommon county, 
Ireland, July 15, 1845. grew up there and came 
to the United States with one brother, in 1865, 
settling at first in Cedar county, Iowa, coming 
to Nebraska in 1867, stopping at Paxton for a 
few months, then went back to Iowa. He again 
came to Nebraska, locating in Kimball county, 
which was then a part of Cheyenne county, land- 
ing here March 4, 1870. For ten years he was 
connected with the L'nion Pacific Railway Com- 
pany, and in 1878 engaged in the ranching and 
stock raising industry, continuig the work up to 
the present time. He has been running annually 
from one thousand fiyc hundred to two thousand 
cattle on his extensive ranches, and is one of the 
most successfid men in the county. He has passed 
through all the "old" Nebraska times, and has 
seen the region grow from a barren prairie to 
its present prosperous condition, and in this de- 
velopment he has played an important part. He 
has been an extensive shipper for a number of 
years, and besides his cattle operations, handles 
a large bunch of horses, which he raises for the 
markets. 

Mr. Kinney was united in marriage at Chey- 
enne. Wyoming, in 1879, to Margaret Fitzpat- 
rick, who was born and reared in Illinois. They 
were the parents of two children, Mary F. and 
James J., Jr. The wife and mother died in Kim- 
ball April 23. 1882. her death being deeply re- 
gretted by her many friends who had Idvcd her 
for her many sterling qualities of heart and 
mind. Mr. Kinney married again in 1886 An- 
nie E. Shea, of Mcchanicsville, Iowa, the second 
Mrs. Kinney being a native of Rock Island, Il- 
linois, and to them have been born the follow- 






•. . 






V 


^V" ' 


r 


• 





^^ ■' 







ASHLEY B. COOLEY, HOMESTEAD RAXCll (,1883). 




ASHLEY B. COOLEY, PKESEN i RANCH KESIUENCE, (.1908;. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



715 



ing children : Theresa. Catherine, Winifred and 
Lucile, all at home, forming a charming family 
group. 

Mr. Kinney is a stanch Democrat. He has 
been a member of the board of county commis- 
sioners, first elected in 1876. In 1890 he was 
elected county attorney, and with the exception 
of three terms, has served continuously in this 
capacity up to the present time. He was presi- 
dent of the Kimball Bank and principal owner 
of that institution during the years 1906 to 1908, 
in the latter year disposing of considerable of 
liis holdings, although he is still a member of 
the board of directors. Our subject was the 
organizer of school district No. 3 in old Chey- 
enne county, and was connected with the 
schools in different capacities for twenty-five 
years. 



ASHLEY B. COOLEY. 

Ashley B. Cooley was born in Vermont in 
July, 1829, and was reared in New York, com- 
ing to Iowa in the early days, where he was 
married. He was a carpenter by trade, but 
was possessed of ability in other lines, being 
employed as a clerk and also as a school teach- 
er. He came to Nebraska in 1883. and located 
his home on section 33, township 21, range 19. 
He came to the county in company with W. 
I. Cram, driving overland from O'Neil, and 
was one of the first settlers in this part of 
Loup county. Mr. Cooley became one of the 
leading spirits in the political afifairs of the 
county and is favorably known and highly es- 
teemed all over this part of the state. He held 
the office of county judge for two terms and 
established a high reputation as a man of hon- 
or and integrity. Mr. Cooley has a fine farm 
of three hundred and twenty acres, thorough- 
ly improved with good buildings, fences and 
trees. The Cooliton postoffice was established 
in 1885 on Mr. Cooley's farm and remained 
there for eighteen years. The office is now 
discontinued and the mail comes via rural free 
delivery No. 1, from Walworth, this route be- 
ing close to the Cooley farm. 

On another page we present some inter- 
esting pictures of the Cooley ranch property. 



ALBEY L. CARTER. 

Albey L. Carter looks with pride to Illi- 
nois as his native state, his birth occurring in 
1858 in La Salle county. His parents lived on 
a farm, his father's name being Lewis W. and 
his mother's name Rachel (Wheeler) Carter. 

Mr. Albey Carter was reared- on a farm, 



and there, under good parental training, ac- 
quired habits of industry and thrift that have 
followed him through all the years. When he 
was fourteen years of age, the family moved 
to Iowa, and settled in Buena Vista county, and 
later located on a farm in Sac county. Albey 
L. learned the blacksmith's trade, which he 
followed for three years in Iowa, and in 1884 
went to Ord, Nebraska, and worked at his 
trade there for a year and a half. In 1885 he 
went to West Union and opened a shop of his 
own, which he conducted for two years, after 
which he took up a pre-emption claim in Loup 
count\^ He took charge of the fine farm of 
Ashley B. Cooley, his father-in-law, an old 
pioneer settler, in 1905, and' has given it a 
great deal of attention ever since. A photo 
of this place appears elsewhere in this work. 
Mr. Carter has been prominent in public af- 
fairs and 'has taken great interest in politics. 
He has been school director and for one term 
held the office of county commissioner of Loup 
county. 

In Iowa, on the fifth day of August, 1883, 
Mr. Carter was married to Miss Ida Cooley, 
daughter of Ashley B. Cooley and Jemima 
(Sheldon) Cooley. Mr. and Mrs. Carter are 
the parents of four children — Zora, Lorin, 
Leila and Dell, and they make a most interest- 
ing group. _ 

CHARLES HERRING. 

Charles Herring, a prosperous farmer and 
stockman of Franklin county, Nebraska, postof- 
fice at Reamsville, Kansas, settled in this state 
in 1889, purchasing a section of land in Franklin 
township, township 1, range 40, and still re- 
sides on this land, to which he has since added, 
the place consisting of one thousand one hun- 
dred and twenty acres. Here he has built up 
a fine farm and comfortable home, and has aided 
materially in the development of this region, 
becoming well known as a citizen of sterling 
character, richly deserving the success which 
has come to him as a reward for many years of 
perseverance and hard work. 

yir. Herring was born in Baden, near Con- 
stanz, on a farm. In 1879 he settled in Ohio, 
remaining there for some years. Our subject 
worked as a chemist during his young man- 
hood, being employed in dift'erent cities 
throughout the east and west up to the time 
he came to Nebraska. He is well satisfied with 
this state as a farming and stock raising coun- 
try, and he feeds from forty to fifty cattle and 
about one hundred hogs each year, keeping 
high grade animals only. He owns six hun- 
dred acres of land, and raises from three to 



7i6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCE.XCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



four thousand bushels of corn each j'ear, aver- 
atjinsf twenty-five to forty bushels per acre, 
besides two hundred acres of wheat. wJiich 
runs from fifteen to twenty-five bushels per 
acre. 

Mr. Herring was married in 1886 at Fort 
A\'ayne. Indiana, to Miss Augusta Langhon, 
and to them have come the following chil- 
dren: Alvin. Herbert. George. Hilda. Clar- 
ence. Harold, Ada, Floyd and Charles. Jr. 

In 1906 Mr. Herring visited Europe, trav- 
eling through Germany. France. Italy and 
Switzerland, in the hope of benefiting his 
health, and he spent some time at his old home. 
He states that conditions there are very bad. 
and hard for the poor and even the rich men, 
as a farmer aged twenty-six will have to work 
all his life and then be in debt or behind. The 
taxes are arranged so that the poor man 
really pays for the luxuries of the army and 
navy officials and rulers of the country. The 
legislators and officers in the armies and on 
the railways are well paid, receiving from five 
to six thousand dollars ])er year for their ser- 
vices, and are a well-kept and prosperous lot 
of people. After these men have served for 
twenty or twenty-five years they get a pen- 
sion of from three to four thousand dollars, out 
of which they are not required to pay a cent of 
ta.xes, and tliis shows that the poor laboring 
men and the farmers have to carry the whole 
burden of keeping up the government, and 
there is widespread dissatisfaction under the 
surface, although the people dare not say a 
word, but have to pay the price. The Emperor 
of Germany gets a sum of twelve million 
marks, equal to three million dollars per year, 
while the Emperor of Austria receives four- 
teen million kronen, or three million five hun- 
dred thousand dollars. The i^resident of 
France gets a salary of one million dollars 
(five million francs), and all these people 
travel both by land and water with a retinue 
of two or three hundred servants to attend 
them, and all the money spent so lavish!}' is 
ground out of the poor laborers. A little state 
covering one-half the area of the state of Ne- 
braska, with a population of one million five 
hundred thousand people sujjports a standing 
army of thirty thousand soldiers, costing in 
times of peace forty thousand dollars each 
day. and in Germany, as all over Europe, this 
system exists. Russia being the wnrst of all 
countries. 

The soldiers are ill-treated in many cases, 
and Mr. Herring states that we would not 
treat dogs as many officers treat the soldiers 
in their armies. He has seen an officer try to 
show a soldier how to take a cartridge out of 



a gun. and would push the gun on his shoul- 
der with such force that it would knock the 
man over, and the conditions there are so bad 
that it would be impossible for an American 
to have a correct idea of the state of affairs 
which exist in that country. Mr. Herring's 
father, Ulrich Herring, served for seven years 
in the army, so he knows whereof he speaks 
when he tells of the hardships of the middle 
class in the old country. In big cities in Eu- 
rope reform movements are gaining many re- 
cruits, and the people hope for better things 
before many years, although it may be a 
long time, as the arm}- and capital have the 
people so thoroughly in subjection that they 
have to exercise the utmost caution and se- 
crecy in any movement which is meant for the 
uplift of the masses. 

Mr. Herring received a good education in 
Germany, finishing in the public schools, and 
afterwards took a full course in chemistry at 
the Worms Chemical School, and also attend- 
ed the academy at \'alparaiso, Indiana, for 
two 3'ears. 

He is a man who has made the most of his 
opportunities, and is a thoroughly posted, up- 
to-date gentleman, and possesses a striking 
personality, universally esteemed by his fel- 
lowmen. He is a regular correspondent for 
the English and German papers in his locality, 
touching on subjects along the reform lines 
and especially labor problems, and handles 
his subjects in a masterly manner. He is an 
Independent voter, always standing for the 
best man. He is a member of the Lutheran 
church, and one of its earnest supporters. 



JOHN S. HUGHES. Dfxf.ased. 

John S. Hughes, deceased, who was one of 
the early settlers of Dawes county, and a man 
who will always be remembered for his kind- 
1}-^ hospitality, was born on a farm in North 
Wales in 1846. His parents were natives of 
England. 

Mr. Hughes spent the early years of his 
life in England, where he received his educa- 
tion, working in the mines as he grew into 
manhood. At the age of twenty-one years he 
came to .■\merica. landed in New ^'ork. came 
west to Wisconsin and located with a Welsh 
colony, working in the lead mines. .Vftcr a time 
he went west into C<Tlorado. where he worked 
in the gold mines at Colorado Springs. In 
the year 1880 he came to Dawes county, driv- 
ing from Sidne\', and located on the Niobrara 
river, about tliree miles west of Marsland. 
Here he opened a road ranch, conducting a 



CO}>lPEXDIU:\I OF HISTORY, RE^IINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



general store, saloon and hotel, and serving as 
postmaster. His bnilding, which was twenty 
by one hundred feet, was amply fitted for the 
needs of the people. This was a stage station. 
Here he built up an extensive business, was pros- 
perous, and achieved the success justly due 
his upright and honorable business methods. 
His place was the scene of many of the excit- 
ing times so well known to the pioneers of 
this western country. 

Our subject lived in Crawford for a short 
time, but in 1901 moved to Alarsland. He 
erected additional buildings on his ranch, 
which contained an area of two thousand 
acres, and dealt extensively in live stock. 

In 1903 Mr. Hughes was united in mar- 
riage to Mary Lemon, daughter of Lewis and 
Elizabeth (Galvith) Lemon. Mrs. Hughes 
was reared in Dawes county, her father having 
settled here in 1887. 

In the month of May, 1904, Mr. Hughes 
passed awa3^ leaving to the care of his be- 
loved wife three children, viz : John, Helen 
and Thomas. Surely a work of this kind would 
be sadly deficient if a sketch of his life did 
not appear in its pages. During the period of 
his life which was spent in Dawes county, he 
proved himself a man, in every way worthy of 
the high esteem in which he was held. He 
was a public-spirited citizen, one who took an 
active interest in the development and im- 
provement of the county, and when he died he 
left behind him a host of warm friends who 
will ever honor his memory. 



JOHN C. McXARE. 

The history of the upbuilding of America 
has been one of startling successes. From the 
early days, when the Pilgrims first landed up- 
on its shores, up to the present day, the greatest 
success has attended the efforts of ambitious men, 
and the early settlers in the western states 
have furnished some splendid examples, among 
whom is the gentleman whose name heads this 
review. Mr. McNare is a native of West Vir- 
ginia, born January 17. 1861, near Bruceton 
Mills. Preston county. He is a son of Andrew 
McNare and Jennina (Walls) of Scotch-Irish 
descent. The father, by occupation a 
farmer, visited his son in Nebraska in 1905, 
and was much impressed by the wonderful 
opportunities to be found in this section of 
the country. Our subject was reared and edu- 
cated within three miles of his birthplace, and 
struck out for himself on reaching the age of 
twenty-four years, following farm work in his 
native state. 

Mr. McNare first came to Nebraska in 



April, 1885, locating five and a half miles west 
of \'alentine, which was then the terminus of 
the railroad at that time. He went to work 
improving his farm at once, and put up a sod 
house and other farm buildings. His start 
consisted of a yoke of oxen and a few chickens, 
a small beginning from which his latter suc- 
cess has grown. The dry years soon came on. 
He lost successive crops and was unable to 
make any apparent headway, so sold out and 
purchased his present home in section 26, town- 
ship 32, range 26, and began over again. Here 
he has added to his original holdings until he 
has a place consisting of two thousand three 
hundred and sixty acres, mostly hay and pas- 
ture land and engages principally in stock 
raising, keeping at times as high as one thou- 
sand one hundred head of cattle and a hun- 
dred horses. He has a complete set of ranch 
buildings, house, barn, mill, tanks, etc., on 
section 14. The home place consists of a fine 
ten-room house with baths and running water, 
supplied by an elevated cistern reservoir, the 
first of its kind in this region. There are six 
never failing wells on the ranch, varying from 
thirty-six to a hundred feet deep. 

January 21, 1883. Mr. McNare was mar- 
ried to Miss Virginia Yeast at Brandonville, 
West Virginia, a native of Maryland, but a 
few rods from where three state boundaries 
meet. They were reared within a mile of each 
other. She is a daughter of William and Mar- 
tha E. (Deak) Yeast. Eleven children have 
been born of this marriage, namely : Arthur 
E., Herbert C, Robert G.. Estella B., Charles 
G., William C, Violet Mabel, Edith AL, Vern 
L., Hazel B. and Jennie May, the two elder 
born in West \'irginia and all reared in Cherry 
county. 

The family was one of the earliest settlers 
in this region, there being few neighbors and 
far between at the time of Mr. McNare's ad- 
vent to Cherry county. Mr. McNare, a Dem- 
ocrat politically, has always taken a deep in- 
terest in local affairs tending toward the de- 
velopment of his locality, and has held dififerent 
school ofifices in his district. He is a member 
of Camp No. 2947, ilodern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica, at Wood Lake. 

A view of the family residence, with por- 
traits of Mr. and Mrs. McNare, is to be found 
on another page of this work. 

THOMAS C. LEWIS. 

Thomas C. Lewis, a highly respected farm- 
er of township 33, range 57, in Sioux county, 
Nebraska, has a pleasant home and good 
farm there, which he has gained through thrift 



7i8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and industrious effort. He is an energetic agri- 
culturist, progressive, and an able representa- 
tive of the farming community of his county. 

Mr. Lewis was born in Audubon county. 
Iowa, in 1869, on his father's farm. The lat- 
ter. Thomas also, was of American birth, a 
well-known farmer and attorney of that lo- 
cality, and was county judge, elected to that 
office when Audubon county was organized. 
He married Josephine Kaylor. and they lived 
for many years in Iowa, our subject growing 
up there, attending the country schools and 
following farm work during his young man- 
hood. When he was seventeen years of age 
he came to Sioux county, Chadron at that 
time being the nearest railroad point. He was 
employed on ranches in that locality, also in 
\\'yoming, and led a regular frontier life, 
roughing it for a number of years and follow- 
ingthe career of a cowboy up to 1892, riding 
alfover the western part of Nebraska and into 
adjoining states. In the latter year he set- 
tled on a homestead which he now occupies, 
located in section 4, township 33, range 57, 
which was an entirely unimproved tract, and 
he has built up a good farm and home. The 
place is situated on Antelope creek, and he has 
it all fenced, supplied with good buildings, 
etc. He is engaged almost exclusively in 
stock raising, and making a great success of 
the business. Of late years he has also gone 
into the grain raising business quite exten- 
sively, his oat crop this year, which is very 
fine, will go sixty to seventy-five bushels to the 
acre. 

Mr. Lewis was married in 1892 to Theresa 
Thomas, daughter of Samuel Thomas, whose 
sketch appears in this volume, and he is one 
of the oldest settlers in Sioux county, Mrs. 
Lewis having been raised here. Two children 
have been born to them, namely: Thomas Lee. 
born in 1895, and Albert Wilton, born in 1897. 

Mr. Lewis is Independent in politics, and 
lends his influence for good government. He 
takes an active part in local affairs, and has 
served his precinct in different capacities. The 
year that he located in this county was that 
of the organization of the region as Sioux 
county, and he has assisted materially in its 
development ever since. 



C. A. PETERSON. 

Among the old settlers of .Anderson town- 
ship, Phelps county, Nebraska, recognized as 
an enterprising and public-spirited citizen, a 
foremost place is accorded C. A. Peterson. 
the subject of this review. 

Mr. Peterson is a native of Sweden, and 



came to Phelps county in 1879 with his father. 
Anthony Peterson, the latter taking a home- 
stead in Lake township, our subject locating 
in Anderson township, where he now resides. 
He began farming this at once, and soon after- 
wards bought one hundred and sixty acres of 
land adjoining, also three hundred and twentj' 
acres in the next section north of his farm. 
To all this he added another eighty acres, so 
he is now the possessor of a farm of seven hun- 
dred and twenty acres, and with his brother, 
N. Peterson, has an equal interest in three 
hundred and twenty acres located in Centre 
township. He purchased all of this land dur- 
ing the years from 1879 to 1904, and all he is 
now worth was made since coming to this 
state. Before coming to Nebraska he farmed 
for a time in Mercer county. Illinois, but was 
not satisfied with conditions there, and thinks 
that Nebraska is the only state for a poor man. 
While running his farm he engaged in stock 
raising to some extent in addition to cultivat- 
ing a good portion of his land, and was suc- 
cessful in both ventures. He raised pure bred 
Polled Angus cattle, and prefers them to any 
other breed for western Nebraska. He also 
raised a large number of hogs, and found this 
a very profitable line of work, as they can be 
raised for comparatively little, and mature 
quickly, always bringing fair prices on the 
market. 

Mr. Peterson's father died in 1901, aged 
seventy years, leaving an estate including 
seven hundred and twenty acres of land, all of 
which was good fertile soil. He is not at present 
actively engaged in running his farms, but rents 
the land out and derives a comfortable income 
in this manner. 

He was married in 1878 to Miss Louisa 
Anderson, who was also born in Sweden, and 
they have three children — Amanda. Sadie and 
Clarence. 

Mr. Peterson has held the office of super- 
visor of district No. 1. Anderson township, 
and was a member of the county board of 
Pheljis county, for Anderson, Divide and Cot- 
tonwood townships. He has been clerk and 
treasurer for Anderson township, holding each 
office for several terms. He also takes an ac- 
tive part in educational matters in his district, 
and has been a member of the school board for 
a long time past. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. 



HENRY C. BRANDEL. 

Henry C. Brandel. a prominent resident of 
Brown county. Nebraska, is a man of success- 
ful endeavor and one of tlie substantial farm- 




A. H. McLaughlin and family. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY' 



719 



ers and favorably known citizens of this lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Brandel was born in the city of San- 
dusky, Ohio, August 9, 1869. His father, Ja- 
cob Brandel, was a mason by trade, a native 
of Germany, who came to the United States 
at the age of twenty-two. After living at 
Sandusky for a number of years, he removed 
to Independence, Iowa, in the spring of 1871, 
where he lived until coming to Nebraska in 
1884. He died in 1891, leaving a wife and two 
children, of whom our subject is the elder. 
The family settled in Brown county when he 
was a lad of sixteen, purchasing the homestead 
on which they now live, located in section 12, 
township 31. range 23. This homestead proof 
was cancelled by the government and they 
were finally compelled to file homestead papers 
and prove up on it, after having paid one man 
for the land. Their start was on a very small 
scale when they landed here, beginning with 
one horse, two heifers and a few chickens, 
which constituted the support of the family. 
During the first two years they lived in a 
small log house, which was rather close quar- 
ters, but they soon built a comfortable dwell- 
ing out of native lumber, adding a granary and 
other buildings gradually. The farm was 
steadily improved, but the family met with 
hardships and suffered much privation through 
the drouth periods and grasshopper raids, 
which put them back considerably in their work 
of building up their home. However, this was 
the usual experience of the settlers in this 
region and no more than could have been 
looked for, and they did not give up hope. A 
great deal of time was spent in hauling posts, 
timber and smaller wood from the land which 
was sold to help keep up expenses. _ In 1894, 
shortly after the death of his father, our sub- 
ject went to Brownlee, a distance of sixty to 
seventy miles, where he worked in the hay 
fields, in this way being able to add quite a 
nice little sum to the store they saved to keep 
them through the hard times, still living on 
his father's farm and improving it. This farm 
now contains four hundred acres of land, all 
fenced, one hundred and eighty acres being 
under cultivation. 

In 1894 Mr. Brandel was married to Miss 
Katie Haas, a native of Ross county, Ohio, 
whose father, George B. Haas, is a farmer of 
German descent, and one of the old-timers of 
Brown county, coming in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. 
Brandel have a family of four children, namely: 
Sylvia M., George H., Howard W. and Selma 
F. Politically Mr. Brandel is a Democrat, al- 
ways awake to the better interests of the lo- 
cality in which he chose his home. 



AUGUSTINE H. McLAUGHLIN. 

Augustine H. McLaughlin, residing in sec- 
tion 10, township 28, range 52, Box Butte 
county, is one of the substantial farmers and 
worthy citizens of that county. He is one of 
the pioneers of the region, having located here 
before Box Butte was organized as a county, 
and is familiar with every incident connected 
with its development and growth, and has him- 
self materially assisted in its advancement and 
progress. 

Sir. McLaughlin was born in Westmore- 
land county, Pennsylvania. March 11. 1846. 
His father, Thomas McLaughlin, was a black- 
smith b}' trade, and was a pioneer in Iowa 
county, Iowa. Both parents of our subject 
were natives of Pennsylvania, and came to 
Iowa in 1856, where Augustine was reared and 
educated. He enlisted in the Eighteenth Iowa 
Infantry. Company I, in 1862. and saw service 
in the southwest, going through Arkansas, 
Missouri and Texas with his company, and al- 
though in a number of engagements was only 
slightly wounded. 

He returned to Iowa after being discharged 
from the army, and in 1867 went to Denver 
where he followed freighting from Cheyenne 
through the mountains, also from Denver to 
Mexico, and from Sidney, Nebraska, into the 
Black Hills and Ft. Pierre to Deadwood. 

In the summer of 1875 Mr. McLaughlin 
and a party of ten others went into the Black 
Hills on a prospecting trip, and remained there 
until they were ordered out by the govern- 
ment troops. The expenes of that trip was 
two hundred dollars for each man, and when 
they came to settle up and divide their spoils, 
found that he had only one dollar and twenty 
cents coming to him as his share from the gold 
they found. During those years he was all 
over this part of the west, and many times had 
encounters with the Indians. 

In the fall of 1882 our subject came to Box 
Butte county, settling on a homestead in sec- 
tion 10, township 28. range 52. and there start- 
ed a ranch. He first put up a rude shanty and 
went to work breaking up his land, and im- 
proving the place. His intention was to found 
a good ranch and home, and to that end he 
kept steadily at the work, and has since re- 
mained there constantly except during three 
years which were spent at Grand Island, Ne- 
braska. He was one of the early assessors in 
the section, when this was all Cheyenne coun- 
ty, and at the time Dawes county was or- 
ganized he was elected'one of the county com- 
missioners and helped organize the county. 
He also helped to organize Box Butte county, 



720 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



and was the first man to receive a patent for 
land issued in the county. He now has a ranch 
of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres, 
all deeded land, and is engaged in cattle rais- 
ing, and deals extensively in hay, buying and 
shipping it into the Black Hills. He has a 
fine irrigation ditch from the Niobrara river, 
and irrigates five hundred acres of hay land. 
Everything is kept in the best possible order 
on his ranch, and he has one of the valuable 
estates in his locality, and richly deserves the 
success which has come to him through his 
perseverance and endeavors. The name of 
his ranch where he resides is River Side ranch, 
Marsland postofiice and station. 

Mr. ^IcLaughlin was married in 1877 to 
Miss Mary Noel, born in Iowa, of American 
stock, and daughter of John and Rachel ( Gold- 
smith) Noel. They have two children, Lucy 
M. and Hobart L. 

In political sentiment our subject leans to- 
ward the Republicans. On another page will 
be found a picture of ^Ir. McLaughlin and 
family. 



HENRY FLINIAUX. 

Henry Fliniaux, now a resident of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, where his home is found in 
section 24, township 33, and range 28, is, as his 
name indicates, a native of France, where he 
was born in the village of Ephv, Department 
of Sonne, May 6, 1858. His father, Henry, 
Sr., was cashier and bookkeeper in a bank in 
his native land, and came to this country for 
the first time in 1847, remaining six years, when 
he returned to France. In the fall of 1862 he 
brought his family to the United States, sail- 
ing from Havre on the steamship Bavaria, 
landing in New York after a voyage of nine- 
teen daj's. He settled at Highland, Madison 
county, Illinois, in a settlement of French 
and Switzers, where he remained five years. 
His wife, the mother of the subject of this 
sketch, was Eliza Longatte. She was also of 
pure French blood and the entire family is a 
notable embodiment of the best traits and 
characteristics of their race and blood. 

Henry P'liniaux spent the first five years 
in Madison county, and was then taken by his 
parents into Cass county. Iowa, where they 
resided for two years, after which they found 
a home in Gentry county, Missouri, where our 
subject remained until he had reached early 
manhood. 

Mr. Fliniaux started for himself in 188.5, and 
the year following made a homestead entry 
of a fine place on Gordon's creek in Cherry 
count V. His sister also made a homestead 



entry at the same time on Gordon's creek, and 
the two lived many years in a sod shanty. Mr. 
Fliniaux had a team of horses with which he 
traveled thirty- miles to and fro, between the 
ranch and X'alentine, then his market town. 
He early began in the stock business, and in- 
creased his real estate as rapidly as possible 
until he now owns a ranch consisting of six- 
teen hundred and eighty acres of very desii- 
able land. The farm on which he now makes 
his home was bought by him in the spring of 
1903, and here he established his home the 
following year. The father took a homestead 
on sections 13 and 24, township 33, range 28, 
where he died May 9, 1905. The mother and 
sister make their home with Henry Fliniaux 
and the three are very closely associated in all 
business matters. 

Mr. Fliniaux is making a reputation as a 
horticulturist of much success. On his land 
he has over twelve hundred fruit bearing 
trees, and his experiences in this line are of 
great value to the county, where his orchard 
is known as one of the very finest in the en- 
tire region. 

Mr. Fliniaux is a philosophical Socialist, 
but has never tdken a very active part in poli- 
tics. He has shared in the dangers and ex- 
citements of frontier life, and has many times 
been called on to fight desperately against^the 
prairie fires. In 1887 he was entirely burned 
out by one that came down on him with the 
wings of the wind. The family are communi- 
cants of the Catholic church. 



FRANK E. FOSTER. 

The gentleman whose name appears at the 
head of this review is essentially a self-made 
man, starting for himself at the age of twenty- 
three jxars. He has become intimately iden- 
tified with the early life of the community and 
is counted as one of the reliable old settlers. 
He located his homestead and started on the 
lowest round of the ladder in 1885, breaking 
land for fifty cents an acre and husking corn 
for two and a half cents a bushel in order to 
earn mone\' to complete his filings. He built 
a sod house and lived in it for one yea'r. "batch- 
ing it" during that time. 

Like all pioneers Mr. Foster had to pass 
through the years of drouth, and the year 1894 
witnessed such total failure that many had to 
find work elsewhere. Mr. Foster went to 
Rock county, where he put up hay and Iiauled 
cream and engaged in various enterprises in 
order to make money for his farm improve- 
ments. Better years came and success at 
farming became assured. Now the subject of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REIMINISCENCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



our sketch has an excellently improved farm of 
eight hundred acres, with about one hundred 
and fifteen acres under cultivation. On the 
place are good buildings, well and windmill, 
fences and general and useful improvements 
of all kinds. 

Mr. Foster claims Iowa as the state of his 
nativity, his birth occurring in Casey in the 
year 1874. His father. Thomas Foster, was a 
painter by trade, and traveled widely in Amer- 
ica, having driven stage in California in as 
early a day as 1848. Frank E. Foster's mother 
was Lois Chamberlain before marriage. The 
father died in Iowa and the mother and broth- 
er came to Nebraska in about 1885. The 
mother died in Nebraska July 14. 1900. 

The marriage of Frank E. Foster and Miss 
Myrtle Brown, of Milbourne, Nebraska, was 
celebrated February 26, 1900. She was the 
daughter of Charles Brown, an old settler of 
Nebraska — his death occurred in Custer coun- 
ty. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have been blessed 
with three children, namely: ^^'illie, Ora and 
Mabel. 

Frank E. Foster has at all times been deep- 
ly interested in the social and business inter- 
ests of the community. He has participated 
in all matters tending for the general better- 
ment of affairs and especially in educational 
matters.- He is progressive and resourceful 
and is respected for these qualities. He taught 
the second term of school in the \'anderveen 
district, and this was the first regular paid 
term of the public school. He received eight- 
een dollars per month for the four months' 
term and had to discount the warrants ten-per 
cent, in order to get the money. 



JOHN LAWRENCE. 

John Lawrence, a prominent pioneer of 
Box Butte county, resides in section 21, town- 
ship 26, range 47, where he enjoys a comfort- 
able home and has gained the esteem and con- 
fidence of his fellowmen. He has endured 
many hardships to secure this fine property 
and can recount many thrilling experiences 
connected with his early settlement in this 
region. 

Mr. Lawrence was born in Wales, England, 
in 1845, the son of John Lawrence, who was 
a day laborer all his life in that country. He 
was reared in his native county until he 
reached the age of twenty years, following the 
occupation of a farm laborer there. In 1865 
he left England and came to the United States 
and after landing in New Y^ork went to Johns- 
town, Pennsylvania, where he obtained employ- 



ment in the coal mines and worked as a miner 
for two years. He then went to Indiana and 
entered the coal mines, where he spent seven 
or eight years, and from there came west to 
Iowa, and again worked as a miner in Monroe 
county, remaining there up to the spring of 
1887, then came to Nebraska and settled in 
Box Butte county. He filed on a homestead in 
section 21, township 26, range 47, and after 
spending a year on the place and getting it 
started, he sent for his family to join him. 
He had erected a sod house and started to im- 
prove his farm, doing all his work of break- 
ing, etc., with a team of mules, starting with 
practically no capital, and obliged to work out 
in the vicinity to make a living. During the 
first year or so he went to work in the coal 
mines of Wyoming, and one winter, during the 
month of February, T891, while he was away 
from his home, a severe snow storm swept the 
vicinity of his farm, and the snow was so deep 
that his house was entirely snowed under, and 
his wife and children were compelled to break 
through the window to get outside and make a 
hole through the snow to the barn. They had 
a hard time to get enough fuel to keep warm 
and had to chop up the partition boards and 
even the chairs to make a fire and keep from 
freezing to death. When they finally suc- 
ceeded in digging a road to the barn the snow 
was piled against the building so high that 
they had to dig a hole through the bank to- 
get to the door. 

During the first few years Air. Lawrence 
was located in this county he succeeded in 
raising fair crops, but when the dry years 
struck the locality he had a hard time to get 
along and make a living at farming, so started' 
in the stock business, raising cattle and at first 
operated on a small scale but gradually 
branched out and finally was able to do pretty 
well. He was constantly improving his place 
and added to his original homestead, until he 
is now proprietor of eight hundred acres, us- 
ing it mostly as a ranch, cultivating only about 
one hundred acres, but raises good crops of 
small grains, potatoes, etc. 

Mr. Lawrence was married in 1867 while 
living in Pennsylvania, taking as his wife Mary 
Ann Davis, also a native of Whales, England. 
Mrs. Lawrence was a daughter of Thomas 
and Jane (Price) Davis, the father a miner in 
England, and the whole family came to Amer- 
ica in 1863, settling in Stark county, Ohio, 
where Mrs. Lawrence was raised. Our sub- 
ject has a family of four children, namely: 
John R., born April 11, ^873; Thomas J., born 
September 18, 1877; William E., born April 
17, 1883, and Daniel, born May 30, 1888. 



"^22 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Lawrence is active in local political 
affairs, and is one of the leading men and 
worthy citizens of his community. He has 
served on the school board in his district for 
many years. 



CARL HAHN. 



Carl Hahn, one of the early settlers in 
western Nebraska, who foresaw the prosperity 
and opportunities of that region in its early 
days, and remained to enjoy the results of 
many years of labor here, is one of the most 
highly esteemed residents of Sheridan county. 
He is the owner of a valuable estate in town- 
ship 28, range 45, and farms on an extensive 
.scale. 

Mr. Hahn is a native of Loraine county, 
Ohio, born in 1855. When he was six months 
old his parents moved to Iowa, locating on a 
farm there, where our subject, together with 
eleven brothers and sisters, were raised and 
educated. His father, Peter Hahn, was born 
in Germany and came to America at the age 
of eight years, his parents locating in Ohio, 
and in 1856 he moved to Iowa with his family, 
his wife's death occurring there in 1880. Our 
subject commenced to make his own way in 
the world at the age of twenty-two years, ob- 
taining employment on farms, working b)' the 
month or day for nine years. In 1886 he moved 
to this locality with his parents, and took up a 
homestead for himself in section 20, township 
28, range 45, which he still occupies. Here he 
built a comfortable dwelling place, consisting 
of a dugout and sod house in which he lived 
for two years, then erected a better sod house. 
He "batched it" for five years, and began build- 
ing up his farm. When he landed here he 
brought a team and an old wagon with him, 
and the following spring broke land and put 
in some sod corn, the patch containing about 
ten acres. 

During the first years he got fair crops, 
and had just got nicely started when the dry 
years hit him, and as he was depending wholly 
on his crops for a living he had a hard time to 
get along. He had two cows, and some years 
his crops failed so that he was unable to get 
enough from them to pay for having it 
threshed, and not enough to feed his stock. 
He never bought any seed, but only sowed 
what he had, and got along as best he could. 
He did everything he could to keep going, and 
one whole winter made baskets and sold them 
to support his family. He often felt very dis- 
couraged and determined to leave, but stuck 
to it, as he did not want tn leave the place after 
being on it for so long, so stayed on and when 



the better years came along and his crops were 
good, he was glad he had persevered in his 
undertaking. He knows he could not have 
done as well anywhere else, as he started out 
with practically no capital at all, and was 
even obliged to borrow money when he filed 
on his land. He now owns a tract of eight 
hundred acres of good land, and farms about 
one hundred acres of this, using most of the 
produce on his place to feed his stock, of 
which he has about fort3--five or fifty head. 
His ranch is all fenced and well improved with 
good buildings, etc., and he is proud of the 
fact that he owes no man a dollar. 

Mr. Hahn was married in 1882 to Miss 
Minnie Bridenstein. born and raised in Iowa. 
They had one child which died in infancy, and 
in 1885 Mr. Hahn suffered a sad loss in the 
death of his wife. He was married again in 
1892, to Miss Elizabeth Blickenstaff, daughter 
of Jacob BlickenstafT, of Pennsylvania Dutch 
stock, born and raised in Indiana, who came to 
Nebraska in 1888 and settled on a farm there, 
being among the early settlers in this section. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hahn have a family of six chil- 
dren, named as follows : Christian N., Levi 
A., Clara V., Carl E.. Anna E., and a baby as 
yet not named. 

Mr. Hahn's postofiice address is Schill. and 
his nearest school is within two miles of his 
farm. He is always interested in local affairs 
that tend to the betterment of conditions in his 
locality, and has held local office at different 
times. Politically he is not a party man. but 
votes for the best man running. 

An interesting picture of Mr. Halm's fam- 
ily as well as the ranch residence will be found 
on another page of this work. 



ARTHUR CUTLER. 

Arthur Cutler, an old settler of Sheridan 
county, Nebraska, is recognized as one of the 
prosperous and substantial agriculturists of 
the locality in which he resides. His home is 
in section 11, township ZZ. range 43. and he is 
widely and favorably known as a good busi- 
ness man and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Cutler was born in Richardson county, 
Nebraska. January 10. 1866. His father, H. 
C. Cutler, was born in New York state, and 
during the war was a member of the Forty- 
fourth Illinois Regiment, and saw hard service 
as a soldier. 

At the age of sixteen years our subject 

began farming and followed this work, and as 

his father's health failed he was obliged to 

work out by the month to help support the 

family. He spent four years in Kansas on 




RANCH RESIDENCE and FAMILY OF CARL HAHN, 
Sheridan County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



7^3 



ranches and doing all kinds of labor, and in the 
fall of 1887 came to Sheridan county. Nebras- 
ka, and filed on a tract of land. He settled 
on this the following spring, remaining there 
for twelve years and since that time has never 
left the locality, this farm being situated only 
nine miles north of where he now lives. He 
built a sod house on the land and in this he 
"batched it" for a number of years, building 
up his farm and getting a start. After leaving 
this place he worked out on different farms for 
some years, and in 1904 bought his present 
home of one hundred and sixty acres, this 
place being quite well improved when he pur- 
chased it. It was during the time he was in 
Sheridan county that the dry years came on 
and ruined all his crops, and here he saw his 
hardest times. He lived only three-quarters 
of a mile from the state line while the Indian 
war was in progress, but never left his farm, al- 
though there was great danger in remaining. 
This and other pioneer hardships were all he 
cared for and he is glad these times are past. 
In the beginning of his residence here he had 
a hard time to prove up on his homestead. He 
had nothing to start with, and was obliged to 
buy all of his machinery with money which he 
earned by working out on farms by the month, 
and also hauling timber to Pine Ridge Agency. 
In 1897 Mr. Cutler was married to Miss 
Laura C. Thacker, born in ^Missouri in 1872. 
Her father, Charles W. Thacker, was a native 
of Kentucky, and now resides in Montana. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cutler have two children, name- 
ly : Cecil, an adopted child born in 1894, and 
Roy, born in 1905. In political sentiment he is 
a Republican, but. always votes for the best 
man on the ticket, regardless of party. 



A. T. DEETS. 



A. J. Deets, a well-known resident of Cen- 
ter township, Phelps county, Nebraska, en- 
joys a comfortable home and the esteem and 
respect of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Deets was born in 1860. In 1882 he 
left Pennsylvania and came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Buffalo county, north of Kearney, 
and there engaged in the grain and hog busi- 
ness. In 1896 he first landed in Phelps county, 
and for nine years managed the Norris ranch, 
comprising eight hundred acres, located in 
Anderson township, and in addition to this he 
was postmaster and store-keeper at Havdon. 
Four hundred acres of this ranch was culti- 
vated, and the balance in pasture. He gener- 
ally planted two hundred acres to wheat and 
oats, and two hundred acres in corn, and from 
this his crop of wheat averaged thirty bushels, 



and corn and oats up to fifty bushels per acre. 
On the pasture land he had from one hundred 
to two hundred Hereford cattle, and about 
three hundred Poland China hogs, and also 
twenty horses. He was very successful in 
both farming and stock raising, and when he 
left this ranch the horses which he sold brought 
him one thousand six hundred dollars. He 
now owns a good farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres in Centre township, section 12, on 
the Anderson township line, and has built a 
nice, substantial farm house, fine barns and 
other buildings. He has a large building used 
for sheltering hogs, and makes a specialty of 
raising these animals. He has a drove of over 
forty pure bred Poland Chinas and two hun- 
dred graded hogs, and finds this line very 
profitable. He also has one hundred high grade 
Hereford cattle, and some fine Percheron horses 
and colts. He shows a marked preference 
for Poland China hogs and Hereford cattle, as 
they mature and are fit for market earlier than 
other grades. He thinks that Nebraska is one 
of the best states in the Union for mixed farm- 
ing and stock raising, as the climate and con- 
ditions here are well adapted to their perfect 
development. 

He has three brothers also living in this state, 
L. S. Deets, of Kearney, J. H. Deets, and H. A. 
Deets, also of Kearney. 

Mr. Deets was married in 1886 to Miss Car- 
rie Day, daughter of M. Day, a pioneer settler 
of Buffalo county, Nebraska. One child has 
blessed their union, a daughter, named Ozella. 



MICHAEL WINDSHEIMER. 

Michael Windsheimer, who enjoys the dis- 
tinction of being one of the leading old timers 
of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is a gentleman 
of exceptional business ability and integrity, 
and although since coming to this section has 
suffered many losses financially, has prospered 
to a remarkable extent and is now proprietor 
of a fine estate in Lodgepole precinct. He is 
prominent in his community, taking an active 
part in its advancement in every way, and 
well deserves his success and high standing. 

Mr. Windslieimer was born in the village 
of Bromholzheim, ^\'ertemberg, Germany, De- 
cember 2, 1856. He is the eldest of three 
children in his father's family, and grew to 
manhood on a farm there. His father, Leon- 
hard, is still living in that country, but the 
mother is dead. Our subject came to America 
in 1882, sailing from Bremen Haven on the 
"Main" on the last day of ]\Iay, landing on 
June 9. He went direct to Boone county, 
Iowa. After spending about four years in that 



-24 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county became to Cheyenne county, arriving 
here in the spring of 1886, and at once filed on 
a homestead on section 6, taking one hundred 
and sixty acres, which is his present farm. 
He now has three hundred and twenty acres, 
while a quarter section additional is owned by 
his wife ; it is a very nice property, with one 
hundred and twenty acres devoted to farming 
and the balance in hay land and pasture for 
one hundred and twenty head of cattle and a 
small bunch of horses. He has a complete set 
of substantial farm buildings and every im- 
provement in the way of machinery, etc., also 
a good supply of water the year around for 
his stock and all domestic purposes. The 
place is also well supplied with natural timber. 

Mr. W'indsheimer was married at Boone, 
Iowa, November 7, 1883, to Miss Maggie Lang, 
who was born in Germany and came to this 
country in the early part of that year (1883). 
They have a family of eight children, namely : 
Mary, wife of Rolla Porter, of Lusk, Wyom- 
ing; Minnie, William, Frederick, Leonhard. 
Emma, John L. and Annie, all of whom are 
living at home. Mrs. W'indsheimer's parents 
are both dead. The family have a substantial 
stone dwelling, and are among the well liked 
residents of their community; their home is 
one of the most hospitable to be found in many 
davs* travel. All are members of and regular 
attendants of the German Lutheran church at 
U'eyerts. 

Politically Mr. Windsheimer is a Repub- 
lican. 



LEE GARNER. 



Lee Garner, a prominent old-timer of Dawes 
county, now living in Whitney, where he is 
engaged in the general merchandise business, 
is one of tJie leading pioneers of this locality. 

Mr. Garner is a native of Wayne county, 
Illinois, born in 1839 on a farm. His parents 
were both of .American blood, the father an 
early settler in eastern Nebraska, coming here 
with his family in 18.^4 and locating in Dakota 
county, where he died in 1891. Our subject 
grew up in Dakota county, where he found 
plenty of hard work to do in building up the 
home farm with his parents, and attended the 
country schools, going through the usual pio- 
neer experiences in his boyhood days. In 1859 
he started out for himself, and was appointed 
superintendent of the first freighting outfit 
from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Denver, running 
tliat up to 1861, crossing the plains several 
times with teams, camping out on the ground 
at night and meeting with many exciting ad- 
ventures. In 1861 he enlisted in Company I, 



First Nebraska Volunteers, and the regiment 
was ordered south but only remained a short 
time, most C)f their service consisting in watch- 
ing the Indians on the plains. He was in the 
service for two years. 

After leaving the army he returned to Da- 
kota county and followed farming, purchasing 
a farm of his own, and this place is now worth 
at least one hundred and twenty-five dollars 
per acre. He came to Cedar county about 
1870, and was among the early settlers in that 
section, and engaged in the stock and mixed 
farming business, later going into the mercan- 
tile business at Coleridge, when that town 
was first started. He only ran the store a 
short time, then moved to Dawes county, team- 
ing from Valentine, making several trips from 
that place, also from Sidney, bringing in a 
stock of merchandise and opened a store in old 
Dawes City. In 1886, when the railroad came 
to AVhitney, Mr. Garner located here, building 
the first hotel in the town, which he ran for 
almost twenty years, and was well known far 
and near by the residents of this section and 
travelers who came through the country. In 
1900 Mr. Garner opened a store, dealing in 
general merchandise and still operates this 
business. For some time he was engaged in 
running a store and boarding house in the old 
town of Chadron, where he put up a building 
for the purpose. 

In 1867 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary \\'riglit, daughter of John and 
Elizabeth Barker \\'right, early settlers in 
Dakota county, Nebraska, antl who were both 
born and raised in England. 

Mr. Garner has done his full share in the 
building up and developing of the section in 
which he located, and is a representative pio- 
neer of the country. He is a Democrat in 
politics. 

HENRY C. STONE. 

Henry C. Stone, an experienced farmer, 
resides in Brown county, on Plum creek, north 
of Johnstown, where he has a fine tract of land 
and enjoys an envialilc roi)utati()n as a worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Stone is a native of Wright county, 
Iowa, born December 4. 1857. His father, 
Norman Stone, was a farmer and old settler 
in Pawnee county, Nebraska, coming to that 
locality in 1867, and in 1883 moved to Brown 
county, where he died in 1890. Our subject is 
the eldest in a family of eleven children, and 
was reared in Pawnee county, where he grew 
up accustomed to all kinds of hard work, as 
he was obliged to assist his father and broth- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ers in the work of carrying on their farm. He 
grew to manhood on the frontier, where the 
early settlers experienced many hardships and 
privations. At that time there were no rail- 
roads through this region, and journeys for 
family supplies had to be made at a great risk, 
traveling many miles to the nearest trading- 
post, through a rough and wild country, and 
many were the exciting times these pioneers 
saw through encounters with Indians who 
roamed the country, and also the wild beasts 
■which at that time abounded in this section. 

In 1882 Mr. Stone left his father's home 
in Pawnee county and came to Brown county, 
driving the entire distance with a team and 
covered wagon. The trip took eight days, and 
was a tedious time to the travelers. He located 
on a pre-emption in section 1, township 31, 
range 23, and began to improve his property, 
building a log house and breaking up sod for 
crops. He had a team of horses and five dol- 
lars in money when he began here, his only 
capital besides his brawn and brain. 

During the first years he met with many 
disappointments, losing two crops in succes- 
sion through the drouths and two by hail- 
storms. He remained on this farm for three 
years, then went to Almira on the North Loup, 
pursuing his trade of blacksmith for three 
years. Returning, he lived on his father's place, 
where he farmed for a few years, working 
rented land in addition. In 1896 he took his 
present homestead in section 1, township 31, 
range 23, adjoining his pre-emption land, and 
erected a dwelling, blacksmith shop, barns and 
other buildings. This place, containing six 
hundred and forty acres, is located on Plum 
creek, and is well supplied with natural tim- 
ber and plenty of water. He has cleared a large 
part of the land and raises good crops on his 
farm every year. He has a fine orchard of 
one hundred and fifty trees on Plum creek, 
which is one of the best in the neighborhood, 
and of this he is very proud.. 

Mr. Stone was married January 29, 1883, 
to Aliss Alary ^^T^ite, a native of Polk county, 
Iowa. Mrs. Stone is a daughter of Isaac and 
Nancy (Luther) White, who settled in Pawnee 
county in 1880. Twelve children have resulted 
from this union: Dora E., wife of Frank Jen- 
kins; Cora (deceased) ; Clara, wife of Theodore 
Petty : Chas. E. ; Mary E., who married James 
Gallagher: Norman H.; Amos Walter.: Alice 
L. : Ida C. ; Laura A.; Carrie E. (deceased): 
and one that died in infancy, all of whom were 
born in Brown county. 

The family is highly esteemed in this local- 
ity, and among the worth)' citizens who have 
aided in the advancement of conditions of this 
section. Politically Mr. Stone is a Socialist. 



NELS NELSON. 

Nels Nelson, One of the pioneer agricul- 
turists of Deuel county. Nebraska, holds a 
prominent place as a man of intelligence and 
sterling citizenship. He came to the region 
during its earliest settlement, and has pros- 
pered to a marked degree, his enterprising 
nature and good business judgment placing 
him among the foremost farmers of his com- 
munity. His home is in section 12, township 
14, range 44, where he has a large circle of 
warm friends and is held in high esteem by 
all with whom he comes in contact. 

Air. Nelson was born in Sweden. November 
26, 1847, and was reared there, receiving a 
limited schooling, spending his boyhood on 
his parents' farm and also working out in the 
vicinity of his home. His parents lived and 
died in their native land, and when Nels was 
twenty-nine years of age he decided to strike 
out for America, landing in this country in 
1878. He was the only member of his father's 
family who ever left Sweden, and it took con- 
siderable courage to break away from his 
home and all the dear ones : coming alone, 
practically without funds, to a strange land. 
However, he kept up a brave spirit, and his 
first location was in Alontgomery county, 
Iowa, where he remained for about seven years, 
then came to Polk county. Nebraska. After 
two years in that vicinity he moved to Deuel 
county, homesteading on section 6. township 
14, range 43. where he proved up. and after- 
wards settled on section 12, township 14, 
range 44. 

During the first years he experienced all 
the hardships that fell to the lot of the pio- 
neers in the region, but with the persistence 
and energy which characterizes the people of 
his native land, stuck to his work faithfully 
and gradually built up a good home and farm, 
adding more land to his original homestead 
until he is now proprietor and owner of an 
elegant ranch of one thousand five hundred 
acres, devoted to mixed farming and stock rais- 
ing. He has about one hundred and forty-five 
acres cultivated, raising good crops of corn, 
oats, wheat, etc.. and has a large part of the 
ranch in pasture and ha}^ meadow. He has 
about forty head of cattle and a splendid bunch 
of eighty-six horses, owning some fine animals 
which he prizes very highly, worth from one 
thousand dollars a piece down. For several 
years our subject ran cattle in Cheyenne coun- 
ty, and lived on several different ranches. In 
July, 1906, he settled on his presnt ranch which 
he has improved in nice shape. 

Air. Nelson was married in Polk county, 
Nebraska. April 6. 1886. to Jane A. Alagee. 



726 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mrs. Nelson is a native of Indiana, raised and 
educated in Illinois, and was a widow at the 
time of her marriage to Mr. Nelson. Her 
maiden name was Van Brunt : both her par- 
ents are now deceased. A great deal of credit 
is due Mrs. Nelson for the part she has taken. 
She is a model helpmate, and has aided mater- 
ially in the building up of their present home. 
She has successfully withstood all the trials 
and hardships of the early days, and fully real- 
izes the price their home has cost in the pri- 
vations of the earlier days. She has rode the 
mower, worked in the hay field, and has done 
considerable nursing among the sick in the 
county, having received calls from families for 
miles around. Mr. Nelson is a man of active 
public spirit, and in political faith is a Re- 
publican. 



VICTOR L. MARTIN. 

Prominent among the younger ranchmen of 
Cherry county, who has built up a nice prnpert\- 
for himself by dint of honest industry and good 
management, we mention the name of Victor L. 
Martin, residing on section 29. township 27, 
range 29. He is highly respected for his many 
sterling qualities, and enjoys a good standing in 
the community as a good neighbor and public- 
spirited citizen. 

Mr. Martin was born in Knox county, Illinois, 
on a farm, in 1877. He is a son of Adam Mar- 
tin, of German stock, born in Pennsylvania, w-ho 
was a pioneer in Cherry county, where our sub- 
ject grew to manhood, the family settling here 
in 1886. His mother's maiden name was Lucy 
A. Everett, of American parentage, born and 
reared in Ohio. There w-ere seven children in 
the family, and our subject was the fourth in 
order of birth. On coming to western Nebraska 
they drove through from Illinois by team, with 
a covered wagon containing their entire posses- 
sions, and spending six weeks on the road. 
Their first location was on a ranch ten miles 
north of Brownlee, and there they farmed for 
a number of years, Victor helping carry on the 
ranch, remaiuHng with his father until he was 
twenty-twi) years old, and during that time they 
built up a good and comfortable home and 
ranch. In 1889 he took a homestead for him- 
self, located on the Loup river, "hatched it" until 
he had proven up on tlie land, and started in the 
stock business, spending about seven years on 
the place. He then took a Kincaid homestead 
three miles northwest of Brownlee, and moved 
on it in 1904. He liad a pretty good start here, 
and spent his entire time in building up the 
place, erecting good Iniildings, fencing tlic land, 
etr nn^i n< the ratich was fitted with some im- 



provements when he took it, has a fine place, 
consisting of six hundred and forty acres, and 
besides this he leases one thousand two hun- 
dred and eighty acres, using it all as a ranch, 
engaging principally in cattle raising, although 
he has a small bunch of horses and other stock. 
^Ir. Martin has accumulated a nice property 
for so young a man, and is on the high road to 
wealth. He is ambitious and industrious, and 
has excellent business ability, his property show- 
ing the best management in its operation. 



WILLIAM J. WILSON. 

William J. W^ilson, who resides in Paxton 
precinct, on section 2, township 13. range 36, is 
numbered among the old settlers of Keith 
county. Nebraska. He has been engaged suc- 
sessfully in farming and stock raising for 
many years past, and while developing a com- 
fortable home for himself, has done much to 
build up his locality, and now enjoys the es- 
teem of a host of people. 

Mr. Wilson was born in Henry county, In- 
diana, in 1864. His father, Joseph, was a farm- 
er, a native of Ohio, who settled in Nebraska 
about 1880. Our subject was reared on a farm 
in his native state, receiving his education in 
the country schools, and lived at home until he 
was twenty-one years of age. began life for 
himself, following farm work, at first, and 
later operated rented land. He came to Keith 
county in 1887. arriving here in February with 
his family. For a time he lived at Ogallala, 
working on the section and followed railroad- 
ing to make a living, as he had no money and 
no start. Soon after coming here he filed on 
a homestead, putting up a sod shanty .in which 
the family lived, the building being unplastered 
and with no floors the first year. They had a 
hard time to get along, but Mr. Wilson worked 
out by the day and gradually improved his 
farm, doing all his work with a team of oxen 
which he bought in eastern Nebraska and drove 
through to his new location. 

\\'hen he came here he also brought with 
him seed potatoes, wheat, and corn, putting in 
a sod crop the first summer, but raised very 
little. After the hard times came on they 
moved to Polk county and remained for a year, 
but returned to the homestead and managed to 
get along fairly well. He began to raise bet- 
ter crops and added to his original farm so 
that he now owns three hundred and twenty 
acres, lying in the valley of South Platte river, 
extending back into the hills, a valuable piece 
of property. He engages in mixed farming 
and stock raising, and has been successful in 




Q 



COMPENDIUM OF 'HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



727 



both. He has put up good buildings, has wells 
and windmills, and the entire place fenced. 
He has also planted all kinds of fruit trees, in- 
cluding apple, pear, plum and cherry, besides 
smaller fruits. There are fine groves on the 
farm, making it one of the pleasant homes to be 
found in the vicinity. 

On January 5, 1885, Mr. Wilson married 
Miss Martha Gilbert, a native of Kentucky. 
They have two sons; Everett and Raymond. 
Mr. Wilson is a Republican in politics and a 
member of the Modern Woodmen and other 
lodges. 



ed:mund f. pettit. 

The subject of this review is one of the most 
popular citizens of Keya Paha county, Nebras- 
ka, where he resides in section 10, township 32, 
range 20. He is one of those men whose hospi- 
tality and winning frankness favorably impress 
the casual acquaintance, and one need not wait 
to have neighbors or friends tell in order to find 
out that he is held in high esteem by his asso- 
ciates and fellowmen. 

^Ir. Pettit is a native of Randolph county, 
Illinois, born November 18, 1839, on a farm. 
He is a son of Thomas Pettit, born at Kaskas- 
kia, Illinois, at a time when there were but two 
houses in St. Louis, and whose parents were 
pioneers in Illinois, coming originally from 
Pennsylvania on flatboats by way of the Ohio 
and Mississippi rivers, bringing sheep, cattle and 
horses, besides spinning-wheels, millstones and 
other necessaries with which to begin life in a 
new country. Our subject's mother was Miss 
Eliza Franklin, a native,- of Tennessee. He is 
the sixth member in a family of nine children, 
and while an infant, his parents moved to Jo, 
Daviess county and later to Wisconsin where, in 
his bovhood,he received a very meager educatoin, 
attending only the country schools, and those 
but little. He labored on his father's farm until 
the second year of the war, when he entered the 
United States service, enlisting in Company K, 
Fourteenth \\'isconsin Volunteer Infantry. With 
his regiment he was ordered to the south, and 
subsequently took part in many hard battles, 
seeing service at Shiloh. Corinth. luka, siege of 
\'icksburg. Big Shanty, Baker Ridge, Atlanta, 
on July 22, 1864, the siege of Spanish Fort, at 
Nashville, Lovejoy Station, Jonesboro and Ezra 
Church, in all, over thirteen battles and many 
skirmishes. He received severe wounds at the 
charge of ^'icksburg, losing a finger on the left 
hand, besides receiving a ball through his left 
arm. In 1865 he was mustered out at Mobile, 
and in October, discharged at Aladison. \\'is- 
consin. He had undermined his healtli in the 



war, and spent the following three years at 
home recuperating. 

In 1868 he was married to Miss Hattie Scott, 
who lived near his home. They were the pa- 
rents of two children : Belle, married William 
Osborn, and is living in Keya Paha county, and 
Charles, engaged in the hardware business at 
Springview, Nebraska. In June, 1876, Mrs. 
Pettit died, and was sincerely mourned by her 
husband and children. Shortly after his mar- 
riage they moved to ^Montgomery county, Iowa, 
remaining there for a time, then went to Atchi- 
son county, Missouri, where he operated a mill. 
He afterwards went to Kansas and spent some 
time traveling there, seeing much of the slaugh- 
ter of the original herds of buffalo which at that 
early day covered the plains. He first came to 
Keya Paha county in 1883, locating on his pres- 
ent homestead, which was then a wild tract of 
table land and canyons. They lived in a tent for 
a time, then put up a log shack, which was for 
a time their home. Hard times came on, and 
about 1885 the dry years took all his crops and 
hail destroyed everything, so that he became 
almost discouraged, but he stuck to it and grad- 
ually things turned for the better. He improved 
his farm, put up good buildings, and fenced his 
place, and has made a decided success of the 
undertaking. His farm comprises three hundred 
and twenty acres, one hundred of which is good 
farming land, well supplied with running water 
and a good growth of natural timber. He has 
helped materially in the building up of this sec- 
tion and from the beginning of his residence 
here has been one of the leading citizens in the 
advancement of its interests. 

Mr. Pettit was married the second time in 
Audubon, Audubon county, Iowa, to Miss Al- 
vina Ham, born in Missouri, a daughter of Mor- 
decai and Elizabeth Ham. Seven children were 
born of this marriage. They are as follows: 
Hattie, wife of Frank Estes, residing on a ranch 
in this county : Maud, wife of Carl White, liv- 
ing in Springview ; Cora, who married William 
Kertzenberger ; Carrie, wife of Fred Wilkins ; 
George, ]\[ay and Alillie, still living at home. 

In political sentiment Mr. Pettit is a stanch 
Republican, but could never be induced to ac- 
cept any office. 

On another page we present a picture of Mr. 
Pettit's residence. 



ANDREW J. LAYTON. 

Andrew J. Layton, residing on section 7, Lib- 
erty township, is the owner of a fine farm of 
four hundred and eighty acres and well-known 
throughout that locality as a successful and 



728 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



prosperous agriculturist and woriliy citizen. 

Mr. Layton was born in Crawford county, 
Illinois, where he was raised. His father. Wil- 
liam Layton, was a pioneer in that state, and 
came from near Newark, Licking county, Ohio. 
He married Miss Mary McLonn, who was a 
daughter of Joseph McConn, an early settler in 
Virginia, living near Wheeling, and who was a 
pioneer in Crawford county, Illinois, later, where 
his family was reared. Mr. Layton came to Ne- 
braska in 1884, and rented and later purchased 
land in this county, beginning at once to build 
up a home and farm. He has been successful 
in both his farming and stock raising operations, 
running at the present time about one hundred 
high grade cattle and from one hundred to one 
hundred and fifty head of hogs. He is pro- 
gressive in his methods, and is an intelligent and 
active man, possessed of many sterling qual- 
ities, for which he is greatly admired by all with 
whom he comes in contact. He likes Nebraska 
as a farming state and considers it far ahead of 
Illinois. 

Mr. Layton was married in 1882, at Marshall, 
Illinois, to Miss Fidelia Canaday. sister of Hon- 
orable J. F. Canaday, of Minden, Nebraska, 
whose sketch appears in this volume on another 
page. To Mr. and Mrs. Layton have been born 
nine children, who are name<:l as follows : Laura, 
Etta, Arthur C, ]\Iaime, Perry, Orville, Ed- 
ward, Edyth and Hazel. The sons are all at 
home, several assisting their father in the farm 
work. Laura, now Mrs. David Jones, was for 
several years a teacher in Kearney county. Mrs. 
Layton's father, John Canaday, was born and 
reared in Vigo county. Indiana, and was an 
early settler in Illinois. He was a farmer all 
through his life, and died in Kearney, Nebras- 
ka, in 1898. Mrs. Layton's mother's maiden 
name was Jane Hauger. 

Our subject was an active member of the 
Farmers' Alliance in -former years. For two 
years he held the office of justice of the peace, 
and has held other local offices. In political 
sentiment he is a Populist-Democrat. 



WILLIAM S. NICHOLSON. 

William S. Nicholson, known throughout 
Sioux county as a prosperous ranchman and 
leading citizen, resides in section 3, township 27. 
range .^4, where he has a pleasant and well- 
ordered home, surrounded by a valuable estate, 
all of which is due to his jierseverance, industry 
and integrity. He has lived here for many years 
past, and enjoys the esteem and liking of a host 
of people. 



Mr. Nicholson was born in Muscatine county, 
Iowa, in 1861, on a farm. His father, \'alentine 
v.. was a native of Indiana, a farmer by occu- 
pation, and one of the pioneers in Iowa. He 
married Mary Ann Daniels, born and raised in 
North Carolina, of old American blood. Our 
subject grew up in the state of his birth and 
through his boyhood assisted his parents in the 
work of carrying on the home farm, remaining 
there up to 1890, at which time he, together 
with his two brothers. M. J. and A. W.. came to 
Nebraska, locating in the vicinity of \\'histle 
creek, Siou.x county. William filed on a home- 
stead, proved up on the land and had just got- 
ten nicely started when the hard times, due to 
the drouths, struck the region. He worked 
faithfully, putting in crops, but was unable to 
raise anything, and went through hard times 
there, and as he was unable to farm his land 
successfully, started in the stock business and 
was able to get along very well. He took two 
quarter sections, homestead and timber claim, 
and [jroved up on both, then bought his broth- 
er's place, and he is now sole owner of thirteen 
(|uarter sections. One brother also owns six 
hundred and forty acres in the neighborhood, 
and a sister has a farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres in the vicinity. Mr. Nicholson is engaged 
exclusively in the cattle business, running about 
one thousand head each year of the best Hereford 
breeds, and has done exceedingly well in the 
stock raising business. He has his ranch all 
fenced and improved. The place is beautifully 
situated. Whistle creek running through the 
tract, and he has it well irrigated, or can irri- 
gate it if necessary, operating six wells and 
windmills, which furnish a splendid supply of 
water for all purposes. A large portion of the 
ranch is fine hay land, from which he cuts five 
hundred tons annually. At the present time 
(1908) he is feeding eight hundred head of 
cattle for the market this fall. He is classed 
among the successful self-niacle men of the re- 
gion, and when he came here first, he had a very 
small start. Harrison and Crawford had just 
been started, and during those days he did a 
great deal of wolf hunting through the country, 
W. is as fine a cook as you would find anywhere 
and still owns a fine ])ack of hounds. Our sub- 
ject and his brother, .\. W., live together, but 
each <iwn their stock and land separately, having 
different brands for their stock. It is a jilcas- 
ure to visit the Nicholson brothers, as they are 
whole-souled, congenial and intelligent gentle- 
men to converse with. Mr. .\. W. Nichoi.son 
has put up one of the finest sod houses, costing 
over $1,500, that has ever been seen in the west, 
on his Kincaid homestead. The house is very 
large, and is one and a half stories high, with 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



729 



dormer windows, the inside being all finished 
with wainscoating and steel ceiling, and the- 
young people from far and near gather there 
often where they enjoy themselves with dancing 
and fine music. He keeps a fine piano, phono- 
graph, etc., to add to their pleasure. Mr. A. 
in a long day's ride. 

William S. Nicholson has served' as assessor 
for two terms, and occupies a foremost place 
among the leading old-timers of this region. 
In political views he is a Republican, and stands 
firmly for his convictions. 



JAMES E. BAKER. 

James E. Baker has for many years been a 
resident of North Platte. Nebraska, and is well 
known all over the surrounding country as an 
honest, industrious and energetic man and a 
c'tizen of true worth — one appreciated by all 
who have the honor of his acquaintance. 

Mr. Baker was bom in Wayne county, New 
York, and came to Wisconsin in 1850 with his 
father, locating in Jefferson county on a farm, 
and the family remained there for many years. 
In 1877 our subject first came to this locality, set- 
tling in North Platte, and followed the work of 
a builder, putting up houses and other buildings 
all over this part of the country, and also erected 
windmills for the farmers in Lincoln and the ad- 
joining counties. He was very successful and 
made a good income from his labors. In 1884 
he began working for the Union Pacific kail- 
way, being employed in the woodwork depart- 
ment of that company for the period of twenty 
years. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres, situated east of North Platte, and 
one hundred and sixty acres in Redwillow coun- 
ty. He was one of the pioneer builders in the 
western part of the town, and through hard la- 
bor and thrift has accumulated a nice property 
and built up a pleasant home. 

Mr. Baker was married in 1867 to Miss Ro- 
bena Thomson, who is a sister of R. D. Thom- 
son, postmaster at North Platte, a pioneer build- 
er and contractor in this locality. A son of Mr. 
Baker's, John N. Baker, a carpenter and builder, 
was. for a time, foreman of the ice plant for 
the Union Pacific Railway, which is one of the 
largest concerns of its kind in the United States. 
A daughter, Jessie Baker, is the wife of Thomas 
Hughes, who is a conductor on the Union Pa- 
cific Short Line. 

Mr. Baker is a member of the Presbyterian 
church of North Platte, and has been an elder in 
this church for many years, and is an earnest 
worker among the congregation. He is a mem- 



ber of the Woodmen, and enjoys an enviable 
reputation as a good citizen and neighbor. 



JOHN MORAVEK. 

John Moravek, a prominent ranch owner of 
Box Butte county, whose residence is located in 
section 9, township 26, range 52, and whose suc- 
cess as a stockman is worthy of especial note, 
was born in Bohemia, June 15, 1849. during the 
reign of Emperor Francis Joseph. His parents 
were farmers, and passed their lives in Bohemia. 

The boyhood days of Mr. Moravek were spent 
in his native land, where he received his educa- 
tion and assisted his father in tilling the soil. 
Realizing the opportunities of the new world 
he decided to seek his fortunes in America, and 
in 1869 landed in New York city and came 
west to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he employed 
his time at railroad construction work. He 
spent seventeen years of his life following the 
railroad business in Iowa, and for many years 
worked as a section foreman. 

Mr. Moravek and jNIiss Katherine Socol were 
united in marriage August 29, 1870. Her pa- 
rents were natives of Bohemia, in which country 
she was born. Eight children blessed this happv 
union : James, Annie Marie, Mayme, Charles, 
Mary, Agnes, Willie and Ella. All the children 
were born in this country. 

In 1886, Mr. Moravek came to Box Butte 
county, Nebraska, driving with three teams and 
a covered wagon and a herd of cattle. They 
spent seven weeks on the road. He spent two 
months at Hay Springs while looking for a suit- 
able location, finally locating, in township 26, 
range 52, hauling all his supplies from Hay 
Springs. While most of his time was spent in 
making for himself a comfortable home in this 
new country he devoted some time to freighting 
from Hay Springs to Alliance. The first years 
here were good ones, but during the period of 
drouth he experienced the loss of many crops, 
and made his living mostly from his cattle. 
Leaving his family on their farm in Nebraska, 
he went into South Dakota, where he became 
associated with the Chicago, Burlington & 
Ouincy Railroad Company. He spent six years 
at Ardmore. He then returned to Nebraska, 
devoting his time very closely to his farm, where 
he raised many good crops. He engaged ex- 
tensively in stock raising, and with the assistance 
of his sons, raises three hundred head of cattle. 
He has secured possession of other tracts of 
land besides his original entry, and now has a 
ranch of seven quarter sections of good land, 
one hundred acres of which are under cultiva- 



■30 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEN'CE AXD BlOGKAi'HV 



tion. He has erected a substantial house, and 
has good wells, windmills and a fine orchard. 
Nearby are good schools, a church, postoffice 
and general store. His children own several 
tracts of land in this county. 

Mr. Moravek is a Republican. The interest 
he has taken in all matters pertaining to local 
affairs is worthy of note, and he is especially 
interested in educational matters. He was in- 
strumental in the organization of the school dis- 
trict in which he lived eighteen years ago. and 
for eight years held the office of director. He 
has taken a prominent part in the development 
and improvement of Box Butte county, and as 
an old settler has done his share toward this 
end. He has made many warm friends in the 
surrounding community who wish him well, and 
who look on his career as a marked success. 



DAVID ANDERSON. 

David Anderson has impressed himself upon 
the history of early days in western Nebraska 
as one of the first settlers of Sioux county, a 
man ready to endure any privation or lace any 
peril, that he might build for himself and his 
family a home out of the wilderness. Into all 
his life work he has put all honesty and integ- 
rity, and his sterling worth and kindly spirit 
has gained for him a host of friends who will 
be glad to bear tribute to his many manly and 
excellent traits. Mr. Anderson is at present re- 
siding in .Siou.x county. Nebraska, near Ard- 
more, .South Dakota, where he is engaged in the 
mercantile business, besides pcrsonall}' operating 
his extensive ranching interests in Sioux coun- 
ty, and living on his Kincaid homestead. 

Mr. Anderson was born in Bellefontaine, 
Ohio, May 19. 1860. He is of Scotch-irish 
stock, his father. Matt .Anderson, having been 
born in Ireland, and his mother of old Yankee 
stock, born in Pennsylvania. When David was 
a small boy the family moved to Dane county, 
. Wisconsin, where he was reared, attending the 
common schools, and later was a student at the 
Lodi high .school, from which institution he 
graduated. In 1886 he came to Nebraska, tak- 
ing u|) a pre-emption and tree claim in Sioux 
county, teaming into the region from Chadron, 
locating on Hat creek on what is known as the 
Circle Bar ranch. He started in on a small 
scale, "batching it" during the first four years, 
working fin the range, part of the time sleeping 
out in the open prairie while herding cattle, and 
in those times rode all over the western part of 
Nebraska, also Wyoming and .South Dakota. 
He went through all the hard times usual to 
the pioneers of the west, witnessed the Indian 



scares, and met with many thrilling adventures 
in following ranch work. He gradually in- 
creased his herd of stock and succeeded in 
building up his ranch and adding to it until he is 
now ])roprietor of two thousand acres lymg 
along Hat creek, also partly on Indian creek, 
improved \yith good buildings, etc. At present 
he has about two hundred cattle on the range. 
Mr. Anderson runs his cattle under a brand 
called and registered the Circle Bar. 

Our subject has also been engaged in the 
real estate business more or less for some years, 
and has been the means of encouraging many 
settlers to come to Nebraska, always doing his 
best for the good of his adopted state, and aid- 
ing in every way possible to promote its growth 
and development. During the early years he did 
considerable work in building, putting up houses 
and other buildings, and erected one of the finest 
churches in Ardmore, South Dakota, and also 
has built several school houses. 

In 1895 Mr. Anderson opened a general store 
at Ardmore. beginning in a modest way, and 
this has grown to large proportfons under his 
careful management. He has built up a wide 
patronage, and now occupies a building twenty- 
five by fifty feet, having two floors and carrymg 
a fine line of goods. He has three warehouses, 
and owns considerable cit\' property, consisting 
of eight lots and dwelling houses in the town 
of Ardmore, South Dakota. 

Mr. Anderson married. December 2. 1890, 
Miss Dora Moore, daughter of Charles B. 
Moore, an old settler of Harlan county. Nebras- 
ka. Mrs. Anderson is a lady of charming per- 
sonality, and a highly educated and accomjilished 
woman. Prior to her marriage she followed 
the profession of a teacher, and had taught in 
Harlan, Franklin. Furnas, Phelps and Sioux 
counties, also in Fall River county. South Da- 
kota. Mr. and Mrs. .Anderson are the parents 
of three children, as follows: \'iola. now at- 
tending college at Belleview. Nebraska : Matt 
and David, at home. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. 
.•\nderson will be found on another page. 

Mr. .\nderson has always taken a leading part 
in public affairs, wherever he has been located, 
serving his comnnmity in different capacities. 
I"or several years he was postmaster at .Ard- 
more. South Dakota. In political sentiment he 
s a Democrat. 



ABNER M. SPRAGG. 

.\mong the leading agriculturists of Kirk- 
wood precinc*^ Rock county. Nebraska, is to be 
numbered the name of .\buer M. Spragg, who 
has been in this part of the state for many years, 




DAVID ANDERSON. 




MRS. DAVID ANDERSON. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



7^-^ 



and has played an active part in its development. 
He was born in Norton, Kings countv. New 
Brunswick, March 17. 1847. The father, Wil- 



liam Sprag 



ifhose birthday was also March 



17th, moved to Iowa at an early day and was 
actively associated with the experiences of pio- 
neer life on what was then the "far-flung" west- 
ern frontier. Jane (Burnett) Spragg, the moth- 
er of Abner ]\I., was of German descent, and to 
her and William Spragg was born a numerous 
family, consisting of twelve children, of whom the 
subject of this writing was the ninth. Abner M. 
Spragg had a hard and laborious youth, and as 
his father died when he was only eight years 
old, he had to help care ofr his widowed mother 
and the other children from the moment he was 
able to earn money ; and. as his brothers enlisted 
in the army when Abner was fifteen, the respon- 
sibilities of a livelihood for the widowed mother 
fell upon him. 

Mr. Spragg was married near Middleton, 
Buchanan county, Iowa, April 8. 1870, to Miss 
Florence Bassett, whose parents had been old 
settlers in Iowa. She was a young lady of more 
than the usual gifts, and in her earlier woman- 
hood had taught school very successfully. To 
this union were born the following children : 
Willard ; Ivis, now a widow ; Jessie, wife of 
Cassius Brubaker, of Fort Collins, Colorado ; 
Agnes, who married J. C. Herron, of Spokane, 
Washington ; Bertha, wife of Clarence Dillon, 
of Council BlufTs, Iowa; Minnie, now Mrs. 
Columbus Baker, of Douglas county, Washing- 
ton, and Flora, wife of Daniel Shunn, of Greg- 
ory, South Dakota. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Spragg 
came to what is now Rock county, arriving at 
Stuart before its organization, and making their 
first stop at Stuart. Presently thev effected a 
homestead location on section 4, township 31. 
range 17, where they built a shanty and buckled 
down to the improvement of the wild prairie. 
The Spraggs had their full share of the trials 
and tribulations that belong to frontier life, but 
never wholly lost a crop in the worst drouth that 
marked those early days. Today the Spragg 
homestead comprises a quarter of a section, and 
about eighty acres are under the plow. He has 
given much time and labor to its improvement, 
and may take a commendable pride in its neat 
appearance, an especial attraction being a fine 
grove of forest and fruit trees, which he set 
out with his own hands. His timothy and al- 
falfa fields attest his patient industry, and make 
a brave showing on those wide prairies. 

Mr. Spragg generally has voted and worked 
with the Republican party, and from time to 
time has filled various local offices of honor and 
responsibility. He is highly respected by all 
who know him, and as the shadows begin to 



lengthen adown life's pathway, memories of use- 
ful years cheer and encourage. He is a member 
of the Ancient Order of United Workmen lodge 
of Newport. 



JAMES I. BALES. 

James I. Bales, residing in township 22, range 
16, Garfield county, deserves prominent mention 
as one of the earliest pioneers of western Ne- 
braska. He came to this state during its earliest 
stages of development, and has watched its 
growth from a barren country to its present 
state of productiveness and prosperity. He has 
always taken part in every movement which has 
been organized for the advancement of condi- 
tions here, and has done his full share in this 
progress. 

Mr. Bales was born in the state of Wisconsin 
in 1851. He is the son of Alexander and Mary 
(Hartman) Bales. Our subject left Iowa, where 
he had spent a number of years, and came eo 
Nebraska in 1883, locating in Boone county, 
where he lived for two years. There he pur- 
chased railroad land and began farming, but did 
not like the locality well enough to make it his 
permanent home, so sold out and moved to Holt 
county, homesteading one hundred and sixty 
acres, also bought the same amount of land ad- 
joining his claim. He worked hard and suc- 
ceeded in getting together considerable property. 
In 1895 Mr. Bales disposed of his Holt county 
property and removed to Valley county, purchas- 
ing there one hundred and sixty acres of lana, 
but soon afterwards sold that at a profit, and 
then came into Garfield county. Here he bought 
one hundred and eighty-eight acres and estab- 
lished a dairy farm. He has this improved in 
good shape, keeping a fine herd of cattle for 
dairy purposes, also raising quite a large num- 
ber of cattle each year for the market. He has 
made money through his farming and stock 
raising operations and is considered one of the 
well-to-do men of his locality, accumulating all 
his property through his energetic labors and 
good management. He is well satisfied with the 
success he has attained since coming here, pre- 
ferring this state to any country he has ever 
seen, as a land rich in opportunities for the 
man who is willing to devote his efforts to build- 
ing up a competence. 

In 1876 Mr. Bales was united in marriage to 
Miss Emma Bailey, born and raised in Minneso- 
ta. She is a daughter of Edward and Sarah 
(Davis) Bailey, a leading hardware merchant 
\n Oakland, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Bales reared a 
family of six children, named as follows : Henry 
A., Josephine S., James R., Mary A., Anna H. 
and Sadie S. Josephine and Sadie are both 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



married, the former the wife of James Lowry, 
a well known farmer of Garfield county, and 
the latter now Mrs. George Hise, her husband 
also a farmer of this county. The family are 
highly esteemed in their community. 

"Mr. Bales has served as township assessor 
for several terms, also has held the office of 
r(iad overseer. He is a member of the school 
board, acting as director and treasurer of that 
bodv for several vears. 



ISAAC M. RICE. 

Isaac M. Rice, the editor and proprietor of 
the \'alentine Democrat, is also a real estate 
dealer and an insurance agent in that stirring 
Nebraska city. He is a live, energetic business 
man, a typical western hustler, and on all occa- 
sions is able to maintain his place in the proces- 
sion. The local press has done much to adver- 
tise the opportunities of northwestern Nebraska, 
and Mr. Rice has long been known as one of 
the most capable newspaper men of the state. 
He takes a strong interest in political affairs, 
and his paper is a force to be counted on when 
the factors that make up party action in Cherry 
countv are considered, but he is enthusiastically 
first and last and all the time for Cherry county 
and Nebraska against all the world. 

Isaac M. Rice was born in Marshall county, 
Kansas, January 28. 1866, and was reared on 
a farm, which his father, Henry H. Rice, op- 
crated in connection with school teaching. The 
Rice family is of Welsh origin, but it has Deen 
long established in this country, and has made 
important contributions to the civil and indus- 
trial life of .-\merica. Henry H. Rice, a native 
of east Tennessee, married Sarah A. Dealy, born 
in Jackson county. Missouri. Her ancestors 
came from Ireland. Out of a family of eight 
children born to them, Isaac M., the subject of 
this sketch, was the fifth in order of birth. He 
was reared on the parental homestead in Riley 
countv, and secured his education very largely 
from country schools. His business career be- 
gan with his taking a position as clerk in a 
country store when quite young. However, he 
displayed business qualities of marked excel- 
lence, and, when twenty-one, was appointed as- 
sistant postmaster. Presently he secured a good 
position in a dry goods house m Kansas City, 
where he remained for two and a half years. 
At the expiration of this time he engaged as 
foreman of a gang of lumbermen in Utah val- 
ley, who were engaged in getting our ties for 
an extension of the I'nion Pacific Railroad to 
California. When this work was done he re- 
turned from Utah to Kansas City, and took a 



course at the National Business College, after 
which he taught school for six terms in Riley 
county, Kansas. He came to Valentine January 
5. 1898, and served as deputy treasurer for a 
considerable period, with satisfaction to the 
people in general. 

It was not until .April 20. 1900. however, that 
Mr. Rice may be said to have reached a field 
worthy of his powers, for at that time he became 
editor and proprietor of the \^alentine Demo- 
crat, a paper first established by Robert O. 
Fink as the Democratic Blade, its opening is- 
sue bearing date of September 18, 1885. In 
1890 it became the Cherry County Independent, 
and was ])ublished as a Populist organ. April 
9, 1896, it appeared as the \'alentine Democrat, 
and, as already noted, it has been for some years 
under the management of Mr. Rice. This paper 
has had the editorial labors of some verv good 
men. who have preceded Mr. Rice. They are, 
in t]ie order of their connection with this typical 
western journal : R. O. Fink. J. P. \\'ood, J. P. 
Walters, J. R. Farris and Robert Good. They 
were all men of marked ability, but Mr. Rice has 
held control longer than any who has occupied 
the chair before him. His real estate and in- 
surance business was established before he took 
charge of the paper, and he still maintains it at 
a high state of efficiency. 

Mr. Rice was first married to Miss Tillie 
Swanson, to whom was born a son, named Law- 
rence. On May 12, 1904, Mr. Rice was married 
to Miss Dora M. Davis, whose father, \\'illiam 
H. Davis, was for twenty-two years an agent 
of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
in eastern Nebraska, and since the autumn of 
1900 has held the position of special agent of the 
Northwestern Life Insurance Company for 
southern Nebraska. 



ELMER H. SAGER. 

Elmer H. Sager. a prominent business man 
of Elsie, Nebraska, dealing in drugs and gro- 
ceries, is one of the earlj' settlers of Perkins 
county. He is a man of wide experience and 
has met with success in his different business 
ventures, now being the possessor of consider- 
able property in the locality. 

Mr. Sager was born in Macon county. Mis- 
souri, in 1869. Me is of .\nierican stock, his 
father born in New York state. \\'hen he was an 
infant one year of age. the family moved to 
Sioux county, Iowa, and lived for a time at that 
place, later moving on a farm in the vicinity. 
He received a common school education, spend- 
ing most of his time on his father's farm, and 
during the .seventies witnessed grasshopper 




-, o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



733 



raids, etc., going through all the experiences of 
pioneer existence. He spent some time in Mis- 
souri and Pennsylvania while a boy, and his pa- 
rents finally settled in Perkins county, Nebras- 
ka, in the fall of 1888, locating ten miles south 
of the town of Elsie. Here he started out for 
himself, buying land, also took a homestead and 
proved up on his claim, following farming there 
for ten years, going through sod shanty times, 
etc., and succeeded in developing a very good 
farm. 

In 1892 Air. Sager moved to Elsie, engaging 
in the restaurant business and continued at it for 
four years, building up a good patronage, then 
added other lines, putting in a stock of drugs, 
groceries, etc., and conducts a prosperous busi- 
ness. 

Our subject was married in 1900, at Blanch, 
to Miss Cora Dorman. of Elsie, Nebraska. Mr. 
Sager is active in local afTairs and lends his in- 
fluence for good government, both national and 
local. He has served as justice of the peace 
for three terms, and is highly esteemed as a 
public-spirited citizen. 



WILLIAM H. KIESTER. 

William H. Kiester, residing on section 10, 
township 27, range 48, in Box Butte county. Ne- 
braska, has made his way in the world by virtue 
of hard knocks and constant labor, and richly 
deserves the reward of that substantial success 
that has come through his industry and perse- 
verance. 

Mr. Kiester was born in Henry county, Iowa. 
on a farm, April 9, 1857. His father. Adam, 
was a carpenter by trade, also a veterinary sur- 
geon in that vicinity for a number of years. Our 
subject was reared and educated there, and at 
the age of seventeen years made a trip to Mis- 
souri and Nebraska. His time was spent during 
his young manhood working at farming in 
Sumner county in his native state, and also for 
eleven winters he worked as a coal miner. 

In 1888 ]\Ir. Kiester first came to this region, 
traveling south from Hay Springs by team, 
landing in Box Butte county on Alarch i7th and 
made settlement on a homestead, and also worked 
out by the month. He started to build up his 
claim in the following year, and put in lots of 
hard work on the place but was unable to ac- 
complish very much during the first ten years on 
account of the hard times caused by the drouths, 
etc. However, he worked faithfully and man- 
aged to lay by a little money and steadily got 
ahead, and in 1900 was able to purchase his 
present farm, now owning a nice property con- 



sisting of four hundred and eighty acres of land. 
He farms about seventy-five acres of this, and 
keeps seventy head of cattle and eighteen horses. 
He has been through many hard experiences 
since locating here, and recites one instance which 
occurred during the second year he located in 
this county, when he rented land for fifty cents 
an acre, put in some crops, and after working 
hard to make a little money out of his venture 
a severe hail storm came along and utterly de- 
stroyed everything he had. This was only one 
of many such discouragements, and he doubly 
appreciates the position he is in now, after me 
hardships and privations endured during so many 
years. ^ 

Mr. Kiester was united in marriage in the 
fall of 1888, to Annie E. Graham, born and 
raised in Ireland. To them have been born the 
following children: Mary E., William R., Stella 
P. and Margaret. 

Mr. Kiester is counted among the early set- 
tlers of this locality, and has been closely identi- 
fied with its growth and development. Politi- 
cally he is a strong Democrat. 

On another page is presented an interesting 
picture of Mr. Kiester's ranch and also of the 
family. 



WILLIAM M. SAN STEAD. 

\\'illiam M. Sanstead, residing on section 11, 
Scandinavian township, is one of the most suc- 
cessful agriculturists and stockmen of Harlan 
county. He has lived on his present farm since 
1902, and was in partnership with his father, 
Morris Sanstead, up to the time of his death, 
which occurred in September, 1906. The father 
was a dealer in and breeder of pure-bred Duroc 
hogs for some years, and our subject assisted 
him in this work, being the only son at home. 
One brother, Charles E., resides at Holbrook, 
Nebraska, where he was principal of the schools. 

Mr. Sanstead is a native of Nebraska, born 
on his father's homestead in Scandinavian town- 
ship in 1882. He has been interested in the 
stock business nearly all his life, and although a 
young man has shown great nerve, pluck and 
intelligence in the work, which will soon place 
him at the head of stockmen in his section, for a 
young man who would plank down one 
thousand five hundred and fifteen dollars for a 
quarter interest in "Can't Be Beat," the highest 
priced, because the best, Duroc Jersey hog in 
the world, has the qualities to make a leader in 
any line of business. Besides this he owns Red 
Pr.'nce, also a third interest in Sears Belle, a 
ten hundred and twenty-five dollar sow. 
He and others who are developing the 



'34 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



highest and best points in the red hog are 
on the sure road to success, and he is a worthy 
successor to his father wlio was a great believer 
in that breed of animal. He also has a fine lierd 
of Shorthorn cattle, and has a full-blooded 
Scotch bull, "Royal \'ictor." This animal is a 
good one and comes from the best strains in the 
country. He keeps seventy-five old hogs and 
the same number of young ones. "'Mungers 
Ideal." which Mr. Sanstead has sold, is also as 
fine an animal as one could find, and has won 
four first and one second prize at the state and 
interstate shows. Mr. Sanstead kept his hog 
on his own farm, and stock dealers came from 
far and near to see these pure-bred hogs and 
purchase everything which he has for sale. An- 
other s|)Iendid animal which he owns is Red 
Prince, out of Red Chief lam, who has attracted 
much attention from well-known dealers in this 
breed of hogs. Mr. Sanstead started his herd in 
1902. and has had wonderful success since the 
beginning of his enterprise. He has held two 
boar sales and one brood sow sale, receiving an 
average of S51 for the former. He has sold his 
hogs all over this state, and many outside, and 
his ambition is to build up the best herd of 
Duroc Jerseys to be found anywhere. Besides 
the above prize-winners he owns a third interest 
in Sears Belle, a red sow. for which he gave 
one thousand and twenty-five dollars, and she 
has nine pigs now two months old which give 
promise of being as good as the old ones. Sears 
Belle is kept at Clay Centre. He also owns an 
interest in Sears 4th. mother of Sears Belle, who 
is a high-priced and valuable animal. Mr. San- 
stead thinks that red hogs are more thrifty than 
the black ones, and better for all purposes, and 
in his career has had the best of success in their 
breeding. 

Mr. .Sanstead also deals in mules, and is half- 
owner of Spider's Jack, a thoroughbred, and one 
of the best in the state. He considers that the 
breeders and stockmen who are developing the 
Durocs. .Shorthorn cattle and thoroughbred jacks 
are adding materially to the wealth of Nebraska, 
and that those who go at it right, are as well off 
as though they had a gold mine. 

Our subject engages in mixed farming, rais- 
ing alfalfa, corn and wheat, and has good crops 
each year. His farm consists of three hundred 
and twenty acres, and he has as good a home and 
farm as can be found in Harlan county. He is 
of an idustrious and energetic disposition . al- 
ways aiming for the best in everything, and not 
content with anything less, and he richlv de- 
serves the success which he has attained. He is 
highly esteemed and respected, and is one of the 
prominent ynimger members of the agricultural 
retjion in western Nebraska. 



JAMES C. BENNETT. 

James C. Bennett, who is profitably engaged 
in farming in Dawes county, is one of the pub- 
lic-spirited men of his locality, and he is well 
known as a worthy citizen. His home is in sec- 
tion 36. township 29, range 51, and he has ac- 
cumulated vahiaiile property there through in- 
dustry and good business judgment. 

Mr. Bennett is a native of Green county, 
Pennsylvania, bom in 1849, on his parents' farm. 
His father, Wi!e\- Bennett, was born in Ten- 
nessee, and his mother, who was Matilda Lantz, 
was born in Pennsylvania. Tlie family came 
to Missouri in 1855, settling in Sullivan county, 
taking a farm in the northern part of that coun- 
ty, and there our subject grew up, and they went 
through the experiences so familiar to the pio- 
neers of that section. He was able to obtain but 
a limited schooling, attending the country schools 
when he could be spared from the farm work, 
and his early life was one of hardship and strug- 
gles, assisting his parents in building up a home 
in the new country. He left home in 1876, but 
remained in Missouri for about six years, en- 
gaged in school teaching. Finally he settled 
in Butler county, Nebraska, about 1882, follow- 
ing farming there for five years, and next moved 
to .Schuyler. Colfax county, and there was in 
the railway business up to 1889, being employed 
as telegraph operator on the Chicago, Burlington 
& Ouincy road. In August, 1889, he came to 
Marsland and opened ^larsland Station for the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy railway, start- 
ing his office .August 28th, and continued there 
as agent and o])erator for nine years. He pur- 
chased his present farm in 1897, and although 
he still remained working as an agent and tele- 
graph operator, stuck to his farm all the time. 
He worked as an o])erator at Hemingford tor 
one year, and also at Pringle. South Dakota, for 
two years, and in 1902 quit railroad work for 
good and moved on to his farm. The farm is 
located in section 36, township 29, range 51, and 
lying along the Niobrara river. He has put on 
good improvements, fencing the whole place, and 
devotes most of his time and attention to the 
raising of cattle and high grade horses. He 
carries on a dairy business, and has made a 
success of this line of the work. His place con- 
sists of four hundred and eighty acres, and he 
has a good home and well improved farm. 

Mr. Bennett was married in 1874 to Miss 
Sarah Enyeart. of German and Welsh stock, a 
native of Indiana, tiorn and raised on a farm, 
and living most of the time in Missouri, 
for she left her native state when about ten years 
of age. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have a family of 
five children, named as follows: John O.. mar- 
ried and living in a home of his own at Key- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



735 



stone. South Dakota: and Arthur E., Goldie, 
Floyd and Paul, at home. 

Mrs. Bennett's mother is still living near 
Lincoln, Nebraska, aged eighty-six. Her father 
died in 1899, aged seventy-eight. She has an 
uncle living in Indiana who celebrated his dia- 
mond wedding August 4, 1908, at the age of 
eighty-two years. 



SAMUEL E. ANDERSON. 

Samuel E. Anderson, a representative agri- 
culturist of Centre township, owns and operates 
a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres lo- 
cated in section 9, Phelps county. He is one 
of the leading citizens of this locality, and is 
highly respected and esteemed by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Anderson was born in 1875 at Prince- 
ton, Illinois, and came to Westmark township, 
Phelps county, Nebraska, in 1880, with his father, 
who took up a homestead there, which he still 
holds. Our subject is now the owner of one 
hundred and sixty acres of good farming land, 
and has erected a fine house, built since 1903. 
He has been engaged in farming since 1898, and 
has been very successful in all his undertakings. 
When only sixteen years of age he went with a 
threshing outfit, and for the past six years has 
owned a good machine and follows this work. 
Just to show what a wide-awake young man 
can accomplish here in Nebraska, it may be 
stated that in just one year he made four thou- 
sand dollars at threshing and farming combined. 
He has had excellent crops, raising wheat which 
ran forty-nine bushels to the acre, and has 
threshed where it yielded fifty-two bushels per 
acre. His corn crop has reached sixty-five bush- 
els per acre. Mr. Anderson's father owns two 
hundred and forty acres of land, which is oper- 
ated by his son Oscar, the former being largely 
engaged in the cattle and hog raising business, 
and the subject of this sketch has also started 
in to raise pure-bred Poland-China hogs, and 
has a fine drove now. He also has a good 
bunch of cattle and a number of horses used in 
working his farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres, one hundred and sixty of which is rented 
land His success is due entirely to his enter- 
prise and industry, and he bids fair to become 
one of the most prominent and prosperous citi- 
zens of his locality. 

In 1904 he was married to Miss Hannah An- 
derson, a native of Sweden, and they have a 
family of two children, Alice and Marian. 

Mr. Anderson is an Independent voter, and 
takes a commendable interest in all public affairs 
of his community. 



WILLIAM M. BURKITT. 

William M. Burkitt, one of the pioneer busi- 
ness men of Whitney, Dawes county, Nebraska, 
has been one of the leading citizens of that lo- 
cality in helping to build up the commercial and 
social interests of his community. Mr. Burkitt 
was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1841. His 
father, also named William, was a miller by 
trade in the old country, and came to America 
with his family when our subject was a lad about 
seven years of age. They located in Wisconsin, 
where William, Jr., grew up, and about the year 
1863 the family moved to Whiteside county, 
Illinois. There he followed farming for five 
vears. at the end of that time starting in the 
grocery business at Lyndon. Illinois, and re- 
mained in the trade for about five years. He 
next went to Mapleton. Iowa, and opened a farm 
which he operated for two years, then started a 
hardware store and run that for two years. His 
next move was to Pierce county, Nebraska, in 
about 1882, and there he engaged in the furni- 
ture and undertaking business, carrying that on 
for two years. About 1886 he came to Dawes 
county, taking up a tract of government land lo- 
cated near Whitney, and here h? put up good 
buildings and improvements and engaged in 
farming. 

Mr. Burkitt came to Whitney and engaged in 
business in 1887, building a store in which he 
put a stock of general merchandise, and during 
the first years had a hard time, and went through 
manv severe experiences, selling lots of goods 
for which he was never able to collect anything. 
He stuck to the business, however, and finally 
bot along better and has made a success of the 
business, although he still owns his farm. 

Mr. Burkitt was married in Lyndon, Illinois, 
in January, 1866, to Miss Delia Deming. To Mr. 
and j\lrs. Burkitt have been born the following 
children : Eleanor. Delia, Deming, John and Jo- 
seph. Mrs. Burkitt died in September. 1881. and 
in December, 1882, our subject was married 
again, to Miss Hannah Deming, a sister of his 
first wife. 

In November. 1897, Mr. Burkitt was appoint- 
ed postmaster at Whitney, and has held office 
ever since, being the present incumbent. 



SOLOMON BORKY. 

Solomon Borky, to whom is accorded a fore- 
most place among the leading old timers of 
western Nebraska, has acquired a valuable estate 
in section 22. township 3S. range 54. He has 
successfully followed farming and ranching here 



736 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



for many years, and now enjoys the comforts 
of rural life and the respect and esteem of all 
who know him. 

Mr. Borky is a native of Berks county, Penn- 
sylvania, born November 6, 1845, on a farm, 
and comes of good old American stock, his 
grandparents being born and raised in this coun- 
try. His father, Joseph Borky, was a well known 
farmer and stockman in the east, and he married 
Lena Hoflfman, of Berks county, Pennsylvania. 
During his boyhood our subject had plentv of 
hard farm work to do, helping his father carrv 
on the farm work, and he also worked consider- 
able in the timber business, beginning lumbering 
when he was a boy of but nine years. At the 
age of twenty-two he started farming on his 
own account, at which time he was married to 
Miss Cecelia W'illebrand. who was born in the 
east, in Cambria county. Pennsylvania, Novem- 
ber 22, 1845, her father being a native of West- 
phalia, Germany. Her mother, who was Mag- 
dalene Meyer, was born in France, both parents 
coming to America when quite young, and met 
and were married in Pennsylvania. 

After his marriage Mr. Borky farmed in the 
Allegheny mountains for about ten years, then 
came west ta Illinois, settling in Livingston 
county, where he remained for one year, then 
came farther west, going all over Nebraska, and 
visiting Loup City when it only had one house. 
At that time he also saw Grand Island, it being 
simply a small village. He picked out a location 
in Cedar county, near St. Helena, which was 
then quite a settled country and farmed on 
rented land for ten years. In June, 1886, he 
came to Sioux county, locating on a homestead 
in the northern part of the county, which was 
entirely unimproved land, hauling all supplies 
from Crawford. He started to improve his 
property, putting up a good house and other 
buildings. His dwelling was twenty by thirty 
feet, of two stories, and he has since added an 
addition twelve by twenty feet, making of it a 
fine large residence, and he also has erected a 
substantial barn twenty by forty feet. His 
ranch is all fenced, and the land lies along Long 
Branch creek, the stream running through a 
portion of it and furnishing a splendid water 
supply for all purposes, .\ltogether he is owner 
of four hundred and eighty acres, and his chil- 
dren also have additional land in the vicinity, 
his son Jolm owning a three hundred and twenty- 
acre tract adjoining his father's place. 

Mr. Borky "s family consists of ten children. 
as follows : Mary, Andrew, Rose. Martha, Clo- 
tilda, Agnes. John. Peter, Josepli and Cecelia. 

John Borky. son of .Solomon Borky. is a 
young man of e.xceptionally good business abil- 
ity and [)ush. He is prominent in public affairs 



in the county, being elected superintendent of 
schools of Sioux county in 1903 and re-elected 
in 1905. He has received a superior education 
and followed teaching in Sioux county for about 
six years, becoming well-known and highly es- 
teemed for his manly worth and energy, the 
people showing their appreciation of his ability 
by nominating him in 1903 without any solicita- 
tion from himself, and he has proven a most 
efficient man for the office. 

Mr. Solomon Borky has gone through all 
the experiences of the earliest settlers in the 
great west, but he has remained to reap the 
reward of those brave spirits who literally took 
their lives in their hands in coming to a wild 
country and endeavoring to carve out for them- 
selves a name and fortune ; many failing and 
returning to the more modern east, others suc- 
ceeding beyond their wildest hopes in accumulat- 
ing a comfortable competence for their declining 
years, and of the latter class our subject takes 
liigh rank. 

On another page will be found portraits oi 
Mr. and Mrs. Borkv. 



THEODORE CHARLES EDWARDS. 

•A. large share of the wealth of Brown county, 
Nebraska, comes from the thrivmg agricultural 
district lying adjacent to the town of Ains- 
worth. Among those who own well improved 
estates there, a prominent place is accorded the 
gentleman whose name appears at the head ot 
this article. For the past twenty-four years he 
has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in 
this locality, is well versed in this line of work 
and has met with pronounced success. 

Mr. Edwards was born near Red Oak. Mont- 
gomery county. Iowa, November 17, 1875. He 
is a son of Evan H. Edwards, a farmer by oc- 
cupation, and an old settler in Gage county, com- 
ing there in 1880. and four years later settling 
in Brown county : his residence at the present 
time is Wayne county, Nebraska. Both father 
and mother, who was Miss Ellen Thomas, were 
natives of Wales, the former coming to America 
in 1845. the latter in 1852: her death occurred 
November 30. 1890. There was a family of five 
children, of whom our subject is the second 
member ; he was reared in Nebraska, inured to 
all kinds of hard farm work during his boyhood 
years. The family settled on the Calamus river. 
Brown county, in 1884. and at first lived in a 
tent, and later a board shanty, the lumber of 
which it was built having been hauled a dis- 
tance of forty miles with only one horse, whose 
mate had died soon after reaching the country. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



737 



Here they remained for four years, then moved 
near Ainsworth. where they resided until 1892, 
when the father moved to Wayne county. Mr. 
Edwards worked out on farms around the town 
of Ainsworth for several years, then, in 1898, 
obtained employment in L. F. Corbett's hard- 
ware store and spent three years with the con- 
cern before filing on his present homestead in 
section 31, township 32, range 22, where he be- 
gan ranching and farming. He has put up good 
buildings on the banks of Plum creek, and en- 
gages in stock raising, and devotes all his time 
to the work of improving his farm. He has one 
thousand and forty acres, of which much is 
good farming land, and is making a success of 
the enterprise ; he is near a good shipping point, 
and his farm is w^ell suited for the purpose it is 
used. Mr. Edwards was married at Fairfax, 
South Dakota, September 24, 1906, to Mabel 
Herriman, a daughter of Charles Busic, of 
Brownlee, Nebraska ; they have two children, 
Everett and Ruth. 

In the early days of the family's residence 
in Nebraska, their nearest neighbor was seven 
miles distant, and our subject well remembers 
the fine times he had hunting, when the country 
abounded in all kinds of w'ild game. In politics 
Mr. Edwards is Republican ; he, with his wife, 
is a member of the Methodist church, and affili- 
ates with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the 
American Order of Protection of Ainsworth. 



HARM POPPEN. 

Harm Poppen, one of the most extensive 
ranchmen and agriculturists of Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, is one of the old settlers in 
that region. He is a man of wide experience, 
and by judicious management and industrv, sup- 
plemented by honest dealings, has acquired a 
valuable property and has become recognized as 
one of the substantial and worthy citizens of 
his county. His home is in Union Valley pre- 
cinct, where he has a comfortable residence and 
pleasant surroundings, and enjoys the friendship 
and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. 

;\Ir. Poppen was born in the village of Sand- 
horst, adjoining the city of- Aurich, Hanover, 
Germany, June 25, 1857. He Was reared in that 
country, receiving the usual common-sense train- 
ing of the children .of the sturdy German race, 
and early taught to do all kinds of hard work. 
His parents spent their entire lives in their na- 
tive land, but at the age of twenty-nine Harm 
left home and started out to make his own wav 
in the world, taking passage for America at 
Antwerp in March, on an emigrant ship. After a 



vovage of nine days, he landed in New York 
city, and came, with a colony of friends, who 
had emigrated in a body, to Franklin county, 
Nebraska, where he remained for about three 
vears, still having one sister living in that 
county. He settled in Cheyenne county in the 
spring of 1889, filing on a homestead on section 
28, township 16, range 48, and has made that his 
home ever since. He had the usual experiences 
of the pioneers of that region, passing through 
the good, bad and indifferent times that struck 
the locality, often meeting with losses from crop 
failures, but escaped losses by prairie fires that 
have devastated so many homesteads ; but he 
stuck to his farm and home through every dis- 
couragement and finally was able to get ahead 
and make needed improvements on his property. 
He lived for many years in a log cabin, or 
rough shanty so familiar to all the old timers 
here, but later constructed a substantial stone 
dwelling, barn and other outbuildings, con- 
stantly adding land to his original tract, as his 
circumstances permitted, and is now proprietor 
of a fine ranch containing nine hundred and 
sixtv acres, with plenty of good pasture and 
hay land for his stock, of which he has sixty 
head of cattle and fifteen horses. The place is 
well supplied with good water, and most of it 
is fenced. 

Mr. Poppen was married, while still living 
in Germanv, to Johanna \'an Ollen, also a na- 
tive of that country, and together they came 
to the United States to establish a home and 
accumulate a competence for their declining 
years. Two children resulted from their union, 
John, now residing in Missouri, and Frances, 
living at home. 

]\Ir. Poppen was reared in the Lutheran 
church : in politics he is not bound to either 
party but votes independently for whom he con- 
siders the best man. 



CHARLES RODGERS. 

The above gentleman is a leading old settler 
of western Nebraska who has aided in a large 
measure the growth and development of that 
region. Although he is a comparatively young 
man, he has seen much of life on the frontier 
and taken an active part in the history of the 
early years here, incidentally building up for 
himself a good home and valuable estate in sec- 
tion 6. township 23, range 31, Hooker county, 
wdiere he is well and favorably known. 

Mr. Rodgers was born in Henderson county, 
Illinois, in 1871. He -is a son of Albert Rodgers, 
also a native of that state and a well-known 
farmer there for manv vears. His mother was 



738 



CO-MPExXDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Jemima Stevenson, of Henderson county, Illi- 
nois. Our subject was reared in Nebraska, the 
family coming here in 1873. locating in Gosper 
county, where they went through pioneer expe- 
riences in establishing a home and farm. \Yhen 
he was eighteen they moved to Lincoln county, 
and he was married there in 1890 to Ida May 
Roberts, whose father, William Roberts, was a 
pioneer in Iowa. She was born in Indiana but 
reared in Iowa. Mr. Rodgers came with his 
family to Hooker county in 1895, settling thir- 
teen miles south of Mullen, and there tix)k up 
a homestead, put up a house, barns and other 
buildings and opened a ranch. The place was 
all valley land, and he broke up ground for 
crops, and remained on it for two years, then 
moved to Mullen and opened a blacksmith shop. 
In 1900. he purchased a well drilling outfit, and 
built wells for people all over the surrounding 
country, operating the machine up to 1905. and 
made (|uite a little money in the work. In 1901 
Mr. Rodgers settled on his present ranch, which, 
at that time, was entirely unimproved land, and 
he at once began to develop a ranch, adding im- 
provements right along, and now has it in the 
finest kind of shape. The ranch contains six 
hundred and forty acres, and he farms about two 
hundred acres, using the balance as a cattle 
ranch. 

Mr. Rodgers' family consists of himself, wife 
and five children, who are named as follows : 
Eutoka Jane, Mark Melvin. Albert Nathan, 
Minnie ]May and \Yilliam Charles. They are a 
most interesting group and have a pleasant and 
happy home. 

^Irs. Rodgers deserves special mention with 
her husband, as much of their success is due 
to her faithful labors, and she has been a help- 
meet to him in the true sense of the word. She 
has helped build up their home, starting with 
very little, and when they put up their first house, 
she helped erect it with her own hands, also as- 
sisted him in putting down wells, and bore with- 
out complaining all the hardships and jirivations 
of the settler in the earlv vears here. 



\YILLIAM C. SCOTT. 

William C. Scott, one of the pioneer settlers 
of Sheridan couny. Nebraska, anfl a gentleman 
whose experiences during the early part of his 
residence here were many times hard to endure, 
is now a prosperous farmer of this locality. He 
is a man of strict integrity and nccu])ics a high 
standing as a citizen. 

Mr. !^cott was born in Knox county. Indi- 
ana, in 1845. aufl was raised and educated there. 
His f.Tthcr. Tiinm.K Sinit, i- .-ilsn a native nf In- 



diana, of American stock, and died in Illinois 
in 1883. Our subject is the elder of two chil- 
dren, and at the age of seventeen years struck 
out for himself, enlisting in Company G, One 
Hundred and Twentieth Indiana Regiment, serv- 
ing until the close of the war. He took ])art 
in many skirmishes, and saw a great deal of 
hard service, receiving an honorable discharge, 
after which he again located in Indiana and 
began farming, at which he continued until 1884, 
when he came west with a colony of settlers 
to the new country. He settled on section 26, 
township 33. range 43. building a log house in 
which he lived for thirteen years. In the spring 
of 1885 he sent for his family to join him. and 
then started in to improve his farm. He suc- 
ceeded in his work until the dry years came, 
and he lost all his crops for several years, and, 
to make things still worse, he was burned out, 
losing all his household goods. He did not 
have money enough to rebuild, so \vas obliged 
to sell out and move where he could get material 
cheaper, and during this time after losing his 
home was compelled to live in his neighbor's 
house until he settled on his present homestead 
in section 35. township 34. range 43, in Sheridan 
county. He was offered ten dollars per quarter 
section for his land but refused this offer, and 
later was fortunate enough to secure five hun- 
dred and ninety dollars for his half section. His 
hardest times were during the years 1892 to 
1900, and since then he has been very success- 
ful. He is engaged principally in the stock 
business, keeping about one hundred and seven- 
ty-five head of cattle and twenty-five horses all 
of the time. His ranch comprises six hundred 
and forty acres of good land, and besides oper- 
ating this he leases other lands. He has im- 
]5roved his farm, has it all fenced and now has 
a beautiful place, having lately remodelled his 
house at a cost of about one thousand two Inui- 
dred dollars. He is a thrift\'. painstaking 
farmer, and has inet with deserved success in 
his venture. 

^Ir. Scott was marrietl in 1868 to Miss .\nna 
McClure, born and raised in Indiana, of Ameri- 
can stock. Mr. and I\Irs. Scott had three chil- 
dren, named as follows: Louis E.. Nellie and 
Maude. On March 9, 1874. Mrs. Scott died, 
leaving two children, the third and youngest, 
Maude, having died at the age of three months. 
In the latter part of 1874. Mr. Scott was mar- 
ried to ]\Iiss Burnette Burge. bom in Indiana 
in 1854. Her father. Robertson Burge. served 
in the Ninety-seventh Indiana Regiment during 
part of the Civil war from the second day of 
.August. 1862. to 1865. ( )f this second mar- 
riage three children resulted, namely: Claude. 
Carrie and Grace, now attending school in Lin- 




RESIDENCE OF HEXRV LICHTE, 
Box Butte County, Xcbraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



739 



coin, Nebraska. Mr. Sci^tt is a Republican, 
takes an active interest in all party affairs, but 
does not seek anv office. 



HENRY LICHTE. 

Henry Lichte, an enterprising and prosper- 
ous farmer of Dawes county, owns one of the 
fine and valuable estates in the county. He is 
one of the pioneers of this region, classed among 
the leading old settlers of his locality who has 
watched the growth and progress of this part 
of the state of Nebraska from its early settle- 
ment. Mr. Lichte resides on section 26, town- 
ship 29, range 48, and has a comfortable home 
and pleasant surroundings. A picture of the 
family residence will be found on another page. 

Mr. Lichte was born in Hanover, Germany, 
in 184L His father, Christ Lichte, was a farmer 
by occupation and owned a good farm in Han- 
over province, and both he and his good wife 
spent their whole life in that country. Our sub- 
ject was reared on the farm and assisted in car- 
rying it on, attending the country schools as a 
boy, and later an agricultural college at Hanover, 
Germany, where he learned the art and science 
of farming. He served in the German army 
for two years, as all loyal subjects are required 
by law to do, and in 1869 left home and came 
to this country and settled in Illinois, where he 
remained for several years and in 1878, met 
and married Miss Lizzie Rothermund, a native 
of Switzerland, who came to America with her 
parents in 1868. After his marriage our subject 
and his wife went to Iowa and located near 
LeMars, where he bought one hundred and sixty 
acres of land, on which they lived for two years. 
In 1884 he left Iowa and came to Dawes county, 
Nebraska, and this region was then practicallv 
a wilderness and he had the choice of location, 
selecting a tract of land near Rushville on which 
he filed, and the following year was joined by 
his family. He only lived on this place for 
about a year, then settled on the Niobrara river, 
putting up a dugout, in which they lived for 
two years. Here he raised good crops, the first 
year putting in a crop of sod potatoes and corn. 
During the dry years he met with many dis- 
couragements due to loss of crops, etc., and for 
seven years was unable to raise an average 
crop of any kind, and was obliged to work on 
the railroad to make a living for his family. He 
took a contract for carrying the mail between 
Hemingford and Dunlap in 1894 and has con- 
tinued this work for the past fourteen vears. 
Part of the time during the hard years he 
worked in the saw mills at Pine Ridge, where 
he followed a frontiersman's existence, camping 



out at night and suffering many hardships from 
exposure, etc. He now owns a ranch of seven 
quarter sections, sixty acres of this being under 
cultivation, and one hundred of it is irrigated. 
The place is well improved with good farm 
buildings, all fenced and supplied with every 
kind of machinery necessary for conducting a 
model farm. 

Mr. and JMrs. Lichte's family consists of six 
children, namely : William, Frederick, Joubert, 
Rose, Dora and Martha. The entire family are 
well liked by their neighbors and occupy a high 
position in the community as worthy citizens. 

Mr. Lichte is an Independent voter. He 
was one of the founders of the first schools or- 
ganized in his locality and has served on the 
school board for a number of years past. 



w. R. held:\ian. 

W. R. Heldman, a representative farmer of 
Grant township, Franklin county, is a thorough 
agriculturist and stockman, owner of "The Cy- 
clone Ranch," consisting of one thousand acres 
of river bottom and uplands, and one of the fine 
estates of this section of the state. IMr. Held- 
man purchased this property in 1900, and has 
built up his place in good shape in that short 
space of time, employing the most up-to-date 
and progressive methods in his operations, and 
has been most successful in his different enter- 
prises. The Cyclone Ranch is located in sec- 
tion 31, township 2, range 13, midway between 
Franklin and Riverton. 

Air. Heldman was born in 1863 in Indiana. 
Mr. Heldman came to Nebraska from Harrison 
county, Missouri, where he had been a breeder 
of Shorthorn cattle for twenty years. He im- 
mediately went to work to build up his farm 
and engaged in the stock business on a large 
scale. He started a herd, with the thoroughbred 
bull "Bates." He bought later from Shellen- 
berger, of Alma, "Saladin," sired by "Bar None 
11", of pure Scotch strain, and is one among the 
few in Nebraska as yet. When he first located 
here there were no herds started in this county, 
and he introduced the first pure-bred animals in 
the locality. Mr. Heldman is a director of the 
county fair society, and his was the first pure- 
bred herd to be exhibited, and since then they 
have captured all the prizes right along. He 
sells his stock in this and the adjoining counties, 
and every animal is eligible to record. He 
brought his "Bates" bull with him from Mis- 
souri. He is justly proud of his fine herd 
of Bates thoroughbreds, especially of the 
fine Scotch Shorthorn bull recently added 
to his herd, also of the fact that he was the first 



740 



COIMPEKDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



man to introduce these into Franklin county. At 
that time the county fair was an event which had 
become a very tame affair and the people took 
almost no interest in the annual exhibition, but 
the interest of Mr. Heldman in stock, and his 
enthusiastic support soon gave them an incen- 
tive and it has gradually become one of the 
chief attractions in this region, with a large 
number of exhibitors, all of whom take a lively 
interest in making it a success. Mr. Heldman 
himself, as a director, works hard for the suc- 
cess of the Franklin county fair, and exhibits 
some of the finest cattle, hogs, horses and mules 
to be found anywhere. Our subject also has a 
drove of one hundred pure bred Poland China 
hogs, and the pigs he raises each year are eagerly 
sought after by all the people of Franklin and the 
adjoining counties. Mr. Heldman also deals ex- 
tensively in horses and Missouri jacks and jen- 
nets. He has bred Percherons and coach horses 
for the market. He owns an imported Perch- 
eron stallion "Engeur." Mr. Heldman considers 
this a better feeding and stock country than Mis- 
souri, where he had a long experience. He raises 
a large crop of corn and small grain, all of 
which he feeds out on his farm, besides being 
obliged to purchase more to keep his stock. 



HUMPHREY P. KEXDRICK. 

Humphrey P. Kendrick, one of the most 
energetic and successful farmers of Dawes 
county, Nebraska, resides on his fine estate in 
section 30, township 29, range 30, and is well 
known as one of the leading ranchmen and 
farmers of his locality. He 'is a man of good 
judgment and integrity, and has won an enviable 
reputation in his community as a progressive ag- 
riculturist and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Kendrick is a native of Fayette county, 
Illinois, born in 1871. His father, John Wm. 
Kendrick, was a native of Maine, and settled in 
Illinois during the pioneer days of that region, 
his death occurring there in 1878. He married 
Miss Fidelia Palmer, born in Michigan. Our 
subject was but eight years of age when he was 
left fatherless, and the mother and her family 
moved to Belle Plains. Iowa, where they lived 
for seven years, Humphrey attending the city 
schools, and receiving a fair education, besides 
assisting his mother in caring for the family 
and keeping up their home. They had some 
relatives living in Dawes county, and. in 1887. 
he came here and worked out in the country on 
ranches and farms for several years, taking a 
homestead for himself in 1803, and improving 
the land. He remained on the place steadily un- 
til he had proven up, and made many improve- 



ments. This land was located in section 29, 
township 29. range 50, and he still has the place, 
but has added to it, buying in the adjoining sec- 
tion until he now owns a ranch of twenty quar- 
ter sections in Dawes and Box Butte counties, 
lying along the Niobrara river. He has put up 
two sets of good substantial farm buildings on 
his ranch, and has a fine irrigation ditch in oper- 
ation, being able to irrigate a five hundred-acre 
tract of his land. He has plenty of hay land, 
and engages to quite an extent in stock raising, 
dealing principally in horses. Mr. Kendrick has 
associated with him a brother, E. C. Kendrick, 
who shares equally in the business. 

Mr. Kendrick was married in 1900 to Miss 
Eva Cheny, daughter of Arthur Cheny, who 
was one of the early settlers in Crawford City, 
Dawes county. Mr. and Mrs. Kendrick are the 
parents of one child, a daughter named Ellen, 
who was born in Crawford, and is now a child 
of five years. 

Mr. Kendrick is an active man in local af- 
fairs, and has done much toward improving 
conditions in his locality along agricultural and 
commercial lines. 



WILLIAM T. JUDY & SONS. 

Among the foremost agriculturists and stock- 
men of this section of the country may be men- 
tioned Wm. T. Judy and sons. Father and his 
five sons have built up a valuable estate in Cot- 
tonwood township, Phelps county. Nebraska, 
and are highly respected and esteemed by all 
who know them. 

Mr. Judy came to this county in 1899, and 
purchased three hundred and seven acres of land 
all located on the Platte river bottom, in sections 
17 and 20, eleven miles from Kearney, eleven 
from Elm Creek and about twenty miles from 
Iloldrege. Mr. Judy is known as one of the 
best breeders of Percheron and Clyde horses, 
owning at this time some of the best thorough- 
bred stallions and brood mares in the state of 
Nebraska. He has about two hundred pure-bred 
Duroc Jersey and Poland-China hogs, and holds 
public sales at both Holdrege and Kearney two 
or three times a year. In 1901 he started a 
herd of pure bred Polled Durham cattle, and 
to this herd he has added some thoroughbred 
Shorthorns, and has on hand almost all the time 
from fifty to one hundred head which he sells 
at private and jiublic sales. In all lines he only 
handles high grade animals, and his reputation 
for raising only the very best horses, cattle and 
hogs has extended all over Nebraska and neigh- 
boring states. His Judy Clydesdale Champion 
stallion is pronounced as nearly perfect a horse 




— O 






COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



741 



as can be found anywhere in the world. Before 
this horse was four years old he weighed one 
thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds, and 
now will weigh two thousand pounds, and is a 
beautiful animal. 

For some years previous to settling in Ne- 
braska, Mr. Judy was engaged in farming and 
stock raising in Lee county. Iowa, and considers 
his present location greatly superior to the state 
of Iowa. For one thing, farmers in Ne- 
braska are willing to pay the price in 
order to secure the best stock, and this lib- 
erality and enterprise has in the past few- 
years caused this state to produce more and bet- 
ter grade horses, cattle and hogs than any other 
state in the Union for its size. He has been suc- 
cessful in mixed farming also, and in 1906 raised 
over six thousand bushels of oats and two hun- 
dred acres of corn, also one hundred acres of 
alfalfa, all of which is fed out on his farm. His 
crop of oats and corn show a yield of about fifty 
bushels each to the acre. Our subject's sons are 
Clarence C, Willis W'., Benjamin, George and 
Earl. 



SOLOMON R. STORY. 

Among those who have accomplished much 
in the way of helping to build up the locality 
where he chose his home during the pioneei 
years in western Nebraska, is the gentleman 
whose name is mentioned above. He is called 
one of the substantial citizens of his community, 
and his name stands near the first of the set- 
tlers in that region, he having been an important 
factor in producing the present prosperity en- 
joyed in his locality. He resides in section 
8, township 34, range 56, in Sioux county. 

Solomon R. Story was born in Norfolk, St. 
Lawrence county. New York, May 25, 1837. 
His father, also Solomon Story, was a stock- 
grower and went through pioneer experiences 
with his family in Wisconsin, where he died in 
1855. He married Mary Gipson, who was born 
in New Hampshire, and they raised their fam- 
ily in Wisconsin, living on a farm where our 
subject received his schooling. Some years were 
spent in the lumber woods in that state, and in 
1862, he enlisted in Company E. Thirty-second 
Wisconsin Volunteers, and was with that regi- 
ment in the western army. He was with Sher- 
man through Georgia, then went back to Wash- 
in.gton and participated in the grand review. 
In all. he saw about three vfars' service, being 
mustered out the 12th of May, 1865. 

After the war closed Mr. Story returned 
home and remained there until 1877. He was 
married there Jnne 26. 1862, to Marion M. Field, 



who died in Sioux county, Nebraska, December 
13, 1906. She was a daughter of Philip A. 
Field, who was a lumberman in that state. Her 
mother's maiden name was Charlotte A. Hoyt. 
Mr. Story and his bride came to Nebraska, set- 
tling in Butler county in 1877, where they 
farmed for about nine years, then moved to 
Sioux county, arriving here in the spring of 
1886, locating on section 9, township 34, range 
56, being the first white family to settle on 
Antelope Creek. During the first few years he 
engaged exclusively in farming, but finally got 
into the stock raising business, and gradually 
built up a good ranch, now owning two thou- 
sand two hundred and forty acres which is de- 
voted to ranching purposes, and he also leases 
one section, all of which is fenced and in first- 
class condition. He has made a success of his 
work, starting with a small capital, having four 
horses, and those he lost the first year he came 
here. The first postoffice was located on his 
place and he acted as the first postmaster, re- 
taining the office for sixteen years. He was 
precinct assessor for thirteen years and county 
assessor for four years, always taking an active 
part in local and county affairs. 

Mr. Story has one child, Oscar W., aged forty- 
one years, born in 1866. The family have a pleas- 
ant home and are among the first residents of their 
community. Oscar W., the only son, still lives 
with his father and they have lived together ever 
since coming to this county. Oscar married 
Annie Reed, daughter of J. W. Reed, an old set- 
tler of Sioux county. Four children have been 
born to this union : George, Loyd, Thirsa and 
Blanche. 



JACK DONASON. 

Jack Donason, who for the past score of \ears 
has been one of the foremost residents of Keya 
Paha county, Nebraska, owns a valuable estate 
in section 31, township 35, range 18. He is one 
of the leading old settlers in this locality, and 
has always given his best aid in looking to the 
interests of the county, and still does his full 
share in developing its resources and making it a 
success. 

Mr. Donason was born in Knox county , Illi- 
nois, in 1857, and when he was but nine years 
of age began heavy farm work at the handles of 
a plow, and still well remembers the team tie 
drove. His father, Alex. Donason, was of 
Scotch-Irish descent, while the mother, 
Ann Barbow, was of German-American blood, 
both being reared in this country : our subject, 
the second child in a family of seven, started for 
himself at the age of twentv-two vears, follow- 



742 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing farm work on the home place. In 1882 he 
came to Hamilton county. Nebraska, where he 
spent a winter, then to Keya Paha county, tak- 
ing a pre-emption south of the river April 2d. 
He proved up on it, then during the hard times 
of the dry years, mortgaged the place and lost 
it. After a time he again purchased the place, 
paying six hundred and fifty dollars, having first 
bought it for nine hundred and fifty dollars, 
three hundrerd dollars more than the sale price 
thirteen years later, to such an extent had land 
values depreciated during the drouth period. 
He endured hard times here during the dry 
years, but managed to get along without assist- 
ance from any one. and gradually improved his 
place. When a strip of the reservation north 
of the Keya Paha river was opened for settle- 
ment Mr. Donason took a homestead on section 
31. township 35. range 18. and this is the site of 
his present home. He was thrifty, bought more 
land, now owning over one thousand four hun- 
dred acres, all lying along the Keya Paha river, 
with four hundred acres under cultivation : about 
one hundred and twenty-five acres are seeded to 
alfalfa which is growing thriftily. He runs two 
hundred and sixty cattle, and keeps about seven- 
t}--five horses and mules ; he also deals in hogs, 
raising about two hundred annually. He has 
a fine orchard of fruit trees in bearing, and 
everything about his farm presents the best 
possible appearance, showing taste and good 
management in its operation. He has good build- 
ings of all kinds, and the place is all fenced. A 
view of the fine large dwelling and surrounding 
buildings, with their rugged background of 
lofty hills, is to be seen elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. Donason was married July 15. 1885, to 
Miss Minnie Sylvester, whose people were early 
settlers in Hamilton a'nd Keya Paha counties. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Dona.son have been born the fol- 
lowing children: Kate, now Mrs. Rov Buckles, 
of Washington ; Alex. Roy, Glen, Frank and 
Clare, all living at home except the first men- 
tioned. 

Mr. Donason has been a Democrat most of 
his life, having only occasionally wavered in his 
allegiance to the old party. 



CLAUS NIEIIUS. 

Clans Niehus early in life left his native 
land and emigrated to the new world, where 
he became identified with American progress 
and civilization, and has been a loyal citizen to 
the land of his adoption. Mr. Niehus resides on 
section 21, township 35, range 22, in Keva Paha 
county, Nebraska, where he has built up a good 
home and farm through his honesty and thrift, 



and is esteemed and respected by all who know 
him. 

Mr. Niehus was horn on his parents' farm 
in Holstein, Germany. August 13, 1861. where 
he was reared and as a boy worked hard in as- 
sisting his father in the farm work, early learned 
to look out for himself in the land where all are 
taught in their childhood to fit themselves for a 
useful life. In 1884 he sailed from Hamburg 
for America on the Moravia and after spending 
a short time in New York city after landing, 
came west to California, where he remained for 
five years engaged in farm work near Livermore, ' 
Alameda county, California. He then came -to 
Nebraska, settling on a homestead in Keya Paha 
county, at the head of Cottonwood creek ; this 
he relinquished and bought a tree claim, which 
now forms part of his estate, and here he put 
up good buildings — house, barns and granary, 
and substantially improved his place. He now 
owns eight hundred acres on Cottonwood creek, 
engaging in mixed farming and stock raising; 
the ranch is admirably adapted to the latter pur- 
pose, having plenty of good water for his stock. 
He runs one hundred and fifty head of cattle, 
twenty-five horses and fifty to sixty hogs, and 
finds this a most profitable source of income. 
Mrs. Niehus owns in her own right one thousand 
two hundred and eighty acres additional. 

Mr. Niehus was married October 19, 1894, 
to Mrs. i\lary Rademacher, a native of Hanover, 
Germany, who came to this country in 1882. 

Air. Niehus is a Republican, and lends his 
influence for good govennnent. both local and 
national. 



\\"ELLINGTON WHITE. 

Mr. White was born in Holton. Maine, May 
2, 1840. He lived in Maine until the age of 
fourteen, going then to \\'isconsin with his 
parents, in which state he lived until 1861. 

r)n September 2, 1861. Mr. \\'hite enlisted in 
the Third Wisconsin Battery Light Artillery, 
and was mustered out October 10, 1864. He 
was wounded in the battle of Stone River and 
was laid up in the hospital for two months. He 
also took part in the battles of Stone River, 
Chickamauga. Rcsaca. Peach Tree Creek, siege 
of .-Xtlanta. and others. 

.\t the close of the war Mr. \\'hite returned 
to Wisconsin and at once moved to Minnesota, 
where he lived until 1886. He came to old Chey- 
enne county (now Deuel county). .April 7, 1886. 
He has been engaged in stock raising and fol- 
lowed the life of a ranchman for some years, and 
now resides in Lcwellen. Deuel county, where he 
is notary public, but has retired from active bus- 
iness. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



743 



He had four brothers in the United States 
service during the war of the Rebelhon. 

Mr. White's grandfather served through the 
entire war of the Revokition, and died at the 
advanced age of one hundred and ten years. 

Mr. White was married to Mary A. Langton, 
June 8, 1868, at Faribault, Minnesota. To this 
union were born six children, of which four are 
living: Arthur H., who is married; Grace M., 
wife of John Mevich : Emory C., also married ; 
and ]\Iaud B., wife of Wm. P. Clarke, all of 
whom live in Deuel county. Arthur H. lives 
five miles west of Lewellen, and Emory C. lives 
seven miles northeast of Lewellen. 

Mr. White homesteaded in 1889, taking a 
claim in township 18. range 41. On this claim 
he built a sod house and passed through the 
hardships incident to pioneer life on the frontier. 
His rights as a soldier were used to advantage 
in proving up on his claim and in 1890 he moved 
to the vicinity of Lewellen. 

The father of JMrs. White, William Langton, 
was born in England. He was married in his 
native land and Airs. White was born there. 
Mr. Langton was one of the prominent old set- 
tlers of southeast Minnesota. 



RALPH N. SWTGGART. 

Ralph N. Swiggart. who is in the front ranks 
of the younger members of the farming and 
ranching community of Grant county, is a pros- 
perous and up-to-date agriculturist of section 21, 
township 26, range 36, where he owns a com- 
fortable home surrounded by well-tilled fields, 
and is considered one of the worthy, public spir- 
ited citizens of his locality. 

Mr. Swiggart is a native Nebraskan, born in 
Lancaster county in 1873. He is a son of George 
W. Swiggart. of whom a sketch appears in this 
book, who was one of the pioneers in the w'estern 
part of the state.- He settled in Red W^illow 
county after his marriage to Miss Susie Doyle, 
of Lancaster county, Nebraska. The family 
moved to Redwillow county in 1873, then to 
Frontier county in 1875. where a part of Ralph's 
boyhood was spent, and in 1887 they located in 
Grant county, where he grew to manhood, and 
they have made that region their home ever 
since. He has been engaged in the ranching 
business since a boy, has learned thoroughly 
every detail connected with the work, and seen 
his share of western frontier life during his com- 
paratively short career. In 1895 he started out 
for himself, filing on his present ranch as a home- 
stead, and for the first year "batched it," and 
had a hard time to get his farm started, doing 



all the work of breaking up land for crops, car- 
ing for his stock, etc. In 1900 he was burned 
out, losing his barn, tools, grain, etc., and almost 
everything except his house, the loss amounting 
to many hundreds of dollars. He saw years of 
hard labor thrown away in the destruction of his 
buildings, crops, fuel and some live stock, and 
the disaster was a serious setback to him. He 
immediately went to work anew, building up 
the place even better than before the fire, and it 
is now in the finest shape, supplied with every 
improvement for the proper operation of a model 
ranch. Mr. Swiggart owns in all six hundred 
and forty acres, and his location is the very best 
for ranching and farming purposes. 

Our subject was united in marriage in 1896 
to Miss Jeanette Crossley, whose family was 
among the early settlers in western Nebraska. 
They have one child, Helen, aged eleven years. 
Mrs. Swiggart's parents are both dead. 

Since living in this region Mr. Swiggart has 
taken an active interest in local affairs, helping 
to build up his locality and working for its best 
interests at all times, and holds a high station 
as a leading citizen. For so young a man he 
has done exceedingly well in accumulating the 
nice property he possesses, and the family occupy 
a pleasant home and are well liked by their 
neighbors and associates. 



M. H. HIGGINS. 

M. H. Higgins, familiarly known as "Doc" 
Higgins, deserves a foremost place among the 
very old timers of western Nebraska. He has 
a fine ranch in Cherry county, his life has been 
one of many experiences, and he is honored as 
a public-spirited citizen and prosperous ranch- 
man of the locality, and a representative Ne- 
braskan, as his entire career has been spent in 
the state. 

Mr. Higgins was born in Jefferson county, 
Nebraska, in 1869. His father, Michael Hig- 
gins, was a railroad contractor and a prominent 
old-timer in the west. Our subject was reared 
in eastern Nebraska, on a farm, and was taught 
to do all sorts of hard work as a boy. One 
brother, George, was a pioneer in western Ne- 
braska, locating in Cherry county during its early 
history as a county, and both he and "Doc" 
helped in the construction of the Burlington rail- 
road when it was being built from Grand Island 
west, their father having the contract for the job 
at different points along the line. George Hig- 
gins made his home in Cherrv county up to 1899, 
during that time building up and developing the 
Box T Ranch, which he established in 1886, his 
brother, M. H., being associated with him. He 



744 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



made a success of the ranching business, and 
Doc worked for him for a number of years, 
finally starting for himself in 1896, settling on a 
ranch on section 2, township 26, range 27. He 
took a homestead, proved up on it, and while 
he has gone through some hardships in getting 
his home started, has been in the main successful 
and is now owner of one thousand six hundred 
acres, part of which is fenced, running quite a 
herd of cattle and other stock. He farms about 
forty acres, and has all good buildings and im- 
provements, deriving a nice income from his 
different enterprises. 

Mr. Higgins was married in 1900 to Miss 
Linda Milvin, whose father was a well known 
pioneer in Thomas county, owner of a good ranch 
there. To them have been born three children, 
George, Harry and James, all bright and inter- 
esting children, and they are a most happy fam- 
ily. Mr. Higgins is active in local affairs, and 
enjoys the esteem and respect of all who know 
;him. 



R. CLAYTON WORLEY. 

R. Clayton Worley, who lives with his mother 
on section 14, township 27. range 48. in Box 
Butte county, is a representative Nebraskan. hav- 
ing been born and reared in this state, and 
through thrift and industry, supplemented by up- 
rightness of character, has directed the attention 
of all to him as a worthy citizen and foremost 
resident of this section. He has lived with his 
mother, Mrs. C. S. Worley. all the time, except 
when away at school ; his father dying when our 
subject was only about six years old. 

Mr. \\"or!ey was born in Richardson county. 
Nebraska, in 1870. His jjarents at that time occu- 
pied the southwest quarter of section 3, township 
5. range 15. The father farmed all his life and 
came to this state from Indiana, where he met 
and married Celestia Cornell, also a native of 
that state. Our subject was reared on the home 
farm imtil the age of six years, at which time 
the father's death occurred, then the family came 
to Box Butte county. In 1884. when he was 
about fifteen years old, the mother filed on a 
tree claim, and on a pre-emption in 1885 in this 
county, and they decided to improve this farm 
and make a home of it. Their first dwelling 
was a tent, in which they lived for some time, 
then put up a sod house in which they settled 
about the first of December, 1885, as thev were 
having severe winter weather, the snow having 
completely covered the ground to a depth of two 
feet, as early as November 6th of that year, and 
the tent was not the warmest place imaginable 



in such a temperature. All the land, or claims, 
were taken in Mrs. C. S. Worley's name, the 
tree claim, pre-emption and homestead, and while 
living there they went through the usual pioneer 
experiences. Their first team was a pair of horses 
and a pair of oxen, and with them they broke up 
land for crops, did freighting and any kind of 
work in order to make a living. They remained 
here for two years, also took a homestead in 
section 23, and in time proved up on the claim. 
In 1894 our subject went to Lincoln and spent 
four years, attending school at that place, then 
returned to the farm and has since spent his en- 
tire time in improving and building up their 
property. He has been engaged in the cattle and 
horse business during most of the time since lo- 
cating here, so that the drouth years did not 
affect him so much. He constantly" added to 
their original acreage, until at one time the fam- 
ily owned about three thousand acres. They 
have sold some four hundred and eighty acres, 
leaving them now owners of about two thousand 
five hundred acres. They now have one hundred 
acres under cultivation, raising small grain, po- 
tatoes, etc. They keep about two hundred and 
fifty head of cattle, and have plenty of water from 
good wells, furnished with windmills and sup- 
ply tanks. 

Our subject's mother. Mrs. C. S. Worley, first 
settled in eastern Nebraska in 1856. where her 
parents were among the earliest settlers in that 
part of the state, their home being in Richard- 
son county. 

In political views Mr. Worley is a Democrat. 

Mrs. C. S. Worley relates many thrilling ex- 
]5eriences since she first settled in her home in 
Box Butte county, one in particular occurring in 
.\pril. 1904. Jean Thompson and wife had set- 
tled near here, and not having range enough of 
their own, began using Mrs. Worley's land on 
which to run their cattle. Mr. Worley became 
tired of the encroachments of these new people 
and went out in her buggy to drive the Tliomp- 
son cattle off her land. She was abused and 
severely treated by Thompson and his wife. Thev 
threw a lasso and lassoed the rear wheels of tTie 
buggy, throwing it completely over and catching 
Mrs. Worley underneath and dra,gging her for 
a long distance. They thought she would die 
for a long time and, in fact, she has never fully 
recovered from the effects of this dastardly treat- 
ment. It is fortunate this kind of treatment is 
no more jiossiblc in these later days. The 
Thompsons finally drifted away into the Sand 
Hill country. 

Mrs. \\'orley has three children : R. C. Wor- 
ley, who lives with his mother on the home ranch ; 
Lottie C. attending school at Madison, \\'is- 
consin, and will graduate this year with the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



745 



degree of Ph. D., and A. L. Worley, now the 
widow of IMr. W. H. Fanning-. 

A picture of the "Lone Tree Ranch'" is pre- 
sented on another page. 



CHRISTOPHER C. THOMPSON. 

Christopher C. Thompson, whose neat and 
attractive home is located in section 31, township 
33, range 28, has found Nebraska ranching and 
farming very satisfactory and profitable since he 
first estabHshed himself in Cherry county, and 
applied all his resources to the problems of agri- 
culture as presented by a wilderness, thought to 
be lacking in water and not far from the Great 
American Desert. It is noteworthy in this con- 
nection that the limits of that mythical region 
have steadily diminished as the tide of hardy and 
adventurous settlers like Mr. Thompson poured 
to the westward, until now it has disappeared 
from the maps, and no longer exists even in the 
fertile fancy of the space writer or the English 
traveler. 

Christopher C. Thompson was born on a farm 
in Grant county, Wisconsin, August 12, 1849. 
which his father, Uriah Thompson, had very 
successfully developed. The father was Ameri- 
can lx)rn and bred, a man of vast energy and 
mighty force of character, who when he was ad- 
vanced in years became interested in Nebraska 
land, and coming to Cherry county, located a 
homestead, on which he died at the great age of 
eighty-one years. His wife. Elizabeth Harrison, 
also belonged to an old American family, and 
was a worthy associate of her energetic and ca- 
pable husband. She was a cousin of the late Pres- 
ident Benjamin Harrison, and a descendant of 
his illustrious grandfather. They had seven 
children born to them, of whom Christopher C. 
was next to the oldest. 

The subject of this article was reared to man- 
hood on the Wisconsin homestead, and as a lad 
was familiar with all kinds of hard work that 
naturally attended the development of a farm 
in that wooded country, helping his father clear 
the land. When a young man he foimd employ- 
ment in the lumber camps and among the mills 
of the great pine country, and for fourteen vears 
was mainly engaged in lumbering and rafting 
two hundred miles above Minneapolis. When 
he had reached the age of twenty-seven vears, 
Mr. Thompson left Wisconsin, and traveled very 
extensively through the west and southwest, in 
Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, the Dakotas. 
Montana and Idaho, working on the range and 
starting in cattle raising, but finallv elected Ne- 
braska as the country that offered liim the great- 
est opportunity for the investment of such capi- 
tal of character and money as he could make. 



Mr. Thompson was married in Saunders 
county, April 6, 1877, to Miss Eliza Hannaman, 
whose parents, Thomas and Sarah ( Brazel ) Han- 
naman, were American born and bred, and de- 
voted to rural life. Air. and Mrs. Thompson 
became the parents of a numerous family of 
eleven children, of whom the three older girls, 
Cora, Florence and Rita, are married : John is 
at home ; Edward is in South Dakota : the other 
children, Daniel, Nettie, Walter, Nernie, Etta 
and William, are still under the parental roof 
tree. All the children, with the exception of 
Florence, were born in Nebraska. 

After their marriage Air. and Mrs. Thompson 
settled in Smith county and later in Decatur, 
Kansas, and tried farming, but an exceeding 
drouth could not be resisted, and they simply had 
to move out or die. They located in SaMnders 
county, Nebraska, for the winter of 1884, and 
for two or three years following lived in Loup 
county, Nebraska, their place being some forty 
miles from the railroad. On more than one oc- 
casion in hauling supplies or grain Mr. Thompson 
has camped out over night and slept under the 
wagon, not an uncommon experience by any 
means on the frontier in those days. 

In 1889 Air. Thompson settled on a ranch 
near Hackberry Lake, some thirty miles south- 
west of \'alentine. and began a cattle business 
for himself. Aluch success has attended his care- 
ful management, and lie now has about one hun- 
dred and fifty head of cattle and nearly a hun- 
dred horses. He raises thoroughbred race horses, 
and in the fall of 1906 took first prize in every 
race in wh'ch he entered his famous horse Blue 
Hawk. He stocked the lake and it has now be- 
come one of the best fishing points in the west. 
After spending some eleven years on the ranch 
he accepted a very favorable offer for its sale, 
and disposing of his interests here he spent some 
time in traveling through the northwest with his 
family in Alontana. After spending some five 
months, principally in the Flathead country, he 
returned to Cherry county, and bought the farm 
where he is to be found at the present time, well 
satisfied that taking all things into consideration 
it is difficult to find a better region than Ne- 
braska for a man who is alive and anxious to get 
on in the world. He owns six hundred acres 
fronting on the Niobrara river, and affording 
every opportunity for stock raising, gardening 
and general farming. In this tract are included 
the mouth of Gordon creek, and two other 
streams that rise from copious springs. One 
hundred acres of the land are under irrigation, 
and abundant crops are insured without much 
regard to the local rainfall. The ranch affords 
abundant timber both for fuel and building pur- 
poses, with wild and tame fruits, among which 
are some three hundred thrifty apple trees. 



746 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



There is also rock lor building and other requi- 
sites in ample supply. Altogether it is one of 
the most desirable agricultural establishments in 
northwestern Nebraska, and has been brought 
up to a high pitch of fertility by its energetic 
and capable owner. 

In political matters Mr. Thompson takes an 
entirely independent position, and votes for the 
best men regardless of partisan considerations. 
He is a typical Nebraskan, and is highly re- 
spected by all who know him. 



E. H. KYSER. 



E. H. Kyser. whose well-kept farm lies in 
Albany township. Harlem county, located on sec- 
tion 1 in 1877, and the following year home- 
steaded the one hundred and sixty acres where 
he now lives. His father. George, and brother. 
A. Kyser. came here the same year, homestead- 
ing the adjoining farm, which he built up in good 
shape and operated up to 1902. when the father 
sold it and returned to Genesee county. Michi- 
gan, where he originally came from, his death 
occurring there in 1906. aged seventy-six. He 
was a strong Republican up to the time of his de- 
mise, and an active public-spirited man all his 
his life. He was a member of the school board 
for many years, and clerk of the township where 
he lived for some time. He built the first school 
house in his locality, and hauled the wood for the 
school all through the first term, refusing to 
accept any remuneration for the work or fuel. 
When he first came here they were obliged to 
haul all produce for forty-five miles northeast of 
their homestead to Kearney, and kept this up 
for eight years, as it was the nearest market on 
the railroad. The Kysers all came from Oak- 
land county. Michigan, and all succeeded in 
building up good homes here, and were worthy 
and highly esteemed citizens of the count}'. A. 
Kyser sold his farm in 1905 and now lives at 
Kearney. 

E. H. Kyser was born in Shiawassee county. 
Michigan. His father and mother, both natives 
of New York state, settled in Oakland county 
when they were children, about the year 1836. 
and grew up there, going through all the pio- 
neer hardships while that state was still a ter- 
ritory, and when moving from Michigan to Ne- 
braska drove the entire distance in a wagon. 
C)ur subject's grandfather. Louis Kyser. was a 
soldier in the war of 1812. and died in Oakland 
county, where his wife also died. His grand- 
father on his mother's side, Louis Ames, was 
also a pioneer in r)akland county and died there, 
as did bis wife, who was Ellen Joslyn prior to her 
marriatje. .\fter the deatli <.t her lui'^linnd «he mar- 



ried Croston Lockwood. and our subject's young- 
est brother took the name of Martin Lockwood. 
He is now a merchant at Portsmouth, Ohio, and 
owns some land in Phelps county, this state, 
which he homesteaded many years ago. 

Mr. Kyser was married to Miss Minnie 
Pierce, daughter of John P. Pierce, homestead- 
ers near our subject's farm, who located in 
Phelps county in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Kyser 
have two sons, George and John. 

\\"hen Mr. Kyser first came to Albany town- 
ship he was the only Republican voter in the lo- 
cality, and since that time it has been steadily 
growing Republican until nearly every voter is 
of that party. He has been on the county com- 
mittee different times, and has been one of the 
active workers in the countv for the cause. 



a:mbrose hadley. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal review has been a resident of western Ne- 
braska for the past twenty-one years : and is 
well known as a leading pioneer and one of the 
influential men of his locality. He has been 
largely instrumental in the upbuilding of this 
region and has done his full share in establishing 
the schools here in Box Butte and Sheridan 
counties. 

Mr. Hadley was born in Sterling. Massachu- 
setts, in 1841. His father, Ebenezer Hadley, 
was a farmer by occupation, of English descent, 
born in Massachusetts. He married Mary Ann 
Holmes, and the family for many years lived in 
Massachusetts and later in New Hampshire, 
where our subject was reared and educated. At 
the age of fourteen years he left home, follow- 
ing a sailor's fortunes on fishing boats along the 
Atlantic coast, continuing at this up to June. 1861, 
when he enlisted in Company H. Second Rhode 
Island Infantry. He was in the Army of the 
Potomac during the whole term of service, and 
saw much hard fighting, participating in many 
famous actions. He first enlisted May 5. 1861, 
and was mustered out in 1863. He then re- 
enlisted at once to serve during the balance of 
the war at Brandy Station, Virginia. He was badly 
wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. Mr. 
Hadley was mustered out in 186.^, and then went 
to Boston where he worked on the street railway 
and remained there for twenty years, part of the 
time driving hack. During this time he had his 
body tattooed and afterwards traveled with cir- 
cuses and was on e.xhibition at different museums 
all over the United States, almost every part of 
his body being covered with tattooing except his 
face. He is an authority on this work, having 
made a careful study of its principles, and has 



COMPEXDIOI OF HISTORY, RE:MIXISCEX-CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



747 



written various articles relating to the subject. 

In April, 1887, Mr. Hadley came to Nebraska 
and located in Sheridan county, arriving in Hay 
Springs on April 21st of that year. He filed on 
a tract of land in section 19. township 26, range 
46, Sheridan county, on landing here, putting up 
a sod shanty, where he "batched it" for quite a 
while. In 1889 he was joined by his wife and 
thev together started to make a home. About 
this time the drouths began to effect this region 
and the hard times they experienced caused them 
to give up struggling to make a living there. 
There were many times when for six months all 
they had to subsist, on was corn meal and bread 
and milk, while for meat they had to depend on 
the wild game our subject could kill with his 
gun, and often were they obliged to suffer the 
pangs of hunger. He finally gave up and aban- 
doned his homestead, moving to his brother's 
farm in Box Butte county. There he did well, 
paid up all of his old debts and made money. 
In 1898 he sold off his personal property and 
emigrated to Arkansas, driving overland all of 
the way. camping out along the road, but after 
locating did not like the country, so only re- 
mained a short time, and then returned to Ne- 
braska, purchasing his present farm situated in 
section 22, township 26. range 47. Here he has 
fixed everything up in good shape, has nice 
buildings, fences, planted orchards, etc. Forty 
acres are under cultivation and he raises small 
grain, potatoes and corn. He has done exceed- 
ingly well, and is considered well-to-do, owning 
besides this farm some property at Alliance. 

In 1880 Mr. Hadley was married to Aliss 
Elizabeth Metz, and to them have been born four 
children, namely : \'alentine. who is married, now 
living in Box Butte county : Fred A.. John B. and 
\lolet M., who still live with their parents, mak- 
ing a congenial family and a happy home. 

Mr. Hadley is a broad-minded, well informed 
man. and is a typical representative of his part 
of the country. — has seen nearly all parts of this 
country, having traveled extensively during his 
younger years, and is an interesting character. 

He votes the Democratic ticket, and his wife 
is a stronger Democrat than he is. The Hadley 
home is a fine place for the traveler, and the 
visitor is rovallv entertained. 



RICHARD WILLIAMS. 

The subject of this review, Richard Williams, 
of North Platte, Nebraska, is familiar to all the 
people of this locality, as well as to the travel- 
ing public, is a genial and accommodating rail- 
road man. and a good citizen of the above town. 

Mr. Williams is a native of Mercer count\'. 



Illinois, and was brought up in Cook county, that 
state. His father, Thomas \\'illiams, was born 
in \\'ales, who came to this country when a 
young man, settling in the middle states during 
the pioneer days. In 1888 our subject came 
west, locating at Denver, and began to work for 
the Union Pacific railroad, and since that time 
has been with the company continuously, acting 
in the capacity of brakeman and conductor, trav- 
eling between North Platte and Cheyenne. North 
Platte and Denver. In 1894 he moved to North 
Platte, and has since resided here. He owns 
a nice home and the family is highly respected 
and esteemed by all who know them. Since Mr. 
Williams commenced with the Union Pacific rail- 
road people he has been very successful in his 
work, and gained the confidence and trust of 
his employers, and has never had the misfortune 
to have an accident on his line. 

Mr. Williams was married in 1890 to Miss 
Sarah WagstaiT, born in Dundas, Ontario, Can- 
ada, daughter of Walter and Sarah Wagstafif, 
the latter born in Dublin, Ireland, of Scotch 
blood. Walter Dundas was born in Niagara, 
Canada, also of Scotch blood. 'Sir. and Mrs. 
\Mlliams have no family. The former's mother 
resides with him, her maiden name having been 
Isabelle Holsworth. 

Mr. Williams is a member of the Order of 
Railway Conductors, Lodge No. 35. of North 
Platte, and also belongs to the Knights of 
Pvthias. 



JOHN F. HOWARD. 

John F. Howard, residing in \A'hitney, Dawes 
county, is one of the oldest settlers in western 
Nebraska, and by his efforts he has aided mater- 
ially in the development of the agricultural and 
commercial resources of his county. Mr. How- 
ard is a gentleman of most estimable character, 
highly respected in the community and one of 
the leading old-timers of the section. 

^Ir. Howard was born in Clark county, Mis- 
souri, in December, 1839. His father, Isaac 
Howard, was of old American stock, born and 
raised in Virginia, who married Miss Elizabeth 
Morris, of Kentucky, the latter dying .April 7, 
1907, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years 
and five months. At this writing the father is 
still living in Iowa and is ninety years old. Our 
subject's grandfather and great-grandfather were 
also American born, the latter serving in the 
Revolutionary War. 

\\'hen our subject was twelve years of age 
the family moved to Iowa, where he grew to 
manhood on a farm, helping his parents in all 
the hard work of building up a farm and home 
in a new country, and attending the country 



748 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



schools where he received his early education, 
later attending college at Birmingham. Iowa. 
Our subject enlisted in Company H. Third Iowa 
Cavalrv. August 15, 1861. served during the war. 
being first mustered out January 1. 1864, and 
then re-entering the service was finally mustered 
out August 9, 1865. Mr. Howard was truly a 
war veteran, seeing service though Georgia and 
Alabama and all through the south and west. 
He started farming in Iowa in 1866 and re- 
mained there up to 1885, then came to Dawes 
county, filing on a homestead in section 1. town- 
ship 32. range 51. At that time the railroad 
was only laid as far as Chadron. He spent three 
years here, starting his farm, and "batching it." 
part of the time working at the carpenter's trade, 
his first house being a plank shanty 12 x 14 in 
size and lived in this shack for two years, then 
his family joined him here and they built up a 
good home and farm. In Iowa Mr. Howard 
was a pioneer and handled ox teams, leading a 
regular frontierman's life, then came to Ne- 
braska and went through the same experiences, 
so that nearly his entire lifetime has been spent 
in building up a new country. In Iowa he lived 
in different counties, — Van Buren, Madison and 
Warren county. After coming to Nebraska he 
met with failures of crops, caused by drouths, 
and had many discouragements, but has suc- 
ceeded in accumulating a nice property, and owns 
one thousand two hundred acres of land, which 
includes a son's homestead. He cultivates sixty 
acres, and has a seventy-acre field of alfalfa, en- 
gaging quite extensively in stock raising, run- 
ning seventy head of cattle and fourteen horses. 
His place is well improved w-ith good buildings. 
fences, etc.. and he has plenty of timber, water 
and fruit. 

Mr. Howard is now serving as assessor for 
his district. He has been justice of the peace 
for several years, also on the school board for 
sixteen years, and was one of the organizers of 
different schools in his section. He is a strong 
Republican. 

Mr. Howard was united in marriage in Iowa 
in 1867. to Miss Elizabeth Mnore. daughter of 
Littleton L. Moore, a retired farmer and old set- 
tler in \''an Buren county. Mrs. Howard was 
born in Ohio in 1845. and she died in Dawes 
county May 28. 1905. leaving a family of seven 
children, named as follows: Walter C.. Minnie 
M.. Lnla M.. Arthur E.. Earl V.. William N., 
and Mabel (deceased). 



T. C. BERRY. 



J. C. Berry, who resides on section 8. town- 
ship 24. range 45. Sheridan county, is well known 
throughout this region as a successful ranchman 



and Antioch Postoffice is located at his resi- 
dence, and Mr. and Mrs. Berry have been con- 
nected with the mail service since 1891. Mrs. 
Berry has been serving as postmistress for the 
past two years. Mr. Berry is also a retail dealer 
in lumber and coal at Reno. Nebraska. He also 
has a wholesale lumber plant at Orville. South 
Dakota. 

Mr. Berry was born in Fairfield county. Ohio, 
at New Salem, in 1852. and was raised there un- 
til twelve years of age. His father, who died 
in 1856, was a native of Ohio, farmer by occu- 
pation, and his mother, who was Lvdia Mover 
prior to her marriage, was of German descent, 
and two years after his father's death she was 
married to Samuel Stuart. The family came to 
Sheridan, Iowa, in 1865, where his stepfather 
engaged in the general merchandise business, 
freighting his goods from Eddyville. thirty-seven 
miles. They lived there for a year, then moved 
on a farm, still continuing the merchandise busi- 
ness at Sheridan. At the age of twenty-one he 
left his mother's home and went to r^Iills county, 
where he worked on the Strahn farm, in that 
county, and at twenty-three began working on 
the railroad, which he followed up to 1875. He 
had a brother-in-law in Nebraska at that time 
who wrote our subject to come on, so he came 
through to see the country and liked the place 
so well that he took a tree claim in section 1, 
township 24. range 45, and later a pre-emption 
in section 3, also homestead in section 8. holding 
all three, besides an additional four hundred and 
eighty acres. He came here with the stock rais- 
ing idea, so started in and increased his stock 
as fast as possible, buying his first cattle with 
money which he earned from picking up bones 
on his farm. He has kept on in the cattle busi- 
ness ever since, and has had good success from 
the start, and added to his land until he owns 
three thousand five hundred acres, farming a lit- 
tle each year, but devoting most of his time to 
his stock, ^^'hen he first located here he intended 
to stay for a year and a half, but has made this 
his home for the past twenty years, and is con- 
tented to stay for the balance of his life. When 
he arrived his sole capital was seventy-five dol- 
lars in money and his household goods, and he 
began by milking cows to support his family, 
and still ships some cream during the summers. 
He runs three hundred and fifty cattle and one 
hundred and twenty-five horses all the time. He 
has started some alfalfa and brome grass on his 
farm, and expects to make a success of it. as the 
soil is well adapted for its culture. 

In 1875 Mr. Berry was married to Miss Lou- 
isa B. Wilson, of Lucas county. Iowa. To Mr. 
and ^Irs. Berry have been born the following 
children: Minnie L., Fannie L.. Todd P.. Nellie 




J. C. BERRY AND FAMILY. 
Typical Sod House Erected in 1891. Sheridan County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



749 



F., Myrtle E., Manchie R. and Omar, the last 
mentioned having died when a young child. All 
of their children are married and living near the 
old homestead except one. Mr. Berry has 
erected a very fine frame dwelling on his farm, 
all fitted in up-to-date style with modern con- 
veniences, good barns, out buildings, etc. Mr. 
Berry came to this locality in November of the 
year 1888, and in February of the following 
year he organized a school district, and they have 
always had a good school for their children ever 
since, located about a mile from the homestead. 
He is always interested in whatever is for the 
benefit of the people of his communit}', and is 
one of the public-spirited citizens of his locality, 
voting for the best man regardless of party. 
At one time Mr. Berry was engaged in the con- 
fectionery business in Iowa, but only carried that 
on for a short time. He is an exceptionally 
good business man, possessing good judgment 
and enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fel- 
lowmen to a marked degree. 

An interesting picture is presented on an- 
other page, showing the typical sod house of 
Mr. Berry and family, erected in 1891. 



HENRY HERMSMEYER, Deceased. 

The name of Henry Hermsmeyer is a fa- 
miliar one among the residents of Brown coun- 
ty, Nebraska. Prior to his demise he was 
recognized as one of the representative farm- 
ers and an old settler of this section, where he 
had resided for the past twenty-two years. 

Mr. Hermsmeyer was born April 19, 1840, 
in the village of V^alldorf, Province of West- 
fal, in the kingdom of Prussia. He was reared 
on his father's farm, and served in the Ger- 
man army through two wars, that with Den- 
mark in 1864. and with Austria in 1866 and 
1867. After his time of service in the army 
expired he worked on a farm there for a sea- 
son. In 1867 he was married to Miss Louisa 
Steinmeyer, daughter of Ernest Steinmeyer, a 
merchant in Valldorf. With his young wife 
he came to America that year, sailing from 
Bremen in the ship America in the latter part 
of September and landing about the first of 
October in New York. Immediately on landing 
they went to Philadelphia, where Mr. Herms- 
meyer worked for Ernst Steinmeyer, a brother- 
in-law, in his store for one year and seven 
months. Coming west he located in Missouri, 
twenty miles from W^ashington, where he 
farmed for four years. In 1873 he moved his 
family to Iowa and remained eleven years, ac- 
quiring a farm of eighty acres in Cherokee 
county. He at first came to Brown county. 



Nebraska, in 1884, settling on a homestead 
near Ainsworth, also filing on a tree claim, 
which now constitutes a part of his estate. He 
put up a frame house and went to work build- 
ing up his farm, and was just starting when 
the drouth came on and his crops were ruined 
for several years in succession; hailstorms, 
then prevalent throughout this region, de- 
stroyed another crop entirely. He also suf- 
fered heavy losses by the death of horses in 
these early days, and altogether these years 
were times of hardships and privations, the 
family becoming well-nigh discouraged. After 
many years of earnest effort and perseverance 
times changed, he began to lay up a little 
money, and continued to improve his farm, 
putting up good buildings, gradually added 
to his acreage until before his death, which 
occurred April 27, 1906, he was owner of six 
and a half quarter sections of good land, well 
improved. He had planted a large number of 
trees, forming a fine grove surrounding his 
farm buildings, with a good house and excel- 
lent equipment for the operating of a model 
farm. 

When Air. Hermsmeyer first came to this 
locality there were only two stores in Ains- 
worth, and the country surrounding was very 
sparsely populated. He and his family were 
about the first to settle in this neighborhood, 
where he has done his full share in the build- 
ing up of the community and aiding in the 
development of the agricultural interests. 

At his death Mr. Hermsmeyer left a family 
of five children, namely: Fred, who married 
Doretta Schelm, of Iowa ; Henry, Alvina, wife 
of Albert Allies, Carl and Ida. three of 
whom are living with their mother on the 
homestead. In politics Mr. Hermsmeyer was 
a Democrat; the family are communicants of 
the Lutheran church. 



HANS GUNDERSON. ' 

Hans Gunderson, one of the prominent 
residents of Kimball county, Nebraska, was 
born in Norway, August 12, 1866. He came to 
America with his parents and three brothers, 
arriving here in 1873, settling at first in 
Omaha, Nebraska, where they lived for fifteen 
years, and there two more sons were born. 
The father and mother are now living nine 
miles west of Blair, the boys being scattered 
in different parts of the country. One brother, 
George, resides in Kimball, and a sketch of 
him appears elsewhere in this volume. Hans 
was the second son in the family, and at the 
age of twenty-two years came to Kimball 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, landing in the region in the spring of 
the year 1888. Here he took a homestead, 
proved up on the same and then sold out. He 
later took a Kincaid claim of four hundred and 
eighty acres, situated on section 22, township 
14, range 54, and also owns another quarter 
section, besides controlling some leased school 
land an an interest in a half section in the 
township in which he lives. 

Mr. Gunderson has built up a fine ranch, 
which is devoted almost exclusively to stock 
raising, rujining about two thousand five hun- 
dred head of sheep each year. He has made a 
success of the sheep business and is one of the 
most prominent ranchmen in the county. He 
has put many improvements on his place, and 
has plenty of hay and pasture for his stock, 
also has about sevent}' acres under cultiva- 
tion. 

Mr. Gunderson was married to Belle Sny- 
der, in Harrisburg. Banner county, Nebras- 
ka, on November 16, 1891. She is a native of 
Iowa, where she was raised. Mrs. Gunder- 
son's father is dead, and her mother now re- 
sides in Tennessee. Three children have come 
to bless their union, named as follows : Aye I., 
Efifie and Mervin, all at home. 

Since locating in this region Mr. Gunder- 
son has been unceasing in his efTorts to assist 
in booming every laudable enterprise in the 
community, and as a citizen he has shown 
himself broad-minded and public-spirited to 
the last degree. He takes a deep interest in 
school aflfairs, and is now serving as director 
of district No. 26. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. 



EMIL GEBHART. 

Among the leading old settlers of Perkins 
county, Nebraska, none is more widely known 
or more highly esteemed than the gentleman 
whose name appears at the head of this article. 
For many years Mr. Gebhart has been identi- 
fied with the agricultural interests of Perkins 
county, and has done his full share toward 
bringing about the present prosperity enjoyed 
by the residents of that locality. He has a 
pleasant home and a well cultivated and im- 
proved estate. 

Mr. Gebhart was born in Cass county, Ill- 
inois, in 1863, of German parentage, the father 
being a native of Alsace, Germany, while the 
mother was born in Hesse, they coming to 
America as young people. Our subject was 
reared in Illinois, receiving a common school 
education, and at the age of twenty-three 
struck out for himself, coming to Nebraska. 



locating in Perkins county, and filed on a 
homestead on section 30, township 10, range 
38. In the spring of 1887 he came with his 
family and built a shanty eight by twelve feet, 
and spent the first year in it. He was here 
when the county was organized and the loca- 
tion of the county seat was decided upon. 
During the dry years Mr. Gebhart lost several 
crops, and went through hard times in getting 
his farm started. He gradually improved his 
place in good shape and has accumulated a 
nice property, having a ranch of eight hundred 
acres of deeded land, with about the same 
amount leased. This he has fitted up with 
good buildings of all kinds, and cultivates 
about one hundred and fifty acres, devoting 
the balance to pasture and hayland. His 
residence is situated on section 31, where he 
moved in 1906. He runs, quite a large bunch 
of stock, and is one of the progressive agri- 
culturists and stockmen of the vicinity. 

Mr. Gebhart was married in 1887 to Miss 
Mary Blome, who was born near Petersburg, 
Illinois, of German parents. They have three 
children, named as follows: Ella, Bertha and 
Ralph. Our subject is a strong Republican, 
and is active in politics in his locality. 



L. H. HEWETT. 

Among the representative farmers of Sher- 
idan county the above gentleman holds a 
prominent place. He was one of the first set- 
tlers in this locality and is well known in the 
community, enjoj'ing the respect and esteem 
of his associates and neighbors. He is one of 
the very old timers, having attended the c®n- 
vention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for 
president the first time. 

Mr. Hewett was born in Ohio in 1831. His 
father. Harvey Hewett, was a native of Maine, 
a farmer by occupation, and his mother. Mir- 
iam (Hunt) Hewett. was also born and raised 
in Maine. When our subject was six years of 
age his parents came west, locating in Illinois 
with their family of three boys and three girls, 
of whom he is the third member. At the age 
of twent}'-one he got the gold fever and started 
for the gold mines of Oregon, and remained in 
the west until 18.^7. when he returned to Illi- 
nois and lived there until 1885. but never liked 
the country as a money-making pro])osition. 
He was for a time engaged in the farming and 
stock raising business in Illinois, and then in 
1885 came to Sheridan county. Nebraska, set- 
tling on section 11. township 33. range 43. 
where he still lives. This ranch comprises 
three hundred and twentv acres of deeded 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



751 



land, and part of it is devoted to farming and 
the balance to hay and pasture land. 

During the dry years, from 1891 to 1899, 
he stuck to farming until he lost about every- 
thing he had through failure of his crops, then 
gave it up and went into the stock business, 
and since the beginning of the better years 
he has been very successful in both farming 
and stock raising. In 1906 his wheat crop 
yielded twenty-six bushels to the acre, and his 
rye crop turned out equally as well. He has 
done exceedingly well since coming here, and 
although he has seen his share of hardships and 
discouragements he is satisfied that he has 
done much better than he could have done 
anywhere else, where he would have been 
obliged to rent land instead of coming where 
he could get it free. He has worked hard, 
and now would like to take it a little easy, and 
should he receive a fair offer for his farm, 
would sell and move to town. His place is 
well improved with a complete set of sub- 
stantial farm buildings, and everything is 
run in a businesslike manner and shows evi- 
dence of good management and thrift. 

In 1859 Mr. Hewett was married to Miss 
Hannah W. Morey, born in Fulton county, 
Illinois, in 1839. Her father, Amos Morey, 
was born and raised in Maine while that state 
was still a province, and her mother was a 
native of New York state. The parents of 
both Mr. and Mrs. Hewett were among the 
early settlers of Illinois, locating there in 
1837. Four children have been born to our 
subject and his wife, who are named as fol- 
lows; Alice Coralinn, Bruce H.. Frank M. 
and Clarence M. 

In political faith Mr. Hewett is a Repub- 



OLIVER B. HOLLENBECK. . 

One of the most successful agriculturists 
of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, may be found 
in the person of Oliver B. Hollenbeck, who has 
followed farming in the above county for 
many years past. He is numbered among the 
early settlers in this part of the state, and has 
contributed his full share towards the building 
up of the community in which he chose his 
home. 

Mr. Hollenbeck is a native of Wayne coun- 
ty. West Virginia, born May 7, 1852. His 
father, Henry Hollenbeck, was born in Vir- 
ginia in 1812, and his grandfather was a soldier 
in the war of that date, as was also his great- 
grandfather, in the Revolutionary war. The 
mother, Margaret Ricketts, was born in Mary- 



land. The Hollenbeck family were among 
the early settlers in the eastern states during 
the colonial days. Of a family of eight chil- 
dren our subject is the sixth member, and was 
reared in West Virginia until 1865, when the 
family moved to Iroquois county, Illinois. At 
the age of eleven or twelve years he started in 
life for himself in West Virginia, and has 
made his own way ever since. His older 
brothers served in the Civil war. The family 
moved to Illinois in 1865, and there he fol- 
lowed farm labor for several years, herding 
cattle at times and tilled rented land for a few 
years. In 1883 he came west and settled in 
what is now Keya Paha county, Nebraska, 
taking a homestead in section 33, township 33. 
range 19. The following year he started to 
improve his place, putting up a board shanty, 
and other rude buildings. He had not much 
to start with, but owned a team of mules, and 
began cultivating his land, but the dry years 
soon came on and two crops in succession were 
ruined, which was a heavy loss to him in those 
times. He had to cope with the disadvantages 
of those early days, being obliged to haul sup- 
plies many miles through unbroken country, 
and with none of the improvements to make 
things easy to work with. 

His ranch now comprises one thousand 
forty acres divided in two pieces, and except- 
ing the homestead which he took when he 
first settled here has been purchased outright. 
Three hundred acres of this is cultivated, and 
the balance is in pasture and grass land. The 
farm is improved with substantial buildings, 
all fenced, and is one of the most valuable in 
the locality. A view of the place will be found 
on another page. 

Mr. Hollenbeck was married in Vermillion 
county, Illinois, December 8, 1876, to Miss 
Emma Gilmore, whose parents, Robert H. and 
Elizabeth (Farrow) Gilmore, resided on a farm 
in Vermillion county. Mr. and Mrs. Hollen- 
beck have a family of seven children, named as 
follows: Robert, Martin (deceased), Dolly, 
wife of Ira Cline ; Ella, widow of Joseph H. 
Fisher; Hugh, a twin of Laura, who married 
Edward E. Fisher, and Minnie. 

During Mr. Hollenbeck's life he has been 
engaged in many enterprises and has been 
very successful in all his undertakings, owing 
to his strict integrity and honest dealings, and 
has won the respect and esteem of his fellow- 
men by his sterling character. 

He held the office of justice of the peace 
since 1885 excepting three or four years, and 
proved a most efficient official. He has also 
held different school offices and is always 
actively interested in all matters which tend 



752 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to the advancement of conditions in his local- 
ity. In political faith he is a Republican. The 
family worship in the Congregational church. 



F. F. \'ERSAW. 



F. F. \'ersa\v. who, as a land-owner of 
Franklin county, has done his share toward 
the development of the agricultural resources 
of that region, and leading old settler of Ne- 
braska, is a widely known and universally re- 
spected citizen. He is a man of wide exper- 
ience and good business judgment, whose in- 
tegrity and honesty have placed him among 
the prosperous men of his community. Mr. 
Versaw resides in Bloomington township, 
where he has a fine farm and home. 

^Ir. Versaw is a native of Berrien county, 
Michigan, and his father was also born in 
that county, the latter's father having been the 
first settler in that section. Our subject came 
to Johnson county, Nebraska, in 1881, with his 
parents, and his father, F. E. Versaw, now re- 
sides in Adams county, where he owns a good 
farm. He grew up in that section, and began 
for himself when twenty-one years of age, 
farming and stock raising, feeding cattle and 
hogs, and was very successful. In 1900 he 
came to Franklin county, but before that had 
bought some land in Macon township, and he 
now owns over eight hundred acres there. In 

the past he has paid from thirteen up to fifty 
dollars per acre for his land, showing the 
rapid rise in values. In 1906 he bought one 
hundred and sixty acres of good land in Bloom- 
ington township, with a fine residence on the 
property, and here is engaged in mixed farm- 
ing. He is about the only man in the county 
who has met with pronounced success in hand- 
ling sheep. He engaged in that business for 
several years. 

Mr. Versaw was united in marriage to 
Miss Minnie Cook, daughter of Ed. Cook, 
who came to Otoe county, Nebraska, as a pio- 
neer about 1860, when he was a boy, with his 
parents, and spent all his life here, his death 
occurring in the village of Cook, Johnson coun- 
ty, 1905, aged fifty-seven years. His father, 
Andrew Cook, was one of the first settlers in 
Otoe county, and he afterwards moved to 
Johnson county with his family, taking up a 
homestead there. The Cooks came from Ra- 
cine, Wisconsin, originally from England, 
landing in America about 1850. Ed. Cook 
freighted over the plains of Nebraska and Col- 
orado in the early days. He married Mary, 
daughter of John Brooks, who settled in John- 



son county about 1865, coming from near Erie, 
Pennsylvania. There were several Brooks 
brothers, all locating in that vicinity. 

Honorable Andrew Cook was a territorial 
officer of Nebraska. (See History of Nebras- 
ka of 1882.) He was county commissioner, 
and ojne of the organizers of Johnson county, 
and a very influential man in his community. 
The town of Cook was laid out by his son, 
William Cook, taking its name from the fa- 
ther. 

Air. and Mrs. \'ersaw have a family of four 
children, named as follows: Paul Edward, 
Herbert Earl, Willie King and Mary Chris- 
tine. Our subject's mother was Sarah King, 
daughter of Rev. Job King, a native of Ver- 
mont, who settled in New York state, and 
then in Ohio, later a pioneer of Berrien coun- 
ty, Michigan, and widely known as an effec- 
tive preacher of Methodism in those primitive 
days. The father, F. E. \'ersaw, was a sol- 
dier in the Civil war for four and a half years, 
a member of the Third Michigan Cavalry, in 
the western army most of the time, seeing 
hard service in Arkansas and Texas. 

Mr. and Mrs. Versaw are fine re])rcscnta- 
tives of the second generation of Xebraskans, 
and both take an active and intelligent interest 
in the growth of their state. They are ajjpre- 
ciative of the pioneer founders of Nebraska in 
their early hardships and struggles, and be- 
lieve firmly in a great future for the state. 

Mr. V"ersaw has three brothers in Nebraska 
— Herbert, of Johnson county, and John and 
Charles, of Macon township. 



JOHN TAYLOR WATSON. 

John Taylor Watson, familiarly known to 
his friends and intimates as "Pete Watson," 
one of the best known and most highly es- 
teemed citizens of Sioux county, has been a 
resident of that region since its early settle- 
ment by white men. He has aided materially 
in its development, has opened up fine farms 
throughout the western part of the state of 
-Xebraska. and now resides on his highly cul- 
tivated estate in section 15, township 26, range 
55. For many years he has taken an active 
part in every affair of public moment, has been 
one of the foremost citizens in every celebra- 
tion in this region, acting as special marshal 
on numerous occasions when a representative 
settler and prominent official was needed, and 
well has he upheld the honor of his commun- 
ity. He is equally well known throughout 
Box Butte, Dawes and Sheridan counties, hav- 
ing been all over this part of the state, and no 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



753 



occasion is complete unless "Pete Watson" is 
numbered among the participants. 

Mr. Watson was born in Henry county, 
Iowa, in 1848, and was a Christmas present 
to his parents, first seeing the light of day on 
December 25th of that year. His father, 
Madison James Watson, lived on a farm in 
Cass county, Iowa, about two years, and was 
widely known through that part of the state 
as an influential citizen, a great hunter in the 
early days, meeting his death in 1856 in run- 
ning wolves with hounds. 

Our subject grew up in the vicinity of his 
birthplace, receiving a limited education, and 
at the age of eighteen started out for himself. 
In 1885 he came to Nebraska and filed on a 
homestead in Sheridan county, which was 
then barren prairie land, the nearest town be- 
ing Hay Springs. His first building was a 
rude shanty, and he started to develop a farm, 
breaking up land for crops, working in every 
way to prove up on his land. Soon after locat- 
ing here he took up a tree claim in Box Butte 
county, and proved up on that also, farming 
from two to three hundred acres, bending 
every effort to gain a good home and im- 
prove his property. In those days there was 
plenty of wild game roaming the state, and 
as he was a fearless hunter, he can relate some 
very interesting and exciting tales of hunting 
trips which he with others took through the 
country, and it was on one of these expeditions 
that he first saw Sioux county, coming through 
that locality in 1896 with a pack of fourteen 
dogs looking for wolves, which were to be 
found in plenty in the unsettled portions of 
the county. He made wolf hunting his busi- 
ness for several years, and on these journeys 
traveled all through western Nebraska south 
of the Platte river, at many times having thrill- 
ing encounters with the savage beasts. His 
tactics in killing a big wolf was by putting a 
club in the animal's mouth and in that man- 
ner had the advantage of the wolf. He killed 
many a gray wolf in the above manner, his dogs 
catching and holding the beast until he came 
up to them, when he would let the wolf grab 
the club and he would dispatch him as quick- 
ly as possible. During late years Mr. ^^'atson 
has done little hunting, as wild game is prac- 
tically driven out of the country by the settlers, 
and he has given his whole attention to his 
ranching and farm duties. He controls in 
all over five sections of land, part of which is 
owned by his nephews, and other of his rel- 
atives. 

In 1870 our subject was married to Jose- 
phine Johnson. Mrs. Watson died in July, 
1899; and he was married the second time to 



Mrs. Matilda Albright, November, 1901, and 
in December, 1907, she, too, passed away. 

In personal appearance Mr. Watson is a 
splendid specimen of manhood, standing six 
feet two and a half inches, and weighing over 
two hundred pounds. He is a gentleman o£ 
pleasing personality, whole-souled and jovial 
in disposition, and one whom it is a pleasure 
to know. He always rides good horses and 
no one rides ahead of him. In 1890 and 1891 
Mr. Watson was at the head of the Indian 
campaign at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. 



HON. P. C. FUNK. 

Probably no citizen in Phelps county is 
better known for his active public spirit and 
sound business judgment than the subject of 
this review, proprietor of four hundred acres 
in section 9, Divide township, devoted to farm- 
ing and stock raising, and fitted with every im- 
provement necessary for the operation of a 
model farm. He also owns three hundred and. 
twenty acres of farm land in Anderson town- 
ship. 

Mr. Funk located on the same lands in 1879, 
and as a farmer and stock raiser has been pro- 
gressive and successful. He deals extensively 
in hogs, having about one hundred Poland. 
Chinas on hand all the time. He is the mam 
who introduced Polled Angus cattle in this 
locality in 1887, and has one hundred of these 
pure-bred animals, which he sells on the mar- 
ket. 

In 1864 Mr. Funk enlisted in the Third 
Ohio Cavalry, near Toledo, Ohio, and served'- 
until the close of the war in the Army of the- 
Tennessee, under Thomas and Sherman in alT 
the Atlanta battles and campaigns, then back: 
toward Nashville, by reason of being remount- 
ed at Louisville. 

Mr. Funk has been active in getting im- 
provements of all kinds in his community. 
He was the first in this county to take up the 
establishment of farmers' telephone lines, and 
built the line from Funk to Heydon. Also 
was instrumental in getting free rural delivery- 
routes established. In 1887 he took up the- 
matter of getting a railway station in Divide 
township, visiting the Burlington officials and 
pressing the matter upon their attention with 
such good results that they established the 
station seven miles east of Holdrege, naming 
it Funk, after our subject. The population 
of Funk is three hundred, and more business 
is done at this station that at any station of 
its size on this line of railway They have 
three elevators here with a capacity of fifty- 



754 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



five to sixty thousand bushels, and the freight 
laid down at Funk last year amounted to over 
sixty thousand dollars. 

Mr. Funk farmed in Iowa prior to coming 
to Nebraska, but says this state is far ahead 
of Iowa, and has great faith in its possibili- 
ties as a farming and stock raising country. 
In 1906 he built a fine modern residence in 
Funk and located there, his farm being ope- 
rated by his daughter and her husband. His 
only son, Harry, is proprietor of a drug store 
in Funk. 

In political sentiment Mr. Funk was a 
strong Republican up to 1890. when he joined 
the Populist party, and has been very active 
in working for its principles in this locality 
and throughout the state in the county cen- 
tral committee and at all state conventions. 
He is now (1906) candidate for his party for 
representative in the state legislature, and was 
elected and served one term, and is now a can- 
didate for re-election. He was a member of 
the county board in 1884-85-86. and 1903 and 
1904, and in 1892 and 1893 served his county 
as treasurer. 



WILLIAM A. RANDALL. 

William A. Randall, one of the pioneer set- 
tlers of Box Butte county, and classed as one 
of its substantial farmers and worthy citizens, 
is the owner of a fine ranch consisting of 
twelve hundred and eighty acres, in township 
26, range 52. He is one of the leading old- 
timers of western Nebraska, has always taken 
an active part in the upbuilding of his local- 
ity, and deserves special mention for his loy- 
alty to his adopted state. 

Mr. Randall was born in Iresburg, Ver- 
mont, in 1863. His father, Clark Randall, was 
a jeweler, druggist, marine engineer, a man of 
much ability and could turn his hand to many 
things. He also was a native of Vermont, 
and married Fidelia V. Hanks, of the same 
state. They lived in Baltimore during the 
Civil war, then moved to Alexander, Virginia, 
and spent a number of years there, then lo- 
cated on a farm four miles south of Mt. Ver- 
non, Maryland. When our subject was six- 
teen years of age the family came to Peoria, 
Polk county. Iowa, and lived on a farm for 
several vears, and on that farm his father 
died in 1883. 

William .'\. Randall came to .Mnsworth, 
Brown county, Nebraska, and settled on a farm 
about one mile north of Ainsworth. remaining 
there for about a year, then he left the farm 
and went to Nonpareil, Box Butte county, Ne- 



braska, in 1885, where he opened a drug store 
and studied constantly, so that in a short 
time he became a registered pharmacist. When 
the town of Alliance was first started Mr. 
Randall opened a branch store there, and 
was the first man to engage in that business 
in Alliance. During the first few years he 
was very successful, but as the hard times 
came his business paid very small returns on 
the investment, so that he was compelled to 
sell out, and soon after went into the Black 
Hills. There he worked as a stationary en- 
gineer for a mining company for ten years. 
This was at Lead City, South Dakota, and 
he remained there up to 1901, then came back 
to Box Butte county and settled on his pres- 
ent ranch property. He first bought a small 
tract of land and went to farming, and has 
steadily added to his farm, so that he now 
owns two sections and devotes the greater 
part of it to ranching, cultivating two hun- 
dred and forty acres. He handles a large 
number of cattle and horses. His place is well 
improved, all fenced and in good shape, and 
he has made money since his start here. 

Mr. Randall was married in 1889 to Ma- 
zetta Bass, daughter of Moses Bass, who is 
one of the oldest settlers in this region. He 
died here in 1892. His wife was Elvira Mo- 
bilie, a native of Mobilie, Missouri, of good 
old southern blood, and Mrs. Randall's fa- 
ther came to this part of the country in 1886, 
taking up a homestead in section 2, township 
26, range 52. where he built up a good home 
and was one of the leading men of the locality 
during his entire life. Mr. and Mrs. Randall 
have had two children : Edna I'earl and ;\Iyr- 
tle, the latter deceased. Politically our sub- 
ject is a Republican. 



AUGUST MEIER. 

August Meier, one of the influential ranch- 
men and leading citizens of Sioux county, has 
followed ranching in that region for the past 
twenty years and more, and is proprietor of 
a finely improved property. He is a gentle- 
man of intelligence and active pijblic spirit, 
and since locating in western Nebraska has 
done his full share as a pioneer in helping to 
build up the coniiiiunity whore he chose his 
home. 

Mr. Meier was born in Germany in 1864. 
His father. John Meier, was a farmer in the 
old country, and August was raised on the 
home farm, and at the age of eighteen years 
the whole family came to .\mcrica. landing 
in New ^'(lrk cit\- in 1882. The father died 




RESIDENCE AND FARM BUILDINGS OF AUGUST MEIER, 
Sioux County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in Nebraska in Alay, 1907. They settled at 
first at West Point, Nebraska, remaining for 
four years, following farming, and then came 
to Sioux county, arriving here in 1886. Our 
subject took up a homestead for himself dur- 
ing the same year situated on Hat creek, built 
a log house, and started to break up his land, 
using ox teams for all his work. For three 
years he "batched it," and saw hard times, 
often having all he could do to make a liv- 
ing and trying to lay by money enough to 
make improvements on his farm. However, 
he lived on that place up to 1891, then came 
to his present location, which he purchased 
outright. This ranch is situated on Indian 
creek, seven miles west of Ardmore, South 
Dakota. He has added to this, now owning 
about twelve hundred acres, all of good range 
land, and runs a large bunch of cattle, farm- 
ing a small portion of the land and raises small 
grains. When he first came here he lived 
in a dugout and log house, but he has erected 
a good house, barns and other buildings, and 
has the ranch well fenced. The place is well 
supplied with good water, and there is quite 
a large amount of natural timber on the ranch. 

A picture of Mr. Meier's residence and farm 
buildings will be found on another page of this 
work. 

Mr. Meier married Miss Minnie Peterson 
in 1895. Mrs. Meier was born in Nebraska, 
and is a daughter of John Peterson, a well 
known butcher and farmer, who is one of the 
pioneers of Sioux county. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Meier the following children have been born : 
Louisa, Clara, Bertha, John (deceased), Au- 
gust and Mary. 

Our subject has been one of the foremost 
citizens of his locality, and has done much to 
aid the general prosperity of the region. He 
is one of those who helped build the Burling- 
ton & Missouri Railway through the section, 
and has taken an active part in every move- 
ment for the good of the community. He is a 
Democrat in political views. 



JAMES A. FERGUSON. 

Among the older settlers of Harrison, Rock 
county, and especially among the number of 
those who have contributed to the wealth and 
prosperity of this section of the state of Ne- 
braska by sterling worth and long and faith- 
ful service as a citizen and a man, must surely 
be reckoned the gentleman whose name in- 
troduces this biographical review. Coming as 
he does of sturdy Scotch ancestry, he has 
shown the possession of some of the most de- 



sirable virtues of the blood, and none of his 
forebears have reason to blush for his long and 
useful life, or the spirit with which he has 
met the responsibilities and duties of his ca- 
reer upon the frontier. 

Mr. Ferguson was born on a farm in the 
town of Addison, Oakland county, Michigan, 
April 22, 1842, where his father, Boyce Fer- 
guson, had followed the tillage of his soil for 
many years. His grandfather was a native of 
Scotland. The mother of James A. Ferguson, 
Delilah Craiger, was born in Pennsylvania, 
and came of German extraction. She became 
the mother of fourteen children, lived a long 
and quiet life, passing away in Shiawassee 
county, Michigan, in October, 1895. at the age 
of eighty-four years. Boyce Ferguson was the 
father of two ojder children by an earlier mar- 
riage. 

The subject of this sketch, the seventh born 
to his mother, was reared and educated in his 
Michigan home, and on the breaking out of 
the Civil war was quick to respond to the 
nation's call for help, enlisting at Altamont, 
Lapeer county, November 15, 1861, in Com- 
pany F, Tenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, 
and proved himself to be a brave and valiant 
soldier in the noble cause for which the wear- 
ers of the 'blue fought so long. During his 
almost four years of active service at the front 
he saw much hard and dangerous duty. He 
participated in the gieat battles around Pitts- 
burg Landing, Corinth and Nashville, as well 
as in Tennessee. Georgia, Alabama and the 
campaign around Atlanta. He was severely 
wounded at Rocky Face Ridge, where he re- 
ceived injuries from which he has never entire- 
ly recovered. Anxious to bear his part, he 
could not abide the hospital, from which he 
ran away as early as he could get about, and 
was on the firing line long before he was well. 
After receiving his mustering out papers at 
Louisville, Mr. Ferguson returned to his Mich- 
igan home, where he was finally discharged 
in 1865. Here he worked for two years, and 
in 1867 bought a farm in Oakland county. 
There for some years he made his home and 
was known as quite a successful farmer. 

Mr. Ferguson was married for the first 
time in the spring of 1864. when Miss Sarah 
Taylor became his bride. She died in 1872, 
leaving a family of three children — Maggie, 
Mabel and Myron, who died in infancy. Mr. 
Ferguson contracted a second marriage Jan- 
uary 1, 1873, with Miss Christina McLain, and 
to this union have come eight children : Clyde 
and Cora, who are twins ; Frank, Flora, Boyce, 
Fred, Jesse and Dale. 

The year of his second marriage [Mr. Fer- 



756 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



guson sold out his Oakland county property 
and removed to Macomb county and made his 
home on a rented farm near Romeo for twelve 
years. He found, however, that he was not 
making headway in the old community, and 
after much thought determined to seek his 
fortunes in the newer west, selecting Rock 
county, Nebraska, as the theater for the strug- 
gle for a home and competence. In 1885 he 
made homestead entry on section 26, township 
30, range 20, where with a team and wagon, 
two cows, a modest supply of household goods 
and some thirty dollars in money he began 
what has proved a very successful career on 
the frontier. For two years after his coming 
he rented land, while he was building on his 
homestead and making ready for the family. 
During these years it seemed as if many kinds 
of calamity waited on him. but could not crush 
him. In 1885 he lost his best horse, which 
was not the only hard luck that came to him. 
For three successive seasons he watched the 
burning sun and the cloudless skies for weeks 
and weeks, as his crops withered and died in 
the dry and burning heat. He was not dis- 
couraged, and after several seasons of dry 
weather bought a half section of land where 
he is found at the present time. Here he has 
put up the needed buildings, and at once put 
sixty acres under the plow. He also has un- 
der his care four hundred acres of school land, 
two hundred of which are under active tillage. 
He is largely engaged in stock raising, and is 
making the dairy one of his most important 

interests. Politically he is known as a Bryan 
Democrat, and from the earlier days has taken 
much interest in party afYairs. The family 
are members of the ^^ethodist church, while 
Mr. Ferguson holds fellowship with the Amer- 
ican Order of Protection and the Grand Army 
of the Republic. 



MONS JOHNSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is owner of one of the valuable 
estates in Cheyenne county, and with his fam- 
ily occupies a handsome residence in Colton 
precinct. He is one of the leading citizens of 
his community, and since coming to the region 
his services, which have been invaluable in 
assisting in the development of its resources, 
have become universally appreciated by his 
fellow-men. 

Mons Johnson was born December 24, 1858, 
in the town of Skrurup, Sweden, and there 
grew to manhood, following farming as an 



occupation until he reached his twenty-second 
year, when he left his native land and came to 
-America. On April 29, 1881, he embarked at 
Malma for Hull, and after crossing England 
sailed from Liverpool. A voyage of eleven 
da\-s, during which they weathered two severe 
storms, landed the traveler in New York city. 
He came directly west to LaSalle county, Illi- 
nois, and spent three years at work near the 
city of LaSalle, then moved to Seward county, 
Nebraska, and remained in that vicinity for an 
equal period. His next location was in Chey- 
enne county. Coming here in the spring of 
1886, he immediately filed on a homestead on 
section 2, township 14. range 48, then returned 
to Seward count)', sojourning but a short time. 
In the fall he became a permanent resident 
of Cheyenne county and built a dwelling on 
his claim and has since spent his entire career 
in tlie section, going through all the pioneer's 
experiences in developing a good farm and 
ranch. He has succeeded admirably in his un- 
dertakings, now owning about eleven hundred 
and twenty acres, all of which is well improved 
with good buildings, windmills and fences. He 
has about two hundred acres under cultiva- 
tion, and runs one hundred head of cattle and 
a small bunch of horses. 

Mr. Johnson takes an active and leading 
part in local and covmty affairs of importance, 
and is one of the prosperous and successful 
men of his community. He has helped build 
and establish the schools in his neighborhood, 
having acted as director of district No. 39 for 
a number of years, and at present is serving 
as treasurer. Politically he is a Democrat. 

Mr. Johnson was married in Cheyenne 
county, September 29, 1887, to Emma Wilson, 
who was born and reared in W'oodford county, 
Illinois, but came to Cheyenne county with her 
parents in 1886. Her mother is a resident of 
Sidney. Mr. Johnson's parents, who are both 
dead, were the parents of five children, of 
whom he was the eldest. The marriage of 
our subject and his wife was the first to take 
place on the North Divide. 

Six children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Johnson, namely: Marna E., Clyde A., 
Essie Florence, Lee W., Leslie M. and Earl 
N., all living at home. Though reared in the 
Lutheran church, Mr. Johnson is now a mem- 
ber of the Church of Christ. 



W. H. McDONALD. 

Mr. W. H. McDonald occupies a foremost 
place as one of the oldest settlers in Nebras- 
ka, having landed here in 1883, and he has 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



757 



the distinction of being one of the few men 
who have been in this region for so long a 
time. When he first came here he was ahnost 
the only white man in his locality, and In- 
dians were thick all around his place, the 
forests were overrun with all kinds of wild 
game, and he relates many interesting anec- 
dotes of those times, when the pioneers lived 
in dugouts and were obliged to use every sort 
of a makeshift in order to get along and es- 
tablish a home. 

Mr. McDonald was born in Henry county, 
Illinois, in 1861. His mother was a native of 
Glasgow, Scotland, and his father of Dublin, 
Ireland. They emigrated to the new world 
when young people, settling in the state of 
New York for a time, and then came to Illi- 
nois. 

Our subject was reared on a farm, attend- 
ing the country schools during his boyhood 
years when he was not engaged in assisting 
in the farm work. When he was thirteen 
years of age he spent some years in the min- 
ing town of Lovejoy, Illinois. He was just 
twenty-two years old when he first struck 
Nebraska, accompanied by his father, who 
filed on a government claim of one hundred 
and sixty acres in section 15, township 24, 
range 14. Three years later the son also took 
up a claim of one hundred and si.xty acres, 
located in section 15, township 24, range 14, 
and the ]\IcDonald ranch now contains nine 
hundred acres and is considered one of the 
finest ranches in Garfield county. This is 
owned at the present time by our subject and a 
brother. They raise a great deal of stock, 
dealing principally in high-grade Shorthorn 
cattle, and raise plenty of corn, oats and other 
grain for feed on the place. Besides cattle 
they raise quite a number of horses and some 
hogs each year, making a nice income from 
their stock raising operations. 

Neither our subject or his brother are mar- 
ried, a sister living with them as their house- 
keeper, and the three have a pleasant and com- 
fortable home, happy and peaceful. They are 
all members of the Roman Catholic church, 
and highly esteemed in their community as 
industrious and worthy citizens. W. H, Mc- 
Donald has served his township as road over- 
seer for five terms. 



RICHARD OSBURN. 

In that large and promising section of Ne- 
braska known as Cherry county, Richard Os- 
burn, whose name introduces this article, has 
run a noteworthv career, and while still in 



the prime of life, and at the maturity of his 
manly powers, has attained an enviable stand- 
ing among those strong and leading men who 
are making the wilderness a blooming gar- 
den. His handsome and well appointed farm 
property is located in section 22, township 34, 
range 25. and there he has shown what may be 
developed by a high degree of the peculiar 
characteristics of honesty, integrity and indus- 
try that so strongly mark the typical .\meri- 
can farmer, especially so when he is breath- 
ing the strong, free winds of the great west. 

Mr. Osburn was born on a farm in Deca- 
tur county, Iowa, January 11, 1854, but grew 
to manhood in Monroe county, in the same 
state, where he received such educational ad- 
vantages as the times afforded. His father, 
Jonathan Osborn, came of an old American 
family, and while he was by trade a carpen- 
ter, devoted his life mostly to farming, in 
which he was notably successful. His wife, 
Julia A. Stocker, the mother of Richard Os- 
burn, was of German blood, her parents hav- 
ing come into this country from Germany in 
the early years of the past century. Jonathan 
Osburn and wife were the parents of a family 
of six children, of whom the one whose career 
forms the subject of this sketch was the first 
born. 

Mr. Osburn began life for himself when 
about twenty years of age, and for a few 
months was engaged in farm work in Kansas, 
but soon removed to Nodaway county. Mis- 
souri, where he bought a forty-acre farm, on 
which he made his home for some ten years. 
He was married to Miss Nancy Halsey, March 
31, 1884. Her people were of New England 
descent, though her father, Zebidee Halsey, 
was born and reared in \'irginia. Her mother, 
Cecilia Chatham, was a lady that well ful- 
filled the best ideals of American womanhood. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Richard Osburn have come 
nine children, all of whom were born on the 
farm where we find them today, and all of 
whom are now living: Delia May, Joseph 
Mills, John Wesley, Frank Edgar, Albert Ma- 
rion, Richard Evart, Floyd Emmet, Earl and 
Sylvia Anne. 

In the spring of 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Os- 
burn came to Nebraska and pitched their tent, 
where their home is found at the present time 
in Cherry county. They are still living in the 
log house which was erected to shelter them 
at their first coming, though it has been great- 
ly improved and enlarged, so that it bears 
little resemblance to what was the first struc- 
ture on the place. The land itself has been 
greatly improved by thorough and systematic 
cultivation. Mr. Osburn found life an uphill 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



road during the first years of his residence in 
Cherry county. He was glad at times to get 
anything to do in which he could find scanty 
support for his family. During the long 
drouth between 1893 and 1896 he raised no 
crops whatever, fully realizing what it means 
to have a famine in the land. The next year 
was more prosperous and he began to forge 
ahead, so that now he is very comfortably 
situated, with no fear for the future. He is 
the owner of four hundred acres of good farm 
land, and has at least one hundred and fifty 
acres under activfe cultivation. Mr. Osburn 
devotes much attention to cattle, hogs and 
horses, and is keeping about fifty head each 
of cattle and hogs, with half as many horses. 
The very satisfactory results of his experience 
in stock encourage him to still further efforts 
in this line. During the unrest when an In- 
dian uprising was threatened in 1891 Air. Os- 
burn moved his family twelve miles nearer the 
fort for safety, but shortly returned to the 
farm, fearing no danger since. 

Mr. Osburn is a Democrat in his general 
political affiliations, and takes a commendable 
interest in local and school affairs. For some 
fifteen years he has been a member of the 
school board, and may be counted on for a 
quick response to every appeal for a better 
community, and the advance of educational 
and moral institutions. He is a member of 
the .\merican Order of Protection at \^alen- 
tine. 



GEORGE S. PETERS. 

For many years past the gentleman herein 
named has been known to the citizens of Sher- 
idan county as a public-spirited man and a 
worthy citizen. He lives on section 15, town- 
ship 29, range 45. where he has a fine farm 
and home. A picture of the stock farm is pre- 
sented on another page. 

Mr. Peters was born in Calumet county, 
Wisconsin, in 1872. and raised on a farm there. 
His father, Peter Peters, was born and raised 
in Holland, and came to this country when a 
young man, and in 1861 married Mary Van- 
dcrloop. a native of Holland, who came to 
.\mcrica with her parents at the age of ten 
years. They had a family of eleven children, 
and our subject is the seventh member. .Xt 
the age of twenty-one years he started in for 
himself, teaching school and working at the 
printer's trade, having learned the latter when 
a schoolboy. He came to Sheridan county 
in 1893, locating on his present place, which 
he bought. There were no improvements on 



it whatever, and he at once built a good house 
and began farming on a limited scale, as he 
had little capital to start with. He just started 
at the beginning of the dry years and had a 
hard time to raise enough to get ahead any, 
although they were not subjected to any very 
serious hardships, always having plenty to eat, 
which they raised on their farm. He had gone 
in debt for his land and was obliged to pay in- 
terest, which kept him back considerably, as 
he had borrowed fourteen hundred dollars. 
W'hen his crops failed him he taught school 
to help make a living, and kept putting all 
the money he could spare into cattle. 

In 1899 he went to Wisconsin and en- 
gaged in the mercantile business, but had just 
got started when fire destroyed everything he 
had, so he returned to Nebraska with what 
little he had left, having spent just eleven 
months in Wisconsin. He has since then been 
on his farm constantly, engaged in the cat- 
tle business and farming, and now has four 
hundred and eighty acres of good farming 
land and runs sixty head of cattle and twelve 
horses. For the first six years he was on 
his farm he had to buy all the seed he planted, 
and considers he has done well since locating 
here. He is nicely situated now, having the 
postoffice on his place and telephone connec- 
tions in his home, and intends to remain here 
for the future. 

In 1894 our subject was married to Miss 
Annie M. Van Doren, born in Brown county, 
Wisconsin, in 1874. She is a daughter of 
Stephen \'an Doren, a native of Holland, who 
came to this country and settled in Wisconsin 
in the early days, then was a pioneer in Platte 
county, Nebraska, where he remained for 
twelve years. He came to Sheridan county 
in 1887 and has been here for nineteen years. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Peters have been born the 
following children: Stephen, Mary, Nellie, 
Delia, Arthur, Ella, Charles and Richard, the 
baby, all born and reared in this county. Mr. 
Peters votes independent of party, always go- 
ing in for the best man. He has held local 
office at different times, and at present is serv- 
ing as justice of the peace and notary public. 
He was nominated by the dominant party of 
the county for county judge in 1897, being only 
twenty-five years of age at that time, and 
the youngest man ever nominated in Sheri- 
dan conntv for anv office. 



I. A. CARLILE. 



J. .\. CarliJe. whose fine farm consists of 
one hundred and sixty acres in .Albany town- 
ship, Harlan county, has been a resident of 



5. C 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



759 



this locality for many years past. He was 
born in 1840 in Chester county, Pennsylva- 
nia, and was raised in Morgan county. Illi.- 
nois. His father, E. H. Carlile, and his mother, 
Anna ^I. (Cooper) Carlile, were both natives 
of Chester county, Pennsylvania. His grand- 
father on his father's side married Phoet)e 
Curtis Hoops, of Pennsylvania, who distinctly 
remembers the wintering of Washington's 
army at \'alley Forge. 

Mr. Carlile came to Reuben township, Har- 
lan county, Nebraska, in 1881, and lived there 
up to 1906, then settled on his present place. 
He took up a homestead near Mascot, in 
Spring Grove township. He remembers many 
interesting events of the early days, and saw 
the famous Kit Carson and heard the Lincoln 
and Douglas debates. In 1861 he enlisted in 
the First ^Missouri \'olunteer Cavalry' and 
served in the western department under Gen- 
eral Curtis. He was at the battle of Red 
Ridge and Sugar Creek, through Missouri, 
Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee, and served 
for four years and two months in all, being 
mustered out in the spring of 1865. He is a 
prominent member of the Grand Army of the 
Republic, Orleans post. 

Mr. Carlile is engaged in farming, assisted 
by his son Edwin, who is of invaluable help 
to his father in his declining years. Our sub- 
ject was married January 25, 1882, to Miss 
^lary Ann Cooper. Mrs. Carlile is a daugh- 
ter of Enos R. Cooper, and she came from 
Athens county. Ohio, in 1878, and took a 
homestead in Phelps count}-, near Atlanta. 
Her mother was Mary A. ^liller, and both par- 
ents were pioneers in Ohio. Mrs. Carlile is 
a lady of excellent business ability, and/to her 
foresight and good judgment her husband at- 
tributes their present prosperity. She was 
educated at Albany, Ohio, and was a teacher 
there for nineteen terms, and after coming 
to Nebraska taught for four terms, coming 
here alone, and at once secured a title to a 
homestead and pre-emption containing in all 
three hundred and twentj^ acres. She was 
never discouraged by the failures of crops, 
which worked such a hardship to so many, but 
kept on developing her place, and also dealt 
in considerable land, handling altogether 
twelve hundred and forty acres in five different 
pieces, and has made handsome profits from 
her investments. During the years that !Mr. 
and Mrs. Carlile have been married they have 
lived in five different sod houses and two 
frame houses, their present home being a com- 
fortable two-story twenty-eight by thirty-two 
building, fitted up with all the modern im- 
provements, and a very handsome dwelling. 



There is hot and cold water connections, fine 
bath room, furnace and every convenience for 
comfort and utility. The exterior is adorned 
by a portico which surrounds three sides of 
the house, one side completely screened in to 
secure greater comfort for the occupants. 
From their home can be seen miles of beautiful 
rolling coimtry, and they enjoy the refreshing 
breeze from these valleys, which makes it one 
of the most desirable locations in that locality. 
Mr. and Airs. Carlile are very grateful for 
the events which brought them together in fer- 
tile Nebraska, and for the prosperity which 
has attended them. They have the blessing of 
thoughtful children, and the son and daughter 
of the house relieve their parents of many 
burdens, the former carrying on the farm and 
the latter taking much of the household work 
from the shoulders of her mother. The bless- 
ings of an honest, industrious and consistent 
life are untold, and those who have spent 
many 3-ears in toiling earnestly for a compe- 
tence for their old age are indeed fortunate 
in being able to find so much peace and en- 
joyment as the subject of this sketch and his 
good wife. During the years 1881 to 1886 
Mr. Carlile kept Pleasant Ridge postoffice at 
his house, and it was there also that the elec- 
tions were held for the first ten 3'ears. 



MORRIS H. REED. 

Morris H. Reed, a prominent farmer and 
old settler of Dawes county, resides on his 
fine farm in section 21, township 30. range 
50. He is the owner of eight hundred and 
eighty acres of land, which he has accumulated 
by dint of his honest industry and persistent 
labor, supplemented by good management and 
strict integrit}-. Air. Reed is a man of suc- 
cessful endeavor, and is one of the substantial 
citizens and favorably known residents of his 
locality. 

Mr. Reed was born in Portage county, 
Ohio, in 1860. His father, HarlowReed, was 
a miller by trade, and later a farmer. He came 
of old Yankee stock, and was a native of Con- 
necticut and married Fidelia Griffin, also of 
American blood. Our subject was raised in 
Ohio until he was four years old, when his 
parents moved to Ottawa county. Alichigan, 
settling on a farm in the timbered section, and 
lived there for eight years. In October. 1872, 
they came to Nebraska and settled in Alerrick 
county, where they went through pioneer ex- 
periences, starting a farm on the wild land, 
which they filed on as a homestead, and there 



760 



COiMPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY. RE.MIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



Morris grew to manhood, attending the coun- 
try schools and assisting his parents in car- 
rying on their farm. He lived there up to 
1885, then came to Dawes county and took 
up a tract of land on section 21, township 30, 
range 50. a-', a pre-emption. A\'hen he landed 
herp he had no money, driving by team from 
the eastern part of the state. His first dwell- 
ing place was a sod shanty while living in the 
eastern part of the state, and on coming far- 
ther west he put up a log cabin on his claim 
and lived in that for some years. Here he 
witnessed the drouths, losing crops for sev- 
eral years, also was visited by the grasshop- 
per raids in Merrick county, and it was hard 
for him to get a start. However, he kept at 
work and finally things grew better and he 
was able to get together considerable stock 
and build up his farm in good shape. He has 
erected a good set of farm buildings, three 
wells and windmills, and the ranch is all fenced 
and well supplied with natural timber. 

Mr. Reed was united in marriage while liv- 
ing in Merrick county to Almyra J. Boyce. 
Mrs. Reed is a daughter of S. J. Boyce, a 
mechanic, of Vermont, he having come west 
in 1885, and her mother's maiden name was 
Mary Caswell, also of \'ermont. !\Ir. and 
Mrs. Reed have two children, namely: Ralph, 
aged twenty years, and Earl, aged eleven 
years; also one stepson, D. Miller. 

The family enjoy a comfortable and happy 
home and are regarded as among the old-tim- 
ers of the locality. Mr. Reed has always 
done his full share in local affairs, acting as 
school treasurer for five years, and is an ac- 
tive public-spirited citizen. He is a good 
•neighbor and his influence is felt in all move- 
ments for the bettering of conditions in his 
community. Politically he is an Independent. 



ALONZO McMICHAEL. 

Among the enterprising business men and 
prosperous citizens of North Platte, Lincoln 
county, Xebraska, the subject of this sketch 
occupies a prominent place. He has gained an 
enviable reputation through his honesty and 
integritv and is highlv respected and esteemed 
by all. ' 

Mr. McMichael is a native of Crawford 
county, Pennsylvania, born in 1838, and is a 
son of Elihu and Sarah Fitzgerald McMichael. 
He was raised in the locality of his birthplace, 
and at the breaking out of the Civil war en- 
listed in the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth 
Pennsylvania Infantry, serving mi the .\rmy of 
the Potomac at Chancellorsville and the Wil- 



derness. Gettysburg. Fredericksburg, Antie- 
tam. Beverly Ford and a number of smaller 
battles. Me was one of the bravest soldiers 
in his company, and was commissioned ser- 
geant, always being at the head of the line, 
and in the thickest of the fight and coming out 
of every skirmish without receiving a scratch. 
After the war had closed he returned to Penn- 
sylvania and settled in Clarion county, re- 
maining there for several years, and in 1878 
he came to Nebraska and located in X'^orth 
Platte. He followed the trade of a builder 
and contractor, and has carried on this business 
from the time of settling here up to the pres- 
ent. He has built a number of the large build- 
ings here, and many of the finest residences in 
Xorth Platte and on the ranches in this por- 
tion of Nebraska. He is conscientious and 
faithful in his work and has gained the confi- 
dence of all by his honest dealings and strict 
integrity. For many years he owned and ope- 
rated a ranch in this section, but recently sold 
this, and devotes his entire time and attention 
to his profession. 

In 1860 Mr. McMichael was married to 
Miss ]\Iary Leckey, of Butler county, Penn- 
sylvania, whose family were pioneer settlers 
in that locality. Children resulted from 
this union, as follows: James A., builder and 
contractor, also of Xorth Platte, and a rising 
young business man: Benton, Clyde, both 
builders and contractors in this town; How- 
ard, in the same business, located at Loveland, 
Colorado; John, of Hyannis, Xebraska; 
George, of Atlantic, Iowa, secretary of the 
Young Men's Christian Association at that 
place, who devotes his whole attention to this 
noble work ; Effie, wife of John Krountz, re- 
siding in North Platte ; and Jennie, who lives 
at home with her father, the mother having 
died in July, 1905. 

Mr. McMichael is a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church at North Platte, and 
holds the office of trustee, which he has filled 
for many years, and he is an earnest worker 
in that institution. He is a Republican. 



IK Jl.DIXC. I'.ROS. 

The above firm consisting of Thomas and 
Rftbert Holding, arc extensive ranchmen in 
Dawes county, Nebraska, where for many 
vears past they have aided in the developmeni 
oi the agricidtural and commercial resources 
of their section, and have incidentally built up 
a valuable ranch in section 25. township 32. 
range 51, and gained an enviable reputation as 
energetic workers and good business men. 




W. H. PULLEN AND FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



761 



Thomas Holding" was born in Lancasiiire 
county, England, March 19, 1866, and Robert 
was born at the same place October 21, 1867. 
there being but eighteen months difference in 
their ages. The father, also Thomas Holding, 
was a stone mason by trade, and lived in Eng- 
land all his life, his death occurring in 1887. 
He married Dorothy Lawrence, of Lancashire 
county, and three of her brothers were early 
settlers in Illinois, coming to this country in 
the '50s. Our subjects were reared in their na- 
tive land and came to America in 1884, set- 
tling in Illinois, Robert remaining for some 
years, while in 1888 Thomas returned to Eng- 
land, where he was married to Miss Mary 
Tane Wearing, whose father, Richard Wear- 
ing, was a large cotton mill manager, both 
Thomas and Robert having worked in the cot- 
ton mills before coming to this country. The 
former remained in England for three years 
after his marriage, then came back to America, 
locating in Dawes county, Nebraska, where 
Robert had settled in 1889. He had a very 
small start, and had borrowed money to put 
in his first crop, and "batched it" until his 
brother came to join him. and the brothers 
have worked together ever since then. They 
have built up a good ranch consisting of one 
thousand acres, situated along West Ash 
creek, and have good buildings, fences, and all 
improvements, and are engaged in the raising 
of hay and alfalfa, and cultivate about eighty 
acres, on which they raise small grains. They 
run quite a large number of cattle, hogs and 
horses, and are considered among the foremost 
farmers and ranchmen of Dawes county, high- 
ly esteemed by everyone with whom they have 
to do. They have a considerable part of their 
land under irrigation, and it is a valuable prop- 
erty. 

From the time of coming to this locality 
they have done their full share in every move- 
ment for the advancement of their county's 
interest, and are among the leading old set- 
tlers of Dawes county. 

Thomas Holding has one son, Tom L., Jr., 
aged fifteen years. 



WILLIS H. PULLEN. 

One of the leading old settlers of Dawes 
county, Nebraska, is the gentleman whose 
name heads this review. His labors in this 
section have aided materially the development 
of the region, and his name will occupy a 
prominent place in history as one of those 
intimately identified with its growth and prog- 
ress. 



Mr. Pullen was born in Michigan, May 11, 
1858. His father, J. H. Pullen, was a farmer 
and old settler in Dawes county, born in 
Michigan, and he married Miss Aurilla Row- 
ley, whose parents were pioneers in Michigan, 
where she was reared and educated. When 
our subject was two years old his parents 
came to Nebraska, settling near Omaha, the 
father securing employment as a mule driver 
for the United States government, the country 
all around here being then a perfect wilder- 
ness. They lived in the eastern part of the 
state for many years, \A'illis receiving his 
education there, also assisting his parents in 
carrying on the farm work, and when he was 
twenty-one years of age he married and start- 
ed farming for himself in Burt county, remain- 
ing on the farm for a year, then moved into 
the town of Decatur, Burt county, Nebraska, 
where he worked as a mail carrier, traveling 
between that place and Onawa, Iowa, and 
followed this up to the fall of 1884. The fol- 
lowing year he came to Dawes county, arriv- 
ing here April 3d, driving through by team, 
camping out along the road during the trip. 
He located four miles north of Crawford, where 
he built a log house in which he lived for 
seven years, proving up on their homestead, 
and often working under difificulties, being 
obliged to do all the work of the farm with a 
team of mules. In the fall of 1885 he shipped 
in a car load of cattle, and this was his start 
in the stock business, at once engaging in 
dairying, cheese making and poultry raising. 
He had nothing to begin with, and depended 
entirely on his own unaided efforts, and from 
such a start has accumulated a nice property, 
and has a comfortable and pleasant home. 
About 1891 or 1892 he moved into the town 
of Crawford and for two or three years was 
in the dairy business there. He next moved 
to the Fort Robinson reservation and was in 
the same line of work for about thirteen years. 
He purchased his present farm, located in sec- 
tion 22, township 31, range 52, in 1899, con- 
sisting of four hundred and eighty acres, with 
eighty acres cultivated, and has twelve acres 
under irrigation. He also owns a ranch of 
one thousand two hundred and eighty acres 
si.xteen miles west on Head Soldier creek, 
Sioux county, with one of the finest never 
failing springs in the county, and there he 
runs a large herd of cattle. He keeps a hun- 
dred horses, and has his place in the finest 
shape possible, with good buildings and im- 
provements. He has a fine orchard of apples, 
cherries and plums, also gooseberry and straw- 
berry patches, which furnish the family with 
plenty of fruit. 



762 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Pullen was united in marriage while 
living in Burt county, to Miss Estella Heath, 
who was a school teacher in the county 
schools. Her father was Marvin H. Heath, of 
American stock, a farmer by occupation, and 
her mother's maiden name was Lucy Smith, of 
\'ermont. To Mr. and Mrs. Pullen four chil- 
dren have been born, namely: Effie, Clar- 
ence and Leslie, born in Burt county, and Mil- 
dred, born in Crawford, Dawes county, Ne- 
braska. Portraits of the family will be found 
on another page of this volume. 

Mr. Pullen is interested in all local affairs 
of importance, and has been school treasurer 
for a term of years. He is a strong Repub- 
lican. During the first years in this locality 
our subject worked as a freighter, and was 
the man who hauled the first load of hardware 
into Crawford. 



WILLIAM P. S. THOMPSON. 

The gentleman here named, one of the old- 
timers in western Nebraska, who has spent 
many years in the work of building up a farm 
and home in the agricultural district surround- 
ing the town of Johnstown, Brown county, is 
a prominent citizen and good neighbor, highly 
esteemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Thompson was born in Morgan coun- 
ty, Ohio. April 21, 1855. Pie is a son of Ellis 
Thompson, a farmer of Irish descent, and his 
mother was Miss Martha Roundsen, of Ger- 
man lineage ; they raised a family of six chil- 
dren, our subject being the third member. The 
family moved to Wisconsin about 1858, where 
he was reared and educated, attending the 
country schools and assisting his father in the 
farm work until he was twenty years of age. 
At this time he left home and started out for 
himself, continuing in farm work for six years. 

He moved to Brown county in November, 
1883, having filed on his land the fall of 1882. 
and settled on the farm he now occupies, lo- 
cated in section 3. township 30. range 23; it 
consists of three hundred and twenty acres in 
the home pjace and one hundred and sixty 
acres in section 34. This place was utterly 
without improvements, and the family was 
obliged to live the first winter in a house be- 
longing to Byron Chase, a brother of Mrs. 
Thompson. In the spring of 1884. he put up 
a frame house and began breaking up land for 
a crop; the first being only nine acres of wheat 
which gave a fairly good yield. He was just 
getting nicely started when the dry years 
came on, losing the whole of one crop and sav- 
ing but little of two others. . The.se were hard 



times for him, and he became almost discour- 
aged, often read}' to give up his farm, but 
went bravely on, gradually getting better 
crops and building up his place ; he has been 
richly rewarded for his perseverance and in- 
dustry, for he is now proprietor of a farm of 
four hundred and eighty acres, one hundred 
and eighty acres of which is highly cultivated, 
raising splendid crops, and the balance is used 
for pasture and hay land. He has erected a 
complete set of substantial farm buildings, 
consisting of a neat, substantial house, fitted 
with every convenience and comfort of a rural 
home, also in 1906 built a large barn, size thir- 
ty-two by forty-two feet ; there are a number 
of smaller buildings, sheds, etc., and all ma- 
chinery necessary for the successful operation 
of a model farm. Not the least noteworthy 
features are a large orchard and many forest 
trees well distributed on the farm. October 
14, 1876, Mr. Thompson was married to IMiss 
Nettie Chase, a native of Wisconsin. Her 
father, Murraj' Chase, was a carpenter by 
trade, and later a farmer, being one of the 
pioneer settlers in the Badger state. He came 
to Brown county in the early days, his death 
occurring here July 14, 1897. Six children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, named as 
follows: Carrie A. (deceased), Stella L., Cora 
A., Emma G., and Lutheria A. and William A. 
(deceased), the three eldest born in Wisconsin, 
and the younger ones in Brown county. Cora is 
the wife of John Castleman and the mother of 
two children, Mildred M. and William C. 

Mr. Thompson came to this locality with 
but small capital, and has gathered together 
a comfortable competence through his untir- 
ing energy and good business judgment; he is 
now prepared to enjoy the fruits of his labors 
and take it easy for the balance of his years, 
surrounded by his family and many warm 
friends. He takes a personal interest in all 
local affairs and lends his influence for the 
bettering of conditions in his community. Mr. 
Thompson is Independent in politics, is a 
member of the Methodist church and affiliates 
with the Modern Woodmen of America of 
Johnstown. 



ALP.KRT S. ROSS. 

Albert S. Ross, residing on section 17 of 
township 16. range 42, Deuel county, was born 
in Lee county. Iowa, on the 30th of March, 
I860, being the seventh in a family of eleven 
children, of whom another. Mrs. Brunt, is a 
resident of Deuel county. 

In the early spring of 1884. the emigration 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



763 



fever took possession of him, and he went 
westward, settling for a short time in Otoe 
county, Nebraska, and then in Buffalo county, 
of the same state. In the fall of the same 
year he moved to Perkins county, which at 
that time was called Keith county, where he 
took up a homestead and having proved up on 
same, went to Deuel county in the year 1890. 
He settled at Bigspring, going back and forth 
from there to the place of his present resi- 
dence. In 1900 he moved into the vicinity of 
Lewellen for permanent residence, while the 
home ranch is located on section 17, township 
16, range 42, and contains one hundred and 
twenty acres, of which one hundred acres are 
under cultivation. 

Like every other early settler of western Ne- 
braska, Mr. Ross was not spared from the 
trials, hardships and troubles of frontier life, 
but his zealousness and untiring efforts were 
crowned with success and to-day Mr. Ross 
can look back on these times of troubles and 
trials with the clear conscience that he has 
done the right thing by everybody. 

Mr. Ross is married to Sara Clarke, a na- 
tive of Pennsylvania, whose mother is still 
living in that state. The wedding ceremony 
took place in North Platte on February 15, 
1903. They have three children, namely: 
Mary E., Ida and Richard, who are all at 
home. 

Mr. Ross, a Republican, is well known and 
well liked and having the interest and welfare 
of his county and state at heart, he was elected 
county commissioner in the fall of 1904, and 
re-elected in 1907 for a term of three years, 
now serving on his second term. 

Mr. Ross was a bachelor at the time he 
took up his claim and passed through the "ups 
and downs" incident to bachelor life on the 
frontier. He has been engaged in farming 
practically all the time since coming to Ne- 
braska. 

Mrs. Ross came to western Nebraska in 
1887 and she too has experienced the vicissi- 
tudes of pioneer life on the frontier. 



FRED SCHIPPOREIT. 

Fred Schipporeit, one of the leading and 
most influential stock raisers of Blaine county, 
was born in East Prussia, Germany, in 1865. 
His father. Christian, was born in Germany 
and served in the German army in the war 
with France in 1870 and 1871. The mother's 
maiden name was Henriette Schnidereit. Our 
subject's father was a boatman and farmer in 
his native land. 



In 1876 the whole family came to America, 
landing in New York city, from whence they 
came west and lived in the city of Omaha for 
eight years, the father finding employment in 
the packing houses of that great city. In 1884 
the family came to Blaine county, Nebraska, 
being the first family that settled in German 
valley. North Loup, eighty-five miles away, 
was their nearest railroad point, and our sub- 
ject has made many trips over this distance 
for supplies, sleeping under the wagon in all 
kinds of weather in both winter and summer. 
For timber and poles they had to go to Snake 
creek, in Cherry county, and these trips re- 
quired nine days. The first three months the 
family slept under the wagon tent and wagon 
box and then moved into a new sod house. 
They located on land north of Brewster, where 
our subject and his father were together for 
several years, and then the son came to his 
present beautiful farm. He now owns one 
thousand four hundred and forty acres and the 
father, who now lives with the son, has nearly 
a thousand acres. 

Fred Schipporeit was married in the year 
1889 to Miss Anna Wendt, daughter of Ferdi- 
nand and Emily (Schmeling) Wendt, old set- 
tlers of Blaine county. Mr. and Mrs. Schip- 
poreit have eight children: Clara, Edward, 
Fred, Annie, Lottie, Rudolph, Otto and Wal- 
ter. 

Mr. Schipporeit had to experience his full 
share of hardships that usually fell to the lot 
of the pioneer of his section. He had to live 
in a sod house for years — he witnessed several 
years of drouth and crop failures and had oth- 
er losses ; but he always made a living and kept 
steadily adding to the improvements of his 
farm. He has a good house, thirty by thirty- 
two feet, two stories high, and very fine barn, 
wells, windmills, fences, and many other im- 
provements that' go to make up an up-to-date 
ranch. He is engaged largely in stock rais- 
ing and is making a great success. He has al- 
ways been public-spirited and has taken great 
interest in matters of local affairs, having held 
various offices in his community. He was as- 
sessor one term. Mr. Schipporeit is regarded 
as one of Blaine county's most successful citi- 
zens and is highly regarded by his friends and 
associates. Scheding postoffice was estab- 
lished on our subject's farm in 1907, and kept 
in his house. 



SAMUEL J. HETH. 

Samuel J. Heth, who may be found in fair 
weather or foul, busy in the work of his farm 
in section 13, township 33, range 29, is widely 



-64 



CO.MPEXDIL'.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



known as one of the active and progressive 
young farmers of Cherry county. Nebraska, 
and is rapidly taking a fine position in the 
business and commercial circles of the day. 
Quick and positive in his conclusions, he is 
as prompt in action, and has acquired an en- 
viable reputation as a prosperous and success- 
ful farmer and a thoroughly reliable and pub- 
lic-spirited citizen. 

Mr. Heth was born on a farm in Benton 
county. Iowa. March 4. 1874. and was reared 
to agricultural pursuits. From the first he 
was familiar with hard work, and when his 
father, Horace L. Heth. came into Cherry 
county in 1884, and opened a homestead farm 
on the Niobrara river, he found his ten-year- 
old son a very considerable assistance in his 
pressing and multifarious activities. 

Mr.Heth struck out for himself at the very 
earlv age of fourteen years, and from that 
time has carried the burden of his own sup- 
port. As a lad he sought employment wher- 
ever he could obtain it, working in Wyoming 
in 1893 and in Kansas three years later, and 
he has worked, as he declares, all over Cherry 
county. In 1898 he secured a homestead en- 
try on one hundred and si.xty acres of choice 
government land, only nine miles from Valen- 
tine, on the Niobrara river, where in company 
with his brother, Ernest, he built a log house 
of good size, keeping "batch" for lack of a house- 
keeper. Their outfit was small, only three 
horses and a few farming tools ; but their 
courage was large, and they have built up a 
very desirable property. In 1905 the brothers 
"proved up" on their homestead, and very 
promptly sold it, the subject of this sketch 
taking a Kincaid homestead of four hundred 
and eighty acres in section 13. while Ernest 
located on the hay lands further south. Here 
he owns four hundred and eighty acres, on 
which he has a good concrete house and barn, 
and other farm buildings well suited to his 
needs, with a fine well and a windmill. All 
the land is fenced with forty acres under cul- 
tivation, which by his careful management is 
becoming very valuable property. 

Mr. Heth was married June 7, 1902. to Miss 
Hannah Petersen, whose parents, Jens and 
Kirsten (Jensen) Petersen, were natives of 
Denmark. She was born in Worth, Iowa, 
coming with her parents to Cherry county, 
Nebraska, in 1893. Jens Petersen, her father, 
was one of the successful pioneers in the coun- 
ty. To the marriage of Samuel Heth and wife 
have come two children. Pearl and Merton. 
Mr. Heth was reared in the Methodist church, 
while Mrs. Heth is an adherent of the Luth- 
eran faith. 



Ernest Heth, who is mentioned above as 
associated with his brother in their various 
farming operations, was born in Tama county, 
Iowa. October 25. 1870, where when he was 
but ten months old he met with accidental 
injuries which made him a cripple for life. He 
is ambitious aftd capable, and is not disposed 
to favor himself on account of his crippled 
condition save where he is compelled to do 
so. He has many friends and is a worthy 
companion of his brother. He sold his interest 
in the homestead in October, 1907. 



PETER BAHR. 



Peter Bahr. a pniminent farmer of Keya 
Paha county. Nebraska, is one of the men in 
this section of the country who carries on a 
di\ersified system of agriculture in a most 
successful manner, with a result that richly 
rewards his thrift and industry. Mr. Bahr was 
born in Pomerania, Germany. September 24. 
1852. His father, mother and brothers are 
still living in Germany, he being the only one 
of his family to leave the fatherland and emi- 
grate to the new world. He remained at home 
attending the common schools until he was 
fourteen years old, then began as a sailor and 
followed that work for seven years. During 
the time he was sailing he visited North and 
.South America. China. Japan, Australia, and 
was all over the globe, and this was a liberal 
education in itself. He gave up the work at 
the age of twenty-one years, and struck out 
for the United States; he left Brazil with the 
intention of making a visit with an old school- 
mate in Richardson county, Nebraska, they 
having kept up a correspondence during his 
years on the sea. After a visit with his old 
boyhood friend he decided to settle in Rich- 
ardson county, in 1873, and in the spring of 
1875 rented a farm, on which he remained 
until 1883, when he first came to Keya Paha 
county, locating on a farm at the mouth of 
Wymau creek, driving from Stuart. His first 
building was a log house, which he erected 
himself on a homestead, and he lived there up 
to about 1894. proving up on his claim, then 
moved to section 33, township 33, range 19, 
remaining on the latter place for two years. 
At the end of this time he purchased his pres- 
ent home in section 31, township 33. range 19, 
known as the Hamilton Sidncr place, situated 
at the head of Wyman creek. He has added 
to this until at the present time he owns five 
huiulred and sixty acres of deeded land, and 
has leased three hundred and twenty acres ad- 
joining this piece. He has put up good build- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



765 



ings and many improvements, the farm being 
the largest within a radius of many miles. 
There is a good growth of natural timber on 
the place, and it is admirably adapted to stock 
and grain raising. When he started here his 
sole possessions were a team of horses and 
wagon : from this he has accumulated this val- 
uable propert}- through his energetic labor and 
good management, supplemented by thrift and 
industry. He has under cultivation two hun- 
dred and twenty acres, his farm being all 
fenced and cross-fenced. A view of the build- 
ings from the bluff to the west is to be seen 
on another page. 

In 1878 Mr. Bahr was married in Richard- 
son county to Miss Ernestine Kussmann, a 
native of Germany, who came to America with 
her parents when a little girl. Fourteen chil- 
dren were the result of this union, named as 
follows: Albert. Edith, Lillie, Peter. Ernest 
(deceased), Anna, Willie, Emma, Nellie, Jen- 
nie, LeRoy, who died in infancy, Dora, Ory 
and Elta, all of whom excepting the first three 
having been born in Keya Paha county. The 
family is highly respected in the community, 
and all are filling honorable places, the young- 
er members being still in school. 

Mr. Bahr is one of the oldest settlers in 
the county, and was one of those' who helped 
organize Keya Paha county in 1885, and voted 
at the first election ever held here. He has 
aided materially in its development and prog- 
ress and his name will figure in the history of 
the locality as one of the leading residents of 
this section. 

He is a Populist in politics, and always 
takes an active part in party affairs, attending 
the state and county conventions, and lending 
his influence for good government. He was 
elected county commissioner in 1907. He is a 
member of the Masonic order and the Royal 
Highlanders of Springview. The family are 
all members of the Evangelical Lutheran 
church. 



HENRY B. HOLMES. 

Henry B. Holmes, editor and proprietor 
of the Franklin County Tribune, published at 
Bloomington, established this newspaper in 
1906, and from the start has made a pro- 
nounced success of the enterprise. The paper 
is independent in politics, and handles all the 
current topics of the hour in a bright and 
newsy manner, highly interesting and instruc- 
tive to its readers. 

Mr. Holmes is a native of this county, born 
in 1880, and is a representative Nebraskan. 



His father, also named Henry B., came to 
Franklin county in 1873, locating in Bloom- 
ington township, where he was engaged in 
farming up to 1884, when he died, aged forty 
vears. He was a veteran of the Civil war, 
enlisting in 1863 in the First Vermont Cavalry, 
Company K, serving in the Army of the Poto- 
mac under General Custer, up to the close of 
the war. He was a native of Johnson, Ver- 
mont, and married Mary E. Hebb, of the same 
place, daughter of Ed. Hebb, now of Bloom- 
ington. Our subject also has a brother, Ed- 
win J., who is a hardware merchant of Bloom- 
ington, and another, Leonard E., of Bloom- 
ington township, a farmer and stock raiser 
there. 

Mr. Holmes is a man of superior educa- 
tion and attainments. He attended the State 
University literary course for three years, and 
prior to that the Bloomington high school, of 
which he is a graduate of the class of 1896. 

In 1906 our subject was united in marriage to 
Miss Bessie Dunn. Mrs. Holmes is a daugh- 
ter of William Dunn, a prominent merchant 
of Bloomington. Politically Mr. Holmes is 
a Democrat, always standing for the best man. 
He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias lodges, 
of which he is an active member. 



ALBERT HADLEY. 

Albert Hadley, of Bo.x Butte county, is 
numbered among the oldest settlers and lead- 
ing old timers of western Nebraska, landing 
here September 20, 1886, with only sixty-five 
cents in his pocket after buying enough lum- 
ber to build his house with. From that small 
beginning he has accumulated a comfortable 
property and is now prepared to take life easy 
and enjoy the fruits of his labors, surrounded 
by a large circle of warm friends and good 
neighbors. 

Mr. Hadley was born in Worcester county, 
Massachusetts, December 4, 1836, on a farm. 
His father was of English descent, who mar- 
ried Mary Knowlton, a widow with seven chil- 
dren, who afterwards was the mother of seven 
more children, making fourteen children by 
the two marriages. 

Our subject grew up in New England, fol- 
lowing farm work through his boyhood years, 
and remained in that vicinity up to 1866, with 
the exception of several years, which were 
spent in the army. He enlisted in Company 
B, Sixteenth Massachusetts Infantry, April 19. 

1861. being mustered into the service July 2, 

1862. He saw service with the .\rmv of the 



766 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Potomac for three years and twenty-seven 
days. He took part in the battle of Gettys- 
burg, and on the second day of that action was 
severely wounded. 

After the war Mr. Hadley returned to his 
native state and remained for a year, then 
went to New York state and spent a year in 
the himber woods. After that he went to 
Ohio, locating at Akron, and spent a year 
there, and from there to Gibson county, In- 
diana, where he lived for fifteen years, work- 
ing in different saw mills running stationary 
and portable steam engines. For some time 
while living in that vicinity he was employed 
as a traveling agent for the \\'alter A. Wood 
Harvester Company. In 1886 Mr. Hadley 
first saw Box Butte county, landing here on 
September 30th. Hay Springs was his near- 
est railroad point and he was obliged to make 
many trips there and back for supplies, a distance 
of seventy or eighty miles. Mr. Hadley says 
he has seen as many as two hundred antelope 
in a drove, when he first came here in 1886. and 
has shot many a one to have meat for himself 
and family to live on. He filed on his pres- 
ent homestead in section 22, township 26, 
range 47. in 1886, and proved up on the claim. 
He built up and improved the place, and is 
now owner of one hundred and sixty acres, 
with forty of this under cultivation. Since lo- 
cating in this region he has gone through 
many hardships and discouragements, suffer- 
ing failure of crops, etc., but never gave up 
hope, and is well repaid for his efforts in the 
nice property he has gotten together. Mr. 
Hadley states that he went to school after he 
was forty years old at a college in South Da- 
Dakota ; says he did not think himself quite 
smart enough, so concluded he would attend 
colleafe for a while. 



JOACHIM CHRISTIAN DAVID MARK- 
WARDT. 

J. C. David Markwardt. proprietor of a 
fine estate in .Anderson township, is a prom- 
inent citizen of this locality, respected and es- 
teemed by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Markwardt came to America from Ger- 
many in 18.^5. where he was born near Meck- 
lenburg, locating in Niagara county. New 
York, and through hard day labor in six years 
he had laid by three hundred and eighty dol- 
lars, and was swindled out of his hard earned 
money. His first vote was cast for Abraham 
Lincoln. In 1862 he came west to Oshkosh. 
Wisconsin, where he worked out by the month 
and soon had enough money saved to buy forty 
acres of wooded land, and went to work clear- 



ing this, working incessantly, often chopping 
down trees and grubbing by moonlight. In 
three years time be bought twenty acres more, 
and remained on this sixty for eighteen years, 
when his industry was rewarded, for he sold 
this property for four thousand dollars, and 
taking this money he came to Phelps county, 
Nebraska, in 1879. Through the Kearney 
bank failure he lost quite a sum, but he worked 
so hard and managed so well that he has ac- 
cumulated a nice property comprising seven 
hundred and twenty acres of land to be divid- 
ed among his three children. 

Mr. Markwardt has been a great observer 
of men and events, and read a great deal so 
that he can in his old age clearly recall all 
public men who figured in the development 
and onward progress, politically and materi- 
ally, of this county since he came to it in 1855, 
and can tell you what each man stood for. He, 
too. has his own opinions on all public ques- 
tions, and to him the farmer is the founda- 
tion of all material welfare, and "as the horse 
that does the work should have the oats," so 
the farmer should have the most consideration 
in public aflfairs, and the laws should aid and 
prefer him along all lines. In his old age he 
says to all: "Keep on the level. If you should 
stumble you are not much hurt, and are up 
and on again. If you soar in ambition for 
riches and fame to the lofty heights, and stum- 
ble, you are lost. Be honest, sober and care- 
ful of debt." And this policy he has always 
followed. He also says that if he owes or 
ever cheated any man out of ten cents' worth 
he will give all he has on proof. He also can 
say that he was never the worse for liquor, 
and such men as he have in America added 
greatly to the reputation of the German peo- 
ple for thrift, honesty and contentment in their 
labors and lot. 

Mr. Markwardt was married while still in 
Germany, to Miss Maria Dorothy \\'eckart. 
They have three living children, as follows: 
I. D.. Maria Dorothy, now Mrs. Swartwood, 
and Emma Elizabeth, now Mrs. Snyder, all 
of Anderson township. Since coming to 
Phelps county three children have died. 

l\Ir. Markwardt and his family are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran church, and earnest 
workers in that faith. They are esteemed 
highly as a family, and enjoy the friendship 
of all who know them. 

AUGUST L. RING. 

.■\ugust L. Ring, one of the leading old 
settlers of western Nebraska, was born in 
Skona, Sweden, in 1866. He was raised on 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



76/ 



his father's farm, and assisted in the work of 
carrying on their place during his boyhood, 
and at the age of seventeen left his native land 
and struck out for himself, coming to the 
United States. His father and mother lived 
and died in the old country. 

Mr. Ring spent about a year and a half in 
New York state after landing in America, fol- 
lowing farm work, then came to eastern Ne- 
braska, and located in Burt county, where he 
followed farming for a short time. In the 
spring of 1886 he came to Sioux county, join- 
ing a camp on the White river, where he 
worked at cutting and hauling ties for rail- 
road construction, and spent a few months. 
In June of that year he settled on a tract of 
land on Antelope creek, building a log cabin 
and started a farm, "batching it" and living all 
alone. He spent most of the time in working 
on the railroad, going into Wyoming, at 
Cheyenne and Douglass, and in this way man- 
aged to earn quite a little money, which he 
used to build up his homestead. Eventually 
he proved up on the claim and remained on 
it up to 1890, then moved to his present loca- 
tion on section 12, township 34, range 56. He 
first tried to farm, but soon found that condi- 
tions were unfavorable, as he lost several 
crops during the dry years and from various 
causes, so he determined that the stock busi- 
ness was the only one for his locality and got 
together a small herd of cattle and began rais- 
ing calves, gradually increasing his herd. He 
had good success from the start, and constant- 
ly improved his place and added to his acreage, 
so that he is now owner of one thousand four 
hundred and forty acres, and leases six hun- 
dred and forty acres besides, all of which is 
fenced and supplied with a good set of sub- 
stantial farm buildings. He farms about fifty 
acres, raising small grain. Since settling on 
this place Mr. Ring has built three dams in 
Antelope creek, and has a large patch of 
ground under irrigation. He has large fields 
of hay and alfalfa, cutting about one hundred 
tons of the latter each year, and fifty tons of 
wheat grass hay. Mr. Ring has had many 
losses since settling here, in 1892 suffering se- 
vere loss by fire, which consumed his crop of 
one hundred bushels of corn, machiner3^ sheds, 
thirty tons of hay and some hogs. 

In 1887 Mr. Ring was united in marriage to 
Miss Alice Peterson, a native of his own land, 
who came to America with her parents and 
were early settlers in Sioux county. Seven 
children have been born to this union, namely: 
Lee E., Edna J., Minnie E., Lillie E.. Amv I\I., 
Edith S. and Helen M. 

Mr. Ring is a wide-awake citizen, of active 



public spirit, and a leading old-timer of his 
locality. Besides his ranching operations, our 
subject is the owner of a threshing outfit, 
which he runs each season, and is well-known 
to all in the county, as he has worked for many 
of the farmers and is known to all as an ener- 
getic, honest and hardworking citizen. 



STEVEN B. F. DOWNING. 

A leading old settler and one who has 
taken an active part in the development and 
growth of Keya Paha county from its begin- 
ning, is to be found in the person above named. 
Mr. Downing resides on section 29, township 
33, range 23, McGuire precinct, where he has 
one of the valuable estates in this part of the 
country, and is highly esteemed as a worthy 
citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Downing was born in Carroll county, 
Illinois, December 27, 18-H-. His father. He- 
man Downing, was a farmer and carpenter, 
who came from Massachusetts and settled in 
northern Illinois soon after the Black Hawk 
war, working in Chicago when there were only 
about three hundred inhabitants. The moth- 
er was Rachel Holbrook. from New York, and 
both the parents were of good American blood 
and they had a family of nine children, of 
whom our subject was the fifth. He was 
reared and educated in the state of his birth, 
Bureau county. Illinois, whither the family 
moved in 1855. and when a young man went 
to Topeka, where he spent a short time, then 
to Boone and Union counties, Iowa, clerking 
two years in the county treasurer's office and 
two years in a store, then followed farming 
up to 1884, having purchased a one hundred 
and twenty-acre farm. In the latter year he 
moved to Keya Paha county, locating on sec- 
tion 27, township 33, range 23, and still owns 
this place. Here he built a log house and went 
through the usual pioneer experiences, wit- 
nessing the dry seasons of 1893, 1894 and 1895, 
when he was unable to raise any crops. In 
1885 a wind storm took the roof ofif his house, 
and did considerable damage besides. How- 
ever, he stuck to the place through hard times 
and has built up a fine farm and home of six 
hundred and forty acres, nearly all fenced and 
with two hundred acres cultivated. He has 
six hundred fruit trees, all bearing, plenty of 
running water with a number of fine springs. 
He has good substantial farm buildings and 
all the necessary equipment for running his 
farm by advanced methods of agriculture, and 
is one of the progressive and up-to-date agri- 



768 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



culturists in this vicinity. A view of his large 
dwelling, new barn and other buildings, with 
the magnificent landscape, is to be found else- 
where in the work. 

Mr. Downing was married in Topeka in 
1873 to Miss Esther M. Wright, daughter of 
Joseph J. and Sarah (Murdock) Wright. Mr. 
and Mrs. Downing have ten living children, 
namely : Angela. Emma, Esther, Heman, 
Lila. Joseph, Halsey. Sarah, Rachel, Belva and 
Arthur. 

In the early days of settlement here bands 
of twenty-five to thirty Indians frequently 
passed through his place, crossing the river 
to hunt in the sand hills. 

Our subject is a member of the school 
board and has always taken a deep interest in 
educational affairs. He is a Republican. 



RASMUS JOHNSON. 

Rasmus Johnson, a progressive and highly 
respected farmer of Keya Paha county. Ne- 
braska, has a well-kept and comfortable estate 
in section 6. township 34. range 22. He is one 
of the earliest settlers in this part of the state, 
and his property here has been gained only 
by the hardest work, strict economy and ex- 
cellent management. The hardships which 
have fallen to Mr. Johnson would have heartily 
discouraged one of a less persistent nature, 
but have only tended to make him more de- 
termined and spurred him to stronger action. 
With undaunted courage he has faced mis- 
fortunes, sufferings and hardships incident to 
the life of a pioneer of the western states, but 
has remained to enjoy a fitting reward for his 
labors. 

Mr. Johnson was born in the village of 
Emegarde. Denmark. March 3, 1851. His 
father, a farmer, never left his native land, and 
died there when our subject was four years 
old. leaving his widow with a family of eight 
children to rear, and from the time Rasmus 
was six years of age he supported himself be- 
sides aiding in keeping the rest of the family. 
When he was fifteen he went to Copenhagen 
and learned the trade of a brick mason, and 
for fifteen years worked at this in Denmark. 
In 1881 he came to America, sailing from Bre- 
menhaven in the vessel Hokenstaufen. and 
after landing in New York city, immediately 
started for the west, locating in Warren coun- 
ty, Indiana. He served as a farm laborer two 
years and was engaged in the same pursuit 
later in Illinois. 

In 1884 Mr. Johnson came to Nebraska, 
and settled on his present farm in section 6, 



township 34, range 22, Keya Paha county. He 
first built a sod house, stable and chicken 
house. He did not have a cent of money to 
start with after getting his homestead, and 
worked at anything he could find to do while 
proving up on his place, remaining on it stead- 
ily from the first. He put in two tree claims 
for other men for which he received small 
pay, and for eighteen months "batched it", 
working at odd times in the improvement of 
his place. He was getting along fairly well 
until the dry years came, when he found it 
hard to make a living: after trying for four 
years to raise enough to keep himself and 
family from starving he decided to leave the 
place and locate elsewhere. Going to Colorado 
he tried irrigation, but did not like it in that 
country and returned after a year and a half, 
again attempting farming. He has prospered 
since that time, and now has five hundred and 
sixty acres of good land, of which he culti- 
vates two hundred acres. He has erected a 
fine set of farm buildings, splendid grove and 
orchard, two wells and windmills, and alto- 
gether has one of the best equipped farms in 
the county, ^^"hen he returned from Colorado 
he found the place dilapidated and found it diffi- 
cult to get things into good condition again, but 
by hard work and perseverance managed to 
put it in first-class order and make a valuble 
property out of it. .At the time when condi- 
tions were most distressing he offered to sell 
the whole place for a hundred dollars, and 
was unable to find a buyer. 

Mr. Johnson was married in 1886 to Miss 
Anna Larson, a native of Denmark, near the 
former's birthplace : she came to America with 
her parents and family in 1884. settling in Ne- 
braska. To Mr. ami Mrs. Johnson have been 
born the following children : Goetchel. .-Anna, 
Lawrence, Hans and Henry, all of them born 
and reared in Keya Paha county. 

Mr. Johnson has always been one of the 
foremost men in advancing the interests of 
the region where he chose his home. He was 
one of the organizers of the first school here, 
and gave land on which the first school house 
was built. In politics he favors the Labor 
party. 



NOAH MOSS. 

Noah Moss, the popular and efficient post- 
master of Clinton, is one of the well-known 
business men of that village and a substantial 
citizen of Sheridan county, where he has re- 
sided for many years. 

Mr. Moss was born in Green county. In- 



co:mpexdr3i of history, remixiscfaxe axd biography 



709 



diana» in 1850. His father, Jonathan J. Moss, 

and his moiher. Priscilla Doughtiy Moss, were 
both bom and raised in Indiana. WTien he 
reached the age of eighteen he struck out for 
himself, working on farms in the neighbor- 
hood in which he lived by the month, and fol- 
lowed this occupation until after his marriage 
in 1869. In 1885 he came west and located in 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, two miles north- 
east of Clinton. He built a sod house and 
lived in this until after proving up on his 
homestead, then moved nearer the school, but 
never left the locality. In 1899 he bought his 
present home of three hundred and twenty 
acres, well improved, and since then has added 
to it considerably. This is all good farming 
land and he has it well stocked and fitted with 
all kinds of machinery necessary for operating 
the farm. In addition to this he conducts a 
general merchandise store and runs the post- 
office in Clinton, also being a grain buyer for 
the firm of Xye. Snyder & Fowler Company. 
When he started in this locality he had little 
or no capital to begin on, besides having a 
large family to support, and for some years 
he worked at teaming, driving oxen. He has 
seen some hard times since coming here and 
gone through some tough experiences as a 
homesteader, but never has seen the time when 
he felt like giving up and Iea^■^ng the coun- 
try, but says he has been just as happy with 
a single dollar in his pocket as he is now amid 
peace and plenty. He has worked hard for 
the success he has attained and weU merits 
the high standing accorded him as one of the 
leading men of his community. 

Mr. Moss was married August 1. 1869. to 
Miss Sarah E. Moss, born in Indiana in 1851. 
Her father was a native of Indiana and came 
to Nebraska in 1884, where he died seven 
years later. Twelve children have been bom 
to Mr. and ]Mrs. Moss, who are named as fol- 
lows: !Marv A.. Priscilla. Laura E., Charles 
O.. William' L.. John J.. Effie I.. Emmet O.. 
Bessie, Blanche, Frank and Ina B.. all of 
whom are now grown. They also have seven- 
teen grandchildren. 

Mr. Moss has met with pronounced success 
in his different lines of work and has buUt up 
a fine home and gained valuable possessions 
by dint of his own labors and good manage- 
ment, supplemented by strict integrity of 
word and deed. He has an extended ac- 
quaintance and is universally esteemed as a 
friend and citizen. Since 1888 he has voted 
the Populist ticket, and has always taken an 
active interest in politics, at different times 
holding: local offices. 



ISAAC W. REE; 



The gentleman above named is one of the 
earliest settlers of Perkins county, and a pros- 
perous business man of the town of Elsie. He 
was a homesteader here and improved a ".arge 
tract of land in Marvin precinct, coming to 
Elsie several years ago, and is now engaged 
in the buying and shipping of stock. He oc- 
cupies a comfortable residence here and is one 
of the well-known and highly respected citi- 
zens of his community. 

Mr. Rees was born in Delaware county, 
Indiana, in 1846, and was reared on a farm. 
Both his father and mother were natives of 
West Virginia, settling in Indiana during their 
youth, where they built up a good home. Our 
subject received his education at the district 
schools, remained at home until during the 
Civil war, when he enlisted in the One Hun- 
dred and Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry and 
ser\-ed six months. After returning from the 
war he bought a small farm in Indiana and 
lived on it up to 1882, then emigrated with 
many other newcomers to the state of Ne- 
braska, settling at first in Saunders county, 
where he spent three years, coming to Perkins 
county in April. 1885. He made the journey 
from Saunders county with a team and cov- 
ered wagon, following the course of the Platte 
river, and then across from Paxton. He im- 
mediately filed on a claim on section 35, town- 
ship 9, range 35, built a sod shanty after living 
for a time in a tent during the summer, and 
began to break land for sod crops. 

All his supplies had to be hauled from 
North Platte and Ogallala, and he made many 
trips to those points through all sorts of se- 
vere weather, often camping out along the 
way and experiencing every form of exposure. 
He had many hardships to contend with dur- 
ing the first few years, going through the 
drouth seasons when he was unable to raise 
a crop, and often suffered pri\-ations and dis- 
comfort, but overcame all obstacles and suc- 
ceeded in improving his farm in good shapie, 
remaining on it up to 1906. when he owned 
three hundred and twenr\- acres of good land, 
well improved and stocked up in fine shape- 
He then came to Elsie. He has bought stock 
all over the country- and is familiar with every 
comer of the county and surrounding region, 
and enjoys an enviable reputation as a square- 
dealing business man and shrewd trader. 

In 1869 Mr. Rees was married in Indiana 
to Miss Margaret Carmichael. bom and reared 
in the same county with our subject. They 
have a nice familv of eight children, all now 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RExMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settled in good positions. They are named 
as follows: William, Roscoe, IMinnie, Tasey, 
John, Harry, Frank and Maud, the last named 
a teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska. William was 
fcr several years an instructor in the Chilli- 
cothe Business College, and is now at Flor- 
ence, Colorado, connected with one of the 
large oil companies at that point. 

Mr. Rees is one of the best known old set- 
tlers in this part of Nebraska, and has al- 
ways been found a worth}' citizen, laboring 
at all times for the development and advance- 
ment of his locality. He held the office of 
county assessor for some years, and for twenty 
years was on the school board. 



WILBER E. YOUNG. 

For nearly a quarter of a centurj' the gen- 
tleman whose name heads this review has been 
identified with the history of the development 
of western Nebraska, and his large property 
interests in Cherry county evidence his early 
labors during these many years. 

He has succeeded in building up a good 
home and is one of the highly esteemed citi- 
zens of his township. 

Mr. Young was born in Camden, Maine, 
in 1856. His father, John \\'. Young, was an 
American, a fisherman b)' occupation, born in 
Lincolnville, Maine, in 1818: was married to 
Lyddie Richards, of Lincolnville, and to this 
union were born eleven children: Clarenda 
E., Mary J.. Lois A.. Herbert L., Linley E., 
Wilber E.. Roscoe J., Calvin H., Louis E., Al- 
lic and Freddie Young. 

Wilber E. Young at the age of fifteen 
moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, and there 
began learning the carpenter trade. In IB7S 
he moved to Butler county, Nebraska, work- 
ing at his trade. Here he was married to 
Alice A. Smith in 1888. She was the daughter 
of Chauncey and Melvina Smith, natives of 
New York and Ohio. They are the parents 
of five children: Arvilla (deceased), Alice A., 
Lucy E., Alva. Goodell B. and Guy A. 

In 1879 they moved to Grenola, Kansas, 
and remained there two years, and during that 
time he built a town of seven hundred popu- 
lation. Then, on account of his health, they 
returned to Bellwood, Nebraska. They re- 
mained there until 1885, when they moved to 
Gordon, Sheridan count}-, Nebraska. There 
he took a homestead. He located here just 
before the railroad was built through this sec- 
tion, and when he landed on his homestead 
his entire capital was three horses and thirty 
cents in money. He remained there and proved 



up, then moved to Cherry county, Nebraska, 
and lived on a pre-emption claim, where he 
was living at the time of the Wounded Knee 
battle. A good many of the neighbors fled to 
Gordon for safety, but they remained on their 
ranch and looked after their property and cat- 
tle. After the Kincaid homestead act was 
passed he took his additional right, and is still 
living on this place. He has improved his 
property with the best buildings in this part 
of the country. 

Mr. and ^Irs. Young are the parents of 
five children: Addie N., Irvie H., Bertha M., 
Mvrtle B. and Dale R., all born in Nebraska. 



WILLIA.M H. PETERS. 

William H. Peters, residing on section 7, 
township 29, range 45, Sheridan county, was 
born -in Calumet county, Wisconsin, in 1869, 
and was raised there on his father's farm. He 
is a son of Peter Peters, of Holland birth, 
who came to America in early pioneer days, 
locating in Wisconsin when a young man. 
The mother was also a native of Holland, com- 
ing to America when a child of ten. There 
was a family of eleven children, of whom our 
subject was the sixth member, and he started 
out for himself at the age of twenty-one. He 
had worked out quite a good deal before that 
time, but w-as obliged to give his wages to his 
father to help in the support of the family. 
He was employed for three years prior to 
his coming of age in a cheese box factory in 
the vicinity of his home, and afterward worked 
for the same length of time in the factory for 
himself. 

In February, 1893, Mr, Peters came to Ne- 
braska, locating in this county, where he 
bought his present home of one hundred and 
sixty acres, paying eleven hundred and sev- 
enty-five dollars cash for the land, and enough 
left with which to start his farm. The first 
year he put in a crop of one hundred and 
twenty-five acres and had a good yield, then 
for several years had poor luck, but during 
all the time he kept picking up cattle and 
gradually increasing his herd up to 1901, then 
traded his cattle for a large herd of sheep. His 
first venture in this line was with a bunch 
of sheep on shares, as he had very little money 
left by this time, and he was moderately suc- 
cessful from the first. He kept on farming a 
little each year, getting some crop, and always 
managed to raise enough feed for his stock and 
plenty of corn. He has eight hundred acres 
of land now. cultivating one hundred and fifty, 
but intends farming on a larger scale in the 




SHEEP RANCH OF W. H. PETERS, 
Sheridan County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



771 



future. Most of his time is devoted to the 
raising of sheep and horses, running eight hun- 
dred of the former and about fifteen horses. 
He is a great lover of good horses, and were 
it not for the money in sheep would prefer to 
handle horses altogether. During the year 
1906, which was an unusually good one, he 
cleared fifteen hundred dollars on his bunch 
of eight hundred sheep, and will continue in 
that work as long as he is on his present 
place. He also deals in hogs, and last year 
sold three hundred dollars' worth ■ of them. 
Mr. Peters has seen the ups and downs of pio- 
neer life, and although he has never had to 
go through the hardships and privations which 
fell to the lot of his parents in the early days, 
he has done much better here than he could 
had he stayed in Wisconsin. 

In 1893 Mr. Peters was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Schmitt, a native of Sheboygan 
county, Wisconsin. She is a daughter of Jo- 
seph Schmitt and Mary (Ramer) Schmitt, both 
natives of Germany, the father dying when 
Mrs. Peters was a young girl. Seven chil- 
dren have been born to Mr. and Mi^s. Peters, 
as follows : Joseph, Martin, Anton, Albert, 
Minnie, Esther and Frank, all born and raised 
in this locality. The family enjoy the best of 
health, and since coming here have never had 
to call a doctor to the place. At one time one 
of the children dislocated a shoulder in an 
accident about the farm, and this cost them 
two dollars, which is all they have ever paid 
for a doctor's services. 

Mr. Peters is a Populist, but has never 
held any office, devoting his entire time and 
attention to the building up of his farm and 
home. He is well posted on current events 
and keeps abreast of the times in affairs of 
state and national questions. He is in favor 
of government ownership of the railroads, and 
a Bryan man, but not so strong as he was 
some years ago. 

An interesting picture of [Mr. Peters' sheep 
ranch will be found on another page of this 
work. 



HON. I. W. MARLATT. 

Hon. I. W. Marlatt, one of the leading citi- 
zens of Kearney county, Nebraska, resides 
in Newark township, where he has a fine 
farm and home, and is a gentleman of high 
accomplishments, esteemed and respected by 
all who know him. Mr. Marlatt was elected 
on the fusion ticket as representative in the 
state legislature in 1906, and again in 1908, and 
is a worthy representative of his party. 



Mr. Marlatt is a native of Indiana, born in 
1852 on a farm in Tippecanoe county. His 
father, George Marlatt, was born in New Jer- 
sey and taken to Ohio by his parents when a 
very small boy, where he grew up. In 1852 
he moved to Stark county, Illinois, where our 
subject was reared, in 1886 coming to Nebras- 
ka and settling in Clay county. In 1893 Mr. 
JNIarlatt came to Lowell township, Kearney 
county, Nebraska, and after living there for 
seven years moved to Newark township, 
where he now resides, and is the proprietor of 
six hundred acres, all good valley land, which 
he devotes to mixed farming. He raises small 
grains and deals to quite an extent in stock. 
He is a member of the Farmers' Grain and 
Live Stock Association, which was organized 
in this county at Lowell by himself in 1895, 
and the society reaches all over the state of 
Nebraska. 

Mr. Marlatt has always been prominent in 
public affairs, and has held all the local of- 
fices. He was chairman of the township board 
about ten years, and takes a deep interest in 
all movements which tend to the betterment 
of conditions in his community. 

Mr. Marlatt was married in 1879 to Miss 
Ida May Cain, born in Indiana in 1858, of 
Scotch descent. This union has been blessed 
with nine children : Harry, Curtis, Jay, Wil- 
lie, Earl, Guy, Grover, Hazel and Dorothy. 
Harry is married and is a farmer in Kearney 
county. The balance of the children are at 
home with their parents. 



JOHN C. SHIPLEY. 

The farm operated by this gentleman is 
located in section 17, township 29, range 53, 
in Sioux county, and there he enjoys all the 
comforts of rural life, together with many of 
its luxuries. He owns a tract of eight hun- 
dred and eighty acres of good land, and his 
place is one of the best appointed in this lo- 
cality, every corner of it showing good man- 
agement and painstaking care. 

Mr. Shipley was born in Green county, 
Tennessee, in 1858. His father, W. K. Ship- 
ley, was a farmer who came north in 1863, 
settling in Illinois, and later moved to Iowa, 
where our subject was raised on a farm and 
since he was nine years old he has made his 
own way in the world. In 1886 John came to 
Nebraska, first settling in Buffalo county on 
a farm, and lived there for three years. He 
then came to Sioux county, and was the first 
white man to settle in section 17, township 
29, range 53. His first dwelling was a log 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



cabin with a dirt roof and floor. He had ab- 
solutely nothing to start with except his strong 
hands and brave heart, and during the first 
few years went through hardships of every 
nature, losing crops for several seasons and 
meeting with every discouragement. He grad- 
ually worked into the stock business, and was 
able to get along better and develop his farm, 
putting up good buildings, etc. His ranch 
contains eight hundred and eighty acres, and 
he operates besides this six hundred and forty 
acres of leased school land, having it all fenced, 
and is one of the well-to-do men of his locality. 

In 1879, while living in Iowa, Mr. Shipley 
was married to Miss Mary E. Ratcliffe, daugh- 
ter of Thomas J. Ratclift'e, a farmer and old 
settler in that state. Her mother's name was 
Jane Ann (Boswell) Ratclift'e. Her father 
died January 15, 1896, aged sixty-one years, 
eleven months and two days. Her mother still 
lives in Corrydon, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Ship- 
ley have had a family of eight children, who 
are named as follows: Jennie, Laura, Benja- 
min, Fred and Maud, five living, and three 
dead. Daisy, who married Mr. Lacrone, died 
in Boone county, Nebraska, February 10, 1902 ; 
Emma, who married Mr. Smith, died in Craw- 
ford, Nebraska, June 13, 1908, and Lee, who 
died at home in Sioux county, Nebraska, Feb- 
ruary 14, 1906. 

Mr. Shipley has always displayed com- 
mendable public spirit, taking part in all lo- 
cal affairs, helping to establish the schools 
of his locality, and has been school director 
for the past sixteen years. He has also served 
as assessor in his district for two terms. He 
is a stanch Democrat. 



HON. WASHINGTOX MALLORY 
HINMAX. 

In the commercial and public affairs of Lin- 
coln county, Nebraska, probably no man is 
better known than the gentleman whose life 
history is here presented. Mr. llinman was 
a man of unusual business ability, and has an 
enviable reputation as a citizen of active pub- 
lic spirit and one of those who helped build 
up this part of the country and make it the 
prosperous section it is today. 

Mr. Hinman first passed through this re- 
gion in 1849 on his way overland to Califor- 
nia. He was a native of Bradford county, 
Pennsylvania, born at \\'ysox. September 14, 
1819, and a son of Abner Curtis HinsTan and 
Augusta York Hinman, the former having 
been grand master of Pennsylvania for the In- 
dependent Order of Good Templars for many 



years. The Hinman family were pioneer set- 
tlers of that state, all of the male members 
taking part in the Revolutionary war, Indian 
wars, etc. Our subject's brother, Hon. Beach 
I. Hinman, was the pioneer attorney of North 
Platte, Nebraska, and represented the district 
in the Nebraska state legislature. Two broth- 
ers served the L'nion in the Civil war, and 
lost their lives in battle or in prison. 

Mr. Hinman was one of those who were 
seeking the gold fields in 1849, and this was 
the first time he saw Nebraska. A St. Louis 
firm had employed him to go to Vancouver 
and Oregon to set up and install steam saw- 
mills, paying him for this work sixteen dol- 
lars per day. These mills were shipped around 
the Horn, and this trip took him all along the 
coast from British Columbia to Panama in 
those pioneer days, and he saw a great many 
interesting sights and had many exciting ex- 
periences. He afterwards was sent by the 
United States government to install a steam 
sawmill plant at Laramie, W'yoming. He re- 
turned from California in 1854, and two years 
later located at Cottonwood Springs, ' near 
Fort McPherson. On his ranch four miles 
east of the Springs he opened a general sup- 
ply store for the travelers passing over the 
California trail, and also installed a steam 
saw and shingle mill and blacksmith shop on 
his farm, often employing many men in this 
business. From 1864 to 1867 he held the po- 
sition of Indian interpreter at Fort McPher- 
son, attending all conferences between the 
chiefs and the government. He had the con- 
tract for supplying beef for the fort, and also 
for sawing all the shingles used on the build- 
ings at that place. One voucher now in pos- 
session of the family is made out for four- 
teen thousand dollars. He also had a subcon- 
tract to supply wood to Fort A. D. Russell in 
1867 and 1868. 

In 1864 Mr. Hinman was called to Fort 
McPherson, Nebraska, and while there he lost 
over one thousand dollars in merchandise 
through theft by Sioux Indians under Sitting 
Bull. The government allowed Mr. Hinman 
the one thousand dollars for these goods, but 
Democratic influence has deferred this pay- 
ment and the widow of Mr. Hinman may yet 
be able to secure the money. He was intimate 
with all the great Indian chiefs, among whom 
was Sitting Bull. In 1860 Shorter county (at 
present Lincoln county) was organized, with 
Mr. Hinman as county treasurer, but this or- 
ganization never went into effect, and in 1866 
the name was changed to Lincoln and the 
county properly organized with the county 
seat at North Platte, and our subject being 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



771 



elected as county commissioner, which posi- 
tion he held for many years. For a long time 
he held the office of probate judge, having 
been elected on the Republican ticket. In 
the fall of 1867 thousands of Indians met at 
North Platte, where Mr. Hinman had resided 
since 1866, having sold out his ranch and 
taken his mills to South Pass, Wyoming, aft- 
erwards bringing them back to the Republican 
valley, where he had homesteaded and pre- 
empted four hundred acres two and a half 
miles west of Indianola. This band of Indians 
went through the town, camping where Fruit 
and Locust streets now intersect. General 
Sherman and the peace commissioners met 
them and the redskins promised to remain 
peaceable and go away without any trouble 
in the spring of the year if they were provided 
with rations throughout the winter. On Sun- 
day, April 7, 1868, there was a great commo- 
tion in town when the citizens discovered that 
the Indians had moved their squaws and ef- 
fects to the north side of the river. The 
braves returned in a short while, riding 
through the town and shooting into stores and 
raising a disturbance generally. Mr. Hinman 
at once turned all papers relating to civil af- 
fairs of Lincoln county over to the military 
and saloons were closed and squads of sol- 
diers put out to guard lives and property. 
The Indians then went southeast of the town, 
and near Fort McPherson, in Snells canyon, 
on the 8th of April, they came upon seven 
men who were employed by our subject in 
getting out wood for his subcontract to sup- 
ply Fort A, D. Russell, and the redskins mur- 
dered them, taking the scalps of every man. 
One of the horses belonging to the men re- 
turned home with the scalp of his owner tied 
to its saddle. The soldiers immediately went 
in pursuit of the Indians and found one white 
boy pinned to the ground with an arrow 
through his heart, still alive, and he survived 
for two days. 

In 1876 Mr. Hinman and his family moved 
back to North Platte to live. He had bought 
land near this town until he owned in all 
eleven hundred acres, a portion of it being in 
town, and the greater portion of it directly 
adjacent. He held the office of senior county 
commissioner of Lincoln county, and in 1873 
he locked up the Union Pacific Railway round- 
house at North Platte and took possession on 
account of the railway having as yet paid no 
taxes, which amounted to a good round sum, 
and these were shortly paid. In 1879 he moved 
out to his farm, just west of the town. 

Mr. Hinman was married March 11, 1867, 
to Miss Rebecca Franklin Vaughan, daughter 



of Elias Vaughan, Jr., and Susan Franklin 
Dodge, of Connecticut. The Vaughan and 
Dodge families were both pioneers of Connect- 
icut, the latter being related to Benjamin 
Franklin, and also William Penn. Captain 
William Vaughan, of the L'nited States navy 
at Watertown, on Lake Erie, who was an offi- 
cer in the War of 1812, was an uncle of Mrs. 
Hinman. Mrs. Hinman is a very bright and 
active lady, of great intelligence, and is now 
seventy-three years of age. They raised a 
family of three children, namely: Vaughan 
Elias Hinman, of North Platte. He was born 
in this town and was the first white child born 
here, and the second in Lincoln county. He 
married Miss Minnie Distel, daughter of Fred- 
erick Distel, a native of Germany, who came 
to Omaha in 1873, and later to North Platte, 
where he built and operated a brewery, and 
became well known all over western Nebras- 
ka. One child was born of this union, Charles 
Vaughan Hinman. The second son of our 
subject is York Abner Hinman, also of North 
Platte, who was married to Miss Daisy C. 
Crusen, daughter of W. J. Crusen, of North 
Platte, a sketch of whom appears in this vol- 
ume. They have three children, namely: York 
K. Hinman, Jr., Elizabeth Franklin Hinman 
and Dorothy C. The third child of our sub- 
ject is Suezilla Hinman Eves, wife of George 
Eves, of Stockton, California. They have a 
family of five children living, as follows : Wil- 
liam Vaughan (dead) and Washington York, 
twins; Girard Wesley, Margarette Reba, Ar- 
thur Glenn and Harold Hinman. 

Mr. Hinman died at his farm home Janu- 
ary 27, 1904, at the advanced age of eighty- 
four years. The year prior to his death a prai- 
rie fire swept the vicinity of his home and 
burned to the ground a good residence con- 
taining valuable records, papers and all per- 
sonal property. With the business methods 
and energy which still characterize Mrs. Hin- 
man, she had a short time previously effected 
a partial insurance upon the home, so it was 
not a total loss. 

Mr. Hinman was a thirty-second degree 
Mason, having been admitted into the order 
when he was twenty-one years of age. He 
was high priest of the chapter here, and a de- 
voted member of the lodge. He was a mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian church, and an earnest 
worker in that religion. 



NAT BROADHURST. 

Nat Broadhurst, one of the representative 
farmers and old settlers of western Nebraska, 
resides in section 36, township 32, range 51, 



774 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



where he has a fine home and valuable es- 
tate. 

Mr. Broadhurst was born in Lancashire 
county, England, in 1858. His father, Samuel 
Broadhurst, was a nut and bolt manufacturer, 
and spent his whole life in his native country, 
having died there in 1886. Our subject grew 
up in England, learning the blacksmith's trade, 
and followed that work up to 1884. He came 
to America in 1883, landing in New York city 
in June of that year, and came to Kane coun- 
tv.' Illinois, where he located on a farm, run- 
ning a dairy business for two years, and rent- 
ing land for three years, which he farmed, 
then in 1888 came to Dawes county, arriving 
here in February. Here he located on a home- 
stead in section 23, township il. range 51, and 
the first summer he lived in a cellar, and had 
a hard time getting started. He stuck to 
the work, however, and kept adding improve- 
ments, building a comfortable farm house and 
got along fairly well. In 1891 he left Ne- 
braska and went to Cambria, Wyoming, where 
he worked out at mining, blacksmithing or 
anything he could get to do to make a living. 
He remained for about seven years, in the 
meantime going back to his farm occasionally, 
part of the time having charge of the black- 
smith department for a mining company in 
Cambria, and during those years he did not 
have much success with his farming opera- 
tions, two years having entire failures of crops 
during the drouth periods. Mr. Broadhurst 
bought his present place in 1892, moving on 
the place the following year, and constantly 
improved the farm, putting up good buildings, 
barns, sheep sheds, also has a complete black- 
smith shop. His farm is all fenced with woven 
wire fencing, and has room for sheltering two 
thousand sheep, having been engaged in the 
sheep business for the past four or five years, 
feeding each year from fifteen hundred to two 
thousand sheep for market, and this has been 
his principal business. He has four hundred 
acres of irrigated land, and altogether owns 
one of the finest ranches in the county, and is 
one of the successful men in his locality, his 
ranch consisting of nine hundred acres. 

Mr. Broadhurst was married in England 
in 1881. to Miss Agnes Jane Holding, and they 
are the parents of three children, namely: Her- 
bert, who was married on March 20, 1907, to 
Miss Edna Hoevet, and two daughters, Jennie 
and Pearl. Our subject has rented his son 
four hundred acres of land, on which he has 
erected fine buildings, and has a comfortable 
home. Pearl was married the 23d day of Oc- 
tober, 1907, to Grant Spearman, born in east- 
ern Nebraska, of American stock. 



In 1898 Mr. Broadhurst, together with his 
wife and three children, took a trip to Eng- 
land, where he visited his birthplace and also 
that of his wife, and spent nearly four months 
on the trip, visiting many points of interest 
and enjoying their vacation hugely. In 1904 
the daughter. Pearl, again visited England 
alone, remaining for nine months. 



ALBERT ROW. 



Albert Row, residing in Dawes county, on 
section 34, township 31, range 48, is one of 
the leading citizens of his community, and is 
held in high esteem as a man of sterling char- 
acter and true worth. 

Mr. Row is a native of Washington county, 
Maryland, born in 1856 on a farm, being the 
sixth of a family of ten children. His father, 
Abraham Row, was a farmer, and lives in 
Maryland and is quite active for his advanced 
age. The mother died about twelve years ago. 
Albert grew up in Maryland and when sev- 
enteen years of age left home and came west 
to LaSalle county, Illinois, where he followed 
farming for about twelve years, spending six 
years on one farm in that vicinity. In 1885 
Mr. Row came to Dawes county, Nebraska, 
driving from Valentine by team and covered 
wagon containing his personal belongings, and 
selected his present homestead as a spot to 
start a home. This is located in section 34, 
township 31, range 48, and was well situated 
and all good land. Here he built a board 
shanty and "batched" for two years, breaking 
up his first land and doing all his work with a 
team of oxen, .which he used altogether for 
the first four or five years. He got along very 
well for a time, then was overtaken by the 
drouths, and had a hard time to make a living, 
for three years being unable to raise anything, 
and also suffering from hailstorms throughout 
the section which destroyed property and 
crops. He nearly became discouraged and 
went through hard times, having to do all 
sorts of work to keep his family from want 
and privation, glad to secure even the neces- 
saries of life. He then tried the stock busi- 
ness, and from the first was very successful, 
and has continued in that line of work ever 
since. He is now owner of a fine ranch of sev- 
enteen hundred and fifty acres, one hundred 
and thirty of which is under cultivation, and 
the balance in hay and pasture land. The 
whole place is fenced, and he runs one hun- 
dred and fifty head of stock. He has built 
two good houses on his ranch, with substan- 
tial barns and other outbuildings, plenty of 




VIEWS OF THE RESIDENCE OF ALBERT ROW, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



775 



fine water and windmills for his stock. Mr. 
Row has a very fine young orchard, garden, 
small fruits, etc. 

On another page of this work will be found 
a picture of Mr. Row's residence. 

Mr. Row has helped establish the schools 
in his locality and always served on the school 
board. He takes an active and leading part 
in local afifairs, and is an important factor 
in the development and upbuilding of this 
region. Politically he is a Democrat and 
strong party man. 

Mr. Row was united in marriage in 1887 
to Aliss Elsie Jane Huss, daughter of Samuel 
Huss, a farmer and early settler in Illinois, 
where she was raised and educated. Mr. and 
Mrs. Row are the parents of the following 
children: Samuel H., Nora, Abraham and 
Bertha, all bright and intelligent and dutiful 
children to worthy parents. The family enjoy 
a happy and comfortable home and have a 
host of warm friends and good neighbors. 



J. AV. CALVER. 



The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is accorded a high station among 
the successful and worthy citizens of Brown 
county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Calver was born in Australia, in 1847, 
of English descent, his father, Daniel Calver, 
having emigrated to that country when a 
young man. His mother was also of English 
birth. There were five children in his par- 
ents' family, of whom he was the third mem- 
ber. When he was ten 3rears of age the whole 
family returned to England, locating in Stan- 
ton, SufTolk county, and here our subject re- 
mained for four years, then with his parents 
came to Canada. They landed at New York 
in 1861 and lived at Kingston for a short time, 
and in the latter part of that year he located 
at Cape Vincent, Jefferson county, New York, 
where he remained for three years, following 
farming and teaming. He next moved to Mich- 
igan and worked on a farm for about twelve 
years, and then wandered west, obtaining em- 
ployment on the Iron Mountain Railroad in 
southeast Missouri. He went to Illinois in 
1877, locating seventy miles west of Chicago. 

In 1880 he came to Adams county, Ne- 
braska, which was then a new country and 
very sparsely settled, and there he bought a 
farm and remained for four years, then came 
on to Brown county, where he took up a home- 
stead in section 27, township 31, range 22, and 
went to work establishing a farm. His first 



building was a barn sixteen by twenty-four, 
and the family made this their home, living in 
the hay mow during the first three months of 
their residence on this place. He afterwards 
erected a frame building, and this was the first 
house of the kind in the whole neighborhood, 
all the pioneers living in dugouts or sod shan- 
ties. They began to build up their home, and 
at first met with many discouragements and 
privations. Went through the drouth periods 
and other hardships, and had a hard time to 
support the family, being obliged to work at 
anything that came along in order to pull 
through. The better times came along and 
they were able to raise better crops and get 
a little ahead, and he gradually improved his • 
farm and put up good buildings, adding to his 
acreage, until he is now proprietor of a farm 
of eight hundred and eighty acres of good 
land, all in good shape and part of it cultivated. 
He has the best corn crib in the neighborhood 
or county, and a large, comfortable house, size 
sixteen by twenty-four, fitted up in modern 
style, with all conveniences for comfort. He 
engages principally in stock raising, dealing 
largely in hogs, and raises large crops of corn. 
The first school in the locality was held in 
a log house, and his children attended this 
school after a sod school house had been 
erected. 

Mr. Calver was married at Ottawa, Illinois, 
in 1877, the event occurring on Thanksgiv- 
ing day. His bride was Miss Alice Spicer, a 
native of LaSalle county, daughter of S. B. 
and Elmira A. Spicer, of old Yankee stock. 
She died in 1892 at Ainsworth, Nebraska, leav- 
ing a family of six children, namely: Nellie, 
Jessie, Mabel, John, Cora and Bennie. Mr. 
Calver was married again in 1892 to Minerva 
Spicer, and on December 4, 1903. his second 
wife died. His third wife was Aliss Elizabeth 
Julia Spicer, a sister of his first two wives. 

In October, 1905, Mr. Calver moved to 
Ainsworth, leaving his two sons, John and 
Bennie, on the farm, and has since made this 
his residence. Mr. Calver deserves a first 
place among the old settlers of this section. 
He has always done his share in the building 
up of the community in which he chose his 
home, and the family are well known and high- 
ly respected by all. all over the county. 



EMORY PLANCK. 

Emory Planck, one of the best known pio- 
neers of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, and one 
of the first settlers in that region, has taken an 



776 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



active part in its development, and is pos- 
sessed of a wide knowledge of the western 
country and a character of the highest in- 
tegrity. 

Mr. Planck was born in Tioga county, 
Pennsylvania, on December 2, 1862, where he 
grew to manhood. His father died in that 
state, and his mother still lives there. They 
w^ere the parents of ten children, Emory being 
the ninth in order of birth. He left his native 
state when about fourteen years of age, and 
came west to Buffalo county, Nebraska, in the 
spring of the year 1885, where he remained 
for one year and then came on to Cheyenne 
county, where he filed on a homestead in sec- 
tion 26, township 15, range 48. He came 
through the country in a "prairie schooner" 
<lrawn by a pair of Texas steers, which was 
.a familiar mode of travel in those days, camp- 
ing out along the way and encountering many 
adventures, sufl'ering from exposure, etc. 

Mr. Planck ])roved up on his original home- 
stead and took up additional land later, and is 
now proprietor of a good estate of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, all well improved with 
about seventy acres under cultivation. 

He has considerable stock of all classes, 
running at present about fifty cattle and a 
small bunch of horses. 

Mr. Planck was married in Cheyenne coun- 
ty, on December 12, 1897, to Miss Jessie Mann. 
Mrs. Planck is a native of McLain county, 
Illinois, where she lived until ten years of age. 
Her parents. Dr. D. R. and Alice (Merril) 
Mann, the former a native of Kentucky, the 
latter of New York, were among the pioneers 
of Cheyenne county. Mr. and Mrs. Planck 
have a family of three children, named as fol- 
lows: Benjamin E.. Ferd R., and Alice C. 

They have a pleasant home, and enjoy all 
the comforts of ranch life. Our subject has 
always been a leader in local affairs, and has 
helped in no small degree to build up the 
schools in his locality. At present he is serv- 
ing as a moderator of district No. 17. In po- 
litical views he is a stanch Republican, and is 
prominent in state and county politics. 



THOMA.<^ W". WILLIAMS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view was born in Wales, England, February 7, 
1841. His father, William Williams, was a 
miner in Wales and later followed that occu- 
pation in Pennsylvania. Our subject's mother 
was Margaret Ellen Evans in her maiden days. 

In 1854, the family came to America, set- 



tling in Pennsylvania, where the father found 
work in the mines, and Thomas also worked 
in the mines until he was twenty-five years of 
age. Mere, in Pennsylvania, our subject was 
married to Miss Mary Lewis in the year 1862, 
her father being William Lewis, a native of 
Wales, where she was born. Mr. and Mrs. 
Thomas Williams have had nine children, six 
of whom are now living. 

In 1861, our subject enlisted in answer to 
the first call for volunteers to serve in the 
war of the Rebellion, his first enlistment being 
in the Sixth Pennsylvania Infantry. Later 
he enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania 
Infantry, and later in the Sixteenth Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry. He saw much service and after 
the war was over, in 1865, he went to Missouri, 
where he lived for nine years. In 1874 he 
came to Nebraska, spending about two years 
in York and Hamilton counties, and in 1876 
drove in a covered wagon to Loup county, set- 
tling on his present farm on section 26. town- 
ship 21, range 18. He had all the hardships 
that came to the average pioneer, lived in a 
dug-out for the first year, then built him a log 
house of cedar, which now stands in good 
shape and more highly prized than any fine 
building on his farm. His first barn was built 
of logs. He also drove steers, cows and bulls 
for teams and had many a weary, long trip for 
supplies to Carney, which was the nearest rail- 
road point, seventy or eighty miles distant. 

Our subject remained on his farm actively 
improving it and engaged in making a good 
home for his family. The only time he was 
gone for any length of time was in 1876. dur- 
ing the Indian raids, when Custer was killed. 
At this time all the settlers were ordered to 
the Alger ranch by the government troops, 
who could not protect the people if they were 
scattered on their farms. 

Thomas W. Williams has built up a good 
home and has a fine farm of two hundred and 
thirty-seven acres well improved and equipped 
with machinery. He has been one of the lead- 
ing pioneers of the county and has always 
been prominent in public affairs. 



LINCOLN G. SIMON, M. D. 

Lincoln G. Simon, a worthy descendant of 
a fine old N'irginia family, is also one of the prom- 
inent citizens of Sidney, Nebraska, where he 
has been engaged in the practice of medicine 
for the past twelve years, and his patronage 
calls him to all parts of Cheyenne county, and 
even into surrounding counties, being known 




IIUMF.STKAU RANCH"— OLE J. MOE AXL) FAMIIA. 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



yn 



far and wide as a skilful surgeon and an able 
and conscientious practitioner. 

Dr. Simon was born in Warren county, 
Iowa, on September 22, 1869, grew up there, 
and removed to Wichita, Kansas, with his par- 
ents when he was about fourteen years of age. 
He remained there for two years, then the 
family took an extended trip through the west- 
ern states, visiting California and other Pacific 
coast states, returning to Kansas in 1885. He 
then left home to attend college, soon after- 
wards entering the medical department of the 
University of Michigan, enrolling as a student 
at that institution in 1891. He took a three- 
year course, and finished his medical education 
in JefTerson Aledical College, of Philadelphia, 
graduating from there in. 1895. During the 
same year he located in Lincoln, opened an 
office and practiced for about six months, then 
went to Cripple Creek, Colorado, where he fol- 
lowed his profession : also at Kimball, Nebras- 
ka, and in July, 1897. made permanent location 
at Sidney, where he has been ever since. Here 
he has built up a large and remunerative prac- 
tice. He also takes an active and leading in- 
terest in all local public affairs, and is a pro- 
gressive citizen in every respect, enjoying the 
esteem and respect of his fellowmen. In po- 
litical faith he is a Republican. 

Dr. Simon was married on December 14, 
1898, to Miss Tyrone E. Allen, who was born 
in Massillon, Ohio. They had one child,, who 
died on February 12, 1904. Dr. Simon's fa- 
ther, Martin Simon, is now living at Delhi, 
Oklahoma, while his mother died at Fort Scott. 
Kansas, December 15, 1895. The parents of 
Mrs. Simon are both deceased. 

Dr. Simon is a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen 
and the ^lodern Woodmen of America. 



JOHN A. ADA^^ISON. 

John .A.. Adamson, who now resides on sec- 
tion 27, township 2iZ. range 29, is a native-born 
Irishman, and comes of a mingled Scotch-Irish 
ancestry. His father, Walter Adamson, was a 
Scotchman, who came to county Sligo, Ire- 
land, where he married Mary J. Higgins. a 
native of that county, and there their son, John 
A., was born near Balling, December 29, 1862. 
In a family of eight children, he was their 
second son, and remained with them until he 
was sixteen years of age. when he took upon 
himself the management of his own affairs. 
He went to Scotland to become acquainted 
with his father's people, and in 1880 sought a 
home in the United States, knowing full well 



that here alone was to be found ample oppor- 
tunity for all his wealth of brain and muscle, 
strength of character and quickness of mind. 
Sailing from Glasg'ow in the steamer Ancoria, 
after a ten days' voyage he landed in New 
York on the 10th day of June, and for about a 
year was employed on a farm in Pennsylvania, 
after which he came to the west to enter the 
employ of the Northern Pacific railroad in 
Minnesota. He was engaged in that line for 
about a year, and then for a time drifted about 
through the northern states, and made a some- 
what hasty vistit to his old Irish home. 

In 1884 Mr. Adamson first appeared in 
Cherry county, and his destinies were linked in 
with the development of a Nebraskan home. 
He settled that year on his present ranch, 
being among the first to locate on the Nio- 
brara river. He had a team of horses, and put 
up a rude frame shanty, living here all by him- 
self for a number of years. His marriage to 
Miss Maggie Ormesher occurred March 6, 
1891, a native of Briars Wood, Lancashire, 
England. Her father, Henry Ormesher, was 
an old settler in Cherry county, and she is 
widely known as a lady of many social and 
domestic graces and virtues. They have five 
children, Edyth, Minnie, Lizzie, John W. and 
Alice. 

Mr. Adamson now owns a ranch of fifteen 
hundred acres, and has about eighty acres un- 
der cultivation. This extensive tract of land 
is partly fenced, and is very extensively used 
in stock raising. Mr. Adamson put up a fine 
stone house in 1903 and takes a justifiable 
pride in his modern and well built country 
residence. 



OLE J. MOE. 



Ole J. Moe, an enterprising farmer and 
capable citizen of Box Butte county, Nebras- 
ka, is one of the men of whom the' people of 
the surrounding community are justifiably 
proud. He was born on a farm in Gudbrands- 
delen, Norway, in 1856. His father, Jacob 
Moe, was a farmer and laborer, and died in 
Norway. His mother. Christena Moe, came to 
.\merica and died December 29, 1907. 

The early years of Mr. Moe's life were 
spent in his native land, where he received his 
education while attending the common schools, 
and as he grew older worked in a saw mill. 
At the age of twenty-four years he was mar- 
ried to Miss Mary Peterson, who was born in 
Norway in 1856. It was about the year 1880 
that Mr. Moe decided to seek his fortunes in 
America, and landing in Philadelphia, came to 



778 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Corn Prairie, Wisconsin, where he spent four 
or five years in the lumber woods and saw- 
mills. He spent two years in Chicago, Illi- 
nois, at the Grand Pacific Hotel. 

Realizing the opportunities that awaited 
the ambitious man in western Nebraska, Mr. 
Aloe came to Box Butte county in 1885, and 
took a homestead in section 30. township 27, 
range 48, driving from Hay Springs. The fol- 
lowing year he brought his family west to this 
new country. His first house was of sod, and 
he had no team to assist him in the work of 
starting his new home. Our subject success- 
fully withstood the periods of drouth and the 
many hardships familiar to the early settlers 
in western Nebraska. From time to time he 
secured other tracts of land, and now has a 
ranch comprising an area of five quarters of 
deeded land, and three quarters of leased land, 
all of which is fenced and cross-fenced. He 
has erected good buildings, and has a good 
well and windmill. He has one barn thirty by 
forty feet, and another thirty by thirty-four 
feet, and has a good granary, chicken house 
and other buildings. He cultivates about two 
hundred acres, and engages extensively in the 
raising of grain and live stock, having many 
head of horses and cattle. 

Mr. Moe has a family of eight children, all 
of whom were born in America, namely: Clara, 
Olga, John, Annie, Olave, Melvin, Ludwig 
and Emma. In matters of politics Mr. Moe 
is a Republican. While his broad acres and 
his stock demand his close attention, he has 
from his start in this county taken a keen in- 
terest in all public alifairs. His work toward 
the organization and building of schools is 
worthy of special note. He has done a great 
deal toward establishing the school district, 
and has been a member of the school board 
ever since he came to this county. He has as- 
sisted materially in the construction of the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
through this county, and has long been prom- 
inently identified with the work of making the 
county a comfortable home for a thrifty and 
industrious people. A picture of the family 
and also the homestead ranch appears on an- 
other page. 



HON. H. F. GOODBAN. 

Honorable H. F. Goodban, residing in Reu- 
ben township. Harlan county, is a prominent 
farmer and stockman, carrying on a diversi- 
fied system of agriculture in a most success- 
ful manner, with results that richly reward 
his thrift and industry. 



Mr. Goodban was born in Erie county, 
Pennsylvania. His father, William Goodban, 
was born in Margate, England, and came to 
this countrj' when a young man, settling in 
Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Long- 
ley, also a native of Margate, England, and the 
family lived in Pennsylvania many years, our 
subject being raised and educated there. He is 
a graduate of the Pennsylvania State Normal 
School of Edenboro, Pennsylvania, holding a 
state certificate from that institution. After 
leaving school he taught for awhile in that 
state, then went to Wisconsin and there was 
a teacher in the schools of Fountain City and 
Arcadia. 

In 1886 he came to Nebraska, locating on 
section 13, Harlan county, where he now lives, 
taking- up a homestead of one hundred and 
sixty acres, and from time to time has added" 
to this farm so that he is now proprietor of 
eight hundred acres of good land. 

For a time after settling in this vicinity, 
Air. Goodban followed the work of a teacher, 
but of late years all his time and attention has 
been devoted to the carrying on of his farm, 
although he has given a large part of his time 
to public afi'airs, in 1888 being elected super- 
intendent of the county schools, and re-elected 
to the same office the following term. He has 
been on the board of supervisors of his county 
for three terms. 

Mr. Goodban was married in 1876 at Fair- 
view. Pennsylvania, to Miss Emma Caughey, 
daughter of Frank Caughey. She died in 1904, 
and in 1906 he was married to Mrs. Chorn, nee 
Hattie Sarnes, daughter of John Sarnes, of 
Saline county, Nebraska. They have three 
children, namely: Guy H., Helen and Wilma 
Chorn. 

Mr. Goodban is a man of marked business 
ability, possessing a striking personality. He 
is of fine physique, good address, and a well- 
read, up-to-date gentleman of wide experience. 

He is a member of the Evangelical church, 
also superintendent of the Evangelical Sunday 
school. lie is a Mason in the Orleans lodge, 
and a useful and highly esteemed citizen of 
his community. Politically he is a Republican. 



F. T. McLAIN. 



F. T. McLain. proprietor of a fine ranch 
in section 28, township 30. range 50, Dawes 
county, resides in Ames. Iowa, where he also' 
owns large business interests. He invested 
in farming lands in this county several years 
ago. and has made of it n fine rancli and valu- 
able property. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



779 



Mr. McLain is a native of Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, born in 1841. His father, Wil- 
liam McLain, was of Scotch descent and his 
mother of Pennsylvania Dutch blood. When 
our subject was but a boy the family settled 
in Illinois, and later in Iowa, where he grew 
to manhood, helping his parents in carrying on 
their farm, while attending school in the coun- 
try, although he did not receive a very thor- 
ough education, as lie was early obliged to 
work for his own living and help support the 
family. At the age of twenty he left home and 
enlisted in Company C, Fourteenth Iowa In- 
fantry, and saw service in the western army 
along the Mississippi river. He participated 
in the battle of Shiloh, where he was captured 
by the enemy and spent seven months in Libby 
prison at Richmond, Virginia, and at Macon 
and .Savannah, Georgia. After serving with 
his regiment for three and a half years he was 
discharged in 1864, and returned to Iowa. 

In 1868 Mr. ^IcLain settled in Story coun- 
ty, Iowa, and was among the pioneer settlers 
in that section, where he took up a tract of 
land and developed it into a fine farm, mak- 
ing it one of the most valuable pieces of prop- 
erty in the county. He was also active in 
building up the country, as an early settler, 
and in 1892 sold his farm and moved to Ames, 
Iowa, and now owns considerable farming 
property in the vicinity of that place. He 
came to Nebraska in 1902 and bought up land, 
and now owns three thousand five hundred 
acres twenty miles southeast of Crawford 
city, and has this in first-class shape. 

He has the ranch stocked with a large 
number of cattle and horses, and is doing his 
full share as a settler in this part of the coun- 
ty, and although having his residence in Ames, 
much of his time is spent on his ranch here. 
As a farmer Mr. McLain has made a wonder- 
ful success, having started in Iowa as a pio- 
neer, with hardly any capital, and from this 
small beginning has accumulated a vast es- 
tate, built up one of the finest farms in Story 
county, Iowa, and is now able to enjoy him- 
self in the knowledge that he has accomplished 
results which prove him to be a man of super- 
ior ability a.iid good business management. 

Mr. McLain was married in Iowa, in the 
year 1865, to Miss Rose Minkler, of Rochelle, 
Illinois, whose parents were both of American 
stock. Three children were born to this union, 
namely : Alta, deceased ; Libby, now Mrs. 
Lang, and a resident of Dawes county ; and 
Rosa, wife of Frank J. Coil, Jr., of Dawes coun- 
ty. Mr. AIcLain was married the second time 
to ^lary Fleming. ,by whom he had two chil- 
dren, namely: Stella and Jennie. Losing his 



second wife, Mr. McLain married her cousin, 
Jennie Flemihg, of Lisbon, Ohio, and by this 
marriage there was one child, William. 

Our subject takes a prominent part in local 
affairs, and belongs to a number of fraternal 
societies. He is a member of the Ancient Or- 
der of United \\'orkmen and the Ancient Free 
and Accepted Masons. 



JOHN A. HANSEN. 

The subject of this review is a retired mer- 
chant and farmer of Phelps county, now a 
resident of Holdrege, where he has a pleasf.nt 
and comfortable home. 

Mr. Hansen is a native of Sweden, and 
came to this country in his youth, locating in 
Chicago, Illinois, where he remained for a 
short time prior to settling in this state. He 
landed here in 1878, and in the spring of the 
following year built a sod house and opened a 
store which was the first in this locality and 
runs the postofifice in connection with this, at 
Phelps Centre, in partnership with his brother, 
Charles Hansen, now deceased. In the fall 
of 1879 they built a frame store, and shortly 
afterwards Charles Hansen put up a second 
building, in which they ran an implement 
store. In a short time Phelps Centre became 
a flourishing town, had two general stores, 
one drug store, a hardware store, bank, and 
an implement store. These establishments 
were located where the Swedish Orphans' 
Home now stands, which Mr. Hansen helped 
to establish and of which he has been presi- 
dent since 1892. In the summer of 1881, Mr. 
Hansen sold out his mercantile interests and 
purchased a timber claim in section 10 of 
Westmark township, and, like other pioneers, 
erected a sod house, and shortly after put up 
a frame dwelling. He was very successful in 
his ventures, and now owns eight hundred 
acres of good land, with good substantial build- 
ings and improvements. This is operated by 
his son, Walter. He remained on his farm, 
engaged in mixed farming and gradually added 
to it, buying land adjoining, until 1899, when 
he opened a first-class general store in Hold- 
rege, which he and his sons carried on with 
great success until the summer of 1906, when 
he sold out this business, retaining the brick 
store building and land, which occupies one 
of the best corners in the city of Holdrege. It 
is right in the business center, on the north- 
east corner of Fourth avenue and East avenue. 
He also owns a good residence property in the 
city. He has dealt considerably in real estate, 
buvins and sellins; lands in the western coun- 



780 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ties of Nebraska. While he resided on his 
farm he was most successful in raisin"- hogs 
and cattle, showing his preference for the Po- 
land China breed of hogs. He also was inter- 
ested in the breeding of his horses to the 
Percheron and Norman breeds, and has owned 
some fine animals. 

In 1881 Mr. Hansen was married to Miss 
Gustie Carlson, daughter of John .\. Carlson, 
a pioneer settler of W'estmark township, Pheli)s 
county, Nebraska, and a farmer ancl land- 
owner there. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen have a 
family of six children, namely: Walter, oper- 
ating the farm ; Bert, teller in the first Nation- 
al iiank of Holdrege ; and Winnie. Carrie. Hil- 
ma and Charlie, attending school. 

Mr. Hansen, in addition to managing his 
large business interests, has found time to 
take an active interest in public affairs, and 
is an earnest worker in the Swedish \Iission 
church, of which he is a member. He was 
township assessor for six years. While resid- 
ing in ^^'estmark township he was one of the 
organizers of the Holcomb church, and was a 
trustee of that institution while living on the 
farm. After taking up his residence in Hold- 
rege he was elected trustee of the church there, 
and served in that capacity for six years. He 
was also chairman of the board of trustees in 
that church for two years. 

In 1907 our subject bought slock in the 
First National Bank at Loomis and resided 
there for one year, moving back to Holdrege 
in the fall of 1908, where he had erected a new 
and modern residence. 



JOE MOELLER. 

The gentleman above mentioned is classed 
among the substantial and jiractical agricVil- 
turists of Box Butte county and is proprietor 
of a valuable estate and a prosperous ranch- 
ing business. He has been a resident of his 
locality for many years, and has acquired a 
host of friends, himself and family enjoying 
the respect and esteem of all who know them. 

Mr. Moeller was born in Hcssen, Nassau, 
Germany, in 1861. His father was a farmer 
who lived and died in his native land, and our 
subject grew up in Germany, serving in the 
army of his countrj-'for three years. .After 
serving for that length of time he left the land 
of his birth and came to .-Xmerica. landing in 
Baltimore in 1884. and came directly west, 
locating in Wisner. Nebraska, where he fol- 
lowed farming for five years. .Xfter he had 
been in this country for a time and began to 
like it here, he wrote back home and urged 



his mother to join him, so she, together with 
one brother, came to the United States, and in 
1889 the family came to Dawes county, locat- 
ing thirteen miles from Hemingford, on the 
north side of the Niobrara river. Here they 
took up a homestead, built a good sod house, 
stable, sheds, cellar, etc., and lived on that 
place up to 1898. The claim was proved up 
on, and Mr. Moeller was successful in estab- 
lishing a good home and farm : then along 
came the dry years and he was hard hit by 
failure of crops, for four or five years not be- 
ing able to get any more than the seed he put 
in the ground. 

In the spring of 1896 he gave up his farm 
and went to Minnesota and remained for two 
years, working out on farms in that state, and 
from there moved to Iowa, also following farm 
work for two years, but did not like it well 
enough to settle there permanently, so decid- 
ed to return to his old home in Nebraska. In 
1900 he first came to Box Butte county, ami 
located on his present farm as a homestead. 
This is situated in section 31, townshii-) 17. 
range 51, and the place was utterly without 
improvements of any kind, so he was obliged 
to begin at the very bottom and build up the 
place, but has been very successful in his 
operations, putting up good buildings, fences, 
etc. He has four hundred and eighty acres of 
deeded land, and in addition operates seven 
quarter sections of leased land, engaging ex- 
tensively in the cattle business, also farming 
(juite a large portion of his land. 

In July, 1898. Mr. Moeller was married to 
Tillie Nickont, a native of Russia, of German 
descent, who came to this country in 1884, and 
together with mother and brothers, settled in 
Bo.x Butte county. Prior to her marriage Mrs. 
Moeller followed her trade as a dressmaker 
for a number of years in tliis vicinity, and is a 
most estimable lady. 

Mr. Moeller has held different school offices 
and takes an active part in local ati'airs. 



FRANK E. McEAIN. 

Frank E. McLain, who for the past twenty- 
five years has been a resident of Keya Paha 
county, has a wide circle of acquaintances and 
educational and commercial, and has done his 
is classed among the substantial and prosper- 
ous citizens of his locality. He settled on his 
present farm, located on section 20, township 
32, range 20, and here he has built up a fine 
home and farm. He has always taken an 
active part in all affairs of the county, both 
full share as an old settler and worthv citizen. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



781 



Mr. McLain was born in Atchison county, 
Missouri, January 17, 1848, and raised and 
educated on a farm tliere. His father, Thomas 
McLain, was also a native of Missouri, of 
Scotch stock, and his mother, who prior to 
her marriage was Miss Isabella Whitley, was 
of French descent, grand-daughter of Colonel 
Whitley, of Revolutionary war fame and a 
friend of Daniel Boone in Missouri. When our 
subject was fifteen years of age he left home 
and began for himself, driving freight wagons 
for Major Russell & Company, who were 
government freighters, going from Nebraska 
City to Salt Lake City. He continued at that 
work up to 1867, then for two years was em- 
ployed in the grade work of the Union Pacific 
railroad in this state and Wyoming, at the 
end of that time returning to Alissouri, where 
he was engaged in farming up to 1883, in Nod- 
away county. He came to Keya Paha county 
in the latter year, locating on his present place, 
and here he has built up a splendid farm and 
home. The place is well covered with natural 
timber of all kinds. There are six hundred 
and forty acres of good land, one hundred of 
which is under cultivation, and he keeps fifty 
head of cattle, a number of horses, and about 
fifty hogs. During the early years Air. Mc- 
Lain saw a good many pioneer experiences, 
and went through many ups and downs, often 
becoming greatly discouraged during the dry 
years, when he lost entire crops after so many 
months of hard labor. He lived in a log house 
for ten years, and had to haul all his provisions 
for family use from Long Pine and Ainsworth, 
at that time being obliged to ford the river 
and many times having to leave his wagon in 
the river over night. He often felt like leav- 
ing the place, but for several years acted as 
postmaster at Springview, and that kept him 
here when he otherwise would have left. A 
view of the dwelling with its encircling hills 
and one of the old log school houses is to be 
found on another page. 

Mr. McLain was married in Nodav^ay coun- 
ty, Missouri, March 15, 1871. to Miss Nancy 
J. Martin, of Scotch-Irish descent, a daughter 
of Samuel and Louisa (Owens) Martin. They 
are the parents of seven children, who are 
named as follows : Laura B., wife of Harry 
McQueen ; Robert S., Louisa, wife of Charles 
Carter; Lorena, wife of Thomas Burg; Elsie, 
who married Rose Williams ; Princess, wife of 
Roscoe McCulley, and Samuel, all living in 
Nebraska or South Dakota, not far from the 
old home. Four daughters were educated in 
the log school house in their district, and all 
have been teachers in the county schools here 
for eight or ten years. 



Mr. McLain has always been an active 
worker in the Democratic party, but has never 
held any office except that of postmaster, and 
in this capacity he has proven a most capable 
and efficient official. 



CHARLES ARTER. 

Charles Arter, one of the foremost men of 
Rock county, has been identified with the com- 
mercial interests of this locality for many 
years. 

Mr. Arter was born in Salineville, Colum- 
biana county, Ohio, July 12>, 1856. His father, 
Jason R." Arter, was a leading physician of 
his native town. He served in the Thirty-first 
Ohio Volunteers from Shiloh to Atlanta, rank- 
ing as major. Seeing the end of the war near 
he resigned to give his subordinates an oppor- 
tunity to rise. His death occurred soon after 
his return, from the effects of camp fever con- 
tracted while in the service. Our subject, the 
younger of two children, was reared in Oil 
City, Pennsylvania, and early left home to as- 
sume his own support ; obtaining a position 
with the Pittsburg, Bradford and Bulifalo road 
as rodman, rising to the position of instru- 
ment man and office engineer, being employed 
in the construction of branch lines. In 1883 
Mrs. Arter came with a colony to what is 
now Rock county and was here joined by her 
son in February, 1884, when mother and son 
located on a homestead in section 34, town- 
ship il. range 17, situated on Ash creek, later 
establishing a mill. Here they put up a frame 
building and began to operate the mill during 
the year 1885. The nearest milling point then 
was fifty miles away, and up until 1894, the 
mill continued in operation, proving a profit- 
able venture, but when the crops began to 
fail everywhere, the mill was abandoned, and 
Mr. Arter started into stock raising, at which 
he made a success from the beginning. Since 
then he has been engaged in this business on 
a large scale, and now owns a large ranch of 
one thousand and eighty acres divided into 
three pieces, of which nine hundred and twen- 
ty acres are deeded land, and one hundred and 
sixty acres held under lease. On this farm 
he has built a fine house, large barns and 
many improvements in the way of fencing. He 
also has one of the finest groves of pine trees 
in the state, and this has attracted the atten- 
tion of the members of the board of agricul- 
ture, who are studying his method of growing 
pines. 

In 1894 Mr. Arter was appointed postmas- 



CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, RE.MIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



ter of Kirkvvood, this office being established 
about ten years previous, his predecessors be- 
ing J. X. Hovey, A. G. Felton and John A. 
Brubaker, in the order named. 

In 1882 Air. Arter was married to Miss 
Sarah Johnson, of American birth, and 
German descent, and five children have been 
born to them as follows : Jason R., Laura V.. 
Cynthia Ann, Winfield S. and Alice A. 

Mr. Arter is an easy-going, genial gentle- 
man, clear-headed and original in his ideas 
and thoughts, and is much above the average 
man as a philosopher. In political faith Mr. 
Arier is an Independent. 



PETER XISSEN. 

Peter Xissen, one of the tried and true 
ranchers of Keith county, Nebraska, was born 
in the southern part of Denmark, April 14, 
1863. His father, Nis Matsen, according to the 
peculiar custom of names in that country, was 
a farmer and bricklayer by trade and lived and 
died in Denmark, his native country. The 
mother, Susan Christena (Petersen), still lives 
in that country on part of the old home farm. 

Our subject was reared in Denmark, re- 
maining there until in 1887, when he came to 
America, sailing from Copenhagen to New York. 
He then decided to locate in New Jersey. 
He here acquired the English language, and 
after about one year, came west to Colorado, 
locating on a pre-emption claim in Washing- 
ton county, where he was one of the early pio- 
neers. Here he, with others of his family, 
experienced the years of drouth and ruin of 
crops for several years, having hard time to 
get along. With him was his brother, Hans, 
and a sister, Mrs. Mary Petersen, who was a 
widow then. She has three children. Hans A. 
Petersen, Simon Petersen and John Nelson, 
the latter being the son of a second husband. 
Our subject's brother, Hans Nissen. was born 
in southern Denmark, November 10, 1866, and 
came to America on the same vessel. They 
have been together most of the time since. The 
brothers and sister came to Keith county, Ne- 
braska, in 1893, and located on homesteads in 
Lonergan precinct. Together they have a 
splendid ranch of about five thousand five hun- 
dred acres along the North Platte river, and 
running back into tlie hills, on which they run 
about four hundred head of cattle and fifty 
horses. The buildings and main improve- 
ments of the ranch are on Otter creek, which 
furnishes a never failing supply of clear, cold 
water. They have about four hundred acres 
of fine hay land and they engage largely in 



raising cattle and horses, farming just enough 
to provide such grain feed as is needed for their 
stock. Our subject and his brother have been 
very successful in their business and are well 
fixed financially. 

Peter Nissen has been an important fac- 
tor in the growth of his vicinity and is recog- 
nized as one of the leading old-timers. He 
has taken an active part in political matters 
and has held several local offices, among them 
that of assessor, which position he has occu- 
pied several times. He is Republican in poli- 
tics, and was reared in the Lutheran church. 



FERMAN S. KEY. 

The gentleman above named is a well 
known and highly respected citizen of section 
1. township 21, range 15, Garfield county, and 
one of the pioneer settlers of western Nebras- 
ka. He landed in this section of the country 
with but little capital and went to work de- 
termined to win a home for himself, and how 
well he succeeded is evidenced by the good farm 
and valuable property he now owns. He is in- 
dustrious and energetic and is one of the pro- 
gressive agriculturists of his county, his place 
being situated in what is called Bean Creek Yal- 
ley, all of it being under cultivation. 

Mr. Key is a native of Adair county. Iowa, 
born in 1867. He was reared on a farm, re- 
ceiving a common school education, attending 
the country schools for a few months during the 
winter of each year, the balance of his time being 
spent in doing hard farm work on his father's 
farm in Iowa. He came to X^ebraska from Iowa, 
in 1887, settling on a pre-emption consisting of 
one hundred and sixty acres, located twenty miles 
northeast of Burwell. and later took a nome- 
stead nine miles from Burwell. The farm on 
which he now lives is situated in section 1. town- 
ship 21, range 15. Here he engages in the cul- 
ture of grain, raising corn, oats, wheat, etc.. also 
runs some stock, raising alfalfa for his stock, and 
this \ields a good crop at each cutting, the valley 
land being particularly adajited to its production. 
It averages two tons per acre, and Mr. Key con- 
siders it the best feed possible for all stock. Mr. 
Key is of the opinion that only one-half of the 
amount of money and labor is needed here in 
order to accomplish good results that is required 
in the eastern states, and says that five hundred 
dollars here is equal to two or three times that 
sum there. He also says that any man who is 
possessed of five hundred dollars who is willing 
to work, will become almost independently rich 
here in a reasonable time. He is himself a prac- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



-83 



tical farmer and employs modern methods in his 
operations. 

]\Ir. Key was married in 1887 to ^Nliss Jennie 
M. Scofield, a native of Adair county, Iowa, 
whose parents were well-to-do farmers there. 
Mr. and Mrs. Key reared five children, namely: 
Eldon L., James Walter, Roy Everett, Lloyd 
and Hazel. Mrs. Key died March 15th, 1906, 
and her loss was deeply felt by her devoted fam- 
ily and a host of sympathetic friends. 

Mr. Key is an Independent politically and 
owes allegiance to no party, although he takes 
an active interest in all affairs of moment in his 
locality and is prominently connected with all 
movements for the public good and the bettering 
of conditions in his region. 



EUGENE BEAL. 

Eugene Beal, sheriff of Keith county, Ne- 
braska, is one of the strong political leaders of 
the county and has a large and increasing con- 
stituency. He is a capable official and makes 
friends wherever he goes. 

Eugene Beal is a native son of Nebraska, born 
in Crab Orchard, Johnson county, July 23, 
1877, and is of German-Irish stock. His father, 
John Beal, a native of Knox county, Ohio, was 
a pioneer of the state, coming to Gage county 
in the early sixties. Our subject's mother, Maria 
J. Lovitt, was also born in Knox county, C)hio, 
from which state the family moved to Nebraska ; 
at that time their supplies had to be freighted 
from Nebraska City, the nearest river town. 

Our subject was reared on a farm on the 
frontier of eastern Nebraska, becoming inured 
to hard work, receiving a good common school 
education and graduating from the Business Col- 
lege at Beatrice. 

Eugene Beal enlisted in Company C, First Ne- 
braska Regiment, for service during the Spanish- 
American war and the Philippine insurrection 
in the Philippines. He mustered in at Lincoln, 
May 1, 1898, and his record as a soldier is as 
. follows : 

Enrolled April 27, 1898, for the Spanish- 
American war and the Philippine insurrection in 
1899, participating in the following engagements : 
Santa Mesa, February 4th and 5th ; captured 
water works, February 6th ; Marquina Road, 
February 17th, Dam Farm Del Alonte, March 
25th: Mevcouvan, March 26th: Marilou, March 
27th-29th : Guiguinte, March 29th and 30th ; 
Cupin Malolos, Alarch 31st: Quinga and Bag Bag 
Riger, April 24th : Calumpit,~March 25th : Santa 
Thomas, May 4th. Mustered out August 25, 
1899. at San Francisco and returned to his home 
in Nebraska. He was next employed by the 



Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Com- 
pany for six months and an equal time as deputy 
clerk in the district court and for one year dep- 
uty sheriff' of Gage county. 

In June, 1902, he came to Keith county, 
where he purchased six hundred acres of land 
and went into the ranching business, cultivating 
two hundred and seventy-five acres of the land. 

Mr. Beal was married in June, 1902, to Miss 
Zelma L. Hodges and the union has been blessed 
with three children : Barney L., Hellen and Theo- 
dore. 

Our subject was elected sheriff' of Keith 
county in 1907, and is the present incumbent. 
He has held other offices of trust and responsi- 
bility in the community and is regarded as an 
efficient and conscientious public man. 



E. BAUDER. 



E. Bander, a prosperous and energetic farmer 
of Sheridan county, Nebraska, resides on his well 
improved estate in section 3, township 32, range 
43. He is a gentleman of much energy and 
determination, and is also one of the early set- 
tlers of this region. 

Mr. Bander was born in Montgomery county. 
New York, in 1850, and raised and educated 
there. His father, Simion Bander, is a na- 
tive of New York, and came west, locating 
in Kansas, where he died, and after his death 
his wife took her little family and went back 
to their old home in New York. Our subject 
was one of three children, and at the age of 
eleven he began working out by the month 
on farms to support himself, and for twenty- 
two years followed this occupation. In the 
fall of 1884 he left New York and came to Ne- 
braska, locating on the place he now occupies, 
driving the distance from "Valentine to where 
he lives with teams and covered wagon con- 
taining his household goods. When he ar- 
rived here the ground was covered with snow 
and the first night after reaching Gordon, a 
blizzard struck the place and ripped the cover 
off the stage in which they were riding. This 
was a disagreeable and unpleasant experience, 
but no serious damage resulted from the 
storm. He at once went to work on his home- 
stead, the following year building a sod house, 
and did well at farming until the dry period 
came on and he lost all he had made, and be- 
came so discouraged that had he been offered 
two hundred dollars for his land, he would 
have sold it and quit. However, he was 
obliged to stick to it and managed to live and 
support his family during the hard times, 
which lasted from 1890 to 1900. Since then 



784 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



he has gathered together eleven quarter sec- 
tions of good land, and his place is well improved 
and all fenced. He has a drove of some two 
hundred head of stock, and is one of the most 
progressive agriculturists of the community 
in which he lives. He now has the block.* 
all made with which he intends to erect a fine 
cement house in the spring. He enjoys a 
comfortable home and pleasant surroundings, 
and has seen plenty of pioneer life and does 
not care for any more. 

In 1887 Mr. Bander was married to Miss 
Etta .Addick. a native of New York state. 
Her father and mother were both natives of 
New York state, the former having died when 
she was a mere child. Mr. and Mrs. Bander 
have one child. George E., born and raised 
in this locality. 

Mr. Bauder is one of the men who have 
devoted both time and money to assist in the 
development of the locality in which he chose 
his home. He takes an active part in all local 
affairs, and has served his county as commis- 
sioner for one term. He is an Independent 
voter. 



ROBERT C. SNODGRASS. 

Robert C. Snodgrass, a capable and pro- 
gressive farmer of township 30, range 46, Sher- 
idan county, is recognized as a citizen of 
worth and one of the leading agriculturists 
of his community. 

Mr. Snodgrass was born in \\'cst \'irginia 
in 1857, and is a son of Isaac Snodgrass, of 
German-American stock, born and raised in 
West Virginia, a farmer by occupation. He 
died there in 1859, when our subject was two 
j^ears of age. leaving a family of five children, 
his wife remaining on the home farm until 
they were grown up. Our subject was the 
third child in order of birth, and as soon as he 
was old enough he began assisting in the 
farm work, hoeing corn when he was a small 
lad, and helped his mother until he was 
twenty-one years of age. He determined to 
start out for himself and borrowed twenty 
dollars to start west on, as he thought that 
the best field for a young man of small capital. 
He got as far as Indiana, and was ol^liged to 
stop there while he earned more money, and 
in 1881 landed in Iowa. Here he worked out 
lor a time, and then took a farm anH ran it 
for four years, when he left there and came 
to Nebraska in 1888. locating in Sheridan 
county. Here he tfjok a homestead and lived 
on it for two years, then purchased the re- 
linquishment rm the farm which he now oc- 
cupies. He set to work improving this place 



and proved up on it. He first erected a sod 
house and lived in this for several years. He 
put on all the improvements himself, sav- 
ing the cost of any hired help, and at the 
same time was raising crops u]) to 1891. when 
the dry years struck his locality and for sev- 
eral years was only able to raise sufficient to 
keep the family in provisions and save enough 
for the next year's seed. For the past eight 
years he has raised excellent crops, getting 
better each year, and he has gradually added 
to his place until he is now owner of six hun- 
dred and forty acres of good land, and also 
leases some near his own farm. On his farm 
there is a deep gulch which serves as a shed 
for his stock, of \vhich he has about one hun- 
dred head of cattle and thirty horses. He 
finds stock raising to be nidsi ]:)rofitable and 
intends to engage in it on a larger scale from 
now on. He farms about one hundred and 
seventy-five acres and uses a large portion of the 
produce on his farm, marketing very little of 
it. He is delighted with the farming possibil- 
ities in this section of the country, and after 
having experience in Iowa and other states, 
would not trade his farm liere for any he ever 
saw. 

I\Ir. Snodgrass was married in 1883 to 
Miss Lottie W'orley, born in Delaware coun- 
ty, Iowa, in 1862. They have a family of 
five children, namely : Vernon L.. John Earle. 
Richard Leroy, Dora Agnes and Dale Carle- 
ton, all born and raised in Nebraska. 

.Mr. .Snodgrass lived on his present farm 
during the Indian scare of 1891, and reniaided 
there through the dangerous times, although 
he never experienced any serious trouble from 
the redskins. At this time his wife was visit- 
ing relatives in Iowa, and on two occasions 
Mr. Snodgrass, together with several neighbors, 
went to Hay Springs to spend the night 
for fear of being surprised and injured 
by the savages, but the balance of the time 
he stayed at home. The people were in a high 
state of excitement, and every church in the 
section was a meeting place and refuge for 
them. 

Mr. .Snodgrass is a Rcjniblican, and n!- 
tliough he takes a keen interest in local and 
county aft'airs has never held office. .An in- 
teresting picture of a ranch scene on Mr. 
Snodgrass' property will be found elsewhere. 



I. E. MONTGOMERY. 

I. E. .Montgomery, of I'.loomington, Frank- 
lin county. Nebraska, is president of the \'al- 
ley Investment Comj)any, organized in l'*0,\ 
incor])orated and started in 1881. It came into 



> 
n 

I" w 

n w 

g I 
3 ?d 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



785 



the above gentleman's hands in 1892, and 
since that time he has been manager of the con- 
cern, whose operations extend over this and 
the adjoining counties in Nebraska and Kan- 
sas. It is the largest company of its kind in 
this section of the country, and makes a spe- 
cialty of loans on good farm and business 
property, with ample capital for- all demands 
on Al security. In the sale of lands it has 
done a large and constantly increasing busi- 
ness, and the promoters of the concern have 
advertised extensively this section through- 
out Iowa, northern ]\Iissouri and Illinois, and 
brought a large number of settlers here in 
the past twenty years, who have proved to be 
of the industrious and progressive farming 
class, and who have been successful here be- 
yond all expectations, the land increasing in 
value from five to forty, then to sixty, and 
exceptionally located lands close to the town, 
at from eighty to one hundred dollars per 
acre, in that time, which is the measure of 
success which has come to the buyers who 
have held on to their property. 

The \"alle_y Investment Company has a 
paid up capital of ten thousand dollars, sur- 
plus two thousand dollars, with officers as fol- 
lows : President, I. E. Montgomery ; cashier, 
J. ^^'. Knikbride, and O. H. Montgomery, 
\'ice-president. They also write insurance in 
the leading companies, and have a large busi- 
ness in this line. In the fall of 1902 our sub- 
ject organized the Bloomington Telephone 
Company, incorporating it with a capital of 
five thousand dollars, and since its start the 
business has developed rapidly. , In 1904 the 
capitalization was found to be too small' for 
the operations of the company, and in the 
spring of the following year Mr. Montgomery 
secured control of the Franklin Telephone 
Company and he then incorporated the Re- 
publican \'alley Telephone Company with an 
authorized capital of one hundred thousand 
dollars, this company being a consolidation of 
the Bloomington and the Franklin Telephone 
Companies. The new company has a paid up 
capital of seventeen thousand dollars. The 
company owns the exchanges in the. towns of 
Bloomington, using two hundred 'phones, and 
Franklin, with the same number, operating 
in all over four hundred telephones of their 
own, besides switching for about twelve farm 
lines of six hundred 'phones, and new tele- 
phones are being constantly installed. This 
company owns the toll lines east from Re- 
public Cit}', Nebraska, to midway between 
Franklin and Riverton, also the toll line from 
Franklin to ^Macon, and operate, under ar- 
rangement, over the Bell telephone toll lines 



in every direction to this and the adjoining 
states. 

The Republican Valley Telephone Com- 
pany rebuilt the Franklin system in the sum- 
mer of 1905, installing a new two hundred ca- 
pacity visual signal switchboard, as well as 
about twenty-five hundred feet of cable, and 
in the fall of 1906 the\- erected a fine brick 
central office building in Bloomington, with 
every up-to-date fixture and improvement to 
be had, installing an additional one hundred 
capacity switchboard and three thousand feet 
of cable, and the whole system is now in the 
best possible shape. Besides Mr. Montgom- 
ery's interest in the telephone company he is 
proprietor of about one thousand acres of farm 
lands, and buys, sells and rents from time to 
time. Much of his time is taken up in pub- 
lic affairs, and for sixteen years he was in 
the court house at Bloomington. From May, 
1884, to January, 1888, he served as deputy 
county treasurer, and from the latter date to 
August, 1891, was deputy county clerk, re- 
signing at that time to look after the cam- 
paign as candidate for clerk of the district 
court. At that time the fusion party had a 
majority of two hundred to three hundred in 
the county, but our subject had been so suc- 
cessful as deputy treasurer and clerk that he 
was elected on the Republican ticket by a 
majority of one hundred and twenty-five, he 
and L. A. Siegel, county clerk, being the only 
Republicans to be elected. Mr. Montgomery 
served as clerk of the district court for four 
years, from January 1. 1892. up to January 1, 
1896, and was re-elected in the fall of 1895, 
serving for four more years. He was the first 
clerk of the district court in this county, where 
the office is separate from that of county clerk. 
^^'hile acting as deputy county clerk he did 
the work of a district court clerk, from Jan- 
uary, 1888, up to July, 1891. During the years 
1901-'02 he took a course in law at the Ne- 
braska State University, graduating in June, 
and was admitted to the supreme court bar 
and all state courts in that month, also to 
the United States circuit court and the dis- 
trict courts in November, 1902. In his prac- 
tice he made a specialty of real estate and pro- 
bate cases. 

Mr. I. E. Montgomer}^ is a native of Man- 
kato, Minnesota, born in 1866. His father, R. 
W. Montgomery, is a veteran of the Civil war, 
having enlisted in 1862 in the Second Minne- 
sota Cavalry, and served up to 1865. He is 
secretary of the Masonic lodge at Blooming- 
ton, and prominent in Grand Army of the Re- 
public circles. 

He married Miss Eliza Burns, born in Ire- 



786 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



land, near Dublin, who came to this country 
about 1856. locating in Pekin, Illinois. Our 
subject was educated in the Nebraska schools, 
and after finishing his education taught for 
one year in Smith county, Kansas. He has 
one brother. C. D. Montgomery, associated 
with the Mergenthaler Linotype Machine 
Company, of Chicago and New York. Our 
subject has lived in Bloomington continuously 
since 1881, and prior to that resided in Fur- 
nas county, near Precept, and also in Beaver 
City. In 1890 Mr. Montgomery was married 
to Miss Oma Hildreth, daughter of Wilson 
Hildreth, deceased, formerly of Franklin coun- 
ty, and of this marriage one child was born, 
named Elizabeth. 

The family are members of the Methodist 
I^plscopal church at Bloomington, Mr. Mont- 
gomery acting as trustee. He is also a mem- 
ber of the school board, serving on that body 
since 1901, first as chairman and secretary, 
and is now treasurer. 



AETNA S. GERDES. 

Altna S. Gcrdes. who resides in township 
27, range 47, Box Butte county, was born in 
Hanover province, Germany, in 1858. His 
father was a farmer and day laborer, and our 
subject was reared in his native town, where 
he followed farm work until he was twenty- 
six years of age. After reaching manhood he 
served for three years in the German army, 
and in 1884 left the old country and came to 
America, landing at New York. After land- 
ing here he remained for some time in New i 
York city, then came to Illinois, where he was 
employed for three years on a stock farm. In 
1887 he came west, locating in Box Butte 
county. Nebraska, landing in Hay Springs on 
June 1, 1887. Here he filed on a pre-emption 
in section 2. township 27. range 47, putting 
up sod buildings and digging a well, as there 
was trouble from lack of water in this vicin- 
ity. He remained on that place but one year, 
then settled on a homestead in section 13. 
on which he lived for ten years. His first 
poor year was in 1890. The following two 
years he was able to raise good crops, but 
again in 1894, 1895 and 1896 the drouths 
caused failures of crops and he had a hard 
time to get along and improve his place. Dur- 
ing those times his nearest trading point was 
Alliance, and he was obliged to make niany 
trips to Pine Ridge for wood, camping out 
along the road on the journey. About this 
time Mr. Gerdes started in the stock busi- 
ness. His beginning was one cow and a calf, 



which he bought in 1887, and he kept increas- 
ing his herd and has dealt in stock princi- 
pally since that time, and all the cattle he 
ever bought was six head, from this number 
developing a fine herd, at times running as 
high as three hundred and twenty-five head 
of cattle. He has marketed many carloads, 
all of them being from the increase of his 
original six head. Air. Gerdes now owns a 
ranch of two thousand acres, all in Box Butte 
and Sheridan counties. He has good build- 
ings, fences, etc., with thi'ee wells and wind- 
mills. He only cultivates forty acres, keep- 
ing all the rest for pasture, grass and hay land 
for his stock. 

In 1898 Mr. Gerdes was married to Line 
Taylor, a widow, daughter of C. C. Ruggles, 
who was one of the first settlers in this coun- 
ty. Mr. and Mrs. Gerdes are the parents of 
two sons, George, aged nine years, and John, 
aged seven years. 

Our subject is one of the leading men and 
old-timers of this part of the state, who has 
alwa3's taken an active part in its history from 
the beginning. He is a Republican. 



FREDERICK ELLIOtT. 

The subject of this review, residing a? 
Xtirth Platte, Nebraska, is one of the oldest 
railroad men in this section of the state. He 
has been in this line of work since 1870, and 
is familiar with every branch of the business 
and an authority on all matters pertaining to 
raihva}' affairs. 

Mr. Elliott is a native of England, born 
in Kent in 1848, and a son of Frederick Elliott, 
Sr. His grandfather, Stephen Elliott, served 
for forty-four years in the British navy. There 
were ten sons in the family, and of this num- 
ber nine left the mother country and came 
to the United .States to build up homes and 
make a fortune for themselves. The Elliott 
family first came from .Scotland to Ireland, and 
later settled in Kent. England, and it was 
there that our subject was raised until the 
age of twenty, beginning to work in the ma- 
chine' shop of the ship yards there, where he 
learned the trade which he has followed ever 
since. At twenty years of age he started out 
for the new world and landed in America in 
1869. He came west and settled in Nebras- 
ka, beginning work in the railway shops at 
Omaha in 1870, and from that time up to 1881 
he had been employed on most of the leading 
roads in this section of the country. During 
the latter year he first started to work for the 
I'^nion Pacific, and has been with that com- 




S. W. CAK(-.V WITH HIS FAMILY AND (".RAXDSOX. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



-87 



pany ever since that time, witli lieadquarters 
at Nortl: Platte. He is now employed as fore- 
man of the blacksmith shop in that city, and 
has held this position for the past five years. 

While Mr. Elliott still lived in England 
he married Miss Bessie Peets, at Ramsgate, 
and together the young couple came to the 
United States, where they have worked hard 
to establish a home, and have a fine family of 
three children, all filling honorable positions 
in the world. The eldest, Professor Ed. C. El- 
liott, graduated from the North Platte high 
school in 1891 and entered the Nebraska State 
University, where he received the degree of 
Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts, aft- 
erwards entering the Columbia College, New- 
York, where he earned the title of Doctor of 
Philosophy. He also studied in Germany for 
some time, and is now filling the chair of 
pedagogy at the University of Wisconsin. The 
second son, Fred Elliott, Jr., is also a graduate 
of the North Platte high school, and has a 
good position with the Union Pacific Railway 
Comijany shops in Omaha as a coach carpen- 
ter. Benjamin G. Elliott, the youngest son, 
was graduated from his home high school, and 
is now attending the School of Technology at 
Terre Haute, Indiana. 

The family are prominent members of the 
Episcopal church at North Platte, and enjoy 
the esteem and friendship of a large circle of 
people in their community. 



W^ILLIAM D. COXNELL. 

William D. Connell. residing on section 6, 
township 32, range 50. Dawes county, is well 
known as a successful and prosperous agri- 
culturist of his locality. He is among the 
earliest settlers in western Nebraska, and has 
aided materially in the development of the re- 
gion by his active interest in promoting the 
commercial and agricultural resources of the 
county, and is highly respected and esteemed 
by all who know him. 

Mr. Connell was born in Polk county, Iowa, 
near Des Moines, in 1855. His father, John 
Connell, was a butcher by trade, born in Ohio, 
of Irish stock, and he married Charity Scrib- 
ner, who was of German parentage. As a 
boy our subject lived in Iowa. Missouri and 
Kansas, learning the butcher's business early 
in life, which he followed for fifteen years. 
When he was twelve years of age he started 
out for himself and traveled over the west- 
ern states quite extensively. In 1885 he came 
to Dawes county, and at that time the rail- 
road only came as far as \'alentine. He made 



his first settlement two and a half miles east 
of Whitney, then a small town, and his first 
dwelling was a log shanty sixteen by thirty- 
two. The following year his family joined 
him, and they remained on this place up to 
1897, then located in section 6, township 32, 
range 50, where he now lives. Here he has 
put up good buildings and all necessary im- 
provements and machinery for operating his 
farm. He has his place all fenced, and plenty 
of good water, the White river running 
through the farm. He owns one hundred and 
sixty acres, and has plenty of hay land and 
alfalfa, and engages in stock raising, doing 
but little farming. He buys and sells consid- 
erable stock, running principally horses and 
cattle. \\'hen he first came here he drove 
from Valentine, and in making another trip to 
the Missouri river was compelled to drive all 
the way from Hay Springs, as there was no 
railway through then. 

In 1874 Mr. Connell was married to Miss 
Eva A. Ballard, daughter of IMartin Ballard, 
an attorney at Blair, Nebraska, where for a 
time after his marriage Mr. Connell was en- 
gaged in the butcher business. Air. and Mrs.' 
Connell have three children, who are named 
as follows: Lillie M.. C. F. Connell and 
Gertie S. 



SAAIUEL W. CAREY. 

Samuel ^^^ Carey, who occupies a foremost 
position among the prominent old settlers of 
western Nebraska, resides at Crawford, in 
Dawes county, and is the owner of a fine farm 
and comfortable home in section 7, township 
32. range 53. He has spent many years in 
accumulating this propert}', and his entire ca- 
reer has been marked by industrious efifort 
and honest dealings. On another page we pre- 
sent a picture of Mr. Carey with his family 
and grandson. 

Mr. Carey is a native of Hillsborough coun- 
ty, New Hampshire, born in 1832. He is a 
worthy descendant of an old American family 
and a son of Samuel, also a farmer all his life. 
His mother's maiden name was Harriet 
Prouty. 

Our subject was raised in his native state 
and remained there during his young man- 
hood, following farm work for many years. 
In 1862 ]Mr. Carey came west, first locating 
in Chicago, where he remained for a short 
time. He came to Nebraska, locating in Sioux 
county, in 1887, and at the time he struck this 
region the country was practically in its prim- 
itive state, there being no roads or bridges. 



CO.MPEXDIL'.M OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and onlj' a few scattering se.ttlers in the coun- 
ty. He picked out a location thirteen miles 
northwest of Crawford, the tract being sit- 
uated on School and Cottonwood creeks, and 
lived there for about five years. ])roving up 
on the place as a homestead. He had a hard 
time getting started, meeting with many dis- 
couragements on account of crop failures, etc., 
and finally purchased and moved to the farm 
on section 7 in 1892, and at once began to 
put up improvements in the way of buildings, 
fences and cultivating the land for crops. The 
ranch contains four hundred and eighty acres, 
and is well supplied with timber, water, etc., 
and he engages in mi.xed farming and stock 
raising. He has put in all his time on the 
place since coming here, and his labors have 
been well rewarded, as is evidenced by the 
well tilled fields and well kept appearance 
of every corner of his property. ]VIr. Carey 
still owns his ranch in Sioux county, but of 
late has bought out the Charles Bowers foun- 
dry plant at Crawford, Dawes county, Nebras- 
ka, and is putting it in fine shape for general 
business, and he lives on the site, occupying 
several acres. Mr. Carey is a born mechanic 
and served his apprenticeship in New York 
when a \'oung man. 

Mr. Carey was married in 1863 to Martha 
Procunier, a daughter of Isaac Procunier, of 
German descent. Her mother's maiden name 
was Annie McClish, of Scotch descent. Our 
subject and his estimable wife have had a 
family of five children, who are named as 
follows: Leona. Elmina, Adelaide, Hattic and 
Martha. Leona died in May, 1903. 

Mr. Carey is one of the well-to-do men of 
his locality and enjoys a happy and peaceful 
home and many friends. He is held in high 
esteem as a worthy citizen and a good neigh- 
bor. He is a stanch Bryan Democrat. Mr. 
Carej' was one of the first men to build a fence 
in his township, and also one of the first to 
have any surveying done. He also brought 
the first sawmill into the district, and owned it. 



ALBERT G. HOLT. 

.\lbert G. Holt, widely known as one of the 
leading business men of Johnstown, Brown 
county, is a gentleman of integrity and ster- 
ling character, wdio has gained the confidence 
and esteem of the people among whom he has 
resided for the past twenty-two years. He is 
the banker of the above town, and a worthy 
citizen of his community. 

Mr. Holt is a native of Missouri City, Clay 
county, Missouri, born January ]5, 1861. Hi's 



father, John D. Holt, was a merchant and pro- 
duce shipper, of old American stock, and the 
mother in maidenhood was Martha ]M. Peery. 
The family consisted of six children, of whom 
our subject is the fourth member. He was 
reared in Missouri City, some twenty-one 
miles east of Kansas City. For two years 
the family lived at Holt, Missouri, and subse- 
quently spent two years in Gainsville, Texas, 
returning to Missouri City. Mr. Holt had 
learned the telegrapher's art and worked at 
Liberty, on the Hannibal & St. Joseph Rail- 
way, for some time. At the age of twenty- 
two he came to Long Pine, filing on a home- 
stead. He then went to Blair. Nebraska, and 
worked as a telegraph operator for several 
years, and while there was married. In 1887 
he came to Johnstown as station agent for 
the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri \'allcy Rail- 
road, first known as the Sioux City & Pacific, 
which position he held for six years. He was 
afterwards postmaster during Cleveland's sec- 
ond administration, serving one term. He has 
always taken an active part in politics, at- 
tending many national conventions, particu- 
larly since 1896, and is known as one of the 
public-spirited men of this section. 

During the dry years throughout this re- 
gicm Mr. Holt was extensively engaged in the 
poultry and game business in Johnstown, his 
trade amounting to forty thousand or fifty 
thousand dollars each year, and through this 
venture he accumulated a large part of his 
property. He now owns a fine ranch of twelve 
liundred acres, on which he runs as high as 
two hundred head of cattle. 

Mr. Holt was married near Ellendale, 
South Dakota, to Miss Mary Towne, daugh- 
ter of DeWitt C. Towne, who married Julia 
B. Goodman. To Mr. and Mrs. Holt seven 
children have been born: Nellie C, who is 
cashier in the bank; Hazel M., John .\lbcrt. 
Louis C, Cleora Ruth, Grace and Clift'ord 
Towne. 

In 1901 Mr. Holt established the Citizens' 
Bank in Johnstown, which he is now operat- 
ing, it being considered one of the most re- 
liable banking houses in western Nebraska. 
He is a stanch Democrat in politics, a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of .America and 
the .Ancient Order I'nited Workmen at Johns- 
town. He is a 'member of the Christian church, 
while the family arc communicants of the 
Episcopalian church. 



JAMES .\. FARMER. 

James ,A. Farmer, one of the extensive ag- 
ririilturists of Marvin precinct, is also one of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 789 



the very early settlers in Perkins county. He 
is a man of active public spirit and broad mind, 
and has an enviable reputation as a worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Farmer was born in Jefferson county, 
Ohio, in 1845. and was reared on a farm there. 
Both his parents were natives of that state 
and spent many years as farmers. 

When James was about twelve years of 
age he started to support himself, and since 
that time has drifted from one place to an- 
other and has seen much of the country in 
his wanderings. In 1863 he enlisted in Com- 
pany H. Eleventh Ohio Cavalry, and was sent 
west with his regiment, going into the Dako- 
tas, jMontana, Colorado and Wyoming. All of 
his service in the west was in fighting the In- 
dians. He also saw service after the raider 
Morgan and after the guerrilla Ouantrell. 
After his discharge from the army, in 1866, he 
returned to Ohio and remained there up to 
the spring of 1884, following farming all of 
the time. He was married there in 1869 to 
Miss Elizabeth Chamber, born in Virginia, and 
to them were born three children. Denver, Ed- 
gar and Flora, all bright and intelligent young 
people. The family came to Kearney county, 
Nebraska, and lived in that vicinity for one 
year, then came to Perkins county, where they 
were among the pioneers — but few were here 
at that time. The country was entirely unim- 
proved, and they went through many hard- 
ships and privations in getting a home started, 
all their supplies being hauled from North 
Platte, a distance of sixty miles from their 
claim. Mr. Farmer made many trips to that 
point, the journey taking several days through 
rough and unbroken roads, and the nights 
were spent in camping out under his wagon. 
He improved his farm as he was able, putting 
up substantial buildings, planting groves, etc., 
and now has a very valuable property. His 
home is on section 6, township 9. range 35, 
and he has eight hundred acres, about one 
hundred and twenty acres of which is culti- 
vated and the rest used for pasture and hay 
land for stock, of which he has C|uite a bunch, 
including cattle, horses, hogs and sheep. 

When Mr. Farmer landed in this section 
of the country he had but little capital to start 
with. He went to work with a will to carve 
out a fortune and establish a good home for 
himself and family, and the result must be 
highly satisfactory to him, as every dollar of 
his property has been gained through his own 
efforts, and he can enjoy his declining years 
with the knowledge of "duty well done." Mr. 
Farmer is a Republican and takes an active 
part in Republican politics. 



LEANDER KARR BI\'ENS. 

Leander Karr Bivens, one of the early 
settlers and prosperous ranchmen of Thomas 
county, Nebraska, resides on his pleasant es- 
tate and enjoys the comforts of rural life and 
the respect and esteem of a large circle of ac- 
quaintances. 

Air. Bivens was born in Pennsylvania in 
1834. His father, Leonard Bivens, was of 
Yankee stock, a blacksmith by trade, and he 
married Nancy Sarver, who came of Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch stock. Leander was raised in 
his native state until he was nine years of 
age. when his parents came to Illinois, where 
he spent his boyhood, remaining there up to 
1854. He then drifted to Utah and during the 
time he was in Utah he was for a time en- 
gaged in carrying the L^nited States mail, and 
was through all sorts of exciting times, mak- 
ing his trips at times through the severest 
storms, and at one time barely escaped with 
his life when caught in a blizzard, and had 
fourteen mules freeze to death on one trip. 

Thirty-five years of Mr. Bivens' career were 
spent in roving the western states, and he has 
passed through some of the most thrilling 
adventures during his life on the frontier, ex- 
periencing every form of pioneer hardship and 
privation. During the "gold fever," which 
struck the whole country at different times, 
he was one of the foremost in the dift'erent 
expeditions formed in the west, and in pur- 
suit of the shining metal which tempted so 
many from home to the gold regions, he fig- 
ures that he has spent not less than fifty thou- 
sand dollars prospecting in the western gold 
fields of California, Greenwood Valley and 
British Columbia. 

In 1886 Mr. Bivens first came to Thomas 
county, Nebraska, two years before it was 
organized, took a pre-emption and homestead 
and proved up on both claims. He had a hard 
time to make a living during the first few 
years on the place, but stuck to it, determined 
to succeed, going through the usual pioneer 
times, and finally became able to add im- 
provements to his farm, erect good buildings, 
etc., gradually adding to his original home- 
stead, until he is now owner of one whole sec- 
tion, which he uses for stock raising, the 
greater portion used for grass and hay- land. 
He has built five miles of fence, and every 
improvement necessary^ in the way^ of build- 
ings, machinery, etc. He has a beautiful lake 
on the ranch, well stocked with fish, and has 
any number of fine shade and fruit trees, which 
he planted many years ago. Altogetlier his 
place is one of the best equipped and most 
pleasantly situated in this part of the coun- 



790 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



try. Our subject is of quite a practical turn 
and is known as an expert in the making of 
home-made wine. 

During boyhood our subject learned the 
blacksmith's trade, following in the footsteps 
of his father, and has worked at this off and 
on during- much of his career in the west, and 
for seventeen years after coming to Nebraska 
he devoted all of his time to it. One brother, 
Samuel \A'. Bivens, is another old settler in 
Thomas county, having located here in 1884. 
He also is proprietor of a valuable estate con- 
sisting of a fine ranch and pleasant home which 
is situated near the Loup river, and adjoins a 
part of our subject's homestead. 



FRED M. KURTH. 

Industry and integrity coupled with hard 
and faithful labor, are the stepping stones by 
which this gentleman has reached success. Mr. 
Kurth is the owner of one of the finest ranches 
in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, which he has 
acquired by persistent and untiring labor and 
good management. He has at times met with 
reverses, but losses did not discourage him, 
and he is now one of the substantial men of 
his locality. He resides on his valuable es- 
tate in Colton precinct, where he has gathered 
about him all the comforts and many of the 
luxuries of life. 

Mr. Kurth was born in Saxony, Germany, 
December 26, 1853, and grew to the age of 
thirteen years in his native city. He then 
came to the United States with an uncle, sail- 
ing from Bremen Haven in the Deutschland 
and landing in New York after a voyage of 
thirteen days. They settled in Will county, 
Illinois, and remained there following farm- 
ing until 1886, when our subject came to west- 
ern Nebraska, locating in Cheyenne county. 
He filed on a homestead in the southwest 
quarter of section 10. township 13. range 48, 
later moving to section 18, the latter acquired 
by purchase, and at the present time he owns 
and controls one thousand six hundred acres 
of good ranch and farm land in the vicinity. 
He has succeeded in a remarkable degree, 
building a fine home, with a complete set of 
outbuildings, and cultivates about one hun- 
dred and sixty acres, using the balance as a 
stock ranch, on which he runs at times three 
hundred and fifty head of cattle and about one 
hundred horses. 

He has one of the finest, and. indeed, the 
only fruit bearing orchard in his portion of 
the county, all planted and tended by him- 



self, and every corner of his ranch shows the 
very best care in its operation. 

Mr. Kurth was united in marriage May 
17, 1876. to .Augusta Hollis, who was born in 
Germany in 1854. coming to this country with 
her parents at the age of three years. They 
have a family of eight children, named as fol- 
lows: Maggie, now Mrs. William Krueger, 
who is mentioned elsewhere in this work ; An- 
nie, Louis, Fritz, Henry, Frank, George and 
Willie, four still living at home. One son, 
Fritz, owns a homestead in section 8, town- 
ship 13, range 48, which he carries on with 
success. 

Our subject takes an active part in local 
afli'airs. and is treasurer of school district Xo. 
97, discharging his duties faithfully and well, 
and enjoys the confidence of his fellow men. 

He is a Democrat politically. 



JAMES M. HUDSON. 

James M. Hudson, whose pleasant and at- 
tractive ranch home is to be found in section 
21. township 35. range 25. Cherry county, has 
built for himself a good name in Cherry coun- 
ty. Nebraska, where he is known as a thor- 
oughly honorable and reliable man, an indus- 
trious worker, and a successful citizen, on 
whose reputation rests no stain of trickery 
or sharp practice. What he holds he has won 
by industry and hard work, and his good name 
comes from a lifetime of integrity and indus- 
try. 

Mr. Hudson was born on a farm in Nod- 
away county. Missouri, January 16, 1855, and 
from his earliest days he was inured to a 
farmer's life. Being the first born in a family 
of eight children, two of whom died in in- 
fancy, many cares and much responsibility 
were early thrown upon him, and he was 
made self reliant and quick in thought and 
decision from the first. He remained at home 
with his parents until he was twenty-four 
years of age, when he began life for himself 
as a farmer, operating rented land. In 1882 
he was married to Miss Elizabeth Nelson, who 
was born in L'tah. but was reared in Iowa, to 
which state her parents, Joseph R. and Lydia 
(Chadwick) Nelson, moved while she was a 
young child. The father was an Englishman 
by birth while the mother was a native of New 
Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson have an adopt- 
ed son. Jiiscph M.. who was born in June, 
1904, of whom they are very fond. Mr. Hud- 
son farmed in Missouri from 1877 to 1878. and 
then frir three years was engagecl in mercan- 
tile pursuits in a store at Elmo, Missouri, un- 




PIONEER FEEDING RANCH OF LI. W l.s UliERWETTER, 
Sheridan County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



791 



til 1884. He then moved to Cherry county, 
Nebraska, in 1884, and settled on a homestead 
in section 10, township 34, range 25. Mr. Hud- 
son came by train to the county, built a home 
for his family, which he brought through by 
wagon, camping by the roadside most of the way. 
His first claim not appearing to be a promis- 
ing one, Mr. Hudson abandoned it and made 
another entry in section 21, township 35, 
range 25, which is fully improved, and by 
persistent hard work has made it one of the 
choice ranches of this region. At the pres- 
ent time he is the proprietor of an extensive 
tract of three quarter sections of fine land on 
Sand creek, of which about eighty acres are 
under active cultivation, and the remainder 
being devoted to hay and pasture. Mr. Hud- 
son is very actively interested in stock raising, 
and at all times has about a hundred head of 
cattle on his place. He is an extensive hog 
raiser, and is able to show some of the most 
attractive horses bred in this part of the state. 

In matters of poitics the subject of this 
writing has in the main affiliated with the 
Democratic party, but holds party considera- 
tion secondary to questions of principle and 
character. He has never held any other than 
strictly local offices, but has always been will- 
ing to meet the full measure of his responsi- 
bility as a citizen and a man. Here he has 
taken a pronounced stand for whatever looks 
to advancement in local and educational mat- 
ters, and at the present time is a member of 
the school board. 

Cherry county and its annals by no means 
belong to ancient history, but Mr. Hudson is 
very properly named aming its pioneers, and he 
knows by hard experience what life upon the 
frontier means, as he passed through many a 
hard and dreary day in those trying times, 
when Nebraska was being won from the wil- 
derness. Here he struggled through the dry 
years of 1893 to 1896, and though he was able 
to raise nothing, survived the drouth, and 
still thinks Cherry county an agreeable place 
of residence. 

He has running water on his place, an ad- 
vantage which few Nebraska ranchers enjoy. 
He also has a small orchard which promises 
much in the near future. When Mr. Hudson 
first came to this county there was but one 
house on "The Table" between Berry Ridge 
and a point east of Spring View, and only a 
few cabins along the river. He has ridden 
the range after cattle, enjoyed wolf hunting 
with his dogs, killing as high as one hundred 
and twenty-four in a season. Mrs. Hudson 
has accompanied him deer hunting and during 
the grouse and duck season their table is 



bountifully supplied with game. This ranch 
is a favorite resort for wealthy hunters from 
eastern Nebraska and Iowa. 

John Hudson, the father of the subject of 
this writing, was born in Clay county, Ken- 
tucky, July 7, 1830, and made his home in 
Nodaway county, Missouri, in 1839, with his 
father, Joseph Hudson, one of the first settlers 
of that region. He died in Missouri in 1897 
in his ninety-second year. John Hudson learned 
the trade of carpenter and joiner and at the 
same time devoting his spare time to farming, 
which was mainly operated by his sons. He 
was always busy and became known as a very 
industrious man. 

In 1884 he came with his entire family to 
Cherry county, Nebraska, and at once identi- 
fied himself with the most active men of the 
day, and was a reliable worker for an3^hing 
that looked to the welfare of the community. 
In 1901 he suft'ered from a slight attack of 
smallpox, which was serious enough, how- 
ever, to rob him of his eyesight, since which 
time he has been unable to follow any work. 
On December 31, 1853, he was married to 
Miss Rutelia Lamar, who was born in Ander- 
son county, Tennessee, in 1832, of French an- 
cestry. Mr. Hudson has been a member of 
the Masonic fraternity since 1860, though of 
late years he has not been a frequent attend- 
ant at the loda:e meetinars. 



LEWIS OBERWETTER. 

Lewis Oberwetter, one of the most pros- 
perous farmers and ranchmen of Sheridan 
county, was born in Wisconsin in 1863. His 
father, Henry Oberwetter, a farmer, was born 
in Germany, came to America when a young 
man, and served for one year in Company A, 
Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry, during the 
war, losing an arm while in service. In the 
spring of 1870 the family moved to Iowa and 
located at Adel. Then they moved to Nebras- 
ka in September, 1897. Henry Oberwetter, 
the father of our subject, died on April 8, 
1904, in Sheridan county, Nebraska. Our sub- 
ject is the third in a family of five. At the 
age of twenty he started out, working in Iowa 
on a farm, and then came to Sheridan county. 

Mr. Oberwetter was married in 1884 to 
Miss Belle Hill, born in Iowa in 1860, her par- 
ents both being of American stock, still living 
in Gordon. Mr. and Mrs. Oberwetter have no 
family. 

In 1886 our subject came to Sheridan coun- 
ty, locating on his present farm, where he has 



792 



CO.MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRArHY 



resided ever since. He immediately engaged 
in the cattle business as extensively as his 
capital would permit, which was not on a 
very large scale. He had a great deal of diffi- 
culty in getting started, and the first few 
years their living was derived from poultry 
and milch cows. Jilr. Oberwetter now runs 
about six hundred head of stock on his ranch, 
farming four hundred acres, feeding his crops 
right at home, as he aims not to sell any of 
his feed. His ranch comprises about five thou- 
sand acres of deeded land, which extends for 
a distance of tv.elve miles, divided in three 
places, but all under the iierscmal supervision 
of Mr. Oberwetter. 

Mr. Oberwetter is also something of an 
inventor, having invented a hay stacker, which 
proved a decided success, and is used to a con- 
siderable extent among the. farmers in this 
county. He is also president of the Union 
Bank of Rushville. Nebraska, which has a cap- 
ital of forty thousand dollars, and is doing a 
fine business. He is satisfied that Sheridan 
county is one of the best to be found any- 
where, and contented to remain here. Mr. 
Oberwetter has never had the time to devcjte 
to active politics ; has never held office nor 
wanted to. but votes the Republican ticket. 

An interesting picture is presented on an- 
other page showing the "Pioneer Feeding 
Ranch," property of Mr. Oberwetter. 



HENRY OLP.RICHT. 

Henry Olbricht. an old-time resident of 
Sioux county, and one of the foremost citi- 
zens of his township, has extensive land in- 
terests in that region. He is a gentleman of 
broad mind and good business judgment and 
has prospered in a marked degree, now en- 
joying a home of great comfort and the high- 
est esteem of his fellow-citizens. He lives on 
section i^. township 30, range 53. 

Mr. Olbricht was horn in Glattz, Prussia, 
in 18.^6. His father, Franz, was a farmer and 
lived and died in Germany. Our subject was 
raised and educated there, and during his boy- 
hood learned the tanner's trade, and for a num- 
ber of years traveled through Germany and 
Switzerland following his work in that line. 

In 1878 he came to the United States, and 
after landing in New York city, went immed- 
iately to New Jersey, locating at Elizabeth 
City, and remained there for fifteen years, 
working in a tannery. Mr. Olbricht came west 
in 1892 and settled in Sioux county upon land- 
ing in Nebraska, taking a homestead in section 
33, township 30. range 53. His first dwelling , 



was built of poles, and during the first few 
years witnessed all sorts of hardships and had 
a hard time to get along. 

He was obliged to work out at anything 
he could find to do to make a living, but stuck 
to his home and gradually was able to im- 
prove the place and buy more land, so that he 
is now owner of a fine ranch of nine hundred 
and sixty acres, fitted with all good buildings, 
fenced and having a number of wells, wind- 
mills, etc., and is considered one of the well- 
to-do men of his locality. 

Mr. Olbricht was married while living in 
New Jersey, in 1880. to Katie Eick, and to 
them have been born the following children: 
Henrietta, Frank. P>enjamin and Frederick. 
Mrs. Olbricht died in New Jersey, at Elizabeth 
City, in 1889. and was ileeply mourned by her 
family and many warm friends. She was a 
most estimable lady, and a good wife and 
mother. 

In 1901 Mr. ( )ll>richt was married to Mrs. 
Bertha ( Lange) Sauser, a native of Russia, 
who came to this country when a young girl. 
From this second marriage a son has been 
born, Theodore, aged seven. Mrs. C)lbriclu 
came to America in 1890. in company with 
her brother and his family, and settled in New 
Jersey, where she lived about three years, and 
them went to Denver, Colorado. Her father 
and mother both died in the old country. By 
her first marriage Mrs. Olbricht had one son, 
Jacob Sauser, now twelve years of age. 



M. 



COMP.S. 



M. J. Combs, retired, residing in Huntley. 
Nebraska, is one of the leading old settlers of 
western Nebraska. He is a prominent mem- 
ber of the Grand .Army of the Republic, and a 
good neighbor and worthy citizen dt his com- 
munity in every way. 

Mr. Combs is a native of Illinois and was 
raised in Nebraska. His father. J. L. Combs, 
was a native of Tennessee, born in Nashville, 
in 1844, as also was his mother, whose maiden 
name was Jane Swan. The father came here 
in 18.^.^. from near Peru. Illinois, and settled 
at Peru. Nemaha county, on a ])re-emption con- 
sisting of one hundred and sixty acres, and 
together with Friel Nuckolls. R. W. Frame, 
William Hogg and J. W. Hall, laid out the town 
iif Peru, he locating a mile and a half from the 
town site, where he died in 1864. aged fifty 
years. He was one of the leading citizens of 
his county, a strong Republican, and his death 
was a severe loss to the people of that locality. 
Our subject grew up in Nemaha county. Ne- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



793 



braska. During the second year of the Civil 
war he enlisted in Company C, Second Ne- 
braska Cavalry, at Brownsville. He was but 
eighteen years of age at that time, and with 
his regiment served at Fort Kearney, Cotton- 
wood Springs. He also went on expeditions 
up the Platte river, at Fort McPherson, where 
Company C was the first to be stationed. 
They had many skirmishes with the Indians 
and saw a great deal of rough fighting while 
in the service. In 1865 and 1866 he freighted 
along the Platte river, and also sold chickens 
to the settlers in that vicinity, receiving twelve 
dollars per dozen, as they were a luxury in 
these part at that time. 

Many times he had narrow escapes from 
falling into the hands of bands of Indians 
who roamed the country, and on one occasion 
saw a freight train of twenty-four wagons held 
up and the twenty-six men who were with the 
outfit were all killed. 

In 1867 he settled down and lived on his 
father's farm for nine years, taking care of 
his mother and younger brothers and sisters 
after his father's death. In all he farmed near 
Peru for forty-three years, building up a good 
home and valuable estate, owning over four 
hundred and eighty acres at one time, but has 
since sold part of this. 

Mr. Combs married Miss Julia Roberts, 
who resides near Stockton, Missouri, a daugh- 
ter of B. Roberts, who went to Cedar county, 
Missouri, from Brookville, Indiana, in 1850 
in company with a neighbor, and these were 
the only men in that county who voted for 
Abraham Lincoln as president, in 1860. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Combs have been born the fol- 
lowing children: Homer L., now of Auburn, 
Nebraska ; C. H., of Kenesaw, this state ; Elmer 
C, of Huntley; Alinnie J., now Mrs. Adcock, 
wife of a farmer living near Huntley ; Dora 
and Amanda, both attending school, and living 
at home. 

Mr. Combs is an active member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic post at Huntley, 
and takes a leading part in all local affairs of 
importance to his community. He is a Re- 
publican, and has attended many county and 
state conventions as a delegate of his party. 
For five years he has served as assessor here. 
He is a good neighbor and worthy citizen of 
his community, of peaceful proclivities, and in 
all his life has never sued another man, never 
been sued, and only once was ever called as 
a witness in a court of law. He is a fine spec- 
imen of manhood, standing six feet two inches, 
and of a most interesting personality, esteemed 
by everyone with whom he has had to do. 



WALTER KNUTZEN. 

Walter Knutzen and R. G. Isdell, builders 
and contractors, have been in business together 
at Kearney, Nebraska, for the past ten or 
twelve years. They have put up all of the 
larger buildings and modern residences erected 
here in that time. The gentleman above 
named came here in 1879, and has followed 
contracting and building through all the ups 
and downs of this section, holding his own al- 
ways, and has succeeded in a marked degree. 
He put up the City National Bank, the high 
school building, costing forty thousand dol- 
lars, which is one of the finest in design, ma- 
terial and execution of workmanship in the 
state of Nebraska. All visitors to Kearney 
greatly admire its exterior design and finish, 
and the citizens are justly proud of the Long- 
fellow school. Mr. Knutzen also erected the 
Midway Loan & Trust Company building, the 
beautiful State Normal school dormitory, cost- 
ing seventy-five thousand dollars, the splendid 
Carnegie Public Library, costing ten thousand 
dollars, and all excepting one of the ward 
school buildings, at a cost of from ten. thou- 
sand to twelve thousand dollars each. He also 
erected most of the six large brick buildings at 
the State Industrial School, and many of the 
residences and business blocks that adorn the 
city and proclaim the growth of Kearney. 

Mr. Knutzen is a native of Norway, and 
came to the L^nited States in 1872, settling in 
Chicago, where he remained for two years, 
then went to the upper peninsula of Michigan, 
in the copper mining districts, where he spent 
five years. He then came to Nebraska, locat- 
ing in Kearney, where he has built up a fine 
home and has won the respect and confidence 
of all with whom he has dealings, both social 
and commercial. He is one of the sturdy and 
industrious sons of Norway, who, attracted by 
the greater opportunities to be found in the 
new world, left his native land to go to a 
strange country, there to carve out a name and 
fortune for himself, but he will always remain 
loyal to the land of his birth and retain that 
warm love for the mother country. Mr. Knut- 
zen visited Norway in 1878 and 1879, and 
found the same loving hearts and familiar 
scenes the same as he had left them in his 
early manhood. The country has progressed 
wonderfully in the past quarter of a century, 
and our subject was amazed at the changes 
which had taken place. His wife and daugh- 
ters have also paid a visit to Norway, and to 
the latter the trip was one to be long remem- 
bered. 

Mr. Knutzen was married in 1879 to Miss 



794 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Oplan Jensen. The family consists of five 
children, namely: Annie, a graduate of the 
State Xormal School, and now a teacher in 
the Kearney public schools ; Julia, also a grad- 
uate of the former institution, and State Uni- 
versity; Agnes, who in 1906 graduated from 
the Kearney high school and in 1908 from the 
State Normal School; Henry, attending school 
at the present time, and Harriet, also at home. 
The family is well liked in the community in 
which they reside, and enjoy man)- warm 
friends, who frequently partake of their genial 
hospitality. 

Mr. Knutzen takes a commendable interest 
in all affairs that tend to the commercial ad- 
vancement of his community, and is deeply in- 
terested also in all movements toward the 
progress of educational matters. He has 
served for two terms in the city council, and 
is recognized as a man of much ability, and 
a worthy citizen. 



CLAUS CHRISTENSEN. 

Claus Christensen, who holds a foremost 
place among the pioneer settlers of Sioux coun- 
ty, Nebraska, has built up a fine estate in sec- 
tion 7, township 34, range 54, where he has 
become one of the substantial citizens and en- 
joys an enviable reputation as a worthy citi- 
zen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Christensen was born in Denmark in 
1848. His father, Hans, was a farmer, spending 
his entire career in Germany and Denmark, 
his death occurring there in 1864. He married 
Tilda Carlson, daughter of a prominent church- 
man of that province, and she came to Amer- 
ica with her children, dying here at the age 
of ninety years. 

Our subject was raised and educated in his 
native land, attending the common schools, 
and following farm work during boyhood, and 
after he was confirmed, in accordance with the 
German belief, he was apprenticed in a mer- 
cantile house, starting as a clerk, following 
that occupation until he was a young man of 
twenty-one. He then came to the United 
States, and after landing in New York city 
came west, locating in Illinois, where he spent 
one year working on a farm, then came to 
eastern Nebraska, following farm work, also 
working at railroad construction, helping to 
build the first railway into South Dakota, from 
Sioux City, Iowa, to Yankton. 

Mr. Christensen remained in the eastern 
part of the state up to 1888. witnessing grass- 
hopper raids, and going through the terrible 
winter of 1880 and 1881, and the floods of the 



latter year, and suffered many hardships in 
that vicinity. He later owned a farm on the 
Missouri river, located below Yankton, and 
lived there for a time. On coming to Sioux 
county he located on Hat creek, taking up a 
homestead situated seven miles southwest of 
Ardmore, South Dakota, and did freighting 
from Crawford during the first two years, also 
beginning to improve his 'place, putting up a 
log cabin si.xteen by twenty-two feet, in which 
he lived with his family for many j'ears. He 
went through the dry years and lost several 
crops and saw hard times, but stuck to his 
farm and finally succeeded in developing it in 
good shape and bought more land as he grew 
able, now being owner of nine hundred and 
sixty acres, which is all in first-class condition, 
with a good set of buildings, etc. He has a 
good water supply the year around, and runs 
quite a herd of stock, cultivating fifty acres. 
He has done considerable experimenting along 
different lines of farming, and has proved that 
good crops of grain can be raised in this part 
of the country. 

In 1875 Mr. Christensen was married to 
Miss Mary Meng, a native of Denmark, and 
daughter of George Meng, who was a carpen- 
ter and contractor of that country. Mr. and 
Mrs. Christensen are the parents of six children, 
named as follows : Harry, Jep, Tillie, Katie, 
Mary and Claus. 

Mr. Christensen is a prominent citizen of his 
locality, and has held numerous offices of trust, 
serving as assessor for five terms in Montrose 
precinct. He has taken part in the develop- 
ment of the locality, is an Independent in poli- 
tics, and an earnest worker for the good of his 
community. 



WILLIAM CLARK. 

William Clark, one of the leading old set- 
tlers of Dawes county, Nebraska, deserves 
prominent mention for his aid in the success 
of western Nebraska as an agricultural and 
commercial center, and in doing so has inci- 
dentally built up a good home and farm for 
himself by dint of his industry and good man- 
agement. 

Mr. Clark was born in Green county, Ohio, 
in 184^). His father was Samuel Clark, of 
mixed nationality, a farmer by occupation and 
for many years followed that work in Ohio, 
Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska and has been 
on the frontier all his life. When our subject 
was but a baby t)ie family moved to Iowa, 
then to Nebraska, but most of his boyhood 




VIEWS ON RANCH OF WILLIAM CLARK, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



795 



years were spent in Minnesota, where they 
lived for some years in Freeborn county. He 
learned to do all kinds of hard farm work up 
to his eighteenth year, then enlisted in the 
Second Minnesota Cavalry, Company. C, and 
saw service in the west mostly, fighting against 
the Indians. 

After the war he went back to Minnesota, 
locating in Martin county, and was there mar- 
ried to Miss Louisa Connie, daughter of How- 
ard Connie, a harness maker, of Pennsylvania, 
and an old settler in Minnesota. 

In the spring of 1881 he came to Cuming 
county, Nebraska, and was among the pio- 
neers in that section, but only remained for 
three years. In 1884 he came to Dawes coun- 
ty, driving here with a team and covered wag- 
on, and as soon as he located here built a 
shack and lived in that for some time, "batch- 
ing it" up to the spring of 1885, when he was 
joined by his family, who drove from \'alen- 
tine. They were then located on section 26, 
township 31, range 47, and went through pio- 
neer experiences, often meeting hardships and 
privations, one winter being spent in Pine 
Ridge, logging with ox teams to make a liv- 
ing for the family. During the dry years he 
had many losses from partial crop failures, 
although he was able to raise some crops dur- 
ing all that time. 

For three years he was in the Sand Hills 
engaged in the stock business, and as he was 
able, bought more land, until he is proprietor 
of six and a half sections, in partnership with 
his son-in-law, Fred J. Stinchfield. Mr. Clark 
now lives on section 28, township 31, range 47, 
where he has built up a fine farm and home. 
The place is supplied with plenty of good liv- 
ing water, and he has a very fine grove of 
trees near his house, one of the best in the 
county. He has seven wells and windmills, 
and is largely engaged in stock raising, run- 
ning from four to five hundred head all the 
time. His ranch is all fenced and cross fenced, 
having in all about fifty miles of fencing. He 
has a fine young orchard and garden, and 
everything to make a well ordered home and 
comfortable rural life. 

Mr. Clark's family consists of nine chil- 
dren, named as follows : Charlotte, Melissa 
and Eva, Rosella, Jennie and Belle, born in 
Minnesota; and Lorenzo, V\'illiam and Grace, 
born in Nebraska. The family are highly es- 
teemed in their community, and enjoy a happy 
and peaceful life, surrounded by a host of 
warm friends and good neighbors. 

Mr. Clark is active in school affairs in his 
district, and takes a leading part in local po- 
litical matters, voting the Republican ticket. 



He is a member of the school board, and has 
held local office, serving as road overseer. 

On another page of this volume will be 
found an interesting picture showing views on 
the ranch of our subject. 



ALFRED LAWRENCE. 

Alfred Lawrence, numbered among the 
pioneers of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, has 
built up a fine farm and ranch in Norden pre- 
cinct, and there resides, surrounded by the 
comforts of life and esteemed by his asso- 
ciates. 

Mr. Lawrence was born in Clark county, 
Iowa, March 25, 1855. His father, William 
Lawrence, was a farmer and blacksmith by 
trade, American born, and he married Mary 
McAlister in 18 — , also of American stock. 
They had a family of six children, of whom 
Alfred, one of twins, is the fourth, and grew 
up on his parents' farm in Iowa, where he spent 
his boyhood days attending the country 
schools and assisting his father in carrying on 
the farm work. When he was twenty-five years 
of age he left home and started in farming for 
himself. His father had died, and he was 
obliged to shoulder the responsibilit}' of car- 
ing for the family for several years. After 
marriage he lived in Ringold and L^nion coun- 
ties, Minnesota, whence he moved to Nebraska. 

In 1888 Mr. Lawrence came to Keya Paha 
county, settling on a farm on section 10, town- 
ship 34, range 24, and here he started a farm 
and home. He put up a sod house, and was 
getting along very well until the dry years 
struck him, then for four years in succession 
he lost his crops and in order to make a living 
for his family had to work out at whatever he 
could get to do. In the fall of 1896 he burned 
out. losing his house and all their goods. 

In 1898 he moved to his present farm on sec- 
tion 5, township 34, range 24, where during the 
first winter on this place he lost his barns by 
fire and everything in the buildings — harnesses 
and saddles, etc. This was hard luck to him, 
and he became discouraged, but went to work 
to build up his place again, and has been suc- 
cessful, now owning six hundred and forty 
acres, with a lease on a half section additional, 
cultivating about fifty acres. He keeps fifty 
head of cattle and seventeen horses, and be- 
sides his own stock runs about one hundred 
head of cattle for other people in the vicinity. 
He milks eighteen cows and for the past three 
years has used separators, shipping the cream, 
which he finds a very profitable branch of his 
business. He has farmed quite extensively for 



796 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.-\PHY 



the past four years, and harvested good crops. 

Mr. Lawrence was married in Osceola, 
Iowa, March 25, 1880, to Miss Rebecca J. 
Shields, daughter of Joseph H. Shields, a 
farmer of American stock, residing in Clark- 
county, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence 
have been born the following children: \\il- 
liam and Joseph, born in Iowa ; Albert, Leona 
and Myrtle, born in Nebraska. 

Mr. Lawrence is one of the pioneers of 
this region, and has watched the development 
and growth of the country from its beginning, 
and has given all the aid in his power in build- 
ing up the locality. He takes an active inter- 
est in local public affairs, and is numbered 
among the leading citizens of his community. 
In political views he is a Republican. 



WILLI.VM McADAAL 

For the past twenty-three years the gentle- 
man whose name heads this personal history 
has occupied a pleasant home in Potter pre- 
cinct, Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He has 
passed through all the changes that have come 
to that region, and while building up a good 
farm for himself has at the same time taken 
an active part in the development of the com- 
mercial and agricultural resources of the local- 
ity where he chose to make his home. His 
residence is in section 34, township 13. range 
52, and he is well known and highly esteemed 
as a worthy citizen of the community. 

William McAdam was born in Argentile 
county. Province of Quebec. Canada, Novem- 
ber 4. 1845. He grew up there, living with his 
parents, now deceased, and helping on their 
farm, up to the age of twenty years, then 
came to the United States, settling at first in 
Alamakee county. Iowa, remaining there from 
1866 to 1876. at which time he came to Clay 
county, Nebraska. Here he followed the con- 
tracting and building business in and around 
Clay Center, making occasional trips to Iowa, 
where contracts were secured in that state. 
.After ten years in Clay county, he located in 
Cheyenne county, in 1886. filing on a timber 
claim on section 34, township 15, range 52, 
and on a homestead on the same section in 
1887. 

He experienced all ihc early Nebraska 
times, living as the typical i^ioneers of those 
days with his family, meeting many forms of 
discouragements through losses of crops, from 
drouth, hail and prairie fires, but finally suc- 
ceeded in improving his homestead, added 
more land to his original claim, so that he is 
now proprietor of four hundred and eighty 



acres, of which about fifty acres are devoted 
to farming and the balance used as a stock 
ranch. 

For several years since locating in this re- 
gion Mr. !McA(lam followed his former occu- 
pation of contracting and building, although 
all of his time has been put in on the home 
ranch as a residence ; when he was obliged to 
be away from home his family managed the 
farm. 

In 1886 Mr. McAdam was married, while 
living in Iowa, to iliss Jennie Cowles; they 
have two children, Ina ^I. and Dorothy, both 
under the parental roof. They have a pleasant 
home and are among the leading members of 
the community in school and social affairs, 
well liked by all. In politics Mr. McAdam is 
a strong Republican, and is active in county 
and precinct party councils. Mr. McAdam and 
his family are members of the Methodist 
church. 



BENJAMIN J. HAR\'FV. 

F)eniamin J. Harvey was born on the farm 
in Hampshire county. \\'est \'irginia. in 1836, 
and was the son of Gazaway Harvey and Ruth 
(Junkins) Harvey, both of American birth. 

Benjamin J. Harvey was reared and edu- 
cated in \^'est Virginia, and when he was 
sixteen years of age his parents removed to 
Iowa and became pioneers of Keokuk county. 
In 1856 our subject started out for himself, 
engaging in agricultural pursuits and later 
went to Webster county, Iowa, in 1863. Here 
he remained for ten years and then came west 
by team and covered wagon to St. Paul, Ne- 
braska, where he remained for one winter. He 
then located near Kent, in Loup county, on a 
homestead. Our subject had but little means 
to begin with, the extent of his money being 
one dollar and thirty-five cents on his arrival 
here, and nothing but the best of pluck and 
continued energy won for him the success 
which he has attained. His first domicile was 
a dugout, and later a log shanty. He was a 
long way from his source of supplies and had 
to haul all his provisions from Grand Island, 
a hundred miles away. Many times he has 
slept under the wagon at night when the snow 
was knee-deep on the prairie. He made one 
hundred and ten round trips to Grand Island 
with oxen ; his first grist he took with an ox 
team to Schuyler, one hundred and fifty miles 
away. Our subject has had many interesting 
experiences and lias seen many hardships, but he 
has stuck to his farm in spite of poor sod crops 
and the years of drouth. In 1890 the drouth 
destroved six hundred and fiftv acres of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



797 



crops and he harvested only one hundred and 
fifty-five bushels of wheat from three hundred 
and ten acres and only three bushels of corn. 
Hailstorms also ruined crops and wrecked his 
plans, and his losses all told would amount to 
many acres of crops and many dollars. He 
has now a nice little farm of eighty acres with 
fair improvements. 

Our subject was one of the first white set- 
tlers above Sioux creek on the North Loup 
river. He has taken a leading and an import- 
ant part in all matters of public interest and 
was the first judge of Loup county. In spite 
of the many drawbacks and hardships Mr. 
Harvey has built up a pleasant home and has 
established himself firmly in the respect of his 
fellow citizens. 

Benjamin J. Harvey was married in 1856 
to Mary E. Ham, daughter of John Ham, who 
was one of the pioneers of Butler county. Ne- 
braska, where he settled in 1872. There are 
fourteen children in the family, three of whom 
are Mrs. Harvey's by a former marriage. The 
names of the children are : Rose Elian, Mar- 
tha Ann, Harriet Susan, Mary Adelle, Benja- 
min \\'ellington, Eva May. Ida Evaline, ]Min- 
nie Pearl. Mary K., Frank and Kate — the step 
children are: Albert L., Ernery C. and Mar- 
tha May. 



PETER NEWBERG. 

Peter Newberg. whose successful career 
demonstrates what may be accomplished by 
persistent labor and honest dealings, is pro- 
prietor of one of the valuable estates of Deuel 
county, Nebraska, and is known throughout 
the locality as one of the most worthy citizens 
of his community. 

]\Ir. Newberg was born in Sweden on June 
2, 1851. He spent his boyhood in that coun- 
try, attending the public schools, and received 
the training usual to the lads of his station, 
working on his parents' farm in the place of 
hired help. He continued there until he 
reached the age of twenty-two years, then 
came to America, landing here in 1873. He 
first went to the Lake Superior mining regions, 
following mining for about five years. His 
next move was to Colorado, remaining there 
for nine years, most of the time engaged in 
mining, located near Julesburg, and has had 
considerable experience in pioneer life on the 
frontier, passing through all the hardships and 
privations of the early western emigrants. 

He came to Deuel county in 1887. arriving 
here in February of that year, and soon after- 
wards filed on homestead rights on the south- 



west quarter of section 8, township 14, range 
43. He worked hard to improve his claim, 
erected a rude dwelling at first, gradually add- 
ed improvements as he was able, and succeeded 
in building up a good home, although he was 
considerably handicapped by the bad years, 
which he passed through during his early resi- 
dence in the region. He has prospered in a 
marked degree, as he is now owner of a ranch 
of four hundred and eighty acres, and of this 
he cultivates about one hundred and fifty acres, 
raising good crops each year. He also runs 
considerable stock, having at present one 
hundred head of cattle and a bunch of horses. 
During the past several years he has erected 
substantial farm buildings of all kinds, and 
has one of the well improved and equipped es- 
tates in his locality, enjoying the reputation 
of a progressive and thrifty farmer and thor- 
ough stockman. 

Mr. Newberg was married at Leadville, 
Colorado, on July 7, 1880, to Miss Lida Ek- 
wall, born and reared in Sweden, who came to 
this country in 1877. Eight children were born 
of this union, five of whom are living, namely: 
Oscar L., Albert W., Frank L., Edna E. and 
Henry \\'.. all living at home, assisting their 
parents in the work on the home ranch. Our 
subject's parents are still living in Sweden, 
together with their remaining children. Mr. 
Newberg being the only one in his family to 
leave their native land. Mrs. Newberg's fa- 
ther also resides in Sweden, but her mother 
is dead. 

Mr. Newberg is a gentleman of broad mind, 
keeping abreast of the times, and takes an 
active part in local affairs. He is especially 
interested in educational matters in his com- 
munity, and has held different school offices, 
at the preent time serving as director of school 
district No. 54. In political faith he is a Re- 
publican, and stands firmly for the principles 
of his party. 



LYNN W. PARKER. 

Lvnn ^^^ Parker, a resident on section 31, 
township 33, range 29, and prominent among 
the younger farmers of Cherry county, is a 
notable member of that contingent of keen- 
eyed, bright and progressive men that Wis- 
consin has given to the development of Ne- 
braska. He was born on a farm in Adams 
county, in that state. November 30. 1868. and 
was reared to agricultural pursuits. His pres- 
ent enviable business standing and personal 
reputation have largely come from his indus- 
trious habits, honest wavs and genial dis- 



798 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



poshion. From a very early day he has had 
to do with local interests in Cherry county 
and, though a young man, is familiar at pio- 
neer gatherings as one of the oldest settlers 
of the county. 

William M. Parker, the father of Lynn 
\\'., was a pioneer settler of Sheridan coun- 
ty. Nebraska, having located there as early as 
1884. The family drove to that point from 
Valentine across the prairies, and had many 
interesting experiences as they penetrated the 
depths of what was largelv still a wilderness. 
Zilpha A. Ladd, the wife of William M. Par- 
ker, and the mother of Lynn W'.. like her hus- 
band, came of an old and long established 
American family, and in their children appear 
many of the best characteristics of their New 
England lineage. 

When the subject of this writing was a 
year old he was taken by his parents to Wood- 
bury county, Iowa, where the family was set- 
tled on a farm, and where he remained until he 
was sixteen years of age. At that time elder 
Parker removed to Rushville. Nebraska, where 
he went into the hotel business, in which he 
w-as engaged until 1887. Lynn W. Parker 
was then engaged in office work for an at- 
torney during the ensuing two years, and in 
1889 took a position as a trainman in the em- 
ploy of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri 
\'^alley Railroad, a position which he held for 
some five years. He was a resident of Omaha 
for two years, and for about the same length 
of time in Texas. In 1898 Mr. Parker secured 
government land on a homestead entry, as 
noted above, which he proved up in due 
season, and is now the owner of a very desir- 
able Xcljraska farm. He was appointed post- 
master at Burge, July 1, 1904, and makes a 
popular and efficient official. 

Mr. Parker was married in 1900 to Miss 
Lucy Redfern. a daughter of John and Lucy 
(Ball) Redfern, who now live ten miles west 
of \Wiod Lake. To this union have come two 
children. Millard R. and Eldon. 

Much success has attended Mr. Parker in 
his various enterprises. He owns seven hun- 
dred acres, and has a lease of a section of land, 
with the control of a second section, so that 
he is now operating about two thousand acres 
of farming and grazing land. His own land 
fronts the Niobrara river, and is amply sup- 
plied with wild timber. He has an extensive 
orchard under way, and both wild and tame 
fruits are abundant. Here he has a good 
home, and is doing a large stock business. He 
is a Republican, and from the first has been 
associated with public affairs. He is assessor 
in German precinct, and is very popular in 



the community. His niece was the first baby 
born in the town of Rushville. Fraternally he 
is a member of the Crookston camp of the 
Modern Woodmen of America. 



PRICE HOBBS. 



Price Hobbs. whose fine farm in Sheridan 
county is a credit to his locality, is a man of 
untiring energy, and is classed among the suc- 
cessful farmers of township 35. range 42. Mr. 
Hobbs was born in Springfield, Illinois. Octo- 
ber 9. 1856. His father, Littleton Hobbs, 
was of Scotch descent, a native of Maine, and 
a farmer by occupation. The family moved 
to Iowa in 1858 and later to Kansas, where 
our subject was raised and educated, attend- 
ing the country schools in his boyhood days. 
His father died in 1866, leaving a wife, who 
was Miss Elizabeth Butler, and a family of 
six children, of whom he was the third mem- 
ber. ^^^^en he was ten years old he started 
out to make his own way in the world, and se- 
cured employment at herding cattle on neigh- 
boring ranches in order to help support the 
family. The first time he left home he was 
away for three months and during that time 
did not see one of his family, and afterwards 
worked at anything he could get to do as a 
boy. He railroaded for five years, and began 
farming for himself in 1885. In 1885 he came 
to Sheridan county. Nebraska, and located on 
Wounded Knee creek, as a homesteader, and 
still lives on this place. He remained there 
and proved up on it the day of the battle at 
^^'ounded Knee creek, December 29, 1890. 

\\'hen he first came to this section he drove 
clear across the south part of the state in a 
covered wagon, and his first sack of corn, 
containing one hundred and twenty pounds, 
cost him five dollars. A\\ provisions were high, 
and it was hard work to make a living then as 
the country was new, with no land broken up 
to raise a crop on. He went through many 
ups and downs during those years, but stuck 
to it and has gotten together a nice property, 
all gained through his own individual efforts. 
His farm comprises two hundred and eighty 
acres of good land, and his place is well cov- 
ered with a gddd growth of natural timber. In 
1892 he lost heavily through failure of his 
crops, and this put him in rathei- hard circum- 
stances. He was farming during the dry 
vears, and during the good years that have come 
since then he has raised more grain from thirty- 
three acres than he did off of two hundred 
acres in those days. He is contemplating tak- 
ing up another homestead under the Kincaid 




-iti^v- 



PRICE HOBBS AND FAMILY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



799 



law, as he is satisfied to remain here. He has 
his place well improved, and his first house, 
which was of logs, has been replaced with a 
comfortable log residence. He contemplates 
building a fine frame residence in the near 
future. 

Mr. Hobbs was married in 1888 to Mrs. 
Estella Loney, born in Wisconsin in 1868. of 
Ame'rican stock. They have a family of six 
children, namely: Ada, Ethel, Alice, Harpy, 
Ernest and JNIabel (twins). All were born and 
raised on their present homestead in Sheridan 
county, Nebraska. 

The entire time and attention of Mr. Hobbs 
is devoted to the care of his farm and home 
and he has never sought any office, but takes 
a keen interest in all aflfairs of local or state 
importance. He is an Independent voter. 
Portraits of Mr. Hobbs and his family will be 
found on another page of this work. 



F. A. HEATH. 



Among those who have recently located in 
Franklin county, and who is welcomed as a 
progressive agriculturist and successful stock- 
man, we mention the name of F. A. Heath. 
He purchased the Riverview ranch in the 
spring of 1906, the place being located on sec- 
tion 15, Turkey Creek township, one mile 
south and a mile and a half east of Naponee, 
south of the Republican river. 

Mr. Heath is widely known throughout 
this section of the state of Nebraska as a gen- 
tleman of firm character and high standing, 
and a reliable breeder of thoroughbred stock 
whose statements can be relied upon at all 
times. 

Mr. Heath was born in Cerro Gordo, Illi- 
nois, in 1862. He grew up in Illinois, and in 
1884 he came to Nebraska with his father, 
Frederick Heath, the family coming from Piatt 
county, Illinois. Our subject took up a home- 
stead in Lincoln county, where his two broth- 
ers, John and Clyde, are both well known 
ranchmen and stock raisers, located near Wal- 
lace. In 1893 Mr. Heath began a herd in Har- 
lan county, in partnership with A. B. Heath, 
a cousin, who for many years was known to 
every farmer and stockman through his work 
on the Nebraska Farmer, a leading stock and 
farm paper that is widely read throughout the 
state. On his ranch of five hundred and thirty- 
six acres our subject now has ninety head of 
thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, with the pure 
bred Scotch bull Lancaster Royal, at the head 
of his' herd. The animal is one of the best in the 



country, and his get are eagerly sought after 
by all admirers of that breed. 

Mr. Heath has never bred for exhibition 
purposes, but for the farmers' needs in rais- 
ing the grade of their herds. He also has 
from fifty to eighty pure bred Poland China 
hogs on his ranch, mostly of the Perfection 
strain. Mr. Heath also owns the imported 
Percheron stallion Malin. 

In 1890 Mr. Heath married Miss Bertha 
Borden, daughter of Alonzo and Adelia Haga- 
dorn Borden, early settlers in Lowell, Kear- 
ney county, Nebraska, the family coming from 
Davis county, Missouri, in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. 
Heath have two children, namely: Loren and 
Llovd. 



GEORGE R. BOULDEN. 

George R. Boulden would rightfully ap- 
pear on any list of the honorable and success- 
ful farmers of Dawes county, a position he 
would hold not by favor or by inheritance, but 
by virtue of hard work, a wise economy, and 
a noble ambition to do whatever came to his 
hands in the best possible way. Mr. Boulden 
was born in the parish of Chart, Kent county, 
England, in 1850. His father, David Boulden, 
who spent his life in England, was a grocer 
and butcher, which occupation he folowed un- 
til the close of his life. His mother, Elizabeth 
(Collison) Boulden. was also a native of Eng- 
land. 

Our subject learned the grocer and butcher 
business while working with his father. He 
also mastered the carpenter trade, which oc- 
cupation he followed for four years before 
coming to this country. In 1871 he immi- 
grated to America, landing in New York city, 
and going to Rochester, New York, following 
his trade as carpenter for four years. He then 
came west to Danville, Illinois, farming and 
doing carpenter work. From this place he 
went to Davis county, Iowa, returning after 
two years to Illinois, where he spent two more 
years. He then went to Monona county, Iowa, 
living for a time in Onawa and Sloan, continu- 
ing at the carpenter business. 

It was in the year 1884 that Mr. Boulden 
first came to the state which he has since 
made his home. He located at Norfolk, fol- 
lowed his trade at this place until 1886, when 
he came to Dawes county, driving in with a 
team and covered wagon. He built a log 
cabin in Evergreen precinct, continuing his 
work as a farmer and carpenter. For a period 
of seven years he witnessed the drouths and 
the many hardships so well known to the early 



8oo 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE.MINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settlers in western Nebraska, during which time 
his unremitting efforts were rewarded with but 
three half crops. He then sold out for seven 
hundred dollars, traveling west through Idaho 
and the other western states. However, the 
possibilities of Dawes county were ever in 
his mind, so he soon returned, taking a home- 
stead in sections 34 and 35, township 30. range 
51, a place now containing many modern im- 
provements, the work of his own hard labor. 
He has erected substantial buildings, a wind- 
mill and well, and has a new barn forty-six 
by sixty feet. He now has a ranch of nine 
hundred and si.xty acres of good land, one hun- 
<lred and sixty acres of which are leased. There 
is an abundance of good timber on his place. 

Mr. Boulden was married in 1878 to Miss 
Nancy A. Collison, daughter of Edward and 
Mary (Cameron) Collison. Her father was a 
prominent farmer of Iowa. Her mother was 
of English and Dutch lineage. Mr. and Mrs. 
Boulden are the parents of one boy, John 
David, born in Monona county. Iowa, in 1881. 

Mr. Boulden has always taken an active in- 
terest in local affairs in Dawes county, where 
for 3-ears he has served as a school officer and 
as justice of the peace. He has proved himself 
an enlightened and public-spirited citizen, and 
has done his full share and even more in the 
great work of improving the county, and in 
making it a home for an earnest and progres- 
sive people. 



M. MOONEY. 



Among those who have for the past twen- 
ty years and more made the city of North 
Platte their permanent home, J. M. Mooney 
t^kes a foremost place as a citizen of active 
public spirit, who has used his best influence 
in aiding its educational and commercial de- 
velopment. He came to Nebraska in 1886. and 
is well and favorably known in railway circles 
as one of the older employes, and also is some- 
what of a ranchman and farmer, being deeply 
interested in both lines of work. 

Mr. Mooney is a native of Charlestown, 
Massachusetts, where he was raised and edu- 
cated. His father, Isaac G. Mooney, was a 
New Englander, and our subject received a 
good old-fashioned training, and at an early 
age became interested in railroad work, be- 
giiming when but a boy of eighteen years of 
age and has followed that occupation ever 
since. He came west and located in North 
Platte, Nebraska, in 1886, being employed by 
the Union Pacific railway as a hrakeman for 
*one year, and at the end of that time was pro- 



moted to the position of freight conductor, 
and worked in this capacitj' for several years. 
He was faithful in the discharge of his duties 
and won the confidence and trust of his em- 
ployers, and has been very successful during 
all his railroad career. In 1898 he began as a 
passenger conductor, and has held this posi- 
tion since that time, at present running on 
the Los Angeles Limited, and is well known 
to all the patrons of the road as a popular and 
accommodating public official whom it is a 
pleasure to know. Mr. Mooney has a large 
ranch comprising nine hundred and sixty-five 
acres of fine land situated in Lincoln county, 
near North Platte, and he spends all of his 
spare time at this place, planning improve- 
ments and intends to build up a model farm. 

Mr. Mooney's brother Frank is a conductor 
on the Boston & Maine railroad, with head- 
quarters at Concord, Massachusetts, and an- 
other brother. W. R. Mooney, of Nashua, New 
Hampshire, holds the position of superintend- 
ent of the northern division of the Boston & 
Elaine railway. Both are old railroad men and 
have been very successful since beginning the 
work. 

Mr. Mooney married Miss Laura A. Maple- 
back, of Boston, Massachusetts. Their union 
has been blessed with three daughters, whose 
names are : Bernice. Byrl and May. 

They have a pleasant and comfortable 
home, and the family is highly respected in 
their community. Mr. Mooney belongs to 
the Mason's blue lodge chapter. 



HENRY H. SPRAGUE. 

The gentleman above named has been suc- 
cessful in building up one of the comfortable 
and valuable estates in a new country through 
his industry and energetic efforts, and he is 
now counted among the leading old timers of 
his locality, who has been closel)' identified 
with the development and growth of that re- 
gion. 

^Ir. Sprague was born in Scotland county, 
Missouri, in 1847. His father, Harrison H. 
Sprague, was a farmer by occupation, of Amer- 
ican birth, and was among the pioneer set- 
tlers in Missouri, also one of the first white 
men to settle along the Mississippi river. He 
married Miss Katherine Kirkpatrick, also of 
.American stock. Our subject was reared and 
educated in Missouri, helping his parents in 
the farm work, and lived at home until he was 
seventeen years of age. In 1862 he enlisted 
in the Twenty-first Missouri Infantry, later 




SHIRK HORSES OWNED BY H. B. TOMLIN. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



80 1 



serving in the Fifty-first jNIissouri, and his 
first battle was at Shiloh. He was with his 
regiment along the Mississippi river, at Tu- 
pelo, and took part in numerous skirmishes 
with the enemy. 

After leaving the army Mr. Sprague fol- 
lowed farming constantly, living most of the 
time in Missouri. In 1882 he came to Nebras- 
ka, locating south of the town of Lincoln, 
and there was engaged in the stock and liv- 
ery business for ten years, buying, selling and 
shipping stock to the markets, dealing in 
horses, cattle and hogs, and did an immense 
amount of business during that time, and mak- 
ing money. In 1892 he came to Dawes county, 
taking up a tract of government land, start- 
ing at the bottom and building up a farm and 
home. The land was perfectly wild prairie 
land, with not a single improvement, and he 
worked hard and faithfully to develop this into 
a fertile farm, succeeding to a marked degree. 
He now has a ranch of twelve hundred and 
eighty acres, all fenced and cross-fenced and 
everything in good shape. He has good build- 
ings of all descriptions, with a large and com- 
fortable house. The farm is located partly in 
section 32, township 32, range 50, and all his 
buildings are on this section. He has one 
hundred acres planted to alfalfa and raises 
splendid crops each season. He is extensively 
engaged in the stock business, dealing in horses 
on a moderate scale. 

For the past ten years Mr. Sprague has 
been an invalid and hardly able to do any 
work, but has kept at it bravely and by sheer 
force of will has done what very few would 
have thought it possible any one could accom- 
plish in his condition. A short time ago he 
submitted to an operation and this was com- 
pletely successful, leaving him a perfectly well 
man, and he is now as happy and contented as 
one would naturally be at again recovering 
his health. 

Mr. Sprague was married in Missouri in 
1871 to Miss Sarah Dean, born in \^irginia but 
reared in Clinton, Henry and Scotland coun- 
ties, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Sprague are the 
parents of five children, who are named as fol- 
lows : lona, married, wife of Charles Nay- 
lor. county clerk of Dawes county, Nebraska ; 
Marietta, Edgar. Arthur and Harry. All are 
bright and intelligent, and their parents have 
given them each the advantage of a good edu- 
cation, and the family are well known and 
highly esteemed in their locality. 

Our subject has always been active in lo- 
cal affairs and given his time and influence 
toward the betterment of conditions socially and 
educationally. He is a Republican. 



HARRISON B. TOMLIN. 

Harrison' B. Tomlin resides in section 30, 
township 32. range SO, Dawes county, and is 
classed as one of the oldest settlers in this 
section. For the past twenty years this gen- 
tleman has successfully followed the ranching 
business, and has become one of the best 
known citizens of his locality, and is univer- 
sally esteemed and respected. 

Mr. Tomlin was born in Hanover county, 
Virginia, in 1854, of English stock. His fa- 
ther, Robert Tomlin, was a civil engineer by 
profession, and in later years followed farm- 
ing, while his mother was Miss Hester Brax- 
ton, of good old English blood. Our subject 
was raised and educated in Virginia, and in 
his younger years was in the sawmill business 
there. In 1884 he went to Colorado and spent 
three years on a ranch, leading a regular cow- 
boy's life. Then for six years he was em- 
ployed as a traveling salesman for the J. I. 
Case Threshing ^Machine Company, also for the 
McCormick Harvester Company, traveling all 
over the west and in northern Nebraska. In 
1891 he started in the ranching business for 
himself, locating in Dawes county, where he 
bought a tract of land in township 32. range 
50, and three years later moved, on the place, 
He has built up a good ranch and farm, which 
is situated on Ash creek, in section 30, his 
place containing a thousand acres of land. He 
has erected good buildings, barns and corrals, 
valued at from three thousand to four thou- 
sand dollars, also installed irrigation plants 
costing two thousand dollars. His principal 
products are horses, cattle and hogs, and he 
engages in grain raising to quite an extent. 
He has one hundred and thirty acres of alfalfa 
and one hundred acres of irrigated and prairie 
hay land. He makes a specialty of draught 
horses, starting with two good brood mares 
in 1892, and now has a herd of forty of the 
finest draught horses in the state and takes 
great pride in his horses. He is deeply in- 
terested in this branch of ranching, and in- 
tends to continue horse raising, finding it very 
profitable financially. He has a number of 
range cattle, and usually has more than he 
can summer. He has built up a fine ranch 
and farm, and his land here is as valuable 
acre for acre as it is in eastern Nebraska. His 
success is the result of his own individual 
labors, and he has accumulated his property 
through good management and strict atten- 
tion to business. 

Mr. Tomlin was formerly a student of 
alfalfa culture, and one of the first to introduce 
it in his neighborhood. He had seen it grow- 



802 



COMPEXDIL-M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing in Colorado and was an enthusiastic mis- 
sionary for alfalfa raising here, also raising 
a great deal for seed. One season he cut 
his first crop of the grass for hay and the sec- 
ond crop was for seed, going seven bushels 
per acre, for which h^ obtained six dollars per 
bushel. This was otT a patch of seven acres. 

Referring again to his horse business, our 
subject's entire herd is the increase of two 
brood mares which he purchased in the early 
nineties. He still owns one of these mares, 
and she is the mother, grandmother and great- 
grandmother of his whole string, and they are 
splendid animals and acknowledged to be the 
best of their class to be found anywhere. On 
another page will be found an interesting pic- 
ture of some Shire horses owned by Mr. 
Tomlin. 

Mr. Tomlin is active in local Jiffairs and has 
aided materially in the development of the 
commercial and agricultural resources of his 
section. He is a strong Democrat and active 
party man. Our subject's postofTice and rail- 
road station is Whitnev. Nebraska. 



JOHN \V. TERRY. 

Among the leading old-timers in Brown 
county, Nebraska, the gentleman above named 
deserves a prominent place. He is well known 
all through this section, and has built up a 
fine estate through his industry and perse- 
verance, gaining the esteem and respect of 
his fellowmen. 

Mr. Terry was born in Cleveland. Ohio, 
September 24. 1854. His father. James Terry. 
was a carpenter by trade, of English birth, and 
his mother's maiden name was Mary Marshall, 
both born and reared in England, their mar- 
riage occurring in that country shortly be- 
fore coming to America. They had a family 
of seven children, of whom cVur subject is the 
third member. They settled on a farm in 
Washington county, Wisconsin, and remained 
there up to 1874. when they moved to Nebras- 
ka, locating in York, and later in Seward and 
Saunders counties. Our subject attended 
school at Hartford. \\'isconsin. remaining un- 
der the i^arental roof tree until the spring oi 
1882. when he started out for himself, coming 
to Brown county and taking up a homestead 
in the northwest quarter of section 9. town- 
ship 30. range 23. He drove through from 
Saunders county with his wife, and after be- 
ing here for a time made another trip there, 
and brought his parents to this place. His 
first dwelling was a sod shanty, and later a 
dugout in which the family lived for some time. 



He had only one team and a cow to start with. 
Like others, he saw hard times during the 
drouth periods, losing entire crops, and for 
several years was unable to raise anything. 
The onl}' loss he ever suffered from hail was 
twenty acres of grain in 1903. After the dry 
years had passed he began to get ahead and 
gradually improved his place, adding to his 
acreage until he now owns four hundred and 
eighty acres of good land, with two hundred 
and twenty-five of this cultivated. He has 
put up good buildings, has a complete set of 
modern farming machinery, and everything is 
fitted up for running a model farm. 

Mr. Terry was married December 24, 1880. 
to Miss Amanda Bowlar. daughter of Archi- 
bald Bowlar. an old settler of Lancaster coun- 
ty, Nebraska. Six children have been born of 
this marriage, who are named as follows : 
Archie L.. Clyde E.. Emma E.. Jesse. LeRoy 
A. and Frank R. 

In 1897 Mr. Terry was elected county com- 
missioner, and re-elected in 1900, serving in all 
five years. He has served on the school board 
for a number of years, and takes an active 
interest in all matters that tend to the better- 
ment of conditions in his locality. He is an in- 
dependent voter, with leanings toward the 
Republican party. The family are all mem- 
bers of the U^iited Brethren church. 



WILLIAM KIMBEL. 

William Kimbel. a venerable resident of 
Deuel county. Nebraska, has been one of the 
leading citizens in the development of the com- 
munity where he chose his liome many years 
ago. At this writing he is a gentleman of 
eighty-two years of age. but is hale and hearty 
and has a host of friends and acquaintances, 
all of whom hold him in the liighest esteem 
and respect. He has lived almost his entire 
career on the frontier, and a history of the 
west would be incomplete without a sketch 
of his life and labors here. 

Mr. Kimbel was born in Kentucky. January 
7. 1827. and lived there until he was seven 
years of age. then went with his parents to 
Missouri, where they were among the early 
settlers and homesteaders. Some years were 
spent in Illinois and about 1852 he went to 
California, traveling overland, the occasion be- 
ing his bridal tour, the bride being Miss Sabra 
\'an Leuven. of Council Bluffs. Iowa. They 
remained in California for seven years, then 
went to Missouri, locating in Jackson county, 
and from there to Council Bluffs, taking up 
their residence at the latter place in 1865. 



COMPENDIUiAI OF HISTORY, REiMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



803 



There the family was reared, and in 1882 all 
came to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, remain- 
ing there for a short time, then moved into 
Deuel county, where they settled permanently 
in 1890. Mr. Kimbel has made his home with 
his son, Israel, since 1882, they having their 
interests together to a large extent. Mrs. Kimbel 
died in 1865 while the family lived in Iowa. 
Mr. and Mrs. Kimbel had a family of six chil- 
dren, as follows: Ellen, Janie (deceased), Sabra. 
Mary, Rosetta and Israel, all of whom are mar- 
ried and settled in comfortable homes of their 
own. An extended sketch of Israel Kimbel 
will be found on another page of this volume. 



HIRAM DOING. 

Hiram Doing, well known to every one fa- 
miliar with the personnel of Wheeler county, 
is one of the oldest settlers in the western part 
of the state of Nebraska, having come here 
in the seventies in the pioneer days of this 
section, and since his residence here has been 
one of the leading citizens. 

Mr. Doing was born in New York in 18-14. 
He is a son of Joseph F. Doing, a native of 
New Hampshire, of English descent. He mar- 
ried Melissa Patterson, of Scotch-Irish de- 
scent, also a native of New Hampshire, set- 
tling in New York state soon after being mar- 
ried. Our subject was raised there, and lived 
in the east until he was twenty-seven years of 
age, with the exception of some time spent in 
Indiana, where he was educated. He enlisted 
in the Fourth Indiana Artillery in September, 
1861, and served in the Civil war for three 
years and three months. He saw hard service 
through the state of Tennessee and the south, 
taking part in the battle of Stone River, Look- 
out Mountain. Chickamauga and Missionary 
Ridge, besides numerous other engagements 
throughout the southern campaign. . 

Mr. Doing ca;me to Nebraska in 1871. He 
at once took up a government claim in Fur- 
nas county, and remained at that place for 
over five years. For four years he lived at 
Medicine creek, where he served as postmas- 
ter, still holding his old commission papers. 
He has done considerable hunting in the west, 
and in the early days was quite a shipper of 
buffalo to Chicago and other points. In 1893 
he came to \Mieeler county and purchased a 
farm near Ericson. He still owns this place 
and lives on it, having built up a good home 
and valuable estate. The land is all good farm- 
ing land, and he raises splendid crops of corn, 
oats and wheat, and uses a large portion of his 
land for hay and pasture for his stock, as he 



keeps quite a number of horses and cattle. He 
is a prosperous agriculturist and progressive 
in his methods of farming and ranching. Our 
subject has also been quite a trader with 
the Indians. He states that at one time he 
had a pony that he sold to old Chief Spotted 
Tail for the sum of one hundred and twenty- 
five dollars, and has made numerous other 
trades with different members of the tribe. 

In 1888 Mr. Doing was united in marriage 
to Miss Ellen Kirby, a daughter of Nicholas 
and Bridget Jane (Davy) Kirby. She was 
born and raised in Muscatine county, Iowa. 
Mr. and Mrs. Doing have a family of five chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Hiram C, 
Effie M., Hazel M., Francis L. and Grace. Mr. 
Doing is quite a strong Socialist in his views. 
He is prominent in local affairs and has served 
on the school board for many years. He has 
also served as sheriff' of Frontier county, Ne- 
braska, and as assessor of his home township 
in Wheeler county, Nebraska. 



E. J. DILLON. 



E. J. Dillon, known throughout Kimball 
county as a gentleman of enterprise and pros- 
perity, is owner of an extensive farm two 
miles west and eleven miles north of Kimball, 
Nebraska. He has the distinction of being 
the oldest settler on the North Divide, and 
has passed through every phase of the old Ne- 
braska times, developing a fine farm through 
earnest efforts and good management, sup- 
plemented by honest dealings. 

Mr. Dillon was born in Mahaska county, 
Iowa, August 13, 1859. He was the eldest of 
a family of seven children, and now has three 
brothers and one sister living. The mother 
is dead, but the father now resides in Flor- 
ida. Mr. Dillon grew up in Iowa, following 
farming during his young manhood, and in 
1882 came to eastern Nebraska, making Grand 
Island his headquarters for about two years. 
There he devoted his time to any work which 
could be had. He then returned to Iowa, and 
after spending about two years there, came 
back to Nebraska, locating in Cheyenne coun- 
ty in September. 1886, in that part which is 
now known as Kimball county. His wife came 
to Nebraska in the spring of 1887. He at once 
took up a homestead on section 24, township 
16, range 56, proved up on the land, and in 
1905 filed on a Kincaid homestead in section 2, 
and now has a ranch of four hundred and 
eighty acres, consisting of the home ranch, of 
which he cultivates about one hundred acres. 
He has all good improvements in the way of 



8o4 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



buildings, fences, etc.. and previously ran 
quite a bunch of cattle, but now devotes his 
time exclusively to the horse business and has 
a drove of about one hundred head. Every ap- 
pointment of the farm bespeaks good manage- 
ment and care in its operation, and he is one 
of the well-to-do and prosperous farmers of 
his locality. Mr. Dillon dug his first well with 
a pick and shovel in 1890. This well was dug 
two hundred and fifty-two feet, and is one of 
the best on the north divide. His first resi- 
dence was a half dug-out and rock-combined 
and had a dirt roof. Here they witnessed their 
first blizzard, which was a two days' storm. 
They had to bring their poultry and horses in 
the house to save them, but were forced to 
leave their cow out in the storm. 

In the spring of 1886 Mt. Dillon was mar- 
ried in Mahaska county, Iowa, to Dora B. 
Minnick, a native of that county, where her 
parents were among the prominent old set- 
tlers. Four children were born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Dillon, of whom two are now living, 
Ralph \V., and Ruth Mav, Howard H. and 
Macy Bell both died in 1908. 

.Mr. Dillon takes an active part in neigh- 
borhood affairs, having held the ofiice of coun- 
ty commissioner for one term, also other offi- 
ces in his township. In political sentiment he 
is an Independent. 



G. W. DONNER. 

Among the early settlers who came to 
western Nebraska while it was still undivided, 
and who has watched the development and 
growth of the state, was Robert Donner, the 
father of the gentleman whose name heads this 
sketch, and whose name deserves a prominent 
place. He traveled all over this part of the 
state while ranching, and became familiar 
with the country and people from one end of 
the state to the other. 

G. \V. Donner was born in Boston, Eng- 
land, in 1874. His father, Robert Donner, 
came to .America in 1875. locating in Antelope 
county. Nebraska, where he began farming, 
following this for a year, then worked on 
ranches in Cherry county for about six years. 
He filed f>n section 4. triwnship 53, range 41, 
as a i)re-eni])tion in 1883, making his actual 
residence on this Sheridan county claim in 
1884, when he sent back to England for his 
wife, who came on and joined him during the 
latter part of that year. He then turnetl this 
pre-em|)tion into a tree claim and filed cm a 
homestead, where he lived until his death, 
which occurred in 1903. When he started on 



this farm he was obliged to freight all his 
building material and supplies from Valen- 
tine, and did nearly all the work of putting 
up his buildings himself. His wife still makes 
her home in Nebraska, but is now on a visit 
to England. G. W. Donner has two brothers 
and three sisters, all of whom excepting one 
sister lives in America. G. \^^ Donner came 
to this country in 1888, making the trip alone 
from England, his father having come ahead 
of him in 1875. 

G. W. Donner began farming on a small 
piece of land and kept adding to it until he is 
now proprietor of one thousand two hundred 
and eighty acres, which land was partly held 
bv his father until the latter 's death, when it 
was divided among the children, this por- 
tion of the estate being the share of our sub- 
ject. He farms about two hundred and fifty 
acres, and the balance is hay and pasture land, 
as he handles considerable stock all the time. 

In 1904 Mr. G. \V. Donner was married 
to Miss Iva Davies, who was born in Iowa in 
1886. Mr. and Mrs. Donner have no chil- 
dren. Mr. Donner is a stanch Republican, as 
was also his father. 



WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS. 

William H. Phillips, residing on section 5, 
township 31, range 54, Sioux county, Nebras- 
ka, is a highly respected citizen of his com- 
munity, one who has assisted materially in 
the development of this region and for many 
years has watched the growth of its natural 
industries and agricultural resources, until he 
has become closely identified with the history 
of its advancement. Mr. Phillips owns a fine 
ranch and he occupies a pleasant and comfort- 
able home there. 

Mr. Phillips was born in McDonough coun- 
ty. Illinois, in 1867. His parents were of 
American blood, farmers by occupation, and 
the father, Steven R. Phillips, came to Ne- 
braska in the early days and was one of the 
pioneers in Seward county, settling there in 
the year 1871. He married Mary E. Strickler, 
of McDonough county. Illinois. His father 
resides at the present time in Seward county, 
Nebraska, where the mother died in Novem- 
ber, 1906. When our subject was five years 
of age the family filed on a homestead in 
Seward county, Nebraska, where he grew to 
up. his boyhood days spent in doing farm 
work, handling ox teams, etc. In 1894 Mr. 
Phillips came to Sioux county and took up a 
homestead in section 31, township 32. range 
54, which region was then a very thinly set- 




RLSlDliXLl- W \V. II. rillLLll': 
Sioux County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



80; 



tied part of the state, and he settled in High- 
land precinct. His first dwelling was a frame 
house, twelve by eighteen feet, in which he 
spent a number of years, and then put up a 
log house. He had a very modest start, al- 
most his sole possessions being five head of 
horses, and during the first few years he had 
very poor luck in his farming operations. In 
1898 he had the misfortune to be burned out, 
losing his granary, containing five hundred 
dollars' worth of grain, chicken house and 
other property. After the passing of the Kin- 
caid law our subject located on his present 
farm, and here he has been successful in build- 
ing up a fine property. His ranch contains 
two thousand acres. This place is located 
eleven miles east of Harrison. He is engaged 
in both stock raising and farming, and is mak- 
ing plenty of money. His ranch is well sup- 
plied with good buildings, and he has timber 
groves, also a bountiful supply of good water 
for all purposes. A picture of Mr. Phillips' 
residence will be found on another page. 

In 1893 Mr. Phillips was married to Mary 
Kube. born in Germany, and daughter of 
Lewis Kube and Marie (AMegardt) Kube, 
both born in Germany, who came to this coun- 
try in 1883, settling in San Antonio, Texas, 
for eighteen months, thence coming to Seward 
county, Nebraska, there following his trade 
as mason for many years, and where they still 
reside. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips ha\-e one daugh- 
ter, Lela Ruth, born in Harrison City in 1897. 
Mr. Phillips is a Republican in political belief. 



MELVINE HALE. 

Melvine Hale, whose home is to be found 
in section 24, township 35, range 27, of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, bears an old and honored 
name in the annals of American history, and 
it is simple truth to say that it has suiTered no 
tarnish at his hands. He is well and favor- 
ably known throughout this new and thriving 
portion of the state, where his many sterling 
and reliable qualities commanded quick rec- 
ognition and warm appreciation. 

Mr. Hale is a native of Crawford county, 
Wisconsin, where he was born on a farm No- 
vember 11, 1865, and there his youth and early 
manhood were spent amid rural scenes, with 
experiences calculated to bring to bear on life 
the powers and faculties that make for a strong 
and sturdy character. William Hale, the fa- 
ther of Melvine, was born in New York, from 
which state he served three years in the cav- 
alry of the LInited States army, making a rec- 
ord of which his friends are justly proud. He 



came to N^ebraska in 1871, and was located for 
some years in Hamilton county, but seven 
years later removed to Custer county, where 
he is still living, full of years and honor. His 
wife, Hulda Green, is of American descent, 
and was born in Indiana. 

Melvine Hale, the fifth in a family of eleven 
children, was reared and educated under the 
parental roof, but began life for himself at 
a very early age. On beginning life for him- 
self he was engaged on stock ranches in west- 
ern Nebraska, 'W'yoming and Montana for 
more than fourteen years. In 1889 he came 
to this section of the state to enter a home- 
stead claim in section 29, township 30, range 
29, a tract of Cherry county land which he im- 
proved, and then sold in 1904. July 19, 1906, 
he bought the relinquishment of a claim under 
the Kincaid homestead law in section 24, town- 
ship 35, range 27 , containing three hundred and 
twenty acres, and owns an additional one hun- 
dred and sixty acres in section 20, township 
35, range 26, which is devoted to crops, the 
home tract being used for grazing and the 
production of hay. At the present time he is 
keeping about a hundred head of cattle, with 
some twenty horses, a w'ork for which his 
large experience on the western ranches gives 
him a peculiar fitness. He has a substantial 
stone residence, with other buildings for all 
his requirements, and the very considerable 
success that is attending his efforts is not a 
matter of wonder when one considers his prep- 
aration and determination. 

Mr. Hale was married April 15. 1890. to 
Miss Nellie Spain, a daughter of S. Q. and 
Mary (Morgan) Spain. She was born in Iowa 
in 1870, coming to Nebraska with her par- 
ents, who were among the earlier pioneers of 
Cherry county, where her father was postmas- 
ter at Simeon for two years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Melvine Hale are the parents of five children : 
Daniel Ernest, Grace, William, Sanford O, 
and Mary, 

In matters of general politics Mr. Hale 
may be counted on as a Republican. He has 
never held any public position, but has felt 
that his home and farm afford ample room 
for all his activity and energy. In local af- 
fairs and in school interests he favors every- 
thing for public improvement and general 
progress. 

Mr. Hale's varied experiences have taught 
him the value of a home, though in winning 
and making it, he has passed through all the 
hardships of life on the frontier, and of the 
years that have gone into history as the "hard 
times in western Nebraska." He has at times 
traveled fifty miles to ^'alentine for provi- 



8o6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



sions, and has brought back a load of five 
thousand pounds, with the thermometer forty 
degrees below zero. He was often discour- 
aged, and was tempted to give it up, but 
he was 'sure he could in the end succeed. He 
did endure, and is now reaping the fruit of 
industrious habits and a mighty persistency. 



ROBERT BIRD. 

Robert Bird, a leading old settler of Box 
Butte county, has a fine farm and pleasant 
home in section 36, township 27 , range 47. 
He is a man who has always done his full 
share in the building up of his locality and 
since coming to this state has opened up and 
improved four different places in this region, 
one in Box Butte county and three in Sheri- 
dan county. Mr. Bird is well known and high- 
1}' esteemed throughout his county as a worthy 
citizen and prosperous and successful farmer. 
Mr. Bird was born in Scotland in 1861. His 
father, James Bird, was a farmer, who lived 
and died in Scotland. He married Margarette 
Turnbull, a native of Scotland, and they were 
the parents of six children. 

Our subject was raised in Scotland, receiv- 
ing a business training as a boy, attending 
the public schools there, afterwards being em- 
ployed for some years in a bank, and later 
worked in a land office for some years, besides 
some experience in farming. In 1891 he left 
his native land and came to America. He set- 
tled in the Black Hills country, where he 
worked on a ranch, being in the employ of 
Clay. Robinson & Company, large ranch own- 
ers, and he remained with them for five years. 
In the winter of 1893 he came to Sheridan 
county, Nebraska. Three years later he filed 
on a homestead situated nineteen miles south 
of Hay Springs, remaining there and proving 
up on the place, "batching it" all that time, 
and he succeeded in building up a good ranch, 
disposing of it in 1903. He then bought land 
near Hay Springs, on which he lived for four 
years, selling this place at a good profit. In 
1907 he came to his present location, purchas- 
ing part of the place outright, and intends 
developing it into a first-class ranch. He is 
owner of a nice residence about a mile from 
the town of Alliance. In the year 1901 Mr. 
Bird was married to a daughter of Samuel 
McCutcheon, of American stock. Mrs. Bird 
prior to her marriage to our subject was a 
school teacher in the west, having followed 
that profession for several years. They have 
one chi'.d, Cecil Elliott Bird. Vernon and Ber- 



nice are Mrs. Bird's children by her first mar- 
riage. Mr. Bird takes a commendable interest 
in local affairs, voting the straight Republican 
ticket. 



EDWARD G. HAHN. 

Edward G. Hahn is one of those who for 
the past score of years has resided in Sheri- 
dan county and has seen the development and 
growth of this section from its early stages, 
and aided materially in the upbuilding of the 
community where he has made his home. 

Mr. Hahn was born in Clayton county, 
Iowa, in 1867, and raised and educated on his 
father's farm. He is a son of Peter Hahn, 
a native of Germany, who came to the United 
States at the age of eight A-ears with his par- 
ents, who settled in Iowa in 1858, where they 
took a homestead and farmed for several years, 
and are now living in Kearney, Nebraska. Our 
subject's mother, who prior to her marriage 
was Miss Elizabeth Latheman, was born and 
raised in Germany, and died in this country 
in 1880, leaving a family of twelve children, 
of whom he is the seventh member in order of 
birth. He started out for himself at the age 
of twenty-one years, and came to this county 
with his parents in 1886, working out in the 
neighborhood of their home, then took up a 
homestead two years later situated in section 
29, township 28, range 45, and began to build 
up his farm. Here he "batched it" for one year, 
then was married in 1890 to Miss Katie Zur- 
cher, born in Iowa in 1870, daughter of Wil- 
liam Zurcher, a native of Germany, farmer by 
occupation, who came to this country in 1887 
and settled in Sheridan county the same year. 
Mr. Zurcher's wife died in 1872 when Mrs. 
Ilahn was a small child ten months old. Five 
children were born as a result of this union, 
who are named as follows: Nora, Ethel. Edna, 
George and Clara, all born and raised in this 
locality. 

Mr. Hahn remained on his own homestead 
up to 1906, when he bought his father's place, 
putting up a new house on it, and operates this 
farm in addition to his own. \\'hen he first 
came here he engaged in farming, but during 
the dry years he lost his crops and this put 
him back considerable. He often felt like 
giving up his place, but saw nothing better 
to do, so stayed on and tried to make a liv- 
ing. For four years he was unable to get 
ahead any, although he never had a total fail- 
ure of his crops, and managed to make a bare 
living. He kept buying a few head of stock 





R.-WCH RESIDENCE and FAMILY OF E. G. HAHN, 
Sheridan County, Nebraska. 



CO-MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



80; 



and gradually got quite a herd together, and 
now engages in mixed farming and stock rais- 
ing and is doing well. He owns twelve hun- 
dred and eighty acres, farming about one hun- 
dred of this, using a large part for grazing and 
hay land, and also rents out some of his farm. 
He keeps sixty-five head of cattle and about 
ten horses all the time. He is well satisfied 
with this region and states that he will re- 
main here permanently, but the only draw- 
back is the great distance to the town, Schill 
being his nearest postoffice. There is a good 
school near his ranch, which his children at- 
tend, and this is of great advantage. He has 
improved his farm with good buildings, and 
has it all fenced, having built over ten miles 
of fencing. 

Mr. Hahn never takes much interest in 
politics, as he says he has no time to devote 
to those affairs and lets the other fellow at- 
tend to that part of the business, preferring to 
put in his time in building up his home. He 
is a Prohibitionist, and has been for a num- 
ber of years. 

An interesting picture of Air. Hahn's resi- 
dence and the family will be found on another 
page. 



FACTS ABOUT ROCK COUNTY, NEB. 

By P. H. Davis. 

The subdivision of the state of Nebraska 
known as Rock county was detached from 
Brown county, of which it was a part, in 1888. 
\\'hen it was decided by the inhabitants of 
the territory comprising this county to detach 
the same from Brown county and organize a 
new county certain formalities had to be ob- 
served, and the first step necessary for the 
formation of a new county was to present a 
petition for the election, and in the petition 
so presented, the name of the proposed county 
was a necessary part. A few of the promoters 
of the new county idea met at the village of 
Newport to perfect arrangements for the pur- 
pose of circulating the petition and to select 
a name for the proposed county. At that meet- 
ing it was agreed that the county should be 
named after a stream of water, than which 
there is no more beautiful stream in all the 
state, viz.. Rock creek. This stream has its 
source in the hay flats about seven miles north- 
west of Newport. It flows northward and 
empties into the Niobrara river. About half 
way between its source and mouth is a deposit 
of exceptionally fine building stone, and it is un- 
derstood this stream took its name in an earlv 



day from this deposit of rock. On this stream 
is the only real rock quarry in the county. 

Generally speaking, the soil of Rock county 
is a sandy loam. It is true that there are some 
sand hills, but there are also a great many ex- 
ceedingly fine valleys in it, and for its size no 
county in the state produces more or better 
hay. There is also a good deal of excellent 
farm land in the county, and in the localities 
where the soil is adapted for farming, as good 
crops can be raised as are grown anywhere in 
eastern Nebraska. A large portion is suit- 
able only for grazing and no county in the 
state has greater possibilities in the line of 
dairying than it has. Some reasons for this 
fact are: Practically enough grain is raised 
to supply the needs of the dairyman and stock- 
man ; there is plenty of hay in all parts of the 
county for home use, with thousands of tons 
left each year for the outside markets; there 
are numerous small streams, many lakes and 
underflow water easily accessible in all parts- 
of the county. No county in the state excels 
Rock county in the quality, quantity and ac- 
cessibility in this regard. The native grasses 
here are as good as are the grasses in any 
other part of the state on the same altitude, 
and even the sand hills furnish splendid sum- 
mer' grazing. 

No place can you find a larger per cent., 
of the people prospering and living contented- 
ly than in Rock county. 

NEWPORT. 

Before the railroad came through this 
county a bridge was built across the Niobrara 
river about ten miles north of this place. Mule 
trains crossed this bridge and proceeded many- 
miles west on the north side of the river. This- 
bridge was called the Newport bridge. When 
the railroad was built in 1883 the chief engineer 
thought it proper to call this place Newport. 
At that time it is said that the present town site 
of Newport resembled the famous summer and 
water resort, Newport as it was partly under 
water. 

Newport bears the distinction of being the 
largest hay shipping point in the world. It 
lies nearly in the center of a large hay terri- 
tory, and which extends into one almost un- 
broken valley for about twenty-two miles 
south. The hay business is carried on in some 
of its branches during every month in the 
year. About twenty-five thousand tons of 
hay are exported each year, in addition to the 
large amount consumed at home. 

B.\SSETT. 

Bassett, the county seat of Rock county, 
Nebraska, was named after J. ^V. Bassett, "a 
ranchman, who came to Rock county in 1871 



8o8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



with a large herd of cattle. For a number 
of years he ranged his cattle in the head of 
the' now famous Elkhorn valley, having his 
house and sheds just south of the large Bas- 
sett hill southeast of the present town site 
of Bassett. This hill is one of the highest hills 
in the country and the view from this place 
is magnificent. This hill was used by the cat- 
tle rustlers in the pioneer days of Rock county 
as a signal station. Lights were sent up as 
signals and could be seen for many miles. 

The famous "Kid" Wade, the young horse- 
thief who operated so successfully in this sec- 
tion of the country and was finally caught in 
a barn in Rassett and later taken from the 
authorities by vigilantes, was hanged to a whis- 
tling post just east of Bassett. The next day 
his bod)' was cut down and buried on this 
hill. 

J. W. Bassett was a widower when he came 
to Rock county, and during his stay in this 
county his daughter kept house for him. He 
left in 1883. just after the railroad came 
through and settlers began to homestead the 
land. 



J. H. CAMPBELL. 

This gentleman has worked long and hard, 
denied himself in years gone by that he might 
become thoroughl)'- successful in his life work, 
and is today reckoned among the leading citi- 
zens of Kimball county. He has a residence 
on his ranch, but also has a town house in 
Kimball so as to afTord school advantages for 
the children. 

J. H. Campbell was born in Dekalb county, 
Illinois. September 17, 1849, and made that 
state his home until he was twenty-two years 
of age. He was the youngest in a family of 
eight children, two sisters now living in Ham- 
ilton county. Nebraska, while the balance are 
scattered about the country. Both parents are 
dead. In 1871 Mr. Campbell came to Nebras- 
ka, settling in York county, where he lived 
for fourteen years and proved up on an eighty- 
acre homestead and then moved to Hamilton 
county, remaining there for two years, and 
landed in Kimball county (then called Chey- 
enne county), in 1887. He took a pre-emption 
and homestead on section 30, township 13, 
range S.'i, proved up on eighty acres and later 
filed on a Kincaid claim on section 24, which 
comprises his home ranch, although he has 
large interests in other lands in the vicinity. 
He has the ranch fitted up in splendid shape 
with good buildings and every improvement, 
and raises stock of all kinds, having a fine 



bunch of horses, also cultivates about one hun- 
dred and fifty acres. 

Mr. Campbell was married while still liv- 
ing in Dekalb county. Illinois, to Miss Eliza- 
beth Murray, their wedding occurring in Oc- 
tober. 1868. Three children were born to them, 
only one of whom is now living — Iva — wife of 
Chris Pfeifer, living in Banner county, Ne- 
braska. Mrs. Campbell died February 28, 
1876. Mr. Campbell was married again Feb- 
ruary 20. 1879. in Hamilton county, Nebraska, 
to Mary L. Murray, a sister of his former wife, 
and a native of Illinois, born in Kane county. 
The parents of Mrs. Campbell are both dead. 
Four children were born of this union, two 
of whom are living — Roy and Etta Fay. 

Mrs. Campbell has two sisters and one 
brother living in Nebraska. Mr. Campbell has 
always been active in county and local affairs, 
lending his influence for the best interests of 
his community. He was one of the first county 
commissioners of Kimball county and has held 
other public offices. In political views he is 
a Republican. 



BENJAMIN F. THORNBURG. 

Benjamin F. Thornburg, for many years 
past one of the leading business men of Potter, 
Nebraska, and who is also one of the earliest 
settlers of Cheyenne count}', is the senior part- 
ner of the firm of Thornburg & Son. dealers 
in general merchandise at Potter. Mr. Thorn- 
burg has been closely identified with the up- 
building of that region, has passed through 
all the vicissitudes of pioneer life in the west, 
and well remembers the time when the dugout, 
in which he lived with his family for many 
years, was the faniiliar dwelling throughout 
the country. .-\ large portion of his career has 
been spent in farming and ranching ip Ne- 
braska, and he is well known and highly es- 
teemed by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Thornburg is a native of Newcomers- 
town, Ohio, born on January 12. 1849, and 
spent seven years of his childhood in that lo- 
cality. The family then moved to Fulton 
county. Illinois, where the father was engaged 
in farming for about eleven years, at which 
time our subject came with his parents to 
Kirksville. Mis.souri. In 1886 he came to Chey- 
enne county and took a homestead and tim- 
ber claim in section 8. township 12, range 31, 
and followed farming on the place for seven 
years. During this time he also pre-empted 
a quarter section in the same vicinity, and was 
engaged in ranching for a number of years. 
In 1900 he started in the mercantile business 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



809 



at Potter, and succeeded in building up a large 
trade throughout the county and surrounding 
country. Mr. Thornburg was married Febru- 
ary 9. 1871, at Kirksville. Missouri, to Miss 
Sarah J. Lutes, who was born November 11, 
1855, in West Virginia. Her father and mother 
are now deceased, she being the eldest of a 
family of five children. Our subject and his 
wife have a family of four children, named 
as follows: George A., a member of the firm, 
who is married, his wife's maiden name being 
Minnie Hensen ; they have two children, Hazel 
and Georgia. The second son, Edward, is en- 
gaged in ranching in this county. He married 
Margaret Brown, and they have one daugh- 
ter, Agnes. Thomas F. Thornburg, the third 
son, is proprietor of a store at Sidney. 
He also is married and has one child, Dor- 
othy. Susie Thornburg. the youngest child 
of our subject, is still li\-ing at home with her 
parents and is a charming and accomplished 
young woman. In politics Mr. Thornburg ad- 
heres to the principles of the Republican party 
and he takes an active part in local and county 
attairs. Socially he is a member of the Pot- 
ter camp. Modern ^^'oodmen of America. 



J. P. MARSHALL. 

J. P. Marshall, an enterprising and pros- 
perous farmer of ^^^illiamsburg township. 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is widely known as 
a worthy citizen who has closely identified 
himself with the agricultural interests, of his 
locality, and has built up a fine home and farm, 
but has not retired from all active business. 

Mr. Marshall is a native of Canada, and 
came to the L'nited States from Renfrew 
county. Ontario, Canada, in 1878. His father, 
James B. Marshall, has served as township 
clerk for many years past, and our subject's 
uncle, of whom a sketch will be found in this 
volume, is Hon. T. H. Marshall, who repre- 
sented Phelps county in the state legislature 
in 1886. J. P. ^larshall came to this town- 
ship in 1884 with his father, who purchased 
three hundred and twenty acres of land in sec- 
tion 27, on which he lived until his recent re- 
tirement. The family came here from York 
county, Nebraska, where they had farmed for 
four years. Our subject owns a farm consist- 
ing of one hundred and si.xty acres in section 
26. \Villiamsburg township. Phelps county, 
and began farming for himself in 1887. He 
also owned and operated a threshing machine, 
which work he followed in York county, and 
since his residence here has owned a thresh- 
ing outfit for over twentv vears. He en- 



gages in mixed farming, raising quite a num- 
ber of horses, cattle and hogs, and his grain 
crops are exceedinglv good. In 1902 he had 
wheat which showed a yield of fifty bushels 
to the acre, and in 1892 he had a twenty-acre 
patch of corn which ran seventy-five bushels 
to the acre. He is one of the successful and 
substantial 3'oung farmers of this county, and 
an intelligent and public-spirited citizen. His 
brothers, O. B. and Charles A. Marshall, are 
together and operate their father's farm. Our 
subject had five brothers and four sisters. 

yir. Marshall is an Independent in politics. 
Mr. J. P. Marshall was married in 1886 to Mary 
Jones, whose parents were old settlers of 
Phelps county, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Mar- 
shall have a family of five children — Ora L., S. 
W'eslev. .\bigail. Effie \\'. and Rhoda Priscilla. 



FERDINAND E. NIKONT. 

Ferdinand Nikont, known throughout Box 
Butte county as a man of good citizenship 
and untiring energy, is a resident of township 
26. range 51. where he owns and operates an 
extensive farm of eis^ht or ten sections. He 
has been identified with the upbuilding of that 
locality for many years, and while acquiring 
his valuable estate has also gained for him- 
self an enviable reputation as one of the prom- 
inent old settlers and influential residents since 
the pioneer days of this region. 

Mr. Nikont was born in the western part 
of Russia, of German parents, in 1857. His 
father was born in Russia, and was the first 
of the family of Nikont to leave Germany. 
Our subject was reared in the land of his 
birth, and as a boy attended the common 
schools and assisted his father in performing 
all the farm work on the home place. At the 
age of twenty-nine years Ferdinand and broth- 
ers came to America. During his young man- 
hood he had learned the trade of an engineer, 
and worked in his home vicinity as a railroad 
engineer, for several years. After landing in 
the L^nited States he came west and settled 
in eastern Nebraska, where he followed farm 
work for a year, then came to Box Butte 
county and filed on a homestead southwest 
of Hemingford. His first building was a sod 
house, in which he and his brother "batched 
it" for several years. They had a very small 
start and went through the usual pioneer hard- 
ships and privations, ha'-ing a hard time to 
get along, and when the dry years came upon 
them they were unable to raise any crops to 
speak of. also suffered from hail. etc. At this 
time the railroad was beinsr laid through this 



8io 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



region, and both brothers were able to se- 
cure work on the road and in this way man- 
aged to make a Hving and improve their farm 
to some extent. 

At this time Mr. Xikont, with his brother 
and a brother-in-law. owns a ranch comprising 
ten sections of land, all of which is fully im- 
proved and well stocked with cattle. This 
ranch is situated on section 6, township 26, 
range 51. and is a valuable property. 

Our subject is an independent voter. 



BEXJAMIX F. PAXTOX. 

Benjamin F. Paxton is a young and ener- 
getic farmer who is rapidly making his way 
to the front in agricultural circles in Cherry 
county, where lie has discovered the rich pos- 
sibilities of northwestern Xebraska for varied 
and systematic farming. His well kept place 
in section 24. township 33, range 28, shows a 
master hand at the management of aiTairs, and 
indicates a large success for him in the near 
future. 

Mr. Paxton was born in the village of \\"a- 
hoo. Xebraska, Xovember 4, 1880, a son of 
Charles T. and Johannah (Arndt) Paxton, and 
was the fifth member of a family of seven chil- 
dren, named as follows: Alice T., Albert L. 
and Alfred V.. twins; David E., Benjamin F., 
Mary L. and Katie I. David died in Lead 
City, South Dakota, in the summer of 1907. The 
father was a carpenter by trade, but familiar 
with farming, to which he turned his attention 
in 1883, locating his family that year on a 
homestead in Cherry county. The mother was 
a German by descent, and reared her children 
to the industrious habits and honest character 
peculiar to that race and blood. At first en- 
during privations the family lived in a small 
frame house, but later a more commodious 
log house was erected. The Paxton spirit was 
strong and a persistent holding of the situa- 
tion has brought ample success at last 

Benjamin F. Paxton began life for himself 
at the age of seventeen years, and from the 
first has manifested a strong and manly char- 
acter. For a time he was a farm laborer, and 
did such work as he could command. He was 
in South Dakota for a time, where he was em- 
ployed in various capacities, but all the time 
preparing for his own independent and success- 
ful career. In 1903 he began farming in com- 
pany with a brother, and they now own in 
partnershij) two jiundrcd and forty acres, well lo- 
cated along the Xinbrara river. He is giving 
cnnsiderable attention to gardening, in which 
he is making a satisfactory financial success. 



The farm is fitted up for practical working, 
with a comfortable dwelling, stables and other 
needed buildings. Besides the ranch, the broth- 
ers individually own two tracts of land, Ben- 
jamin F. having filed on six hundred and forty 
acres of land in section 26, township 32. range 
28, in 1906. 

Alfrec^ \'. Paxton. the brother associated 
with our subject in his land deals, was born in 
1875. and individually owns a fine farm of one 
hundred and sixty acres. The push and enter- 
prise of the brothers, together with their clear 
perception of sound business principles and 
their readiness to deal straight and square, have 
made them prominent factors in the agricultural 
interests of Clierrv county. 



WILLIAM E. HALEY. 

William E. Hale^^ one of the prominent 
residents of \'alentine, and an old settler of 
Cherry county, has always been closely identi- 
fied with both the political and commercial in- 
terests of this locality. 

Mr. Ilalcv was born on a farm near Monti- 
cello, Jones county. Iowa, October 4, 1863. of 
Irish ancestry. The sixth in a family of eight 
children, he was reared and educated in Sioux 
county, Iowa, whither the family moved in 
1868. At the age of twenty he came to O'Neil, 
Xebraska, where he was placed in charge of 
the ^^'ilcox lumber yard, which position he 
held for five years. In 1888 he came to Valen- 
tine and opened an abstract office, having the 
first and only set of similar books in the coun- 
ty. Since then Mr. Haley has been interested 
in the insurance and real estate business, prin- 
cipally in Cherry county. 

In 1894 he took a Kincaid homestead, engaged 
in the ranching business and in connection 
with his otlicr interests bred horses and other 
stock on his ranch of some one thousand four 
hundred acres, which is located only a short 
distance from Valentine. In 1889 Mr. Haley 
was married to Miss Emma G. McXichols, 
who was a teacher in the O'Xeil high school. 
She was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a 
daughter of Micliael ^TcXichols. a farmer and 
line of the early settlers in O'Neil. coming 
to the state about the year 1886. Mr. and 
Mrs. Haley are the parents of eight children, 
named as follows: \\'illiani B., who is em- 
ployed in his father's office; Laurcntia, Mar- 
garet, Garence, Cletus, Martha, Zeta and 
Frank, fif whom all excepting William and 
Laurentia were born in \'alentine. 

Mr. Haley takes an active part in local af- 
fairs, having held county office at different 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



times, and was appointed postmaster under 
Cleveland, holding that office for five years. 
In 1899 he was elected county commissioner 
for a three-year term on the Democratic 
ticket, as chairman of the board was instru- 
mental in locating the courthouse on its pres- 
ent site, supervised the construction of the 
same and had the lawn improved, including 
the planting of trees. All this was a labor 
of love, Mr. Haley freely giving his time and 
attention for the public good. As chairman 
of the building committeee of the board of 
education he performed similar services for 
the new high school building, and of his work 
here any man may well feel proud. He was 
one of the organizers of the Valentine Build- 
ing and Loan Association, and served as its 
secretary thirteen years. He served as deputy 
assessor for Valentine precinct in 1908 under 
appointment of P. H. Young. 

Together with his family !Mr. Haley is a 
communicant of the Catholic church. Of the 
social organizations he affiliates with the 
Modern Woodmen of x\merica. Ancient Order 
of United Workmen and the Roval Highlanders. 



J. B. JETER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the leading citizens of North 
Platte, Nebraska, and particularly well known 
among all railroad men in this vicinity. 

Mr. Jeter was born in Orleans, Orange 
county, Indiana, September 30, 1856. He is a 
son of J. S. Jeter, a native of Jessamine coun- 
ty, Kentucky, where the Jeter family have 
been prominent in the building up of the state, 
and were among the early settlers whose 
names figure prominently in the history of 
old \'irginia, having originally come from Eng- 
land to America when the country was still 
in its early development. Our subject's moth- 
er. Miss Mary Sears, is a native of Orleans, 
Orange county. Indiana, also comes of old pio- 
neer stock. Our subject was reared and educated 
in Indiana, and remained with his parents 
until a young man, assisting his father in the 
postoffice at Orleans, the father being post- 
master, and the training he received stood 
him in good stead in later years when he was 
obliged to start out in life for himself and 
carve out a name and fortune for himself. 
Mr. Jeter began railroad work in 1881 and in 
1886 he came to North Platte, and obtained 
em])loyment with the Union Pacific road and 
began working his w-ay up step by step, al- 
ways striving for advancement, and while in 
one position studying to fit himself for the 



next higher position, and his efforts were re- 
warded, for he has been steadily promoted 
from time to time, and is now passenger con- 
ductor on the Union Pacific railway, runnmg 
from North Platte to Cheyenne. Soon aftei 
locating in North Platte, he became freight 
conductor for this company, and in 1899 was 
appointed passenger conductor. Prior to 
coming to North Platte he was connected with 
the bridge department of the Union Pacific 
railroad at Omaha, Nebraska. This was in 
1881. He has a brother, S. I. Jeter, who is 
conected with the Union Pacific railway at 
Omaha, having been employed in the bridge 
department of the company for a period of 
thirty-eight years. Another brother, F. E. 
Jeter, is with the bridge department of the 
same railroad, located at Columbus, Ne- 
braska. 

JNIr. Jeter was married in 1889 to Aliss Hat- 
tie Rankin, w'ho is a daughter of Thomas 
Rankin, of Orleans, Orange county, Indiana. 
The Rankins are a prominent Scotch-Irish 
family, who came to this country and settled 
in Pennsylvania before the Revolutionary war, 
and whose members are all strong Presby- 
terians, widely known for their deep interest 
in educational, church and state work all over 
the United States. Mr. Jeter's wife prior to 
her marriage was a teacher for several years 
in Indiana and Illinois, and continued in the 
work for one year after moving to North 
Platte. She still maintains an active interest 
in the dift'erent literary clubs and social circles 
in North Platte, where she is one of the most 
prominent members, and a very bright and 
popular woman. Her sister. Miss Clara Ran- 
kin, is also a resident of North Platte, and is 
the proprietor of the leading photograph gal- 
lery in the city. She is well known all over 
the community for her excellent work as an 
artist, and has been most successful in every 
branch of the work. Mr. and Mrs. Jeter have 
two daughters, Beryl and Helen, and they have 
a host of friends and acquaintances who are 
frequent partakers of their genial hospitality. 

Mr. Jeter is an active member of the order 
of Railway Conductors, also an Elk, of the 
Cheyenne lodge, and of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen and the Knights of Pvthias. 



HENRY T. DEAN. 

Henry T. Dean, owner of and residing at 
the Stone Ranch located at Alden Station 
on the Burlington, is one of the wealthy and 
most influential men of his section. Pie has 
accumulated his valuable estate bv energetic 



8l2 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



effort and strictest attention to duty, and his 
high station as a worthy citizen is well de- 
served. 

Mr. Dean is a native of Hendricks county, 
Indiana, born near North Salem. December 
12, 1858. He made that vicinity his home un- 
til 1881. having worked out three years; from 
that date until 1884 he resided in Audubon 
county, Iowa, and then moved to Nebraska, 
settling on a ranch in Saunders county, ar- 
riving in that region in March, 1884, where 
he remained for eight years. In the spring 
of 1892 he took up a homestead in section 35, 
township 19. range 50, Cheyenne county, and 
has made that his home ever since. He is 
owner of a beautiful ranch comprising two 
thousand seven hundred and forty acres, leas- 
ing besides this six hundred and forty acres of 
school land, on which their district school is lo- 
cated and controls altogether about five thous- 
and acres, which is devoted principally to ranch- 
ing purposes : on this there is about twenty miles 
of three-wire fence. He keeps about eight 
hundred head of cattle and horses, and irri- 
gates seven hundred acres, raising splendid 
crops of alfalfa and wheat-grass hay. Four 
miles of Greenwood and Pumpkinseed creeks 
course through his ranch, which enables him 
to own and control two private irrigation 
ditches. He also owns several shares in Court 
House Rock Irrigation Company. 

Our subject is a thorough stockman, and 
an authority in the matter of thoroughbred 
animals. He keeps only high-grade stock, 
dealing in Belgian horses and mules, of which 
he has two hundred head : he owns some of the 
finest Percheron and Belgian horses in the 
country. His cattle are all of the Galloway 
breed, and at present he has a herd of six hun- 
dred, and this herd is known far and wide as 
one of the best to be found in the west. The 
value of land has increased greatly in Chey- 
enne county since Mr. Dean settled here ; to 
illustrate this increase, one quarter section of 
the land owned by Mr. Dean was exchanged 
for a pair of chickens and a cultivator at one 
time. Another quarter section sold for fifty 
dollars. The land is now worth twenty dollars 
and more per acre. 

On October 19, 1880, Mr. Dean was mar- 
ried to Miss Laura Dixon, at Ladoga. Indiana. 
Mrs. Dean was born in Putnam county. In- 
diana, in January, 1864. Three children have 
been born to Mr. Dean and his good wife, 
namely: Goldie, who married Samuel Liv- 
ingston, now living in Sidney, and Roy and 
Roscoe, both at home. The family occupy 
a new stone residence, and their home is one 
of the most pleasant to be found anywhere. 



The large stone barn erected in 1904, together 
with stone outbuildings, give the ranch its 
name of Stone Ranch. 

Mr. Dean is prominent in state and county 
affairs, and is one of the well-known, public- 
spirited men of his community. He has served 
his township in different capacities, and is at 
present assessor of Court House Rock precinct. 
He is a Democrat. 

We are pleased to call your attention to a 
view of the ranch buildings on another page, 
showing as well the picturesque rock which 
gives the precinct its name. 



LIXEUS E. BENDER. 

Linens E. Bender, a well-to-do farmer and 
highly respected citizen of Sioux county, re- 
sides in section 33. township 32. range 53, 
where he has succeeded in building up a fine 
home. He is also one of the old settlers of 
that locality and a representative man of his 
community. 

Mr. Bender was born in Ingham county, 
Michigan, in 1854. He comes of good old 
American stock, his father, Samuel Bender, be- 
ing of German descent. He married Lydia 
Lee, who came of mixed blood and is a direct 
descendant of the celebrated Lee family and 
near relative of General Robert E. Lee and 
Fitzhugh Lee. of \'irginia. 

The family lived in Michigan and farmed 
there for many years. Linens was educated 
in the common schools as a boy, and later at- 
tended Albion College. The father died in 
1859. and after that time our subject was 
obliged to strike out for himself, and followed 
farm work, also clerked in a store in different 
places for some time. 

Some years were spent in northern Mich- 
igan, and he was married in 1880 to Miss Hat- 
tie Casey, daughter of AN'illiam Casey, of Al- 
bion, Michigan. In 1898 Mr. Bender came 
west to Nebraska, locating in Sioux county, 
settling on the place known as the old Gray 
ranch, which is situated nine miles northwest 
of Crawford on Soldier creek. He was em- 
ployed for two years by the Chicago & North- 
western railroad at Chadron, and after that 
time gave his undivided attention to the ranch, 
and has developed a fine place. There are 
three hundre<l and twenty acres, which Mr. 
Bender is owner of, and his son, Casey, also 
owns six hundred and forty acres of adjoining 
land. 

Our subject spent many years of hard and 
constant labor in building up his estates, but 
has been well repaid for his efforts, and is now 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



813 



in position to enjoy his years of toil. He has 
witnessed many hard times, and while he has 
suffered exceedingly, fully realizes that noth- 
ing is worth having that is acquired without a 
struggle, and does not regret the time he has 
put in accumulating his property. 

Mr. and ^Irs. Bender have a family of 
seven children, who form an interesting and 
charming family group. They are named as 
follows : Casey W., Guy F., Samuel, Beulah, 
Lee, Margie and Carl. All the family are held 
in high esteem by their associates, and they 
occupy a foremost place in the community as 
worthy citizens. 



STERLING PRICE ALDERMAN. 

Sterling Price Alderman, whose name heads 
this personal history, is an intelligent and 
progressive citizen of Bassett, Nebraska, and 
is numbered among the successful business 
men of that thriving town. 

Mr. Alderman is a native of Collins coun- 
ty, Texas, where he was born February 26, 
1862, being the third child of a family of seven 
sons and one daughter. His father, James M. 
Alderman, Sr., was a ranchman and farmer, 
originally from Virginia, from whence he 
moved to Ohio and from thence to Missouri 
before settling in Brownsville, Nebraska, in 
1854. After living here for a time he moved 
to Texas, later to Kansas City, Missouri, and 
then returned to Brownsville in 1870. He died 
in Newport, Nebraska, at the residence of his 
son. The mother was Miss Sarah Jane Kin- 
der, of American blood. The family returned 
to Brownsville, a small town in Nemalie coun- 
ty, Nebraska, and here our subject was reared 
and educated. At the age of eighteen he 
started out for himself and for fourteen years 
was engaged in railroad work on the Burling- 
ton & Missouri railway and the Chicago & 
Northwestern railway, being employed as an 
operator and station agent. Beginning in 
1880 he was stationed at Holdrege, Dorches- 
ter, Plattsmouth. La Platte, Oreopolis Junc- 
tion, for shorter periods, and during 1887-88-89 
he was on duty at Johnson, Nemaha county, 
Nebraska, followed by short assignments at 
Saxonville, Ashton and Hat Creek, St. Paul 
and Palmer. For several years he was bill 
clerk for the Wells Fargo Express Company 
at the Burlington & Missouri depot at Omaha. 
Returning to railroad work he served a short 
time at Scribner, and between the years of 
1890 and 1894 he was station agent at New- 
port, Nebraska. In the latter year he quit the 
railroad and established a general merchandise 



business there, which he operated for two 
years ; then disposing of his mercantile busi- 
ness he went into the hay business at that 
point. He remained there up to 1899, when 
he moved to Bassett and opened up the same 
kind of a business there, continuing this up to 
1900. In that year he went into the hardware 
and supply business under the firm name of The 
Bassett Hardware and Supply Company, in 
partnership with E. L. Meyers. They had a 
large trade from the start and had developed 
an extensive enterprise at the time he disposed 
of it in 1907. In that year Air. Alderman built 
a large hay shed and has engaged exclusively 
in that line of work ever since, some years 
shipping as high as a thousand cars of hay. 

Mr. Alderman was married. May IS, 1887, 
to Miss Edith Alorrison, a daughter of Wil- 
liam F. and Elizabeth (Jones) Morrison, whose 
marriage occurred at Fort Madison, Iowa. 
They were old settlers at Plattsmouth, Ne- 
braska, coming to that place about the year 
1865, before any railroads had reached that 
point. Air. Morrison was formerly a school 
teacher and later engaged in the meat business 
at Plattsmouth. Mr. and Airs. Alderman have 
a family of six children, named as follows : 
Gertrude, Charles, Ruth, Ralph, Esther and 
Thelma. 

Air. Alderman takes an active part in coun- 
ty politics, and is a man of active pulbic-spirit. 
In political sentiment he is -a Democrat and 
serves his village on the town board. He is an 
Odd Fellow, a Workman and was formerly a 
member of the Pythian lodge. 



FRED W. VATH. 

Fred W. Vath, known throughout this region 
as a man of good citizenship and untiring 
energy, is a resident of Sidney, Cheyenne countv, 
Nebraska. He has been identified with the de- 
velopment and upbuilding of that localitv for 
many years past, and while acquiring a com- 
fortable fortune has also gained for himself an 
enviable reputation as a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor. 

Air. Vath was born in Alechlenburg-Schwer- 
in, Germany, in 1869. His father was a brick- 
layer and died in Germany in 1871. The 
mother, whose maiden name was Sophia Eicholz, 
together with her children, came to America 
in 1880. After landing in New York city they 
came west to Aladison, A\'isconsin, settling at 
Aliddleton, eight miles west of Aladison, where 
our subject grew up, attending the common 
schools. He was passionately fond of music, 
and grew to be quite a musician, being entirely 



514 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



self-taught. From the time he was fifteen years 
of age he has made his own way in the world, 
following farm work up to 1891, in Wisconsin, 
then came to Schuyler, Nebraska, where he 
worked for his elder brother William. He re- 
mained there up to 1901, then went tb the 
Pacific coast, and was also all through Washing- 
ton, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon and Cali- 
fornia, spending altogether fifteen months travel- 
ling through the western .-states. In 1898. dur- 
ing the Spanish-.\inerican war, he enlisted in 
Company K, Second Nebraska Regiment and was 
sent south to Chickamauga, remaining there for 
several months, and then, like many others, was 
discharged, seeing no very active service. He 
was through Nashville and other large cities 
of the south on this trip. In 1903 he settled at 
Sidney, engaging in business and has remained 
here since that time. He has been successful 
since starting, but suffered quite a loss caused by 
fire. June 21, 1903, although partly covered by 
insurance, and the accident only caused him to 
close his business for twenty-four hours. Mr. 
Yath was married in 1903 to Miss Mary Salak, 
daughter of Alartin Salak, an old settler in Col- 
fax county, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. \'ath have 
two children, Ralph and Paul. 



CHARLES W. THURSTON. 

Charles W. Thurston, well known among 
the younger members of the farming and ranch- 
ing community of Grant county, Nebraska, has 
spent most of his entire career in that section. 
His home ranch is in section 2, township 24, 
range 39, where he occupies a leading position 
in local affairs. He has six windmills on the 
ranch, some fine lakes, plenty of game, ducks, 
geese, grouse, etc., which make fine sport for 
hunting during the season. 

Mr. Thurston was born in Iowa county, Iowa, 
in 1875, on a farm. His father, David Thurston, 
was a well known farmer and ranchman in Ne- 
braska, locating in Grant county in 1888. also was 
a pioneer in the eastern part of the state in Cass; 
and Furnas counties. He married Emily Wight, 
and "both were of old Yankee stock. Mrs. 
Thurston, the mother, resides in Hyannis, Ne- 
braska, the father having died several years ago. 
When our subject was a lad of seven the family 
settled in Furnas county, after spending one 
year in Cass county. Charles and a brother, 
John H., grew up in Furnas county, and during 
their young manhood did a great deal of hunting, 
as the country was full of all kinds of wild game, 
many buffalo being killed in those days. During 
their first winter in that region they lived almost 
entirelv on buffalo meat and corn bread. All sup- 



plies had to be hauled from Bloomington. a dis- 
tance of eighty miles from their homestead. In 
1890 the two brothers made settlement close to 
Hyannis, and started at ranching, both working 
as cowboys, and they gradually improved their 
place and together built up a good home and 
valuable estate, the property containing five 
thousand acres, which is devoted to ranching 
purposes, and they have made a splendid success 
of their venture. 

Mr. Thurston is active in local political and 
business matters, and one of the substantial 
citizens of his community. In 1907 he was elect- 
ed sheriff of Grant county, and is at present 
serving his first term in that capacity, proving 
a most popular and capable official. Our sub- 
ject lives part of the time with his mother in 
Hvannis. 



TOHN S. RAY. 



A foremost place is accorded to the gentle- 
man above named among the enterprising and 
prosperous business men of Franklin cnunty, 
Nebraska. Mr. Ray is postmaster at Naponee, 
and no citizen of his community is more uni- 
versally esteemed and respected than the sub- 
ject of this review. 

Mr. Ray is a native of \"enango. Pennsyl- 
vania. In 1855 his parents moved to Jackson 
county, Iowa, where they were among the 
pioneers of that state. The father, Thomas 
Ray, married Mary Sullivan, her father com- 
ing to America from Ireland in the early days, 
and settled in Pennsylvania. The Rays are 
of Scotch descent, our sul)ject's great-grand- 
father Jiaving been a soldier in the war of 
1812, was caiitured by the Indians near Lake 
Erie. Pennsylvania, escaping from them after 
a time. In \Sft2 our subject enlisted in the 
Civil war. joining Company I, Twelfth Iowa 
Infantry, and served with his regiment in the 
armv under Rosecrans and Halleck, taking 
part in the siege of Corinth, and subsequently 
at the battle of Corinth, which was one of the 
most thrilling experiences in hi? career as a 
.soldier. He was at the left of Fort Robir.ette, 
first sergeant of his company. He was also at 
the siege of \''icksburg. Jackson, and was one 
of Smith's guerrillas during the .Atlanta cam- 
paign, as the Confederates called them. He 
marched through Mississippi, and then raided 
after Price tlirough .\rkansas and Missouri. 
He took part in the battle of Nashville, then 
on to Mobile, and at the siege of the Spanish 
Fort. His regiment was on the way near 
Rlakely. and was engaged in the last battle 
of the war. He was mustered out at Memphis, 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



815 



Tennessee, and disbanded at Davenport, Iowa, 
January 25, 1866. He resided in Jackson coun- 
ty for a long period, and for ten years served 
as clerk of the district court and deputy county 
clerk of his county. For two years he held 
the position of cashier of the bank at Miles, 
Iowa, and was one of the best known men in 
Jackson county, active in public affairs and one 
of the prominent leaders in every movement 
to develop the region in which he resided. 

Mr. Ray was united in marriage to Miss 
Allen, daughter of M. S. Allen, sheritt of Jack- 
son county, who was in the steamboat busi- 
ness, owning an interest in a boat running on 
the Mississippi river. He originally came 
from New York state, and also was a pioneer 
in Michigan, and was in the same company 
with Captain Wood, who was an owner in the 
White Line steamer \\'ood, on the river ser- 
vice for many years. Mr. Wood was well 
known throughout the western and southern 
states, and died at Savannah, Georgia. Mr. 
and Mrs. Ray have three children, John A. 
Ray, Jessie, who is manager of a large de- 
partment store at Denver, Colorado, and Lois, 
wife of C. R. Croft, whose sketch will be found 
on another page of this volume. Mr. Ray has 
been a resident of Franklin county since 1879, 
and is one of its leading old-timers. He is a 
thirty-second degree Mason, and prominent 
member of the Grand Army of the Republic 
post. 

Mr. Ray has two brothers, E. B. and E. M. 
Ray, in business at Bozeman, Montana, also 
a sister, ]\Irs. Nettie Taylor, at the same place, 
and has one sister living in Lake City, Iowa, 
and another at Naperville, near Chicago, Illi- 
nois. 



I of buildings, fencing the entire place, and has 
, considerable stock, following the ranching busi- 
' ness up to 1893, at which time he moved into 
I Oshkosh, still retaining active management of 
' his farm. Here he entered the general mer- 
' chandise establishment of Geo. T. Kendall & 
Company, remaining with that firm for about 
a year. He then spent some time in the survey 
I of Big Ditch, an irrigation project which was 
built in this part of the country. In 1899 he 
was appointed deputy county clerk, and contin- 
ued in that position for two years, being elected 
county clerk in 1901 for a two-year term, and 
re-elected at the end of that time, serving up 
to 1905. He then returned to Oshkosh and con- 
nected himself with the Deuel County Bank as 
cashier and active manager of that institution, 
and still holds that position. 

l\Ir. Day is a Democrat, and was elected over 
his opponent in a strong Republican county, 
showing his popularity and the esteem in which 
he is held throughout the vicinity. He takes an 
active and leading part in all local affairs, also 
county and state politics, and has had much 
to do with the prosperous condition of commer- 
cial interests in the locality. He is treasurer of 
the school board of Oshkosh. 

On April 19, 1895, Mr. Day was married 
to Miss Viola Empson, in Deuel county. Mrs. 
Day is a native of Indiana, and they have two 
children, IMarguerite, aged eleven years, and 
a baby, three months. Mr. Day's father died 
in Butler county about a }ear ago. while the bal- 
ance of the family still occupy the homestead 
there. Mrs. Day's father is living, while the 
mother is dead. 



ROBERT A. DAY. 

Robert A. Day, a well and favorably known 
resident of Deuel county, Nebraska, lias been 
one of the prominent citizens of that section 
for many years past. Mr. Day was born in 
Brown county, Ohio, IMarch 5, 1865. His fa- 
ther, mother, himself, one brother and three sis- 
ters came to Butler county, Nebraska, in 1885. 
He made that his residence for about a year, 
then came on to Deuel county, the locality then 
being known as Cheyenne county. He took up 
a homestead on section 27. township 17, range 
44, proved up on the place, and still owns it. 
also is owner of four hundred and eighty acres 
near his original homestead. 

Mr. Day succeeded in developing a good 
farm, adding good improvements in the way 



CARL M. LUX, 



Carl M. Lux, one of the foremost residents 
of Sioux county, Nebraska, is a well-to-do ranch- 
man and progressive agriculturist of section 6, 
township 32, range S3, where he has a pleasant 
home and is surrounded by all the comforts of 
rural life and many luxuries. Mr. Lux is one 
of the old-timers of this region and has taken 
an active part in the agricultural and commer- 
cial development here, and his name deserves 
prominent mention in the history of the growth 
of western Nebraska. 

Mr. Lux was born in Rhine province, Ger- 
many, in 1852, and grew up there. His father, 
Conrad, was a farmer, and lived and died in that 
countrv, as also did his wife, whose maiden 
name was Gertrude Kaymer. After reaching 
young manhood Carl served for two years in 
the German armv and at the end of that time 



8i6 



CO.MPEXDICM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.VPHY 



returned to his home and entered the employ of 
a brewing company, remaining at that work for 
several years. In 1883 he came to the United 
States, and after landing in Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, immediately struck out for the west, 
settling in Kansas, where he spent one year, 
then came to Sioux county. When he arrived 
here this region was simply a wild prairie with 
verv few settlers, who were scattered at wide 
intervals throughout the county. The Chicago 
& Northwestern railway was built after he came 
here, and he helped in its construction. He filed 
on the land he now occupies as a homestead, 
also took up a pre-emption adjoining. Mr. Lu.x's 
ranch is located on Cottonwood creek, and dur- 
ing the early years his nearest railroad point was 
Chadron, from which he was obliged to haul 
all supplies. He freighted over the rough coun- 
trv from Chadron to the Black Hills and into 
Wyoming, following the life of the typical fron- 
tiersman during the first few years, and many 
nights he camped out on the ground under his 
wagon while on these trips. He lived all alone 
in his log shanty which he erected on his home- 
stead, "batching' it" for the first two years, work- 
ing hard to get his farm in good shape and sav- 
ing every dollar he was able to earn by work- 
ing for others in the vicinity and constantly add- 
ing improvements to his home. He met witn 
severe losses in the way of failure of crops and 
saw hard times, often becoming sadly discour- 
aged, but determined not to leave the place, and 
finally was able to save a little money as the 
year.s grew better and is now very glad he stuck 
to it, as he has been well repaid for his labor.-- 
and perseverance. His ranch contains eight hun- 
dred acres of good land, fitted with good sub- 
stantial buildings, fences, etc., and he has about 
one hundred and twenty acres devoted to diver- 
sified farming. There is plenty of clear running 
water for all ])urposes, timber for fuel, also 
many sliadc and fruit trees which he planted 
himself an<l are growing beautifully, making a 
very pretty place. 

In 1887 Mr. Lux was married to Rena Feller. 
Mrs. Lux is the daughter of Frank Feller, who 
is one of the old settlers of Sioux county and is 
well and favorably known throughout this sec- 
tion of the state. Nine children have been born 
to our subject and Mrs. Lux, eight of whom 
are living, named as follows: Robert, .-\nnie. 
Martha. Christina. Celia. Carl. Theresa and 
Sophia. The family form a most interesting 
group, and all are well liked by their associates. 

Mr. Lux has always taken an active part in 
local affairs, and has served ns county treas- 
urer for two terms, also as justice of the peace. 
He is a Democrat and has the courage of his 
convictions. 



GEORGE W\ TINSLEY. 

George W. Tinsley, residing on section 10, 
township 18. range 52, Morrill county, is one 
of the prominent old settlers of that region, hav- 
ing located here in 1885, and remained to see 
the wonderful changes that have taken place in 
the country, watching its growth from practically 
a barren wilderness to its present state of fer- 
tility, and has the proud satisfaction of knowing 
that this success has been due in a measure to his 
own efforts. He is a man of active public spirit, 
and held in the highest esteem by all who know 
him. 

Mr. Tinsley was born in Coles county, Illi- 
nois, December 12, 1864, where he spent his en- 
tire boyhood. His father. William Tinsley, was 
a native of Kentucky, while his mother, Susan 
(Griffin), was born in Indiana. They settled in 
Illinois during their younger years. Both are 
now dead. When our subject attained his ma- 
joritv he left Illinois and came west to Ne- 
braska, locating in Cheyenne county, arriving 
here in 1885. He homesteaded on a quarter in 
section 10, proved up and improved the place, 
adding more land to his original homestead, and 
is now owner of about eight hundred acres, 
using a large part of it as range land for a 
herd of cattle, also cultivating about one hun- 
dred and twenty acres. He has all good build- 
ings and improvements on the ranch, and has 
met with deserved success in his work, being 
rated among the wealthy and successful men in 
t'fie section. He has a large acreage in alfalfa, 
furnishing abundant feed and "pasture" for his 
bees, of which he has forty colonies. He but re- 
cently took up bee culture, and has made as- 
tonishing success, raising one thousand five hun- 
dred pounds of honey in a season. The Ne- 
braska climate is peculiarly adapted to the pro- 
duction of a high grade of honey. 

Mr. Tinsley was married to Julia .\. Lips- 
cum, in Coles county. Illinois. November 12. 
1884. Mrs. Tinsley was born in Indiana, and 
her parents. John and Eliza ( Hutchison) 
Lipscum. arc still living in Coles county. Eight 
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tinsley, 
named as follows : Clarence, married and living 
near Bayard : Goldie. William. Bert. Lillian. 
Myrtle. Yerri and Lorine. They form a most 
interesting and congenial family, and their home 
is one of the bright sjwts that greets the traveler 
through the section. We take jilcasurc in call- 
ing attention to a view of the fine dwelling, 
large barn and outbuildings pictured in the il- 
lustrated pages of our work. Our subject holds 
the office of treasurer of school district No. 55, 
and takes a commendable interest in all local 
affairs. In jiolitical views he is a firm Demo- 
crat. 




ItKSlDKXCl': OK ClOOfiClE W TINSLEY, 
Morrill County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF JAMES MITCHELL, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



817 



JAMES MITCHELL. 

James Mitchell, one of the well-to-do farmers 
of Llrownson precinct, is of Scottish nativity, and 
is a worthy representative of the best traits of 
his race and people. He was born in Aberdeen- 
shire, Scotland, on the 15th day of October, 
1845, and grew up in the land of his birth, re- 
ceiving such educational advantages as the times 
and customs of the people of his station in life 
were accorded. Our subject left Scotland and 
started for the new world May 19, 1874, sailing 
from Glasgow on the Macedonia, since wrecked, 
and after a voyage of eleven days landed 
in New York city June 1st. He immediately 
departed for the west, going to California via 
the Union Pacific railway, spending two years 
traveling all over that part of the United States 
before coming to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, 
where he arrived in February, 1876. He went 
into the Black Hills and followed mining for 
about a year, then came back to Cheyenne county 
in December, and filed on a homestead situated 
in section 8, township 14, range 51, in April, 
1878. He has made this part of the county his 
home ever since that time, and has improved a 
good farm and built up a good home. He has 
erected all good stone buildings, fences, and 
every improvement for the operation of a model 
farm and ranch, and is one of the progressive 
and prosperous men oi his locality. His land 
is situated on Lodgepole creek, which furnishes 
an abundant supply of clear, cold water for every 
purpose. He cultivates about sixty acres, and 
in addition deals quite heavily in stock, running 
a goodl}' herd of cattle. In all he controls sev- 
enteen hundred and sixty acres of land, and is 
one of the wealthy landowners of his vicinity. 

Mr. Mitchell was married in 1892, at Sidney, 
Nebraska, to Mrs. Frances Walsh, daughter of 
Mr. Frank Barcel. Mrs. Mitchell died in 1897, 
leaving a family of four children, three being 
the children of a former marriage, named as 
follows : John, Henry W. and Wm. S. Walsh, 
and James A. ]\litchell. Mr. Mitchell is a leader 
in local afifairs in his community, and aids his 
fellowmen in every eflfort to build up his lo- 
cality. We are pleased to call attention to a view 
of his substantial home and picturesque sur- 
roundings on another page of our work. In 
politics he is a strong Republican. 



de f. van VLECK. 

The office of county clerk has been bestowed 
on this gentleman for six successive terms, and 
he is discharging the duties of the position with 
rare fidelity and ever increasing popularity. Mr 



Van Vleck was first elected to the office of 
county clerk of Sheridan county, Nebraska, in 
1895, and is a man of broad mind and good 
education, exercising good judgment and hon- 
esty in all his dealings. He resides in Rushville, 
where he has a pleasant home. 

Our subject was born in Milwaukee, Wiscon- 
sin, in 1849. His father, Michael Van Vleck, 
was a native of New York state, born at Syra- 
cuse, and his mother was Miss Sarah Smith, 
born in Monroe county. New York. The family 
moved to and lived at Manitowoc, on the shores 
of Lake Michigan, until our subject was twelve 
years of age, then moved to Will county, Illi- 
nois, and at the breaking out of the war our 
subject enlisted in Company F, Sixty-fourth Illi- 
nois Regiment. He saw service with General 
Sherman, and at Atlanta received a severe 
wound. He also went through the Carolinas af- 
ter this, but was never able to resume his duties 
as a soldier on account of having lost the use 
of his left arm at the battle mentioned above. 
At that time his regiment was under fire one 
hundred days during the Atlanta campaign, and 
he tells many interesting anecdotes of that time. 
After receiving his discharge at Quincy, Illinois, 
in May, 1865, Mr. Van Vleck attended the North- 
ern Illinois College at Fulton, and later taught 
school in that state and also in Iowa. He came 
to Nebraska in 1879 and there followed teach- 
ing in Saunders county, and later in Sheridan' 
county for two years. He finally located in this 
county in June, 1884. He had made six trips 
here from Ord, Nebraska, by team, and after he 
had been here for about a year his familv came 
on to join him. He had taken up a homestead 
situated nine miles south of Hay Springs, and 
his first building on this place was a sod house 
in which they lived until the summer of 1886, 
when he built a better sod house. He broke up 
part of his land with an ox team which he had 
brought with him from Saunders county, and be- 
gan improving his place, on which he proved 
up, remaining there up to 1889. He then moved 
to Rushville, and for several years, off and on, 
worked in the district clerk's office. In the 
spring of 1893 he was appointed deputy county- 
clerk and served in this capacity for three years, 
when, in the fall of 1895, he was elected county 
clerk, which office he is at present filling. 

Mr. Van \'leck was married in 1882 to Miss 
Jennie Wood, whose father, Harvey Wood, was 
an old settler in Saunders county, of old Ken- 
tucky stocfk, later coming to Sheridan county, 
Nebraska, where he died in 1898. Mrs. Van 
Vleck's mother was, prior to her marriage, Ro- 
sanna Sailing, of an old Kentucky family. Mr. 
arid ]\Irs. Van Vleck are the parents of nine chil- 
dren, named as follows: Pearl, now Mrs. Ed- 



8i8 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



gell ; Lewis E., Addie, Lee, DeForrest, Har- 
old, Violet E., Maurice and Harmon. 

Mr. Van Vleck has taken an active part in 
politics for many years, and is one of the lead- 
ing old settlers in this region. He has done 
his share in the making of history of western 
Nebraska, and deserves a first place in the ranks 
of the representative men of the west. 



JOHN \V. SIMS. 

John \V. Sims, of Vail precinct, Keith 
county, Nebraska, is one of the industrious and 
prosperous farmers of his locality. He is a 
gentleman of excellent character and progressive 
habits, and well merits his high standing as a 
worthy citizen. 

Our subject was born in Worth county, Mis- 
souri, July 26, 1867, and was there reared on a 
farm. His father, James Sims, a native of Mis- 
souri, was an early settler in Nebraska, coming 
to Keith county as early as 1886. He married 
Serelda Spencer, whose birthplace was in Indi- 
ana. John \\'. Sims grew up in Missouri, com- 
ing to Nebraska with his parents in the 
fall of 1890, filing on a homestead in the sam.e 
vicinity with his father, the latter having first 
located nine miles north of Madrid, on section 
34. township 12, range 2^7. During the first 
year on his farm John had poor crops, and the 
following year was hailed out, losing almost his 
entire season's work, but he succeeded in prov- 
ing up on his farm, which he later sold. While 
the hard times were on he was compelled to 
work out in the vicinity of his home at what- 
ever he could find to do. He came to the Searl 
ranch about 1899 and worked as foreman of 
that ranch for six years, in this way laying by a 
little money with which he started farming in 
the western part of Keith county, having had 
one hundred and sixty-nine acres of irrigable 
land there on section 23, township 13, range 40. 
This he improved witli a good two-story, six- 
room house in 1908, and the following year 
erected barns and outbuildings. 

Mr. Sims was married September 28, 1892, 
at Ogallala, to Miss Mary Breder. whose father, 
Henry Breder, was an old settler in this region, 
residing on section 34. township 12, range Z7. 
He came to America from Prus.sia. in 1886, sail- 
ing on the HohenzoUem fmm Bremen with his 
family, and landing in Baltimore. His wife, who 
was Amelia Freitag, was also a native of Prus- 
sia. Mr. and Mrs. Sims are the parents of five 
children, namely: Grace, Gertrude, Fred, Sid- 
ney and .\fldie. 

Mr. Sims has not only watched the develop- 
ment of his county from the first days of its 



settlement, but has taken an active part in this 
growth, and has aided to his utmost the ad- 
vanceinent of the resources in his locality. He is 
a Democrat in politics and a member of the 
Ogallala Lodge of the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen. 



RICHARD R. BALLIEU. 

Richard R. Ballieu, a popular and capable 
citizen of Dawes county, is one of the men of 
whom the people of the surrounding community 
can justifiably be proud. Mr. Ballieu was born 
in Harrison county. Missouri, in 1858, a son of 
Jesse and Martha (Hubbard) Ballieu. His 
father was of French lineage, and was a minister 
of the gospel of the Baptist faith. He died when 
our subject was but four years of age. 

The early years of Mr. Ballieu's life were 
spent in Missouri and Iowa, where he received a 
limited education. At the tender age of four- 
teen years he started out to earn his own iiveii- 
liood. and the success with which he has met 
is due to the persistency and economy which he 
has always practiced. In 1876 he went to west- 
ern Iowa. He also spent some time at Rock- 
port, Atchison county, Missouri. In 1880 he 
went west into Burt county, Nebraska, and 
for some time worked out by the month. 

Mr. Ballieu settled in Dawes county. Ne- 
braska, in 18S4. driving in a covered wagon from 
Valentine, to which place he had shipped his 
provisions. When he arrived at this place with 
his wife and two children, he had but one dollar 
and eighty cents, a pair of ponies and a wagon 
with which to make his start. He located in 
section il. township 31, range 49. where he built 
a log cabin, the first home he knew in this west- 
em countni-. He secured a team of oxen, and 
earned a livelihood by breaking and doing odd 
jobs. The principles of thrift and economy 
which he has so strongly adhered to have won 
for him the grand success with which his honest 
efforts have met. He now has a nice ranch of 
four hundred acres of good land, all fenced and 
cross-fenced, with one hundred and eighty-five 
acres under cultivation. He also has an orchard 
comjirising an area of about four acres, which 
is considered one of the finest in Dawes county. 
He has erected a comfortable residence together 
with good barns and sheds. During a period 
of eight years of drouth which our subject wit- 
nessed there was only one year in which his 
crop was a complete failure, while one year his 
crop was destroyed by hail. 

In 1882 Mr. Ballieu was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Hanzy. Six children came to bless 
this union, viz.: John, Mary, Jesse, Nettie. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



819 



Richard and Bryan. In 1898 Mrs. Ballieu died. 
Mr. Ballieu contracted a second marriage with 
Mary Skeet, to which union was born one child, 
Gladys. 

In political matters Mr. Ballieu is an Inde- 
pendent voter. He has always taken an active 
interest in local affairs, and has done his share 
toward the development of Dawes county. His 
career is an excellent example of what can be 
accomplished in this western country. Coming 
here almost penniless, he has worked out for 
himself and family a comfortable home, where 
his genial countenance and friendly spirit have 
made him hosts of warm friends. 



ALBERT KEMP. 

Among the old-timers who settled in west- 
ern Nebraska when the state was still in its 
infancy, and who has watched its development 
and growth, the gentleman whose name heads 
this review occupies a prominent place. He is 
well known as one of the prosperous business 
men of Bassett, and recognized as a leading citi- 
zen of the town. 

Mr. Kemp was born in Genesee countv. New 
York, April 19. 1846, a son of Arthur Kemp, 
a farmer and pioneer homesteader in Nebraska, 
who was born in England and came to the 
United States with his parents when six years 
of age. Our subject's mother, who was Miss 
Mary Bliss, died in Kalamazoo county. Michi- 
gan, in 1862. He was reared and educated in 
Kalamazoo county, whither the family removed 
about 1849. and during the war enlisted in Com- 
pany H, Seventh IMichigan Cavalry. He. with 
his regiment, saw service in the army of the 
Potomac through Maryland and Virginia, and 
experienced all the hardships of a soldier's life. 
After the close of hostilities in the south the 
regiment was assigned to duty at Fort Leaven- 
worth, Kansas, but owing to sickness at the time 
of the regiment's service across the plains Mr. 
Kemp did not reach the far west. He was mus- 
tered out at Leavenworth and discharged at 
Jackson, Michigan, after eighteen months' ser- 
vice. After the war he came back to Michigan, 
and after a time went farther west, settling near 
Independence, Iowa, where he farmed for four 
years. In 1869 he came to Nebraska, locating 
near Schuyler, and from there went to Butler 
county where he took a homestead, living in a 
log cabin with a sod roof. He had but one 
team, a yoke of oxen, with which to do the 
work of building up and improving his farm. 
Then he went to southern Kansas where he 
farmed for six years near Pittsburg, in Craw- 
ford coimtv. Returning to Nebraska, he settled 



in what is now Rock county, then a part of 
Brown, in the fall of 1882. He settled on a farm 
on the Niobrara river, remaining there for eight 
or ten years, going through many hard times 
during the drouth periods, hauling posts to 
Stuart to exchange for provisions for the family, 
and many nights was compelled to camp out 
under the wagon in the snow. About the year 
1893 he moved to Bassett, and engaged in the 
livery business. He spent but a short time there 
before moving back on his farm ; and later he 
opened a hardware establishment in Bassett, 
running this for two years. Afterwards he went 
into the feed, grocery and machinery business, 
operating this line for thirteen years, then sold 
out on April 24, 1906. In November. 1907, he 
opened a general store on the west side of Main 
street and is enjoying a lucrative trade. He has 
a farm of three hundred and seventeen acres ad- 
joining the town site, a fine estate which he has 
accumulated by hard labor and good manage- 
ment. 

On ]\larch 14. 1868. Mr. Kemp was married 
to Miss Elizabeth Baldwin, whose parents were 
old settlers in Nebraska. Mr. and ]Mrs. Kemp 
have a family of four children, namely : Lizzie, 
wife of J. S. Likens, of Lincoln ; Mabel, in mis- 
sion work in New Jersey ; Josie, wife of William 
I\Iohrman, of Idaho ; and Gertrude, who married 
George ]Mapes. ]\Ir. Kemp's first wife died, and 
he was married again, in 1890, to Viola Brown, 
and two children are the result of this union, 
named Ida and Bertha. 

Mr. Kemp is a man who takes a commend- 
able interest in all local affairs, and uses his in- 
fluence toward securing best conditions possible 
in his locality, and is highly respected by his 
fellowmen. In politics he is a Republican, a 
member of the Church of God and the Ancient 
Order of L^nited Workmen, of Bassett. 



W. WALLACE BELDEN. 

Among those who came to western Nebraska 
when that state was in its first stages of de- 
velopment, with scarcely any improved land, and 
but very few white settlers in the region, the 
gentleman above mentioned deserves prominent 
notice. He was one of the first to settle in 
Cheyenne county, and has passed through all 
the pioneer experiences of the state in building 
up a home, incidentally assisting in a large meas- 
ure in the progress and upbuilding of the lo- 
cality where he chose his home. Mr. Belden re- 
sides in Redington, where he has a well-im- 
proved and valuable estate. 

W. \y. Belden was born in Pennsylvania on 
]\Iay 9. 1850. His boyhood was passed in that 



820 



CO.MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



state, the family coming to Mercer county, Illi- 
nois, about 1865. There they lived for seven 
years, following farming, and our subject grew 
to manhood. Both parents are now deceased. 
After leaving Illinois Mr. Belden went to Clay 
county, Kansas, and subsequently lived in Re- 
public and Cloud counties, that state, remaining 
in that region up to 1886, when he came to Ne- 
braska. He settled at once in Cheyenne county 
on section 22. township 19, range 51, purchasing 
a bunch of cattle and some horses, and began 
to develop a ranch and build up a home. 
During the early years he saw some hard times, 
meeting at times with crop failures and other 
discouragements, but stuck to his homestead and 
gradually was able to make improvements and 
forge ahead. He is progressive and up-to-date 
in his methods of farming, and highly respected 
as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Belden was married in Clay county, 
Kansas, on March 31, 1872, to Miss Amanda 
Dugger, who was born in Scott county, Illinois. 
They have a family of ten children, namely : 
Melissa C, now the wife of H. E. Randall ; Ef- 
fie. wife of Solomon Willis, living in Sidney ; 
John O., of whom a more extended mention ap- 
pears on another page ; Pearl, wife of Frank 
Lipska, living in Belmont, south of Redington ; 
Ella, wife of Eherman Oilman, residing at Red- 
ington : Sadie, wife of Dean Randall, living in 
Minatare, Nebraska, and Lillie, wife of Earl 
Hart, also living at Minatare. Lottie, Lloyd and 
Charles are single and live at home. 



ERIC O. LIF. 



During the past twenty-four vears the gen- 
tleman whose name heads this review has taken 
an active part in the growth and development of 
western Nebraska, and particularly of Chevenne 
county, where he has been engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits most of that time. He has built 
up a fine property and has a comfortable home, 
acquired by dint of industry and good manage- 
ment, supplemented by honest dealings, and is 
held in high esteem as a worthy citizen and pro- 
gressive farmer. 

Eric O. Lif was born in Sweden, February 
22, 1854, and grew to manhood in that country, 
following the occupation of farrner, and also 
learned the trade of mason and stone cutter and 
worked at it a part of his time. In 1884 he 
came to America, landing in Quebec on June 
5th. and came directly west, locating at first 
in Grand Island. Nebraska, where he spent sev- 
eral months, then went to Sidney. On June 10, 
1886. Mr. Lif took a homestead on section 17, 
township 18, range 47, and here he has spent 



his time since. He improved his farm constantly, 
occasionally having a hard time to get along, 
often suffering loss from crop failures, etc., but 
on the whole has been very successful, and is 
now the possessor of two hundred and eighty 
acres of deeded land. During the early years 
he turned his trade to account and built houses 
in the vicinity, in this way being able to lay 
by a little money and help himself along. He 
uses a portion of his land for grain raising, 
and has quite a herd of cattle and a small 
bunch of horses. Besides his home ranch he has 
several hundred acres of good hay bottom and 
pasture. He has one of the finest groves of 
trees in the locality which he planted. 

On June 3, 1882, Mr. Lif married Carrie Lar- 
son, in Sweden, and to Mrs. Lif is due much 
credit in the accumulation of their property, as 
she worked faithfully with her husband in ac- 
quiring the same. The parents of both are de- 
ceased. Five children have come to them, 
namely : Anna, Christina, Fred \V., Arthur and 
Albert, all living at home. 

Lisco postoffice is situated on section 17, 
which is also the location of his home ranch, 
and Air. Lif is acting in the capacity ot post- 
master. He has been connected with the iocai 
school for a number of years, and is road over- 
seer for his district. In politics he is a Re- 
publican. 



HENRY S. HARRIS. 

The history of western Nebraska would be 
incomplete without mention being made of the 
well-known and familiar name of Henry S. Har- 
ris. He was the first sheriff of Rock county, 
Nebraska, and attracted wide public attention 
by the capture of several notorious horse thieves 
during his term of office. He was of fearless 
character and a typical frontiersman, and even 
before his election to office, captured Bohanan 
and Arnold, two daring horse thieves who had 
infested the territory. Mr. Harris made a most 
capable officer and he came to be dreaded by 
violators of the law. 

The subject of our sketch was boni in St. 
Lawrence county. New York, in the year 1850, 
his parents being Ephraim H. and Eliza (Bar- 
ber) Harris. The father was born in Vermont 
and was of English ancestry, and he was a lum- 
berman. The mother died when our subject 
was a baby. 

In 1853 F.phraim Harris came west to Wis- 
consin, and the family, with the grandparents, 
followed in 1854, and they settled near the city 
of Waupaca. Our subject was reared here un- 
til he was sixteen vears old and then commenced 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



work in the lumber woods, and for nine winters 
he followed lumbering. In' the spring he often 
engaged in log-driving along the streams of 
Wisconsin. In 1875 he came further west and 
located in Greeley county, Nebraska, on a farm. 
On this trip he made a long drive with team 
and covered wagon, coming all the way from 
Wisconsin and stopping for three years in Iowa. 
When he reached his new home on government 
land in Greeley county, he had but twenty-seven 
dollars and fifty cents left to begin life with. 
He built a sod house, commenced breaking his 
land and had his first crop eaten up by grass- 
hoppers. In 1878 he removed to Holt county 
and settled near Stuart village on low, level 
land that he used for haying purposes. Bad luck 
met him here and his crops were drowned out 
several years in succession, and he removed 
again to other localities, until in 1885 he wenT 
to Rock county, settling on school land. Here 
he put up buildings, made good improvements 
and later bought the farm. It was while living 
there that our subject was elected sheriff and 
had the experiences related in the opening lines 
of this sketch. 

Henry S. Harris was married in 1870 to Miss 
Lucy Harris, a native of New York state, and a 
daughter of Orsemus and Annie (Allen) Harris, 
the former being a native of Vermont. Mr. 
and Mrs. Harris are the parents of five chil- 
dren : Mav. married : Burt, Mvrtle, Ina and 
Ben R. 

In 1892 Mr. Harris went to Chicago and 
spent six years working in that city, then re- 
turning to Nebraska, settled on the North Loup 
river near Taylor. In 1902 he located where he 
now lives, on section 24, township 24, range 17, 
and has built up a fine home and ranch, having 
six hundred and forty acres used principally 
for stock purposes. Mr. Harris has had varying 
experiences and many hard trials during his life 
on the frontier, but he has made his way to suc- 
cess and prominence as a rancher and a farmer. 
He has been in a number of states, was the first 
man to take a family to the upper Spring creek 
country, in Greeley county, Nebraska, and now 
he has settled down permanently to enjoy a life 
of peace and comfort. Mr. Harris has done 
his share of pioneering and has performed a 
good part and is respected as a good citizen by 
all who know him. 



FRANK !\lcFADDEN. 

A drive through the ranching community of 
Keith county convinces one of the thrift enjoyed 
in that locality, and a visitor at the home of 
Frank McFadden is impressed with the fact that 



careful management and honest industry are 
prominent characteristics of the owner, whose 
well improved tract compares favorably with 
that of any farm in the county. Mr. McFadden 
resides at present in Paxton precinct, where he 
has made all improvements necessary to a Kin- 
caid homestead. 

Mr. McFadden was born in the village of 
Roshin, County Donegal, Ireland, August 20, 
1860. His father, Michael McFadden, was a 
farmer and stock raiser and with the mother, 
Grace flMcGarvey). was a native of Donegal. 
Frank was reared on the home farm, remaining 
there until he was seventeen years of age, then 
left his native land and emigrated to Scotland, 
where he worked for two years as a gardener. 
On Saturday, February 14. 1881, he came to 
America, sailing from Greenoch. Scotland, land- 
ing after a stormy passage of seventeen davs 
in New York. He spent three and a half years 
in New York city working as a helper in a store, 
and was employed for a time in the shipping 
department of a big wholesale establishment in 
that city. He next came west to Illinois, lo- 
cated in Sangamon county and remained there 
for three years, spending the first year as a farm 
hand and working rented land two years of the 
time. On March 16, 1888, he carne to Keith 
county, Nebraska, settling on section 6, town- 
ship 14, range 35, and built a shanty, sodding 
the outside, a dugout being used as a barn and 
cow shed. He began to farm, and tried to im- 
prove the place, but was unable to get water on 
the farm, so abandoned it after a five years' 
residence, and filed on a homestead in section 
10, township 14. range 35. He at once erected 
substantial buildings and began stock raising on 
a small scale at first, but he has gradually in- 
creased his herd and improved the place, ac- 
cumulating a good property. He runs about 
seven hundred head of cattle and from thirty- 
five to seventy horses. The ranch lies in the 
valley of the North Platte river, and is well 
located for cattle raising, having plenty of good 
grazing land on Willow creek, which furnishes 
an endless supply of good water, while he farms 
about sixty acres, raising good crops of small 
grain. He later filed on four hundred and eighty 
acres in section 24. township 15, range 36, which 
is his present residence. Since coming to this 
ranch Mr. McFadden had a serious fire go 
through the place in the spring of 1908, causing 
the loss of over one thousand dollars, the ranch 
being burned ofT and a large quantity of hay, 
also ten miles of fence destroyed. This has 
been rebuilt and two miles of wire fence added. 
He has had some hard times, but has prospered 
in the main, and since filing on his Kincaid 
homestead, I\Ir. McFadden has purchased half 



822" 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE ANH BIOGRAPHY 



of section 14, township 14. range 35, and Mrs. 
McFadden secured one hundred and ten acres in 
Lincoln county, and Mr. McFadden is now num- 
bered among the well-to-do men of his section. 
We show a view of the residence on section 
24 and the ranch property in section 10 else- 
where in this work. 

Mr. McFadden was married in Illiopolis, Illi- 
nois. February 25, 1886, to Miss Maggie Brogan, 
a daughter of Simon and Hannah (McGinley) 
Brogan, who were born, lived and died in Ire- 
land. Mrs. McFadden came to America when 
a young girl, sailing from Belfast, May 15, 1880, 
on the Allen, landing in New York June 1st, 
and after three and a half years' residence in 
Philadelphia she departed for Sangamon county, 
December 3, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. McFadden are 
the parents of two children. Michael and Mar- 
garet, who attended the schools of Paxton for 
three years, finishing a course in North Platte. 
Michael filed on section 6. township 15, range 
36, his father's first holding, and is perfecting 
his title under the Kincaid law. The family 
are all members of the Catholic church and Dem- 
ocratic in politics. 



LYNN THOMPSON, 

The gentleman above mentioned is one of 
the leading citizens of Gordon, widely known as 
a successful business man and worthy resident 
of that place. Mr. Thompson is a prominent 
druggist of Gordon, and conducts a first-class. 
up-to-date establishment. 

Mr. Thompson was born near Buffalo, New 
York, in 1880. He is a son of Wellington 
Thompson, who is an old settler in Sheridan 
county, where he was raised and educated, at- 
tending the State L'niversity at Lincoln for one 
year and also the Highland Park School of 
Pharmacy at Des Moines, Iowa, from which in- 
stitution he was graduated in 1902. After leav- 
ing school he went to Sioux City, Iowa, where 
he clerked for over a year in the drug store 
of L. P. Knos. He afterward went to Lead. 
South Dakota, and spent two years, during this 
time making a trip to the Pacific coast, being 
employed by the Owl Drug Company for some 
time. In 1905 he came back to Gordon and in 
December of that year purchased the drug busi- 
ness of Mrs. M. E. Hoflfman. This was an old 
established business and Mr. Thompson went to 
work and put in a larger stock of goods and has 
made it one of the best ec|uippcd stores of its 
kind in the county and enjoys a large traoe 
throughout this section. Mr. Thompson be- 
longs to several orders of the town — Masonic 
order. Arcana Lodge, No. 195, also the Modern 
Woodmen, all of Gordon, Nebraska. 



HON. THOMAS HOWE MARSHALL. 

Honorable Thomas Howe Marshall, a lead- 
ing farmer of Williamsburg township, Nebraska, 
whose public life is well known throughout the 
locality in which he resides, has gained an en- 
viable reputation as a citizen and enjoys 'the 
confidence and esteem of his associates. 

Mr. Marshall is a native of Carlton county, 
Ontario, Canada, of English and Scotch descent. 
His father. J. Marshall, was born in Hartford, 
Connecticut, where he grew up and entered the 
shipbuilding business, and later operated a ship 
yard. Our subject's grandfather, under the di- 
rection of Robert Fulton, made the iron for the 
first steamboat ever built. Our subject's grand- 
father was sent from England by the government 
before the revolution to take charge of a gov- 
ernment shipyard at Hartford. He was a na- 
tive of Scotland. Mr. Marshall has seven 
brothers : John, living at Regina, in northwest- 
ern Canada : William, who settled in Phelps 
county, Nebraska, and died there, leaving a 
family ; James, located at Holdrege : Gustus. who 
died in Phelps county in 1905, leaving a widow 
and three children, one of whom. Rev. Marshall, 
is a Presbyterian missionary in India, and a 
graduate of Princeton University. George died 
in Canada, where he always resided : Benjamin, 
an old settler of Phelps county, is now in north- 
western Canada : Alexander died in Canada. 

Mr. Marshall is proprietor of three hundred 
and twenty acres of the finest land on the sec- 
ond bottom of the Platte river. He settled here 
in 1880, coming direct from Carlton county, 
Canada, where he was brought up on his 
father's farm, and during his young manhood 
was manager of some of the large lumber firms 
in that section. Since locating here he has been 
very successful in his farming ventures, and has 
built up a fine estate. He engages in mixed 
farming, and has kept about one hundred hogs 
and fifty cattle on his land. His crops show 
a splendid yield, wheat running over thirty 
bushels to the acre, corn forty-five and oats 
twenty-five, which is a very fair average. 

^Ir. Marshall represented the Republican 
party in the state legislature in 1886. He was 
a member of the Phelps county board for six 
years at the time the county was divided into 
districts and the number of supervisors reduced 
to seven. He has been an active member of 
the school board, and an earnest worker in 
church affairs. He is a steward and trustee of 
the Williamsburg Methodist Episcopal church. 

In 1872 Mr. Marshall was married to Miss 
Marcie Kcdey, a native of Carlton county, On- 
tario, who died in 1904. They were the parents 
of nine children, namely: John K., of Holdrege: 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



8^3 



Jessie, now Mrs. Richard Morrison, and who 
before her marriage taught in this county for 
several years; Lizzie: Addie, wife of John Dahl- 
sted. an implement dealer of Holdrege, who also 
taught school in this county for several years : 
Lillie, Thomas S. (deceased), Ralph, Moses and 
Grace. The family is highly respected in the 
community, and enjoy a host of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 



JOHN SEVERSON. 

John Severson, one of the sturdy sons of 
Norway who came to this country as a young 
man and who braved the storms of adversity 
and from a very small start has become the 
possessor of a fine property through persever- 
ance and industry, lives on his well-kept estate 
in section 22, township 24, range 52, Box Butte 
county, Nebraska. Mr.- Severson is among the 
oldest settlers in the western part of the county, 
and has taken an active part in the upbuilding 
of that region from its earliest stages of de- 
velopment. Incidentally he has acquired one of 
the finest ranches there during the past thirty 
years, and every dollar of his property has been 
gained by his own good management and faith- 
ful labors. 

Mr. Severson was born in Norway, near 
Christiana, in 1840, on a farm, and his parents 
lived and died in that vicinity, following farm- 
ing all their lives. John remained at home un- 
til he was thirty years of age, working as a 
farmer and day laborer, and was married there 
in 1863, to Mary Erickson, also born and reared 
in that locality. The young couple came to the 
United States in 1871, settling in Michigan, 
where our subject worked in the iron mines for 
about eight years. \\'hile mining he had the 
misfortune to have his ankle broken and was 
laid up with this injury for nearly a year, and 
has never recovered from this accident and still 
is lame from its effect. In 1879 he came west 
and located in Kearney county, Nebraska, which 
section was then entirely unimproved land. He 
bought a tract of railroad land and made it his 
home for several years, but was finally obliged 
to leave, as he was unable to make anything 
on the place. For one year he worked on the 
railroad, then settled in Pawnee county, renting 
a farm, and remained there for seven years and 
did fairly well. In 1889 he came to Box Butte 
county, locating on section 22, and started to 
develop a farm and build up a home. When he 
arrived in that locality he owned two teams, 
and soon afterward bought some cows and be- 
gan mixed farming and stock raising. He con- 
stantly improved his farm and besides that did 



a great deal of work for others in the vicinity, 
and freighted through the country a good deal. 
His first mistake was made in trying to farm, 
as the conditions were not suited to that branch 
of work at that time, the seasons being dry, 
storms sweeping the section, etc. He did, how- 
ever, raise one first-class crop, and that was m 
1889, when he received one thousand bushels of 
wheat from eighty acres of land, and the three 
years following was unable to raise barely 
enough for seed. He was scarcely able to make 
a living off his land, and had to sell two cows 
to get money enough to pay for a binder which 
he had purchased. From that time on he 
gradually got into the stock business, and has 
done well along that line. He keeps about one 
hundred and twenty cattle and thirteen horses. 
He has improved his ranch in every way, owning 
in all five quarter sections, and one son, George, 
is also owner of six hundred and forty acres 
right near his father's ranch. Our subject leases 
one section which is used for hay land and 
pasture for his stock. His whole ranch is fenced, 
and he has good wells, windmills, etc. He 
has erected a handsome residence, and alto- 
gether has one of the prettiest and best im- 
proved estates in his locality. 

Mr. Severson's family consists of himself, 
wife and two children, namely: George, aged 
twenty-three ; and Minnie, aged twenty-five 
years. One daughter, Cora, died in 1895, when 
she was twenty-four years old. 

]Mr. Severson is a Republican. He has 
helped in establishing the schools in his com- 
munity, and well remembers the time when the 
settlers were obliged to travel a distance of sixty 
miles for lumber to build the first schoolhouse. 
He has held the office of road overseer in his 
district for the past ten years. 



■ HOMER H. WEBB. 

Homer H. Webb, for the past few years a 
resident of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, resides 
on section 24, township 33, range 24, in McGuire 
precinct, and is well known throughout this lo- 
cality as a progressive citizen and capable busi- 
ness man. 

Mr. Webb was born in Storv countv, Iowa, 
October 29, 1870. His father,' Granville D. 
Webb, was a farmer, of American stock, and 
came to this county with his family in the early 
stages of its development, and went through 
pioneer experience here, now residing in Oregon. 
The mother, wHo was ]\Iary Allen in maiden- 
hood, bore ten children, of whom our subject 
is the seventh member. He was reared on the 
farm, and when eighteen years old came to Keya 



824 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Paha county and started farming on lented land, 
following: that up to 1895. when lie went to Colo- 
rado and remained for five years, there engaged 
in different kimls of work. He then returned to 
Keya Paha county and took up a homestead, the 
same on which he now resides, consisting of one 
hundred and sixty acres, and later added to 
it, ow-ning at the present time two hundred 
and forty acres, mostly all pasture land. He is 
engaged in stock raising, keeping about forty 
head of cattle and ten horses. He also has a 
large number of hogs. He is fast improving his 
place, and devotes all his time to building it up 
and having it in every way a model farm. 

Mr. W'ebb was married in Sjjringview. in 
1893. to Miss .Anna Lively, whose father was an 
early settler in Nebraska, and is now living in 
McGuire precinct. To Mr. and Mrs. Webb the 
following children have been born: Viola M.. 
Carl S. and Blanche B. 

For many years past Mr. Webb has been a 
follower of the Socialist party. He is active in 
local and school affairs, and lends his aid for 
good government and the building up of the 
best interests of his community. 



EARL \V. BOSTR( )M. 

Earl W. Bostrom. one of the younger mem- 
bers of the farming community of Keith 
county, is a worthy representative of the family 
of that name, who were among the earliest set- 
tlers in the county and have made the region 
their home ever since. 

Our subject was born in Galva, Illinois, Au- 
gust 23. 1878. Both his parents were natives of 
Sweden, coming to America when young peo- 
ple, the father about 1869. He was a native 
of the village of Geble. born I\Iay 26. 1842 : his 
mother, who was Betsy Ileddslrohm. was born 
in the county of Sunne. district of Wermland, 
and came to America when sixteen years of 
age. by the way of Gottenberg. Hull and Liver- 
pool to New York. The family lived in Illi- 
nois until 188.^. excepting two years in Polk 
county. Nebraska, near Stromsberg. There were 
eight children in his father's family: Otto J., 
Josie. Earl W.. Arthur Edwin (deceased). The- 
resa, wife of Walter S. Prunty. a grocer of 
Cheyenne, Wyoming: Oscar A., Minnie E. and 
Evalinc \\'. Oscar is married and lives on the 
old home ranch. On reaching Keith county in 
188.=>. the father. .Andrew Bostrom. filed on a 
bomestead in section 32. townshij) 13. range 41. 
and built a sod house, barn auM chicken house, 
broke land for crojis and started to develop a 
farm and home. Their only team was a yoke 
of oxen. Success was verv slow, as thev en- 



countered many difficulties on account of the un- 
settled condition of the country and the fact 
that their supplies had to be hauled a long dis- 
tance over rough and unbroken roads. In 
1890 they had the terrible misfortune to lose 
the husband and father, and after his death 
the family saw hard times, going through the 
drouth seasons when crops failed and it was 
hard work to keep the family together and live 
comfortably. Otto secured work on the railroad, 
working as a section hand, but was soon made 
foreman and is now roadmaster of the division 
between Laramie and Rawlins. Earl also fol- 
lowed railroad work for seven years, the last 
two years of his service being as section fore- 
man. The two own in partnership the quarter 
section of land on which the family now re- 
side. 

Since the death of the father. Earl has been 
the head of the family, bearing the burden 
cheerfully. The old home ranch of six hundred 
and forty acres lies on the state line, partly in 
Colorado, which is devoted to cattle raising. The 
tract of one hundred and sixty acres on which 
the family lives is irrigated and under cultiva- 
tion. .The whole farm is improved with a good 
house and outbuildings, with necessary fences. 

Although a very young man, our subject 
has made his influence felt in his commtmitv. 
as he takes an active part in local affairs and 
gives his best aid to every movement for the 
advancement of the region. He is a Democrat in 
politics. 



JAMES C. H.VRTFORD. 

James C. Hartford is a native of Nebraska, 
born in Jefferson county in 1872. His father 
was Jesse Hartford, a pioneer of Loup county 
of the days of 188.r The father came first on a 
lirosjiecting trip in 1884. filed on his land in 
section 32, township 23. range 17. and the next 
year returned and liuild a sod shanty, and then 
the family came to their new home a year later, 
in 1886. Our subject's mother was Laura White 
before marriage. 

Here, in Loup county, on a farm our subject 
grew up. participating in the hardness of pio- 
neer life to which the family was subjecteil. 
Early in his life he learned to do all the work 
of the farm and made all the long trips hauling 
the supplies from the far away town of North 
Louji. He drove an ox team when they came 
to the count\- in 188.^. and for some time this was 
the only kind i>f team they had. Our subject 
remained with his father helping on the tree 
claim until 1893. and then he commenced work- 
ing out for himself. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



825 



In 1900 James C. Hartford was married to 
Miss May Hesselgesser, daughter of Robert K. 
Hesselgesser, one of the early pioneers of Loup 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Hartford have one child, 
a daughter, named Lela. 

Our subject settled on his homestead in sec- 
tion 29, township 23, range 17, north of 
Calamus river, in 1905, and now operates a fine 
farm of nine hundred and sixty acres. He has 
built up a good home and farm and established 
himself on the road to a comfortable competency. 
He has always taken an active part in local 
affairs and has held various offices of trust and 
responsibility. He has performed his part in the 
development of the material prosperity of the 
community and is respected for his broad-gauged 
principles. 



JAMES P. HARDIN. 

James P. Hardin, known in Harlan county 
for the past quarter of a century, is one of the 
influential citizens of Turkey Creek township. 
He is engaged in conducting an extensive farm 
and has met with a marked degree of success, 
due to his energetic efforts and industrious 
habits, and is a gentleman who enjoys the es- 
teem and respect of all who know him. 

Mr. Hardin is a native of Putnam county, 
Indiana, and raised there. He is a son of John 
H. Hardin, and the family came to Davis county, 
Missouri, where they lived for a number of years 
before coming to Nebraska. In 1884 John H. 
Hardin, our subject's father, came to Turkey 
River township and bought a farm, living on it 
up to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1899, at the age of eighty-five years. He was 
a native of Kentucky, bom in Washington 
county, and his father was also John Hardin, of 
Virginia, and fought in the Revolutionary war. 
The Hardin family has been prominent and ac- 
tive in public affairs in Kentucky for many years 
past, and among the first families of that state. 
Our subject's mother was ^liss Elizabeth Grant- 
ham, of Putnam county, Indiana. Mr. Hardin 
owns a well appointed farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres of good land along the Turkey creek, 
which is well improved. He is an old settler 
and has made a remarkable success as a farmer. 

Mr. Hardin was united in marriage in 1897 
to Mrs. Ida Walker, daughter of James Silvers, 
of Andrew county, Nebraska, who came from 
Lee county, Virginia, and who served in the 
Sixteenth Iowa Regiment during the Civil war. 
His wife was Miss Elizabeth Shepler, daughter 
of John Shepler, of Logan countv. Mrs. 
Hardin's father died March 21, 1906. Mr. 
Hardin has four children, who are named as 
53 



follows : Sarah, Minnie Ethol. John H. Hardin, 
who is now assistant cashier of the State Bank 
of Huntley, Nebraska, and Edward, living at 
home with his parents, and assisting his father 
in carrying on the farm. Mrs. Hardin has one 
child. May, from a former marriage. The family 
occupy a fine residence and enjoy many friends 
and acquaintances who partake of their gen- 
erous hospitality in their pleasant home. 



ROBERT S. McCONNELL. 

Robert S. McConnell, who owns and operates 
a large estate on section 20, township 18, range 
49, is one of the substantial men of his com- 
munity who has made Nebraska his home for 
many years, having passed through the pioneer 
days of the state when he had a hard time to 
get along, but in spite of all has remained to 
reap the benefit of his years of toil and is now 
richly rewarded by the success which has come 
to him. He has devoted his entire career to 
farming and stock raising, his ranch consist- 
ing of twelve hundred and eightv acres, with 
a handsome residence which is situated in Court 
House Rock precinct, Cheyenne county. 

Mr. McConnell was born in Metal township, 
Franklin county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1853, 
where he grew to manhood. He was the only 
child of his parents, Robert and Nancy ( Dun- 
lap) McConnell, his father dying while he was 
a babe; the mother passed away in 1878 in the 
old Pennsylvania home. In the spring of 1875 
Mr. McConnell left his native state and located 
on the border line of McDonough and Hancock 
counties, Illinois, where he had relatives living. 
For two years he worked at farm labor, then, 
renting land, farmed for himself until 1883. He 
then moved to Hampton, Iowa, where he farmed 
until coming to Nebraska in 1888. Settling in 
Cheyenne county on a pre-emption and tree 
claim on section 20. he later filed on a home- 
stead in the same section, on which he proved 
up in due time and constantly added improve- 
ments as he became able, now having a com- 
plete set of good ranch buildings, with a splen- 
did supply of water the year round. 

Mr. McConnell is engaged in stock raising 
on a large scale, and at the present time has a 
herd of three hundred cattle and one hundred 
horses. He has about one hundred acres under 
cultivation, raising principally corn with some 
small grain 

Our subject was married in Franklin county, 
Iowa, August 18, 1886. to Miss Louise LaMore, 
a daughter of Robert and Lucy f Archalarius) 
LaMore. ]\lrs. McConnell was born and reared 
in Iowa. Her mother is at present living tern- 



826 



COMPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



porarily in California, the father having passed 
away some years ago. Three children were born 
to Mr. and Mrs. McConncll, as follows: Elsie 
May, a teacher of Morrill county ; Robert Earl, 
who will graduate from the Sidney high school 
in 1909, and Cyril D., who is assisting his father 
on the home ranch. 

Mr. McConnell is a man of broad experience 
and splendid business ability. He is well read 
and intelligent, taking a deep interest in all af- 
fairs of the nation and state. He is a firm Re- 
publican and a member of the county committee, 
and has served as treasurer of district Xo. 90. 
He is, with the family, a member of the Pres- 
byterian church, and affiliates with the Modern 
\Voodmen at Sidney. Mrs. McConnell is a mem- 
ber of the Royal Xeighbors. 



PEDER THORSEX. 

Peder Thorsen, a man of good judgment and 
marked business ability, is one of the most 
prominent and successful residents of Sheridan 
county. He was born in Denmark in 1861, and 
raised on his father's farm, remaining with his 
parents until twenty-one years old, being the 
elder of two children, and receiving the solid 
and thorough training which falls to the lot of 
the people of that thrifty country. In 1882 he 
came to America locating in Colorado, and spent 
one year there, and was one year in Omaha, 
after which time he came to Sheridan county 
and settled there. In 1884 he pre-em])ted on 
the ranch where he now lives, his first habita- 
tion being a sod house in which he made his 
home for a number of years. He at once be- 
gan farming and has continued at it ever since, 
buying all the land he owns at from two hundred 
and fifty dnllars per (|uarter up, excepting four 
hundred and eighty acres, and now is the owner 
of an eighleen-hundred-acre ranch, all in one 
body, with twenty-seven hundred acres in an- 
other, all fenced and stocked witli eight hundred 
head of cattle, one hundred horses and about 
one hundred and fifty hogs. In 1893 he erected 
a fine house on his farm, adding a large barn 
in the course of two years, and now has one 
of the best imi)roved places in this locality. 
During the dry years, from 1895 to 1900, Mr. 
Thorsen met with much disappointment and loss. 
Xearly all his crops were ruined and he was 
only able to raise enough grain for seed, con- 
fining his efforts entirely to the cultivation of 
corn and potatoes. 

Mr. Thorsen was married in 1884 to Miss 
Carrie Xelson, who is a native of Denmark, 
coming to .\merica with her parents in 1882 and 
settling on a farm a short distance west of where 



our subject resided. They have no children. 
Mr. Thorsen always keeps abreast of the times 
and lends his influence to the upbuilding of the 
better interests of the community. He is satis- 
fied that Sheridan county is far ahead of any 
place he has ever struck, and is contented to 
spend the balance of his days here. In political 
sentiment he is a Republican. 



JOHN W. WEHX. 

John W. W'ehn, probably one of the best 
known residents of western Xebraska, and one 
who has been a leader in the political and other 
affairs of the region for many years past, is a 
resident of Bridgeport. He is also one of the 
wealthiest men of his county, having extensive 
ranching interests, etc. 

Mr. W'ehn was born in Johnstown, Pennsyl- 
vania, August 24, 1849. He received his early 
education in that city and made it his home up 
to the time of the war, when he enlisted as a pri- 
vate in Company G, One Hundred and Ninety- 
second United States Army Regiment, Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers. He was but little more than 
fifteen years of age when he entered the army, 
serving from February 4, 1865, to the close of 
the war, and was mustered out at Harpers 
Ferry. He returned to his home, remaining 
there up to 1867, and in Xovember of that 
year crossed the Missouri river, landing in Xe- 
braska on Thanksgiving day. He first made 
settlement in Beatrice, and spent several years 
in tlie vicinity, going to Dewitt. Saline county, 
in 1874, where he established The Opposition, 
which was the first Democratic newspaper print- 
ed in Xebraska south of the Platte river. He 
was editor and publisher of that organ for one 
\ear there, then transferred his headquarters to 
Wilber and edited it up to 1889. 

During all of this time Mr. Wehn was inter- 
ested more or less in politics, and in 1894 he 
received the appointment of register of the 
United States land office at Alliance, Xebraska, 
continuing in that office for four years. Since 
then he has been cunncctcd with nearly every 
matter of public importance in the locality. 

Mr. W'ehn is also heavily interested in dif- 
ferent banking concerns, including the Bank of 
Oshkosh, Lewellyn. Bridgeport and Minatare. 
He is a gentleman of superior business ability 
and sound jirihciples, and his standing as a citi- 
zen and pulilic man is unquestioned. Politically 
he is a Democrat. 

Mr. W'ehn is of German descent, his par- 
ents coming from that country in the early years, 
and both are now deceased. He was married in 
Gage county, Nebraska, January 1, 1870, to Miss 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



827 



Mary Elizabeth Kinzie, a native of Wisconsin, 
whose father and mother now reside at DeWitt. 
Five_ children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wehn, 
three of whom are living, namely : Lillian Alay, 
married to B. V. Reeves, living at Torrington, 
Wyoming; John Herbert and James Garland. 



ROBERT R. REDDISH. 

Box Butte county boasts of no more promi- 
nent man or highly respected citizen than the 
gentleman whose name heads this review. For 
many years he has been closely identified with 
the history of this region, has been one of the 
organizers of the schools in his locality, also 
one of the foremost promoters of its welfare. 
He resides on his extensive ranch in section 24, 
township 24, range 50, where he occupies a 
handsome home, and has all the comforts of 
rural life. 

Mr. Reddish was born in Warren county, 
Iowa, in 1862, and was reared on a farm. His 
father, James, was a farmer and stockman, and 
he grew up in his native county, receiving a 
common school education. At the age of nine- 
teen our subject left home and went to Wyoming, 
where he worked on different ranches, rounding 
up cattle, and followed the life of a cowboy for 
about eight years. He was all over the west- 
ern country, through the Platte valley and in 
the vicinity of Sidney, Nebraska. In 1890 he 
returned to Iowa and spent two years in the 
vicinity of his old home, following farming 
there, then gave up his place and started in the 
livery business at Des Aloines, Iowa. He re- 
mained at that place for five years, and was 
very successful in his work, but finally disposed 
of his holdings and again returned to Warren 
county, Iowa, and went to farming, operating 
the place for five years. In 1900 he sold his 
farm and came to Nebraska, purchasing a ranch 
of nineteen hundred and sixty acres, situated 
eleven miles southwest of Alliance, in Cheyenne 
county. He built up and improved the place 
in good shape, engaging exclusively in the stock 
raising business, and at the same time, ran a 
feed store in Alliance. He made a good deal 
of money in that business, and continued it up to 
1906. In 1906 he bought his present ranch, 
moving on it in the summer of 1907, having 
disposed of his former ranch and feed store. 
His residence and other buildings are a credit 
to the community, his ranch consisting of twelve 
hundred acres, nearly all of it devoted to stock 
raising, although he crops a small part of the 
land. He is starting a large number of trees on 
the place and will soon have a fine grove and 
orchard, including apple, plum, pear trees and 



small fruits of every description. His residence 
is a handsome dwelling, surrounded by beautiful 
lawn, and is one of the pleasantest spots to be 
found in the locality, every detail of the place 
presenting a well-kept and neat appearance. 

In 1889 Mr. Reddish was married to Viola 
M. \''ernon, a daughter of Lafayette Vernon, 
who came west from Pennsylvania, settling in 
Kansas, where he went through pioneer experi- 
ences, and built up a good home. Mr. and Mrs. 
Reddish have two children, namely : Ray, aged 
fourteen years, and Beulah, aged ten years. Mr. 
Ray Reddish, although but fourteen years of 
age, is one of the gifted artists of the west; 
can draw anything he sees. Miss Beulah is also 
quite an artist and is learning to play nicelv on 
the piano. 

Our subject is a Democrat. He has never 
given much of his time to politics, having been 
too busy taking care of his home and ranch, al- 
though he stands for good government, and uses 
his influence in electing the best man nominated. 



MRS. M. W. GRANT. 

Mrs. M. W. Grant, one of the well-known 
residents of Brown county, is an old settler 
in Nebraska and a very estimable lady, respected 
by all who know her. 

Mrs. Grant was born in New York State, 
December 25. 1844. Her father, Silas W. Er- 
win, was a farmer of American stock, and her 
mother, Sarah Brinkerhof?, was also of Ameri- 
can descent. Our subject is the eldest of two 
children, was raised in New York state and 
married to C. G. Grant in 1867, also a native 
of New York, whose father was Nelson Grant, 
one of the prominent farmers and business men 
of the county in which he lived. Nelson Grant's 
wife was in maidenhood Philara Mein, of 
American birth. 

In 1876 Charles G. Grant came to Iowa, set- 
tling in Webster county, and farmed it there for 
thirteen years, also being engaged in mining, 
at difterent times following his trade as station- 
ary engineer. In 1870 they moved to Missouri, 
where they remained for one year, and in Sep- 
tember, 1881, came to western Nebraska, travel- 
ing from ?\Iissouri with an ox team and cov- 
ered wagon, driving a small bunch of cattle, 
arriving in Atkinson the day on which the first 
railroad ran into that town, at that time At- 
kinson being the postoffice and trading point of 
this locality. Mr. Grant first located on Nio- 
brara river, later on Bone creek, and then on 
his present farm at Winfield, Brown countv, 
here buying a pre-emption right. His first house 
was a log cabin with a sod roof, and the first 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



year he was only able to raise a little garden 
stuff. All of his time was employed in build- 
ing up his farm and making improvements, and 
in 1900 he died from the effects of a gunshot 
wound received in the Civil war. and was sin- 
cerelv mourned as a kind husband and indulgent 
father. Mr. and Mrs. Grant were the parents 
of five children, two of whom died in infancy, 
and of the remaining three but two are now 
living: Bertha F., born April 25. 1878, now 
married, and Hugh E., born in January, 1882, on 
the Niobrara river, in what is now Rock county. 
Their first child, Gertie E.. born in New York, 
in 1871. died in young womanhood. 

During the war Mr. Grant served in Com- 
pany I, One Hundred and Seventeenth New 
York \'olunteers, and saw service in the Army 
of the Potomac. He received the wound which 
eventually caused his death at Fair Oaks. Vir- 
ginia. 

Mrs. Grant now owns and operates the farm 
of three hundred and twenty acres located on 
Pine creek, in both Brown and Rock counties, 
and the comfortable farm buildings, fine or- 
chards containing all kinds of fruit, and the gen- 
eral air of thrift which prevails over all, bears 
evidence of her good management. For con- 
venience Mrs. Grant has had the clear spring 
water piped through the house which runs from 
the hills near by. 



WILLIAM R. WOOD. 

William R. Wood, treasurer of Cheyenne 
countv. was born in Adams county, Illinois. May 
31, 1861. being the youngest of five children. 
His father and mother were natives of Ireland, 
but came to America in an early day and set- 
tled in Illinois. His father died in 1863. and 
his mother in 1870, in the county where the sub- 
ject of this sketch was born. Mr. Wood has 
one sister still living in .Xdams county. 

In 1882 he turned his steps westward and 
settled for a time in Cass county, Nebraska, but 
in the spring of 1896 he became a permanent 
resident of Chevenne county. He located his 
homestead in the fall of i88.S, choosing the 
southeast f|uarter of section 4, township 16. 
range 41. and added a tree claim several years 
later. He now owns six himdred and forty 
acres of desirable land with very good improve- 
ments. Mr. Wood has been careful and thor- 
ough in the management of his farm and has 
made good in every way. He has one hundred 
acres under cultivation, pastures seventy-five 
head of cattle and a small bunch of horses. The 
subject of this sketch is admittedly one of the 
prominent citizens of Cheyenne county. Al- 



though a Democrat in politics he has been hon- 
ored by election to several important positions, 
and this is evidence of his popularity when it 
is known that the county is strongly Republi- 
can. 

Mr. Wood has been active in all matters per- 
taining to the welfare of his state and county 
and his intelligent interest in local affairs has 
been thoroughly appreciated by his friends and 
neighbors. He held the office of county com- 
missioner from 1896 to 1902 and the finances of 
Cheyenne county were materially advanced un- 
der his administration. He has also held the 
office of precinct assessor for several terms. In 
the fall of 1907 Mr. Wood was elected treasurer 
of Cheyenne county and commenced his duties 
January 1. 1908. Fraternally he is affiliated with 
the Knights of Pythias and the ^Modern Wood- 
men of America. 



MATTHIAS THEIN. 

Matthias Thein, one of the foremost public- 
spirited and worthy citizens of Dawes county, is 
a native of Germany, where he was born at 
Luxemburg in 1859, a son of John Thein, a 
wealthy farmer and distiller. Our subject's 
father came to America at the age of twenty-one 
years, and was a member of the second party 
who crossed the ])lains to California in the gold 
rush of 1849. Here he made a fortune, return- 
ing later to Germany, where he invested in a 
large farm and distillery. Our subject's mother 
was also a native of Germany. 

Until the age of twenty years. Matthias lived 
with his father, assisting him in farming while 
attending the common schools. In 1879 he came 
to America, landed in New York city, and went 
west into Iowa, where he followed the occupa- 
tion of farming. After spending six years there. 
Mr. Thein visited his home in Germany, and 
uiion his return to .America again went to Iowa. 
For many years he followed railroading, hand- 
ling groups of men on construction work for 
twelve vcars. He has been associated with the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad Com- 
pany, assisting with the construction of this line 
north of .-Mliance. 

Mr. Thein is the owner of a fine ranch of 
six hundred acres, which is fenced, and which 
is located in section 14. township 30. range 51. 
There arc one hundred and thirty acres of culti- 
vated land. He has erected some of the finest 
buildings to be found on any farm in Nebraska. 
His residence, a building which cost him fifteen 
hundred dollars, is a modern up-to-date dwell- 
ing, water-piped throughout, containing a bath 
room, and manv of the conveniences of the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



829 



modern city residence. He has a water reservoir 
with a capacity of one hundred and eighty 
barrels. 

In 1891 the Subject of this sketch was mar- 
ried to Jacobina Van Treeck, of Wisconsin. Her 
parents were farmers, natives of Germany. To 
this union was born one child, William, who 
first saw the light of day in 1892. 

Mr. Thein has traveled extensively through- 
out the southern and middle states, the Black 
Hills of Wyoming, and through the British pos- 
sessions. In political matters he has always been 
affiliated with the Republican party. His upright 
and honorable career has brought him the suc- 
cess which is due his honest efforts, and should 
be an encouragement to the young men of the 
present generation, as in it they can see what 
thrift and industry, honesty and integrity can 
alwavs accomplish. A progressive and wide- 
awake German citizen. Mr. Thein can well be 
proud of the reputation he has made in the 
surrounding community. 



C. J. JOHNSON. 



C. J. Johnson, of Newark township. 
Kearney county, Nebraska, has gathered about 
him an extensive estate by his diligence and 
good management, S|Upplemented by honesfi 
dealings. He is a man of untiring energy, in- 
telligence and good judgment, and well merits 
his high standing as an agriculturist and citi- 
zen. 

Mr. Johnson is a native of this state, born 
in 1877. His father, B. A. Johnson, came to 
Nebraska in 1877, settling in this county, tak- 
ing up a homestead in section 20, township 8, 
range 14, engaging in farming, and from the 
first was very successful, gradually adding 
more land to his first farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres until he was proprietor of about 
seven hundred acres. He died in 1899. aged 
sixty-three years, and his sons still own the 
farm to which they have added adjoining 
lands, their place in all containing twenty- 
two hundred acres which is owned by the six 
children — three brothers and three sisters. 
They attend strictly to the working of their 
ranch, and have a very valuable estate. Their 
father and mother came to America from 
Sweden in 1877, and with the customary in- 
dustry of that nationality they labored hard 
and faithfully to build up their home and gain 
a competency, proving most worthy citizens 
and gaining the respect and esteem of all by 
their honesty and good citizenship. The 
brothers and sisters are extremely careful and 
industrious about all their affairs, and our sub- 



ject, who is administrator of the estate of his 
father, is slow to act and thoughtful, weighing 
all matters of importance well before deciding 
a point, but after investigation he acts with 
decision and promptness. The father and 
mother of Mr. Johnson began on this farm 
in a very small way, and by great industry 
and frugality amassed a large fortune in this 
Platte river valley land, leaving a comfortable 
estate to each of their children, all of whom 
are highly esteemed. Whatever they aim to 
do each day on the ranch or elsewhere, they 
accomplish ere night falls, letting no objection 
or allurement turn them from the work or 
course marked out, and it is such young men 
and women as these who will contribute their 
share to making Nebraska a great and rich 
state. Mr. Johnson has' six hundred acres of 
fine pasture, and farms eight hundred acres, 
all operated by himself and brothers, Frank 
J. and Oscar J., the three working together in 
perfect harmony. They handle from two to 
three hundred cattle and two hundred hogs 
each year. Each year they raise about twen- 
ty-five thousand bushels of grain. They rent 
out a part of their land also. The three sis- 
ters, Alma, Ada and Huldah, live on the ranch, 
and all of the children were born on their pres- 
ent homestead. They are members of the Lu- 
theran church. 



W^ILLIAM J. ALLEN. 

One of the leading old settlers of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, who has aided materially 
in the development and growth of this section, 
is the gentleman whose name heads this 
review. He has experienced all the hard 
times that fell to the lot of the pioneers in Ne- 
braska and later through the dry years suf- 
fered much loss and deprivation, and is glad 
that the time has come when these things 
are changed and the people of this section 
can live in peace and plenty and enjoy the 
fruits of their hard labors. 

Mr. Allen was born in Green county, Ken- 
tucky, in 1842. He was reared and educated on 
his grandfather's farm there and in 1859 moved 
with his parents to Illinois. His father. Alex- 
ander Allen, and his mother, who was Mary 
Barrett before her marriage, were both na- 
tives of Kentucky, living on the farm belonging 
to the former's father until their family of 
eight children were reared. Our subject was the 
eldest, and at the age of twenty he enlisted in 
the One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Regi- 
ment, Second Division, \\'est Brigade, and 
served his countrv in the great struggle for 



830 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



freedom for three years. At the close of the 
war the family came west, locating in John- 
son county. Nebraska, where our subject fol- 
lowed farming and freighting for a time, later 
being employed in railroad service. During the 
first years they were here his father was unable 
to raise anything, so our subject did not think 
the country was worth homesteading. He quit 
farming and followed freighting for four years, 
and then moved to Nebraska City and remained 
there up to 1886. when he settled in Spring- 
view, but only lived there about a year and 
then came to Cherry county, taking a homestead 
in section 24. township 34. range 26. and at 
once began improving the place, putting up a 
dwelling and outbuildings, fences, etc., and be- 
gan to break the land. He still owns this place, 
and he has added adjoining land until he is 
now proprietor of four hundred acres of graz- 
ing and hay laud, with about fortv acres of 
bottom land, which is given to the plow. He 
keeps about a dozen horses, one hundred and 
thirty head of cattle, and half as many hogs, do- 
ing well in all these branches of stock rais- 
ing. 

Mr. Allen was married in 1871 to Miss Jane 
Swoggar. a native of Ohio, of English stock. 
They have a family of five children, named as 
follows : William A., Gertrude, Maude. Rich- 
ard and Edwin, all born in Nebraska, and now 
living in the vicinity of their parents' home. 

Mr. Allen is an Independent in politics, but 
cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, when 
he was a candidate for president for a sec- 
ond term. 



C. \y. HORNE. 



As one of the early settlers in Nebraska, and 
a man who has been closely identified with the 
development and growth of the state, watching 
it« progress for many years, the above named 
gentleman occupies a foremost place. 

Mr. Hornc was born in Rochester. New 
Hampshire, in 1849, and was a son of Luther 
P. and .•\bbie Downing Home. The families 
of both the Homes and Downings were among 
the pioneer settlers in New England. Our sub- 
ject was reared and educated in Rollinsford. 
New Hampshire, and attended the academy at 
the town of South Rerwick. Maine. In 1874 
he came to Maxwell, Nebraska, in the service of 
the L'nion Pacific railway as operator at the 
station in that city. In 1876 he became agent 
at Rrady, and remained in that position 
for five years, then returned to Maxwell 
ami was appointed agent at that place, and 
has remained there ever since. During the 



time he has been here the business of the road 
has increased phenomenally, and the work grown 
much heavier, but he is a man of ability, and 
faithful in the performance of his duty, always 
looking after the interests of the companv and 
advancing its affairs in every way possible. 

Mr. Home is interested in farming land in 
this locality, and is proprietor of a large ranch 
one and a half miles from Maxwell, the place 
comprising seven hundred and sixty acres, 
mostly of valley and hill land. For twelve years, 
from 1876 to 1888, he held the office of post- 
master, five years at Rrady and seven years at 
^laxwell, and was a popular and efficient official. 
He also held the position of treasurer for the 
Maxwell school for four terms. He has the 
distinction of being the second oldest man in 
the telegraph service of the Union Pacific rail- 
road. 

In 1877 Mr. Home was married to Miss 
Clara Irene Smith, of Albany, New York. Two 
children resulted from this union, namely: 
Arthur ^^^ and Erma S.. both of whom are 
living. 



JERRY H. HULSEMANN. 

Jerry H, Hulsemann, a prominent ranchman 
and farmer of section 10, township 30, range 
50, Dawes county, where his genial counten- 
ance and friendly spirit have made him hosts of 
well-wishers, which his manly character and 
genuine worth have long retained, was bom on 
a farm in ( )l(lenberg, Germany, in 1860. He 
was a son of Henry Hulsemann. a farmer, and 
Lizzie (Kuck) Hulsemann. 

The boyhood days of our subject were spent 
in his native land, where he assisted his father 
in the cultivation of their land, ^^■hen he had 
reached the age of twenty-three years he de- 
cided to seek his fortune in the new world, and 
landed in New York city, in 1883, came west to 
Floyd county, Iowa. Here he remained until 
1885. It was in the month of May of the 
same year that he came to Valentine, Ne- 
braska. He had no team, but walked to Dawes 
county, looked over the land there, filed a claim 
and walked back to \'alentine. During the 
summer months he employed his time at rail- 
road construction work, anfl in the fall went 
hack til his farm in Dawes county. Here he 
built a log cabin, commenced the work of im- 
proving and developing his farm, and lived the 
life of a bachelor for seven years. The first two 
vears here he had no team, but later invested 
in a team of oxen. He experienced the many 
hardships so familiar to the frontiersmen of this 
western country, but during the period of drouths 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



8^.1 



he was fortunate in not experiencing a complete 
failure of crops. He worked hard, was eco- 
nomical and saved his money, and now has a 
ranch of ten hundred and thirteen acres of well 
appointed land, one hundred thirty acres of 
which are under cultivation. He has five hun- 
dred acres more which can be plowed but which 
is now used as hay land. Upon .his fann he 
has erected a substantial home, good barns and 
a granary, two wells and windmills. 

In 1892 Mr. Hulsemann was married to j\Iiss 
Mary Sephas, who was born in Nebraska. Her 
father, Godfrey Sephas, was a farmer and a na- 
tive of Germany. Her mother was Dora 
(Lang) Sephas. Henry, Edward, George, 
Dora, Minnie, Frederick and Anna are the 
seven children who came to bless this union. 

As an old settler, Mr. Hulsemann has done 
his share toward the development of Dawes 
county. He has always been prominently iden- 
tified locally, taking an active interest in the 
aflfairs of the surrounding community. He has 
assisted materially in the building of schools, 
and for many years has held various school 
offices. It matters not how many years this 
sketch of his life may be read, it will stand as 
an excellent example for any youth, showing 
as it does how a poor boy battled against ad- 
versity and finally won. Whether one meets Mr. 
Hulsemann in public circles, in business relations, 
or at his home fireside, he is the same genial, 
plain, intelligent, companionable man, who loves 
his home and appreciates its hallowed sur- 
roundings. 



AL. JOHNSON. 



Al. Johnson, one of the earlv settlers of 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, and a successful 
and highly esteemed farmer and ranchman of 
that locality, resides on section 30, township 16, 
range 46, where he owns a section of good land. 
He is a man of wide experience, and well merits 
the success which has attended him in his dif- 
ferent enterprises. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Lake countv, Indi- 
ana, June 30, 1858. \\'hen he was about nine 
years of age his parents moved to Chicago and 
there he was raised and educated, and he re- 
members distinctly the terrible fire which swept 
that city in 1871. Mr. Johnson lived in Chi- 
cago until he was twenty-four years of age, then 
came to Nebraska, travelling as an emigrant in 
a "prairie schooner," the familiar mode of con- 
veyance in those days. He arrived in Chey- 
enne county on April 23, 1884, and immediately 
pre-empted a claim and later homesteaded, also 
took a tree claim, all on the North river, and 



proved up on the land and afterwards sold it. 
He then located on his present ranch, in section 
30, township 16, range 46, situated about twelve 
miles north of Lodgepole. Here he has a splen- 
did ranch and runs a large bunch of cattle and 
some horses, also farms a small portion of his 
land, raising grains. He has a well-improved 
place, with good buildings, fences, wells, etc., 
and is one of the leading old-timers of Chey- 
enne county, although since coming here he has 
spent about nine years traveling through the 
western states, inchiding Colorado, South Da- 
koea, Idaho, Wyoming and into New Mexico, 
returning for permanent settlement in 1903. 

Mr. Johnson was married in Cheyenne 
county, in 1889, to Miss Emma P. Johnson, and 
to them have been born three children, Frank, 
May and Ray, all attending school at present. 
The fathers of both Air. and Mrs. Johnson are 
dead, both mothers still living. 



JOHN HENDERSON. 

John Henderson, who holds a foremost place 
among the pioneer settlers of Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, has built up a fine estate in Loss Creek 
precinct. He has since his early residence in 
this region done his fiill share in the upbuilding 
of his locality and has become one of the lead- 
ing and substantial citizens of his community 
and enjoys the esteem and respect of all with 
whom he has had to do. 

Mr. Henderson was born in St. Clair county, 
Michigan, on the third day of September, 1846, 
and made that his home up to 1859, when he re- 
moved to Ottawa county, Ohio. In August, 
1862, he enlisted in Company G, One Hundredth 
Volunteer Infantry, Ohio \'olunteers, and was 
in the Georgia and Atlanta campaigns, and was 
with Thomas during his entire campaign at 
Nashville. He was also in the battles of Frank- 
lin and Nashville, and saw much active service 
during his career as a soldier. H*e was mustered 
out at Greensboro, North Carolina, and received 
his discharge at Cleveland, and returned to Ohio, 
remaining there for several years. In the 
spring of 1888 he came to Nebraska, homestead- 
ing on section 8, township 17, range 43, and 
proved up on the land, there going through all 
the hardships and privations of the early set- 
tlers in the region. 

Air. Henderson is now located on section 23, 
township 17, range 44, where he has a well- 
improved farm, having every convenience in the 
way of substantial buildings, fences, well and 
windmill. He engages in mixed farming and 
stock raising, and has been successful in de- 
veloping a good home. 



832 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.-\PHY 



On February 22. 1872. our subject married 
Elva \'. Lattimore. in Ottawa county, Ohio, 
and they had a family of five children, IMrs. 
Henderson dying on April 10, 1905. Their 
children were named as follows: Oscar T., 
James W'.. Alta. \\'illiam and Blaine. Os- 
car T. is married, also Alta, who is the wife 
of John Reed, they living in Oshkosh. 

In political views Mr. Henderson is a Re- 
publican, and is active in local affairs. He 
was the first assessor in the precinct after 
Deuel countv was organized. 



WILLIAM H. JONES. 

William H. Jones, a progressive and enter- 
prising business man of Dunning, is one of 
the old settlers of Blaine county. He has 
spent the past fifteen years in that vicinity 
and. is now classed among the substantial men 
of the town and has taken an active part in 
its career as a thriving commercial center. He 
is proprietor of the Burlington Hotel, a fine es- 
tablishment which he built in 1908, after the 
old Burlington burned, having previously run 
the old Burlington Hotel which was destroyed 
by fire on December 26, 1907. the same year it 
was built. Mr. Jones also, in connection with 
his hotel business, runs a livery business. 

Mr. Jones was born in Sheridan. Lucas 
county. Iowa, in 1859. He is a son of Walter 
Jones and Mary (Kinney) Jones, of old Ameri- 
can stock. His father was an engineer by pro- 
fession, who came to Kansas in 1868, where 
he was a pioneer in a colony of nine families. 
There they started to establish homes, and 
during an Indian uprising all were massacred 
by the redskins excepting himself and one 
other person, and he then came to Lincoln, 
Nebraska. Our subject was raised on the 
frontier among the Indians, where his father 
had a farm, and his boyhood was spent in 
farm wr.rk. receiving a very limited schooling 
through attending the country scliools. In 
1889 lie left home and went to the vicinity of 
Omaha, where he lived a frontiersman's life, 
hunting and fishing for a living. He finally 
came to Blaine county about 1896 and started 
ranching, living about six miles from Dun- 
ning, starting without any capital practically 
and again fished and hunted for a living must 
of the time, and during the hard times periods 
in the vicinity he traveled all over the country 
in search of game to supply the market in 
Dunning and other small towns. He even 
went into .'^outh Dakota in his travels for wild 
game, and managed to make a fair incmne 
from this occupation. He witnessed all the 



pioneer times and incidentally has been an 
important factor in the development of this 
section. 

He established himself in the hotel busi- 
ness in Dunning in 1905, first buying the Dun- 
ning Hotel, which he carried cmt for several 
years, then sold out and started the Burling- 
ton Hotel, which is a favorite hostelry for 
many commercial travellers through this part 
of Nebraska. He is a gentleman of pleasing 
personality, and makes a popular host, and his 
hotel is one of the best equipped in these parts, 
commending itself to all in search of first- 
class accommodations. 

In 1882 Mr. Jones married Mary E. Gol- 
lands. of English parentage, and of their union 
the following children resulted: Maud, Al- 
bert, May arid Myrtle, a bright and inter- 
esting group, and of which their parents are 
justly proud. 



JOHN BRADY. 



John Brady, owner of the Meadow Lawn 
Stock Farm, of Platte township, Buflfalo 
county. Nebraska, is an active and progressive 
farmer and stock dealer of his section. Here 
he has built up a good home and farm, is 
one of the prosperous men of the locality and 
has gained the esteem and respect of his as- 
sociates through his integrity and worthy citi- 
zenship. 

Mr. Brady is a native of Wisconsin, and 
a son of John Brady, who came to Wisconsin 
in the pioneer days of that state from Detroit, 
Michigan, and he had the distinction and 
honor to have served in both the Mexican and 
Civil wars. Our subject was raised in Wis- 
consin and Minnesota, in the latter state hav- 
ing served in Fillmore county as county super- 
intendent of schools, and devoting some years 
to teaching. In 1886 he came to Nebraska, 
and in 1890 established his present ranch and 
farm, located in Platte township. Here he 
owns seven hundred and seventy-five acres of 
the best valley land on the island, five miles 
northwest of Lowell, on the Burlington & Mis- 
souri railway, and about ten miles southwest of 
Gibbon, on the I'nion Pacific railway. Here 
he keeps over a hundred thoroughbred 
Shorthorn cattle, which are pronounced as 
good as any herd that can be found in the 
state. This herd is headed by Barons Glos- 
ter, a pure Scotch bull, and many of the herd 
are pure Scotcli. Mr. Brady came to Kearney, 
Nebraska, in 1886, and for several years owned 
and operated the oatmeal mills there. His 
brother, Phil Brady, was mayor of Kearney, 




i:i.si iii:.\(i-; or alkicut I'ike. 
Seven Milc/s West of \'aleiuiiie, XebrasUa. 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN ANDERSON, 
Cheyenne County. Noliraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



833 



and is now residing at Seattle, Washington. 
Mr. Brady is a man of superior education, in- 
telligent and active, giving both brains and 
energy to whatever he undertakes, and his 
success is evidence of his good judgment and 
ability. His ranch is improved with good 
farm buildings, and he has erected a hand- 
some residence, and one of the valuable es- 
tates in his township. Mr. Brady is a Re- 
publican in politics, served in the legislature 
in 1895 and is at present chairman of the Re- 
publican county central committee, and takes 
an active part in the political affairs of the 
state. 

Mr. Brady was married the second time, 
in 1908, to Miss H. E. Jones. She was a 
teacher in the Kearney public schools for 
twenty-six years and was very successful in 
her profession. From a former marriage Mr. 
Brady has one son. John H., who is now a 
resident of Seattle, Washington. 



ALBERT PIKE. 

Albert Pike, whose place among the bright 
and energetic young farmers of Cherry county, 
Nebraska, is assured beyond question, owns a 
quarter section of land in section 25, town- 
ship 34, range 29, and by hard work, wise 
management and an unwearied industry is ac- 
cumulating a full share of the comforts and 
rewards that attend the simple, honest and 
industrious man. 

Joseph W. Pike, the father of Albert, was 
born in Columbiana county, Ohio, lived many 
years in Whitley county, Indiana, ' and moved 
to Page county, Iowa, in 1856. Residing in 
western Iowa until 1883, he came to \'alentine 
early in that year and secured land from the 
government on homestead, pre-emption and 
tree claims, having his family follow in 1885. 
His wife. Lacy North, came of German line- 
age, and was the mother of a family of seven 
children, of whom Albert, the subject of this 
writing, was the youngest. 

Albert Pike is a native of Page county, 
Iowa, where he was born September 20, 1872. 
and resided in Plymouth county from 1876 
until the family moved to Nebraska, where 
they settled in the town of Sloan, in Cherry 
county. Here he attended the local schools 
of that community and so received a fairly 
good start in an educational way. In 1890 
he returned to Plymouth county, settling 
about twelve miles from Sioux City, and in the 
fall of 1895, he, in company with his brother, 
Edward, bought a store in that city, which they 
operated until the spring of 1897. 



In 1898 Mr. Pike started in life for himself, 
and then bought the farm on which he makes 
his home at the present time. To carry out 
his contract and meet his payments called for 
industry and economy in a high degree, but 
careful management and hard work brought him 
great success. 

He was married in 1906 to Miss A. Gaskill, 
whose father, Jesse B. Gaskill, was an old set- 
tler in Sheridan county, not far from Hay 
Springs. Her mother was ]\Iaggie Hurley, and 
both father and mother belong to old German 
families. Mr. and Mrs. Pike have had one 
child, a daughter, Alberta Idel, born July 1, 
1907. Mr. Pike is a member of the Crookston 
Lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America. A 
picture of Mr. Pike's residence will be found 
on another page of this volume. 



JOHN ANDERSON. 

For over thirty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal history has been 
closely associated with the agricultural interests 
of Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He is recog- 
nized as one of the representative citizens and 
is prominently known throughout the western 
part of the state as a man of sterling qualities 
by all who know him intimately, and a man 
also of the strictest integrity of word and 
deed. He passed through all the pioneer ex- 
periences, and succeeded in accumulating a com- 
petence, now owning a valuable estate, and 
gained an enviable reputation as a good busi- 
ness man of superior intelligence. 

Our subject was born in the village of Wiles- 
tofte, Denmark. January 5. 1846, and grew up 
there, living with his parents, Hans and Jo- 
hanna (Polsen) Anderson, until he was a youth 
of twenty years, when he went to the town of 
Odense, and was employed as coachman most 
of the time until emigrating to America, 
February 26, 1872. He sailed from Copen- 
hagen to a town in Scotland, proceeding thence 
bv rail to Glasgow, where he was transferred 
by a small vessel to the ocean steamer at Lon- 
donderry, Ireland, sailing thence to Portland, 
Maine, where he landed in the latter part of 
March. He went direct to Grand Island, Ne- 
braska, where he found work during the ensuing 
six months, and for the year following was em- 
ployed on the Union Pacific railroad at North 
Platte. In the fall of 1873 he removed to 
Brownson, Cheyenne county, where for twenty 
years he was foreman on that section of the rail- 
road. He went through pioneer experience and 
helped to develop that region, and has since that 



S34 



COMPEXDIL'M OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



time taken part in the making of history of this 
state. 

Mr. Anderson filed on his present homestead 
in section 9. township 14, range 51, while em- 
ployed by the railroad. He added to his prop- 
erty, and now owns in all six hundred and 
forty acres. His residence is directly on the 
banks of the Lodgepole creek, where he has 
erected fine farm buildings. A dam at the home 
site supplies water for irrigating, and power to 
run a water mill which grinds all the feed used 
on the ranch and farm. He has two hundred 
acres irrigated, and some two hundred head of 
well-bred Hereford cattle and seventy horses 
on the place. The stone barn with high stone 
corrals furnish unusually warm and safe shelter 
for the stock. W'c present on another page a 
view of the home site with its picturesque sur- 
roundings. The creek above the dam furnishes 
excellent boating of which he has availed him- 
self, having a light skiff moored at the dam. He 
farms about eighty acres, having the remainder 
of the land in hay or pasture. 

Mr. Anderson was married June 19, 1R72, 
at Grand Island, Nebraska, to Miss Mary Johan- 
sen, born and reared in Denmark, a daughter of 
Sonick and Anna K. (Hansen) Johansen. 
Seven children were born of this union, namely : 
Hannah Marie (now deceased), Charles, living 
near the old home, and of whom a sketch ap- 
pears on another page; Susanna (also de- 
ceased), William P., Hilma M., now Mrs. L. 
Sherman, of Colorado : Grant and Edward, the 
latter still under the parental roof. Mr. Ander- 
son's son. Grant, resides on a homestead in 
section 28, township 14, range 51, situated two 
miles southwest of his father's farm. 

Our subject is activelv awake to the inter- 
ests of his community, and aids materially in its 
advancement along social and political lines. He 
votes independently, not being bound by party 
ties. He was reared in the Lutheran church. 
Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order 
at Sidnev. 



WILLIAM D. CL.\RK.SOX. 

William D. Clarkson. a prosperous citizen 
and business man of \'alentine, Nebraska, re- 
sides on a farm situated on the Minnechaduza 
creek, near the town. Mr. Clarkson was horn 
in Clay county. Illinois. fJctober 13, 1859. His 
father, J. M- Clarkson. was a farmer of Penn- 
sylvania-Dutch origin, born in Ohio, and was 
an early settler in Cherry county. His death 
occurred here in 1904. Our subject's mother 
was Miss Mary H. P.rainerd, of Yankee stock. 
AVhcn he was seventeen vears of age he moverl 



to western Kansas with his parents where they 
were pioneers in Lyon county, and remained for 
eleven years. In 1885 the family again went 
through pioneer experience in this county, and 
our subject took up a pre-emption and tree claim 
located twenty miles northeast of Valentine, and 
put up a sod shanty in which he made his home 
for a time. He proved up on this land and then 
moved to Hay flats, fifteen miles south of Val- 
entine, and there lived on several different 
places, occupying a sod house for two months 
while he erected a frame house which he put up 
on his homestead. 

After starting there Mr. Clarkson went 
through many hard times, "batching it" for some 
time, and besides attending to his own inter- 
ests was obliged to look after his parents. He 
hauled wood twenty miles to Fort Niobrara to 
get money for their living expenses, driving a 
team of two horses and two oxen. The trip 
took several days, and the nights were spent 
camped out under his wagon. He then went 
through the drouth seasons, losing his entire 
crop by hail, but stuck to his homestead through 
everything until he had proved up on it. He 
came to Valentine in 1898 and clerked in a 
grocery store, his family moving to the town in 
the fall of the following year. He also did 
contract work at Fort Niobrara for a time, and 
came to his present place in 1901, establishing 
himself in the ice business, and now controls 
the entire industry in Valentine. During the 
years 1887 to 1894 he ran a threshing machine 
all over this part of Oierry county, but dur- 
ing the dry years there was nothing to thresh, 
so was compelled to abandon the work. 

March 28. 1888, our subject married Miss 
Georgia Presho. a native of New York, of 
Nebraska in 1880, and he was one of the men 
who helped build Fort Niobrara. Five children 
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson. 
nained as follows: Charles, \''ivian. Flora, 
Grace and Irene. 



K. P.. EKW.XWL. 

K. P>. Ekwawl, residing in section 28, town- 
ship 14, range 45. Deuel count v. Nebraska, was 
born in Sweden, Januarv 17, 1858. He was the 
third child in a family of eight, and was the 
only one to leave their native land. His par- 
ents are now both dead. 

Mr. Ekwawl came to America in 1874. land- 
ing in August of that year, and located at 
Galesburg, Illinois, remaining for several years, 
then came to Kearney county. Nebraska, .\fter 
spending a short time there he returned to Illi- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



83s 



nois, and made that state his home up to 1885, 
coming to Deuel county and taking a home- 
stead on section 28, township 14, range 45, in 
October of that year. He started to improve 
the place and proved up on it in due time, pass- 
ing through all the pioneer experiences, gradu- 
ally being able to add to his original tract until 
he is now owner of four hundred and eighty 
acres. He has about one hundred acres culti- 
vated, and has a fine bunch of cattle and horses. 
His ranch is improved with good buildings, 
fences, etc.. and is one of the valuable estates 
in the region. 

Mr. Ekwawl was married March 26, 1890, 
to Miss Anna Chingren, who is a native of Henry 
county, Illinois. They have no children. Mrs. 
Ekwawl's mother makes her home with her 
daughter on the ranch. 

Our subject is moderator of school district 
No. 15, which was organized in the spring of 
1886, and was one of the first in the region. In 
political sentiment Mr. Ekwawl is a Democrat, 
and takes a commendable interest in local and 
county affairs. 



CHARLES N. XORTNASS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the foremost citizens of 
township 32, range 54, where, on section 10. 
he has developed a fine farm and enjoys a com- 
fortable and pleasant home, surrounded by many 
warm friends and congenial neighbors. He has 
been a resident of Sioux county for the past 
twelve years, and although he has had a strug- 
gle to get along at times, has always stuck to 
his original plan of carving out for himself a 
name and fortune for his later years, and has 
succeeded in this determination in spite of many 
discouragements and failures. 

Mr. Nortnass was born on a farm in Dane 
county, Wisconsin, sixteen miles southeast of 
Madison, February 14, 1858. His father, Nels 
P. Nortnass. was a native of Norway, as was 
his mother, whose maiden name was Annie 
Peterson. During his boyhood the family 
moved to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and re- 
mained in that vicinity for several years, and 
when Charles was eleven years old his par- 
ents made a trip back to Norway, returning to 
this country in 1869. They then settled in 
Hamilton county, Iowa, where they remained 
up to 1896, and our subject was married there 
on May 29. 1884, to Nellie Nelson, she having 
been born in Norway and came to America when 
she was a young girl of twenty-three, locating 
in Hamilton county, Iowa. The young couple 
went to housekeeping on a farm in that locality. 



and lived there up to 1896, when they came to 
Sioux county, where Mr. Nortnass filed on a 
homestead, and after he had become settled in 
his new home had just seventeen dollars left 
to carry on the place with. His first dwelling 
was a sod house, and they lived in it for many 
years. During the 'first few seasons his crops 
were very small and he was unable to make a 
living off the farm, so was obliged to cut wood 
for his neighbors in order to keep his family 
from want. 

Mr. Nortnass soon grew able to improve his 
farm in good shape, and add to his original 
homestead, now owning four hundred acres 
which is beautifully situated on Pine Ridge, 
covered with many trees furnishing fuel and 
timber, and he farms a large portion of the place 
and raises good crops of small grains, besides 
using part of it as a stock ranth. He has im- 
proved it fully, all of which has been accom- 
plished by his own individual effort, at various 
times meeting with bitter disappointments in the 
loss of crops, etc. He had just gotten nicely 
started in 1901, when he had the ill luck to 
have his barn and contents destroyed by fire, this 
disaster occurring on Christmas eve, the loss 
including fifteen tons of hay, fifty bushels of 
corn and other property, harness and many 
small articles so necessary to the equipment of 
an up-to-date farm and ranch. 

To our subject and his good wife have been 
born twelve children, named as follows : Sena, 
Alexander, Henry, Adolph, Nels, Bennie, Nellie, 
Annie, Carrie, Allie and Carl, the latter being 
named after his deceased brother Carl. Four of 
the children were born in Sioux county, Ne- 
braska, and eight were born in Iowa. 



JA^IES EDWARD BARKER. 

James Edward Barker, a farmer of ability 
and progressiveness, resides in Brinkerhoff pre- 
cinct. Rock county, where he has a fine home 
and farm, and may truly be classed among the 
self-made men of that locality. 

Mr. Barker was born in New York state 
in 1851, and is a son of Nathaniel C, Barker, 
of English stock, following the trade of a me- 
chanic. WHien our subject was twenty-one years 
old he started out for himself, teaching school 
for several years, then went to farming. The 
family had moved to Ford county, Illinois, in 
1865, and after remaining there up to 1884, 
Tames came to Rock county and settled on a 
homestead on section 8. township 31, range 20. 
He afterwards commuted this, and moved to 
Long Pine, where he engaged in the stock busi- 
ness and lived there for eight years, and for 



836 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the six succeeding years was in Bassett. In 1901 
he took up a homestead under the Kincaid act, 
and has since resided on this ranch, the place 
consisting of seven hundred and twenty acres 
of good farm and hay land. Here he keeps one 
hundred head of cattle, and has broken up one 
hundred and twenty acres which he farms with 
good success, using the balance for pasture 
land. He has planted about seven acres of fine 
trees on his farm and has one of the pleasant- 
est and best improved pieces of property in his 
locality. He has made all this through his own 
efforts, and has gone through many hardships 
and privations in building up his home. For 
some years the family lived in a log house, and 
the first year after getting a few acres broken 
for crops he lost his only team. He saw all 
the different phases of a pioneer's experience, 
and deeply appreciates the comfortable home 
and farm which he has won through so much 
hard labor. 

Mr. Barker was married in Ford county, 
Illinois, November 2, 1878, to Miss Mary A. 
Donovan, of Irish stock, daughter of one of the 
earlv settlers in Rock county, who is now de- 
ceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Barker six children 
have been born, namely: ^'irgil E., Maude M., 
Freeman C, Eva L. (deceased), and C, and 
also an infant who died unnamed. 

Mr. Barker is a gentleman of public spirit, 
and although he has never taken a very active 
part in politics, lends his aid to the better- 
ment of conditions in his community wherever 
needed. He is a strong Socialist, believing en- 
tirely in the princijilcs of that jiarty. 



FRED OILMAN. 



The gentleman above named is a prominent 
citizen of Redington and for many years has 
been engaged in the mercantile business, farm- 
ing and ranching in Cheyenne county. He has 
passed through all the early Nebraska times and 
has been instrumental in a large measure in 
the success that has come to this region. 

Fred Gilman was born in Grant county, 
Wisconsin, March 26, 1874, and a part of his 
boyhood was spent there, coming to Redington. 
Nebraska, with his parents, tw^o brothers and 
two sisters, locating on a school section pur- 
chased by the father in Cheyenne county. Both 
parents are now living at Redington. The father 
was a native of \'ermont, while the mother was 
born in Illinois. C)ur subject took a homestead 
on section 18. township 19. range 52. and dur- 
ing the early times in Cheyenne county estab- 
lished a general merchandise business. He has 
continued in this almost constantlv, and has been 



most successful, building up a good trade and 
becoming one of the solid and substantial mer- 
chants of his town. Mr. Gilman owns con- 
siderable propertv in Redington. 

On March 26, 1900, Mr. Gilman married 
Estelle Trowbridge at Redington. Mrs. Gil- 
man was born in Colfax county, Nebraska, and 
her father is now residing in Banner county, 
but the mother is dead. Mr. and Mrs. Gilman 
have two children, Oscar and Ralph, now at- 
tending school. Our subject has two brothers, 
Sherman, married, living at Redington, and 
Richard, also married, living at Bridgeport, both 
having one child. One sister, Nina, wife of T. 
C. Wilcox, lives in Redington, and another, 
Ida, wife of F. D. Hayes, lives at Colorado 
Springs, Colorado. 

Mr. Gilman takes an active interest in all 
local affairs, at present serving as moderator of 
school district No. 11, and is also postmaster of 
Redington. 



SAMUEL HESSELGESSER. 

Samuel Hesselgesser, deceased, was for 
many years intimately connected with the activi- 
ties of Loup county, Nebraska, and his well- 
spent life won him high regard. At his death 
the community lost one of her best citizens. He 
was born on a farm in Pennsylvania, in 1853, 
and died at his Loup countv home in Novem- 
ber, 1905. 

Samuel Hesselgesser's parents were Robert 
and Jane (Hazelet) Hesselgesser, the father 
being of German descent. The family were re- 
liable farmers of Pennsylvania and our subject 
acquired the good habits of thrift and earnest- 
ness of ]iurpose that are inculcated by life on 
a farm. 

The marriage of Mr. Hesselgesser occurred 
in 1874, when ^liss Mary .A. Watson became his 
helpmeet. The bride was a native of Pennsyl- 
vania and was a daughter of Thomas and Mary 
-A. (Galbriath) Watson, the father being of 
Irish descent and the mother of Scotch ancestry. 
.Mr. and Mrs. Hesselgesser had seven children, 
all hoys: Milton. Homer (deceased). Walter, 
Elmer, Samuel, Glen and Watson. 

In 1884, in .April, the family came to Ne- 
braska, locating for one year in Fillmore county 
and then they came to Loup county, where they 
settled on their present farm in section 8, 
township 22. range 17. Coming a.t this early 
date, they were numbered among the ear- 
liest settlers and they encountered all the 
trials usually passed through by every pio- 
neer. North Loup was the nearest trading 
po'nt and all material for building purposes as 




■OLD PALS OX THE RANCH." 
John Riggs, E. James, Dick Been and P'rank Caffa. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



well as supplies had to be hauled from that point 
and from Ainsworth. Our subject has camped 
out on many of these trips, sleeping under his 
covered wagon, fording streams and more than 
once the wagons have been mired in the mud. 
Their first buildings were constructed from the 
sods of the prairie and their first teams were 
ponies and oxen. Once a severe snow storm 
delayed the arrival of supplies for a couple of 
days and Mrs. Hesselgesser was obliged to 
grind corn for meal so she could have corn meal 
mush on which the family might subsist. But 
through all these hardships the family had good 
health and really enjoyed pioneer life. They 
went to church and Sunday-school and tried 
their best to see the bright side of things. The 
years of drouth came, bringing more privation, 
then the hail storms worked their ruin now 
and then, but through it all our subject and 
his famih' maintained stout hearts and with 
willing hands sought in every way to retrieve 
their losses and to constantly add to the im- 
provements of their home. And their efforts 
were eminently successful in every way as now 
can be seen by the fine farm of five hundred and 
sixty acres, the good home, barns, fences and 
fine groves. Since our subject's death in 1905, 
Mrs. Hesselgesser has been managing the farm 
assisted by the younger boj's. 

Mr. Hesselgesser lives in the affectionate 
remembrance of his family and his many 
friends. He was a man whose strength of char- 
acter endeared him to all with whom he came in 
contact and brought him in close touch with all 
matters pertaining to the general welfare of the 
community. He served with honor in several 
public capacities, such as school officer and as- 
sessor, and was prominent in political affairs. 



Z. U. BUCK. 



In compiling a list of the prominent business 
men of Franklin county, who have aided so ma- 
terially in the upbuilding of the commercial in- 
terests of that locality, and are widely and fa- 
vorably known, a foremost place must be given 
Z. U. Buck, who is engaged in the mercantile 
business at Naponee. Mr. Buck has been in 
business here since 1897, at that time opening 
a general merchandise store, and has built up 
a lucrative trade through his industry and honest 
dealing. He is highly esteemed as a citizen, 
and is one of the successful and prosperous resi- 
dents of his county. In the past ten years his 
business has increased four hundred per cent., 
which is a pretty good gain. 

Mr. Buck is a son of George Buck, who set- 
tled in Franklin countv in 1871. the following 



year starting the first store in the county, and 
his was the first frame building ever erected 
in Franklin county, which was at Franklin. He 
and his partner, Mr. Greenwood, laid out that 
town site and gave away lots for a park, schools 
and churches, also to any settlers who would 
build there. They attended strictly to the busi- 
ness of the store, selling goods for a distance 
of fifty miles each way from the town. George 
Buck was a member of the Episcopal church, a 
strong Republican, high degree Mason and vet- 
eran of the Civil war, having been a member 
of a Vermont regiment, serving for four 
years. 

Our subject's mother was Miss Lucella 
Hunt, of Franklin county, Vermont, daughter 
of Elijah Hunt. Mr. Buck has one brother, 
James E., residing in Lincoln, engaged in the 
life insurance business. Another brother, 
George, Jr., is associated with the Omaha Rub- 
ber Company, and lives at Omaha, while a sis- 
ter, Cora, is married and living at Lincoln. 

Mr. Buck married Miss Jennie Hart, of 
Brown county, Kansas, daughter of W. H. Hart, 
now of Seattle, Washington, a dealer in rea'l 
estate at that place. He is a son of Thomas 
Hart, who came to Brown county, Kansas, in 
1852, and took a prominent part in the early his- 
tory of that state. To Mr. Buck and his wife 
the following children were born : Harold, aged 
twelve ; Helen, aged six, and Lucile, four vears 
old. 

Soon after Mr. Buck settled in Franklin 
county he was elected deputy county treasurer, 
and served for four years, and later was post' 
master at Franklin. He is a member of the 
school board, and active in local affairs. In po- 
litical sentiment he is a Democrat. 



JOHN RIGGS. 

John Riggs is one of the best known and 
most prominent residents of this part of the 
country. He was appointed the first sheriff, 
later elected to fill a second term, and also 
was one of the organizers of Sheridan county. 

Mr. Riggs was born in Washington county, 
Texas, in 1854. His father was of American 
stock, a farmer and stock raiser, and among 
the earliest settlers of Texas. His mother, Miss 
Anna Beauchamp, was born in Dublin, Ireland. 
Our subject was a baby, the youngest of three 
children, when he lost his mother. His father 
also died while he was yet a boy. When 
eleven years of age he went to New Mexico 
with John H. Chisham, staying with him until 
he sold the stock to Hunter & Evans, in 1878 
going with the latter across the plains to 



838 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



V' ~ 

Sheridan county. In 1879 he went back to 

Mexico after the balance of the stock. Here 
they remained until 1885. when settlement 
forced them to move, and taking fifty-five thou- 
sand cattle they went on to Montana. After 
helping to move the cattle Mr. Riggs bought 
the old H. C. Barr ranch, and lived there 
twentv vears. He had invested considerable of his 
earnings in the Hunter & Evans Company, but 
the winter of 1885-86 caused thein such a loss it 
broke the concern and our subject also sustained 
a heavy loss. 

In 1884 Mr. Riggs married Miss Amma Ir- 
win, a Texas girl, who was a daughter of Aeek 
and Mrs. L. L. Irwin, both of American stock, 
among the earliest settlers of Texas. Mrs. L. 
L. Irwin still lives in Sheridan county, Ne- 
braska, with her son. Two brothers were 
early settlers here and it was while on a visit 
here to see them that Mr. Riggs met Miss 
Amma Irwin at her brother's home on the 
N. Bar ranch, or better known as the old New- 
man ranch, which Mr. Riggs also helped to 
establish. It was here that Mr. Riggs and 
Miss Irwin were married. Two children have 
been born to them, Bennett and Effie. 

After Mr. Riggs had served two terms as 
sheriff he settled on the old ranch, remaining 
there until 1898, when they moved to Kansas. 
There he was appointed deputy sheriff of Sher- 
man county, and in attempting to capture tvvo 
train robbers single-handed he was shot six 
times and so severely wounded that he was 
laid up for nearly three years, while the cul- 
prits were both killed during the encounter. 
He was offered large sums of money by the 
railroad companies for the brave deed, but would 
never accept a cent. 

Afterwards he returned to this county on a 
visit and his children persuaded him to re- 
main. He is now nicely located on the Nio- 
brara river in section 10, township 30, range 
43, about one mile from his first location, and 
contented to live quietly from now on. as he 
says he has seen all the frontier life he cares 
for. Mr. Riggs is a Democrat. 

On another page of this volume we present 
an interesting picture of the "old pals on the 
ranch," showing John Riggs and three com- 
rades. 



JOHN C. DAM. 



John C. Dam. the subject of this sketch. 
was born in 18.59, raised in Denmark and re- 
ceived his education there, and is one of the 
many successful farmers of Sheridan county. 
His father. Christian M. Dam. never left the 



old country, and died when our subject was 
a \-oung man. leaving a wife and five children. 
When twenty years of age he entered the army 
and served seventeen months, then started out 
to make his fortune. He came to America in 
1884. Upon leaving Omaha, where he re- 
mained for one year, he located one mile north 
u{ his present home, taking pre-emption, and 
still holds this claim. He also homesteaded in 
the Sand Hills, selling this out for forty-eight 
hundred dollars. 

In 1901 he was married to Miss Mary K. 
Jorgesen, who was born in Denmark in 1878 
and came to this country with her parents in 
1892. Three children were born to them, name- 
ly: Anna, Henry and Emma, all born in this 
locality. 

Just as Mr. Dam was nicely started on his 
ranch the dry years came on and the best he 
could do was bareh' raise seed for the next 
year's crops. These were the darkest times 
for our subject, but he struggled along alone 
and in later years has had marked success in 
all his undertakings. 

He has added to his homestead and now 
owns fourteen hundred and forty acres, half 
of which could be easilj' farmed, and now has 
under cultivation about three hundred acres, 
running one hundred and seventy head of cat- 
tle,, with just horses enough for his own use. 
He is engaged exclusively in farming and the 
stock raising business, and has made many 
improvements on his ranch in the way of build- 
ings, fences, etc., and feels well satisfied with 
what he has accomplished. 

Although Mr. Dam is a Democrat, he has 
never been able to devote any time to taking 
active part in politics. 



W. N. ROGERS. 



\\'. X. Rogers is a prosperous business man 
and one of the best known breeders of thor- 
oughbred Ilerefords in the western states. 

Mr. Rogers was born and raised in Jo 
Davis county. Illinois, and it was in that lo- 
cality that he first began the breeding of high- 
grade stock. He came to Nebraska in 1883, 
and in starting his work was convinced that 
the Hcrcfords were the best breed in the west, 
as they will graze and rustle for themselves, 
grow fat and keep in good condition on the 
prairies where other breeds will starve, and 
besides are great beef cattle, and to raise good 
beef cattle is the principal aim of the stock 
raisers of the west. The Hereford cattle are 
the champions of the International Live Stock 
Exhibition. 



COMPEXDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



839 



Shadeland Park Herefords, the well known 
herd of whitefaces, was started in 1890, and 
there was then selected as a foundation cows 
bred by such breeders as John W. Smith, of 
Herefordshire, England, and G. W. Milikin, of 
Elyria, Ohio. These females were rich in the 
blood of Anxiety, Grove III, Lord Wilton, the 
monarchs of the breed. Then were added fe- 
males from the well known herd of show cat- 
tle from the herd of Makin Bros., and later on 
Mr. Rogers went in person to the great show 
and breeding herd of Adams Earl, of Lafay- 
ette, Indiana, which then contained more of 
the blood of Lord Wilton and the Grove III 
than any herd in the world. From this herd 
was selected some of the best females that 
money would buy, and these added to the then 
choice lot of females made a foundation for 
a herd that any man might well feel proud of. 
There have been, from time to time, some 
choice females only added to this herd, con- 
sisting mostly of the tops at the great Here- 
ford sales. As the bull is one-half the herd, 
it might be well to make mention of what has 
been used on the Shadeland Park herd of fe- 
males. The first bought and used in this herd 
was Vincent II 42942, bred by I\Iakin Bros., 
of Florence, Kansas. His sire Vincent 16691, 
by Sir Evelyn, by Lord Wilton 4057. Dam, 
Berrington II, by Leader, a son of the Grove 
III, a grand combination of the Lord Wilton 
and the Grove III blood. The sire of Vincent 
II 42942, Vincent 16691, was shown very suc- 
cessfully by Makin Bros., winning in the sea- 
son of 1889-'90 seventeen first and sweepstakes 
and seven second prizes. Vincent II 42942 was 
also a prize winner. At the World's Fair in 
1893 he won fourth in aged class and sweep- 
stakes as produce of cow. He attained the 
weight of twenty-eight hundred pounds at the 
age of five years. The bull to follow him was 
Anxiety Alonarch 63204, by the great breeding 
bull Juryman 30279, by Anxiety III 4466, bred 
by Tom Clark, of Beecher, Illinois. 

Anxiety Monarch 63204, owned and bred 
by W. N. Rogers, at the age of five years at- 
tained the weight of twenty-eight hundred 
pounds. Anxiety Monarch 63204 was only 
shown at State Fair, Lincoln, Nebraska, in 
1900, winning first in class. Headed the first 
prize aged herd. His two-year-old heifer win- 
ning first in class, and a yearling heifer third 
in class. Anxiety Monarch 63204 was very un- 
fortunately injured in a railroad wreck while 
returning home from the State Fair, from 
which he died shortly after, leaving only 
a limited number of his sons and daughters in 
the Shadeland Park herd, yet the notoriety this 
herd now enjoys must be attributed to the 



blood of Anxiety Monarch 63204, who was 
pronounced by great judges to be one of the 
best Hereford bulls of the breed. 

Beau Donald 28th 105168 was secured after 
the death of Anxiety Monarch 63204, at the 
price of one thousand dollars when ten months 
old, to be used in the Shadeland Park herd. It 
was also considered by Mr. Rogers, in order to 
carry out his views on breeding and establishing 
a type of Hereford cattle peculiar to his ideas, he 
must do it with the blood of Anxiety Monarch, 
and accordingly he has selected and put at the 
head of the herd the massive son of Anxiety 
Monarch 63204. 

Monarch of Shadeland III 106787, owned' 
and bred by Mr. Rogers, at the head of the 
Shadeland Park herd, weighed three thousand 
pounds at four years of age. This young bull 
was shown as a three-year-old and only at 
State Fair, Lincoln, 1903, winning first in class 
and sweepstakes ; also sweepstakes as pro- 
duce of cow, and sweepstakes one of four, as. 
get of sire. In 1904 he was second in class,, 
beaten only by Beau Donald 28th, headed first 
prize, aged herd and sweepstakes as produce 
of cow at Nebraska State Fair. He won first 
in, class, headed first prize aged herd, sweep-' 
stakes as produce of cow and also stood at; 
head of herd winning sweepstakes silver cup,.. 
all breeds competing (cup valued at two hun- 
dred and fifty dollars), at Interstate Fair,. 
Sioux City, Iowa. Second in class aged bulls,, 
sweepstakes as produce of cow at" Topeka,. 
Kansas, 1904. 

It might also be of interest to mention some 
of the winnings of Beau Donald 28th 105168,. 
who is the assistant of Alonarch of Shadelan<S 
III. Beau Donald 28th won first in class aged" 
bulls in 1902 as a three-year-old, and sweep- 
stakes, senior class, two years or over. He 
also stood at head of first prize aged herd, 
Nebraska State Fair, in 1902. In 1903 he won 
second, being beaten by Monarch of Shade- 
land III, at Nebraska State Fair. In 1904 he 
was first in aged class and stood at head of 
second prize aged herd (first prize herd headed 
by Monarch of Shadeland III). He also won 
sweepstakes, two years or over, at the State 
Fair. He was first in aged class sweepstakes 
bull, also headed first prize aged "herd at To- 
neka, in 1904: also first aged class sweepstakes 
bull and headed first prize aged herd at Hutch- 
inson, Kansas, in 1904; also first aged class 
sweepstakes bull and headed first prize aged 
herd at Colorado State Fair, Pueblo, in 1904. 

It is well to mention the Shadeland Park 
show herds of twelve head, which won one 
hundred and five prizes in 1904, showing over 
four states at the following places: State 



840 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Fair, Lincoln, Nebraska ; Interstate Fair, Sioux 
City. Iowa : Topeka Exposition. Topeka, Kan- 
sas ; State Fair. Hutchinson, Kansas, and State 
Fair, Pueblo, Colorado. Our first prize aged 
herd stood first at every show. Our young 
herd also took first at every show. The young 
herd were all sired b}' our sweepstakes herd 
bulls. Our second aged herd was only beaten 
once over these four states. We also showed 
one yearling heifer that was not defeated in 
age or class; also one heifer calf that won first 
in every class and one that won four second 
and one third prize. 

This is a record any breeder might well 
feel proud of — one hundred and six prizes at 
five shows. Young stock of both sexes for 
sale at all times. From now on no bull can 
do breeding in the Shadeland Park herd that 
has not won a sweepstakes prize at either a 
state or national show. 

It is worthy of mention that the Beau Don- 
alds won more prizes in 1904 at World's Fair, 
state and national shows than any other fam- 
ily of Herefords. In 190.S. at three shows. Mr. 
Rogers won fifty-eight ribbons; then in 1906, 
at .State Fair only, winning sixteen prizes, and 
in 1907 at three shows he won sixty-nine rib- 
bons. He bred the females that won the cham- 
pionship at Lincoln for five successive years. 
At the sales in Omaha for the past eight years 
he has always been at the top, and in 1906 his 
females topped the list. During the last four 
years Mr. Rogers's stock has won more prizes 
at the Nebraska State Fair than any other 
herd in the state. He has now one hundred 
and twenty thoroughbred animals in his herd, 
which is well known all over the United States, 
and breeders from all over the country come 
to his ranch to purchase cattle. One-iyear 
stock from this farm was sold and delivered 
into seven dififerent states. 

Mr. Rogers believes that in order to make a 
success of any undertaking it is necessary 
to give it all his time and attention, and this 
he has done with his stock. He is aided in 
his work by his two sons. Amos and Henry, 
both of whom have their father's spirit and 
energy. Mr. Rogers's wife attends many of 
the stock shows with her husband and takes a 
deep interest in all his afTairs, and if anything 
is more pleased than he with the success he 
has attained. He is often called upon to act 
as judge at the big stock exhibitions, and is 
recognized as one of the best informed men in 
tliis business to be found anywhere. 

Mr. Rogers and his family reside on his 
ranch four miles east of McCook. Redwillow 
county, Nebraska. This is called Shadeland 
Park, and comprises eight hundred and thirty 



acres of fine land, mostly on the river bottom, 
with many beautiful shade trees well distrib- 
uted over the farm, from which it derives its 
name. 



WILLIAM S. COKER. 

William S. Coker, residing in section 32, 
township 24, range 49. is one of the prominent 
citizens of Box Butte count}-. He has devoted 
his entire career to agricultural pursuits, has 
gained considerable property, and the esteem 
and respect of his fellowmen by his integrity 
and upright character. 

Mr. Coker was born in Morgan county, 
Illinois, in 1857. His parents were of Ameri- 
can stock, the father a farmer, and they moved 
to Missouri after the close of the Civil war, 
settling in Mercer county, where our subject 
grew to manhood. He assisted his parents in 
carrying on the home farm, and during all his 
young manhood was afflicted with the malady 
known as fever and ague, so prevalent in 
new countries. In 1878 he left home and went 
to Iowa, but only remained for a few months, 
then to Kansas, where he spent about eighteen 
months. There he lived in Ness county, which 
was an entirely undeveloped part of the state, 
and he went through pioneer experiences, later 
removing to Ellsworth county, but did not like 
the new country and decided to try a new 
location, so he moved to Missouri, near his 
old home, and lived there one year. He first 
struck Nebraska in 1882, locating in York 
county, and remained there for two years, fol- 
lowing farm work. From there he came to 
Box Butte county, driving from York county 
with a team, making the trip overland, as he 
had on all his other journeys in this part of 
the west, frnni Missouri to Kansas and back 
again. When he landed here he had a yoke 
of cattle, which was almost his sole capital. 
He immediately filed on a homestead and 
"batched it" for about three years, during 
which time he did all the work of breaking 
his land, hauling and freighting with a team 
of oxen. He went through the usual pioneer 
experiences, saw the surrounding country set- 
tled, railroads put through, towns started, and 
was an eyewitness of all the incidents which 
took place in connection w-ith the Indian up- 
rising, etc., in this region. 

Mr. Coker is now owner of a four hundred 
and eighty-acre ranch, all fenced and complete, 
with good buildings, etc., engaging principally 
in stock raising, and has made a great suc- 
cess of his work. 

In 1890 Mr. Coker was married to Jane .\1- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



841 



exander. Mrs. Coker was a daughter of Stew- 
art Alexander, a Scotchman, who Hved and 
died in his native land. She and her mother, 
who was Miss Margaret Kerr, also reared in 
Scotland, came to America when the former 
was an infant of nine months, settling in Ne- 
braska, and Mrs. Coker was a homesteader 
in Box Butte county prior to her marriage. 
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Coker, 
namely: Clyde, Lyle, Roy, Dora, Eldin and 
Helen. The family occupy a handsome home 
and are well liked bv all who know them. 



JOHN I. DAWSON. 

John I. Dawson, for many years past a res- 
ident of KeyawPaha county, Nebraska, owns 
a fine farm in section 32, township Z2. range 
22, Garfield precinct. He is at present retired, 
making his home with a daughter in Spring- 
view. 

Mr. Dav^'son was born in Richmondale, 
Ross county, Ohio, January 31, 1839. He 
never saw his father, as he was killed by an 
accident three months before John was born, 
and when he was but eighteen months old his 
mother also died, leaving him an orphan with- 
out brother or sister. He was forced to make 
his own way in the world at an early age, 
when nine years old hiring out to a man with 
whom he lived for ten years, receiving nothing, 
not even schooling, for his services, and then 
ran away and went to Illinois. He started out 
with only a quarter of a dollar and after walk- 
ing most of the way from Ohio to Illinois, 
arrived in Peoria with only a dime as the total 
of his cash resources. He worked out by the 
month in Stark county for some time and later 
rented land on which he farmed for some 
years. In 1862 he enlisted in Company A, 
Sixty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and served until 
the close of the war, being mustered out of 
service and discharged at Chicago in 1865. At 
the close of the war he went to Marion county, 
Illinois, where he married and farmed for three 
years. Removing to Missouri, he followed 
farming in Nodaway and Atchison counties 
until removing to Nebraska. 

Mr. Dawson came to Keya Paha county in 
1883, taking up a homestead in section 5, town- 
ship 32, range 22, from which he derives a 
comfortable income. He now owns six hun- 
dred and forty acres of good land, two hun- 
dred and forty of which is cultivated, divided 
between a son and two other tenants who farm 
the land. Since coming here he has endured 
very hard times, and, in fact, has had noth- 
ing but hardship from his childhood. He is 



now content to take life easy for the balance 
of his days, leaving to others the strain of 
active labor. 

In 1864 Mr. Dawson married Sarah J. Mc- 
Kinns, born in Whitestown, Pennsylvania. 
They had one child, which only lived eight 
months, the mother soon following, on Feb- 
ruary 8, 1868, aged twenty-four years. He 
was again married in Missouri in 1870 to Miss 
Elizabeth J. McCray, a native of Ohio. She 
died December 5, 1905. Two children were 
born of this marriage — Laura, now Mrs. Hart- 
man, residing in Springview, and Henry M., 
married and living on his homestead near the 
father's old place. 

Mr. Dawson is a Republican, having cast 
his maiden vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has 
remained true to the party ever since. He is 
a member of the Grand Army of the Republic 
and the U. V. U. 



ANTON BENISH. 

Anton Benish, whose fine farm in Trognitz 
precinct bespeaks thrift and painstaking care 
in its operation, is a gentleman of wide expe- 
rience, and is classed among the substantial 
and worthy citizens of Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Benish was born in the village of Ko- 
pidlo, Bohemia, June 15. 1848, a son of John 
and Katie fHabrich) Benish. He grew up in 
his native land, during his boyhood receiving 
the usual stern training in which the children 
of Bohemia are reared, following farming as 
an occupation mostly. \\'hen he reached the 
age of twenty-six years he began life for him- 
self, took passage on an emigrant steamer for 
America at Bremen Haven in the Deutch- 
land, landing in New York citv in October, 
1874, after a voyage of two weeks. He came 
direct to Chicago, Illinois, where he had a 
brother, Albert Benish, who had come to this 
country several years before, and has made 
that city his home for thirty-seven years. An- 
ton spent seven months there, then went to 
Iowa, locating in Chelsea, Tama county, and 
lived there for thirteen years, most of the time 
holding the position of section foreman on the 
Northwestern. In the spring of 1887 he came 
to Cheyenne county, taking up a homestead 
in section 4, township 16, range 52, and began 
to develop a farm. He passed through many 
privations and pioneer experiences, hraX re- 
mained determined, fighting every hardship 
and gradually getting ahead, until he now owns 
jointly with other members of his family, a 
valuaijle tract of nine hundred and sixty acres. 



84^ 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Of this he has placed one hundred and fifty 
acres under the plow. He has a complete set 
of good farm buildings, including a comfortable 
and convenient residence, and also has wells, 
windmills and all necessary farm machinery. 
He engages in diversified farming and stock 
raising, keeping about one hundred head of 
cattle and fifty horses, owning some very fine 
animals. 

Mr. Benish was married September 10, 
1874, in Bohemia, to Yatta Daimel, who was 
born and reared in that country, of German 
stock: her parents. Popper and ]''lizabeth l^ai- 
mel, are dead. To ^lr. Benish and his esti- 
mable wife the following children have been 
born : Albert, Joseph and Anton, Jr., all own- 
ers of fine homesteads adjoining their father's 
place; Mary, wife of John Nelson, now living 
in Seattle. Washington ; James, also a home- 
steader here : Annie, married to Albert Nelson, 
living at Cheyenne county, and William, the 
youngest, at home. They are all intelligent, 
industrious and worthy citizens, and the en- 
tire family share in the esteem and respect of 
all. Mr. Benish is prominent in neighborhood 
and county afYairs. and has helped materially 
in the building up of his locality. At present 
he is serving in the capacity of treasurer of 
school district No. 62. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. The family is Catholic in religious 
faith. 



JAMES G. MERRIAM. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
enterprising and prosperous farmers and 
ranchmen of Sioux county, Nebraska. He re- 
sides on section 3, township 32, range 37, and 
is widely known as one of the prominent pio- 
neers of this region. He owns a fine property 
and no one is better known or more highly re- 
spected than our subject. 

Mr. Merriam was born in Bureau county, 
Illinois. January 4, 1857. He came of good old 
-American blood, and his ancestors have been 
prominent in the history of this country for 
many generations past, of which fact he is 
justly proud, and he is a fit representative of 
his family. His father. Homer T., was born 
in Ohio in 1823, grew up there and as a young 
man spent a number of years in Illinois, then 
in Iowa and coming to Siou.x county, Nebras- 
ka, witli his family in 1890, where he died in 
1898. He married Miss Nancy Carpenter, also 
of Ohio. Our subject has one brother who 
still lives in Illinois. 

The family left Illinois when James was a 
lad of twelve vears, and from there they went 



to Iowa, where he was reared and educated, 
starting out for himself when he was twenty 
years of age. He first went to farming on 
rented land, and followed that occupation for 
about twent}- years in Iowa. In 1895 he re- 
moved to Deadwood, South Dakota, and spent 
three years in that vicinity, then came to Ne- 
braska, locating in Sioux county, where his 
lather had been for several years, the latter's 
death occurring in 1898 at his home in town- 
ship 32, range 57. 

Our subject located on his present farm in 
1899, taking up the land as a homestead, and 
improved it in good shape, proving up on it 
in due time. He has since added to his origi- 
nal quarter, and at the present time is pro- 
priefor of about four hundred acres, all fenced 
and well improved, using abc^t sixty acres 
as a grain farm, and the balance for hay and 
pasture for his stock. He has been in the 
main successful since coming here, although 
he has met with loss and disappointments on 
account of the failure of crops, etc., and in 1906 
had the misfortune to lose a large portion of 
his crops from hailstorms which swept the 
locality. 

Mr. Merriam was married November 5, 
1899, to Ethel R. Garretson, daughter of Wil- 
liam H. Garretson, of Siou.x county, and an 
adjoining neighbor. Mr. and Mrs. Merriam 
have two children living — Homer T., aged 
eight years, and Orlene G., now two years of 
age. Rilla and Nellie are dead. The family 
have a pleasant home, and have a host of good 
friends in the community. 

Mr. Merriam is an Independent voter. • 



S. J. TILLMAN. 

The above mentioned gentleman is among 
the best known breeders of pure bred Duroc 
[ersev hogs in western Nebraska. He resides in 
Ragan. Harlan county, Nebraska, where he 
has built up a fine business to which he de- 
votes his entire time and attention. His place 
is known all over this section as "Sunnyslope", 
the celebrated home of the herd of Duroc Jer- 
sevs familiar to all breeders and buyers of pure 
bred hogs wherever this business is carried on. 

Mr. Tillman began in the hog business in 
1897 at Dana. Kansas, and in 1900 came to 
Ragan where he has since lived. Here he owns 
fourteen acres of land, but does no farming, 
buying all the feed he needs for his stock. He 
handles all of the leading strains, and has at 
head of his herd Jumbo Ideal and Crim- 
son Daufly, the highest priced yearling boar 
ever sold up to that time. Mr. Tillman sold a 



COMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, RE.AIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



843 



one-half interest to ^Messrs. Seller & Sons at 
Huntley for five hundred and five dollars and 
has since sold his entire interest to them in a 
pio- out of Nebraska Wonder by Crimson 
Wonder and Jumbo Ideal 43037 by Jumbo's 
Perfection 19901, a celebrated animal which 
won the third prize at the World's Fair, and 
later at the Nebraska State Fair captured the 
first prize twice, besides third place at five 
years old. Both Jumbo's Ideal and Crimson 
Dandy were shown in 1907. He holds a sale 
of their stock every year, and in 1907 held a 
sale of sows, which was attended by many of 
the largest dealers in hogs in the state of Ne- 
braska. His success has been phenomenal 
since coming here, and he has sold his prod- 
uct all over the state, and each year the fame 
of the red hog is spreading as farmers and 
stockmen recognize their value as an all-round 
favorite. 

Our subject has had one hundred and sev- 
enty head, but now has ninety, which includes 
some of the finest stock to be found in the 
country. 

For eight years Mr. Tillman was connected 
with the Rock Island railroad, and was also 
station agent at Gretna, Kansas, for that rail- 
way for several years. He has been connected 
with railroading for thirteen years. It was 
while working at Gretna that he started in the 
hog business, at first with a few pure bred 
Duroc Jerseys. He gradually increased his 
herd and worked successfully into the business 
and richly deserves the success he has attained 
through perseverance and honesty of dealing. 

Mr. Tillman was married in 1887 to .A.nna 
Brown, of Otterville, Missouri. He has a fam- 
ily of twelve children, nine of whom are living. 
One son, George, died July 9, 1907, at the age 
of fourteen years. Two other sons died in 
1905 at the age of five and six vears. 



.AUBURN W. .\TKINS. 

.■\uburn \\'. .A.tkins, for the past many 
years a leading citizen of Morrill, fomerly 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is proprietor of 
an extensive and valuable ranch in Court 
House Rock precinct. He has been identified 
with the growth and upbuilding of that region 
in the line of agriculture until a history of its 
development would be incomplete without men- 
tion of his labors there and the pioneer experi- 
ences which he has passed through. 

Mr. .Atkins was born in .\shtabula county, 
Ohio, on April 16, 1859, a son of Levi and 
Persis A. (Clarke) Atkins. His father was a 
soldier in the Union army during the Civil 



war, and was one of those brave men who 
never returned from the field of battle, giv- 
ing up his life in 1863 ; the mother survived her 
husband by ten years, at which time our sub- 
ject left his boyhood home and went south to 
attend school at Greenville, Mississippi, mak- 
ing his home with an uncle at that place. .After 
three years there he returned to Ohio, and 
after a visit of a few months migrated to Ham- 
burg, low-a, arriving there in .August, 1876, 
where for a year he attended school. He next 
went to Atchison county, Missouri, spend- 
ing about two years there, a^ the same time 
attending at Hamburg. From there he came 
to Ogallala, Nebraska, where he entered the 
employ of Sheidley Brothers, large ranchmen, 
for whom he followed the range for three 
years, then went with the Ogallala Land & 
Cattle Company, remaining with them until 
1887. Prior to this, about 1884 he had filed on 
a pre-emption claim, located on Cedar creek, 
Cheyenne county, and also took a homestead and 
timber claim, which he sold to the Belmont Irri- 
gation and Water Power Company in 1893. 
He finally located on his present ranch on sec- 
tions 22 and 23, township 19, range 49, and now 
owns two thousand acres with immense tracts 
of hay and range land, on which he runs about 
one thousand cattle and two hundred horses. 
He has one of the finest equipped ranches in 
the region, which is beautifully situated on 
the North Platte river, and known far and 
near as the "Flying \' Ranch." Mr. Atkins is 
a genuine old-timer and widely known stock- 
man, and a man who has done his full share 
in the success which has come to his region. 
He combines the hospitality of the south and 
the cordiality of the west; a man of refine- 
ment and education he is at ease in any gather- 
ing" of men, east or west. 

Mr. Atkins was married on July 16, 1893, 
at Sidney, Nebraska, to Miss Lulia Barnhart, 
a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, who 
came to Nebraska when a small girl with her 
parents, David A. and Malinda (Moore) Barn- 
hart. They have four children, named as fol- 
lows: Clarke W., Allen B., Auburn H. and 
Lulia Virginia, all at home and who form a 
most interesting family of youngsters, of 
whom our subject is justly proud. Mr. At- 
kins is a Democrat, and in 1898 was nominated 
for the state legislature and defeated by only 
seventy votes in one of the strongest Repub- 
lican districts in the state, carrying his own 
county by a large majority. He takes an ac- 
tive and leading part in local and county poli- 
tics and is a worthy representative of the peo- 
ple of his section. The family are all com- 
municants of the Episcopal church. Mr. .At- 



844 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



kins affiliates with the Masons, the Odd Fel- 
lows, the Knights of Pythias, the Elks and the 
Modern Woodmen. A view of the ranch 
buildings and the beautiful Platte Valley land- 
scape is to be found elsewhere in this work. 



JOHN ORMESHER. 

John Ormesher, residing on a homestead of 
four hundred and eighty acres at Swan Lake, 
Nebraska, was born in England, September 
6. 1872, on his father's farm. He came to 
America with his parents. Edward and Alar- 
garet (Rell) Ormesher, at the age of ten years, 
the family residing in Lincoln for a short 
time before settling in Cherry county, where thev 
still live. Our subject's education was attained 
in England, never attending school since com- 
ing to this country. There were five children 
in the family, of whom he is the oldest mem- 
ber, and when he reached the age of twentv- 
one years he started farming for himself on 
rented land. This was in 1891. the beginning 
of the drouth period, and for three succesi- 
sive years his crops failed and he lost all he 
had. and at the end of the fourth year he was 
four hundred dollars in debt. 

Mr. Ormesher has been a great traveler, 
taking many trips to different parts of the coun- 
try, looking at land in order to see if he could 
better himself, but never found any place that 
suited him better than here. He had gone 
through many discouragements and had his 
ups and downs, but after a time things 
changed for the better and of late years he has 
been very successful and is now proprietor 
of six hundred and forty acres, nearly all of 
which is good hay land. His farm is located 
on Swan Lake, in section 35. township 32, 
range 27, and is a well improved piece of prop- 
erty. He engages in stock raising to some ex- 
tent, keeping about eighty head of cattle and 
thirty horses. Mr. Ormesher is a great potato 
raiser, and follows that line of farming prin- 
cipally. Some 3'ears he planted forty acres 
which yielded one hundred bushels per acre, 
selling for one dollar per bushel, which is a 
very profitable enterprise. He has had the 
contract for furnishing Rosebud and Fort 
Niobrara with potatoes, and for a number of 
years prior to its abandonment furnished the 
fort with hay. He is without a doubt, one of 
the most progressive and successful farmers 
in this locality. He is adding to a fine orchard 
of fruit trees, having already about six hun- 
dred in fine growing order. 

Mr. Ormesher has never married, prefer- 
ring to "batch it" for the present at least. His 



entire time and attention is devoted to improv- 
ing his place and building up a model farm, 
and he is well satisfied with the results of his 
labors in Cherry county. He is active in all 
local and school affairs, and lends his influence 
in the upbuilding of the community in which 
he chose his home. 

Politically Mr. Ormesher is a Populist, but 
always votes for the candidate he believes to 
be the best man. 



^HLTON S^^TH. 

In naming those who have spent many 
years in western Nebraska and have done their 
full share in the development of their section 
of the country in the way of building up farms, 
assisting in establishing schools, etc., a prom- 
inent place must be accorded the gentleman 
whose name heads this personal review. Mr. 
Smith is a resident of Woodson precinct, 
where he owns a valuable estate and is con- 
sidered one of the leading old settlers. 

Milton Smith was born in Monroe county, 
Indiana, in 1869. Both his father and mother 
were natives of that state, and made it their 
home up to 1882. when they came to Nebras- 
ka, locating near Beatrice on a farm, where 
they .spent a few years and later lived on dif- 
ferent farms in Gage and JeflFerson counties. 
In 1887 our subject came to what is now Per- 
kins county, accompanied by his father, and 
the latter took a homestead and tree claim 
on section 26, township 12, range 35, and be- 
gan to build up a home and farm. There they 
went through all the early pioneer experiences, 
hauling supplies from Paxton, which was their 
nearest trading post and mail station. There 
were eight children in the family, Milton being 
the eldest, Elizabeth, Olivia Rell, \^alinda K., 
Laura. Mattie, Walter and Scth. 

Our subject remained with his parents up 
to 1891, helped his father build up a good farm 
of three hundred and twenty acres and put 
everything in first class shape, then struck 
mit fur himself, filing on a homestead on sec- 
tii~in 4, township 11, range 33, proved up on 
the place, "batching it" there for several years. 
He did all of his first work on the homestead 
with a team of oxen, breaking up ground for 
sod crops the first year, and lived in a sod 
shanty. He started in very humble fashion, 
having but fifteen dollars in cash to buy tools, 
etc., with, and was obliged to work out at 
whatever he could get to do in the vicinity 
i)f his farm in order to make a living. He saw 
hard times for a number of years but managed 
In iniprcnc the place a little and remained 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.'VPHY 



845 



there up to 1907, when lie located on his pres- 
ent ranch. This is a finely improved place, hav- 
ing a complete set of good buildings, includ- 
in a commodious residence twenty-eight by 
thirty-six feet, barn forty-eight by fifty-two 
feet, well, windmills, fences, etc. There are in 
all one thousand six hundred acres in the 
place, and of this one hundred and twenty- 
five acres are cultivated and the balance in 
hay and pasture. 

Mr. Smith is an active member of his com- 
munity in advancing its best interests, and a 
stanch Republican. He is at present secretary 
and treasurer of the Paxton and Elsie Tele- 
phone Company. 



ALVIE S. SAXTON. 

Alvie S. Saxton, recognized as one of the 
leading agriculturists of Sioux county, resides 
on his valuable estate in section 5, township 
32, range 53. He has followed farming 
throughout his career, and has lived in western 
Nebraska during the past twenty-three years, 
and during his early residence in this state 
has experienced many interesting and exciting 
phases of pioneer life, which he recounts with 
accuracy. 

Mr. Saxton was born in Hillsdale county, 
Michigan, in 1863. His father, George W. 
Saxton, was a carpenter by trade and followed 
that occupation nearly all his life. Both par- 
ents were of American stock. 

Our subject grew up in his native county 
until he was ten years of age, when the family 
removed to Tama county, Iowa, where they 
lived for ten years located in Toledo, and 
where his father worked at the carpenter trade 
until he died in the spring of 1885. After the 
father's death the mother and the rest of the 
family moved to Dawes county, Nebraska, 
where they stayed one year, and then came to 
Sioux county, taking up claims and remaining 
here ever since. 

In 1885 Mr. Saxton left Iowa and came to 
Nebraska, settling on a tract of land near 
what is now the town of Whitney, in Dawes 
county, and remained there for about a year, 
then came to Sioux county and located on a 
homestead, situated on the north side of Pine 
Ridge, fourteen miles northwest of Crawford. 
He "batched" it there for three years, starting 
his farm along, using ox teams to break up 
land and for hauling purposes, and did all his 
work with oxen for five years. He put up a 
log shanty and lived in it for a number of 
years, but steadily improved the place in ele- 
gant shape. In 1906 Mr. Saxton took an addi- 



tional Kincaid homestead in sections 4 and 5, 
township 32, range 53, and he is now owner of 
seven hundred and eighty acres, using the greater 
part as a ranch for a number of cattle which he 
runs annually. 

Mr. Saxton was married in 1888, to Sibbie 
Grau, daughter of John M. and Ella (Burnside) 
Grau, her father being a well-known veteran 
of the late war. Her father enlisted at the 
breaking out of the war, and served during the 
entire war period. He was in many battles 
and once was shot through the lungs, and is 
still living in Toledo, Iowa. 

Mr. and Mrs. Saxton have a family of nine 
children, named as follows: Elva, John, 
Arthur, Lewis, i\Iary, Milford and Clififord 
(twins), Frank and Willard. The family oc- 
cupy a foremost place among the prominent 
old settlers of their locality, and have a pleas- 
ant home and enjoy the friendship and ac- 
quaintance of a host of people. 

Mr. Saxton was elected county commis- 
sioner in 1907, and is now serving in that ca- 
pacity. 



JOHN E. EXDERS. 

John E. Enders, one of the early settlers of 
Brown county, Nebraska, is now the owner 
of an extensive estate in that locality and has 
gained a comfortable competence and enviable 
name through his perseverance and strict hon- 
esty and integrity in word and deed. Mr. 
Enders was born on a farm near Cedar Rap- 
ids, Iowa, January 12, 1858. His father, Fred- 
erick Enders, a native of New York state, born 
in 1826, was a pioneer in Rock county, Wis- 
consin, and later in Lynn county, Iowa. He 
married Rachel M. Carnes, born in Mercer- 
ville, Pennsylvania, in 1828, of Irish extrac- 
tion ; they "had a family of two children, of 
whom our subject is the younger. He was 
reared and educated in Iowa, when a boy as- 
sisting his father in carrying on the farm 
work ; at the age of twenty-six years he came 
to Nebraska and settled in Brown county 
where he located Alay 30, 1884, on section 33, 
township 27, range 24, he and B. S. Sawyer 
being the first white men to settle in Lakeland. 
He "batched it" here for seven years, living in 
a sod shanty, engaging almost from the first 
in the stock business. He took a homestead 
and kept improving the place, putting up bet- 
ter buildings, fencing it and equipping his 
farm with all necessary machinery, and made 
a success of the work. In 1906 he built a fine 
two-story residence, fitted with many modern 
improvements and conveniences, and has one of 



846 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-\PHV 



the best houses in the locality. He also put up a 
commodious barn and cattle shed, together with 
wells, windmills, etc. His farm on the banks of 
Enders Lake is well supplied with good water, the 
lake, covering three hundred acres of land, is 
stocked with bass : altogether, this is one of the 
most valuable properties in the county. The 
ranch consists of one thousand two hundred 
and eighty acres of deeded land, with leases 
on eight hundred p;.res additional. Mr. End- 
ers' place is a great hunting and fishing resort. 
which he has fitted up for the convenience of 
his patrons, who come from all parts of the 
state. 

Mr. Enders was married June 25, 1891, to 
Miss Emma Day, daughter of L. F. Day, an 
old settler in Brown county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Enders have a family of four children, who are 
named as follows: Harry L., Fred L., Frank 
Graham and Helen R. Mr. Enders is active 
in local public aflfairs, and has held minor offices 
at different times. He is now serving as as- 
sessor in his district, and always takes an in- 
terest in whatever is for the advancement of 
conditions in his community. Politically he 
is a Democrat. Fraternally he holds member- 
ship in the Masonic and Pythian lodges in 
Ainsworth. 



AUGUST SUDMAN. 

August Sudman, who is one of the leading 
business men and financiers of Deuel county. 
Nebraska, conducts the leading general mer- 
chandise establishment at Oshkosh. He has 
always been prominent in local affairs, and has 
held the office of postmaster for the past four- 
teen years, resigning in 1908 on account of 
pressure of his business interests which makes 
it impossible for him to devote the necessary 
time to the work. He is widely known 
tliroughout the region, and is one of the most 
highly esteemed and respected men in this 
section of the country. 

Mr. Sudman was born in Germany Oc- 
tober 6, 1865. There were five children in 
his father's family, he being the youngest of 
three sons, all of whom arc now residing in 
western Nebraska, one a ranchman of Keith 
county, and the other living near our subject 
in Deuel county. The father and mother 
lived and died in their native county, and one 
sister still makes her home there. 

When our subject was a young man of 
seventeen years he came alone to .America, and 
located in western Nebraska, securing employ- 
ment on what is now known as the Persinger 
Cattle Ranch, near Lodgepole, and situated 



on Lodgepole creek, remaining with the outfit 
about two years. He filed on a homestead on 
section 10, township 13. range 44, proved up 
on the place, then sold out. leaving the farm 
in 1893. In that year he returned to Germany 
for a visit, remaining six months. During the 
early years of his residence here Mr. Sudman 
trailed sheep from Utah to western Nebraska, 
roughing it all over the country, and has seen 
every kind of frontier life. He also worked 
in his brother's store at Chappell for a time, 
but most of his time was spent in ranching. 

Upon his return from Germany in 1894, 
Mr. Sudman settled in the village of Oshkosh, 
establishing a general store, this being the 
first store there, and was under the firm name 
of A. Sudman & Co. Our subject was active 
manager of the business, and still retains that 
position, the company having built up an ex- 
tensive trade throughout the section, and are 
constantly increasing their patronage. A 
brother, Fred Sudman, is engaged in the same 
business at Chappell. Nebraska, and is also pros-' 
perous and successful, both being men of ex- 
ceptional ability, thrifty and shrewd. 

Mr. Sudman was married in Oshkosh. on 
June 6. 1897, to Miss Pearl Plummer, who is 
a native of Missouri, and whose father was a 
prominent old settler of Deuel county, locating 
here in 1888. Our subject's was the first wed- 
ding in the village of Oshkosh. and was at- 
tended by a host of friends of both bride and 
groom. 

Three children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Sudman, namely: Clj'de, Donald and 
Glenn, all attending the public schools. The 
family have a pleasant and comfortable home 
and are numbered among the popular mem- 
bers of the community, having a large circle of 
friends and acquaintances. 

Besides his town interests Mr. Sudman is 
interested in the ranching and stock business. 



NOTS AWR ANTS. 

The crentleman whose name heads this 
sketch occnnies a foremost nlace amon? the 
earlv settlers of western Nebraska, and has 
been encraeed in farming and other cnternri=:es 
in this retrion for more than a nuarter of a cen- 
tiirv nast. He is widolv known throujrh'^nt 
the countrv. is recoo-nized as a gentleman of 
active nubile snirit and worthv citizenshin. 
and is bichly esteemed bv all with whom he 
has had to do in a business or social wnv. 
Mr. .^wrants is at nresent eneaced in the 
liverv business in Ericson. and was proprietor 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



847 



of the Ericson Hotel which had a large patron- 
age, but was burnt down in October, 1907. 

Mr. Awrants is a native of Defiance county, 
Ohio, born in 1848. His parents were of 
Dutch and Irish descent and originally came 
from Pennsylvania, settling in Ohio in the 
days of its pioneerage. Our subject grew up 
in that state until a young man, then started 
for the western states, locating in Iowa where 
he was engaged in general farm work. In 
1881 he emigrated to Nebraska, taking up a 
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in 
Merrick county, on which he lived for six 
years, then sold out at a profit. After that 
he operated a ranch near Central City for two 
years, then removed to Palmer, Nebraska, and 
entered the employ of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy Railway as section foreman, 
and was connected with that road for fifteen 
years. 

Mr. Awrants embarked in the hotel busi- 
ness in 1907 and burnt out the same year. 
Regardless of this misfortune he has been very 
successful in his ventures. He is a thorough 
business man and well liked by all, one of the 
enterprising citizens of whatever community 
he is a member of, and enjoys the respect and 
esteem of all. 

Mr. Awrants was married in 1870 to Miss 
Mary Hadix, a native of Indiana, and after 
many years of happy married life Mrs. Aw- 
rants passed away February 7, 1901. They 
had eight children, namely: Stephen H., Clidy, 
Sarah, Mina, Hattie, Frona, Zora and Harvey 
H. Three of the children are deceased — 
Sarah, Mina and Clidy. The remaining 
children are all worthy citizens, and are mak- 
ing their own way in the world. Mr. Awrants 
remained a widower for three years, then was 
married to Mrs. Sarah Lockwood, widow of 
C. W. Lockwood. Our subject and his good 
wife are devoted members of the Christian 
church of Ericson. Politically he is a Prohi- 
bitionist. 



PERM AN CRAM B LET. 

A drive through the highly cultivated fields 
of section 23. township 31. range 53, in Sioux 
county, Nebraska, convinces one of the thrift 
enjoyed in that locality, and a visitor at the 
home of Mr. Perman Cramblet is impressed 
with the fact that careful management and 
honest industry are prominent characteristics 
of the owner of this farm, which highly culti- 
vated tract compares favorably with that of 
any place in the count^^ Mr. Cramblet re- 
sides in section 23, township 31, range 53, 



where he has gathered about him the comforts 
and many of the luxuries of rural life. 

The gentleman above named was born in 
Fulton county, Illinois, in 1854. His father, 
James F., was a blacksmith, of American blood, 
and he married Elizabeth Sommers, also a na- 
tive of this country, she born in ' Indiana. The 
family lived on a farm in Illinois, and there 
our subject was reared. In 1886 he came west 
to Nebraska, locating four miles south of the 
town of Crawford, taking up a pre-emption 
and later a homestead, and lived in that locality 
for fifteen years. He built up a good home 
and developed a fine farm, and in 1890 sold the 
place and for a time worked as a contractor. 

When he first struck this section of the 
country he freighted all through this part, and 
witnessed all the pioneer experiences, leading 
a typical frontiersman's existence for many 
years. 

Mr. Cramblet bought his present place in 
1903. This ranch consists of four hundred 
and eighty acres, all lying along the White 
river. It is well supplied with timber, rock, 
etc., for building, and there is a beautiful little 
lake in its grounds, supplied from natural 
springs, making it one of the most sightly lo- 
cations in the county. He has put up corrals and 
all necessary ranch buildings, as he runs a large 
number of cattle annually. 

In 1904 Mr. Cramblet filed on a Kincaid 
homestead of four hundred and eighty acres, 
on which he moved in section 31, township 6, 
range 3. He has put on many improvements 
and good buildings, and has a fine home here. 
His ranch home is called "Lake Ranch," and 
he uses that exclusively as a stock ranch, 
farming a part of his Kincaid farm. 

Our subject is called one of the substantial 
citizens of his community, who has always 
done all in his power to help build up the 
region, assisting in establishing schools and 
taking an active part in all local afi^airs of im- 
portance. Politically he is an Independent 
voter. 

Mr. Cramblet was united in marriage De- 
cember 16, 1880, to Rachel Hoxworth, of 
Knox county, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Cramblet have been born the following chil- 
dren : Adella, now Mrs. James Nester, and 
Clara, married to i^'. C. Thurman. 



JEREMIAH C. PERCY. 

Jeremiah C. Percy, the srenial postmaster 
of Paxton, Nebraska, although a recent comer 
to this section, is a typical westerner, and has 
passed many years on the frontier 



S48 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Percy was born in Franklin county, 
Ohio, December 15, 1839, where he was reared. 
His father, Joseph Percy, a farmer, was a 
native of New jersey, and died in Mercer 
county, Illinois. His mother, whose maiden 
name was Abigail Crane, was of old Puritan 
stock, and died in Ohio. The family moved 
to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1834, and in 1855 
to Illinois. At the breaking out of the Civil 
war, Mr. Percy crossed the Mississippi and en- 
listed in Company E, Seventh Iowa Infantry. 
\\'ith his regiment he saw service for many 
months, taking part in a number of engagements : 
he was at Ft. Donelson, in the battle of Shiloh, 
battle of Corinth, on the Atlantic campaign, 
and many minor encounters. On May 15, 
1864, he received a severe wound from which 
he recovered and rejoined his regiment in the 
Carolinas and participated in the grand review. 
In July, 1865. he received his discharge, re- 
turning to Illinois. From 1866 to 1882 Mr. 
Percy was engaged in farming in Peoria 
county, Illinois, then went into ^lissouri, lo- 
cating in Nodaway county, and there estab- 
lished a farm, which he operated for a number 
of years. He was very successful in that part 
of the country, and accumulated considerable 
property. In 1907 ]\Ir. Percy came to Keith 
county, settling in Paxton, where he was ap- 
pointed postmaster in December. He is also 
engaged in farming, having a tract of one 
thousand six hundred acres a short distance 
from the town, part of which is wild land and 
the balance improved ; part of this he has dis- 
tributed in his family. 

Mr. Percy married Miss Jennie C. Lowe, 
a native of New Hampshire, in Mercer county, 
Illinois, in 1867. They have three children, 
Elmer, who operates the farm near Paxton, 
Gertie, wife of Fred L. Bent, an employe of 
the Union Pacific Railroad at Paxton, and 
Silvia, who married Howard H. Holden, a cattle 
ranchman of Fontenelle, Wyoming. The 
daughters were brides of a double wedding 
solemnized November 19, 1908. 

In political views Mr. Percy is a Republican. 
He is an adherent to Christian Science, and is 
a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
We are pleased to call attention to a portrait of 
Mr. Percy and his good wife appearing on an- 
other page of this work. 



WILLIAM J. TAYLOR. 

William J. Taylor conducts a general mer- 
chandise store and deals in coal and grain in 
Brule, Keith county, Nebraska, where he has 



succeeded in building up a profitable and pros- 
perous business. 

He is a native of Huntingdon count)-, Penn- 
sylvania, where he was born on a farm Janu- 
ary 1, 1861, his ancestors being of mixed 
nationality, Irish, German and Scotch. His 
parents, William and Eliza (Lynn) Taylor, 
were reputable farmers in the Keystone state, 
where the mother still resides ; the father died 
there in 1892. 

The subject- of our sketch came west in 
1886, taking a homestead on section 6, town- 
ship 12, range 40, southwest of Brule, Keith 
county, Nebraska, where he lived first in a sod 
shanty. He proved up on his claim and re- 
turned to Pennsylvania where, from 1892 to 

1898, he was on the road as a traveling sales- 
man. In 1898 he returned to Keith county and 
resumed farming, which he continued until 

1899, when he established a general store at 
Brule, opening for business in September. 
There had been a store in the village from 
1884, a small struggling aflfair, but it did not 
meet the demands of the country. Our sub- 
ject had very little on which to start, but he 
believed the opening for a store was very 
promising and that it would only require close 
attention and careful buying to become estab- 
lished permanently. His capital consisted 01 
only forty-five dollars and five dollars of that 
he paid for an old stove, which is still in use. 
For a long time Mrs. Taylor ran the store and 
our subject worked on the section for the 
Union Pacific Railway Company, teaching 
through the winters, having been in the lat- 
ter employment twenty-three years. In this 
thrifty way they kept branching out and 
adding to their lines until they had a fine 
large stock in a building 25 .x 80 feet in size. 
In 1899 Mr. Taylor was appointed postmaster, 
a position he has continued to hold ever since. 

William J. Taylor was married, near Latta 
Grove, Pennsylvania, .September 29, 1885, to 
Miss Emma \\'alker. daughter of David and 
Leah (Dell) Walker, farmers of Pennsylvania. 
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have four children : 
Zelda. Fred, Ethel and Theodore; all except 
Fred, who was born in Pennsylvania, are na- 
tives of Nebraska. 

Mr. Taylor was county surveyor of Keith 
county for nine years, and he has always been 
active in matters of local importance. He has 
built up a good business from but a very small 
start and can truly be classed among the self- 
made men of the county. 

He is a Deiuocrat in politics and a luember 
of Ogallala Lodge. No. 274, Independent Order 
nf Odd Fellows. 

\\'e publish portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Tay- 




MR AND MRS. J. C. PERCY. 




MR. AND MRS. W. J. TAYLOR. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



849 



lor in this work from photographs taken about 
the time of their coming: to Nebraska. 



ERNEST E. BOWDEN. 

The gentleman named above resides in sec- 
tion 10, township 34, range 26, of Cherry 
county, where he has a pleasant home, and is 
recognized as one of the successful and pros- 
perous agriculturists of this locality. 

Mr. Bowden was born in Winnebago City, 
]\Iinnesota, April 17, 1865; he being the fourth 
in a family of eleven children. The father was 
of English descent and the mother, Elizabeth 
(McGowan) Bowden, was an American by 
birth. The father, Richard Bowden. served in a 
Minnesota regiment during the late Civil war. 
He was a farmer by occupation, and reared 
his family of eleven cliildren in the country. 
In 1880 he came to Nebraska, and for two years 
he was manager of the Deer Park Hotel. 
Then for a time he had charge of a govern- 
ment saw mill and later he bought a farm near 
O'Neil. He died at Norfolk in 1907. At the 
age of ten years our subject began working 
out at whatever he could get to do in order to 
earn his own living and take the burden of his 
support from his parents, and while a mere 
lad often took a man's work on farms in the 
vicinity of his home. In 1881 he came to 
Cherry county, landing at Fort Niobrara on 
November 10. Here he carried mail to Boil- 
ing Springs for twelve weeks, making one 
trip each week, over a rough road beset by 
many dangers. He then joined a surveying 
party, traveling three hundred and twenty 
miles west of Fort Niobrara, and in the early 
winter of 1882 returned to Cherry county, 
where he remained through the summer of the 
following year. He then entered the employ 
of James M. Thatcher, who was running the 
post trader's store at Fort Niobrara, and re- 
mained at the post until 1889. About 1892 he 
bought his present homestead of three hundred 
and twenty acres, of which there were ninety 
acres broken, the balance being in hay and pas- 
ture land. On this he has built a fine residence 
and a complete set of substantial farm buildings, 
with fences enclosing his entire farm. He 
has planted a large number of trees, has a fine 
orchard growing and keeps some stock. He 
has been very successful in his farming and 
stockraising enterprises, notwithstanding the 
hard times he has experienced since coming 
to Cherry county. However, by perseverance, 
he has succeeded to a marked degree and is 
now owner of a fine estate, a good home and 



farm. He was one of the first men to settle 
in this county, and knows only two men who 
were here ahead of him. He has always done 
all he could to build up his home and aid in 
developing the locality, and thus has helped in 
the growth of his county. 

Mr. Bowden was married December 22, 
1889, to Miss Ida Archer, daughter of Lewis 
and Agnes (McCall) Archer, of American 
stock, and old settlers in Cherry county, com- 
ing to this region in 1884, where he built up a 
good home and farm, and raised his family. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bowden have a family of four 
children, namely : Virginia Belle, Freeman 
Jasper, Lillie and Charles Clarence. 

AJr. Bowden is active in all school aiTairs 
in his district, and lends his influence toward 
the forwarding of everything that tends to the 
advancement of educational and commercial 
conditions in his community. He has never 
held any office, takes a keen interest in local 
and national afTairs, and is an intelligent and 
well-read man who keeps abreast of the times. 
Politically he is a Republican. 



J. A. NORRIS. 



J. A. Norris, one of the successful farmers 
and stockmen of Williamsburg township, is a 
prominent and highly respected citizen of that 
locality. 

Mr. Norris was born in 1860. He came to 
Saunders county, Nebraska, with his parents 
when a lad of ten years, locating in Williams- 
burg township in 1885. He is now the pro- 
prietor of four hundred acres of river bottom 
land in sections 13 and 7 on the Platte river, 
which he devotes to grain raising. His crops 
show a yield of twenty-two bushels of wheat 
to the acre, corn fifty, oats fifty to sixty bush- 
els, which is considered a very good average. 
He runs from one hundred and fifty to three 
hundred hogs on his place. Several years ago 
he was engaged in raising full-blooded Poland 
China hogs, but now has mixed breeds, but is 
breeding back to Poland Chinas, as he con- 
siders they develop quicker, and it takes less- 
feed to keep them fat. His drove of hogs now 
are a fine lot, and in splendid condition. He 
also has a large bunch of polled Durham cat- 
tle, marketing a carload last spring. He keeps 
fifty cows, and makes a specialty of fresh 
milch cows, which he sells on the spring 
market, also feeding about eighty head of 
steers each year. All the feed which he raises 
on his farm is fed out at home, and he finds 
mixed farming and stock raising a great sue- 



850 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



cess here in Nebraska, which he thinks is the 
best state he ever struck for this business, and 
he has had plenty of experience. He has fine 
buildings on his farm, and every improvement 
necessary for conducting a model farm. He 
has a fine orchard, and successfully grows the 
most delicious fruits such as apples, peaches, 
plums and grapes, the latter being of the 
finest quality to be found on the market. 

Mr. Norris' fine property and entire pos- 
sessions have been acquired by hard labor and 
good management, supplemented by strict hon- 
esty of word and deed. , 

He was married in 1880 to Miss Rene 
Tower, and to them have been born three 
daughters, as follows: Clara, Adaline and 
Zelda. 



WILLIAM McGANNON. 

William McGannon, who has made an en- 
viable record as a farmer and stock raiser, the 
result of his own toil and economy, and a man 
who enjoys the respect and confidence of a 
host of warm friends in the community in 
which his useful life is passing, was born m 
the city of Wheeling, West \'irginia, in 1858. 
His father, David McGannon, was a butcher. 
Both of his parents were natives of Ireland. 
When our subject was but a boy the family 
came to Minnesota, settling in Olmstead 
county, near Winona. His father opened the 
first butcher shop in Rochester, Minnesota, 
and also conducted a dray line. Here our sub- 
ject spent his boyhood days on the frontier. 

When Mr. McGannon was seventeen years 
of age he left his home in Minnesota, and re- 
turning to West Virginia, attending school at 
St. Vincenfs College. Some time later he 
conducted a butcher shop at Lanesborough. 
and after a time opened a shop of his own at 
Fountain, Minnesota, where he bought and 
shipped stock. He also conducted a butcher 
shop at Canton, Minnesota, for about seven 
years. 

In 1891 Mr. McGannon came to Dawes 
county, Nebraska, took a homestead and 
bought some land, and engaged in the raising 
of cattle and sheep. In 1898 he came to his 
present ranch in the Pine Ridge, where he has 
erected a substantial and comfortable house 
in section 19, township 31, range 49. He se- 
cured adjoining land, and now has six thou- 
sand five hundred acres of deeded land, all of 
which is fenced and cross fenced. He has 
six miles along the Trunk Butte creek and 
two miles on the Indian creek. There is a 
small stream three quarters of a mile in length 



which rises on his ranch. Mr. McGannon has 
one thousand acres of land under cultivation, 
and has five hundred acres of the finest timber 
to be found in Dawes county. He has erected 
substantial and commodious buildings, and en- 
gages extensively in the raising of horses and 
hogs. Since acquiring this land, he has greatly 
improved it, and has purchased modern agri- 
cultural implements to assist him in making 
his place one of the most modern and pro- 
ductive in western Nebraska. He has a gaso- 
line engine on his farm and also a steam engine 
and plow. 

^Ir. McGannon and Miss Jane Davis were 
married at Fountain, Minnesota, January 19, 
1880. She is a daughter of Patrick and Brid- 
get Davis, native of Ireland. Two children 
came to bless this union, George Arthur and 
David Edward. 

In politics Mr. McGannon is a Democrat. 
A more enthusiastic or public spirited citizen 
of Dawes county could not be found, for from 
his start in this locality Mr. McGannon has 
taken an active part in all matters of local 
interest, and is a firm believer in the future 
of Dawes county. His efforts to get a rail- 
road to the table-land of the county have been 
untiring. From the crops raised on his culti- 
vated land he has demonstrated that there are 
places in Dawes county where the land is as 
fertile and valuable, and can be made to pro- 
duce as much as irrigated land. 

As an entertainer and enthusiastic story- 
teller, Mr. .McGannon has few equals. Up- 
right and honorable in all his dealings, he has 
manifested on all occasions a high integrity 
and a strict adherence to principle. Mr. Mc- 
Gannon has recently become proprietor of the 
Pleasant View Sanitarium, an important hot 
springs health resort, at Thermopolis. Wyom- 
ing, whence he has removed, leaving his sons 
to operate his ranching interests in Dawes 
county, Nebraska. 



EILERT IIEERTEX. 

Jiilert Heerten, residing on section 6, town- 
ship v^4, range 22. is one of the prosperous and 
influential agriculturists of Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska. Mr. Heerten was born in the prov- 
ince of Hanover, Germany, January 21. 1847, 
the fifth of a family of eight children, and has 
spent all his life on a farm. His father, S. 
Heerten, never left his native land, where both 
he and his wife died. Mr, Heerten sailed from 
the port of Bremen in the vessel New York in 
1869 and on arrival in the new world proceeded 
to Illinois, where he worked for a number of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



8: 1 



years on farms in Woodford, Mason and 
Menard counties before coming to Nebraska. 
He landed here in February, 1885, and took a 
homestead in section 6, township 34, range 22, 
and still occupies that place. He at once built 
a sod house, the total cost of which was one 
dollar and sixty cents, and he and his family 
lived in it for thirteen years, then he erected a 
fine frame dwelling. He has added to his 
farm until he now owns two thousand four 
hundred and eighty acres of deeded land, and 
cultivates three hundred acres, running about 
one hundred and fifty head of cattle and twenty 
horses. When he came here he had but one 
team and a wagon and five dollars in money, 
so he feels well repaid for his labors in this 
part of the country. During the dry years he 
often became discouraged and wanted to leave, 
but could get no bid on his place and was 
obliged to stay. He lost four crops by drouth, 
and has been hailed out eight times in the time 
he has lived here, seven of the icy downpours 
occurring within fourteen years. The second 
year he lived here was the hardest he ever saw. 
He tried working on the railroad on the Loup 
river to get enough money to support his 
family. In 1905 he sold seven loads of hogs 
and eight hundred dollars' worth of cattle, 
which shows that he finds stock raising a very 
profitable enterprise. 

In 1871 our subject married IMiss Amke 
Rademaker, born in Germany, who came to 
America in 1868. They have five children, 
namely : John, Richard, Frank, Edward and 
Bessie, all living at home at present. 

Mr. Heerten has been school director of his 
district for the past eighteen years. In po- 
litical faith he is usually Democratic. While 
reared in the Lutheran church, there being no 
congregation near, the famil}- now worship 
with the Methodists. 



LEWIS EROTT. 

Lewis Brott. who occupies a foremost place 
among the pioneer settlers of Cheyenne 
county, is one of the extensive land owners of 
Trognitz precinct. He has passed nearly a 
quarter of a century here and during that time 
has not only witnessed a wonderful transfor- 
mation, but has been a potent factor in produc- 
ing the same. He is known throughout the 
county as a citizen of sterling worth and a 
farmer and ranchman of intelligence and enter- 
prise. 

Mr. Brott was born six miles from Victoria, 
Knox county, Illinois, on October 14, 1861, and 
remained in that vicinity up to 1885. His 



father was a farmer there and our subject was 
raised and educated in the country, the whole 
family later coming to Nebraska, where both 
father and mother died in 1906. Here they 
had acquired three hundred and twenty acres 
in section 14, township 16, range 52. They 
were well known throughout the region, and 
held in the highest esteem by all who knew 
them. There were seven children in the fam- 
ily of whom four survive. Lewis being the fourth 
child in order of birth ; two brothers reside in 
Denver and the fourth is in California. When 
Lewis was twenty-four years of age he migrated 
to Dawson county, Nebraska, and spent a year 
there, then came on to Cheyenne county, locating 
in Potter in the spring of the following vear, 
where he engaged in the mercantile business 
in partnership with his brother Andrew ; they 
enjoyed a good trade throughout the surround- 
ing country, and carried on the establishment 
for five years. In 1890 our subject went to 
Denver, where for a time he followed contract- 
ing and building in partnership with his 
brothers and then went into the mountains 
hunting and prospecting. Although they lo- 
cated mineral it was not in sufficient quantities 
and their mining operations were discontinued. 

In the spring of 1895 Mr. Brott returned 
to Cheyenne county, purchased a quarter sec- 
tion of land in section 14, adjoining his father's 
homestead with the proceeds of a timber 
claim which he owned. He has an interest in 
the parents' homestead, where he has built a 
two-story, seven-room dwelling, together with 
stables and sheds sufficient for sheltering the 
necessary stock. He has one hundred and 
fifty acres under cultivation, with over a hun- 
dred acres of fine alfalfa, raising this princi- 
pally for the seed from which he realized a 
handsome profit, having obtained as high as 
thirty-five dollars per acre for the seed alone, 
besides having the hay for use on his ranch. 
He is progressive and up-to-date in his meth- 
ods of operating his ranch, and has experi- 
mented with dift'erent grains, striving to get 
the most out of the soil, being very successful 
in his experiments. 

;\Ir. Brott has always taken an active part 
in local afi'airs. and is a gentleman of true citi- 
zenship and progressiveness. In 1908 he was 
appointed deputy assessor, ana is still serving 
in that capacity. He is a staunch Democrat 
and lends his influence for good government, 
local and national. 



DA\qD w. ha:\iaker. 

David W. Hamaker, who resides in section 
5, township 29, range 54, Sioux county, Ne- 



COMPENDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



braska, is an old settler in that region, and a 
gentleman of intelligence and enterprise, who 
has acquired a good property and the esteem 
and respect of his fellowmen. He has made 
section 5, township 29, range 54, his home 
for many j-ears, and owns and occupies a pleas- 
ant home and farm. 

Mr. Hamaker was born in 1863, in Andrew 
county, Missouri. His father, Daniel, was a 
farmer and mechanic, and one of the earliest 
settlers in Kansas, where he lived with his 
family fur many years; the father died there 
in 1871, and the following j^ear our subject 
with his mother went to Iowa to reside. They 
located in Marshall county, and there he grew 
to manhood, working at whatever he could 
find to do during those years to help support 
his mother and the younger children. In 1884 he 
returned to Kansas and spent four years in 
Dickinson county, where he worked on a farm, 
then came to Nebraska and started to work at 
Fort Robinson. He soon afterwards secured 
employment as a cow boy and followed that 
occupation during the years 1890- '91, traveling 
on the range near Whistle creek. He next 
took up a tree claim situated three miles south of 
his present location, and remained on it for 
several years, coming to the ranch he now oc- 
cupies in 1900, which he filed on as a home- 
stead. Here he started to improve, putting up 
good buildings, fencing it, and gradually was 
able to buy land adjoining until he acquired 
a nice tract consisting of six hundred and 
forty acres, all good land, and this he has well 
stocked with cattle and other stock, horses and 
the best breed of Hereford cattle and he has 
quite a large bunch of both. 

Mr. Hamaker has done splendidly since lo- 
cating here, and is a thoroughly industrious and 
energetic ranchman, employing modern methods 
in operating his place, from which he derives a 
nice income each year. He has always been 
active in local aflfairs of importance, serving as 
precinct assessor for two or three terms, always 
standing for the best interests of his community. 



PETER S. PETERSON. 

Peter S. Peterson, residing in section 23, 
township 18. range 43, of Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, is one of the leading farmers and stock- 
raisers in that portion of the state. He was 
born in Denmark on the 6th day of May, 1850, 
and is the fifth child of the nine children with 
which his parents were blessed. 

As a lad of twenty-two years he emigrated 
to America in 1872 and arrived at Chicago on 
Mav 24 1872, where he remained one year. Not 



liking the life in a big city, he remained in Chi- 
cago one year only, and went to Racine, Wis- 
•consin, in 1873. There he remained about six 
years, but even there the country was not to 
his tastes and he concluded to try his luck in 
Iowa, and in 1879 he removed to Pottawatto- 
mie county, where he remained until 1887. 

This proved to be the year which should 
decide his future life. He came to old Chey- 
enne county (now Deuel county), Nebraska, 
and took up a pre-emption of one hundred and 
sixty acres and also one hundred and sixty 
acres of timber claim, he also homesteaded on 
the southwest quarter of section 23. in town- 
ship 18. range 43, which up to the present date 
is considered the home ranch, Mr. Peterson 
having in the meanwhile acquired one thousand 
five hundred acres of land, of which about five 
hundred acres are under cultivation. 

Mr. Peterson has had a varied experience 
since he settled in western Nebraska, and suc- 
cess did not come immediately ; he had to 
undergo all the hardships of an early settler 
while on the Blue creek and Antelope Valley, 
being compelled to haul his supplies fifty-five 
miles, get his mail from Ogallala, and when he 
built his cabin he had to haul the wood for 
that purpose a hundred miles or more. 

Hard labor and persistence led to Mr. 
Peterson's success ; he has run large herds in 
the past and to-day his sons, Henry and Clar- 
ence, have the handling of about seven hun- 
dred head of cattle and fifty horses in their 
own right and title. 

Mr. Peterson was married to Lena Hanson, 
she being the oldest of eleven children, and was 
born in Denmark coming to America with her 
parents when seven years old. Her parents 
are living at present in Racine, Wisconsin. 

The wedding ceremony took place in Chi- 
cago, July 3. 1876; they have five children, of 
whom George, Henry and Clarence are mar- 
ried, while Dora and Charlie are single. All 
of them live in Deuel county. 

Mr. Peterson's farm is well improved, 
while he himself is well and favorably known, 
and is one of the respected citizens of western 
Nebraska, while Mrs. Peterson is holding the 
office of postmaster of Hutchinson, which is 
located on the Peterson ranch. 

Mr. Peterson has retired from the active 
operation of his ranch, a large part of it is 
leased and Mr. Peterson is enjoying a well 
earned rest. George, his oldest son, owns one 
thousand acres of land and it is improved with 
good and niddcrn buildings, fenced and well 
e(|uipped. He has fifty head of cattle and 
five horses. He has done his full share in the 
community, taking an active part in all ques- 



COMPENDIU^I OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



853 



tions of public interest, and through industry 
and perseverance now owns one- of the most 
desirable ranches in western Nebraska. 



CORNELIUS FENWICK. 

Cornelius Fenwick is postmsater of Key- 
stone, Nebraska, a station on the Union Pacific 
railroad on the north side of the North Platte 
river in Keith count3^ Mr. Fenwick has been 
one of the largest ranchers and stockmen in 
this region, but has moved to Keystone for 
the purpose of living somewhat retired after 
a long, successful and and busy life. He has 
well earned the rest he now seeks. 

Cornelius Fenwick is of English birth, his 
nativity being in the village of Appleby, Lin- 
colnshire, v\diere he was born December 24, 
184v^. His parents, Edward and Ellen Fen- 
wick, lived and died in England, where the 
father followed farm labor during his entire 
life. 

Our subject was reared in the land of his 
birth, remaining there engaged in farm labor 
until 1869, when he came to America, sailing 
from Liverpool in the City of Wisconsin ; 
the voyage was a long one, three weeks, owing 
to terrific storms and delay owing to rescumg 
the crew of a sinking vessel they encountered 
on the way. He landed in New York and for 
a time worked in the mines near Dover, New 
Jersey; in the spring of 1870 he went to Will 
county, Illinois, where he resided three years, 
performing farm labor for two years and then, 
after marriage, farming on rented land. Thence 
he went to Indiana, where he made his home 
in Newton and Jasper counties, renting a 
farm until the spring of 1880. when he went 
to Polk county, Nebraska, where he lived on 
rented land near Stromsburg until the fall of 
1883, at which time he came to Keith county, 
taking a homestead three and a half miles south 
of Ogallala. There our subject lived about 
four years and then "commuted" on his farm. 
In 1887 he came to the North Platte river val- 
ley and located on a pre-emption, which he 
later changed into a homestead on which he 
proved up and received a patent to his land. 
The homestead was the southeast quarter of 
section 30, township 15, range iJ. and here 
our subject lived until 1906, when he moved to 
Keystone, building the first house in the vil- 
lage. Mr. Fenwick's earliest residence in the 
county was built of sod, and as with all the 
early pioneers he witnessed many hard times 
owing to drouth and other adverse causes. On 
his farm south of Ogallala. he had the first 
deep well in that whole region. He cut the 



first grain ever cut in that country in 1885, 
this being a crop of rye that threshed eighteen 
bushels to the acre. He also shelled the first 
corn in the vicinity of Ogallala, running the 
small sheller all over the country, and was the 
pioneer in many things in that region. Mr. 
Fenwick was first appointed postmaster of 
Keystone when that office was established in 
1891 and he has held the position ever since. 
He has sold his leases of range land, retaining 
only six hundred and forty acres and his pur- 
pose is to spend his declining years in Key- 
stone, living a somewhat retired life. When 
in active ranching Mr. Fenwick ran as high ' 
as high as three hundred cattle at times. 

April 6, 1873, was celebrated the marriage 
of Cornelius Fenwick with Miss Mary Ann 
Fell, a native of Canada and the daughter of 
James Fell, a native of England. Mr. and 
Mrs. Fenwick have six children, — Ellen, mar- 
ried Joseph Jones, now residing at St. Johns, 
near Portland, Oregon ; James E., ranching 
five miles from Ogallala in Conduit Valley : the 
well on his place is four hundred and thirty- 
five feet deep ; Amy, married Alonzo Jones, 
residing between the North and South Platte 
rivers : Charles R., conducting the old home 
place ; \\'illiam purchased land in Saskatche- 
wan, Canada, and removed there in 1909 ; and 
Pearl May, wife of Fred Dean, also an immi- 
grant to Canada. 

Cornelius Fenwick was one of the very 
earliest pioneers of Keith county and through- 
out the years has taken an influential place 
among the thrifty and progressive citizens, per- 
forming well his part in the onward march 
of material development. He has held various 
offices of trust within the gift of the people, 
always serving with fidelity and righteous pur- 
pose. He has been road overseer and county 
assessor three or four terms, and has been a 
great factor in the establishment and main- 
tenance of the schools where he has lived. 
Mr. Fenwick is a Republican in politics, and a 
member of the Episcopal church. On another 
page we are pleased to present a view of Mr. 
Fenwick's ranch buildings and also his dwell- 
ing in Keystone, together with the librarv and 
chapel, both of which he was instrumental in 
establishing and which he liberally helps to 
maintain. 



ANDREW P. OLESEN. 

One of the old settlers of Cherry county. 
Andrew P. Olesen, resides on his pleasant es- 
tate in section 9, township 32, range 40. 

IMr. Olesen was born in Denmark. Mav 1, 



^54 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1859. and was reared and educated there. His 
father and mother were old country farmers, 
and have never left Denmark, the father dying 
in 1907. In 1903 they celebrated their golden 
wedding, and our subject was one of the guests 
at that reunion. His boyhood days were spent 
on hi.'^ father's farm until he started out for 
himself. Sailing from Glasgow, having crossed 
to Scotland, in an Anchor line steamer, he 
landed in New York March 1, 1884. locating 
in Iowa. He went to work on a farm at a 
salary of sixteen dollars per month, and re- 
mained there for two years. In 1886 he came 
to Sheridan county and settled southeast of 
Gordon. After a short time he sold this, buy- 
ing and selling other property for a number 
of years, until in 1892 he bought his present 
home of eighteen hundred acres. This is part- 
ly range and partly farming land, and he now 
has under cultivation about two hundred and 
fifty acres, runs one hundred head of stock, 
and has his place well improved with good 
buildings and fences. During the dry years 
he was unable to do much farming, and this 
time was spent in the hills, getting started 
in the cattle business, of which he has made 
a marked success. 

^Ir. Olesen was never married, and his ex- 
periences during the years he has "batched 
it" have 'been many and varied, but he now 
employs a man with his wife on his farm, 
which relieves him of many of the smaller de- 
tails incidental to the proper working of a farm 
home. 

Mr. Olesen is an Independent voter, with a 
leaning toward the Republican party, and a 
Lutheran in religious faith. 



GEORGE H. HALLIGAN. 

George H. Halligan, a well known and suc- 
cessful farmer and ranchman of section 26, 
township 13, range 40, is one of the early 
settlers of the region, and one of the worthy 
citizens of Keith county. He was born near 
the citv of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Febrnarv 
10, 1859. 

The father of our subject, James Halligan, 
a farmer all his life, was a native of Ireland. 
His wife. Elizabeth Cassel. was also born and 
raised in that country. They came with their 
family to Otoe county. Nebraska, in 1868. 
George was raised in Nebraska on the fron- 
tier, assisting his parents in carrying on the 
hf)mc farm from the time he was a small boy, 
receiving a limited education by attendance 
at the district schools in the vicinity of his 
home. He started for himself at the asfe of 



twenty-five years, when he, with a brother, 
John J. Halligan, came to Keith county, ar- 
riving in 1884. Their trading point during 
their early residence here was Ogallala, and 
there our subject carried on a land agency to 
some extent, traveling through the surround- 
ing country, making that town his headquar- 
ters. He took a homestead in 1886 two miles 
southeast of Ogallala, and succeeded in devel- 
oping a good farm, going through all the pio- 
neer experiences while living there, but re- 
mained in the vicinity up to 1904, when he 
moved to his present location on section 26, 
township 13, range 40. Here he has a farm 
of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he 
has put good improvements in the way of 
buildings, fences, wells and windmills. He 
engages in farming principally, although he 
has a small herd of stock. 

Mr. Halligan first married Miss Nora Hen- 
dershot, who was the mother of a daughter, 
Lottie, now teaching near \\'allace, in Lincoln 
county. The second wife. Mary Glynn, was 
born in the village of P>alltore, Ireland. She 
is the mother of four children — Francis. Lila, 
Henry and Deloris. 

They have a comfortable home and are 
highly respected as good neighbors and worthy 
citizens, Mr. Halligan taking a commendable 
interest in local affairs. He is a Democrat po- 
litically and a member of the Ogallala lodge, 
Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Halligan 
was reared a Catholic while the good wife is a 
'member of the Episcopal church. 



W1LLL\:\1 J. JOHNSON. 

As a citizen of worth and a man of indus- 
trious and energetic character this gentleman 
is well known to the residents of Pox Butte 
county. He has studied the needs of his com- 
munity for many years and has always been 
found standing on the side of right and doing 
his part toward promoting the public welfare. 
He is a resident of section 17. township 25, 
range 50. and is owner of one of the valuable 
estates of that locality. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Caldwell county, 
Missouri, in 18.'i9. His father, John, was of 
English birth, a farmer by occupation, and fol- 
lowed that calling all his life. He married 
F. A. Wilkinson, also born and raised in Eng- 
land. They came to America in 1856, settled 
on a farm in Missouri, moving to Illinois in 
1860, and there our subject was reared and 
educated. He lived at home with his parents 
until he was eighteen years old. then started 
for himself, locating in Harrison county. Iowa. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



855 



There he learned the mason's trade and fol- 
lowed that work in Iowa, and later in Nebras- 
ka for many years. In 1888 he came to Ne- 
braska and settled in Alliance, where he 
worked at his trade up to 1884, then came to 
his present location. This ranch is situated 
eighteen miles northwest of Alliance. During 
the first two years the family occupied a sod 
house, and he worked faithfully improving the 
place, putting up good farm buildings, fencing 
the land, etc. He met with pretty good suc- 
cess from the start, both in farming and stock 
raising, and is now owner of a fine estate con- 
sisting of five thousand acres, running a large 
herd of cattle and sheep. He cultivates about 
one hundred acres, and raises splendid crops 
of grain, and altogether has one of the finest 
improved farms in this region. 

In 1882 Mr. Johnson was married to Julia 
Arion, daughter of John Arion, a farmer who 
spent many years farming in both Illinois and 
Iowa. Seven children have been born to IMr. 
Johnson and his estimable wife, who are 
named as follows : Ira E.. Clyde T., Br3'ce L., 
Hazel J., Fern, Teddy Rexford and Pearl. 
They form a most interesting and congenial 
family group and their home is one of the pleas- 
ant and bright spots to the traveler in the county. 
Mr. Johnson had the sad misfortune to lose 
his wife the 25th of January, 1908. 

Politically our subject is a Republican. 



MICHAEL KERNAN. 

Michael Kernan, for the past thirty years 
a prominent resident of Rock county, Nebras- 
ka, is proprietor of a fine farm and home along 
the west border of the county. He has been 
identified with the agricultural interests of that 
locality until a history of its development 
would be incomplete without mention of his 
labors there and the pioneer experiences 
through which he has passed. 

]\Ir. Kernan was born in County Cavan, 
Ireland, in 1840. His father, Michael, Sr., was 
a hatter by trade and never left his native 
land, while his mother died when he was a 
yiiung lad and of whom he has but a faint 
memory. Our subject was married in 186.^ and 
came to America with his bride, who was Miss 
^lary Savage, reared in the vicinity of his 
home, where they were schoolmates during 
childhood. The young couple sailed from Dun- 
dock for Liverpool and thence on the Royal 
Hybernia for New York, and after a voyage 
of fourteen days they made a temporary land- 
ing at Portland. Maine, which at that time 
contained onlv a half dozen houses. From 



New York they went to Mahanoy City, Penn- 
sylvania, where he worked in the coal mines, 
receiving fifteen dollars per week, and con- 
tinued at this for three years. They then went 
to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, where he again 
entered the coal mines, and spent nine years 
there, coming to O'Neill, Nebraska, in 1876, 
when there were but two houses in the town. 
They lived there for two 3'-ears, enduring grass- 
hopper raids and drouths, then came to Rock 
county, Nebraska, settling on Long Pine creek, 
where he put up a log house in which they 
lived seven years. There he went through 
many pioneer experiences, freighting his pro- 
visions from O'Neill to Long Pine. They lost 
several crops by grasshoppers and drouths, 
withal having a hard time to make a living. 
In 1885 he left his first homestead and lo- 
cated on his present farm in section 9, town- 
ship 30, range 20, where he has built up a good 
home and farm of three hundred acres, all 
good land, and engages principally in raising 
small grain and stock. He has good buildings 
and fences, together with a fine grove of for- 
est trees on the place, having taken it up as 
a timber claim. Besides the forest trees he 
has about two hundred fruit trees, including 
apples and small fruits. 

Mr. Kernan's family consists of himself 
and seven children, namely: Maggie, Lizzie, 
Bridget, Nora, Josie, James and Julia. Mr. 
Kernan's wife died May 1, 1905, and he has 
also lost three children, Michael and Mary, 
who were killed in a hailstorm which swept 
their locality while still living at O'Neill, about 
the year 1873, and Katie, whose demise oc- 
curred in Rock county. 

Mr. Kernan is one of the leading old-timers 
of this part of the state, and has been most 
active in assisting in the development of his 
community. He is a strong Bryan man, and 
hopes to see that gentleman president at some 
near future date. The family are all adher- 
ents of the Catholic church. 



SILAS SILLASEN. 

Silas Sillasen is a native of the village of 
Andrup, province of Jutland. Denmark, where 
he was born November 2, 1865. His father, 
Morton Sillasen, was a farmer and stock raiser 
in Denmark, where his entire life was spent. 
The mother, who was Maren .A.ndersen. still 
resides on the old home farm in Jutland. 

Our subject was reared on a farm in his 
native country and came to America in March, 
1882, sailing from Esbjerg to Newcastle, Eng- 
land, and thence to Liverpool, where he em- 



8^6 



COMPENDimi OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



barked, landing: at Boston after a stormy pas- 
sage of seventeen days, having put into Halifax 
en route. Without delay he came west to Ne- 
braska, having read something of the state 
when a boy at school. A man who had worked 
for the father was somewhere in the western 
part of the state, so Silas came to North Platte 
and found the man for whom he sought. He 
later came on to Lincoln county and worked 
on the John Bratt & Company's ranch as a 
cowboy. He worked for this company in what 
was then a very new country for twelve years 
up to 1896. During this time, in 1888, he took 
a homestead in Lincoln county, on which he 
proved up, but continued working as a cow- 
bov, roughing it and camping out both win- 
ter and summer, his duties requiring him to 
ride all over southwestern Nebraska and into 
Wyoming. In 1896 he settled on his present 
fine farm in section 4, township 14, range 37, 
on the North Platte river, where he now has 
six hundred and forty acres. He owns first- 
class improvements and has an establishment 
of which he may well feel proud. He was the 
first in this part of the country to purchase 
railroad land at ten dollars an acre, the price 
seeming too high at that time, but his judg- 
ment has proved to be good. He was the first, 
too. to purchase twenty-dollar land. 

Mr. Sillasen was married in 1891 to Miss 
Ella Graham, but his good helpmeet died in 
1894, leaving a son, Andrew, a fine, manly lad, 
who resides with his grandmother at Pleas- 
antville, Iowa, where he is caring for her in 
ber extreme old age, as she did for him in his 
infancy. He has developed a talent for busi- 
ness and has, although but sixteen, earned a 
horse and buggy by his own eiTorts. 

Our subject has had many hard experiences 
during his pioneer life, has fought prairie fires 
many times day and night in order to save 
bis property from utter loss, but he has worked 
bis way to success and a comfortable compe- 
tency, a creditable showing for a foreign-born 
lad who had nothing but his hands and brain 
for his beginning. He has done his share to- 
ward the material development of the commu- 
nity and is respected by every one as a gen- 
erous and public-spirited citizen. He is a Dem- 
ocrat in politics and was reared in the Lu- 
theran church. He is a member of the Ogal- 
lala lodge. Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- 
sons. Five of the family have come to the 
country and have filled honorable stations in 
life. Silas, the eldest, was first to come. An- 
drew died by accident while on the range. 
Jens, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in 
this work; Louis, who is assistant cashier in 
the Citizens' Bank of Ogallala, has served as 



deputy county treasurer. He has attended the 
L'niversity of Lincoln. John is engaged in 
railroad work in Laramie. Peter, a cousin, 
is engaged in the meat business at Keystone. 



CHRISTOPHER ABBOTT. 

Should the reader of this volume ask for 
the name of a representative Irish-American 
citizen and a foremost pioneer of Nebraska, 
the name of the man who embodies in him- 
self the best traits of the old country charac- 
ter and who has entered thoroughly into the 
hopes and ambitions of modern America, the 
gentleman whose name heads this sketch 
might well be givep him. ^Ir. Abbott has 
been here through the pioneer days of this 
region, when a visit to his cabin by redskins 
and the prowls of wild beasts were no in- 
frequent occurrence, and he can recite with 
accuracy and interest man}- thrilling tales of 
life in this section of the country in the early 
days of his residence here. 

Christopher Abbott was born in Tipperary 
county, Ireland, in 1824. and his parents were 
born in Ireland, passing their entire days there, 
and died in New Zealand, their native land. 
Our subject lived in the vicinity of his birth- 
place until he was twenty-one years of age, 
then came to America, taking passage on an 
emigrant ship and landing in Quebec in 1838. 
He came directly to Chicago, Illinois, and 
spent about ten years in that city, working 
at fishing on the lakes mostly. 

Mr. Abbott was married there to Mary 
W'oods, who was of English descent, and in 
1867 the family moved to Iowa, settling in 
Woodbury and Fremont counties, where they 
passed through pioneer experiences. They 
moved to Wabasha county, Minnesota, spent a 
short time there, then went to Montana, 
where he was engaged in the mining business 
for a time. He finally returned to Iowa, spent 
a few months there, then with his family 
moved to western Kansas in the spring of 
1875. 

In 188.5 our subject came to Nebraska and 
took up a location in the sand hills. He drove 
from Kansas through the wild C(.Hintry to his 
new home, the family riding in the covered 
wagon, also containing their household goods 
and driving a few head of cattle. The trip 
took many days, and they camped out at night 
along the way, cooking their meals over camp- 
fires and suffering many inconveniences and 
exposures due In changes in the weather, etc. 
Their first settlement was made southwest of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



857 



where Whitman now stands, and he started to 
open a farm, putting up a rude shanty, in 
which they lived for several years. He suc- 
ceeded in raising several crops and did fairly 
well, occupying the place up to 1890, and ac- 
cumulating a comfortable property. 

In 1899 Mr. Abbott moved to Hyannis and 
has made that his residence since, having a 
pleasant home and sufficient means to enable him 
to enjoy the declining years of his life in com- 
fort, satisfied in the knowledge that he has 
done his full share in the building up and de- 
veloping of the country, and has also helped 
in a large measure to bring many new settlers 
into this region. 

Mr. Abbott has had four children — Harri- 
son, killed by the Indians in Kansas in 1878; 
Arthur, Fanny and Francis, all of whom are 
married and settled in homes of their own. 
His daughter's husband, J. M. Gentry, is at 
present in charge of the old ranch, and one 
son, Arthur, owns and operates a nice ranch 
in the same locality, with many lakes and 
flowing wells on it, where he puts up many 
thousands of tons of hay each vear. 



WILLIAM W. GORMLY. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view resides in Lowell township, Kearney 
county, and is one of the best known and most 
highly respected citizens of his locality. He 
was elected sheriff of Kearney county in 1895 
and re-elected in 1897, receiving his election on 
the Populist ticket. Prior to this he held local 
offices and served on the school board for sev- 
eral years. He is a man of marked business 
and executive ability, and success attends his 
every venture. 

Mr. Gormly is a native of New Castle, 
Pennsylvania, born in 1865. His ancestors 
came from Ireland and located in that state 
in the early days, his father being born in 
America. His mother, who was Miss Meluzenia 
Clemons, was born in Steubenville, Ohio in 1826. 
Mr. Gormly was reared in Pennsylvania, lived 
there until twenty-one, and in about the year 
1883 came to Kearney county, where he took 
up a homestead south of Lowell, on which he 
lived for a number of years. In 1894 he bought 
two hundred and ten acres, on which he now 
resides, and has been engaged in mixed farm- 
ing, raising large crops of grain and alfalfa, 
also havmg plenty ol pasture for his stock. 

In 1883 Mr. Gormly married ]\liss Alice 
Bloodgood, daughter of Jason Bloodgood, who 
in 1877 homesteaded the farm located on Fort 
Keainey reservation. He came from north- 



ern Pennsylvania, in Bradford county, and 
was a veteran of the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. 
Gormly are the parents of the following chil- 
dren : Jason, Meluzenia, wife of Boyd Rad- 
ford, whose father, \\'. H. Radford, is the sub- 
ject of a sketch in this work. Amy, the sec- 
ond daughter; William. Glenn and Ruth are 
all at home. Jason, aged twenty-four, is his 
father's helper in the work of carrying on the 
farm, and all are bright, intelligent and good 
workers. 

Mr. Gormly is a Woodman and a member 
of the .\ncient Order L'nited Workmen lodge. 
He is influential in county public affairs, and 
of sterling character, and offhand, genial man- 
ner, well liked by all who have the pleasure 
of his acquaintance. 



GEORGE H. GLIDEWELL. 

George H. Glidewell, who resides on section 
2, township 13, range 50, Cheyenne county, is 
one of the early settlers of that region, who 
has passed through all the pioneer experiences 
that fell to the lot of the brave emigrants who 
came to this region when it was practically 
a barren wilderness, and has seen it grow from 
its earliest stages of settlement into a thickly 
populated, fertile farming community. Mr. 
Glidewell is a genuine old-timer and has at dif- 
ferent times worked as a cowboy and a freight- 
er, enduring hardships and privations which 
would have utterly discouraged a man of a 
less persistent nature, but only tended to make 
him more determined and spurred him to 
greater effort. He has experienced some par- 
ticularly trying circumstances, but with un- 
daunted courage has faced misfortune and suf- 
fering, and through it all has come out vic- 
torious, and now enjoys a fitting reward for 
his labors in the fine property he has accumu- 
lated, and the reputation of one of the fore- 
most citizens of his community, admired and 
respected by every one. 

Our subject was born in Sullivan county, 
Missouri, April 14, 1863, and there grew to 
manhood. At the age of sixteen years he 
left home and went to Denver, Colorado, 
spending one year painting and working in 
that vicinity, then came to Cheyenne county 
and worked as a freighter all over this section 
until he engaged in cattle and horse raising. 
He has three high bred registered horses at 
the head of his herds, and has of late years 
engaged extensively in mule raising. Mr. 
Glidewell is v\'ell known as a skilled veteri- 
nary, and is an excellent blacksmith and wagon 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



maker. For years he was called upon to do 
the fine iron work for all this region. 

January 7, 1897, our subject filed on a 
homestead' of one hundred and sixty acres 
in section 2, township 13, range 50, in Sidney, 
precinct, and still occupies this ranch. He 
has erected good stone buildings of all de- 
scriptions, his milk house with concrete cool- 
ing being especially worthy of mention. A 
reservoir adjoining furnishes water for irri- 
gating a very productive garden. He farms 
about thirty acres and keeps over three hun- 
dred head of stock. A quarter section far- 
ther west also has a good building and fur- 
nishes good range for his numerous herd. 
Since coming here he has prospered Avell, and 
is numbered among the wealthy men of his 
locality. His ranch is situated on Lodgepole 
creek, a short distance from the town of Sid- 
ney. A view of the residence, with the new 
barn and enclosed farm yard, all of stone and 
concrete, are to be seen on another page. 

Mr. Glidewell's father, now deceased, was 
a native of Kentucky. His mother, Delilah 
Morgan, was born and reared in Alabama, and 
now resides in Sullivan county, Missouri. Our 
subject is a Republican in political views. 



WALLACE L. TRYON. 

^^'allace L. Tryon, who resides on his well 
improved farm located in section 23, town- 
ship 31, range 27. was one of the first men 
to settle in this region, and has, through his 
industry and perseverance, succeeded in build- 
ing up a valuable property here. He is rec- 
ognized as one of tlie prosperous and worthy 
citizens of Cherry county, and is highly es- 
teemed by his fellow-men. 

Mr. Tryon was born near Richmond, Mc- 
Henry county, Illinois, February 18, 1859. He 
is a son of L. J. Tryon, of English descent, a 
miller by trade, who lived on a farm, where 
his family of three boys were reared and edu- 
cated. In 1860 the father moved with his 
family to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he 
bought an eighty-acre farm, which in 1865 he 
traded for a mill in Pdack Hawk county and 
continued to reside there some eight or ten 
years. Wallace L. followed in his father's 
footsteps, learning the miller's trade at the 
age of nineteen years, and continued at this 
work for about twelve years, but did not find 
it sufficiently remunerative in Iowa, so decided 
to move farther west, coming to Nebraska in 
1882 and engaged for si.\ months at milling in 
Creighton. then rented a farm near that place, 



which he operated two years. On April 9, 
1885, he came to Cherry county and took up 
cattle raising on a tract of land owned by his 
mother, operating this for seven years. In 
the meanwhile he had pre-empted a claim in 
Edmunds count)', Dakota, which he disposed 
of at a profit in 1905. He then moved to But- 
ler county, but remained only a year, return- 
ing to Cherry county, where he then took a 
homestead and other claims of three hundred 
and twenty acres located in section 10. town- 
ship 31. range 27. to which he has added one 
hundred and sixty acres situated in sections 
14 and 23, his present residence being on the 
latter section. Here he has built up a nice 
home and farm, and now owns four hundred 
and eighty acres, all of which is fine hay land. 
His son, Horace L., owns four hundred and 
eighty acres of hill land lying between his 
own tracts, making a solid body of nine hun- 
dred and sixty acres under one management. 
Mr. Tryon is extensively engaged in the stock 
business, keeping about two hundred head of 
cattle and a number of horses. His land is 
nearly all fenced and he has a good house, 
barns and a fine flowing well, which furnishes 
a bountiful supply of water for his stock and 
family. During the drouths in this section 
he lost several crops, but was well supplied 
with stock, but the times were so hard he sold 
his corn-fed beef as low as three dollars and 
fifty-five cents per hundred, which was the 
highest market price in Omaha at that time. 
He often met with discouragements, but by 
pluck and ])erseverancc succeeded in the end 
and has accumulated a fine farm, which has 
well repaid for his efforts. He has lost over 
three thousand dollars' worth of cattle from 
different causes since coming here, which was 
a severe drain on his finances, but conditions 
have changed and he has been more fortu- 
nate of late years, with little to note on the 
wrong side of the ledger. 

Mr. Tryon was married to Miss Carrie M. 
Rice, born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, a 
daughter of Horace and Eliza (Jackson) Rice. 
They have five children, namely: Earle. Hor- 
ace L.. Estella. Pearl and Charles, the two 
oldest born in Iowa, and the younger three 
in Nebraska. 

Mr. Tryon devotes his entire attention to 
the work of carrying on his farm and home, 
anil has never had time to take active part in 
politics, although he is keenly alive to the best 
interests of his coiumunity and gives his aid 
and influence to its advancement. He votes 
the Republican ticket and stands firmly for the 
principles of his party. During the threat- 
ened Indian uprising in 1891 Mr. Tryon sent 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



859 



his wife with the little ones to Butler county 
for safety, but remained with the two elder 
boys on the ranch, to which the exiles re- 
turned within six weeks. Life in Nebraska 
has had no terrors for them since. 



HERAIAN K. PECKHAM. 

Herman K. Peckham, a well-known and suc- 
cessful ranchman and farmer, residing in Lin- 
coln county, Nebraska, is one of the worthy 
citizens of his locality. 

Mr. Peckham is a native of Wisconsin. His 
father, Joshua Peckham, came to Nebraska 
from Crawford county, Wisconsin, and is a 
large and successful ranchman residing near 
Gothenburg, Lincoln county. He engages 
principally in stock raising on his farm, which 
is composed of about twenty-five hundred 
acres, and also does some mixed farming. He 
runs annually about three hundred head of 
cattle, and keeps a large number of hogs. A 
brother of our subject, Elmer Peckham, is pro- 
prietor of a six hundred and forty-acre farm 
near Gothenburg, and raises cattle and hogs 
on a large scale. Another brother, Fremont, 
resides in Dawson county, and also owns and 
operates from fifteen hundred to two .thousand 
acres, using this land for mixed farming and 
stock raising. Mr. Peckham's father and 
mother celebrated their golden wedding in 
October, 1906, and a large reunion was held 
at their residence in this county, over eighty 
relatives being present, their guests number- 
ing in all over eight hundred. The Peckhams 
are highly esteemed all over western Nebraska 
as among the most successful and influential 
citizens. 

Mr. Peckham came west and located in 
Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1880. In 1896 he began 
business on his own account, purchasing about 
eighteen hundred acres situated south of 
Brady Station, on Brady Island. Here he has 
been engaged in raising, buying and shipping 
stock. He has a large number of thorough- 
bred Berkshire hogs, and deals largely in cat- 
tle, feeding for the market. He now has three 
hundred head of cattle on feed, and formerly 
fed two or three cars each winter. He has a 
number of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs on 
his place, but shows a decided preference for 
the Berkshire breed, as they are sensible, 
strong and active animals, and if properly bred 
and fed are usually found to be market top- 
pers. 

He owns besides this ranch two grain farms 
on which he raises wheat and corn, and his 
yield in 1906 in these grains was thirty bush- 



els of wheat to the acre and forty-five of corn. 
His hay crop this year reached a total of 
five hundred tons, and all of his grain and hay 
is fed out on his farm. He also has one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres of alfalfa, which 
cuts a large crop each season. On his island 
farm he has over sixty acres sown to brome 
grass. 

Air. Peckham was married in 1897 to Miss 
Stella Rich, a native of Missouri. Her father, 
Lewis D. Rich, is a farmer in Lincoln county. 
j\lr. and Mrs. Peckham have three children, 
named as follows: Golda, Harlan K., Jr., and 



ELI MARCHANT. 

Eli Marchant, who is conceded to be the 
oldest settler on Pepper creek, where he has 
a fine ranch located in section 18, township 
30, range 48, Dawes county, Nebraska, is a 
native of England, having been born in Som- 
ersetshire in 1858, a son of James and Mercy 
(Cox) Marchant. His father was an engi- 
neer and farm laborer, and at one time worked 
for fourteen cents a day in the old country. 

Mr. Marchant spent the early years of his 
life in his native country, and as he grew to 
manhood worked in the mines. When he had 
attained the age of twenty-one years, realiz- 
ing that in the new world the opportunities 
for the ambitious young man were very in- 
viting, he decided to seek his fortunes in Amer- 
ica, and landing in New York in 1879 went to 
Boone county, Iowa, where for five years he 
worked in the mines. While in Iowa he pur- 
chased a farm in Pocahontas county, and after 
remaining there for two years, sold his place 
and came to Dawes county, Nebraska, where 
he pre-empted a claim and located on land 
near the Pepper creek. He proved up his 
claim and built a log cabin, hauling all his 
supplies from Chadron, Nebraska. 

For fifteen years during the periods of 
drouth and the many hardships familiar to the 
early settlers in this western country, Air. Mar- 
chant helped to make a living by working in 
the mines in Wyoming during the winter. In 
1887 he took a homestead in section 18, town- 
ship 30, range 48, which is his present home. 
In 1899 he took his family to Wyoming, liv- 
ing in Aladdin, where he remained for five 
years, returning in 1904 to his farm in Dawes 
county. He secured adjoining lands, and now 
has a ranch of eight hundred acres, all of 
which is fenced and cross fenced. He has 
greatly improved his place, and has a good- or- 
chard and alfalfa fields. He has erected a 
comfortable home, and has two good wells. 



86o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-\PHY 



windmills and tanks, and a very fine new barn, 
thirty by forty feet,, just finished. 

The marriage ceremonies of Mr. Marchant 
and Miss Rosena Davis took place in England 
in 1879. Mrs. Marchant was born in Eng- 
land and is a daughter of John and Fannie 
( Gardner) Davis. To this union were born 
eiffht children — Rosena (deceased). Ernest, Al- 
bert. Bertha. Minnie, Fred. Arthur and Ger- 
trude. Two of Mr. Marchant's sons have land 
adjoining his own ranch in Dawes county. 

Mr. Marchant has always been prominently 
identified with local affairs, and from the date 
of his settlement in this part of the country 
has taken a keen interest in the growth and 
development of Dawes county. His name is 
sure to appear on any list of the prominent 
old settlers of western Nebraska, where his 
genial countenance and friendly spirit have 
made him a host of warm friends, which his 
manly character and genuine worth have long 
retained. He has a good school on his place 
and has been treasurer for four years. Mr. 
Marchant holds certificates as one of the best 
mine foremen in this part of the state. 



PETER NELSON. 

The gentleman mentioned above is one of 
the sturdy sons of Sweden, who came to the 
new world with a brave heart to carve out 
a name for himself and establish a home in 
the wilderness, and well has he succeeded in 
his determination, now being proprietor of a 
good ranch, and has also become one of the 
prominent citizens of his locality. He resides 
on section 26. township 16. range 52. in Trog 
nitz precinct, his estate being one of the most 
valuable in that section of the county. 

Peter Nelson was born in Sweden. January 
14. 1867. the youngest in his father's family 
of four children. Both parents are now de- 
ceased. When he was about fifteen years of 
age he left his native land and came to Amer- 
ica, settling at first in Vail. Crawford county. 
Iowa. .April 21. 1882, remained there for two 
years, during which time his parents joined 
him. He then went to Dakota, but only spent 
a few months in that country, coming to Chey- 
enne county, whither his parents had preceded 
him, about Christmas time of 1885. driving 
from Dakota to Sidney, Nebraska, in a one- 
horse rig, enduring the inclement weather of 
that time of year. He returned to Iowa, where 
he spent about two years, then came back 
and settled permanently in Cheyenne county 
in 1888, taking up a homestead on section 
26, township 16, range 52, filing on the land 



in February, and at once built a rude dwell- 
ing, in which he lived for several years. He 
had a hard time in starting his farm, going 
through all the pioneer experiences, but grad- 
ually fiirged ahead, put improvements on his 
place in the way of good buildings, wells, 
fences, etc. He owns at the present time 
nine hundred and si.xty acres, engaging in 
stock raising and mixed farming, running 
about one hundred head of cattle and quite 
a number of horses. About one hundred and 
seventy-five acres are devoted to the raising 
of small grain, and the entire ranch is kept 
up in the best possible condition, every cor- 
ner bespeaking the most painstaking care and 
good management. 

Mr. Nelson was married at Sidne3% March 
2. 1904, to Miss Florence Herbolsheimer, the 
event occurring at the Metropolitan Hotel, and 
was a very pretty affair, the young people hav- 
ing a host of friends and acquaintances, and 
their married life has been a happy one. Two 
children have come to bless their union — Hil- 
ma and Alice. Mrs. Nelson, a daughter of 
Daniel and Alice (Segraves) Herbolsheimer, 
was born in Adams county, Nebraska, com- 
ing to Cheyenne county with her parents in 
infancy. The old people are now living in this 
vicinity, and are well known as prominent old- 
timers of that region. Our subject has al- 
ways taken an active interest in all aft'airs 
pertaining to county, state and national gov- 
ernment, and is a stanch Republican, and rep- 
resents his precinct on the county commit- 
tee. He is a leading citizen in his community, 
serving as treasurer of school district No. 
13 for several years. On July 1, 1898, he was 
appointed postmaster of Sextrop, which he 
held for several years, and then resigned. Mrs. 
Nelson was appointed to the position March 
5, 1907, and has proven a most capable and 
popular official. Mr. Nelson was reared in 
the Swedish Lutheran church and is a mem- 
ber of the Potter camp of the Modern Wood- 
men of .\merica. 



ELMER E. WALES. 

Elmer F. Wales, who is classed among tbe 
old residents of Keya Paha county, is a pro- 
gressive and energetic farmer, proprietor of 
a fine estate in Keya Paha precinct. 

Mr. \\''ales was born on a farm in Goodhue 
county, Minnesota, March 7, 1863. His fa- 
ther was of Yankee stock, born in Massachu- 
setts, and followed farming all his life. He 
was in Mankato at the time of the Indian mas- 
sacre and a witness of those terrible scenes, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. RE.AIIXISCEXXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



86 1 



seeing the punishment meted out to the ma- 
rauders when thirty-seven were hung from one 
gallows. The mother, whose maiden name 
was Philanda Davis, was born, reared and ed- 
ucated in Vermont, going to Minnesota with 
her husband in 1854. Her father had an ar- 
tificial arm and had to cut grain with a sickle 
and do other farm work to support his family 
of thirteen children, twelve of whom were 
girls. When our subject was a young lad but 
seven years of age he began hard work and 
plowed with a team of oxen, doing other heavy 
labor as well. The family moved to Mar- 
shall county, Kansas, in 1874, but the swarms 
of grasshoppers devoured their crops and com- 
pelled them to migrate. They went to Mont- 
gomery county, Iowa, remaining there up to 
the time of coming to Nebraska. When El- 
mer reached the age of twenty he struck out 
for himself, following farm work in Nebraska 
and in 1883 came to O'Neill, where he obtained 
employment on a ranch at twenty dollars per 
month. He located in Gordon, and after a 
short time there moved to Montana with some 
cattle drovers, where he remained for two 
years on the ranges, sleeping out during the 
winter, sometimes in three feet of snow. He 
finally returned to Nebraska and filed on a pre- 
emption near Burton, in Keya Paha county. 
In 1890 he located near Naper, remained three 
years, then bought his present home in sec- 
tion 23, township 35, range 17, paying for the 
land thirty dollars in money and a colt which 
he owned. There was only a sod house on the 
place, but he went to work improving, since 
building a comfortable house, barn and other 
necessary buildings. He drilled a well, which 
he boarded up with old lumber, having hard 
work to get nails enough to do the work, so 
scant were the funds at his command. He 
worked out part, of the time, among other 
things shucked corn in snow knee deep for 
two cents a bushel. The best wages he could 
make was fifty cents a day, and he was glad 
for even that slight remuneration for his toil. 
He also drilled wells for the farmers and man- 
aged to get along, but was often tempted to 
leave, but for lack of sufficient money could 
not get away. He helped build the first bridge 
at Brocksburg, and did a great deal 
towards general upbuilding of the region. He 
has made a success of farming and in other 
enterprises since locating here, now owning 
three hundred and twenty acres of good land, 
of which half is under cultivation. He is also 
engaged in the cream business, having opened 
the first cream stations at Mills, Jamison, Butte, 
Naper, Carlock and Brocksburg. collecting and 
shipping each week about one hundred and 



twenty-five cans of cream. He is agent for the 
DeLaval separator and sells about forty each 
year. 

December 25. 1887, our subject was mar- 
ried near Mills to Miss Ella Sharp, whose par- 
ents, Solomon and Caroline (Godfrey) Sharp, 
were early settlers in Butler county, Nebras- 
ka. To Mr. and Mrs. Wales the following 
children have been born : Clarence S., Blanche 
P., Goldie M., Noah Edmund, Sylvia, Flossie, 
Gale and Dale (twins), of whom all but Gale 
are still living with their parents, having a 
pleasant home and hosts of warm friends in 
the community. 

Mr. Wales is a Republican and active work- 
er for his party, although he has never held 
office. With his family he is a member of 
the Free Methodist church. 



FERDINAND WENDT. 

Ferdinand Wendt, who enjoys the distinc- 
tion of being the owner of one of the largest 
and most modernly equipped ranches in Ne- 
braska, is a native of the state which he has 
chosen for his home. He was born on a farm 
in Cass county in 1876, a son of August and 
Laura (Swan) Wendt, both of whom were na- 
tives of Germany. 

Mr. Wendt received his education attend- 
ing the country schools, assisting his father 
in building up and improving the farm in Cass 
county, which is still the property of the 
family. In November, 1906, I\Ir. Wendt's fa- 
ther died. His mother had passed away in 
December of the year previous. In 1887 the 
elder Mr. Wendt made a trip to Dawes coun- 
ty, investigating the possibilities which this 
western field presented, and eventually 
brought his family here in 1893, locating on 
section 27, township 30, range 51. At this 
period there were practically no improvements 
on the place. At the present writing, our sub- 
ject has one of the largest ranches in Ne- 
braska, comprising an area of thirty-six hun- 
dred and ten acres, three to four hundred acres 
of which are under cultivation. Besides a 
farmer, he is a stock raiser of no mean ability. 
He has erected a pleasant and commodious 
home on his farm, together with good build- 
ings in which to keep his provisions and house 
his stock. There is an abundance of fine tim- 
ber on the ranch, where he has erected a first- 
class sawmill, giving part of his time to the 
manufacture of lumber. 

Mr. ^^'endt was united in marriage in Feb- 
ruarv, 1899, to I\Iiss Jessie Hayden. She was 



862 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a daughter of Polemus Hayden. of English 
descent, a highly respected and prominent oid 
settler. IMr. and Mrs. Wendt are the happy 
parents of four children, viz. : Eddie. Albert. 
Louisa and Alice. 

Mr. W'endt has ahva^'s taken strong Dem- 
ocratic ground in matters of politics. He has 
done his work well, and while he is a thor- 
ough farmer and stock raiser, and much de- 
voted to home and family, has also from his 
first coming to Dawes county taken a keen 
and vivid interest in everything that relates to 
local matters and public improvements. He 
has watched the growth and development of 
the county with keen interest from the start, 
where he has made a host of loyal friends, who 
recognize in him one of the leading settlers. 



E. G. CARTER. 



E. G. Carter, agent of the Burlington & 
Mis.souri Railway at Naponee. Franklin coun- 
ty, came to Nebraska in 1892 in the interest 
of that railroad, locating at Alma, where he 
held the position of operator. He remained 
there for a short time, then was transferred 
to Inavale. where he spent two years. From 
there he was sent to Naponee. from 1894 to 
1898. working for the company for four years. 
He was next sent to Atwood. Kansas", and 
remained there up to 1894. then returned to 
Naponee. where he has since resided. Mr. 
Carter was born in Illinois in 1872. His fa- 
ther. Joe B. Carter, was a native of England, 
who came to America in the early forties, lo- 
cating at Medora. Illinois. He married Lucy 
Kemper, who had two brothers in the Civil 
war. both of whom were killed at the battle 
of Appomattox Court House. Our subject 
grew up in Illinois and in 1894 he came to 
Franklin county from Macoupin county. Illi- 
nois, and invested in land in this part of the 
state. In 1897 he bought three hundred and 
twenty acres in Turkey Creek township, for 
which he paid sixteen dollars per acre, and 
in 1007 he sold the same land for eightv-nine 
hundred dollars, which shows conclusivelv the 
rapid rise of land values in Nebraska in the 
past few years. Our subject was married in 
1897 to Miss Nora Wilt, daughter of J. W. 
Wilt, who is part owner of the Naponee flour- 
ing mills, with a capacity of sixty barrels per 
day. His partner in the business is Mrs. M. 
E. Polly, his sister-in-law, and widow of James 
Polly, who was associated with Mr. Wilt up 
to the time of his death, which occurred in 
J890. He was a cousin of Mr. \\'ilt, and served 
in the Civil war for four years. 



Mrs. Carter's father is a native of Darke 
county, Ohio, who came with his father, Wil- 
liam Wilt, to Clark county, Iowa, in 18.^5. John 
\\'ilt, Mrs. Carter's great-grandfather, was a 
native of Pennsylvania, who settled in Darke 
county. Ohio, previous to the War of 1812. 
while his wife. Martha Polly, daughter of Rev. 
James Polly, also of Darke county. Ohio, who 
was a familiar figure in the history of that 
section of the country during the early days 
in which the Alexander Campbell movements 
resulted in the founding of the Christian or 
Disciples' church. James Polly afterwards 
came to Clark county, Iowa, and was among 
the pioneers in that state. His two brothers, 
Jacob and Barnhill, were also ministers in the 
Disciples' church, and the Pollys, together 
with the Rev. Barnhill Polly, came originally 
from Pennsylvania. 

Mr. and Mrs. Carter are the parents of two 
children, namely: Glen and ]\Iargaret. The 
family is well known and highly esteemed 
throughout the community in which they re- 
side. Mrs. Carter is a woman of charming 
personality, and a fine musician and a gradu- 
ate of the Lincoln Normal School. She is very 
active in musical circles, and an earnest work- 
er in the Disciples church, of which the fam- 
ily are members. Her mother was before her 
marriage Miss Asenith Ann Wiley, of Wayne 
county. Indiana. Mr. Carter is a Mason and 
a member of the Chapter at Atwood, Kansas. 



FRED C. TSCHABOLD. 

Fred C. Tschabold, one of the energetic 
farmers and ranchmen of Sioux county, Ne- 
braska, is also an old settler of that region. 
He is the owner of a valuable estate and 
his home is one of the most pleasant to be 
found in the locality. The road leading up to 
his residence follows the course of a deep ra- 
vine, or creek bed, which is dry all the year 
round except a few days each spring, and one 
cannot imagine anything more picturesque 
tlian this driveway, as it winds gracefully, with 
high banks, which are covered with beautiful 
foliage and trees. Assisting nature. Mrs. 
Tschabold has added greatly to the beauty 
of this road by planting many flowers by the 
wayside, making it a spot which leaves a 
most pleasant memory in the eye of the be- 
holder. 

^Ir. Tschabold was born in the city of 
Rerne. Switzerland, in 1853. and was the son 
of C. J. Tschabold. a government official of 
that country. His mother was, prior to her 
marriage. Miss Margarctta Berger, and she 





MRS. FRED TSCHABOLD. 



FRED TSCHABOLD. 




MR. AND MRS. A. V. CRONK. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



863 



died when our subject was a lad of nine years. 
Three years later he came to America, and 
after landing in New York city spent a short 
time in New York state, then went to New 
Jersey, and finally settled in Iowa, where he 
spent about five years. He next came to Ne- 
>raska, locating in Cuming county, following 
farming in that vicinity. In 1892 he landed 
in Sioux county and worked rented land at 
first, later took a homestead in section 21, 
township 32, range 55, and started to build up 
a home. He began to break up land for crops, 
and part of the time was obliged to work out 
by the day to make a living, receiving the 
munificent sum of sixty-five cents per day for 
his labors. While he was away working for 
others his wife held down the homestead, and 
to her efforts are due much credit in the ac- 
cumulating of their property, as she worked 
bravely to help her husband keep their little 
home and improve it. They met with much 
hardship and went through the usual bitter 
experiences of the pioneers in the west, but 
managed to get along and gradually improve 
their homestead, adding land as they became 
better fixed, and are now the possessors of 
six hundred and forty acres, situated near the 
head of West Hat creek, known as "Pine 
Nook." They have a good water supply and 
considerable timber, and for two years oper- 
ated a sawmill on the place. Thirty acres 
are under cultivation, used for small grains, 
and he is engaged to quite an extent in stock 
raising. 

Mr. Tschabold was married in 1885 to Mar- 
tha Davis, daughter of James Maynard and 
Jane (Gross) Davis, the father's death occur- 
ring when she was a child eighteen months 
of age, and her mother dying August 17, 1906. 
Portraits of our subject and his wife appear 
on another page. 

Mr. Tschabold takes a commendable inter- 
est, in local affairs, and is one of the leading 
citizens of his township. 



ADOLPHUS \'. CRONK, 

The gentleman whose name appears at the 
head of this review is one of the strong char- 
acters of the community in which he lives, hav- 
ing always taken an advanced position rela- 
tive to all matters pertaining to the general 
good, and his mature life finds him surround- 
ed with the evidences of success and comfort. 
Our subject was born in the state of New York 
in 1854, and was the son of William H. and 
Katherine (Mink) Cronk. The father was a 



native of New York state and came to Ne- 
braska in 1872. The mother was born in New 
York. Our subject was reared on a farm 
and was inured to hard work until 1874, when 
the whole family came west to Nebraska, set- 
tling in Valley county on government land. 
It was here that our subject started out for 
himself, living in a dugout and sod house, his 
first team being a yoke of cattle. All sup- 
plies and material had to be hauled from Grand 
Island, sixty-five miles distant. Indians were 
still in the country and the settlers had to 
carry their guns with them when they went 
to the fields, and our subject had many trying 
experiences with these marauders. Once an 
Indian attempted to steal a mule out of Mr. 
Cronk's barn, but the mule objected and prac- 
tically kicked the robber out of the building. 
Our subject's wife has been often frightened 
and seriously annoyed by the roving bands 
of Indians that infested the prairies. On the 
old farm were seen traces of a battleground, 
skulls, bones, graves, relics, ornaments, etc. 

The marriage of our subject with ]\Iiss 
Mary E. Lawler was celebrated in April, 1874. 
The bride was the daughter of Michael and 
Anna (Grant) Lawler, both natives of Ire- 
land. Her father was a farmer and carpenter 
and was one of the pioneers of Lewis county. 
New York. Mr. and Mrs. Cronk are the par- 
ents of seven children: William A., Myrtle 
L. (dead), Lottie Louise, A'drian St. Elmo, 
Rodney Earl, Rosetta IMay, Lillian Z. and 
George W. The living children are all grown 
up and are honored citizens of the community 
in which they live, some of them being mar- 
ried and all engaged in business enterprises of 
their own. 

Mr. Cronk made his home in \"alley 
county for years and had a fine farm and home 
and made a splendid success of his agricul- 
tural pursuits and became one of the leading 
old-timers and citizens. December 15, 1893, 
our subject came to Loup county and settled 
on his present fine farm of four hundred and 
eighty acres, where he has made good im- 
provements, built barns, fences and put things 
in shape for future successful operations. Mr. 
Cronk has been one of the most active and 
successful of the early pioneers and is accord- 
ed a prominent place among his friends and 
neighbors, by whom he is held in high es- 
teem. In politics he is a strong Socialist and 
is pronounced in his views. 

Mr. A. V. Cronk has been quite an inventor. 
He was patentee of the link car coupler, the 
adjustable hame and a pump for irrigation 
purposes, also several other valuable patents. 
For the want of means he has not pushed his 



864 



CO.MPEXDIU.M OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



patents as he should have done, but is on the 
lookout for a partner who has means to pur- 
chase a half interest. Mr. Cronk and Sam 
Hesselgesser were the prime promoters of the 
telephone system through this part of the 
country, in the counties of Loup, Garfield and 
\'alley. 

Mrs. Cronk has been quite a writer for 
several of the leading papers and other publi- 
cations. She is a cultured and scholarly lady 
and has a large circle of literary and social 
friends. Mr. and Mrs. Cronk have a daugh- 
ter, Lillian Z., who will soon graduate with 
high honors from the Wisconsin College of 
Music at Milwaukee. The whole family have 
especially good musical talent. 

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Cronk will be 
found on another page of this volume. 



C. R. SAWYER. 



C. R. Sawyer is one of the substantial 
ranchers of Sheridan county, Nebraska. Mr. 
Sawyer was born in St. Joseph county, In- 
diana, in 1852. His father, an Ohioan, who 
served in the One Hundredth Indiana Volun- 
teer Infantry during the Civil war, is still 
hale and hearty and resides in Iowa. Our sub- 
ject is the eldest in a family of three, and up 
to the time of his twenty-fifth year lived at 
home with his parents. In 1877 he was mar- 
ried to Miss Tacy A. Paxton, daughter of 
Thomas Paxton and Sarah Knowles Paxton, 
both of .American stock, born and raised in 
Ohio. The young couple started out for them- 
selves, buying a forty-acre farm, on which 
they lived for ten years, and at the end of 
this time, in 1887. came to Sheridan county 
and located on the farm where he now resides. 
He at once went to work building up his farm 
and met with marked success until the be- 
ginning of the dry years, when he was com- 
pelled to give it up, and engaged in the cat- 
tle raising business. 

Three children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Sawyer, named as follows: Clarence O., 
Opal E. and T. Lucile, all of whom were born 
in Iowa and raised in Nebraska, where they 
all received a good common school education 
in the public schools, after which they assist- 
cfl their parents on the farm, and are now all 
nicely located near by. 

\Ir. Sawyer came to Sheridan county with 
practically no capital and has succeeded in 
building up a nice home, his ranch compris- 
ing one thousand acres of deeded land in sec- 
tions 30 and 31, township 31, range 43, and 
has his place well stocked and improved, en- 



joying the fruits of his labor, and declaring 
that he has seen all the pioneer life he cares 
for. He has never visited his childhood home 
since coming west, and sa\-s he does not think 
he would care to return to the east to live. 

Mr. Sawyer is a man of sterling charac- 
ter, universally esteemed by his fellow-men. 
In politics he is a Democrat, but never votes 
a straight ticket. 



AX DREW" ANDERSON. 

The above mentioned gentleman has been 
identified with the farming interests of Phelps 
county for many years past, and during this 
time has acquired a valuable estate by dint of 
his honesty and industry and is classed among the 
substantial and prominent residents of Wil- 
liamsburg township. 

Mr. Anderson was born in Sweden and 
came to this countr)^ when fifteen years of 
age. He came to Phelps county in 1890 from 
Galesburg, Illinois, to take the position of fore- 
man of the Hawkin.son ranch, comprising 
twenty-four hundred acres, located in Wil- 
liamsburg and Cottonwood townships on the 
Platte river. On this ranch they run from 
four to five hundred steers annually, and be- 
sides these feed from two to four hundred each 
year. All the hay for these cattle is grown 
on the ranch, and they buy twenty-five hun- 
dred bushels of grain each season. They also 
raise from two to five hundred hogs each sea- 
son. Our subject was very successful in the 
management of the large estate, and operated 
it to the financial benefit of his emploj'ers. In 
1891 he sowed on this ranch the first alfalfa 
ever planted in Phelps county, and there is 
now five hundred acres of this grass on the 
ranch. This has added wonderfully to the 
value and importance of the stock industry in 
western Nebraska, .\fter retiring from the 
management of this ranch, when it was sold to 
the present owners, he bought his farm of 
three hundred and twenty acres of bottom 
land on the Platte river four miles from Elm 
creek and fifteen miles north of Holdrege, and 
also purchased eighty acres in Cottonwood 
township. Iniilding the substantial and com- 
fortable residence he now occupies, and since 
taking possession of this ranch he has raised 
from one to two hundred cattle and fifty to 
two hundred hogs, besides feeding a large 
number annually. He has all of his land ex- 
cept eighty acres planted to alfalfa, and about 
one hundred and seventy acres of this pro- 
duces four tons per acre at each cutting. Late- 
ly he has sold all his stock and intends to de- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOORAPHY 



865 



vote all his attention and time to feeding cat- 
tle and hogs for market, constantly feeding 
from two to five cars of cattle and about two 
carloads of hogs at a time. Before coming to 
Nebraska he had had a great deal of experi- 
ence in farming and stock raising in Knox 
county, Illinois, and he considers this state far 
ahead of Illinois for these pursuits and would 
not exchange his lands here for any in that vi- 
cinity or any other place he has ever struck, 
and he says that what he has accomplished 
here can be done by any young man who has 
the training, experience and industry for farm- 
ing and stock raising and feeding. 

Mr. Anderson enjoys a comfortable home 
and pleasant surroundings, his family con- 
sisting of himself, wife, one son and a daugh- 
ter, the son (Glen) being a telegraph operator 
for the Union Pacific Railway and the daugh- 
ter (Nellie) has been a teacher in the Phelps 
county schools for two years. In the spring of 
1907 he moved to Elm Creek. Nebraska, and 
has retired from active farming and ranching, 
but owns a fine residence. 



AMOS C. CULLERS. 

Amos C. Cullers, who for the past score 
of years has made western Nebraska his 
home, and during that time has given his best 
efforts to the task of assisting in the develop- 
ment of his locality, and incidentally building 
up for himself a good home and productive 
farm, is one of the old settlers of this re- 
gion. He remembers well the early days 
when pioneers were obliged to suffer all man- 
ner of hardships and privations in getting their 
homes started, and he richly deserves the 
prosperity that has come to him through hon- 
est industry and faithful labor. Mr. Cullers' 
residence is in section 17. township 32. range 
53. and he is widelv known throughout Sioux 
county as a man of active public spirit. 

Air. Cullers was born in Hardy county. 
West Virginia, in 1856, on a farm. He comes 
of good old American stock, and was raised 
and educated in the common schools of his 
native state, and grew, up accustomed to all 
kinds of hard farm work. At the age of twen- 
ty-two he struck out for himself, following 
farm work in the east for a number of years. 
He came to Sioux county, and at that time the 
town of Crawford had just been laid out and 
the sale of lots in progress, many settlers lo- 
cating there. He picked out a location on 
Cottonwood creek, in section 17, township 32, 
range S3, and although he had no capital to 
start with, at once put up a shanty and started 



to break land for crops, etc. He gradually 
improved his place and was able to raise fair- 
ly good crops of small grains, planted trees 
and added good buildings and improvements 
as he became better able. He had many set- 
backs in the way of failures caused by drouth, 
but never lost his courage, and by dint of con- 
stant attention to duty, was able to get along 
pretty well and as the years went by pur- 
chased additional land, until he has now be- 
come proprietor of a good ranch of seven 
hundred and twenty acres, which is beauti- 
fully situated at the head of Cottonwood creek. 
He farms about ninety acres of this and uses 
the balance for pasture and hay land, as he 
raises a large number of cattle and other stock 
each year. Mr. Cullers has one of the finest 
orchards in his locality, including all the small 
fruits, apples, plums, etc. 

Mr. Cullers was married in West Virginia, 
on December 25, 1880, to Martha Shipe, also 
born and reared in that state. Of this union 
five children have been born, namely: George, 
Nora. Ira. Dorothy and Archie. 

Our subject has alwaj's taken an active 
part in local politics. He was elected county 
commissioner in 1903, serving up to 1906. and 
for three years he held the ofifice of precinct 
assessor in Cottonwood precinct. He has also 
been deputy assessor in three different pre- 
cincts in Sioux county. He is a Democrat in 
politics. 



HENRY A. WALES. 

Among the early settlers in Brown county, 
Nebraska, who have been instrumental in the 
development and growth of the agricultural 
and commercial resources of this section of 
the country, the gentleman above named takes 
a leading place. Mr. Wales resides on his 
fine farm in Lakeland, where he enjoys the 
fruits of his hard labor in j'ears gone by sur- 
rounded by comfort and plenty. 

Mr. Wales is a native of Portage county, 
Ohio, born on his father's farm July 22. 1849. 
The latter, Asaph Wales, was of American 
stock, as was the mother, whose maiden 
name was Rowena Alford. In a family of 
three children our subject was the second 
member, growing to manhood in his native 
county, attending the country schools until 
eighteen, when he became an apprentice in 
a wagon shop at Windham, serving three 
years : and he afterwards followed his trade 
for four years, two winters of this time at 
River Falls. Wisconsin. In company with 
his brother Francis, Air. \\'ales secured land 



866 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



in Mower county, Minnesota, under a land 
warrant issued to their grandfather, Oliver 
Alford, for services in the war of 1812 and 
they have farmed together for nine years. 

In 1884 Mr. Wales and his brother came 
to Brown county and settled on a tract of 
wild prairie land situated thirty miles south- 
west of Ainsworth. in Lakeland. Here they 
put up a frame house, sodding it over, in 
which they lived for many j-ears. When they 
arrived here they had three horses and a car- 
load of cattle to start with, and at once went 
to work building up the ranch, which now 
comprises fourteen hundred and forty acres, 
all but three quarter sections being deeded 
land, and here they are engaged in stock rais- 
ing on an extensive scale. Mr. Wales had 
Lakeland postofifice established on his place, 
of which his wife has served as postmaster 
from its opening. Mr. \\'ales was also ac- 
tive in organizing Lakeland precinct, and in 
getting good schools started in his district. 
helping to build five sod school houses in that 
locality. Mrs. Wales served as teacher the 
first two terms and taught one term in the 
Moon lake district. She has also been active 
in organizing and maintaining Sunday schools. 
Mr. \\'ales has done more than his share in 
building up the country and richly deserves 
the success he has attained in the possession 
of his fine estate. July 1, 1893, the family 
witnessed the complete destruction of their 
home by a cyclone that swept that region with 
its fur)'. 

Mr. Wales is a strong Rejiublican, active 
in local and county affairs, having served as 
justice of the peace for many years past. 

On December 18. 1877, ^Ir. Wales was 
married to Miss Mary Cox, born in Watonia, 
Waushara countv, Wisconsin, November 6, 
1856; she is a -daughter of Frederick Cox, a 
native of England, and her mother, Olive 
Grover, is a descendant of the Hamilton fam- 
ily which came to America in the Mayflower. 

-Mr. and Mrs. Wales have a family of three 
children, namely: Frank A.. Claude L. and 
Malah. They are members of the Congrega- 
tional church, and Mr. Wales affiliates with 
the Ancient Order of L'nited \\'orkmen of 
Johnstown. 



AUCr.ST F. LADWIC. 

August F. Ladwig. a well known and 
highly esteemed old settler of Perkins coun- 
ty, Nebraska, has devoted the past forty years 
of his life to the active pursuit of agriculture 
in different parts of the state, and is now pro- 



prietor of an excellent ranch situated on sec- 
tion 34, township 10, range 35, where he has 
met with pronounced success in his chosen 
occupation. 

Mr. Ladwig was born in Prussia, Ger- 
many, in 18-16, and is a son of Peter Ladwig, 
who married Maria Ladwig, who. though having 
the same name, was in no way related to 
him, the}- coming to America with their little 
family and settling in Wisconsin. While in 
Germany he was engaged in the stock busi- 
ness, buying and shipping cattle. He eventu- 
ally died in Wisconsin. August grew up in 
his native land, served three years in the Ger- 
man army, this experience proving of great 
benefit to him in later years. He was dis- 
charged from the service in 1870. and then 
came to the United States, locating in \\'is- 
consin with his people, following farm work 
most of the time, and also working in the 
lumber woods for three winters. He was em- 
ployed in a grain elevator in Fond du Lac 
county, Wisconsin, for two years, then left 
the state and came to Nebraska, his first lo- 
cation being in Seward county, and after one 
year in that vicinity returned to Wisconsin, 
taking a homestead in the lumber regions 
there. 

He tried hard to get a farm started, work- 
ing hard and faithfully, but the stumps, 
stone and mud were more than he could stand, 
so he finally sold out and came back to Sew- 
ard county, locating at Seward, where he 
clerked in a hardware store, employed by J. 
F. Goehner, remaining there for a short time, 
then went into the hardware business in part- 
nership with his brother .Albert, establishing a 
store at Fullerton. Nebraska, and ran the busi- 
ness for one year. In the spring of 1886 he 
came to Perkins county and took a homestead 
tree claim in Marvin precinct, "batching it" in 
a sod house for six j'ears. always being able 
to make a living and gradually improve his 
place. He went through the usual hard times 
experienced by the early settlers in the region, 
but stuck to his place and by industry and 
thrift managed to get considerable ahead in 
the way of improving his homestead, stock- 
ing up with cattle, etc.. and building it up 
in good shape. He owns si.x hundred and 
forty acres, which is one of the most valuable 
tracts in the locality, and every cent of his 
property has been accumulated through his 
own efforts and good management. In 1891, 
without the aid of another person he suc- 
ceeded in raising a crop of twenty-three hun- 
dred bushels of grain. During the hard times 
of 1893-96 Mr. Ladwig never had any idea of 
leaving the country as so many did, but "hung 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



867 



on" and is now a citizen wlio is a credit to 
the community. 

Mr. Ladwig" is engaged principally in stock 
raising, having quite a bunch of very fine 
horses, and in the early days he was known 
far and near as "the man with the fat horses," 
taking especial pride in his animals. 

Mr. Ladwig was married in 1892 to Miss 
Maria Hopping, a native of New Jersey. 

Our subject has always done everything in his 
power to further the best interests of the 
community in which he resided, and deserves 
great credit for the eiiforts he has put forth 
in behalf of his fellows. He was elected 
county commissioner in the fall of 1894, serv- 
ing in that capacity for three years. 



REUBEN W. MAHAFFY. 

Reuben W. Mahaffy, who has spent many 
years of his career in western Nebraska, is 
one of the leading citizens of that section of 
the country. He came here during the earli- 
est days of its settlement, has watched its 
growth and development, and incidentaly as- 
sisted in a large measure to build up the 
region, as he has really improved three dif- 
ferent places since locating here. He now 
resides fifteen miles southwest of the town 
of Mullen, where he owns a splendid ranch 
of two thousand acres, which is considered 
one of the finest ranches in Hooker county. 

Mr. Alahafify was born near Burlington, 
Henderson county, Illinois, in 1866, on a farm. 
His father, William, born in the north part of 
Ireland, was a prominent stockman and pio- 
neer of Iowa, lived there for many years, and 
his death occurred in Montgomery county, 
Iowa, in 1886. His wife was Ellen Small, of 
American blood, while he was of Scotch-Irish 
descent. The mother was reared in Ohio. 

When our subject was a small boy the 
family moved to Iowa, settling in Montgomery 
county, and there he was raised and edu- 
cated, attending the country schools, and as- 
sisting his parents in the farm work. At the 
age of nineteen he was left an orphan and 
was compelled to start out and make his own 
way in the world, and live on the home farm 
for about two years, carrying that on as best 
he could. In 1890 he came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating in Custer county, opened a ranch and 
operated it for three years. He then moved 
to Grant county and started another ranch, 
putting up sod buildings after a short time, 
but at first his family lived in a tent. Whit- 
man, situated thirty miles northwest of his 
place, was the nearest town, and he was 



obliged to haul all supplies from that town. 
His ranch was located on North Dismal river, 
and he succeeded in building up a good home, 
remaining there up to 1904, then came to his 
present homestead. This he has improved in 
good shape, erecting substantial buildings, 
putting fences around the whole place, drilling 
wells, etc., and it is a valuable property, con- 
taining in all twenty hundred acres, all good 
range land with plenty of pasture, etc. 

Mr. Mahaffy was married at Red Oak, 
Iowa, in 1889, to Marian E. Eddy, daughter 
of Levens Eddy, a prominent educator of that 
vicinity, and who settled in Iowa as a pioneer, 
comina: from Kentuck\-. 



ALBERT N. SHUMARD. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history has spent many years in build- 
ing up a name and home, and probably no 
one is better known among the old settlers of 
western Nebraska than he. For the past 
thirty years he has been closely identified 
with the upbuilding of the best interests of 
his locality, and is now living a quiet and 
retired life in Scandinavian township, where 
he has a beautiful home surrounded by all 
the comforts of a peaceful rural community. 

Mr. Shumard is a native of Clermont 
county, Ohio, born in 1845. He is a son of 
Thomas Shumard, whose father, also Thomas 
Shumard, was one of the first settlers in the 
city of Cincinnati. He came from New Jer- 
sey, coming in a flat boat down the Ohio river, 
settling in Hamilton county, where his family 
was raised. Our subject's mother was Miss Mary 
Knott, daughter of John Knott, also of that 
county. Mr. Shumard grew up there, and in 
1861 enlisted in Company G, Forty-eighth 
Ohio Regiment, and served during the entire 
war, receiving his discharge in June, 1866. 
He was with the Army of the Tennessee for over 
three years, and afterward at Tyler. Texas, 
as a prisoner. He fought at the battles of Fort 
Donelson, Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing, and at 
the first battle, siege and capture of Corinth, 
Holly Springs, Alemphis, Arkansas Post and 
Post Gipson, all through the campaign and 
siege of Vicksburg, and afterward in the Red 
river campaign with Banks. He also took 
part in the Cross Roads campaign and was 
captured by the rebels at that battle, but saved 
the flag, which was the only case on record 
of a prisoner's concealing the union colors 
and brought them back to his regiment. This 
flag is now at the state house, at Columbus, 
Ohio. Mr. Shumard was onlv sixteen vears 



868 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-APHY 



of age when he enlisted, and during his many 
battles received more than one wound, but 
he has a brilliant record as a brave soldier. 
He was at Fort Blakely on the day of John- 
son's surrender to General Sherman. 

In 1879 Mr. Shumard came to Nebraska, 
homesteading one hundred and sixty acres on 
section 24, Scandinavian township, Harlan 
county, and has resided on this place ever 
since. His first dwelling was a dugout, in 
which he lived for six years, and at the end 
of that time erected a comfortable farm house 
and has always been engaged in mixed farm- 
ing here. 

In 1883 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary Beam. She is a daughter of 
William Beam, whose father, John Beam, 
was one of the oldest settlers at Cincinnati, 
Ohio, coming there very early from Pennsyl- 
vania. Mrs. Shumard's mother was Ellen 
Robinson, from Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. 
Shumard are the parents of one child, Ray- 
mond, aged eighteen 3'ears, living at home. 

Mr. Shumard is a man of active traits and 
broad mind. He has been a splendid local and 
county ofificial, faithful in all things. He is 
clean-cut, straightftirward and vigilant, and 
a splendid type of farmer and public ofificial. 
He is one of the organizers and secretary and 
manager of the \\'ilcox and Ragan Telephone 
Company. He has served on the school board 
as secretary ever since 1880, and was town 
clerk and justice of the peace. He was elected 
county supervisor in 1895 and has served for 
twelve years continuously. He was appointed 
postmaster in 1907 by President Roosevelt. 
He is an active member of the Grand Army of 
the Republic post at Huntley, Nebraska, and 
is a prominent Mason and Workman. He also 
acts as class leader of the local Methodist 
Episcopal church, and has carried on this work 
for the past twenty years. Politically, he has 
always been a Republican. 



HENRY NIEHUS. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a prosperous and successful 
ranchman of Morrill, formerly Cheyenne, 
county, being proprietor of a valuable tract 
of land in Rcdington precinct, situated on 
Lawrence Forks creek, well improved with 
buildings, orchards and groves. He is known 
as one of the leading men of his locality, who 
has done much to bring about the present 
success of the same. 

Henry Niehus was born December 24, 
1855, in the village of Besenbeck, near Elms- 



horn, province of Holstein, Germany, and 
came to the United States when he was a lad 
of sixteen, sailing from Hamburg March 1, 
1871, in the Holsalia, After a voyage of 
eighteen days he landed in New York, and 
came to Grand Island, Nebraska, where 
friends had preceded him. He remained there 
until 1880, following fence construction and 
contract hay making most of the time. He 
then went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, riding the 
range in that country for ten years in the 
employ of the "Two Bar" and \\'arren Com- 
pany's ranches. He returned to Nebraska and 
filed on a homestead which he later sold. Af- 
ter disposing of the property he purchased 
nine hundred and twenty acres on sections 
11 and 12. township 18. range 52, now in- 
creased to over a thousand acres, and has de- 
veloped this into a fine place. Four hundred 
acres are under cultivation with a good or- 
chard of four hundred trees and eight hun- 
dred grape vines, besides much large natural 
timber, big groves, plenty of nlnning water 
the year around, and everything to make it an 
ideal homestead. Seventy acres are irrigated. 
He has erected good buildings of all descrip- 
tions, including granary, cribs, barns and sheds 
for the accommodation of two hundred and 
fifty head ui cattle and fifty horses, also keep- 
ing one hundred hogs each year. Ten teams 
are required for the work of this extensive 
farm. A view of the home with a partial 
view of the fine natural timber is presented 
on another page of our work. 

Mr. Niehus was married at Grand Island, 
Nebraska, on November 25, 1879. to Miss 
Dora Focllmer, who was born in Kratzeber, 
I)ro\ince of Thuringia, Germany, and came to 
.America in 1871. Four children have been 
born to them, as follows: Anna, now the wife 
of Ray Haskell, living in Bridgeport; Hilda 
and Joseph, at home; and Theresa, married to 
W. E. Bardan, residing near Redington. 

In times past Mr. Niehus has been an ac- 
tive member of the local school board, and 
has alwaj's taken an active interest in all local 
and county aflfairs. He is a Republican po- 
litically, and a member of Redington Camp, 
No. 2607, Modern \\'oodmen of America. In 
December, 1907, he revisited the old country 
after an absence of thirty-seven years. Of 
course, not even his sister knew him, though 
neighbors could see a family resemblance, 
finally concluding he must be the lost Niehus 
who went to .America so many years before. 
His venerable mother was delighted to see 
him and he intends soon revisiting the old 
home again. He brought back \\i(li him a 
fine variety of German potatoes, a winter bar- 



2 X 




COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



869 



ley, which promises to be a valuable addition 
to the grain products of western Nebraska. 



GEORGE A. CAMM. 

George A. Camm is one of the leading 
old settlers of Cherry county. Nebraska, 
where he has built up a comfortable home and 
farm on the south half of section 24, 1 own- 
ship 34, range 28. He came here when this 
section was very sparsely populated and by 
his industry and perseverance has gained a 
wide reputation as a successful agriculturist 
and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Camm was born in Cleveland, Ohio, 
January 24, 1852. His father, James M. 
Camm, a native of Sacket's Harbor, New 
York, was a soldier in three wars : The 
■ Florida, the Mexican and later in the Civil 
war. In the latter war he served ninety days 
in the Fourteenth Wisconsin as first lieutenant 
which he resigned to raise Company G in the 
Forty-first Wisconsin, of which he was elected 
captain. The family moved from New York 
to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1861, and there 
reared their family of four children, of whom 
our subject is the second member. He re- 
mained with his parents until fifteen years of 
age, then secured employment on the Chicago 
& Northwestern railroad, as newsboy, run- 
ning between Oshkosh and Green Bay, but 
was only in this work a short time when his 
parents made him quit the road and return 
to school. After leaving school he returned 
to railroading and followed that occupation 
for twelve years, most of the time in service 
on the Green Bay & Minnesota railway as 
wiper, fireman and engineer. It was during 
this time railroads changed from wood to coal 
for fuel and Mr. Camm was employed four 
years teaching the firemen on the peninsula 
division the use of coal. In 1881 he left the 
railroad and moved to Cherry county, locat- 
ing with his father on homesteads of three 
hundred and twenty acres in section 24, town- 
ship 34, range 28, and still lives on this land, 
having purchased his father's quarter section 
after he had proved up on the title, living in 
Nebraska from 1881 to 1896. His first house 
on this farm was a stockade house with a 
stable in one end and hog house adjoining the 
building, the living rooms for the family be- 
ing in the middle of the building. The sod 
roof of this was so defective that during rainy 
weather the family lived in a tent erected in 
front of the living rooms. He had one ox 
team when he came here, but did not use them 
long, purchasing a team of horses costing two 



hundred and fifty dollars, and within twenty- 
four hours after buying the team, one horse 
died. This is but one of the many incidents 
that made up the sum of hard times in Ne- 
braska ; and another, his being obliged, in the 
harvest of one crop of corn and vegetables, to 
use a wheelbarrow for hauling it to the barns. 
By determination and hard work he gradually 
improved his place, and now has a fine tract 
of land which is continually rising in value. 
There are three hundred and twenty acres, 
all of which is under fence, with a good set 
of farm buildings all in good condition, a 
new barn replacing one destroyed by fire in 
1907. Although he often became discouraged 
in contending with the many misfortunes that 
have overtaken him since coming here, Mr. 
Camm's resolute character has carried' him 
safely through to final success. He farms about 
one hundred and thirty acres, which supports a 
goodly number of stock, and when farm work 
is not pressing adds to his store by freighting 
between Valentine and Rosebud Agency. He 
was one of the first to carry mail between 
these points, in which service he was engaged 
four and a half years, in all but six months 
of which time he had the contract in his own 
name. 

Mr. Camm was married in Oshkosh, Wis- 
consin, October 22, 1884, to Miss May 
Stephenson, a native of Wisconsin, who was 
at that time attending the State Normal 
School. Seven children have been born of 
this union, named : Hazel, Harry, Nellie, 
Ethel Bessie, James, I\Iagdalena and Win- 
nifred E., all of whom are natives of Cherry 
county, and all are living except Ethel B., who 
was killed April 24, 1901, by the wheels of 
a freight wagon, and Winnifred E., lost in 
the burning of the barn in February, 1907. 

_ Mr. Camm takes an active part in all local 
aft'airs, being prominent in the school district 
of which he is director, and aims to do his 
full share as a citizen and neighbor. He has 
never sought any political office, but is in- 
terested in all county and state affairs of im- 
portance, voting the straight Republican 
ticket. He is a member of the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen and Modern Woodmen of 
America lodges of Valentine. 



GEORGE W. SNYDER. 

George W. Snyder, one of the leading and 
influential ranchers of Keith county, Nebraska, 
was born in Bureau county, Illinois, March 
18, 1856, of German descent, his father, Henry 



870 



COilPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Snyder, and his mother, Celia Doll, both be- 
ing born in Germany, and farmers by occupa- 
tion. 

Our subject was reared on the farm in 
Illinois, where he was born, assisting his 
father with the farm work and receiving a 
good common school education. He remained 
on the farm until about 1878, when he started 
out to find employment for himself. 

Later in the year 1878 Mr. Snyder was 
married to Josephine \\'asson, also a native 
of Bureau county, Illinois, being the daugh- 
ter of Jacob and Elsa (HofTman) Wasson, 
successful and influential farmers of that 
county. This marriage has been blessed with 
one daughter, Nellie, who is a teacher, hav- 
ing taught in Ogallala, near which place Mr. 
Snyder moved later in life. 

Three years after his marriage, Mr. Sny- 
der moved to Tama county, Iowa, where he 
bought a farm on which he lived for eight 
years. But poor health necessitated a change, 
so he moved to Peru, Illinois, where he en- 
gaged in the livery business for five years. 
His health requiring a greater change, he went 
south in 1894, spending three years in Te.xas, 
Arizona and New and Old Mexico ; thence he 
removed to Arapahoe county, Colorado, where 
he lived for two years, and, in the spring of 
1900, he moved to his present location in Keith 
county, Nebraska, buying his home farm in 
section 10, township 12, range 40. Our sub- 
ject experienced all the hardships of pioneer 
days and yet has successfully coped with 
them all and built up his farm in fine shape. 
He has a fine large ranch of eleven hundred 
and twenty acres, thoroughly improved in an 
up-to-date manner, with a good home, barns, 
sheds, fences and other equipment necessary 
to the successful rancher. He cultivates about 
one hundred and fifty acres of his land, the 
balance being used for grazing purposes. He 
runs a fine bunch of cattle numbering about 
forty head, and about sixty horses of the 
Shire and Norman breeds, the latter to pre- 
dominate in the future. 

Mr. Snyder has been deeply interested in 
all matters pertaining to the advancement of 
the community in which he lives and, as an old 
settler, has done his share toward the ma- 
terial development of the county. Owing to 
his fine ranch and to his excellent business 
f|ualities he is highly respected by all his as- 
sociates and his judgment on all matters of 
vital importance is highl}' esteemed. Me was 
formerly a Democrat but being in Mexico, 
then on a silver basis, during the campaign 
when that was an issue he became converted 
to Republican doctrines and has remained in 



that party ever since. He is a member of the 
Modern Woodmen of America, at Peru, Illi- 
nois. 



HENRY WHITING. 

In reviewing the career of Henry Whiting, 
we find a man who came to Dawes county in 
the early years of its history, and robust and 
energetic, threw himself into the work of 
building a home on the prairie — like the true 
pioneer he was. He is a man who won suc- 
cess by toil and struggle, and one who has 
taken a keen interest in the growth of the 
county in the early settlement of which he 
took such a prominent part. 

Mr. Whiting was born in Herefordshire, 
England, in 1847, a son of Thomas and Ann 
(Wheeler) Whiting, both of whom were na- 
tives of England. He was reared and edu- 
cated in his native land, and as he grew into 
manhood, worked in the coal mines. In 1868 
he was united in marriage to Ann Rowe, in 
South Wales. She was a daughter of Nicho- 
las Rowe, a plate layer, and Grace (Jones) 
Rowe. 

Mr. Whiting came to America in 1881, 
landing in New York city September 26th. 
He went west into Green county, Iowa, his 
family following in 1882, Here he spent four 
or five years working in the coal mines. In 
the spring of 1886 he came to Dawes county, 
Nebraska, taking a claim on pre-emption in 
township 30, range 48. He proved up his 
claim and built a log cabin. In 1888 he took 
a homestead in section 17 of the same town- 
ship. He experienced the many hardships so 
familiar to the early settlers in western Ne- 
braska, and lost different crops by hail. Dur- 
ing the periods of drouth he helped to make 
a living by working in the mines. The years 
of toil and struggle which he spent in an ef- 
fort to work out for himself and family a 
comfortable home have not been wasted, for 
his ranch of six hundred and forty acres on 
the Pepper creek is a model one of its kind. 
He has erected a substantial and commodious 
home, and has two good wells and windmills. 
Mr. Whiting is the father of five children who 
would be a credit to any jjarentage. They 
are: Henry, Elizabeth (married), Charles, 
Alice and Samuel. 

The subject of this sketch has always taken 
a leading part in the affairs of the locality in 
which he lives, and is looked upon as a man 
well worthy of the high esteem in which he 
is held. Tlirough years of adversity and pros- 
jjerity he has held the handles of the plow. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



8/1 



working out for himself a comfortable home, 
and giving his energies to the upbuilding of 
tlie locality in which he resides. Upright and 
honorable in all his dealings, he has manifested 
a high integrity and a strict adherance to 
principle, and enjoys the respect and confi- 
dence of a host of warm friends. July 8, 1907, 
his wife died, and this sad event was the 
means of bringing together the .entire family, 
including one of his sons who resided in the 
state of Washington. 



RICKLES N. ADKINS. 

Among those who have made a success 
of farming in the western states, and who have 
accumulated a snug fortune, though starting 
out with absolutely nothing, the gentleman 
above named stands foremost. Mr. Adkins is 
one of the old settlers in Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, and has done his full share in mak- 
ing this county what it is today, and richly 
merits the reward he has earned through his 
industry and thrift. 

Mr. Adkins was born in Wayne county, 
Virginia, August 1, 1869. and reared on a 
farm where he learned to do all hard labor as 
a young lad. His father, Spencer Adkins, was 
a carpenter by trade, following farm work also. 
The mother was Matilda Johnson. In 1874 
the family located in Kentucky, remaining 
there for five years, then going to Iowa and 
settling in Shelby county. At the age of fif- 
teen years our subject started out in life for 
himself, following all kinds of work until 1889, 
when he began farming for himself in Keya 
Paha county, having made a preliminary trip 
in 1895. He took up a pre-emption of eighty 
acres, then let it go back to the government, 
and in 1890 took a homestead on section 27, 
township iS, range 17, and still occupies this 
place. He has fully improved this, putting up 
good buildings, fences, etc., cultivating a part 
of the land and using the rest for hay and 
pasture. He keeps about eighty head of cattle, 
one hundred and twenty hogs and also raises 
a number of horses for market each year. 

When Air. Adkins first came to Nebraska 
lie had a hard time to get along, and after set- 
tling on his homestead he lost stock through 
having them stolen, his crops were destroyed 
by drouths and storms, and often did not know 
where the next meal was coming from. At 
these times he worked out by the day to sup- 
port his family, and although they often be- 
came discouraged, he determined to stick to it, 
and is now very glad that he did so. He now 
has a comfortable home and fine farm, and is 



counted among the successful and influential 
men of his section of the country. 

Mr. Adkins was married June 20, 1885, to 
Miss Martine Larson, of Danish birth, who 
came to America in 1881 with her parents, 
locating in Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Adkins 
have been born children, named as fol- 
lows : Abraham, Matilda, Henry, Pearl, Bert, 
Mary, lona, Bertha, Rickles, Jr., and Earl, all 
living at home at the present time. 

Mr. Adkins is Republican in political faith 
and a member of the Christian Adventist 
church. 



H. G. WIEGAND. 

H. G. Wiegand, one of the representative 
farmers and ranchmen of Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, is classed among the wealthy resi- 
dents of his locality, and a man who stands 
among the foremost citizens of the region as 
an important factor in the advancement and 
growth of his adopted home. 

Our subject was born in Germany, No- 
vember 11, 1863, and grew to the age of sev- 
enteen years there, receiving a scant education 
and the training usual to the children of the 
middle classes in that country, then started 
out for himself, taking passage on an emigrant 
steamer for America. He located at first in 
LaSalle, Illinois, and spent about six years 
in that vicinity, following farming the greater 
part of the time, then came to Nebraska and 
settled in Deuel county, landing here March 
1, 1886. He was one of the original pioneers 
of western Nebraska, and passed through all 
the early experiences of the settlers in the 
region, homesteading a tract of land on which 
he proved up and later sold. After he had 
been in the United States about six months 
he sent for the rest of his family, father, 
mother, one brother and a sister coming over 
and joining him, and were pioneers with him- 
self in Nebraska. He settled on section 17, 
township 13, range 45, and has lived on this 
ranch ever since, now having twenty hundred 
and eighty acres in the home ranch, which is 
fitted with a complete set of substantial farm 
buildings and first-class improvements of all 
kinds. He farms but little, using most of the 
land for stock raising and having extensive 
hay meadows, with sixty-five acres of alfalfa. 
He runs about two hundred and fifty head of 
cattle and a small bunch of horses, and has al- 
ways been quite a heavy shipper of stock. 
Mr. Wiegand was married at Chappell. in 
February, 1892, to Mrs. Mary Gunn, whose 
maiden name was Marv \\'illiams and who 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-\PHY 



was born and raised in England, coming to 
America when a girl of seventeen. The par- 
ents of both our subject and his wife are dead. 
They have three children, all of whom live 
at home, namely: Jessie M., Lyle H. and 
Eunice. 

Mr. Wiegand is director of school district 
No. 9, and is a leading citizen in all affairs 
which tend to the betterment of his locality. 
Politically he is a stanch Republican and takes an 
active interest in party affairs. 



AMOS A. WRIGHT. 

Amos A. Wright may be truly numbered 
among the leading old-timers of Box Butte 
county, Nebraska. He has made this region 
his home for the past twenty-one years, and 
during that time has acquired a valuable prop- 
erty consisting of a fine ranch of six hundred 
and forty acres, all well improved, and this 
place forms one of the most pleasant homes 
and best kept farms in the locality. He has 
lately erected a handsome concrete house with 
nice walks and a fine lawn surrounding it, and 
to the visitor driving through this section his 
home presents a very pleasing appearance to 
the eye. 

Mr. Wright was born in Henry county, 
Illinois, in 1856. His father followed farming 
in that state for many years, and our subject 
was reared and educated there, attending the 
country schools and assisting his parents in 
carrying on the home farm, remaining at home 
until he was twenty-one years of age. He 
then came west, locating in Boone county, 
Iowa, and there started farming for himself, 
but only remained in that locality for a short 
time, emigrating to Hastings. Nebraska, and 
worked on farms in that vicinity for about five 
years. In the spring of 1887 he came to Box 
Butte county, driving overland from Hastings 
in a covered wagon containing his household 
goods and bringing his family with him. He 
picked out a location in section 28, township 
24, range 50, and at once went to work to make 
a home for himself and family. On the first 
of May of that year he had the bad luck to 
lose three horses in a snowstorm which struck 
the region, and for three weeks they wandered 
through the Sand Hills. His first building was 
a sod house. The nearest railroad station was 
Hay Springs, which was six miles from his 
homestead. His entire possessions consisted 
of a cow and calf and three horses, but he 
went to work with a stout heart, begun to 
break land for crops, and while improving his 
place worked out as a freighter and doing con- 



struction work on the Chicago, Burlington & 
Ouincy railway, which was then being laid 
through this section of country. Mr. Wright 
lived on that place up to 1901, and during 
that time succeeded in accumulating a nice 
property and adding many improvements in 
the way of good buildings, fences, wells and 
windmills. He then sold for a good price and 
moved to a tract of land consisting of four 
hundred acres, located on Snake creek, and 
lived there for six years, doing well, engaged 
in mixed farming and stock raising, then com- 
ing to his present place which he purchased. 
This farm contains six hundred and forty 
acres, situated five miles southwest of Al- 
liance. 

Mr. Wright has done his utmost since com- 
ing here to make this part of the state a pros- 
perous farming section, as he has really im- 
proved three different farms, also lending his 
aid in establishing schools in his locality. He 
has been prominent in every movement which 
has been started toward the bettering of con- 
ditions here, and has always been one of the 
foremost citizens of his community. 

Mr. Wright was married in 1880. while liv- 
ing in Iowa, to Mrs. Phoebe Robbins. Her 
father, Rufus West, was a farmer in Iowa, and 
her mother's maiden name was Lydia Corbett. 
Mrs. Wright has one son by a former mar- 
riage, Fred C. Robbins, who is a well-known 
ranchman in this state. Of Mr. Wright's mar- 
riage two children have been born, Arthur G., 
aged twenty-five years, and Albert C, aged 
twenty-two years. 



SWAX P. PETERSON. 

Swan P. Peterson was born in Christian- 
stad, Skone. Sweden, in July, 1850. Both par- 
ents were natives of Sweden, where the father, 
a farmer by occupation, died when our subject 
was but a small boy. 

• Our subject was reared and educated in 
his native land, attending an agricultural 
school, where he acquired thorough training 
as to farm methods and scientific and practical 
farming. This knowledge has been an im- 
portant factor in his success in the western 
country. Mr. Peterson remained in Sweden 
until 1880. when he came to America, landing 
in New York city. From thence he went to 
Princeton, Illinois, where he worked at farm- 
ing for three years during the hard times. He 
then found employment in the iron mills at 
Kewancc. Illinois, for ten years and then 
for about five years worked in the ma- 
chine shops at the same city. .May 15. 1884, 




RESIDENCE OF MICHAEL M. KLINE, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




HESIDENCE ANU bTOKE OF MAX E \l i:i{ IKL 
Crookston. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



873 



he came west to see Keith county. Nebraska, 
and boug-ht raih-oad laiul eleven miles south- 
east of Ogallala, paying, six dollars per acre, 
but he returned to Illinois and did not come 
again to the county until 1894. He settled on 
his farm southeast of Ogallala and commenced 
building up a home. He had a good start — 
a team and wagon, household goods and about 
fifteen hundred dollars in money. This was 
sufficient to keep his famih' in good circum- 
stances if the crops had been good. But for 
several years nothing was harvested and the 
family managed to get through the hard times 
by turning their attention to dairying and 
stock raising. But even with that, when the 
bad years were passed, our subject found his 
money all gone and nothing but his farm and 
a little stock left. In 1901 he moved to his 
present homestead in section 14, township 13, 
range 41, and later added a Kincaid claim, in 
1907, in section 22. He has a fine farm of 
nine hundred and sixt}- acres, a quarter section 
of which lies south of the Platte river and is 
all under irrigation. Mr. Peterson gives most 
of his attention to stock raising and dairying 
and cultivates only about sixty acres. 

Our subject was married in Kewanee, Illi- 
noise, in ^Iay, 1892, to Mrs. Nellie Lundin 
(nee Johnson), a native of Skone, Sweden, 
who came to America with a girl friend in 
1881. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Peterson have had five 
children, four of whom are living: Ebba, 
Lawrence, Emmert and Hazel ; one son. Otto, 
is dead. 

Mr. Peterson is one of the old settlers of 
that part of the state and is well and favor- 
ably known over a wide territory. He is a 
member of the Republican party, and he is 
influential in promulgating the principles of 
the party to which he belongs. He is a con- 
scientious and public-spirited citizen, and has 
come to occupy a high place in the regard of 
his fellows. He is a member of the Ogallala 
Camp, Modern \\'oodmen of America, and a 
Lutheran in relieious faith. 



MICHAEL M. KLINE. 

Michael M. Kline, a well-known and suc- 
cessful farmer and dairyman of Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, has a pleasant and substan- 
tial home in Colton precinct, and is one of the 
prominent men of his locality. 

Mr. Kline was born in the Shenandoah 
valley, Rockingham county. Virginia, Decem- 
ber 17, 18.^5, and is a son of George and Eliza- 
beth (Miller) Kline, both \'irginians by birth, 
the former departed this life in .\ugust, 1906, 



while the mother resides on the old homestead 
in \"irginia. Our subject^rew up in his native 
state, emigrating to Keokuk county, Iowa, in 
1877. and spent about eleven years in that part 
of the country. He first came to Nebraska in 
1887, filing on a homestead and tree claim in 
section 18, township 13, range 48, which he 
later sold. Since then he has taken up addi- 
tional land under the Kincaid law in section 
30. township 14, range 48, and is now owner 
of a fine estate, of which one hundred and 
fortv-five acres are devoted to dairy farming. He 
has erected good buildings on his farm lands, 
and has about fifty acres under cultivation, 
using the balance as pasture and hay land. He 
is quite heavily interested in the dairy busi- 
ness, keeps about seventy-five head of Hol- 
stein cattle, and runs a milk wagon for the 
Sidney trade. He is doing exceedingly well 
along" these lines, and has a comfortable and 
pleasant home, all of which has been ac- 
cumulated through his own unaided efiorts 
and industrious habits. When he first landed 
here he was obliged to start his fa^m on a 
verv small scale, and for a number of years 
was unable to lay by anything, as he suffered 
from failure of crops on account of the drouth 
periods, but he stuck to his purpose and has 
been well rewarded for his labors, now being 
in comfortable circumstances. A view of his 
dwelling and barns are presented on another 
page. 

Mr. Kline was united in marriage, in Octo- 
ber, 1880, in Keokuk county. Iowa, to Miss 
Fannie Florv, whose father, Samuel Flory, 
is still living' in that county. Her mother was 
in maidenhood a Miss Brewer. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kline have three children, namely: Lizzie 
Virginia, now Mrs. Paul Cappler. living in 
Cheyenne county; Ira, the owner of a fine 
ranch of four hundred and eighty acres, which 
he filed on under the Kincaid act. situated in 
section 24, township 14. range 49: and Eva, 
living at home. 

Mr. Kline is a Prohibitionist in sentiment, 
and votes an independent ticket. He is an ac- 
tive, public-spirited citizen, always standing 
for the good of his community. In religious 
sentiment he is one of the Dunkard Brethren. 



MAX E. VIERTEL. 

^j'ax E. Viertel, who now resides in 
Crookston, Cherry county, Nebraska, has been 
identified with the history of this broad and 
promising county for many years. The Vier- 
tels were orginaily French, the grandfather of 
Max E. leaving his native land to make his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCENXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



home in Germany as early as 1813. There the 
family remained, making their home at Bre- 
men, in Saxony, until 1881. Christian E. 
Viertel, the father of Max E., sailed for 
\merica in October, 1880. the mother follow- 
ine: with the family, sailing June 25. 1881, in 
the steamer Elbe, landing in New York on the 
4tli day of July. On his arrival in this country. 
Christian E. \'iertel brought his family to 
Bowditch county. Wisconsin, where he en- 
gaged in farming for two years, when he re- 
moved to Stevens Point to enter the employ 
of the Wisconsin Central Railway, remaining 
until 1886. He then came to Crookston, Ne- 
braska. 

Max E. Viertel was born in Limbach, Ger- 
many, July 28. 1863. On reaching Wisconsin 
he secured a position on the Wisconsin Central 
in 1882. and three years later became store 
keeper of the company's supply shops. He 
was in the hotel business at Stevens Point un- 
til removing to Nebraska. In 1886 he came 
to Crookston and became clerk in the store of 
F. H. BaUmgartel. established in July of that 
year, and long recognized as the leading store 
in this entire region. In 1899 Mr. \'iertel had 
become so successful in his ventures, and so 
sure of himself that he bought out the estab- 
lishment, and began a mercantile career that 
has proved remarkably successful. Mr. Vier- 
tel not only does a general mercantile busi- 
ness, but he also deals in farm lands, and as 
a reliable and trustworthy real estate dealer 
is widely known. He is also postmaster of 
Crookston, which ofifice he efficiently fills. His 
years are still largely before him, and his 
friends are sure that his energy, ability and 
character will win for him a much larger meas- 
ure of success than he has yet enjoyed. He 
possesses the confidence and trust of the com- 
munity to a marked degree, and his word 
needs no bond to bind it. 

Mr. \^iertel was married April 3, 1887, to 
Miss Lydia Baumgartel. a native of Saxony, 
Germany, her father being the founder of the 
store as noted above. She is the mother of a 
family of six children: Helena, Viola, Ru- 
dolph, Gladys, Margaret and Levon. The 
family are Lutheran in faith and Mr. Viertel 
is a member of the Crookston lodges of the 
Modern Woodmen of America and the .An- 
cient Order of United Workmen. 



ARTHUR S. BEEDE. 

The gentleman above named is known 
throughout the locality in which he resides as 
an energetic and prosperous agriculturist, and 



has for the past ten years been engaged in 
bringing his valuable estate to a high state 
of cultivation. 

Mr. Beede was born on a farm in Alla- 
makee county, Iowa, in 1858. His father, 
John C. Beede. is of American stock, born and 
raised near Moosehead Lake, and was by trade 
a shoemaker. At the time the family located 
in Iowa, they were the fifth family to settle 
in Allamakee county, which was then practic- 
ally a wilderness. Our subject is the eldest 
of a family of eight children, and he lived 
at home assisting his father in breaking up 
the new land and getting it in shape to raise 
crops. At the age of twenty-two he came 
west but did not settle permanentl}-, and in 
1880 he went back to Iowa, locating in Osce- 
ola county, where he worked on a farm for a 
j^ear and a half. He went north then, land- 
ing in Chamberlain. South Dakota, and drifted 
around in that part of the country for about 
two years. In 1884 he struck \'a!entine, Ne- 
braska, going all over this part of the state, 
and then traveled on to Kansas where he 
picked corn for a living during the fall and 
winter months. In 1885 he came to Sheridan 
county, his first location being on a pre-emp- 
tion two miles east of Rushville. This he soon 
afterward sold, and took a homestead in this 
locality. In 1897 he purchased his present 
home, comprising three hundred and twenty 
acres, of which he farms about one hundred 
acres, raising enough hay and grain on the 
balance to keep his stock. He has thirty head 
of cattle and twelve horses. During the poor 
years he farmed at a loss, and when he came 
to figure up after going through many dis- 
couraging times, found that he was two thou- 
sand dollars in debt. He was about ready to 
quit then, but his wife was determined to stay 
and try to make this up, so they went to 
work again with a will and as times became 
better he was able to grow good crops, and 
things began to look brighter. He is now free 
from all debt, is the owner of a fine farm, well 
improved with good buildings and all fenced, 
and is classed among the substantial citizens 
of his locality. He has gained all this by dint 
of perseverance and hard work, as he had 
very little money to start with, and was 
obliged to do ail kinds of rough work, such as 
freighting, teaming, etc., in order to make a 
living for his family in the early days. 

Mr. Beede was married in 1886 to Miss 
Marj^ E. Hughes, a native of Allamakee 
county, Iowa. Her father and her mother 
were both born and raised in Ireland and 
came to this country as a young married 
couple. They located in Iowa, where they re- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



mained until their children grew up. Eight 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Beede, who are named as follows : John, Roy, 
Nellie, Elizabeth, Angle, Thomas, William 
and Clarence, all born and raised in this lo- 
cality. The family occupy a pleasant home, 
and is highly respected in the community. 
Mr. Beede was raised a Republican, voted the 
Greenback ticket in his younger days, and now 
his sympathies are with the Independent 
party. He keeps abreast of the times in all 
public matters, but has never had any time 
to devote to taking an active part in politics. 



JAMES A. HUNTER. 

James A. Hunter now lives at Alliance, but 
has a fine ranch located in section 29, town- 
ship 29, range 49, in Dawes county, Nebraska. 
He is one of the most extensive raisers of 
horses and cattle in western Nebraska. He 
was born in Montgomery county. Illinois, in 
1862, a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Ander- 
son) Hunter, natives of Scotland. His par- 
ents came to America on their wedding tour, 
and settled in Montgomery county, Illinois, 
where his father was a prominent farmer. 

Until the age of nineteen years, our sub- 
ject remained on the farm with his parents, 
and received a common school education. He 
then went to St. Louis. Missouri, where he 
entered the Jones Commercial College. Upon 
the completion of his studies there. Air. Hunter 
went to San Antonio. Texas, where he pur- 
chased three hundred head of cattle and en- 
tered the stock business. After remaining 
here a short time, he trailed a herd of six 
thousand head of cattle, including his own, 
north into the Indian Territory. Here he 
remained until the spring of 1881, when he 
drove his herd on through to Nebraska. The 
journey through the Indian Territory (where 
he was quarantined for two months) and 
across the state of Kansas was marked by 
many trying experiences. For six months he 
was forced to camp out constantly, obtaining 
his supplies from the different forts along the 
route, not having seen a single house during 
this period, only his camp wagon. 

Mr. Hunter has been all over these western 
counties in the early days, the nearest post- 
office being Pine Ridge, South Dakota, while 
Sidney was the nearest railroad station. Here 
he engaged in the raising of horses, and when 
the county first began settling, had quite a 
herd oi fine animals. It was in 1883 or 1884 
that Mr. Hunter filed on the claim which is 
his present home farm, and at, once set about 



the task of reclaiming from the wild prairie a 
suitable home in which to pass his life. He 
now has what is one of the largest ranches in 
western Nebraska, comprising an area of 
fifty-three hundred acres of deeded land and 
about twenty-seven hundred acres of leased land. 
He has erected good buildings, and has his ranch 
well fenced. He has about four hundred acres 
which are irt^igated. Mr. Hunter engages ex- 
tensively in stockraising, and has fifty head 
of horses and seven hundred head of cattle. 
The many years which he has devoted to this 
occupation has made him an expert, and has 
gained for him an enviable reputation through- 
out the country. 

In 1888, Mr. Hunter and Miss Anna Har- 
ris were married. Her parents were Thomas 
and Grazell (Sheppard) Harris, .prominent old 
settlers near Springfield, Illinois. Mrs. 
Hunter died in 1893 on the farm in Dawes 
county, Nebraska. One child was born of this 
union, Robert L. In June, 1897, Air. Hunter 
contracted a second marriage with Nellie Har- 
ris, a sister of his deceased wife. 

The subject of this narrative is a Republi- 
can. He has worked hard and managed well, 
and his career is to be regarded as a marked 
success. While he has devoted himself very 
closely to his ranch, and has permitted nothing 
to come between him and that great interest, 
he has always taken a prominent part in every- 
thing pertaining to matters of local interest, 
and as an old settler he has done his share 
of the work of improving and developing 
Dawes county, and making it a home for a 
thrifty and industrious people. He has held 
various school offices, and assisted in the 
building of the first schools in the county. 



WILLIAAI BEATTY. 

If we were to be asked for the name of 
one of the oldest settlers in the western part of 
of Nebraska, and a representative citizen of 
this locality, we would not hestitate to give 
that of \\"illiam Beatty, the subject of this 
review. He resides in Brady, Lincoln county, 
and has lived in this section since 1875, build- 
ing up a fine home and comfortable compe- 
tence, and incidentally being one of those who 
have aided materially in the development and 
growth of his community. 

Air. Beatty is a native of Alonahan county, 
Ireland, and his mother still resides there. In 
1895 he re-visited the home of his childhood 
and spent some time with his mother, who is 
now dead. He spent his boyhood years with 
bi^ parents, and at the age of twenty-two came 



876 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to America, landinc^ in New York in 1S73. 
Two years later he came west, locating in 
eastern Nebraska, but only remained there for 
two years then came to Lincoln county, home- 
steading the place on which he now lives. He 
worked for the Union Pacific railway for 
twelve years after coming here, also superin- 
tending the working of his farm, and adding 
improvements gradually. He took up a tree 
claim near Gottenberg. which he has since 
sold. He added to his ranch, buying railway 
lands and other tracts, and now owns about 
three thousand acres in all. He does not go 
in for farming to any great extent: raises a 
little corn, and some small farm products, and 
nearl}' all his land is devoted to stock raising, 
with some portions of it in hay and grazing 
fields. He has on his place about three hun- 
dred to five hundred cattle, one hundred hogs. 
and from thirty-five to fifty horses. He show 
a decided preference for the Hereford breed 
of cattle, and finds them the best for all pur- 
poses. His hogs are of mixed breeds, and his 
horses are all general purpose animals which 
he finds to be the best for his locality. He 
raises fine crops of hay each season, and this 
year his yield was about four hundred tons, 
and he feeds all of this on his farm, besides 
buying a great deal of grain, etc. 

Mr. Beatty is one of the most successful 
ranchmen in his communit}-, and in character 
is intelligent and genial, admired and re- 
spected by all who know him for his many 
sterling qualities. He is president of the State 
Bank of Brady, and a man who takes an active 
part in everything that tends to the better- 
ment of conditions in his localitv. He states 
that as a boy in Ireland, all England seemed 
to think of or care for was to take all she 
could from the Irish people. When he re- 
turned to Ireland in 1895 he was amazed at 
the improved condition of things there. It 
now appears that England is doing all she can 
to aid the Irish. Anyone wishing to build a 
home there, can, b}- presenting an architect's 
certificate, borrow for twenty years two-thirds 
of the cost of the building. pa_\Tng interest of 
two per cent, per annum. Any tenant wishing 
to buy the land which he has formerly rented 
can compel the landlord to sell to him. and 
the government loans the tenant the full pur- 
chase price of the land fixed by agreement or 
arbitration, at two per cent, for forty years. 
This certainly is a great improvement over the 
conditions which existed in years gone by. 
when the people were so bitterly oppressed by 
the English. Many were forced to leave their 
home country and take refuge in a foreign 
land to escape the hardshijis which they were 



obliged to endure in Ireland not many years 
since, and it was through this that many of 
our sturdy Irish citizens came to this country 
to taste of the joys of freedom. 

Mr. Beatty was married in 1883 to Miss 
Minnie Burke, a native of Iowa, and sister of 
the present agent for the Union Pacific rail- 
wa)-. who resides at Maxwell. Nebraska. As 
a result of this union five children have come 
to bless their home, who are named as fol- 
lows: William. Robert, Essie, Eflfie and 
Edyth. all of whom are living at home, the 
daughters attending school here. They have 
a pleasant and comfortable home, and enjoy 
a large circle of friends and are highly re- 
spected by all who know them. 

Mr. Reatty is an Independent in politics, 
and takes a deep interest in all local and state 
affairs, always keeping abreast of the times 
and being thoroughly conversant with public 
matters of importance. 



IGNATIUS WANKER. 

Ignatius Wanker, one of the best known 
pioneers of western Nebraska, is a man of 
sterling character who has accumulated a fine 
property through thrift and perseverance, and 
after undergoing many hardships and priva- 
tions in the earlier years of his life has gained 
a competence for himself and family. He re- 
sides in Ainsworth, where he is highly es- 
teemed as a worthy citizen and a foremost 
member of the community. Mr. Wanker was 
born near Strasburg, in Alsace, then a prov- 
ince of France. Januar}' 7. 1845. His father 
was a farmer by occupation who lived and 
died in his native land. There was a family of 
five children, of whom but two are now living. 
They, with the mother, came to America in 
1857, settling in Horton county, Iowa, where 
they were among the pioneers. There for sev- 
eral years our subject farmed and worked in 
his uncle's country store part of the time, un- 
til the outbreak of the Civil war: then in 
1862, enlisted in Company B, Eighteenth Iowa 
Infantry, going with his regiment through 
Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee: was on 
the Red river expedition and in the Camden 
campaign, taking part in fourteen big battles 
and many skirmishes. He was mustered out 
at Littlerock, and discharged at Davenport, 
Iowa, in Julv, 1863, after three years' hard 
service. 

After leaving the army he returned to Iowa 
where he purchased a farm near Hopewell, 
Clark county, remaining on it up to 1885, put- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.A.PHY 



877 



ting up good buildings and making many im- 
provements. He disposed of that place in the 
latter 3-ear and came to Brown county, where 
he took a homestead on section 6, township 
28, range 21, his first building here being a 
sod house in which he lived with his family 
for two years. He went successfully through 
the dry years, for it was during those times 
that he raised his best crops, and was very 
successful, paying off his mortgage on the 
place, when many others had a hard time to 
get along and make a living, tje acquired 
a fine farm of eight hundred acres, one hun- 
dred and fifty of which is cultivated, and 
the balance in hay and pasture land, which 
he traded for the Osborn House in Ainsworth. 
This he later exchanged for a fine tract of 
forty acres near Norfolk, which is highly im- 
proved. He since purchased one hundred and 
sixty acres in section 35. southeast of Ains- 
worth, which he personally superintends, di- 
viding his time between this land and his home 
in Ainsworth. 

January 4, 1866, Mr. Wanker was married 
to Miss Sarah Carter, born in Ohio, of Ameri- 
can blood. Eight children were born to them, 
namely: Louis (deceased), Lillian, Frank, 
Rose, Flora, Mary, Orris and Bessie. Mrs. 
Wanker died on December 30, 1900, and was 
interred the first day of the new year. In her loss 
the family had the sympathy of the entire com- 
munity. On July 20, 1902, Mr. \\'anker was 
again married, ]\Iiss Rebecca McKennon be- 
coming his bride. He is a Republican in poli- 
tics and a comrade in the Grand Army of the 
Republic of Ainsworth. He was reared in the 
Catholic church. 



PHILIP T. HIGGINS. 

Philip T. Higgins, one of the prominent old 
settlers and leading ranchmen and farmers of 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, has come to his 
present successful estate by dint of hard la- 
bor and constanlj attention to duty. He lo- 
cated in this state as early as 1880, and since 
that time has passed through all the changes 
that have come to the region, and incidentally, 
aided materially in the development of its re- 
sources and building up for himself a valuable 
property in Davidson precinct. 

Mr. Higgins was born August 7, 1856, in 
Ritchie county, West Virginia, and made that 
vicinity his home until he was twenty-four 
years of age. He was the only boy in a 
family of six children, received a common 
school education, and followed farm work as a 
young man; he learned the blacksmith's trade 



at which he worked part of the time. His 
first location after coming west in 1880, was 
at Nebraska City, in which vicinity he re- 
mained for six years engaged in farming and 
ranching. He came to western Nebraska in 
March, 1886, and filed on a homestead in sec- 
tion 26, township 16, range 51, Cheyenne 
county. He built a sod house and began to 
break up land for crops, raising sod-corn and 
vegetables the first summer. For several 
years he found it difilicult to make even a bare 
living, but finally he proved up on his claim. 
As circumstances permitted he added to his 
original homestead until he is now owner of 
nine hundred and sixty acres, devoting two 
hundred and sixty of it to farming purposes, 
and the balance to hay and pasture for his 
stock, running about one hundred head of 
cattle and sixty horses. In addition to his 
ranch here Mr. Higgins owns a valuable 
four hundred-acre farm in eastern Nebraska. 
He has a complete set of good buildings on his 
ranch, including a well equipped blacksmith 
shop, and does considerable work for himself 
and for his neighbors for miles around. 

Mr. Higgins's parents are both deceased. 
The father, Thomas Higgins, was a native of 
Ireland, while the mother, Sidney Wymer, in 
maidenhood, was born in Pendleton county, 
West Virginia. Our subject was married in 
eastern Nebraska, May 16, 1883, to Miss Ta- 
bitha \\'eimer, ind after nineteen years of 
happy domestic felicity Airs. Higgins departed 
this life, April 11, 1902, leaving a sorrowing 
family and many friends to mourn her death. 
There were four children born of the marriage, 
as follows: Charles E., born June 11, 1887; 
Clara M., born June 11, 1892; Violet P., born 
March 5, 1896 ; and Philip R., born January 
24, 1899. He was married again, November 
26. 1902, in Cheyenne county, to Miss Ella 
Miller, who formerly lived in Saunders county, 
Nebraska, where her parents, Henry and 
Martha (Kidney) Miller, still reside. Of this 
union three children have been born : Jessie 
A., Ethel L. and Lulu F. 

Mr. Higgins is serving as postmaster at 
Clara postoffice, which is located at his home. 
In political views he is a Democrat, with inde- 
pendent tendencies. He is a member of the 
Maccabees and the Modern Woodmen at 
Sidney. 



JOHN B. BLOAIBERG. 

John B. Blomberg, a well-to-do farmer of 
Sioux county, has a well-improved farm and 
ranch in section 31, township 31, range 53, on 



878 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



which he makes his home, and is among the 
old settlers of this region. He has acquired 
his entire possessions through energetic la- 
bor and good business management, and is 
now prepared to enjoy ■iiis declining years sur- 
rounded by all the comforts of rural life. 

Mr. Blomberg was born in Skona, Sweden, 
in 1865. His lather lived and died in that 
country, and his mother still occupies the old 
homestead there. Our subject grew up in 
Sweden, received a limited schooling, and dur- 
ing his boyhood learned the butcher's trade, 
following that occupation for six years in his 
home vicinity. He left Sweden and came to 
the United States in 1888. and alter spending 
a short time in New York city came west to 
Saunders county, Nebraska, at once going on 
a farm and followed that and railroading for 
about two years. He then settled in Sioux 
county, landing here in 1890, and after com- 
ing here worked at railroading, employed on 
section work in this state and Wyoming, act- 
ing as foreman for six years. He saved con- 
siderable money, and at the end of that time 
took his present farm as a homestead. This 
place is situated in section 31, township 31. 
range 53, and consists of six hundred and 
forty acres which lies for a mile along the 
White river, is well supplied with timber and 
fuel, and a large part is irrigated. He has 
about forty acres cultivated, and is engaged 
in grain and stock raising on quite a large 
scale, meeting with splendid success along 
these lines. He is a progressive agriculturist, 
and has improved the farm in first-class shape, 
putting up good buildings, including a hand- 
sonu' residence twenty-six by twenty-six feet, 
with beautiful lawn surrounding it, and everv ap- 
])ointinent shows good nianagonient and taste, and 
the casual visitor through this section pronounces 
it one of the most attractive rural homes to 
be found in the county. 

Mr. Blomberg was united in marriage De- 
cember 16, 1897, to Julia Gaston, who came to 
Nebraska from Ohio, where her father and 
mother were both born and raised as well as 
herself. She was a daughter of Joe and 
Martha ( German) Gaston, both of German 
descent. Mr. and Mrs. Blomberg have a 
charming family of six children, named as fol- 
lows: Carrie, Axel, Ethel, Clarence, Law- 
rence and Earl. 

Our subject is a leader in local public af- 
fairs. He is an independent voter, and for 
some years served as assessor in his district, 
also as road overseer. He has been active in 
establishing the schools of his locality, acting 
as a board member for many years. Since 
settling here he has been employed by the 



Chicago & Northwestern railway a great deal 
as foreman on the section, and is employed by 
that company at the present time. 



PETER O. LINGBLOM. 

Another well known and highly esteemed 
old settler of I'erkins county. Nebraska, is 
found in the person of the gentleman above 
named. He has made this region his home 
for the past twenty years and more, coming 
here as a boy, and during that time has built 
up a comfortable fortune and while accumu- 
lating a competence for himself has also aided 
materially in the development and advance- 
ment of his community. 

Mr. Lingblom was born in Boone county, 
Iowa, in 1869. He first saw the light on his 
father's farm, the latter a native of Sweden, 
who grew up in that country, was married 
there and came to America with his bride, 
where the)-- settled in Iowa about 1868, and 
going to Nebraska later, locating in Hamilton 
county, about 1881, taking a rented farm on 
which they lived for a number of years. In 
1887 the whole family came to Perkins coun- 
ty, the father taking a homestead on section 
34. township 12, range 36, beginning with a 
very small capital. During the first few 
months they lived in a tent and our subject 
worked on the railroad which was being put 
through the region, in order to help support 
the family and get a start on his farm. After 
a short time our subject went back to the 
eastern part of the state and worked as a farm 
hand, being back and forth every year, and 
about 1890 returned to Perkins county to 
settle, and started for himself on a farm, tak- 
ing land in the vtcining of his father's home- 
stead. For some time afterward, however, he 
still worked out to some extent in eastern Ne- 
braska. He improved the place as rapidly 
as he was able, making a very productive 
farm out of it. and in 190i bought his father's 
old homestead, at which time the latter moved 
to Whatcom county, Washington, his death 
occurring there in 1905. 

Peter O. Lingblom is now owner of three 
hundred and twenty acres, all good farm and 
range land, with one hundred acres under cul- 
tivation, used for the raising of grain, vege- 
tables, etc., and he engages also extensively 
in the stock business, running cattle, horses, 
and other stock. He raises a large drove of 
chickens each year, and has some very fine 
specimens of the White Leghorn breed. He 
is an authority on the breeding and raising 
of poultry, having made that a special study 



COMPENDIUJNl OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



879 



for some years past. Considerable of his in- 
come each year is from his poultry. He also 
has a fine orchard, raising many different 
kinds of fruit. 

In 1899 Air. Lingblom was married to Miss 
Anna Oman, whose parents were old settlers 
in western Nebraska. They have three chil- 
dren, Victor, Theodore and Carl, all bright 
and intelligent youngsters, and the family has 
a pleasant home and are well liked by their 
associates in the community. 



JENS SILLASEN. 

Jens Sillasen was born on a farm near the 
village of Andrup, province of Jutland, Den- 
mark, October 12, 1869. His father, Morton 
Sillasen, was also a native of that country, 
where he lived and died, as was the mother, 
Maren Andersen, still residing on the old 
home farm. Our subject remained in the 
land of his nativity until 1888, when he sailed 
from Esbjerg to Hull, going thence to Glas- 
gow, where he embarked on a steamer of the 
American line, and landed at Philadelphia, 
after a voyage of thirteen days. He came 
west to the North Platte country in Nebras- 
ka, joining his brother Silas, and for five years 
was employed on the John Bratt & Company's 
ranch, principally in Lincoln county. 

In 1893 he started for himself, buying one 
hundred and sixty acres of land near Key- 
stone, living in the sod house he found on the 
place when he purchased it, for four years, 
building a comfortable frame house in 1897. 
He has one of the finest ranches in the county, 
with buildings best adapted to ranch purposes 
of any in the region. He owns over four 
thousand five hundred acres of fine hill and 
bottom land, on which he runs about si.x hun- 
dred head of cattle, two hundred and fifty 
head of hogs and twenty-five fine horses. He 
has e.Kcellent buildings and improvements, his 
corrals and pens being constructed largely of 
cement blocks. He has many fine trees 
started and his premises have a homelike and 
prosperous appearance. There are several 
spring branches on the place and from one 
of these he has piped a never failing supply 
to the house and tanks conveniently placed 
about the corrals and pastures. 

Mr. Sillasen was married October 18, 1899, 
to Miss Mayme Mathews, a native of Chari- 
ton county. Missouri, a daughter of Benjamin 
G. and Lucy (Henderson) Mathews, of Ken- 
tucky and Missouri, respectively. They have 
tw^o children, Doris and Ardis. 

Jens Sillasen has been a successful man and 



acquired a good competency and a delightful 
home. He has been prominently connected 
with the public affairs of his community and 
has held several offfces. He is a strong sup- 
porter of the Democratic party, was reared in 
the Lutheran church and affiliates with the 
Alasonic fraternity at Ogallala. 

A view of his fine ranch buildings with 
recent improvements is to be found on an- 
other page of our work. 



OTTO P. MICHEEL. 

C)tto P. Micheel, residing on section 8, 
township 32, range 25, of Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, was born in the village of Rollin, 
province of Holstein, Germany, September 3, 
1863. His father, Carl Micheel. who married 
Sophie Gaus, was a farmer, and never left 
his native land. Otto was the youngest mem- 
ber of a family of seven children, and was 
reared on his father's farm, attending the 
schools in his native village until he was six- 
teen years of aSge. He then started out for 
himself, obtaining employment on farms in 
the vicinity of his home, learning the dairy 
business and continued at this for three years. 
In 1882 he left his fatherland and came to 
America, sailing from Hamburg on the steam- 
er Selesia, August 13, and, after twelve days, 
landed at New York. He at once joined a 
brother at Martinsburg, Dixon county, Ne- 
braska, which he reached about September 
1st, but remained there only until the follow- 
ing spring, then came on to Cherry county 
and took up a pre-emption claim, located 
south of Wood Lake. This he changed to a 
homestead, and soon after sold his relinquish- 
ment and bought other land north of Wood 
Lake, which he still occupies. Here he has 
added to the acreage until he has a ranch of 
about one thousand six hundred acres, most 
of which lies in the valley, all of it good hay 
land, engaging principally in stock raising. He 
keeps from four to five hundred head of cat- 
tle, fifty horses, and a flock of sheep. He has 
erected a comfortable twO-story dwelling, a 
large barn, with numerous outbuildings, and 
devotes his entire time to the improvement of 
his property. 

For some three years Mr. Micheel had 
charge of Willis Barnard's ranch, after which 
he rented for two years. Starting out with 
three horses and a bunch of forty cattle, 
he at once began to establish a farm, putting 
up a good log house on his first farm and 
breaking up land for crops. He has been ex- 
ceptionally fortunate and although he has 



88o 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



gone through some hard times, has never ex- 
perienced the privations and suffering that so 
many of the pioneers of this section endured. 
There is a fine grove of forest trees surround- 
ing the home place to which several hundred 
poplar and willow trees were added in the 
spring of 1908, with a thriftv orchard growing. 

Mr. Micheel was married March 12. 1888, 
to Miss Gerda Thiel, a native of Flensburg, 
province of Schleswig, Germany, who came to 
this country on the same boat which brought 
her husband. Her father, Henry Thiel, died 
in Germany, and the mother, Margaretta Jan- 
sen, at sea, on the voyage to America. ^liss 
Thiel lived for five years in Chicago, coming 
to Cherry county to visit the family of Henry 
Micheel. They have a family of nine children, 
who are named as follows: Eric, Wilhelm, 
Marie, Emma, Carl, Myrtle, Florence, Her- 
bert and Otto, all of whom were born and 
reared in this county. 

Mr. Micheel is a Republican, but has 
never held any office, although he is always 
active in the advancement of educational af- 
fairs in his community and l^s done his share 
in the development of this territory. He has 
a fine estate, and has been richly rewarded 
for his industrious habits and perseverance in 
overcoming many obstacles and difficulties 
that beset the pioneer settlers of this locality. 
He was reared in the Lutheran church, and is, 
fraternally, a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen of Wood Lake. 



RICHARD McCRACKEN. 

.-\ large share of the wealth of Keya Paha 
county, Nebraska, comes from the thriving 
agricultural districts of Pine precinct, and 
among those who own large estates there, a 
prominent place is accorded the gentleman 
whose name appears at the head of this article. 

Mr. McCrackcn was born in Fremont county, 
Iowa, February 23, 1869, and raised and edu- 
cated (111 liis parents' farm. His father, .An- 
drew McCracken. was born in Ireland ancl 
came to .America at the age of ten years, 
where he grew up in Illinois, enlisting at Mon- 
mouth, with an Illinois regiment just before 
the close of the war, serving until the struggle 
was over. He soon afterwards came to Keya 
Paha county, Nebraska, and took up a tree 
claim in section 11, township 33, range 19. and 
developed and improved the place, farming up 
to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1892. He left a wife and seven children, our 
subject being the oldest, and the mother now 



resides with him. When he was twenty-one 
years of age he began farming for himself, 
working the home place, and later took a tree 
claim adjoining his home place, which he still 
owns. In 1902 he took a homestead in the 
same section in which his father's farm is lo- 
cated. Mr. ^IcCracken now operates one thou- 
sand two hundred acres of good land, culti- 
vating two hundred acres, with about three 
hundred and fifty acres in hay land, and large 
pastures for his stock. He keeps a hundred 
cattle, twenty horses, and raises about forty 
hogs each season for the market. 

Our subject has many improvements on 
his ranch, good buihlings, with a nice house, 
large commodious barn, which he has recent- 
ly built, and all other farm buildings, fences, 
etc. He also has a good grove of forest trees 
on his tree claim, and plenty of good water. 
Spring creek running through the place. 

On February 24, 1901, Mr. McCracken was 
married to Miss Priscilla Koenig, of Bohe- 
mian stock, born in Knox county, Nebraska, 
in 1877, a daughter of Thomas and Antonia 
Koenig. Her people were early settlers in 
Keya Paha county, also in Knox county, 
where she was reared. Mr. and Mrs. Mc- 
Cracken have three children, namclv : Henry, 
Idalia and Frank. 

Mr. McCracken is a Democrat, and a man 
of broad mind, progressive and well-read in 
all matters of public importance, although he 
does not take an active part in political affairs, 
preferring to devote his whole time to his 
farm and home. 



FRANK E. FORSLING. 

For nearly a ([uarter of a century the gen- 
tleman above named has been identified with 
the agricultural interests of Kimball county, 
Nebraska, and he has aided materially in 
transforming this locality from its wild nat- 
ural state into a thriving farming district. 
He is a gentleman of unusual perseverance 
and energy, and has met with deserved suc- 
cess in his labors, now being classed among 
the leading citizens of his community. 

Frank E. Forsling was born in Sweden on 
January 15, 1871. His parents were also na- 
tives of that country, and he grew to the age 
of twelve years in the land of his birth, then 
came to America with father, mother and two 
brothers and one sister, locating at first in 
Chicago, and after a short time in that city, 
came to Phelps county, Nebraska, landing 
there in the spring of 1884. .After two years 
in that county they came to Kimball county, 
the father homesteading and proving up on 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



881 



a tract of land. Our subject filed on a claim 
for himself in 1890, and is now located on 
section 2, township 14, range 57, where he has 
a good farm. He has about forty acres culti- 
vated, and engages in mixed farming and 
stock raising, running about fifty head of cat- 
tle and a small bunch of horses. 

Oscar E. Forsling. a brother of our subject, 
has followed about the same career as him- 
self, locating in Kimball county in 1885. He 
was elected deputy sheriff of the county in 
1904, served his term, and in 1907 was elected 
sheritT, now holding that position. He is a 
Republican, and one of the leading public men 
of the section. A sketch of his life will be 
found on another page of this work. 

On November 25. 1900, our subject was 
married to Miss Alice Ellis, and at the same 
time Oscar E. Forsling was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Ethel Whitman, and the two 
families have been closely united since that 
event, and are among the popular members 
of society in their community. 

Our subject has had a varied and inter- 
esting experience in western life, and is well 
and favorably known throughout the locality 
in which he lives. During the early years 
much of his time was spent in hunting and 
trapping through the fall and winter, and in 
riding the range and breaking horses during 
the summer months. 



FRED C. ROBBINS. 

Fred C. Robbins, whose fine farm in sec- 
tion 34, township 24, range 29, marks the 
thrift enjoyed by its owner, is a native of 
Iowa, and a typical representative of the west- 
ern states, sturdy and independent, who has 
grown up among the vicissitudes of a new 
country. He has devoted his entire efforts 
to the development of a model farm and now 
has one of the finest places in Box Butte 
county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Robbins was born in Jefferson, Green 
county, Iowa, in 1873. His father, John Rob- 
bins, was of English stock, whose father and 
mother were both born in England and came 
to this country as emigrants in an early day. 
When our subject was seven years of age 
the family came to Nebraska and settled near 
Hastings, living in that vicinity until he was 
about fourteen years old. Fred left home in 
1894 and started for himself, coming to the 
western part of the state, locating on a home- 
stead sixteen miles from Alliance and proving 
up on the place in due time. This was an 
entirely new country and he went through the 



usual pioneer experiences, handling ox teams, 
freighting through the country, at the same 
time developing his farm in good shape, and 
while he did not get ahead very fast the first few 
years, had the good luck not to meet with any 
severe losses in the way of failures of crops, 
as did so many of his neighbors. Mr. Rob- 
bins remained on that place up to 1905, then 
sold out and moved on a Kincaid homestead 
in section 33, township 24, range 49, and there 
he has done well, opening up a fine ranch and 
built a good home, owning in all about eight 
hundred acres of good- land, and is numbered 
among the successful and up-to-date agricul- 
turists and ranchmen of his community. Our 
subject is engaged extensively in raising both 
cattle and horses. 

In 1897 Air. Robbins was married to Hat- 
tie Fisher. She was born in Alissouri and 
reared in Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Robbins' 
father now resides in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. 
Robbins have had four children, namely: 
W'alter, Freddie and Hazel, deceased ; and 
Thelma. They form a most interesting and 
charming family, all well liked by their asso- 
ciates, and they enjoy a happy and pleasant 
home, surrounded by a host of warm friends. 



PETER RASAIUSSEN. 

Peter Rasmussen, vice-president of the 
Republican Valley Bank, at Naponee, Ne- 
braska, is one of the leading citizens of his 
county. Mr. Rasmussen resides in Turkey 
creek township, Franklin county, occupying a 
fine three-hundred-and-twenty-acre farm, lo- 
cated on the eastern boundary of the town 
of Naponee. There he has a beautiful home, 
with every appointment of the place in the 
finest shape possible, and the well-kept 
grounds, ornamental shrubbery and shade 
trees, make one of the most attractive rural 
homes to be seen in Franklin county. The 
people in his immediate vicinity all join in 
keeping their homes and farms in the same 
state of neatness and order, which makes the 
outskirts of Naponee a most delightful spot. 
There are nice residences, evergreen hedges, 
shade trees and beautiful lawns, which pre- 
sent an aspect of thrift and prosperity, and 
every stranger visiting the place is struck by 
the contrast between this and most of the 
neglected and barren farming communities to 
be found in a newly settled region, and one 
often wonders why the excellent example of 
Mr. Rasmussen and his neighbors is not oft- 
ener imitated. Mr. Rasmussen was born in 
Denmark, as was his wife, who was Miss 



882 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Hannah Nelson. After coming to America, in 
1868, they were located for a time at Clifton, 
Iroquois county, Illinois, and in 1882 came to 
their present home. Mr. Rasmussen bought 
one hundred and sixty acres in 1889, paying 
for the land three thousand dollars, and 
it is now worth sixteen thousand dollars, 
showing a steady advance during the past 
eighteen years. Since locating here he has 
added to his farm and now owns three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, on which he raises 
considerable fine stock, and engages in mixed 
farming. Besides his farming interests, he 
is engaged in numerous business enterprises. 
He is one of the organizers of the Home Tele- 
phone Company, started in 1904 with a capital 
of ten thousand dollars, and is treasurer of and a 
director in this company. Mr. Rasmussen has al- 
ways stood for the best interests of his commu- 
nity, and take an active interest in all local affairs 
for the improvement and upbuilding of Xapo- 
nee. He has been treasurer of the high school 
board for nine years, and was aggressively ac- 
tive and insistent in securing the erection of 
the new and creditable high school building 
here. Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen are the par- 
ents of the following children: John E., liv- 
ing on the home farm; Henry, also at home; 
Edward T., cashier of the Riverton \'alley 
Bank, Riverton, Nebraska: and Camelia, mar- 
ried to Professor G. M. Wiley, of Shenandoah 
College, in Iowa. 

Our subject is a man of sterling character, 
and in every respect a highly valued member 
of his community. 

Mr. Rasmussen was one of the incorpora- 
tors and is a director of the Republican \^al- 
ley Bank, of Xaponce, Nebraska. This bank 
was established in 1908. George M. Wilmot, 
is president ; Emil Sindt, vice-president ; A. 
V/. Polly. ca.shier ; S. Y. Hart and Peter Ras- 
mussen, directors. A general banking busi- 
ness is transacted. The bank is in a flourish- 
ing condition and is one of the growing insti- 
tutions of Franklin county. 



T. G. HEMMETT. 

Mr. Hemmett is one of the most widely 
known men residing within the territory in- 
cluded in this volume. He is also one of the 
first settlers of northwest Nebraska, having 
settled in the valley of the North Loup river. 
January 8, 1875. .At the time of his settle- 
ment, the United States troops stationed in 
this portion of the state for the protection of 
the straggling settlements and to guard the 
Union Pacific railroad, were about half the 



population of this great region. It was after 
Mr. Hemmett settled in Garfield county, that 
Sergeant Daugherty was killed in an engage- 
ment between the Indians and the United 
States troops, the engagement occurring al- 
most in sight of his residence. Mr. Hemmett 
has served as county clerk of Garfield county 
eleven years, and is now holding the office. 
In the early pioneer days, "Tom," as he was 
familiarly known, was one of the best marks- 
men in the Loup region ; and many are the 
witnesses to his generosity in the division of 
the spoils of the chase ; many a choice piece 
of venison has "Tom" left at the cabin door 
of a neighbor ; and the same spirit of generos- 
ity that prompted the division of venison, in 
pioneer days, has prompted him to render aid 
to those in need in later years, when dollars 
are as freely given as a "saddle" of antelope 
or venison in the seventies. Mr. Hemmett 
was born in the town of Lockport, Niagara 
county. New York, March 9, 1850. He came 
to Garfield county in January. 1870, where he 
still resides. Mr. Hemmett owns a fine farm 
of five hundred and sixty acres in the valley 
of the North Loup, three miles east of Bur- 
well. His residence is one of the best in west- 
ern Nebraska, and stands in a beautiful grove 
of elms and evergreens. 

A portrait of Mr. Hemmett, together with 
a picture of his residence, appears on another 
page of this work. 



WILLIAM SCHULER. 

Prominent among the successful ranchmen 
of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is William 
Schuler, who resides on section 26. township 
17, range 48, where he has a splendidly im- 
proved ranch and pleasant home. He has 
spent the past twenty-one years in this region, 
and during that time has become a leader in 
the upbuilding of the locality where he chose 
his home and where he has passed through 
many hard pioneer experiences. 

Mr. Schuler was born in the village of 
Bruederhausen, Schorndorf, Wertemburg, Ger- 
many, November 12, 1860. a son of Got- 
lieb F. and Rosa (Ruhe) Schuler, who died in 
the fatherland. In 1881. William came to 
America with an uncle, the two going to Lee 
county, Iowa, where they spent about two and 
a half years, working in a saw-mill and lumber 
camp. From there our subject migrated to 
eastern Nebraska, settling in Cass county, fol- 
lowing farming for three years, and then came 
to Cheyenne county, arriving in this locality 
in the spring of 1887. He at once filed on a 




RESIDKNTK A.NIi 1'! )K Tit A I I' OK T. G. HEMMETT. 
Burwell, Xebraska. 



•«*.■»» pr ■* 




RESIDE.XCE OF WILLIAM SCHULER, 
Cheyenue County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



S83 



homestead, and started to build up a home, 
beginning with very Httle, and often meeting 
with discouragement and failure from 
drouths, hail and prairie fires, but stuck to 
his farm through many hardships and disap- 
pointments, gradually improving the land with 
good buildings and working into ranching. 
He has lived on the homestead continuously 
ever since coming here, and has accumulated 
a fine property, now owning one thousand six 
hundred acres. He has about two hundred 
acres of farm land, raising small grain, and 
runs one hundred and twenty-five head of 
cattle and twenty-five horses. He is known 
as one of the most successful swine breeders 
in the country, raising about one hundred and 
fifty head each year. A fine two-story dwell- 
ing was erected in 1907. and soon after, a large 
substantial barn, which we are pleased to illus- 
trate in this work. 

While living in Cass count}-, Mr. Schuler 
was married to Miss Kate Neumaster, on De- 
cember 26, 1884, and to them have been born 
the following children: Carrie J., wife of Lee 
Ravert, living five miles northeast of Dalton ; 
Lou S., who married Clarence Tompkins, now 
residing in Deuel county; Kate, wife of Ralph 
Reinmuth, residing southwest of Dalton. 
while the following are at home: John F., 
Mary A.. William, Frederick, Charles and 
Henry. The family have a fine new residence 
and their home is one of the pleasantest to be 
found in the vicinity. Mrs. Schuler's parents 
were John and Kate (Ott) Neumaster. The 
mother is still living in Cass county on the old 
homestead, but the father is dead. 

Mr. Schuler is active in local affairs, and 
is a firm supporter of the Republican party in 
national politics. He is a member of the 
Modern Woodmen of Dalton, while Mrs. 
Schuler holds membership in the Royal 
Neisfhbors. 



EDMUND STA:\IPER. 

Edmund Stamper, one of the representa- 
tive farmers of Sheridan county, resides in 
township 32, range 43, and is a truly self-made 
man. 

Mr. Stamper was born in England, in 1863. 
and raised there until he was eighteen years of 
age. His father, John Stamper, was a lumber- 
man, which business he has always followed 
in England. Our subject was next to the 
youngest in a family of ten children. He left 
home when fourteen years old. and from that 



time on has always made his own way in the 
world. When he was eighteen years old he 
left England and came to America, and since 
that time has never seen any member of his 
family. He located in Wisconsin, working 
out by the month for seven years, engaged 
in farming and railroading. In 1889 he came 
to Nebraska, where he followed farming for 
five years, workingi^for different ranchmen, 
one year being spent in freighting from Rush- 
ville to Pine Ridge, receiving twenty dollars per 
month, on which he managed to support his 
family. In 1895, he went to the Sand Hills, 
locating on Pine creek, and remained there 
for six years. When he struck the Hills he 
was in debt to the amount of two hun- 
dred and fifty dollars, and the first two 
years he gained a livelihood by keeping 
cows and chickens and selling the produce 
He soon got a start, managing to raise a little 
stuff to, sell and got along very well until 
1901, when he sold his farm there and bought 
his present farm of one thousand two hun- 
dred and eighty acres, which is all good land. 
This cost him an average of four hundred and 
twenty-five dollars per quarter section at that 
time, the land now being worth fifteen to twenty 
dollars per acre. He has his place all fenced and 
farms about one hundred and thirty acres. He 
keeps about one hundred and fifty head of stock 
and has his place well improved with a fine stone 
house. During his early days in Nebraska, he 
saw some pretty hard times. At the times he 
was obliged to make a trip to town for provi- 
sions, he used to leave home in the night, so 
that he would not be gone long enough to 
miss one milking time. 

Mr. Stamper was married, in 1894, to Miss 
Maud O. Ryno, a native of [Michigan, born in 
1872, of American stock. Her father, Louis 
Ryno, was hiorn and raised in New York 
state, now living in Sheridan county. Nebras- 
ka. Mr. and Mrs. Stamper have four children, 
namely: Louis E., Martha I., John H. and 
Grace Winifred, all born and raised in this 
county. For three years Mr. Stamper was 
in poor health and unable to do the work on 
his farm without assistance, and was obliged 
to hire most of the farm work done. For this 
reason, he thought he would like to dispose of 
his property and move to town, but he has 
now recovered his former good health and 
does not wish to sell his fine estate. 

Mr. Stamper takes an active interest in 
educational matters in his locality, and has 
been director of his district for the past six 
years. He is a Republican, but never votes 
a straight ticket. He has. at different times, 
held local offices. 



884 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



EMIL CARLSON. 

Emil Carlson, one of the representative 
farmers and ranchmen of Trognitz precinct, 
Cheyenne county, owns and operates four 
hundred and eighty acres of land, all of which 
is splendidly improved with good buildings 
and all necessary equipment in the way of 
farm machinery, etc. The family occupy a 
substantial stone residence, and every ap- 
pointment of the ranch bespeaks the most 
painstaking care and good management. 

Mr. Carlson was born in Sweden, July 8, 
1864. He was the eldest of a family of five 
children, all growing up in their native land, 
and each trained as children to do all kinds 
of hard work, as is the custom among the 
sturd}' people of that country. The parents, 
C. J. and Ida ( Holtgruen ) Carlson, came to 
America with their family in 1882. and se- 
cured a quarter section of land in section 22. 
township 16, range 52, which since their death 
has been secured by our subject. 

Emil Carlson came to America about 1882, 
sailing from Stockholm directly for New York. 
Locating at first in Colfax county. Nebraska, 
where he lived for about five years, he moved 
on to Che\'enne county in the spring of 1887, 
and filed on a homestead in section 10, town- 
ship 16, range 52. There he built up a good 
home, going through all the pioneer expe- 
riences in getting started, and often had a 
hard time to make a living, but gradually was 
able to raise some crops and improve the 
place. About 1900 he purchased the quarter 
section owned by his father, and here culti- 
vates one hundred and fifty acres, running 
about one hundred head of cattle and a bunch 
of horses. He is progressive in his methods 
of operating his estate, and has an enviable 
reputation as a worthy citizen and energetic, 
industrious worker. 

On October 10, 1903, Mr. Carlson was 
married to Christina Erickson, she having, in 
1901, come to the L'nited States fVom Sweden, 
where she was born. Sailing from Gotten- 
burg to Hull, England, she proceeded to Glas- 
gow, and landed in New York, October 9th, 
her birthday. Proceeding to Nebraska, she 
reached her destination just a month from the 
time she left home. Her mother joined her in 
1904, the father having died in her infancy. 
Three children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Carlson : Eda, Esther and Vera. 

Mr. Carlson takes a commendable interest 
in local affairs, and lie and his family are high- 
ly respected in the community in which they 
live: their home is one of good cheer and hos- 
pitality. Politically, he is an Independent 



voter. The family was reared in the Swedish 
Lutheran church 

JoHxN" C.\RLSoN, a brother of Emil's, is 
also one of the prominent residents of the 
county. He was born June 30. 1882. He is 
now a well-to-do ranchman, owning a fine 
one-hundred-and-sixty-acre tract of land 
southwest of his brother's. Here he devotes 
his time mostly to stock raising. He has 
about one hundred head of cattle and quite a 
number of horses, farming eighty acres, and 
has been most successful since locating in this 
vicinity. He was married at Sidney. Nebras- 
ka, in August, 1900, to Sarah Willis. Mrs. 
Carlson was born in Vermont, and came to 
Nebraska in 1888. Here they have a pleasant 
home, and are esteemed by all as substantial 
and worthy members of society. Mr. Carlson 
is a Republican. 



ANDREW W. DANIELSON. 

.\ndrew \\'. Danielson, prominently known 
as a business man and worthy citizen of 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is a resident of 
the town of Holdrege. Pie is a man of splen- 
did business capacity, and has met with well 
merited success in every enterprise he has un- 
dertaken. 

Mr. Danielson was born in Kno.x county, 
Illinois, in 1859. his parents having settled 
there in 1849. He came to Holdrege, Nebras- 
ka, in 1886. invested in farming lands, and is 
now proprietor of two sections in Phelps 
county, four hundred acres of which, located 
in Prairie township, is fine farming land, well 
improve/1, six hundred and forty acres in Cot- 
tonwood township, one-half interest in three 
hundred and twenty acres in Anderson town- 
ship, eighty acres located in Sheridan town- 
ship, besides three hundred and twenty acres 
in Prairie township owned by his father, An- 
drew Danielson, a wealthy farmer and stock- 
man of Knox county, Illinois. Mr. Danielson 
runs all of these lands except the three hun- 
dred and twenty acres in Prairie township, on 
which he, together with a partner, are breed- 
ing horses, mules and hogs. On this farm 
they raise Percheron high-grade, general pur- 
pose horses for the market, and over three 
liundred hogs. They also have several cars 
of cattle which they market each winter. Mr. 
Danielson's experience with stock began on 
his father's farm when he was sixteen years of 
age, and before coming to Nebraska, he 
operated as fine a ranch as there was in all 
Iowa, also spent two years in Kansas on 
ranches there, and is of the opinion that west- 



COMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ern Nebraska is much better suited for farm- 
ing, stock raising and feeding than either Illi- 
nois or Iowa, as the air is drier, the winters 
are not so damp, and the weather changes are 
less sudden and extreme, and the stock not 
being exposed to so much inclement weather 
hold to their feed more regularly than in those 
states. Also, the feed yards here are much 
drier and cleaner, and stock, like people, need 
this for perfect development. He is entirely 
satisfied with this part of the country, and 
would not return to Illinois or Iowa on any 
account, although he often visits both places. 
From the time of coming to this county until 
his removal to Holdrege two years ago, he 
raised from ten to twelve thousand bushels 
of corn on his farms, all of which he fed out, 
besides buying a great deal. He raises from 
two to three hundred hogs each year, and one 
year his crop reached four hundred. He also 
feeds over one hundred head of cattle every 
year, and altogether handles more stock than 
any other man in this locality. In 1903 he 
bought the Elk barn in Holdrege. and im- 
ported and sold horses, but sold this property 
two years ago. In 1894, when there had been 
a crop failure here, he went to Texas, and 
there looked the farming and stock condi- 
tions over thoroughly, and came back with his 
faith in western Nebraska stronger than ever, 
and since then has been constantly investing 
in land here. In 1902 he raised a crop of 
oats which ran one hundred and six bushels 
to the acre. His wheat crop yield the .same 
year was forty-two and a half bushels, and 
corn eighty. He is convinced that this is one 
of the best hog countries in the world, and 
that any breed except the white hog does ex- 
ceedingly well, considering that there is not 
enough shade here for those to do well. He 
recommends raising the best breeds of hogs, 
as, if crossed, on second cross they lose the 
good qualities of the strain. He also has the 
best results from white-faced cattle and Short- 
horns crossed, and of these he raises from 
seventy to eighty calves each year. Regard- 
ing feed, °he says that the fourth cutting of 
alfalfa makes the best feed for hogs all win- 
ter, with best results, and this is a great alfalfa 
country. For seven years he has dealt in full- 
blooded Percheron and Clyde horses, and now 
owns some very fine animals. 

Mr. Danielson was married in 1887, but 
has no children. Some time since he bought 
and improved a very fine residence property 
in Holdrege. where he at present resides. He 
is director of the Farmers' Elevator Company, 
and was elected secretary of the concern when 
it was organized. For some time he served 



as treasurer of Prairie township, and is prom- 
inent in all public affairs. He is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church in Hold- 
rege, in which he is an earnest worker, and 
takes a commendable interest in all commer- 
cial and social matters in his community. In 
political sentiment he is a Populist. 



ELLSWORTH VAUGHN. 

Ellsworth Vaughn, who is engaged in di- 
versified farming on his valuable estate in sec- 
tion 27, township 25, range 48, is one of the 
old settlers of Box Butte county. He has 
witnessed the growth and development of that 
region, has been close!}' identified with the 
same, and is a well-known and highly es- 
teemed resident of his locality. He enjoys a 
pleasant home, has a snug income from his 
farm as a result of many years of faithful la- 
bor in this state, and is one of the prosperous 
and successful men of the county. 

Mr. ^'aughn was born in Muskingum 
county, Ohio, in 1845. He is a son of John 
Vaughn, of French descent, his father having 
been born and raised in France. John Vaughn 
married Susanne Smice, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, of German stock. When our subject 
was about a year old his parents emigrated 
to Iowa and were among the pioneers in 
Louisa county, where they lived up to the 
time of the Civil war, Ellsworth growing up 
on a farm, and received his education in the 
country schools. He enlisted in the Eighth 
Iowa Cavalry, entering the service in 1863, 
and went with his regiment through Tennes- 
see and Georgia ; was with the Army of the 
Cumberland. He was also with General Sher- 
man in Macon, Georgia. At the close of the 
war he returned to Iowa, locating at Allamakee 
county, and made that locality his home up to 
1886, farming a tract of one hundred and sixty 
acres, building up a good farm and doing ex- 
ceedingly well while on the place. From 
there he came to Nebraska, settling in Box 
Butte county. His nearest railroad town 
from his location was Hay Springs, from 
which place he was compelled to haul all sup- 
plies. He came into this region by team, his 
first settlement being at old Nonpariel. now 
extinct, and he brought with him his personal 
eft'ects, household goods, driving three horses 
and a colt, also two cows. He had one wagon 
carrying his family, consisting of his wife and 
seven children, and during the journey they 
were subjected to many exposures on account 
of the bad weather and the long, tedious trip. 
His first dwelling was a sod house, and during 



886 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the first years he was obliged to do freighting 
through the country to help make a living 
for his family. He proved up on his home- 
stead, improving the farm in good shape, and 
lived there up to 1903, then came to his pres- 
ent location, which is situated in section 27, 
township 25, range 48. He has developed 
a fine ranch, consisting of nine hundred and 
sixty acres, three hundred and twenty of 
which lie close to the town of Alliance. This 
is all fenced, and he farms about one hundred 
acres, all of the ranch being supplied with 
good substantial buildings and every improve- 
ment in the way of machinery, corrals, etc. 
He now lives on the ranch near Alliance, on 
which he raises cattle and horses, also does a 
little farming. 

Mr. \'aughn has succeeded in accumulat- 
ing a fine property since coming here, and 
is one of the leading citizens and influential 
men of his community, always taking a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs. In polit- 
ical views our subject is a Republican. 

In 1870 Mr. \'aughn was married to Mary 
Jane Langford, daughter of James Langford, 
a farmer and old settler in Allamakee county, 
Iowa. They have an interesting family of 
seven children, named as follows: Elmer, 
Ellsworth, Jr., Frank, Alice and Alfred 
(twins), Minnie J. and Almeda. 



ANDREW C. R'ERSEN. 

Andrew C. Iversen, who owns and operates 
an extensive farm in Dawes county, is one of 
the substantial men of his community. He 
is a pioneer of this region, and has been a res- 
ident of the state of Nebraska for over twenty 
years, devoting his entire time and attention 
to farming and stock raising, of which he has 
made a great success. 

Mr. Iversen was born in Denmark in 1848 
on a farm. His parents were day laborers 
there and very poor, and he grew up as best 
he could, working out from the time he was 
a small child, and when he reached the age 
of twcnt}-two left his native land and came 
to .America. During the first ten years here 
he traveled through diflferent states, working 
at anything he might find to do, spending some 
time in Texas; also was all through Washing- 
ton, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and up and 
down the Mississippi river. .-Xbout the year 
1874 his health began to fail and he then went 
to Colorado, where he worked in the moun- 
tains as a miner, and prospected there for sev- 
eral years. He bought a farm in that state 
a few years later and remained there until 



1887, when he came to Dawes county, Nebras- 
ka, and settled on his present farm in section 
30, township 29, range 48. This is close to 
the Niobrara river, the stream running through 
a portion of his farm. Here he put up one 
of the largest sod houses in the neighborhood, 
had fine horses, wagons and farming machin- 
ery, and quickly added many improvements to 
his place. As the poor years came on he lost 
a great deal of money, and as his health was 
not very good he was unable to work very 
hard. Hail destroyed two crops and the 
drouths damaged many, so that he was com- 
pelled to borrow money, for which he paid 
two per cent, interest per month, and he mort- 
gaged his farm and personal property to buy 
calves; also bought a number of cows from 
which he sold butter for six cents a pound. 
He had quite a lot of chickens, and sold the 
eggs for six and seven cents a dozen, hauling 
this produce thirty-five miles to market, camp- 
ing out nights under his wagon along the road, 
and managed in every way to get along, so 
that he would not be compelled to leave his 
homestead. After a time the years grew bet- 
ter and he was able to raise good crops, paid 
oi? his debts and bought more land, gradually 
working into the cattle business, and has made 
a great success of this line of work. His 
ranch now consists of eleven quarter sections 
of deeded land, and he also operates a section 
of school land. The familj' own homestead 
land amounting to twelve hundred and eighty 
acres altogether, and their ranch is one of 
the best improved in that part of Nebraska. 

Mr. Iversen has a fine barn fifty by thirty 
feet, erected in 1906, and a beautiful thirteen- 
room house, all kinds of good sheds for his 
stock, one cattle shed being one hundred and 
fifty feet long, dipping tanks with every nec- 
essary improvement, his buildings altogether 
being worth over ten thousand dollars. He 
has one windmill w-hich is used exclusively 
for irrigating purposes, covering a space of 
five hundred acres, and he has one of the fin- 
est gardens in his locality, all the land irri- 
gated. He figures that his ranch is worth 
over thirty thousand dollars, and he is now 
clear of all debts, all of which he has accu- 
mulated in the last ten years. 

Mr. Iversen was married in 1881 to Chris- 
tine Simonsen. who is a native of Denmark, 
where her parents were potato dealers. She 
came to .\merica in 1880, locating in Iowa, 
where Mr. Iversen met and married her. Eight 
children were born to them, named as fol- 
lows: Simon. Mamie, Mina, Andrew, Jr., Min- 
nie, Christine, Sarah and Regina. At the age 
of eighteen each child is given a cow and calf, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and when twenty-one they are presented with 
ten head of heifers, which makes a good start 
toward a fortune, and by owning an interest 
in the stock they are induced to take a greater 
interest in the ranch and are contented to re- 
main at home and assist their parents in the 
work of operating it. Each child has his or 
her own special work to do, their share of 
the stock to look after on the ranch, and all 
are happy and contented in having something 
to take up their time and attention, and are 
one of the happiest families one meets in 
many a day. 

Mr. Iversen is an earnest believer in the 
Christian Science religion. 



GEORGE A. CLIFT. 

George A. Clift, residing on section 32, 
township 30, range 20, is known all through 
that locality as an industrious and enterpris- 
ing farmer. He is an old settler in the west- 
ern part of Nebraska, and as such has done 
his full share in the upbuilding of the region 
in which he chose his home. Mr. Clift is a 
native of Wayne county, Pennsylvania, born 
on his father's farm March 13, 1848. The fa- 
ther, Richard Clift, came to this country from 
England when a young man, and his mother, 
whose maiden name was Emma Alvord, was 
also of English descent. Their family of eight 
children, of whom our subject was the fourth 
member, was reared in Pennsylvania, attend- 
ing the country schools and assisting their 
parents in carrying on the farm work. At the 
age of twenty George began life for himself, 
farming in his native state until he came west. 
In 1879 he came to Table Rock, Nebraska, 
and settled in Pawnee county ; from 1888 to 
1893 he was engaged in the bridge and building 
departments of the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad, with Table Rock as headquar- 
ters. In 1895 he moved to Brown county and 
bought his present farm, which at that time 
had no improvements but a shanty. Since tak- 
ing the place he has erected good buildings 
and made many improvements on it. There 
are three hundred and twenty acres in the 
farm, one hundred and twenty of which are 
cultivated, and all of Mr. Cliffs time is given 
to the cultivation of his farm, which well re- 
pays him for his care by yielding bountiful 
crops. Mr. Clift was married in Pennsylva- 
nia in 1872 to Miss Dora Bigelofif, who died 
in 1881, leaving a family of three cWldren, 
namely: Charles, Grace and Fred. In 1884 
Mr. Clift was married again, Miss Lillie A. 



Jones becoming his helpmeet. He is a Repub- 
lican in his political views. 



JOHN HENRY APOLIUS. 

A prominent place among the influential 
stockmen of Keith county, Nebraska, is read- 
ily accorded to the gentleman whose name 
heads this review. He has been eminently 
successful and is widely and favorably known 
in this section of the state. 

John Henry Apolius is a native of Prus- 
sia, Germany, his birth occurring in the vil- 
lage of Pottolier, near Galantz, Province of 
Bromberg, October 31, 1863. His father, Fred 
Apolius, who died in 1872, was a farmer and 
laborer. The mother, whose maiden name was 
Minnie Berger, married Peter Wies and came 
to America, settling in Keith county, where 
the mother. died in July, 1888. 

In 1882 our subject came to America, sail- 
ing from Bremen Haven on the Ohio, landing 
in New York the first of May, after a voyage 
of eleven days. Mr. Apolius came west to 
Muscatine, Iowa, where a sister resided and 
made his home here for three years, working on 
the railroad near Nicholas Station during the 
winter and performing farm labor during the 
summer months. Thence he went to Seward 
county, Nebraska, and lived there till the spring 
of 1892, engaged in farming. 

John Henry Apolius was married October 
11, 1887, to Amelia Milka, whose parents were 
pioneers of Minnesota. This union has been 
blessed with eight children — Lena, Augusta 
and Emma, born in Seward county, and Marty, 
Emily, John, Theodore and Christine, born in 
Keith county. 

Mr. Apolius came to Keith county in 1893, 
living for the first two years on his mother's 
farm, after which time he took a homestead 
of one hundred and sixty acres, his present 
place, and moved onto it. He has since se- 
cured a Kincaid claim of three hundred and 
twenty acres. His first crop was a failure, 
and as he had but little to start on, he was 
obliged to work out at anything that he could 
find to do, laboring from time to time on the 
railroad some five or six years. He located 
his farm in the valley because it was a region 
where well water could be easily obtained, 
and also for the reason that more rain fell 
there than back on the higher lands. He com- 
menced horse and cattle raising, and although 
other cattle men tried to drive him out so they 
could have the use of his land, he clung to 
his farm and worked to make it a success. 



888 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



He has now a splendid ranch of twelve hun- 
dred acres, with about three hundred and sixty 
acres under cultivation, the balance being pas- 
ture, alfalfa and hay land. On the ranch are 
ten miles of fence, three wells, two windmills. 
a fine house and barn and a large dipping tank 
for cattle : there are thirty acres of hog pas- 
ture especially set apart for the raising of 
hogs. There is a fine grove of forest trees on 
the place besides fifty fruit trees and an abun- 
dance of small fruits and berries that do well in 
this climate. 

When one sees this splendid farm it is hard 
to realize that Mr. Apolius had to borrow 
money with which to pay his car fare to this 
western country. He lived at first in a sod 
house and kept his stock in a sod stable. He 
experienced many losses, among which was the 
destruction of his barn and windmill by a cy- 
clone August 19, 1907, entailing a heavy loss. 
But in spite of all discouragements Mr. Apo- 
lius has developed his ranch and established 
a fine home and a prosperous business.- 

Our subject is a stanch Republican in pol- 
itics, showing an active interest in all matters 
of a public nature. He is widely known and 
respected as "one of the strong financial fac- 
tors in the growth and material development 
of the county. With his family he is a mem- 
ber of the English Lutheran church at Baxter 
and of the Modern Woodmen of .\merica. 



MARTIN D. ZINKON. 

Martin D. Zinkon, one of the oldest settlers 
of western Nebraska, has passed through many 
interesting experiences since locating in this 
region, and the story of his life history is in- 
terwoven with the progress of this state as it 
has been developing into the resourceful and 
fertile country it has now become. He has 
for many years been a resident of this state, 
where he is known far and wide as one of the 
leading citizens, and has met with pronounced 
success in his farming operations and other 
business enterprises. 

Mr. Zinkon was born in Co.shocton, Ohio, 
in 1857. His father was John Zinkon, a na- 
tive of Germany, who came to America in 
his young manhood and settled in Holmes 
county, Ohio, where he met and marrie(> Mary 
Hoover, a native of Pennsylvania, who came 
to ( )hio when quite young. Jnhn Zinkon tiled 
in 1862, survived by his wife and a family of 
six children, of whom our subject was the 
fifth member. The)' were named as follows : 
Louisa, George, William, Anna. Martin and 
John. Mr. Zinkon lived in Coshocton county. 



Ohio, for twenty-three years, and in 1880 came 
west, locating in Otoe county, Nebraska, where 
he worked on a large farm for .some time, and 
next moved to Custer county and pre-empted 
a tract of government land, remaining there 
up to 1889. At that time he sold out his 
holdings and went to Missouri. He only re- 
mained there for about two years, then re- 
turned to Nebraska, settling in Cass county 
and started a farm, operating it for one year, 
when he moved to Lancaster county, Nebras- 
ka, and farmed there for two years. His next 
move was to Kansas, where he spent four 
years, then drifted back to the state of Ne- 
braska, and since that time has lived here 
constantly. He has succeeded in building up 
a good home and productive ranch, consist- 
ing of six hundred and forty acres, which is 
located in Garfield county, his land being sit- 
uated in section 35, township 23, range 13. He 
devotes a large portion of his ranch to the 
culture of ha\- and for grazing purposes, rais- 
ing quite a number of cattle and hogs, but 
also does farming on a very large scale, rais- 
ing corn, potatoes, vegetables, etc. 

Mr. Zinkon was married in 1884 to Miss 
Rebecca Burdick, born in Illinois and raised 
in Nemaha county, Nebraska. She is a daugh- 
ter of J. P. and Deborah (Gray) Burdick. Mr. 
and ^Irs. Zinkon are the parents of six chil- 
dren, namely: John P., Iva E.. \^oris I., Sylva 
M. D.. Emma May and Edna Cora. Mr. Zin- 
kon is a Rei)ublican in pnlitical views. 



ISAIAH STETSON. 

Isaiah Stetson, whose pleasant and attract- 
ive residence is located in section 2, township 
30. range 51, Dawes county, was born in Man- 
itowoc county, Wisconsin, in 1860. His fa- 
ther, Isaiah S. Stet.son. a prominent miller and 
farmer, was born in Massachusetts, and in 
1899 died in Dawes county, Nebraska. His 
mother, Aurelia Stetson, was a native of Nor- 
way. 

Our subject's earlier days were spent in 
Wisconsin, where he received his education, 
attending the county schools. L'ntil the age 
of twenty he lived with his parents, assisting 
his father in farming, gaining the experience 
which has made him one of the successful 
farmers of Dawes county. He spent several 
years of his early life running a sawmill. In 
1886 his father came to Dawes county, and 
the same year our subject followed, the bal- 
ance of the family, excepting one brother, fol- 
lowing later. Mr. Stetson and his father proved 
up on government land and erected a log cabin. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



889 



The same year our subject settled on the home- 
stead which is his present home, and has con- 
tinued to build up and improve his farm until 
at the present time he has eleven hundred 
acres of good land, one hundred and fifty acres 
of which are cultivated. He has equipped his 
place with many modern improvements. There 
are several good springs, running water, a 
windmill and plenty of fine timber and fuel. 
Mr. Stetson has been engaged in the threshing 
business for the past twenty-one years, and has 
threshed in all parts of the county. This busi- 
ness has enabled him to become extensively 
acquainted throughout the county, where by 
his honesty and fair dealings he has built up 
a reputation worthy of note. The period of 
drouths were witnessed by our subject, and 
during the hardships of these times it was bare- 
ly possible for him to make a living. 

In 1889 Mr. Stetson was married to Miss 
Carrie Gould, daughter of John and Jennie 
Gould, prominent old settlers of Dawes coun- 
ty. Seven children blessed this union, viz. : 
Jennie, Vernie, Ethel, Ershall, Alma, Vernon. 
and an infant girl, Geneva. 

Mr. Stetson is an independent voter. He is 
a prominent factor in local aflfairs, having 
held the office of school director for nine years. 
From the time of his entry into Dawes county 
he has always been a faithful worker in the 
interest of the development of the schools. He 
is now the secretary and treasurer of the In- 
dependent Telephone Company, a rural line. 

A good ranch, a family of growing chil- 
dren that would honor any parentage, and a 
standing in the community as a thoroughly 
honorable and upright citizen, Mr. Stetson 
may well be satisfied with the result of his 
busy years. 



OSCAR E. ANDERSON. 

Oscar E. Anderson, whose name will be 
readily recalled by all familiar with the farm- 
ing population of Potter precinct as one of 
the prominent and successful agriculturists and 
ranchmen of that section of Cheyenne county, is 
a resident of Potter, and owner of a fine estate 
adjoining the town, as well as a large and ex- 
tensively improved ranch, four miles north of 
the village, which is the subject of one of our 
finest illustrations. 

Mr, Anderson was born in Sweden on the 
30th day of January, 1859, and grew to man- 
hood there, coming at the age of twenty to 
the United States. His father, John Ander- 
son, died in the land of his birth fune 22, 1908. 



The mother, Anna L. Abrahamson in maiden- 
hood, is still living in her native land. 

Oscar Anderson crossed England and sailed 
July 29, 1879, from Gottenberg to Hull, 
and embarked in the Britanica at Liverpool for 
New York, reaching his destination after a 
voyage of eight days. After a short visit with 
several brothers at Logansport, Indiana, he 
went to Henry county, Illinois, and spent about 
five years in that locality at farm labor, work- 
ing one winter in the city of Rock Island. He 
then came to Nebraska, settling in Cheyenne 
county, and about the 16th of March,' 1885, 
filed on a homestead in section 18, township 
15, range 52. He spent many years on that 
ranch and built up a fine property, now being 
proprietor of fourteen hundred and forty acres, 
consisting of twelve hundred and eighty acres 
in ranch land on the tableland, on which he 
has erected the most substantial buildings of 
any ranch in the region, most of them being 
constructed of stone. His groves are the larg- 
est and most thrifty to be seen for miles 
around. He runs one hundred and thirty head 
of cattle and about one hundred horses, cul- 
tivating a quarter section of the fertile land. 
He also owns one hundred and sixty acres 
adjoining the village of Potter. The dwelling, 
built in 1884, is the oldest in the village, hav- 
ing been erected immediately after the sec- 
tion house. This dwelling, however, was re- 
modeled and additions built in 1908, making it 
a most desirable and comfortable residence. 
The barns and other buildings are also of sub- 
stantial construction. 

Mr. Anderson is an old-timer in this re- 
gion, one of the earliest settlers in this sec- 
tion of the country. When he arrived here he 
had practically no capital, and from this hum- 
ble beginning has become one of the well-to- 
do men of his locality. He is active in all af- 
fairs pertaining to his state and county, and 
has been a leading and influential citizen since 
first locating here. In political sentiment he 
is a loyal Republican, and has held numerous 
public offices. With his family he is a mem- 
ber of the Swedish Lutheran church. He is 
also a member of the Potter camp. Modern 
Woodmen of America. 

In July, 1885, our subject was united in 
marriage at Holdrege, Nebraska, to Miss Eliz- 
abeth Frantz, a daughter of Gustave and Ma- 
rie L. (Norman) Frantz, who was born in Swe- 
den December 31, 1862. The family came to 
America in 1880, settling at Geneseo, Henry 
county, Illinois, where the parents still reside. 
Eight children form Mr. Anderson's family: 
Frances E.. wife of Joseph J. Johnson, who is 
the manager of the home ranch, "Prairie Grove 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Stock Farm," mentioned above ; Edgar E., also 
a ranchman ; Emma E., Anna M., Ella Freda, 
Ernest M., Henry W. and Edna Hilma, living 
at home. 

Mr. Anderson is a broad and liberal-minded 
man, one of the excellent class of citizens con- 
tributed by Scandinavia to the American re- 



CLARENCE G. LAW RENCE. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal review is one of the well liked, indus- 
trious and intelligent members of the farm- 
ing and ranching community of Chambers 
precinct. Cheyenne county. He is a progres- 
sive, energetic agriculturist, and for so young 
a man has met with decided success in the ca- 
reer which he chose. His ranch is fitted with 
good buildings and many improvements, part 
of them constructed of stone, together with 
other substantial improvements. 

Clarence G. Lawrence, a son of Frank P. 
and Mary (Miller) Lawrence, was born near 
Racine, \\'isconsin, June 14, 1876. His par- 
ents moved to L'tica, Nebraska, about 1884. 
then for a time resided at Lincoln. Clarence 
and a brother came to Cheyenne county in 
June, 1892. where they began ranching, eventu- 
ally securing two sections of land. This they 
sold in 1906, and Clarence having filed on a 
Kincaid homestead of six hundred and forty 
acres, comprising section 28. township 13, 
range 52. in 1904, engaged extensively in cattle 
raising, also running a small drove of horses. 

He now owns a whole section, which is 
well improved, about eighty acres in a good 
state of cultivation, with a fine garden under 
irrigation. The ranch has a splendid supply of 
good water, having one spring of living water 
which runs the year around. 

Mr. Lawrence is a fine young man, an 
earnest worker and of most upright princi- 
ples, enjoying the confidence and esteem of 
all with whom he has to do. He is a con- 
scientious member of the Methodist church. 
He is an independent in politics, takes a com- 
mendable interest in all local county and state 
affairs and is regarded as one of the leading 
citizens of his locality. 



WALTER F. PLl'M. 

Walter F. Plum, who (i|)erates a well im- 
proved farm situated in section 3, township 
31. range Z^i, is numbered among the promi- 
nent younger ranchmen and farmers of Cherry 
county, Nebraska, 



Mr. Plum is a native of Iowa City, Iowa, 
born May 10, 1868. He is a son of Martin 
Plum, now retired and living at Lincoln, Ne- 
braska. The mother before marriage was Miss 
Elizabeth Morgan. There are eleven children 
in the family, of whom our subject is the 
sixth in order of birth. He was reared at 
Shelley, Iowa, and all of his life excepting ten 
years has been spent in farming. He assisted 
his father in carrying on the latter's farm up 
to the time he was nineteen years of age, when 
he began teaching, which he followed six years, 
having fitted himself for the profession in the 
local schools. He later learned the plumber's 
trade, which he followed at Shelley some six 
or seven years and then for four years in 
Ponca City, Oklahoma, also engaging in the 
real estate business two and a half years at 
Anadarko. 

At the opening of the Rosebud reserva- 
tion he visited that section of the country, but 
was not favorably impressed with the country 
and did not take up any land. He filed on 
his present homestead under the Kincaid law 
in September, 1904, and at once went to work 
at building up the place, and now has it im- 
proved with fences and good buildings erected 
by his own hands. This farm consists of six 
hundred and forty acres, on which he runs 
about fifty head of stock all the time, culti- 
vating some sixty acres. He is well satis- 
fied with the locality, being within three and a 
half miles of the town of Wood Lake. 

Mr. Plum was married May 15, 1900. to 
Miss Gertrude Dower, a native of Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin, a daughter of Charles and Bessie 
(Smith) Dower, who have been residing in 
Ponca Cit)% Oklahoma, since 1899. 

In political faith Mr. Plum is a Republican. 



P. MAGIXNIS. 



The gentleman above named is another 
sturdy son of "old Ireland" who has come to 
.\merica to seek a fortune and build up a 
home, and how well he has succeeded is evi- 
denced by the fine projierty of which he is the 
owner in Kimball, where he is engaged in the 
manufacturing business, and he also owns con- 
siderable farm lan<l in Kimball county. Mr. 
Maginnis is a leading citizen in commercial and 
political circles of his community, having held 
the office of county treasurer from 1902 tn 1905, 
inclusive, and prior to that time was sheriff 
of his county for four years. 

Mr. Maginnis was born in Ireland, Janu- 
ary 6. 1867. and his entire family except two 
brothers, who live in Massachusetts, never left 




•PRAIRIE PARK STOCK FARM," PROPERTY OF O. E. AXDERSOX. 
Potter, Xebraska. 




RESIDEXCE OF CLAREXCE G. LAWRENCE. 

Cheyenne County, Xebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



891 



their native land, his father dying there in 
1904, while his mother still makes their native 
county her home. When our subject was a 
boy of thirteen years he left his home and came 
to America, locating in Brown county, Illinois, 
September 2, 1880, and after spending about 
two years in that vicinity went to Hamilton 
county, Nebraska. About two years were 
spent in Aurora, and from there he drifted into 
the Sweetwater country, in Wyoming, finally 
coming to Kimball county in 1885, arriving 
here July 22. During his residence in the 
United States he had learned the blacksmith's 
trade, and on locating here opened up a shop 
in Kimball, which he has run ever since, and 
now has one of the best equipped blacksmith 
and machine shops in the west. He carries on 
a large business in the manufacture of exten- 
sible irrigation flumes and water troughs, build- 
ing up a large trade throughout the western 
states, and which has made him a nice income. 

Mr. Maginnis was married at Kimball in 
December, 1888, to Maggie A. Marshall. Mrs. 
Maginnis was born in Indiana and came to Ne- 
braska with her mother, who is now a widow 
and still resides in Kimball, about 1874. They 
have a family of nine children, eight of whom 
are living, named as follows: Arthur F., Alice 
Isabelle, Robert ]., Edward Dewey, Hugh Mar- 
shall, Lizzie, Margaret and William P., all liv- 
ing at home. One son, Charles P., died in 
1899. 

Mr. Maginnis is a Democrat and is an 
important factor in local aftairs. He has been 
a member of the village council, also has served 
on the school board at diiiferent times. 



JOHN W. TIDD. 

In the person of the gentleman above men- 
tioned we present the reader with a representa- 
tive Nebraskan, one who was born and raised 
in that state, and who has seen all the changes 
that have taken place in the country from 
the earliest days of its settlement. He has 
taken an active part in its development since 
growing to manhood, and passed through the 
pioneer days in eastern Nebraska, and later in 
the western part of the state, and has done his 
full share in bringing about the present pros- 
perity enjoyed by the residents of Sioux county 
where he is owner of a valuable estate. 

John W. Tidd was born in Dakota county, 
Nebraska, in 1863, and reared on a farm. His 
father, Charles Tidd, settled in eastern Ne- 
braska when there were but two white set- 
tlers in the neighborhood. 

Our subject lived at home until he was fif- 



teen years of age, assisting his parents in the 
farm work, then went to the western part 
of the state. His mother died when he was 
a lad of eight years, and this broke up their 
home and he was obliged to strike out for 
himself at a tender age. In 1878 he landed 
in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and secured employ- 
ment as a cowboy, and also spent some time 
in the Big Horn basin on different ranches, 
living in that part of the country up to 1887. 
While there he spent the entire summer on 
the plains, and did not know what it was to 
sleep in a house for months at a time. Mr. 
Tidd came to Sioux county in 1887, where his 
father had located some time before, and he 
at once filed on a homestead and started to 
develop a ranch. His place was situated near 
Pine Ridge. There he went through hard 
times for a number of years in getting started, 
but managed to build up a good home and 
lived on the homestead for about thirteen 
years, then came to his present ranch. He 
purchased a tract of land and later took a 
homestead adjoining, now being owner of 
twelve hundred and eighty acres situated on 
Indian creek, eighteen miles west of Ardmore. 
His ranch is splendidly improved, and he en- 
gages exclusively in stock raising. There is 
plenty of timber and pasture, also a fine sup- 
ply of running spring water for all his needs. 

In 1893 Air. Tidd was united in marriage 
to Aliss Martha Hixson, daughter of John Hix- 
son, a well known pioneer of Sioux county, 
where Mrs. Tidd grew up. They have a fam- 
ily of three children, namely: Joseph W., 
James E. and Myrtle V., and they enjoy a 
pleasant home and all the comforts of ranch 
life. 

Mr. Tidd is a leading citizen of his com- 
munity and is influential in public affairs. He 
has served for a number of years as deputy 
sheriff, also was assessor for one term, and 
stands firmly for the principles which he ad- 
vocates. 



CHARLES S. HUDDLE. 

This gentleman is prominently known as 
one of the leading old settlers of Keya Paha 
county, Nebraska, where he has done his share 
in the upbuilding of this region. He lives on 
section 4, township 32, range 22, Garfield pre- 
cinct, where he has spent the past twenty-five 
years. 

Mr. Huddle was born in Ross county, Ohio, 
September 24. 1856, and brought up on a fann. 
His father, Socrates Huddle, was of Holland 
descent, while his mother, Hope Jones, was 



892 



CO.Ml'F.XDR'.M OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of Welsh blood. They had a family of five 
children. Charles S. being the eldest. The fam- 
ilv moved to Sangamon count)-, Illinois, in 
1860. where the mother died seven years later. 
Charles returned to Ohio, residing with his 
grandparents until fifteen years of age. when 
he came to Burlington Junction. Missouri, 
where he worked during the winter, spending 
his summers at farm labor. When eighteen 
vears of age he began farming on rented land 
near Burlington Junction and was so occupied 
for nine years. In 1883 Mr. Huddle came to 
Keya Paha county, arriving here April 6. and 
settled on his present homestead, where he 
put up buildings and rapidly improved his farm. 
At one time he was three thousand dollars in 
debt, but is now clear of all encumbrances and 
owns four hundred and sixty-five acres of land, 
part adapted to farming, the balance being in 
hay and pasture. He keeps from thirty to 
seventy-five head of cattle, and raises two hun- 
dred hogs some years. He has accumulated 
this fine property from a start of one team 
and two cows, his sole capital when he arrived 
here. His farm is all fenced, and he has a fine 
orchard and everything to make a model coun- 
try place. Mr. Huddle is a man of industrious 
habits and energy, and has always been a very 
hard worker. He has built six miles of wire 
fence on his farm, two miles of which are hog- 
proof. 

Mr. Huddle was married December 23, 
1880. to Miss Flora McCrca, daughter of Dun- 
can McCrea, an old settler, who lived in Ne- 
braska for some years. Mr. and Mrs. Hud- 
dle are the parents of five children, namely: 
Floyd E., killed in a railroad accident in Alaska 
in December. 1905 : Claude S. ; Eva. who died 
February 1. 1908: Martha A. and Forest C. 

Mr. Huddle takes an active part in politics, 
serving as a delegate to conventions and work- 
ing for the best interests of the people. He is 
a Republican, and cast his first vote for J. A. 
Garfield. He is a member of the Odd Fellows 
lodge at Ainsworth and of the Modern Wood- 
men of America at Springview. 



PATRICK J. DALTON. 

Patrick J. Dalton. well known all through 
Cheyenne county. Nebraska, as one of the very 
old timers in western Nebraska, who came to 
that region when the whole country was prac- 
tically a barren plain, has traveled over everv 
part of it as a cowboy in the early days, and 
has watched its development into the present 
fertile state and taken an active and leading 
part in this transformation. He now resides 



on section 10, township 15, range 51, Brown- 
son precinct, and is the proprietor of a fine 
estate. Moreover, he is highly esteemed by 
all who know him. 

Mr. Dalton was born near Carrick Suir, in 
the countv of Kilkenny, Ireland, May 27, 
1866. He grew to manhood there, following 
the usual life of persons in his class in that 
country, farming most of the time as a boy. 
He emigrated to America when he was but 
fifteen \'ears of age. His parents, Patrick J. 
and Mary (Quinn) Dalton. spent their entire 
lives in their native land, the mother still liv- 
ing there. Sailing from Oueenstown in the 
City of Chester, after a voyage of fifteen 
days our subject landed in New York May 1, 
1881. He settled in Sac county, Iowa, where 
he spent six years, and in the spring of 1887 
came to Nebraska, filing on a homestead and 
commencing at once to develop a farm. He 
went through the usual experiences of the 
pioneer in the west, working at everything 
that he could find to do in order to make a 
living and improve his place, and succeeded 
in proving up on his claim. He put up good 
buildings, planted trees and as he became bet- 
ter able, added to the original farm, until he 
now owns eight hundred acres, most of which is 
used for ranching purposes, with about one hun- 
dred acres cultivated. He runs one hundred 
and twenty-five cattle and a small bunch of 
horses. During the first seven years of his 
residence in this part of the state Mr. Dalton 
was employed on the old Pomeroy Ranch, 
where he became familiar with every phase 
of ranch life, roughing it for many months in 
the year. 

On October 9. 1902. Mr. Dalton married 
Miss Susan Ward in Denver. She is a daugh- 
ter of Hugh \\'ard. whose wife was a Miss 
Keenan : both were natives of Ireland. Mrs. 
Dalton was born and reared in Chicago. Two 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dal- 
ton. Mary (deceased) and Margaret Susan. 

Mr. Dalton is Republican in politics, and 
a member of the Catholic church. 



JOHN H. now LB Y. 

John H. Bowlby is universally acknowl- 
edged as one of the successful and enterpris- 
ing farmers of Loup county, and is greatly 
respected in the community where he resides. 

Mr. Bowlby was born on a farm in Indi- 
ana in 1867, his parents being William ?nd 
Mary rBurnhammer) Bowlby. farmers and 
influential pioneers of Polk county. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



«93 



The father was born in Pittsburg, Pennsyl- 
vania, and the mother was born in Ohio. 

\\hen our subject was five years of age' 
the family came west to Polk county, settling 
on government land, where he was reared to 
manhood. He then started out for himself 
engaging in agricultural pursuits in Polk, 
county up to 1901. He experienced the hard- 
ships of pioneer life and passed through the 
hard times occasioned by years of drouth and 
the grasshopper raids. He had but little to 
start on and he had to master his own diffi- 
culties and hew his own way to success. 
Possessed of a strong will and good staying 
qualities of character, he could not help but 
succeed, and he has laid the foundation for 
permanent and increasing prosperity. In the 
spring of 1904 Mr. Bowlby brought his fam- 
ily to Loup county and settled on a home- 
stead on section 25, township 22, range 18. 
His first buildings were made of sods and his 
land was raw prairie. Xow he has three hundred 
and twenty acres of good land with ninety acres 
under cultivation, has good buildings and other 
improvements and a fine fruit orchard contain- 
ing one hundred apple trees. He has built up a 
good home and is considered one of the well-to- 
do farmers of the day. Since locating in the 
county he has established himself among the 
people as a successful business man and con- 
scientious citizen. 

The marriage of John H. Bowlby to ^liss 
Levada Hedge occurred in 1888, and the wife 
was a daughter of. Crawford and Mary (Put- 
man) Hedge, of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Bowlby 
have one daughter. Ella, born in Polk county, 
Nebraska. 



C. N. OGDEX, Dece.\sed. 

C* N. Ogden, who accomplished much as 
a farmer of Harlan county, resided in this lo- 
cality since 1902, and became well known as 
a gentleman of progressive spirit and ener- 
getic habits. He developed a fine farm and 
was one of the influential citizens of his com- 
munit}-, held in the highest esteem by his fel- 
lowmen. 

]\Ir. Ogden was a native of Menard county. 
Illinois, where he was raised until he was 
about ten years old. He farmed in Iowa for 
about ten years, and about 1868 came to Ne- 
braska, settling in Johnson county, and car- 
ried on mixed farming and the raising of stock 
and grain since locating here. In 1902 he 
settled in Washington township. Harlan 
county, purchasing a farm of two sections 
during this time. Some of this land was 



bought for ten dollars per acre, and is now 
worth fifty dollars, showing a splendid in- 
crease in this short time. Mr. Ogden added 
many improvements to his place' and had 
everything in first-class shape and it is one of 
the show places of the county. Besides this 
farm he owned other land here. From his ex- 
perience in this state and Iowa he much pre- 
ferred Nebraska to the latter, as here one man 
and four horses can attend to one hundred 
acres where they could only take care of 
forty acres properly, and at the same time 
can raise as much grain to the acre. He was 
very successful in his farming operations in 
Iowa, but did much better here, and there the 
land cost double what it does here, and dur- 
ing a drive among the farnis in his neighbor- 
hood one sees everywhere the prosperity of 
the people. He was engaged in the general 
real estate business for many years and had 
brought in many settlers from Mills and Pot- 
tawatomie counties, Iowa, and since locating 
here all have succeeded far beyond what they 
would have in Iowa. There they sold land 
at one hundred dollars and orre hundred and 
twenty-five dollars, per acre, and came here 
and purchased farms for ten dollars up to 
forty dollars per acre, and as they were good 
farmers have made lots of money, and the 
farm residences, barns and roads all show 
prosperity and good farming. All of Mr. 
Ogden's work in this line was done person- 
ally by him, as he never advertised in any way, 
and every man he brought here was more 
than pleased with the success which came to 
him. There are good schools all through this 
country and every advantage and opportunity 
to advance the settlers who come. Mr. Og- 
den was interested in the local telephone 
company, and was foremost in installing tele- 
phone service through Washington township, 
and he also secured the mail route on a first 
petition where others had tried and failed. He 
was a stockholder and director in the Home 
Telephone Company, and was active in the 
work of getting good roads put all through 
this part of the county. 

Two sons of our subject, W. B. and Da- 
vid S. Ogden, are successful farmers, and own 
land with their father ; also a son-in-law, Arby 
Alizell, owns a farm near Mr. Ogden. Mr. 
Mizell's parents came from. Kansas, and 
bought four hundred acres of land in Reuben 
township, and are well known residents of 
that locality. Another son of our subject, 
Charles H., is now married and follows farm- 
ing. 

Mr. Ogden was an active Democrat. In 
1901 in his home county in Iowa he was a 



894 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



candidate for sheriff, and succeeded in re- 
ducing the Republican majority from eight 
hundred to one hundred and sixty at the 
time he made the run. He was also an Odd 
Fellow, Knight of Pythias and member of the 
Moder,n Brotherhood of America. 

Mr. Ogden died here on his farm Decem- 
ber 20, 1907. mourned by a large number of 
friends all over the county. He was a public- 
spirited citizen and is greatly missed in lo- 
cal affairs. 



WILLIAM F. KRUGER. 

\\'illiam Kruger, whose fine farm consist- 
ing of eleven hundred and twenty acres in 
and adjoining section 32. township 14, range 
48, Colton precinct, Cheyenne county, one of 
the valuable estates in this locality, has been 
a resident of the county since 1884. Here 
he has developed a good ranch and enjoys the 
comforts of rural life and the respect and es- 
teem of a large circle of acquaintances. 

Mr. Kruger is a native of Racine county, 
Wisconsin, born February 25, 1861. His 
father, William, was born in Germany and 
came to America when a young man, settling 
in Wisconsin, and in 1879 removed to Ne- 
braska, where he remained up to 1900, then 
returned to Wisconsin, where he shortly after- 
ward died. The mother, Caroline (Brandt) 
Kruger, was also born in Germany, her death 
occurring at Sidney, Nebraska, about 1898. 
After locating in Cheyenne county, Mr. 
Kruger went through many bitter experiences 
in establishing his home and starting his farm, 
suffering financially from the failures of crops 
due to the drouth seasons and panicky times 
of the nineties, but persevered, and in spite of 
all difficulties succeeded in building up a good 
home and accumulating considerable property. 
Six years were spent in Sidney, where he 
worked at the carpenter's trade as well as be- 
ing engaged at market gardening and running 
a nursery. His homestead, on which he filed 
in 1882. is situated on section 32. township 14, 
range 48, and here he has made his home for 
a number of years. Our subject's home farm 
is beautifully located on Lodgepole creek, all 
well improved with good substantial buildings. 
He devotes part of it to grain raising, and 
runs quite a large herd of stock. A view of 
the house is printed on another page of our 
work. 

Mr. Kruger was married August 25, 1888, 
to Miss Anna Luck, born in Germany. To- 
gether they enjoyed a pleasant home, and 
were blessed with two children, Edna and 



Herman. The mother died in 1899. Mr. 
Kruger was married the second time in May, 
1900. to Maggie Kurth, a daughter of Fred M. 
Kurth, mentioned on another page of our 
work. Three children were born to this union, 
named as follows : Charles, Pearl and Ida. 

Politically Mr. Kruger is a Republican, 
and stands firmly for his principles. He is a 
member of the Sidney Camp, ^lodern Wood- 
men of America. 



FRED E. PEASE. 

Fred E. Pease, one of the wealthy ranch- 
men of Keith county, Nebraska, is an old set- 
tler in that region. He has developed a fine 
property, and in building up a fine estate for 
himself has incidentally aided materially in 
the development of the commercial and agri- 
cultural interests of that section and enjoys 
an enviable reputation as a citizen. 

Mr. Pease was born in the town of Ripen, 
Wisconsin, May 16, 1863. His father, Edmund 
Pease, was a wagonmaker by trade and for 
years owned a wagon shop in Charles City, 
Iowa. He was of Yankee birth, a native of 
New York, and married Katherine Webster, 
also born in New York state. Mr. Pease came 
to Wisconsin about 1860, married at Ripon 
and moved on to Iowa about 1865. locating in 
Floyd county, at Charles City, ahead of the 
railroads. They were among the pioneers, 
and here our subject grew to manhood, re- 
ceiving a good education at the schools, in 
Charles City. He lived at home until he 
was about twenty-three years of age and in 
1886 came west to Lincoln county, Nebraska, 
remaining for about a year. He then went 
into Keith county, engaging in the livery busi- 
ness, establishing his first barn in Paxton, 
which he run up to 1891. At that time he 
bought a farm seven miles southeast of Pax- 
ton, and operated that place for about a year 
and a half, then moved to his present loca- 
tion, about half a mile east of Pa.xton. He at 
once began ranching, for a time having prac- 
tically free open range for his cattle as the 
hard times of the previous few years had 
driven nearly all of the settlers out of the 
locality. He began raising high-grade -Short- 
horn cattle and draught horses. His ranch con- 
tains three thousand acres of deeded and leased 
land, with good improvements, fences, buildings 
and fine groves. He has five hundred acres of 
hay land all under fence, and raises an im- 
mense crop of hay each year. He has planted 
a fine orchard, raising apples, plums, cherries 
and other small fruits, his place being one of 








^f « # i^ # ,/'^/ 




RESIDEXCK OF WILLIAM KRl'GER. 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




■HILLSIDE RANCH." RESIDENCE OF FRED E, PEASE, 
Keith County, Nebraska. 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



B9S 



the best equipped farms and ranches in the 
county. A view of the home with its sub- 
stantial surroundings is presented for your in- 
spection on another page. 

Mr. Pease was married April 10, 1890, to 
Miss Mary Greenough, born in Pittsburg. 
Pennsylvania. She was a daughter of Cap- 
tain James Greenough, a commander of river 
steamboats, and grew up in that city, coming 
west in 1880. Mr. and Airs. Pease have three 
children, namely: Edmund, Grace and 
Arthur. 

Mr. Pease has always been prominent 
in local afifairs. He was countv commissioner 
from 1897 to 1900, and in 1903 was elected 
county assessor, having held the office of pre- 
cinct assessor previous to that time. Politic- 
ally he is a Republican, and fraternally a mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America, of 
Paxton. 



NICK GEHRT. 



Nick Gehrt, who resides in section 19, 
township 31, range 44, of Sheridan county, 
Nebraska, is one of the prominent citizens of 
this locality, and a man who has done his full 
share in the upbuilding of the community in 
which he chose his home. 

Mr. Gehrt was born in Germany in 1862. 
and came to America with his parents when 
but ten years of age. The family, consisting 
of five children of whom our subject is the 
youngest, located in Grand Island, Nebraska, 
where the mother is still living, his father hav- 
ing died several years since. At the age of 
seventeen he began working out by the month 
on different farms near his home, and in 1884 
came to this locality and took the homestead 
on which he is now living. He at once en- 
gaged in farming and erected a set of sod 
buildings, constantly raising and buying stock 
in addition to working his farm land. At the 
beginning of the dry years he was quite ex- 
tensively engaged in farming, and this was 
quite a setback to him, as he lost several 
crops which made hard times for him. How- 
ever, he still stuck to farming, as he knew 
better times were coming, and after experi- 
encing much hardship and privation, condi- 
tions changed for the better and he was able 
to raise good crops and added to his prop- 
erty until he now has fourteen hundred and 
forty acres of good land all fenced and well 
improved with a complete set of substantial 
farm buildings which cost him over two thou- 
sand dollars. He has three hundred acres of 
his land in a high state of cultivation, and 



keeps about one hundred and twenty-five head 
of stock. All the work of the farm is done 
by himself and son, and they have one of the 
best paying estates in the locality. 

Mr. Gehrt was married in 1890 to Miss 
Carrie Zeigler, born in Illinois, where her par- 
ents still live. They have one son, Albert, 
born in 1891, who is of great assistance to his 
father in operating his farm. Mr. Gehrt and 
his famil}' never left their home during the 
Indian scare in 1891, and although they were 
threatened many times and in danger of be- 
ing killed or their home burned over their 
heads, they escaped without having suffered 
any injury to themselves or loss of property. 

In political sentiment Mr. Gehrt is a Re- 
publican, but never votes a straight ticket. 
He has never held any office, as he says he 
has not the time to devote to politics which a 
man must have if he seeks political favor. 



HENRY GEISE. 



Among the successful and prosperous citi- 
zens of Maxwell, Nebraska, and a man who 
has through industry and perseverance gained 
a comfortable competence, the subject of this 
review deserves a prominent place. 

Mr. Geise is a native of Westphalia, Ger- 
many, where he was raised and received a 
good education. His parents were typical old 
country people, and he was brought up to 
know what it was to work and take care 
of himself at an early age, and when he 
reached the age of eighteen he struck out for 
himself, coming to America in 1886, and here 
he found a large field for his labors, and 
many fine opportunities, which he was quick 
to take advantage of. He settled in Lincoln 
county, Nebraska, in 1888, taking up land in 
the hills, where he tried ordinary farming, but 
conditions were not favorable, and after spend- 
ing much hard labor and meeting with man,y 
failures he became discouraged and quit farm- 
ing for a time, going to work by the month 
and continuing at this for several years, saving 
his earnings, and imbued with the spirit of 
German thrift and perseverance determined to 
get a start and seven years ago he again took 
up farming in the hills, this time starting in 
the dairy business, using his farm of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres for this purpose. He first 
started in with twenty-nine cows and during 
the past five years has increased his herd to 
one hundred and seventy-five head, of which 
forty-two are milch cows. He has been very 
successful in this line of work, and has pur- 
chased and paid for two sections of railway 



896 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



land, also two and a quarter sections of other 
land. He takes all his cream to Maxwell Sta- 
tion, and now receives each month one hun- 
dred and fifty dollars during summers from 
the creamery at Beatrice, Nebraska. His herd 
is composed mostly of Shorthorn cattle, which 
he finds to be about the best grade for the 
production of cream and butter. He has a fine 
patch of alfalfa on his farm, and considers this 
one of the best grasses to be used for feeding 
cattle. Mr. Geise was married in 1888 to 
.Miss Laura Miller, a daughter of C. A. Mil- 
ler, of Lexington, Nebraska. They have six chil- 
dren, as follows: Joe, aged nineteen 3'ears; 
John, seventeen; Arthur, fifteen; ^linnie, thir- 
teen ; Oshia, eleven : and Charlie, eight. 

Mr. Geise is a man much above the ordin- 
ary in intelligence, possessing a fine educa- 
tion. He is a hustler, a man of fine appear- 
ance and great strength, and his present suc- 
cess is due alone to his energy and industrious 
habits. 



THOMAS KATEN. 

Thomas Katen, a prosperous and much re- 
spected farmer of section 18, township 29, 
range 48, Dawes county, Nebraska, much de- 
serves the abundant success that has come to 
him as a reward of industry, economy and 
thrift. He is an old settler in this region, 
and has always taken an active and commend- 
able interest in public affairs of his locality. 

Mr. Katen was born in Richardson county, 
Nebraska, in 1864. in the town of Rulo. His 
father, John Katen, was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, of Irish stock, and he married Johannah 
Godfrey, also of Irish descent, the young couple 
settling in Nebraska during their early mar- 
ried life, where our subject was reared and 
educated. In 1885 he left home and started 
to make his own way in the world, spending 
one year in Chadron. and then taking up a 
homestead twenty-five miles south of that city. 
Here his first dwelling was made of logs, and 
he began to break up land and start a farm, 
remaining on the place for several years and 
pro\cd up. He went through a good many 
hard times in getting started and for a time 
did fairly well, sticking to it until 1891, then 
the dry seasons began and he was unable to 
raise scarcely any crops. He was obliged to 
work in the woods, getting out timber and 
hauling wood in order to make a living for 
himself and family. On first coming to this 
sectinn all he had in the world was three dol- 
lars in money, and remained on this place for 
fourteen years, then left it and settled on his 



present homestead in 1900,. locating on. sec- 
tion 18, township 29, range 48, and there be- 
gan putting on permanent improvements, 
bii^lding a good house, sheds, barns and cor- 
rals. His ranch is situated on Cottonwood 
creek, and he has a fine supply of good water 
the year round for his stock and other pur- 
poses. He has seventy-five acres under culti- 
vation, but most of his time is devoted to stock 
raising, operating about twenty-one quarter 
sections for that purpose, and also leases two 
quarters of school land for grazing land. About 
the year 1901 his house was utterly destroyed 
by fire and he lost part of his household goods, 
which was a severe loss, but he has erected in 
its place a commodious dwelling, and has a 
pleasant home. 

On February 13. 1885, Mr. Katen was mar- 
ried to Miss Mary Kennedy, and of this union 
thirteen children were born, who are named 
as follows: Josephine and Genevieve (twins), 
John, Edna, Will. Thomas, Lester, Hazel, 
Ruth, Fannie, Donald, Lottie and a baby named 
Odonald. 

Mr. Katen has held difl:'erent school offices 
and takes an active interest in local affairs, 
votinsf the Democratic ticket. 



JAMES E. KIRKWOOD. 

James E. Kirkwood, one of the extensive 
land owners of Rock county. Nebraska, has 
one of the finest farms and homes to be found 
in this county. He is a man of untiring en- 
ergy and perseverance, and through business 
capability and good management has become 
one of the foremost men in this section of the 
country. He is well known as a public-spirited 
citizen and is universally esteemed and re- 
spected. 

Mr. Kirkwood was born on a farm in Iowa 
in 1861, and raised and educated in that state. 
His father. Robert Kirkwood, was a native 
of Scotland, and after coming to this country 
located at Council Bluffs, where he followed 
farming for many years. He was married in 
Scotland to Mary Muir. and they were the 
parents of nine children, all of whom except 
our subject remained in Iowa. 

James attended, school at Iowa City for 
four years, receiving a good education, and 
then followed teaching as a profession part 
of the time, later starting in the stock raising 
and farming business when about twenty-nine 
years old. He stuck to that for a time, then 
went into the land and stock business in Mis- 
souri valley, which he carried on for twelve 
vears. In 1904 he came to Rock county, set- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



897 



tling on section 12, township 29, range 20. 
Here he put up good buildings, planted an or- 
chard of two hundred apple trees and other 
fruits in proportion, and has one of the finest 
orchards in this section of the state. He has 
added to his land until he now owns twenty- 
four hundred acres of fine farming and hay 
land, runs about five hundred head of stock, 
besides fifty horses. He raises annually two 
hundred acres of corn and small grains, and 
has good success with his crops. He is also 
seeding quite a lot of his land to tame grasses. 
Besides his large interests here he has farms 
in Iowa and Canada, and personally super- 
intends the management of those farms. 

Mr. Kirkwood while living in Iowa served 
a term as representative in the state legis- 
lature, and was active in politics there, but 
since coming to Nebraska has devoted his 
time to his farming interests. He is a Dem- 
ocrat. 

In 1890 he was married to Miss Ollie Mor- 
gan, whose people were early settlers in Mis- 
souri Valley, Iowa, and still reside there. Her 
father served in the Fifty-first Iowa Infantry 
during the Civil war. To Mr. and JNIrs. Kirk- 
wood the following children were born : Nel- 
lie M., Mary I., Ollie M. and James M. 



GEORGE GREGG. 

George Gregg, one of the oldest residents 
of Perkins county, Nebraska, has had a va- 
ried and eventful history, and the story of 
his life is interwoven with the narrative of 
facts as they have transpired in the western 
part of Nebraska. It is a most interesting 
past to which such lives as his link us, and 
never will be repeated in this western country. 

Air. Gregg was born in Kirklington, York- 
shire, England, in 1838. His father, Robert 
Gregg, was an innkeeper in that country, and 
followed that business near!}- all his later 
years, his tavern being one of the well known 
stopping places for travelers through that vi- 
cinity. Our subject grew up in his native vil- 
lage, attending the public schools, and re- 
mained at home until he was fourteen years of 
age, then entered a grocery store and served 
an apprenticeship of five years and a half, lo- 
cating in Liverpool, where he spent ten years 
in that work. He came to America in 1869, 
settling on a. farm in Ontario, Canada, and 
there spent seventeen years. The locality in 
which he lived was a rough country, with 
miles of timber land, and he did plenty of 
grubbing and clearing to get the land in shape 



for crops. During the time he was in that 
vicinity he went through hard times, but man- 
aged to make a living and get a little ahead, 
building up a fairly good home, but was not 
very favorably impressed with the opportu- 
nity for advancement, so came to the United 
States, traveled west until he came to Nebras- 
ka, and there decided to stop and look over 
the country. He arrived in Perkins county 
in April, 1886, and as he liked the appearance 
of things, filed on a homestead on section 28, 
township 10, range 35, built a sod shanty and 
started to establish his farm, his family join- 
ing him in the fall of that year. They began 
on a small scale, suffering hardships and pri- 
vations during the first few years while get- 
ting their home started, their only team a pair 
of oxen, with which Mr. Gregg broke up land 
for a few crops and worked hard to make a 
living. He bought his team on two years' 
time, and in one year he plowed up sixty 
acres with these faithful animals, doing all his 
own work of breaking, etc. He had no well 
on the place, and for five years hauled all the 
water for household use a distance of a mile 
and a half. He put in considerable corn each 
year, and during 1887, 1888 and 1889 raised 
a good crop, but the following year had a 
total loss on account of the drouth. Then 
for one year he had a fair crop, and again in 
1893, 1894 and 1895 everything he planted 
failed, and in the spring of 1896 he found him- 
self worse off than nothing, being in debt 
over eight hundred dollars. He had a few 
cattle and gradually grew into the stock busi- 
ness, and after three years had a pretty good 
herd, and as land was cheap he had added 
considerable to his homestead and improved 
it as rapidly as possible. 

Mr. Gregg is now the owner of a ranch 
consisting of nine quarter sections, on which 
he has every improvement and convenience for 
its proper operation, and has about three hun- 
dred acres under plough. He has at the pres- 
ent time a herd of fifty cattle, twelve good 
horses and about fifty hogs. He had good 
wells drilled on the place, which furnish a good 
water supply the year round, and has wind- 
mills, etc., his ranch being one of the best 
equipped in the county. 

Mr. Gregg was married in 1864 at Liver- 
pool, England, to Miss Annie Hume, who was 
born and raised in England, and to them have 
been born eight children, who are named as 
follows: Isabelle, Robert, Willie, Emma, 
Mary. Annie, Charlie and George. 

Our subject has always been a foremost, 
leading citizen of his locality, taking an ac- 
tive part in every movement for the develop- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ment and advancement of the region, helping 
build up schools, etc. In political sentiment 
he is a Democrat. 



LEONARD W. RIGGS. 

Leonard W. Riggs, a well known resident 
and prominent business man of Dunning. 
Blaine county, Nebraska, has won for him- 
self a good standing where he is highly re- 
spected for his many excellent qualities and 
manly worth. 

Mr. Riggs was born in Kankakee county, 
Illinois. April 28. 1861. His father was Por- 
ter Riggs. born in West Virginia, a farmer 
by occupation, and followed that calling all 
his life. He married Mary Swan, a native of 
Indiana. They settled in Illinois in the early 
days, and there our subject was raised and 
educated, attending the common schools, re- 
ceiving his education in the familiar old dis- 
trict school. He remained with his parents 
up to his twenty-second year, then came to 
Nebraska, teaming through from North Loup, 
and his first settlement was made in the north- 
western part of Blaine county. Most of his 
first summer was spent in Loup county fol- 
lowing farming, haying, ranching, etc.. in order 
to earn a little money. He filed on a home- 
stead and put up a sod shanty, "batching it" 
there for about three years, doing mostly farm 
work, roughing it a great deal of the time, 
camping out on the plains, etc. He built up 
a comfortable home and remained in that vi- 
cinity up to 1894. then moved to Brewster 
and spent about eight years, engaged in farm 
work, blacksmithing. etc. 

Mr. Rigg-'^ located in Dunning in 1902, 
where his brother had bought a store, and he 
took charge of it, managing it for the past 
six years. They handle a general line of mer- 
chandise and have an excellent trade through- 
out, the surrounding country. He is well liked 
by all with whom he comes in contact in a 
business or social way, and is recognized as 
a gentleman of excellent business ability and 
progressive habits. 

In 1886 Mr. Riggs was married to Miss 
Nannie Martin. Her father was Christian 
Martin, a pioneer in Nebraska. They were 
the parents of four children — Lillian May, de- 
ceased ; Karl, deceased ; Porter C. and Charles 
W. The mother died in 1894, and shortly aft- 
erward Mr. Riggs was burned out, losing about 
everything he had, including horses, grain, 
machinery, etc., being left with practically 
nothing and obliged to start over again. He 
and his faithful wife had managed to build up 



a good home and were just about able to en- 
joy life, when these misfortunes overtook him 
and he was compelled to work out by the 
day in order to make a living for himself and 
children. Mr. Riggs spent some time in Mon- 
tana during the year 1891, where he was en- 
gaged in freighting and general work. He is 
one out of three men who settled in Blaine 
county in 1883, and has always done his share 
as an old-timer. 



\\ILLL\M MOUNT. 

William Mount, for the past quarter of a 
century one of the well known pioneers of 
Nebraska, settled in BufTalo county about 
1884, where he remained for about two and a 
half years. For a time he lived in Weld, Lo- 
gan and Sedgwick counties, in Colorado, then 
again came to the western part of Nebraska 
in 1894, going through pioneer experiences in 
both sections. He is proprietor of a good es- 
tate in Camp Clarke precinct and enjoys a 
comfortable home and pleasant surroundings. 

Mr. Mount is a native of Shelby county, 
Illinois, born on May 2. 1849. where he lived 
until he was thirty-five years of age, follow- 
ing farming during all of that time. On his 
return to Nebraska he took up land under 
the Belmont Ditch and farmed for six years, 
then filed on a homestead on section 10, town- 
ship 20, range 50, in Cheyenne (now Morrill) 
county, on which he proved up in due time, 
and improved. He, together with his sons, 
owns four hundred and eighty acres of land, 
which is used for mixed farming and stock rais- 
ing, running about one hundred and fifty head 
of stock. They raise considerable hay, and 
have eighteen acres devoted to beet raising, 
which nets them a nice sum each season. 

Mr. Mount was married in Christian coun- 
ty. Illinois, on February 9, 1871, to Miss Sa- 
rah M. Stumpff. Mrs. Mount is a native of 
Fairfield county, Ohio, and was reared there 
until about ten years of age, when the family 
moved to Shelby county. The have had nine 
children, as follows: Hattie, married to E. 
C. Porter, living on Pumpkinseed creek; Car- 
rie died in infancy; Laura, widow of A. H. 
Kortz, now living in Bridgeport ; Charles, de- 
ceased ; Jessie, married and living in Bridge- 
port ; Clarence, married, farming in Cheyenne 
county; James Dwight, single; Lulu, wife of 
Harry Dcsch. living in Alliance; Elma, single, 
living at home. 

Mr. Mount is a Republican politically and 
takes a firm stand for the principles of his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



party. He takes a commendable interest in 
local affairs, and is at present holding the of- 
fice of school director of district No. 6. 



HENRY BRANZ. 

Henry Branz was born in the small village 
of Nieder Aula, in the province of Kuhr Hes- 
sen, Germany, in 1858. his father being Nich- 
olas Branz, a shoemaker by trade, who lived 
and died in the fatherland. The mother was 
Annie Barlet in her youth. She died at the 
home of a daughter in Iroquois county, Illi- 
nois, in 1874. 

Our subject lived in the land of his nativity 
until he was eleven years of age, when, with 
his mother, two brothers and a sister, he came 
to America, sailing from Bremen Haven in an 
old sailing vessel Familia, landing in New 
York city after a voyage of six weeks with 
seven hundred other immigrants on board. 
They came west to Peoria, Illinois, where 
Henry worked two years for his board and 
clothes and did not get an over supply of 
either. He then went to Iroquois county, 
where his sister was living after her marriage, 
and worked there by the month for two years. 
He then began farming for himself on rented 
land, living at various times on farms in Taze- 
well, Woodford and Livingston counties. 

Mr. Branz was married in Illinois Thanks- 
giving day, November 27, 1878, to Miss Anna 
Martha Nieding, a native of the village of Ans- 
bach, province of Kuhr Hessen, Germany. Her 
father, Henry Nieding, died while she was an 
infant and her mother six years later. A mar- 
ried sister in Tazewell county, near Peoria, 
sent for the child and she crossed the ocean 
with strangers, who placed her in charge of 
the conductor at Baltimore. Mr. and Mrs. 
Branz have three children — George Herman, 
who has a homestead adjoining his father's 
on the west ; Maggie, who married Ell Gilner, 
who has a homestead nearby, and Christine, 
who has proved up on a homestead which ad- 
joins part of the home farm. 

In the year 1890 our subject brought his 
family to Keith county, Nebraska, locating on 
a homestead in section 20, township 14, range 
40. They had but little to start on and saw 
very hard times. The first crop of twenty 
acres of wheat never came up, and all the wa- 
ter had to be hauled six and a half miles. They 
lived in a sod house, which still stands, and it 
was a task to make a living. For three sum- 
mers Mr. Branz worked on the section for 
the Union Pacific Railway Company and in 
this wav was able to get a few head of cattle 



and thus made his start in the stock raising 
business. In this line he has made a splen- 
did success and now has two hundred head 
of cattle. His ranch embraces six hundred 
and forty acres, well improved with a good 
house, well, windmill, gasoline engine and a 
barn with a capacity for fifteen head of horses 
and thirty-five tons of hay. He also leases 
other land, which he needs in his stock busi- 
ness. For a number of years they sold the 
cream of thirty cows, but the dairy has been 
reduced to one-third of that number. Mr. 
Branz successfully coped with the difficult 
problems of pioneer life and is thoroughly es- 
tablished on a fine financial basis. He is a 
man of strong capabilities and is one of the 
influential old settlers of the locality in which 
he lives. He is a Democrat in politics. 



CHALMERS A. LOVEJOY. 

Chalmers A. Lovejoy, one of the most 
widely known and successful stockmen of 
western Nebraska, resides on his large estate 
in sections 17, 18 and 20, township 32, range 
28, Cherry township. 

Mr. Lovejoy was born in White county, 
Indiana, March 6. 1854, and came to Iowa with 
his parents when he was one year old. His 
father. H. R. Lovejoy. a native of Indiana, was 
a prominent merchant in Monticello, that state, 
for ten years, and later in Des Moines, Iowa, 
where he was in business twenty-five years. 
He married Isabella Shonts, a native of Vir- 
ginia, of Irish and German parentage, and died 
in Des Moines in 1876. In a family of ten 
children, six boys and four girls, our subject 
is the second member. He was reared and 
educated in Iowa, and began life for himself 
at the age of twenty-one, following farm work 
for some years. Mr. Lovejoy first came to 
Nebraska in April, 1886, and here took up a 
pre-emption and later a homestead in section 
17, township 31, range 27, Cherry county, and 
to both these tracts he still holds title. By in- 
dustry and economy he gradually added to 
his acreage until he is now proprietor of six 
thousand five hundred acres of land, most of 
which is in meadow and range. One tract ex- 
tends for five miles along the south side of 
the Niobrara river near Valentine, and another 
tract in township 31, range 27, comprises 
twenty-two hundred and forty acres, while in 
the home place there are ten hundred and 
forty acres of good land. He is engaged prin- 
cipally in stock raising and mixed farming, 
having nearly three hundred and fifty acres 
under cultivation, raising fine crops, all of 



900 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



which he feeds to his extensive herds of cattle. 
He keeps at all times about a thousand head 
of cattle and a few hogs, together with a good- 
ly number of horses, and is well satisfied with 
the reward of his labors since coming to this 
section. He never suffered much loss through 
the dry years, and, indeed, states that he made 
his best money during those times, as he was 
not engaged in farming to any great extent, 
and his stock having sufficient grazing were 
productive of profitable returns on the market. 

Mr. Lovejo)- was married December 6, 
1876, to Miss Jennie H. Harr. born in Penn- 
sylvania, a daughter of Jacob and Rosina (Ba- 
ker I Harr, who for many years were respected 
residents of Des Moines. Mr. and Mrs. Love- 
joy have a family of ten children, all of whom 
were reared in Cherry county. They are 
named as follows: Fred S., Benjamin C, An- 
nie, Robert, Daniel. John. Charles, Halsey, 
Jennie and Walter. 

All of Mr. Lovejoy's time and attention 
are given to building up and improving his 
home and ranch, and he is well informed on all 
topics pertaining to his business. He has 
never had any time to devote to active poli- 
tics, and has never held office, but in political 
sentiment he is a Republican. 



WILLIAM DOLAN. 

The subject of this -review is one of the 
largest stock dealers and shippers in Lin- 
coln county, Nebraska, and resides in Max- 
well, where he has a pleasant home and enjoys 
the confidence and esteem of all of his asso- 
ciates. 

Mr. Dolan is a native of Maxwell, and was 
raised and educated there. His father, Peter 
Farrell Dolan, was a native of Leitrim county, 
Ireland, and came to America when sixteen 
years of age, and his wife was Miss Anna G. 
Kelliher. She resides at the present time in 
Chicago with her daughter, who is a teacher 
in the public schools in that city. Our sub- 
ject received his later education at Saint Mary's 
College, Kansas, and after graduating was a 
teacher in the schools in Lincoln county for 
four years, and also taught in Idaho for two 
years. His brother, F. Farrell Dolan, is yard- 
master for the American Beet Company at 
Grand Island, Nebraska. The father came 
west and located at Maxwell in 1871. He was 
connected with the Northern Pacific railway 
for twenty-five years, and his death occurred 
in 1901, at the age of sixty-five years. Our 
subject ships about one hundred and sixty 



cars of stock each season, marketing most of 
this in Denver. A great deal of hay is raised 
around Maxwell each year, and between three 
and four thousand tons are shipped from Max- 
well during each year, which brings in a snug 
sum to the farmers in this locality. Mr. Do- 
lan and his mother are joint owners of a 
ranch of about nineteen hundred acres in this 
county, which was formerly owned by his 
father, nearl}' all of this being valley land 
located near Maxwell. 

Mr. Dolan was married in 1903 to Miss 
Mary E. Nugent. Her father, John W. Nu- 
gent, came from Illinois to Nebraska in 1888. 
Mr. Dolan and wife have one child, Viola. 



FRANK E. PHILLIPS. 

Frank E. Phillips, one of the leading pio- 
neers of Box Butte county, resides on his well 
improved and valuable estate in township 24, 
range 48, where he is well and favorably 
known throughout the locality. 

Mr. Phillips was born in Lackawanna 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1854, on a farm. His 
great-grandfather settled in that state before 
the beginning of the Revolutionary war. hav- 
ing been horn and raised in X'ermont. Our 
subject's father was a farmer and lumberman, 
and he married Miss Elizabeth Norton, of Eng- 
lish blood, who died when Frank was but 
seven years of age, and two years later he 
was left an orphan, being compelled to start 
out for himself at the age of nine years, and 
from that time on made his own way in the 
world. He went on a ship as a cabin boy when 
but eleven years old, and spent over three 
years as a sailor, traveling through many for- 
eign countries, and on these trips visited South 
America, sailed around Cape Horn, coasted 
along Maine and Massachusetts, and while 
still a boy had seen more of the world than 
many who have lived four-score years and 
more. 

Mr. Phillips returned to Pennsylvania and 
worked as a lumberman rafting, running sta- 
tionary engines, and, in fact, doing all the 
work to be found in the lumber camp for about 
five years. He left Pennsylvania and struck 
out for the west in 1878. finally settling in 
Fillmore county. Nebraska, and there was 
among the pioneer settlers of that region, and 
when he landed in that vicinity his entire cash 
capital was seventy-two cents, and he was 
obliged to go to work immediately to make a 
living, and secured employment as a farmer. 
He lived there up to 1883, then moved to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



901 



Custer county and settled on government land. 
His first building was a sod shanty without a 
floor. He took with him a team and two 
cows, which was his start on that place, and 
these were his sole possessions with the ex- 
ception of some farm implements. The near- 
est railroad point from his claim was Grand 
Island, a distance of seventy-five miles. He 
went through hard times in getting started, 
meeting with many discouragements, and 
finally sold the place and moved to Cheyenne 
county, driving to his new location with his 
team and a covered wagon, taking his cows 
and household goods with him. There he first 
tried mixed farming and stock raising, and 
again went through pioneer experiences. His 
nearest trading point and railroad station was 
Hay Springs, and he has the distinction of 
having shipped the first carload of goods into 
the town of Alliance, which town had just 
been started at that time. He remained upon 
that place up to 1901. and m^de a success of 
the undertaking, improving it in fine shape, 
and building up a good home. He sold out 
his rights there and then moved to his pres- 
ent location, which was a fully improved 
ranch. This is located in section 31, town- 
ship 24, range 48, and is situated nine miles 
from the town of Alliance. The place con- 
tains eight quarter sections, all deeded land, 
and, besides this, he leases twelve quarters, 
all of which is fenced and cross fenced, and 
supplied with every improvement, good build- 
ings, etc. This ranch is well stocked with 
cattle, and he is also engaged in farming, hav- 
ing about one hundred and sixty acres under 
cultivation. 

Mr. Phillips was married September 14, 
1871, while living in Pennsylvania, to Miss 
Maggie Fox, daughter of Michael Fox, a na- 
tive of Germany, who emigrated to America 
when a young man and settled in Pennsyl- 
vania, and there followed farming all his life. 
He married Elizabeth Sommers, born in Eng- 
land, and Mrs. Phillips spent her girlhood in 
her native state, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. 
Phillips are the parents of fourteen children, 
who are named as follows: Minnie. Theodore, 
Lillie, George, Amy, Maggie. Annie, Charles, 
Pearl, Ethel, Frank, Walter, Elsie and Clar- 
ence. They form a very interesting family 
group and those still living at home assist their 
parents in running the ranch. The family have 
a pleasant home and enjoy a large circle of 
warm friends and congenial neighbors. 

Our subject is a well read, intelligent man, 
of superior attainments, who keeps well abreast 
of the times, taking an active interest in local 
affairs of importance. 



ALBERT LOWE. 



Albert Lowe, one of the best known and 
most influential citizens of Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, resides on his vast estate in Pine 
precinct. He has devoted many years of his 
life to farming and has met with the greatest 
success in the work, and he has done more 
than any other one man to develop this county 
and promote its interests in every way. 

Mr. Lowe was born in Iowa county, Wis- 
consin, July 18, 1855, reared and educated on 
a farrn, where he saw plenty of hard work from 
the time he was a small boy assisting his fa- 
ther in grubbing and clearing his place there. 
The latter was of English parentage, born 
on Prince Edward Island, who came to the 
states at the age of twelve years, following 
farming all his life. When our subject was 
eighteen months old his mother, who was An- 
nie Adams, died, and he remained with his 
father until he was twelve, then started out 
for himself, working on farms in the vicinity 
of their home for four years. He then bought 
land from the Chicago & Northwestern rail- 
way, located in Craword county, Iowa, and 
farmed there for six years. This land cost 
him eight dollars and eighty cents per acre, 
on ten years' time, and he made quite a little 
money on the place, clearing about six thou- 
sand dollars in the six years. He next came 
to Keya Paha county, locating on a home- 
stead on section 14, township 33, range 19, and 
this is his present home. He first built a 
log house and lived in it for five years, then 
put up a sod house and "batched it" for twelve 
years. When he first came here there was 
only one house in what is now Mills, and one 
at Cams, and his nearest neighbor was miles 
away. He kept buying land before the dry 
years came on, and sowed it to rye, and cleared 
eighty-six cents a bushel on his home place of 
one hundred and sixty acres. He has never 
had a total failure of crops, and assisted others, 
taking county warrants for grain furnished to 
men needing aid in the hard times. IMr. Lowe 
now has a farm of six thousand acres, all fine 
farming land, and cultivates one thousand 
acres, using the balance for hay and pasture. 
He also has ninety acres of alfalfa, and gets 
an immense crop of this grass each season. 
Twelve hundred and forty acres of his farm 
is medium low land and the drouths never af- 
fect this. He is the largest grain farmer in 
the county, and farms more than any three 
men in this county, and in addition to this 
deals quite extensively in stock, running from 
five hundred to six hundred cattle, and forty 
head of horses. He has set out a large num- 



902 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ber of trees on his farm, and in all has about 
forty acres of forest and fruit trees. His pas- 
tures are immense, one containing six sec- 
tions and another four sections, and in all has 
thirty miles of fence on his ranch, so that he 
does not have to herd his stock. His farm is 
the best improved and most valuable of any 
in Keya Paha county, and every appointment 
of the place shows the best of care and good 
management in its operation. 

On Christmas day, 1890, our subject was 
married to Miss Matilda Schultz, whose par- 
ents were early settlers in Keya Paha county, 
coming here from Hamilton county in 1884. 
Mr. and Mrs. Lowe have three children, name- 
ly: Henry, \'ernie and Feme, all living at 
home. 

Politically Mr. Lowe is a Republican, but 
has never had the time to devote to taking 
an active part in politics. 



and are well liked by their neighbors and 
associates. Mr. Babb is a supporter of Repub- 
lican principles and in religious matters is lib- 
eral, while his wife is an earnest member of 
the Christian church. 



DAVID E. BABB. 

While the gentleman whose name heads 
this review is one of the new comers to Chey- 
enne county, Nebraska, he is rapidly becom- 
ing known as a man of active public spirit 
and manifests a truly commendable interest 
in the welfare of his community. Mr. Babb 
is a nephew of Steve Babb, well known in this 
locality, also a nephew of Henry Weilman. who 
is an old-timer in the region, and from whom 
our subject purchased his present ranch. 

David E. Babb is a native of Pottawatomie 
county, Iowa, where he was born January 12, 
1869, and reared. During his boyhood he fol- 
lowed farming, receiving a good education, 
remaining with his parents until he reached 
manhood, and then farmed for himself, own- 
ing a hundred and twenty acres in his native 
county. He came to Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska, March 4. 1906. He purchased the four 
hundred and eighty acres in section 24, town- 
ship 16, range 49, formerly known as the Old 
Henry PostofTice. Here he farms about one 
hundred and forty acres, and uses the balance 
as hay land and pasture for a large number 
of cattle and horses. The ranch is well 
equipped with a good set of buildings, all 
fenced and finely improved in every way. 

On April 3, 1895. Mr. Babb was married at 
Atlantic, Iowa, to Miss Laura B. Selders, who 
was born and reared in the Hawkeye state. 
The young couple made their home in Iowa 
until fhey came to Nebraska. Five children 
were born to them, who arc named as follows: 
Elsie E., Hazel M., Clarice O., Gladys B. and 
Roy B. The family have a very pleasant home 



ELMER E. BARR. 

Dr. Elmer E. Barr, who is numbered among 
the leading old settlers of western Nebraska, 
came to that region when it was just being 
first inhabited by white men, and from its 
earliest days of civilization he has been an 
important factor in its growth and develop- 
ment. He owns a nice property in Hyannis, 
where he carries on a drug business, and also 
has a wide practice throughout the county 
and stands high in the medical profession. 

Dr. Barr was born in Armstrong county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1863, and reared on a farm 
there. His father, James, w-as of Scotch-Irish 
stock, and he married Eliza Long, of Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch blood. Our subject remained in 
his native county up to 1880, then came west, 
locating at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and remained 
there for about nine months, then emigrated 
to Grand Island. Nebraska, settling in Alda. 
Soon after coming to this state he began teach- 
ing in the public schools in Hall county and 
followed that occupation for seven years, at 
the same time taking a course of study at 
the Nebraska State University, having pre- 
pared for this by attending the Rush Aled- 
ical College at Chicago and the State Univer- 
sity of Iowa. He graduated from the medical 
department of the University of Iowa in 1887, 
and began the practice of his profession, es- 
tablishing his first office at Benkelman, Dundy 
county. Nebraska, remaining there for a year, 
then removed to Stratton, Hitchcock county, 
Nebraska, where he followed his calling for 
two years. In the fall of 1890 he opened an 
office at Alliance and lived there for six years, 
and was appointed assistant surgeon for the 
Burlington Railway Company, building up a 
good practice, at the end of that time spend- 
ing two years in travel. 

He returned to Nebraska in 1899, locating 
at Whitman, Grant county, where he followed 
his profession for five years, then practiced in 
Alliance for a year, and then came to Hyannis, 
Grant county. 

Dr. Barr settled in Hyannis in 1905. and 
opened an office, and rapidly built up a good 
patronage, now extending all over Grant coun- 
ty, also into Cherry and McPherson counties. 
He has carried on a drug, business since lo- 
cating here, purchasing this store in 1905, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



903 



and carries a complete line of drugs and has 
one of the best equipped stores in the county. 

On November 27, 1901, Dr. Barr was mar- 
ried to Flora E. Dahlberg, who was born and 
reared at Creston, Iowa. They have two 
daughters, Thelma and Genevieve. 

Dr. Barr was an early homesteader in 
Hooker county, and proved up on a farm 
there. In political views our subject is a Re- 
publican, and has served as coroner of Grant 
county for several years. 



MICHAEL WUEST. 

Michael Wuest is readily accorded a prom- 
inent position among the influential and suc- 
cessful old settlers of Keith county, Nebraska. 
He was born in the town of Grafton, Jersey 
county, Illinois, November 5, 1860. Our sub- 
ject's ancestors were of German nativity. His 
father, Bernhard Wuest, was born in Ober 
Amt, Rothenberg, Germany, and was a farm- 
er and mason by trade, while his mother, Jo- 
hanna (Hartman) Wuest, was born in the 
village of Hirschau, province of Wuertem- 
berg, Germany ; they came to America about 
1856. 

Our subject was reared on a farm and re- 
ceived his education in the common schools. 
After he was twenty-one he worked out in Illi- 
nois for seven years in Jersey and Greene 
counties. 

In the fall of 1886, Mr. Wuest was united in 
wedlock with Miss Louise Egelhofif, also a na- 
tive of Jersey county. Illinois. She was the 
daughter of John and Mary (Ocherbauer) 
Egelhofif, natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wuest have been the parents of nine children : 
Adolph Lewis, Carl Henry, Bertha Stella, Wils 
Frederick. Edward Harry (deceased), Michael 
Irving, Johanna Lela, August John and Herbert 
Andy. 

In the spring of 1887 Mr. Wuest decided to 
seek a home in the far west, and came to Ne- 
braska, locating a homestead in section 14, town- 
ship 12, range 40, in Keith county. He built a 
good substantial sod house and lived in it for 
eight or nine years ; his first well, one hundred 
and ninety-eight feet deep, he dug by hand, his 
wife drawing most of the debris up with a wind- 
lass : for the first eight years he had to haul 
water for stock purposes from one-half to six 
or seven miles. He used oxen for the first six 
years and with them broke up a large part of 
his land. He witnessed all the hard times 
brought by drouth and other calamities, lost 
many crops and was sometimes in a seriouslv 
low condition, financially. In order to make a 



living he had to work out a great deal and en- 
gaged often as a herder of sheep, receiving one 
time only fifty cents per day, while the children 
served as herdsmen to help keep the family in 
food. But he clung to his farm and at last 
he made a splendid success and is well estab- 
.lished financially. He owns a fine farm of four 
hundred and eighty acres, cultivating about a 
half section, sixteen acres of which are in al- 
falfa, the place is well improved with fences, 
barns, well, windmill, cistern, and sheds, and 
has a fine grove of trees started. The new 
house erected in 1908 has eighteen foot posts, 
full two stories and is the tallest country 
house in the county ; is the acme of com- 
fort and convenience. He has been very suc- 
cessful in his farming operations and in 1907 
threshed more grain than any other farmer in 
Iveith county, the amount being over five 
thousand bushels. 

Mr. Wuest wields a strong influence among 
his fellows in the local affairs of his community 
and is especially interested in school work. He 
is a Republican in politics and has held the office 
of assessor, overseer, and justice of the peace. 
In every way Mr. Wuest is a capable and effi- 
cient conservator of the interests and welfare of 
the people. He is a member of the Ogallala 
lodge. Modern Woodmen of America, while 
Airs. Wuest holds membership in the Ameri- 
can Yeoman. They are in religious faith Lu- 
therans. 



MARIAL E. MOORE. 

A history of Keya Paha county would be 
incomplete without describing the part taken 
in its formation and development by the man 
whose name heads this article, and' who was 
one of the farmers and stockmen of Keya Paha 
county, living in section 12, township Zl. range 
22, until the spring of 1908, when he removed 
to Ainsworth in Brown county. A portrait 
of Mr. Moore will be found on another pao-e. 

Mr. Moore was born in 1871 in Wayne 
county, Iowa. When he was one year old, his 
parents moved to Ohio. In 1875 they returned 
to Iowa, where they lived until coming to Ne- 
braska in 1876. It was in Nebraska that Mr. 
Moore grew to manhood, attending the common 
-chools when a boy and later the State Univ. 
sity at Lincoln, where he attended school for 
three years but did not complete his course. 
He was married December 6. 1905, to Miss 
Nina Hartman, a native of Polk county, Ne- 
braska, where she was born January 4, 1882. 

Her parents, John and Ellen Hartman, were 
also of American descent. 



904 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Our subject and his father have had the ex- 
periences usual to pioneers in a new country. 
They have seen the labor of a whole season 
disappear in less than thirty minutes under a 
swarm of grasshoppers ; they have also seen the 
Texas long horn together with the deer, ante- 
lope, elk and wild horse disappear from the 
prairies of Nebraska. 

They were among the first to introduce al- 
falfa culture into Keya Paha county and time 
is beginning to prove its value to the county. 

Both father and son have always been Re- 
. publican in politics, though neither of them have 
held office, but both have always tried to upbuild 
and develop the community in which they have 
so long resided. 



\^TLLIAM S. MOORE. 

"W. S. Moore, the father of M. E. Moore, 
was born in Holmes county, Ohio, March 27, 
1843. He grew up in his native state and lived 
there until the breaking out of the Civil war. 
His parents were of old American stock and he 
inherited the patriotism for which the American 
people are noted. When the war came on. he 
promptly answered the call of his country and 
enlisted in the Sixteenth Ohio Infantry, and 
after his enlistment expired, he re-enlisted, this 
time in the Fourth United States Veteran Regi- 
ment under General Hancock. He w-as engaged 
in the siege of Vicksburg and several other very 
inijwrtant battles, fourteen in all. In all the 
terrific campaigning in which he was engaged, 
he never received a wound and was never cap- 
tured by the enemy although he was stunned by 
the explosion of a shell and left on the field 
for dead in one battle. In several of the engage- 
ments, his comrades were shot down around 
him almost like grass before the reaper, and 
many things can be related about his experi- 
ences when he wore the blue for over four years 
in the greatest war ever known in the civilized 
world. 

After the war. he went to Missouri, then to 
Iowa and after returning to his native state 
two years he moved to Buffalo county, Ne- 
braska, in 1876. He remained in Buffalo 
county until coming to Keya Paha county in 
1883. He was married in 1867 in Holmes 
•county, Ohio, to Miss Samantha Riggs, who 
■was the daughter of Charles Riggs. She was 
"born April 17. 1847. This union was blessed 
with four children, nf whom two are living. He 
engaged in farming and stock raising in Keya 
Paha county for twenty-five years, but in the 
spring of 1808 he sold his fine farm and moved 
to .\insworth in Brown county, a few miles 
from his former home. 



JOHN F. VVHITON, Deceased. 

In the death of the gentleman whose name 
heads this review, Rock county, Nebraska, lost 
one of its most worthy citizens. For many 
years he was identified with the financial and 
agricultural interests of this region, and was 
one of the potent factors in bringing about the 
present prosperity enjoyed here. He was a man 
of good business capacity and sterling char- 
acter, and proved a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor. 

Mr. W'hiton was born in Connecticut in 
1849. His father was of old American stock 
whose ancestors fought in the Revolutionary 
war, and figured jirominently in the early his- 
tory of this country. He was a farmer by occu- 
pation, and our subject was raised on the home 
farm where he received a country school educa- 
tion, remaining at home until he reached the 
age of twenty-one. He then went into the 
butcher business and followed that employment 
at Southbridge, Massachusetts, for some time. 
In 1880 he came west, locating in Missouri, 
where he farmed for four or five years, then 
went to Kansas and engaged in the stock busi- 
ness, working at this for ten years. He came 
to Nebraska in 1890, settling in Grant county, 
where he opened a farm and went into the 
stock business. He lived there for several 
years, then came to Bassett in 1900. Here he 
built the Hotel Whiton, and in connection with 
this business opened a meat market. He built 
up a large trade, and became one of the leading 
business men of the town, -aiding materially in 
its growth and the advancement of its commer- 
cial interests. He was engaged in buying and 
shipping stock, also fed sheep and hogs, and 
was one of the largest operators in this line of 
business in the locality. Mr. Whiton was mar- 
ried in Kansas in 1893 to Miss Helen Martin, 
who was born in Michigan on a farm. Mr. 
Whiton died April 12, 1906, at his residence in 
Bassett, mourned by his family and a large 
circle of friends, who realized that by the death 
of Mr. Whiton, the comnnmity had lost a man 
who had taken an active part in the upbuilding 
of the country : a man who always stood for 
what was just and right and one of whom it 
could be truly said, "Well done, thou good and 
faithful servant." 

A portrait of Mr. \\hiton will be found on 
another page. 



CHART. IE K. MTELER. 

Charlie K. Miller came to .America from 
Germany, his native land, when he was six- 
teen years old. He was born in 1863 and he has 




JOHN F. WHITOX (Deceased). 




R. R. GREER. 





CHARLES K. MILLER. 



MARIAL E. MOORE. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



905 



traveled all over the United States engaged in 
various occupations. His father, Charlie Miller, 
was a brewer by trade ; his mother was Anna 
(Froster) Miller, and both parents were of 
German descent. 

The subject of our biography received his 
first training in Germany and, on coming to 
America, he made Chicago his headquarters for 
nearly four years, and from thence he went to 
Des IVIoines, Iowa, where he remained for a 
short time. In 1884 he came to Loup county, 
Nebraska, and filed on his present homestead 
June 12. North Loup was the nearest railroad 
town. Mr. Miller built a sod house and dug- 
out, and his first team was a yoke of oxen. He 
broke some of his land, set out some trees and 
otherwise improved his farm, but he had to 
work out a great deal for years. He has been 
employed at railroading, mining, etc.. and was 
along the Pacific coast for years. 

In 1905 Mr. INIiller settled on his farm for 
good, making hog-raising his principal business 
and he is making a splendid success in this line. 
He has a fine farm of three hundred and sixty 
acres, with two hundred acres under cultiva- 
tion ; has good buildings, well and windmill, 
and the trees that he planted years ago have 
become a fine grove. He intends very soon to 
contruct a fine residence. 

Mr. Miller is one of the old settlers and he 
has made it pay to hold on to his farm. He 
takes an active part in the affairs of his com- 
munity and his word is respected as coming 
from a man of wide and varied business experi- 
ence. A picture of him will be found on one of 
the illustration pages of this vohime. 



R. R. GREER. 



R. R. Greer, whose portrait will be found on 
another page, is well known throughout west- 
ern Nebraska as an "old-timer" and prominent 
business man. He located at Kearney. January 
12, 1873. and opened a general store which he 
operated constantly up to 1889. then sold out 
and for a time retired from active business. In 
1905 he started a dry goods store in the opera 
house block, which he. is developing very suc- 
cessfully. Mr. Greer is a man of sterling char- 
acter and thorough business principles, held 
in the highest esteem by his fellows and as- 
sociates. 

Mr. Greer is a native of Rushville. Schuyler 
county, Illinois, but came west at an early day. 
In the seventies and eighties "Bob" Greer was 
a familiar character from the Kansas line to 
South Dakota, and drew immense trade all this 
distance from among the pioneer settlers, espe- 



cially during the settlement of the Republican 
\^alley. He has always been most active in 
public affairs, both local and state, serving sev- 
eral terms in the city council and as county com- 
missioner. He was appointed by the Governor 
on the commission to distribute two hundred 
thousand dollars among the settlers of western 
Nebraska during the drouth years, and served 
with this body for one year. Mr. Greer also 
was deeply interested in agricultural matters, 
and was a director on the state agricultural 
board for twelve years, and president of this 
board for two terms, from 1889 to 1890. He 
was appointed commissioner general of the Ne- 
braska commission for the World's Fair, and 
worked at this for eighteen months, preparing 
most of the exhibits from this state, planning 
the state building, and other important work 
for the fair. In 1893 the Democratic state offi- 
cials demanded his retirement and filled the 
position by another of their party. 

As an instance of the development and 
progress of this county. Mr. Greer emphasizes 
the fact that in the seventies not ten farmers 
in this region had bank accounts, and now, in 
1908, hardly that number in the whole county 
are without bank accounts. 

Mr. Greer was a delegate to the great Trans- 
Mississippi convention held at Denver some 
years ago, that demanded and obtained from 
Congress a grant of over six million dollars for 
the improvement of the Galveston harbor, and 
he has always taken a great interest in the de- 
velopment and welfare of that part of Texas. 

In May. 1873, Mr. Greer was married at 
Bloomington, Illinois, to Miss Sue Peters, a na- 
tive of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Greer are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. Our 
subject is an active Republican. 



MOSES O. GRANTHAM. 

]\Ioses O. Grantham, of Anderson township, 
Phelps county, Nebraska, is one of the enter- 
prising and prosperous farmers and stock raisers 
of his locality. He is one of the leaders 
among the pioneers and has done his full share 
in the development of the region in which he 
lives. 

Mr. Grantham is a native of Bates county, 
Missouri, and came from there to Phelps coun- 
ty in 1895, purchasing the one hundred and six- 
ty acres where he now resides, with a fine 
house, good barns and other improvements. 
He is an intelligent, wide-awake farmer, con- 
siders Phelps county as good as any place he 
has ever seen or heard of, and he know.s all 
about farming lands by experience in ]\Iissou- 



9o6 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ri, Texas and Oklahoma. On his present farm 
he has a forty-acre piece which yielded a crop 
of thirty-eight bushels of wheat to the acre in 
1902. and in 1906 his yield was thirty bushels 
to the acre, and corn up to sixty-five bushels. 
He has a fine herd of red polled cattle, pure 
and graded. 

Mr. Grantham's father was Elias Grantham, 
who settled in Bates county, Missouri, in 1840. 
In 1850 he went to California and on the re- 
turn trip was taken ill and died before reaching 
home. His grandfather. Dr. Moses Grantham, 
served in the Mexican war as a surgeon to the 
Missouri troops under General Harney. 
His mother was Miss Emily Bryant, a native of 
Kentucky. He had five uncles on his father's 
side, and two on his mother's side, all the mem- 
bers of both families except himself, his broth- 
ers and sisters now residing in California. In 
1882 he was married to Miss Martha E. Lloyd, 
of Livingston county, Illinois. They have five 
children. One son, Joseph Elias, owns and 
operates a threshing machine in Phelps county ; 
\\'illiam Oliver, the second son, resides at home ; 
Ruth Adaline is married and lives in Iowa ; 
Emily C. and Lucy A. are at home. 

Our subject is a strong Prohibitioni?t. He 
was the only one of this party in his neighbor- 
hood for some years anri was the only voter for 
that ticket, but now there are several voters 
for prohibition and the cause is gaining. 



WILLIAM STROTHEIDE. 

William Strotheide, known throughout the 
community in which he makes his home as an 
enterprising and prosperous farmer, resides in 
section 25, township 31, range 45, Sheridan 
county. Nebraska. He has been engaged for 
many years past in bringing his farm to a high 
state of cultivation, and now is proprietor of a 
valuable estate. He is also vice-president of 
the Union Bank of Rushville, Nebraska. 

Mr. Strotheide was born in Germany in 
1853. His father. Rudolph Strotheide, was a 
farmer, born in 1824, and raised in Germany, 
and at this writing is living in Illinois with his 
wife, who is eighty-four years old. They are a 
venerable couple, highly respected in the local- 
ity in which they reside. They are the parents 
of five children, of whom our subject is the 
second member, and in 1860 they left Germany 
and came to America, locating near where they 
now live in Illinois, where their family was 
raised. Our subject lived at home assisting his 
father until he was twenty-two years of age, 
then went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he ob- 
tained employment in a wholesale house, re- 



maining there for seven years. From there he 
went to Seward county, Nebraska, and bought 
a farm. He built a house and began farming 
and lived there for seven years, and in 1890 
sold out his holdings and came to Sheridan 
county, where he bought a relinquishment on 
the section he now lives on. He was very for- 
tunate in having been able to raise one good 
crop before the dry years came and destroyed 
everything, and after this for about seven years 
he went through some hard times, and had it 
not been for the fact that he had brought fif- 
teen hundred dollars and some cattle with him 
from Seward county in starting on this place, 
so he was not compelled to go in debt for the 
farm, he would have been pretty badly off after 
these losses. As it was he managed to pull 
through the bad years, and after a time suc- 
ceeded in raising good crops and improving 
his farm, buying more land gradually until he 
now owns one thousand seven hundred and 
sixty acres. Of this he farms about three hun- 
dred acres and the rest is used for hay land and 
grazing for two hundred head of slock. When 
he first took this place there was nothing but a 
shed barn and a small house on it, and since 
then he has expended twenty-five hundred dol- 
lars for buildings and improvements, and fenc- 
ing all his land which is in one piece. He has 
planted trees on the farm, and also has several 
acres of alfalfa started. He is well satisfied 
with what he has done here, and takes pride 
in the fact that he has overcome all difficulties, 
and is now surrounded by all the comforts and 
improvements of a model rural home. 

Mr. Strotheide was married in 1882 to Miss 
Louisa Aha, born in Germany in 1856, "who 
came to this country with her parents when a 
young girl, the family locating in Nebraska, 
where her father died within a few years after 
landing here. Three children have been born 
to Mr. and Mrs. Strotheide, named as follows: 
Ralph, Mary and Sadie. Mr. Strotheide has a 
brother living in Illinois, who has been very 
successful, but he says he would not exchange 
places with him, as he thinks Nebraska is as 
good a state as can be found anywiiere. Po- 
litically Mr. Strotheide is a Republican. 



MARTIN P. SOLBERG. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal review is a leading citizen of Dawes 
county, Nebraska. There he is respected alike 
for his indu<!irious habits, ability and native 
force of character, and is a worthy representa- 
tive of that great army of honest men and iiard- 
working farmers that Norway has contributed 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



907 



to the making of the great state of Nebraska. 
Still in the prime of life, he enjoys an ample 
competence and commands the respect of all 
who know him. 

Air. Solberg was born in Godbransdalen, 
Norway, in 1862, on a farm. His father was a 
farmer before him, and he spent his entire life 
in his native land, as also did his mother. At 
the age of eighteen years our subject started 
for himself, working out on different farms in 
the vicinity of his home as a boy. In 1883 Mr. 
Solberg left his native country and came to 
America landing in Philadelphia, from which 
place he started for the western states, spending 
three and a half years in Minnesota and was 
also in Canada for some time, railroading in that 
part of the country. In 1885 he came to Ne- 
braska, taking up a tract of land near Heming- 
ford. Here he put up a sod shanty and started 
farming, during the first few months did freight- 
ing between Hay Springs and Hemingford, and 
eventually proved up on his pre-emption, which 
he afterwards sold out, coming to his present 
location in 1887, and filing on a homestead in 
section 33, township 29, range 48, where he 
"batched it" for a few months. He kept stead- 
ily adding improvements to his ranch, and in 
1890 he started railroading, being employed as 
section foreman, running extra gangs of men 
for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail- 
way, and later worked for the Chicago and 
Northwestern Railway for some time. All this 
time his family were keeping up the work on 
the home farm, and they succeeded in develop- 
ing a fine farm, now owning a ranch of seven 
hundred and seventy acres, situated on the banks 
of the Niobrara river. He has all good substan- 
tial buildings on the farm, every improvement, 
and it is considered one of the best and most 
productive farms in their vicinity. Mr. Solberg 
is well satisfied with the result of his labors 
since locating here, and thinks there is no place 
to compare with western Nebraska as an agri- 
cultural district. He has traveled extensively 
and seen many different phases of life in city 
and country, and is prepared to enjoy the de- 
clining days of his life amid the pleasures of 
his family and their many warm friends and 
good neighbors. 

In 1894 Mr. Solberg was married to Anna 
Gustavson, born in Illinois, and who came to 
eastern Nebraska when a child. Her parents 
came to America and settled first in Illinois, and 
then came to eastern Nebraska in the early days 
of its settlement, where Airs. Solberg was 
reared. Mr. and Mrs. Solberg are the parents 
of five children, namely: Paul, James, Elsie, 
born in Wyoming, where the family lived for a 
number of years, he as foreman for the Chicago, 



Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company; and 
Clara and Hilda, born and raised in this county. 
Air. Solberg is a Republican, and has always 
taken a commendable interest in local aiifairs. 
He has served on the school board for several 
years, and is classed among the influential old- 
timers of Nebraska, and one of the early resi- 
dents of Chadron, locating there when that town 
was merely staked out and the only dwellings 
were rough board shanties and dugouts. 



LEVI D. BATES, Deceased. 

The gentleman above named, now deceased, 
was one of the leading old settlers in Brown 
county, Nebraska, where he had aided material- 
ly in 'the developing of the resources of this re- 
gion. Mr. Bates was born in Tioga county, 
New York, in 1836. He was the son of Stephen 
Bates, of mixed nationality, American born, and 
Catherine Kelly Bates, of American stock. 
When he was seventeen years of age the family 
moved to Illinois, settling near the city of Rock- 
ford, and remained there up to 1866. In the lat- 
ter year our subject came to Nebraska, settling 
in Seward county, where he lived for fourteen 
vears, then came to Brown county, driving here 
by team. He was one of the witnesses of the 
great blizzard which struck this region in Oc- 
tober, 1880, being caught in this storm on the 
trip here with his family. He took up a home- 
stead in northwest section 29, township 31, range 
20, building a log cabin, and at once started in 
to establish a home and farm. He proved up 
on this plac.e and lived on it until 1887, and then 
made a trip to Washington, looking for a place 
to locate. He was not successful in finding 
anything that suited him, so came back, but re- 
turned there in 1888, this time taking his fam- 
ily with him. After spending some time travel- 
ing around they returned to this country, set- 
tling nine miles north of Bassett, in Rock coun- 
tv, and lived there for twelve years. While liv- 
ing on this place in 1898 he made a trip to Los 
Angeles, California, with his family for his 
health, stopping only seven weeks, as his 
health did not improve and thought it best to 
go back to Nebraska. 

In 1900 Air. Bates and his family settled on 
Pine creek on a farm, where he engaged in grain 
raising to a large extent, being very successful 
in his enterprise. At his death, which occurred 
December 27, 1903, he was proprietor of nine 
hundred and eighty acres of good farming land, 
and this is still owned by his family. The farm is 
well improved with good buildings and fences, 
all in first-class condition, and is one of the val- 



9o8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



uable estates in this vicinity. Mr. Bates was 
married Tamiarv 1. 1857, at Rockford, Illinois, 
to Miss Ellen \\'hitvvood, and four children re- 
sulted from this union, named as follows : Ella 
S.. Jennie B.. Levi L. and Hiram. Mrs. Bates 
died August 18, 1881, while the family lived in 
Brown countv. 

In 1883 Mr. Bates married Miss Columbia 
A. Mills, daughter of Francis Mills, one of the 
earlv settlers in this county, coming here in 
1880, driving through the country with ox 
teams. Mrs. Bates was then thirteen years old, 
and the fainily lived in a house made on a truck 
wagon, drawn by three yoke of oxen, the trip 
taking five week's on the road. They also had 
two teams of horses with them, besides other 
stock, and all their household goods. Their log 
cabin was the first house in their locality, and 
she was raised on that place, only attending 
school for three months after coming to this 
part of the state. Mr. Bates had four children 
by his second wife, who are named as follows: 
Mark G.. Manley B., Maggie and Count C. all 
born in this region. Mr. Bates served during 
the Civil war as a member of the Seventy-fourth 
Illinois Infantry. He was a member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic and was also a 
member of the Masonic Lodge at Lodge Pole. 

While Mr. Bates lived in Seward county he 
was one of the leading men in political circles, 
and held the office of county commissioner for 
some years, but after settling in this county he 
refused to accept office, preferring to devote 
his entire time to his home and farm. He was a 
man of sterling character and genial manners, 
esteemed and respected by his fellowmen, and 
the community suffered a severe loss in his de- 
mise. 

In 1907 Mrs. Bates leased the home farm 
for a term of three years and now resides at 
L'niversity Place Station, Lincoln. Nebraska. 



STEPHEN H. BABB. 

Among those who occupy a foremost place 
in the community in whicli many years have 
been passed, the gentleman above named de- 
serves special mention. Mr. Babb is a most 
successful ranchman and farmer of Union Val- 
ley precinct : the owner of a fine estate, all of 
which has been gained by dint of honest indus- 
try and strict attention to ditty in the operation 
ol his ranch. He also has been instrumental 
to a great extent in making the locality the pros- 
perous and wealthy community it has becomt. 

Stephen H. Babb was born February 16, 
1861. in Monroe county, Iowa, where he has 
reared, attending the common schools and work- 



ing as a farm hand until he was seventeen years 
of age, at which time he left his native state 
and drifted around in different western terri- 
tories and states for about six years. He first 
worked on a cow- ranch on the Loup river for 
a year, when he secured work for a year in the 
construction of what is now the Northwestern 
Railroad between Long Pine and Gordon. He 
next was similarly employed on the Oregon 
Short Line in Idaho, and for several years 
roughed it in the mountains with a lew friends, 
camping and hunting. Coming to Cheyenne 
county on March 28, 1887, he filed on a homestead 
in the northwest quarter of section 14, township 
16. range 49. and proved up on one hundred and 
sixty acres. He went through all the ]5ioneer"s ex- 
periences in building up his farm, enduring the 
drouths, losing crops by hail and prairie fires, 
but stuck to his home through all discourage- 
ments, and finally succeeded in accumulating 
quite a herd of stock : he gradually added to his 
original homestead until the ranch now com- 
prises one thousand four hundred and forty 
acres, which is devoted principally to stock rais- 
ing, although Mr. Babb cultivates about one 
hundred and si.xty acres ; he is also engaged in 
the dairy business on quite a large scale. He 
has about one hundred head of cattle and 
seventy-five horses, and keeps a large number 
of hogs, breeding registered Duroc and Poland 
China hogs and French Percheron horses on a 
large scale. 

Mr. Babb was the eldest of a family of 
seven children. The father Benjamin B. Babb, 
died in Iowa in 1889. but the subject's mother 
is at present residing in central Nebraska. On 
December 15. 1887. our subject married Miss 
Winona E. Crobst. at Sidney, Nebraska. Mrs. 
Babb is a daughter of James W. and Melissa 
(Reeves) Brobst. was born in Ohio and grew up 
there, coming to Nebraska in 1884. Si.x chil- 
dren have been born to this union, named as fol- 
lows: Clarence J.. Clarice A., Lora A. and 
Nora J. (twins). Charles J. and Ruby C. Nora 
died in 1897. Both Mr. "and Mrs. Babb's par- 
ents nmv live in Louisville. Cass county, Ne- 
j l)raska. 

Since locating in this region Mr. Babb has 
taken a leading part in Democratic national, 
state and county affairs. He has held different 
offices in his township, and served as Sheriff of 
Cheyenne county during 1901-1902. He is a 
member of the Odd Fellows at Sidney and the 
Woodmen of Dalton. 



1R\'1X \V. Rl'SSELL. 

The venerable gentleman whose name ap- 
pears at the head of this personal history is one 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



909 



of the very oldest settlers in Thomas county, 
and spent many years in ranching in the region. 
He has always led an active life, built up several 
homes and farms, and followed his chosen call- 
ing up to 1907, when he sold his ranching inter- 
ests and removed to the town of Thedford, 
where he is prepared to spend his remaining 
years on earth, secure from hardship and care, 
surrounded by all the comforts of the times. 
He has always been prominent in the affairs of 
the county, being one of the committee that or- 
ganized Thomas county, and been one of its 
nlost earnest supporters in every movement for 
its advancement. He organized the first school 
district in the county, was justice of the peace 
for several years, and also served as county 
judge for two terms, being probably the best 
known resident, and held in the highest esteem 
by all. 

Irvin W. Russell was born at Louisville, 
Kentucky, in 1828. His father, Barney Rus- 
sell, was a farmer and an early settler in that 
state, who later came west and fought the Indi- 
ans, leading a frontiersman's existence, being 
widely know-n for his work along that line. 
When Irvin was a boy the family moved to In- 
diana, and there he was reared, receiving a lim- 
ited schooling, and at the age of twenty-nine 
vears he started for himself. He was married 
'in 1849 to Miss Lydia J. Dodd, daughter of 
Reed Dodd and Irena Montgomery Dodd, pio- 
neers in Indiana. 

Our subject settled in Appanoose county, 
Iowa, and made that his home up to 1886, fol- 
lowing farming and stock raising as an occupa- 
tion during that time. In the fall of that year 
he brought his family to Nebraska, coming 
directly to Thomas county, driving from Custer 
county with a team and wagon, following the 
line of the Chicago, Burlington and Ouincy 
Railroad through the county. He picked out a 
claim and located two miles east of Thedford 
on the Loup river, built a sod house and started 
a farm. He later built a good house, although 
of the same material, and they occupied it for 
a number of years. When he landed here all 
the money he had in the world was five dollars, 
and his other property were a few household 
goods, twenty younds of bacon, some flour and 
his team of horses. He began ranching, farm- 
ing and chicken raising, and continued at it for 
the following twenty-five years, succeeded in 
building up a good home and ranch, and has 
accumulated enough of this world's goods to 
enable himself and family to live in comfort. 
He has a good orchard on the ranch, and had 
the distinction of raising the first apples grown 
in Thomas county. He also was the man who 
changed the course of the Loup river, building 



a fine fish pond on his farm and constructing 
the dams so that they prevent the river from 
eating up the surroundjng land. He has done 
much to promote the success of his county, and 
he deserves great credit for the part he has 
taken in the general welfare of the region. 

Mr. Russell has a family of eight children, 
named as follows: Mary Jane, Daniel W., 
George \L. Irena C, Charles R., Eva E.. Annie" 
D. and Minnie ^I.. who form a very interesting 
group. 



DELA H. ROCKEFELLER. 

Dela H. Rockefeller, residing in Lowell 
township, Kearney county, Nebraska, located in 
this township in 1880, coming here with his fa- 
ther, John L., who homesteaded one hundred and 
sixty acres in section 14, remaining there up to 
the time of his death, which occurred in 1904. 
He was seventy-six years of age, and a man es- 
teemed by all who knew him for his many good 
qualities. He was born near Albany, New 
York, in 1828, and came west w-hen a young 
man, and took up a timber claim besides his 
homestead, owning in all three hundred and 
twenty acres. In 1893 our subject began farm- 
ing for himself, and has lived on his present 
farm since that time. 

'Sir. Rockefeller was born in Jackson county, 
Michigan, and lived there until he was nine 
years old, coming direct to Nebraska from that 
state. His mother was Aliss Laura Irish, a 
native of New York state and she died here in 
1893 at the age of fifty-three years. Our sub- 
ject has built up a good farm and home, engag- 
ing in mixed farming and grain raising. For 
fourteen years he ran a threshing machine 
throughout Kearney county and is well known 
to every fanner in this section of the country, 
and enjoys the reputation of being one of the 
best hustling, business-like young men of his coun- 
ty. He has gained his property through his own 
unaided efforts and labors, his farm of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres being of the finest val- 
ley land, highly cultivated and improved in the 
very best manner. In 1904 he erected on his estate 
a fine large farm residence, and everything 
evidences his good judgment and ability, shown 
in the well-kept and highly improved condition 
of his entire farm — horses, cattle, hogs, fences 
and buildings. He has gone into the breeding 
of pure Duroc Jersey hogs, and his remarkable 
energy and success- is also shown in this in- 
dustry. His leading strains are from "Sham- 
rock," "Improver 2nd," "Billy K," "Model," 
etc. In 1907 he sold ten pure bred pigs, weigh- 
ing at five months one hundred and eightv-three 



gio 



CUMlriiNDlUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



pounds each, He also raises thoroughbred 
Hereford cattle, keeps a good strain of bull 
calves for sale. He is ^nstantly improving and 
developing his herd of hogs and is in the market 
to sell to other breeders and farmers who desire 
to get the best. Mr. Rockefeller also owns a 
fine thoroughbred Percheron horse, known as 
Keota Goliath. 

In 1893 our subject was united in marriage 
to Miss May Pennington, daughter of Charles 
Pennington, of Liberty township, who in 1891 
came to this county from Chicago, Illinois, lo- 
cating in Libert}^ township, where he is en- 
gaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller 
ar the parents of five children, named as fol- 
lows: Amy, John, Grace. Edna and Wallace. 



HENRY MEYER. 

The subject of this sketch, Henry Meyer, is 
one of the prominent old settlers and has taken 
an active part in the formative period of that 
part of western Nebraska, in which he has made 
him home, namely, Keith county. On every 
hand he is named as a successful farmer and 
public spirited citizen, and his farm on section 
10, township 13. range 40, is noted as a model 
of equipment. 

Henry Meyer is a native of the village of 
Bockhop! District of Nienburg, Province of 
Hanover. Germany, where he was born Febru- 
ary 25, 1849. Hi's father was Ernst Meyer, a 
farmer who lived and died in the fatherland. 
His mother was Anna Marie Lohman. 

Our subject was reared in his native country, 
following the business of farming and at times 
working as a laborer. In 1881 the lure of the 
land of the free called him and he came to 
America, sailing from Bremen Haven, June 23. 
landing in Baltimore on the 18th of July. 
Locating in Brule, Nebraska, after a visit with 
friends from the old country at Grand Island 
and North Platte he found work on the section 
in the employ of the Union Pacific Railway 
Company and at the time of resignation was 
foreman of the section. In 1883 he filed on a 
tree claim, set out trees and later proved up : he 
filed on his present homestead in July. 1891. 
having resided prior to 1886 in the section house 
and from that date until 1891 on the tree claim. 
After a time he gave up railroad work and de- 
voted his attention to farming and had many 
hard experiences, losing several crops and mak- 
ing only a bare living. But the hard years 
passed into history and better times dawned and 
the work of the farm showed better results. 
He engages to some extent in dairying, shipping 
the cream of twelve or fifteen cows. Now he 



has a fine large farm thoroughly improved, and 
much that insures comfort and a good income. 
Until 1908 he lived in the typical sod house of 
the frontier, moving in December of that year 
into his fine new concrete block dwelling, of 
which, with its surroundings, we present an illu- 
stration on another page of our work. 

Henry Meyer was married in his native vil- 
lage June 14, 1881. to Miss Sophia Trutner, by 
whom there are four children : Harry. Hein- 
rich. Frank, and Anna. 

Mr. Aleyer enjoys the distinction of being the 
oldest settler in the region between Ogallala and 
Big Springs, and he has had a fine opportunity 
to personally witness the remarkable material 
growth of his locality. When he first came, 
Ogallala was a very small struggling village, 
containing a telegraph station, a saloon, and one 
store, a school house and a small jail. Mr. 
Meyer has been active in school and local affairs 
and has held various offices, such as road over- 
seer and school officer, serving in the latter ca- 
pacity for years. He has been progressive and 
public spirited and is widely respected as an old 
settler and successful farmer. 

He is a Republican in politics and with his 
familv is a member of the Lutheran church. 



JACOB W. GROVES. 

Among the early settlers in Cherry county, 
the above named gentleman holds a prominent 
place, having settled on a homestead in October, 
1884, located in section 7, township 30, range 
26, where he built up a comfortable home and 
farm. He has done his full share in the devel- 
opment of his locality, and is well and favorably 
known throughout this section. 

Mr. Groves was born in Van Buren county, 
Iowa. March 30. 18.^9. and he was reared on a 
farm and received a common school education. 
Our subject, the eldest of nine children, born to 
Thomas and Rachel (Smith) Groves, started in 
the world for himself at the age of twenty-one. 
following farm work for three years in John- 
ston county, Nebraska. After a short visit with 
home folks he came to Cherry county in 1884, 
driving six hundred miles from southeastern 
Iowa with a team of mules, his only live stock 
in the beginning, and settled on a homestead 
in section 7. Here he put u]) sod buildings 
which served as shelter for himself and stock 
until better could be provided. During the early 
da_\s he experienced hard times, which he hopes 
may never return. In 1904 he took up an addi- 
tional claim, under the Kincaid law. on section 
8. where his residence and other farm buildings 
are now located. By purchase he has added 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



911 



to his possessions until he now has an estate of 
one thousand four hundred and forty acres, 
mostly in low hay land. He early engaged in 
the stock business, which he still follows on a 
large scale, keeping about two hundred and fifty 
head of cattle and fifteen horses. At one time he 
owned a large number of sheep and for nine 
years made quite a success of it, but has re- 
duced his flocks of late years finding other lines 
more profitable. Mr. Groves has done his share 
of building and planting trees since locating 
here, having a thrifty orchard of about a hun- 
dred trees, and a ten-acre grove of forest trees 
surrounding his dwelling which have grown at 
a more surprising rate than any other grove in 
this region. He has put up twelve miles of 
fence, eight miles of it being five-wire fencing, 
besides a half mile of tin wire netting around 
the grove, making his place one of the best 
equipped in this section for stock raising on a 
large scale. 

Mr. Groves was married January 18, 1885, 
to Miss Eliza Smith, a native of Iowa, daughter 
of Peter and Hannah (Keller) Smith. Her 
father, an early settler in Nebraska, lived here 
for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Groves 
have a family of eight children, named as fol- 
lows : David, Clarence, Clara, Lillian, Richard, 
Wesley, Moses and Ross, all born and reared in 
Cherry county. 

Mr. Groves has been school director for the 
past fifteen years, and has held other local 
offices. Politically he is a Populist, and although 
interested in local affairs of his party has never 
sought official recognition. He devotes his 
time to his home and family, and is well satis- 
fied with what he has accomplished in what was 
the wilds of Nebraska when he first set foot in 
Cherry county. 



JOHN HIBBELN. 

The present solid prosperity enjoyed in 
Sioux county,' Nebraska, may be attributed 
largely to her pioneers. In the early days of her 
settlement when the only welcome tendered the 
stranger who settled there was a wilderness 
filled with wild beasts and Indians, little to en- 
courage and m.uch to discourage came to his 
lot, but those sturdy men who went to their new 
home with a determination to succeed and 
worked persistently and honestly, are now the 
prosperous and honored residents of their lo- 
cality. The subject of this sketch aided in 
bringing that wilderness to a hieh state of culti- 
vation and civilization, and great credit is due 
him for his labor and influence. 

John Hibbeln is a native of Wisconsin, born 



in Fond du Lac in 1867, and his father, Joseph 
Hibbeln, was a business man of that vicinity 
for -many years, of German descent. He mar- 
ried Therosa Brinkman, also of German stock, 
and they lived in Wisconsin until our subject 
was a child of three years, then moved to Ala- 
bama, and later to Tennessee. When he was 
twelve years old the family came to Nebraska, 
settling in Furnas county, where they went 
through pioneer experiences, and remained there 
for about seven years. From there they drove 
overland to Sioux county in a covered wagon, 
and spent a month on the trip, bringing with 
them a bunch of cattle, and camping out along 
the road, cooking their meals over a camp fire. 
Their first location was on the place which is our 
subject's present ranch, then government land, 
owned and operated by the father up to 1894. 
During the first years they did all their farm 
work and teaming with ox teams, and at times 
had all they could do to make a living during 
the hard times due to drouths, etc. They stuck 
to the place, however, and gradually succeeded 
in improving it in good shape, adding more land 
to their original homestead, until the ranch now 
consists of five hundred and fortv-five acres, 
situated on Indian creek twelve miles west of 
Ardmore. The ranch is well supplied with tim- 
ber and splendid water the year around. Most 
of the place is used as a stock ranch, but they 
farm a small portion, and have plenty of hay and 
pasture land. 

Mr. Hibbeln's family is among the very old 
settlers in this region, and they have all taken 
an important part in the upbuilding of the local- 
ity. The father died in November, 1907, his 
death deeply lamented by his family and a 
large circle of friends. 



CHARLES O'ROURKE. 

Among the leading business men of Brady, 
the gentleman whose name heads this review 
occupies a prominent place. He is engaged in 
the hardware business, handling agricultural 
implements, wagons, buggies, windmills, pumps, 
etc., and enjoys a large and flourishing trade 
among the residents of Lincoln and the sur- 
rounding counties. 

Mr. O'Rourke was born in Pennsylvania at 
Lebanon, !March 21, 1860. He is a son of Col- 
onel P. J. O'Rourke, who was superintendent of 
the National cemetery at Fort McPherson from 
1876 to 1883, where his death occurred in the fall 
of 1883 at the age of seventy-three years, and his 
remains were interred in that cemetery. He 
was colonel of Company E, First Pennsylvania 
Reserves, during the war, and his name is one of 



912 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



those on the soldiers' monument at Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania. He went out as a captain and came 
back as colonel. He enlisted in 18bl and served 
continuously until the close of the war. He was 
one of those who was with the Army of the 
Potomac, in the First Pennsylvania Infantry, and 
was in all the great battles during the struggle 
for liberty. He received a severe wound at the 
battle of Gettysburg and saw about as many 
hardships and endured as much suffering as any 
soldier in the war. He was on General Meade's 
staff. A gun which his father captured from 
the Confederates during a skirmish at Gettys- 
burg is highly prized as a relic of that terrible 
struggle. Colonel O'Rourke came to this 
country from Ireland when a young man, set- 
tling in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where he 
engaged in the mercantile business. His wife 
was ?kliss -Mary Hodges, a native of England, 
where she met and married Air. O'Rourke. One 
brother, Washington, served in his father's 
regiment all through the war. J. J. served also 
for three months, although he was very young 
at that time. 

Mr. O'Rourke came to Lincoln county, Ne- 
braska, in 1879 to join his father at Fort Mc- 
Pherson, and remained with him for some time, 
then started in business for himself. He opened 
his present establishment eight years ago, and 
has been phenomenally successful in that short 
time, fast becoming one of the most prominent 
merchants in this section of the country, and 
gaining a wide reputation as a business man 
and worthy citizen. After locating in Nebraska 
he attended school, where he obtained a good 
education which gave him a good foundation for 
his later success, and then entered the mail serv- 
ice, traveling between North Platte and Cotton- 
wood Springs for two years. Mr. O'Rourke's 
three brothers, J. J., T. L. and Frank O'Rourke, 
are all living at the old homestead which their 
father took up in the early days as a timber 
claim. J. J. served for one term as county 
judge. In 1894 Mr. O'Rourke married Miss 
Anna M. Neary, daughter of John T. Neary, 
originally from New Jersey, and an early settler 
of North Platte. Nebraska. Mr. Neary opened 
the first shoe store in that city, and was owner 
of the corner where the First National Bank 
now stands, Mr. and Mrs. O'Rourke are the 
parents of two children, namely : Mary .\gnes 
and Nora Irene. He is a Republican in polit- 
ical faith. 



CAPTAIN STRONG B. MOOD\^ 

Captain Strong B. Moody is one of the older 
settlers of Rock county, Nebraska, and his is a 
familiar figure on the streets of Newport, in the 



vicinity of which he has passed many years en- 
gaged in an agricultural career of honest worth. 
He is widely beloved and respected for his 
manly worth and upright character, as well as 
lor his generous heart and open hand. 

Mr. Moody was born on a farm in the town 
of Stowe, La Moile county, \'ermont, August 
24, 1835. and was reared and educated to a 
rural life. His father, John Moody, came of 
Scotch ancestry, but his mother, Rebecca Cady, 
belonged to an old .American family. They 
were honest, worthy people, antl Strong B. was 
trained and fitted to a good place in the world 
of industry. \\'hen he reached the age of nine- 
teen years he assumed the determnation of his 
own career, and coming west, was for some time 
employed as a farm laborer in Will county, Illi- 
nois, whither a brother had preceded him. Dur- 
ing the years 1859 and 1860 he spent his time in 
the Pike's Peak country prospecting and min- 
ing. Returning to Will county in the fall of 
1860. the outbreak of the Civil w^ar found him 
ready, as the children of the Green Mountains 
always were, to take up arms to defend the old 
flag and the L'nion against rebels and traitors 
from an\- quarter. He enlisted in Company D, 
One Hundredth Illinois X'olunteer Infantry, and 
in the course of an exceptionally meritorious ca- 
reer rose from the position of eighth corporal, 
which he held at the time of his enlistment, to a 
captaincy, which he held at the time of his dis- 
charge. He took part in seventeen battles, an 
proved himself a brave and capable soldier 
through dangerous years. In 1869 he came to 
Guthrie county, Iowa, and for seventeen years 
was engaged in mercantile pursuits. 

Mr. Moody was married in 1866 to Miss 
Helen Martin. She became the mother of one 
son, and died before our subject removed to this 
state. The son, Daniel, died about a year after 
his mother. Mr. Moody was married a second 
time in Stuart. Nebraska, in 1885. when Miss 
Emma Anglemire became his wife. She was of 
Pemisylvania Dutch family. The father. Eman- 
uel .Anglemire, migrated to Will county, the 
mother having passed away in lier native state 
prior to the family's coming west. Mr. and 
Mrs. Moody are the fond parents of two chil- 
dren, Daniel and Alyrtle, Ijoth of whom are 
now living under the parental roof. 

In 1885 Mr. Moody came to Rock county, 
where he made a homestead entry in section 25, 
townshi]) 31. range 17, and here he is still to be 
found. Today he is the independent owner of 
one hundred and sixty acres of as choice land as 
the sun shines on in Nebraska, nearly all of 
which is under active cultivation, sustaining 
about fifty head of stock, and producing con- 
siderable hay for the open market. It is a well 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



913 



kept farm, and shows its owner an industrious 
worker. Six years of the time that has elapsed 
since his settlement in Rock county were spent 
bv Captain Moody in Mead, Nebraska, but his 
thought and labor have been quite concentrated 
on his homestead enterprise in Newport. He 
is an old line Republican, but has never held pub- 
lic office, finding his home and farm sufficiently 
large for all his thought and care. During his 
residence in Iowa Mr. Moody was a member of 
the Alason, Odd Fellow and Workmen fra- 
ternities. 



WILLIAM J. JONES. 

William J. Jones, one of the foremost early 
settlers of Marvin precinct, Perkins county, has a 
valuable estate on section 20, township 10, range 
35, and is a worthy citizen of his community. 

Mr. Jones was born in Rockingham county, 
Virginia, on September 13, 1854, and is a son 
of Fauntleroy and Diana (HaiYner) Jones, the 
former of Welsh and the latter of Pennsylvania 
Dutch stock. The family came to Illinois when 
William was one year old, where the father 
settled on a farm in Fulton county, and there our 
subject grew up, remaining with his parents 
until he was twenty years of age. He after- 
wards followed farm work in the vicinity of his 
home, also drifted through ^ilinnesota and low'a 
for several years. In 1879 he was married in 
Illinois, to Miss Phrosine Lance, whose father 
was a prominent physician of New Philadelphia, 
McDonough county, Illinois. After his marriage 
Mr. Jones settled on a farm in Illinois and lived 
there up to 1885, then came to Nebraska, locat- 
ing in Polk county and farmed there for one 
year, then came to his present homestead, filing 
on the land in September, 1886, built a sod shanty 
14.x24 feet, hauling the lumber for the roof from 
North Platte. During the first winter they saw 
some hard times, and while he raised fairly good 
crops for a few 3'ears, in 1893 and 1894 wit- 
nessed the drouth periods, losing several crops 
and having a bad time generally. During the 
worst times when there was so much suiTering 
in the region he did considerable to help those who 
were in severe financial straits, and was largely 
instrumental in influencing outside aid to the 
vicinity. He also helped establish the schools 
during the early years and was an important 
factor in its every step toward development and 
progress. Mr. Jones has built up a good home 
and valuable property, having five hundred and 
sixty acres with good improvements and build- 
ings, his farm all fenced, and one hundred acres 
under cultivation. He has plenty of pasture, a 
fine grove and everything in the best possible 
condition about the place. 



In the spring of 1895 he was one of a com- 
mittee to go to Illinois, his former home and 
neighborhood, and solicit food, provision and 
clothing. He secured two carloads free of 
freight charges for Elsie and vicinity. 

Mr. Jones was married August 28, 1879, in the 
city of Macomb, the county seat of McDonough 
county, Illinois. One son, Edward Lee, born of 
this union, September, 1882, died September 
19, 1904. He was a school teacher. 

In politics, Mr. Jones has held minor offices 
and taken an active part in local affairs. He 
has always been a Democrat and has been a dele- 
gate to conventions at various times and served 
as committeeman for this district. Mr. Jones 
engages in cattle raising and farming on quite 
an extensive scale. He raises Shorthorn grade 
and has made a thorough success of the business. 



THOMAS F. CROUGHWELL. 

Thomas F. Croughwell is a native of Con- 
necticut, born in Jewett City, in the year 1881, 
his parents being John and Katherine (Falland) 
Croughwell. The father was of Irish descent, 
and was one of the pioneer settlers of Loup 
county, Nebraska. The grandfather, Thomas 
Croughwell, was also a pioneer settler of this 
territory. 

The family came west and settled on a home- 
stead west of Taylor and become prominently 
identified with the community and the growth of 
the county. Here the subject of this brief his- 
tory grew to manhood and, besides assisting 
his father on the farm, attended school. 

On May 14, 1907, Thomas F. Croughwell 
was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with 
Miss Mary Cooney, of West Union, Nebraska. 
Her parents, William and Mary (Kennedy) 
Cooney, are farmers and pioneer settlers of the 
state. 

Thomas F. Croughwell. by his intelligent 
participation in public affairs, has earned the 
respect and appreciation of his friends and 
neighbors. He has witnessed the growth of his 
county and has aided in every way he could 
to this advancement. He was elected county 
treasurer in 1907 and took office January 
9, 1908. 



GEORGE BEDDEO. 

Probably no citizen of Harlan county, Ne- 
braska, is better known for his active public 
spirit and good business judgment than the 
gentleman herein named. For the past twentv 
years and more he has been closely identified 
with the upbuilding of the better interests of his 



914 



COMPEKDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



locality, and has incidentally become one of the 

substantial citizens of his county, held in the 
highest esteem and respect by all who know him. 
He owns a fine farm in Reuben township, sec- 
tion 13, where he occupies a fine residence and 
enjoys a peaceful and happy rural life. 

Mr. Beddeo was born in 1832 in Wales, Eng- 
land. His father, Benjamin Beddeo, was a 
native of ^^'ales, as was also his wife, who was 
Mary Miles. They both came to America when 
quite young and settled in Schuylkill county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1842. and later in Illinois, where 
our subject was raised, attending school in a 
log house. They were neighbors to Senator 
Cullom's father, their farms adjoining, and our 
subject and the well known senator were school- 
mates during their boyhood days. In 1875 the 
family moved to Livingston county, locating 
near Pontiac, and there farmed for several years, 
the father's death occuring in Tazewell county, 
Illinois, in 1880. In 1886 Mr. Beddeo came to 
Nebraska and engaged in farming, purchasing 
two hundred acres of good land, which he has 
improved splendidly. He has erected one of the 
finest residences to be found in his locality, and 
has every convenience of modern times in his 
home and on the farm. He has a herd of 
thirty thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, one hun- 
dred to one hundred and fifty hogs and other 
stock, and also does mixed farming on a large 
'scale. Mr. Beddeo has been active in public 
affairs since coming here, serving on the town 
board for fifteen years, and also as justice of 
the peace for the same period. Politically he is 
an Independent. When the .Grangers were or- 
ganized in this community he was an active 
member of that body. For many years he has 
been class leader of the local Evangelical Church, 
and is an earnest worker along religious and 
educational lines. 

In 1859 our subject was united in married 
to Miss Mary Richardson, daughter of John 
and Maria (Davis) Richardson, who were early 
settlers of Tazewell county. Illinois, and later 
moved to Livingston county, Illinois. Mr. and 
Mrs. Beddeo are the parents of the following 
children : Francis, a farmer in Iroquois county, 
Illinois, who owns a fine farm of one hundred 
and sixty acres, valued at one hundred dollars 
per acre: Noah, deceased: \\'alter. of Orleans. 
Nebraska, there engaged in the real estate busi- 
ness : Elmer, manager for Ridgely & Co., Oma- 
ha, Nebraska: Mary, wife of Frank Carpenter, 
and Alvinus. both deceased. 



the development of the financial and social in- 
terests of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, has 
gained a high station as a citizen and incident- 
ally become one of the substantial men of his 
community. He is the owner of a fine one thou- 
sand one hundred and twenty-acre ranch in 
Sidney precinct. 

David R. Snyder was born in Bedford coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania, on February 4, 1851, was 
reared and educated there, following farming 
during his boyhood years. His father, David 
Snyder, who is of German descent, still lives in 
that vicinity; his mother. Elizabeth (Replogle), 
also of German descent, died December 31, 
1890. In 1876 David left home and came west, 
locating in Polk county, Iowa, where he re- 
mained eleven years, coming to Cheyenne county 
in 1887, arriving in the vicinity March 11th of 
that 3-ear. In tlie fall of 1886 he filed on a 
homestead in section 26, township 13, range 50, 
on which he settled during the following year, 
and he has made it his continuous residence 
since that time. He has about eighty acres cul- 
tivated, and runs a herd of one hundred cattle 
and twenty-five horses. In 1907 he built a fine 
two-story, seven-room house, and with the large 
barns, granary and sheds, together with an 
ample supply of water, he now has one of the 
best equipped farms in Cheyenne county. 

Mr. Snyder was married at New Enterprise, 
Pennsylvania, November 16. 1873. to Miss Ros- 
ana Ebersole. a native of Bedford county, born 
February 3, 1851. Her father, Abraham Eber- 
sole, is now living at Altoona. Pennsylvania. 
Her mother was Barbara Bowman. 

While living in Pennsylvania both Mr. and 
Mrs. Snyder became members of the German 
Baptist church. Mr. Snyder is independent in 
politics and takes an active part in local affairs, 
especially those jiertaining to educational mat- 
ters. He is an Odd Fellow. 

A view of the family residence is shown in 
this work. 



DAVID R. SNYDER. 

For over twenty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this review has been identified with 



EDWIN L. HOUGEN. 
Edwin L. Hougen, one of the thrifty young 
farmers of Trognitz jirccinct, Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, was bom in Norway. November 17, 
1866. In 1888 he left his native land, sailing 
from Trondhjem to Hull, England, and cross- 
ing to Liverpool, sailed on the Eldorado. 
After a voyage of eleven days he landed in Que- 
bec, whence he jiroceeded tn Minnehaha coun- 
ty. South Dakdta. and from there removed 
to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, locating on 
a homestead on the northwest quarter of 
section 14, township 16, range 53, which 
is now his home place. He has an add!- 




RESIDENCE OF DAVID R. SNYDER, 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF E. L. HOUGEN, 
Cheyenne Ccuuty. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



915 



tional Kincaid claim of three hundred and 
twenty acres in the same section. He cultivated 
one hundred and fifty acres of land and runs 
about seventy-five head of cattle and a bunch 
of horses. He is an earnest worker and his in- 
dustry and good management have made him a 
fine home and farm with good buildings and 
impiovements. We call attention to a view of 
the home and surroundings to be found on an- 
other page. 

Mr. Hougen was married June 28, 1892, to 
Miss Ellen Viken, who was a native of Norway. 
She came alone from the old cotmtry by the 
same route Mr. Hougen came, leaving Norway 
April 1st. After a voyage of eleven days on 
the Atlantic she landed in America, and reached 
Dell Rapids, South Dakota, the 25th of the same 
month. Mr. and Mrs. Hougen have five inter- 
esting children, all at home; Ella R., Clarence 
O., Lewis M., Gilbert W. and Lily A. Mr. 
Hougen was the oldest of seven boys in his 
father's family. His wife's mother still lives 
in Norway, but the other parents on both sides 
of the family are now dead, having spent their 
entire lives in Norway. 

Mr. Hougen is a Republican in politics and 
earnestly supports the principles of his party. 
He has been active in public matters, and is 
treasurer of school district Xo. 86. He was 
reared in the Lutheran church in Norway. 



willia:m shannon. 

William Shannon, one of the foremost farm- 
ers of Sheridan county, has built up a good 
home and valuable estate by his honest dealings 
and industry, and is respected and esteemed by 
all who know him. 

Mr. Shannon was born in Jackson county, 
Indiana, in 1858. His father, Samuel Shannon, 
was a farmer of Irish-Scotch descent, born in 
Illinois, where he died in 1868. His mother, 
who was Miss Acenith Gordon, was born in In- 
diana of Scotch parents. She died in 1871, 
leaving a family of six children, of whom our 
svibject is the third member. At the age of 
thirteen years he began working out by the 
month on different farms in the vicinity of his 
home, following this occupation for thirteen 
years. During this time he farmed in Arkansas 
one year, and in 1881 went to Iowa. In 1884 
he came to Sheridan county, locating in section 
26, township 32. range 45, which land he still 
holds. He filed on a tree claim and homestead 
without seeing either place. His intention in 
coming west was to get free land near Omaha, 
but being unable to secure the land there, he 
came on further west in the state. The first 



year was spent in working for the different set- 
tlers in the locality, breaking land and doing all 
sorts of work, and in the fall he built a dugout 
and a sod barn on his own place. The following 
year he went to work farming his land and also 
working for neighboring ranchmen in order to 
make a start for himself. He was getting along 
very nicely and making a good start when the 
dry years struck the country, and at the end of 
ten years, after losing several crops in succes- 
sion, and experiencing many hardships and dis- 
couragements, he fpund himself worse ofif than 
when he landed here. He had his share of a 
pioneer's life, and does not want any more of it. 
More than once he has been lost on the plains, 
and obliged to spend the entire night tramping. 
One time in particular he lost his way, was with- 
out a coat and unable to find any sort of shelter, 
and was compelled to keep walking all night to 
keep from freezing to death. He has often seen 
the time when he was short on rations and it 
was a puzzle to know where the next sack of 
flour was coming from. Many times he grew 
discouraged and almost gave up the struggle, 
and had he been able to do so, would have sold 
out his holdings, but he is glad now that he 
stuck to it, and says he could never have done 
so well in any other place. He has a ranch 
of one thousand six hundred acres, farms two 
hundred acres of this and uses the balance for 
hay and grazing land for his cattle, running 
about one hundred and seventy-five head of stock 
all the time. He has his place well improved, 
all fenced and a complete set of good farm 
buildings, and has accumulated all of this prop- 
erty in the last twelve years. While adding to 
his farm he was in some cases obliged to sell the 
buildings on the land which he bought in order 
to make his payments on the property. 

In 1888 Mr. Shannon was married to Miss 
Josephine Edgel, who was born in Illinois in 
1867. Seven children have been born of this 
union, namely: Florence, Lee, Mary, McKinlev 
Forest, Shelby and Helen, all born and raised 
m their present homestead. Mr. Shannon is a 
staunch and intelligent Republican who has 
never voted any other ticket, but never votes it 
entirely straight. He has held local office at 
different times, and takes an active interest in 
educational affairs in his community, having 
been on the school board for manv years. He 
would like to sell his land if he were able to ob- 
tain his price. 



A. F. MALOY. 



A. F. Maloy. an enterprising and intellio-ent 
agriculturist of Deuel county, is a resident of 
section 35. He has spent many vears in that 



9i6 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



section and is one of the best known and most 
highly esteemed men of his county. 

Mr. Maloy was born in Wisconsin, and first 
saw the Hght January 23, 1854. There were 
eight children in his father's family, four boys 
and four girls, he being the sixth in order of 
birth. They lived in \\'isconsin until he grew 
to manhood, when he left home and went to 
Chicago, remaining there for four years, then 
came to Nebraska, locating at North Platte, ar- 
riving at the latter place in Alay. 1885, but only 
spent one month there and moved to Keith 
county, locating on the Platte river, and has 
lived continuously on that river since that time. 
He came into Deuel county in 1891, landing here 
on August 1st, and at once filed on a home- 
stead and proved up. He had also owned a good 
homestead in Keith county, which he sold on 
leaving there. Besides his homestead rights he 
proved up on a timber claim, and he has two 
hundred and forty acres in the home ranch 
which joins the town of Oshkosh, besides four 
hundred acres in another tract. There is a 
large amount of hay and grazing land, besides 
quite a piece of fine alfalfa. He has three hun- 
dred and twenty acres on the table land, and in 
addition to these different farms, controls a 
leased school section. 

]Mr. Malov has recently erected a handsome 
residence on his ranch near Oshkosh, and has 
one of the most completely equipped ranches and 
finest homes in the county. He runs quite a 
large herd of stock, including a fine bunch of 
horses, and takes especial pride in these ani- 
mals, owning some very fine ones. Mr. Maloy 
was married to Susan Duffin. at the home of 
the bride's mother in Deuel county, on Novem- 
ber 11, 1890, her parents being old settlers here, 
originally from Iowa, where Mrs. Maloy was 
bom. C)ur subject and his estimable wife are 
the parents of the following children : Katie, 
^lary, Frank. Theresa and Herbert, all at home, 
the younger ones attending school. Mr. Maloy's 
parents are dead, while Mrs. Maloy's mother is 
living and still occupies the old homestead. 

Our subject has served as justice of the 
peace of Oshkosh precinct, and is now mod- 
erator of school district No. 131. He takes an 
active part in all local affairs, and is classed 
among the progressive men of his time. He 
votes an Independent ticket and lends his in- 
fluence for the upbuilding of the better interests 
of his community. 



CLARENCE HERBERT. 

Clarence Herbert, whose fine farm in 'section 
1. township 29, range 47, Dawes county, is a 
credit to his locality, is a man of untiring energy, 



and classed among the wealthy agriculturists of 
his section. 

Mr. Herbert was born in Madison, Wiscon- 
sin, in 1845. His father, John Herbert, was a 
farmer, of American stock, and he married Mary 
Ann Dayton, of \\'isconsin. The family moved 
from Wisconsin to Illinois when our subject 
was a small boy, and they lived there for several 
years, then went to Indiana and remained up 
to 1866. In 1864 Clarence enlisted in Company 
B, Ninth Indiana Infantry, and was ordered 
south with his regiment. He saw service with 
the Army of the Cumberland, and with General 
Thomas at Nashville, at the battles of Franklin, 
Springhill, Pulaski and Columbia. He was 
sent into Texas, and they remained there up to 
the close of the war, receiving his discharge in 
September. 1865, having served in all one year 
and nine months. During that time he was 
twice wounded, once at Nashville, and the sec- 
ond time at Madison, Indiana, accidentally. After 
the war he returned to Indiana, and began work- 
ing on the railroad, traveling over a large por- 
tion of the United States, and in this way saw a 
great deal of the different states and localities. 
He followed this work for twenty-five years, 
being employed by the Chicago and Northwest- 
ern Railway Company for eleven years in west- 
ern Nebraska. 

About 1869 Mr. Herbert settled in Michigan 
with his family, he continuing on the road, and 
during some of that time worked in the lumber- 
ing woods, spending several years in that region, 
then in 1885 came to Nebraska and began work- 
ing on railroad construction, as the Chicago and 
Northwestern Railway was being built through 
\'alentine to the west. In June of that year 
he took up a homestead in Daw^es county, build- 
ing a log house, and made this his home. He 
still followed railroading but his family lived on 
the homestead and proved up on the land. 
.About 18'*6 he began devoting more of his time 
to farming and ranching, and has succeeded in 
a marked degree, now owning a ranch of two 
thousand acres, all of which is fenced and in fine 
shape. He has two wells and wind mills which 
furnish a fine supply of water for all farming 
and household purposes, having two hundred 
acres under cultivation, and employs modern 
methods in farming. He is progressive and 
prosperous, and classed among the oldest settlers 
anfl influential residents of his locality, having 
always taken an active jiart in the history of the 
region from its early develo]>ment. He has ex- 
perienced much hardsHnip and privation here, 
going through the drouth periods on this ranch, 
losing several crops, and when hauling supplies 
from his trading point was compelled to camp 
out at night under his wagon. His first team 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



917 



was a pair of oxen, and with these he broke up 
a large part of his homestead. 

In 1871 Mr. Herbert was married to Aliss 
Phoebe E. Toal, daughter of George Nelson 
Toal, a farmer and carpenter, who was born 
and raised in New York state. Mrs. Herbert's 
mother, prior to her marriage was Sarah Hall, 
also a native of New York state. To our sub- 
ject and his good wife were born three children, 
namely : Fred, Charles and Ernest, and to Mrs. 
Herbert and the children belong much credit in 
the accumulation of their property, as they 
worked very hard to keep the work on the home 
place going while the husband and father was 
workinar at railroading. 



WARREN CASS SYLVESTER. 

Cass Sylvester, a representative farmer of 
Kaya Paha county, is one of the prominent 
old settlers of that section of the country, 
and a man of energetic nature and honest 
dealings. He has acquired a good farm and 
pleasant home, and during his residence here 
aided materially in the development of the 
agricultural resources of the locality. 

Mr. Sylvester was born in Berrien county. 
Michigan, February 14, 1864. While he was 
still a lad his parents moved to Hamilton 
county, ■ Nebraska, remaining there up to 
1882, when they' came to Keya Paha county. 
His father, Moses A. Sylvester, was a cooper 
b\^ trade, following that calling and farming" 
all his life. He died here in 1902, leaving a 
widow with a family of nine children, our 
subject being the seventh member. The 
mother is still living in this county. When 
Cass was twenty-one years old he took up 
a pre-emption here, but could not prove up 
without mortgaging the place, so filed homestead 
papers on it and in due time proved his claim. He 
paid five hundred dollars for a relinquishment, ' 
and purchased horses and machinery to run the 
place, which was partly improved, and he 
continued to improve the place since he has 
owned it. He has set out over a hundred 
fruit trees, besides erecting good buildings and 
fences. He cultivates about sixty-five acres, 
and the balance of the one hundred and si.xty 
of which his farm consists, is used for pasture 
and hay land. He keeps quite a lot of stock on 
the place — cattle, hogs and horses. 

Mr. Sylvester was married February 7, 
1894, to Miss Lizzie Peterbaugh, whose par- 
ents were early settlers of Keya Paha county, 
coming here in 1881. To ]\lr. and Mrs. Syl- 
vester have been born the following children: 
Homer A., Elsie V., Albert J.. George. Earl 



L., Monnie M., Cassie L. and Dell, all at pres- 
ent living at home w=ith their parents. 

Mr. Sylvester is a Populigt, but does not 
take an active part in public affairs, although 
he lends every influence in his power for the 
upbuilding of his home county and locality. 



B. M. FOX. 



A history of Deuel county would be in- 
complete without a sketch of the man whose 
name heads this article, so closely allied has his 
his life been with the upbuilding of the county 
and surrounding countrv. Born at Omaha, 
Nebraska, July" 18, 1868^ Mr. Fox has prob- 
ably seen more of the ups and downs of this 
life than the average man of twice his years. 
Mr. Fox is still a young man but by thrift 
and industry he has acquired a goodly 
amount of this World's goods and now re- 
sides on a ranch on sectidn 29, township 16, 
range 42. 

Henry R. Fox, the father of our subject, 
left Omaha in 1876, going^ to the Black Hills 
in South Dakota. The silver mines in the 
Bladk Hills were the center of western efni- 
gratiOn at that time.' In 1879 our subject with 
the balance of the family started for the 
Black Hills. They travelled on the train as 
far as Sidney, Nebraska, where they were 
compelled to take the stage the balance of 
the journey to their destination, where they 
joined the father. The family remained in 
South Dakota about six years, then removed 
to Nebraska b}" stage, settling on a ranch 
about five miles east of where Oshkosh is 
now located. On the North Platte river. The 
father of our subject homesteaded and proved 
up on the claim, residing there until his death 
in December, 1905. After the death of the 
father, our subject remained on the ranch and 
improved and enlarged it, until it contained 
ten thousand acres, ilr. Fox managed the 
ranch for about seven years, then sold a half 
interest in it, forming the Fox Land & Cattle 
Company, which was merged "Into the West- 
ern Land & Cattle Company in 1904, Mr. Fox 
being heavily interested as a stockholder and 
serving as foreman of the ranch until March, 
1908, when he sold out his interest and lo- 
cated on section 29. township 16. range 42. 
This is now known as the Home Ranch and 
consists of about three hundred acres. Mr. 
Fox is extensively engaged in stock raising, 
running at this time about five hundred head 
of cattle and horses. He makes a specialty 
of draft horses, of which he has a splendid 
drove. Mr. Fox has made a study of scien- 



9i8 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tific stock raising, which with his wide experi- 
ence as a stock man, makes him one of the 
best judges of stock in the west. 

Mr. Fox was married on October 8, 1893, 
to Alma I. Moore, at Big Springs, Nebraska. 
It will be remembered that 1893 was the year 
of the greatest of all world's fairs known in 
history — the World's Fair at Chicago — and 
Mr. Fox went to the fair on his wedding trip. 
Mrs. Fox is a native of \\"isconsin-. coming to 
Big Springs with her grandparents in 1885. 
Her father and mother died when she was a 
little girl. Mr. and Mrs. Fox have three chil- 
dren, as follows: Ruben, Clayton and Hope, 
all living at home. 

Mr. Fox takes an active part in all public 
affairs of the county and state and is probably 
one of the best known stockmen in the west. 

Henry R. Fox, father of B. M. Fox. was 
born in 1836, his parents being pioneers in 
Ohio, where Mr. Fox was born. He was mar- 
ried in Omaha, Nebraska, about the close 
of the Civil war. In 1876 he went to the Black 
Hills, his family following three years later. 
The Black Hills country was at that time 
booming, and Mr. Fox was one of the first 
to settle there. He helped pull the first saw 
mill into Deadwood, and also took an active 
part in Deadwood affairs at that time. 

In 1885 he returned to Nebraska, settling 
in Deuel count}-, where he homesteaded a 
claim on the North Platte river. The home- 
stead is now a part of the ranch owned by 
the Western Land and Cattle Company. The 
life of Mr. Fox was a varied one and he could 
relate many interesting stories of his early 
life. When a young man he went to New 
York city from Ohio, going by boat and stage. 
Then he went to San Francisco via the Isth- 
mus of Panama, returning by stage. After re- 
turning from California, he entered the gov- 
ernment service, freighting across the plains. 
He followed this for several years before go- 
ing to the Black Hills. Mr. Fox was a very 
interesting man, having traveled a great deal, 
and was a representative citizen of Deuel 
county up to the time of his death, which oc- 
curred in Deuel county in December. 1895. 
His wife is still living and is now a resident of 
Omaha. 



MORSE P. CLARY. 

Among the representative men who now 
make Deuel one of the leading counties in 
western Nebraska, none are better or more 
favorably known than Morse P. Clary, who 
resides on the northwest quarter of section 



14, township 15, range 42, in Ash Hollow district. 
Mr. Clary was born in Quincy, Adams 

county, Iowa, October 20, 1858. He lived in 
Warren county a greater part of the time 
until March 18. 1886, when he joined his father, 
who had preceded him to Cheyenne, now 
Deuel county. His father settled in Deuel 
county, then known as Cheyenne, in 1885. 
Our subject homesteaded and proved up on 
the southeast quarter of section 28, township 

15, range 42, and still owns the farm. He now 
owns about eight hundred acres, also a school 
section of six hundred and forty acres. Of 
this he cultivates about one hundred acres. 
He is engaged extensively in stock raising, 
running at this time about two hundred head 
of cattle, besides a splendid drove of horses. 
His ranch is one of the best equipped in 
western Nebraska, and is provided with all 
modern improvements. 

In political faith ^Ir. Clary is a Republi- 
can. He takes a very active part in all public 
affairs, and has served as county commissioner 
two terms, 1892 to 1898. He has also served 
as treasurer of the school district, in which he 
lives, and was assessor in 1891. He has been 
especially active along educational lines in 
his county, having assisted in organizing sev- 
eral school districts, and has done as much if 
not more, than any other man in Deuel county 
to promote more and better schools. 

Mr. Clary was married to Lou C. Mc- 
Naught, at Indianola. Iowa, January 21, 1881. 
She is a native of Illinois and has two sisters 
living in western Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. 
Clary are the parents of eight children, named 
as follows: ■ March D.. who married Nona 
West, auditor for the Chicago, Burlington & 
Quincy railway: May, a teacher in the Kimball 
schools; Frank, bookkeeper for a loan and 
trust company at Omaha ; Nona, a teacher in 
the public schools: Josie, also a teacher: Ray, 
Oren and Cora Maud. 

Ash Hollow, as the district in which Mr. 
Clary and family live is locally known, is 
famous in western Nebraska history, many 
stirring scenes having occurred there in pio- 
neer days. 

D. B. Clary, father of Morse P. Clary, the 
subject of the above sketch, was born in 
Frederick county, Maryland, September 1, 
1821. .-Xt the age of thirty years, he emi- 
grated to Indiana, where he remained about 
eight years, preaching the gospel, having been 
ordained a Methodist minister and licensed to 
preach prior to his removal to Indiana. From 
Indiana he removed to Iowa and later, or in 
1885, to Nebraska, where he served as a min- 
ister for two years. He was a preacher of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRALMIY 



919 



the gospel for a total of thirty-six years. 
Mr. Clary was married September 16, 1851, to 
Rachel Ann Hooper. Six children blessed 
this union: Olive, Elmira, Ella, Victoria, 
Morse P. and Frank. 

Mr. D. B. Clary now makes his home with 
his son, Morse P., and is rounding out a life 
spent in making this world more pleasant for 
his fellow men. He is a preacher of the old 
school and in the thirty-six years of active 
service he has had a varied and interesting ex- 
perience, having had an opportunity to study 
human life in all its various phases. During 
his ministry he has received over eight hun- 
dred converts into the church. Aside from 
his duties as a minister, he always took an 
active part in the educational and moral de- 
velopment of the community in which he 
lived, and when his work is ended on this 
earth, it can truly be said of him, "Well done, 
thou good and faithful servant." 



of his home ranch. He deals extensively in 
stock, running a large herd of high-grade 
horses, and quite a bunch of cattle. He has 
about sixty acres of land under cultivation, 
good fences all over the ranch, and alto- 
gether has one of the best improved proper- 
ties in the county. He is well and favorably 
known all over this part of Nebraska, and 
highly esteemed as a citizen and successful 
business man. 

On the 23d of Decenfber, 1880, Mr. Bel- 
lows was married to Miss Katie A. Renninger, 
in Cass county, Michigan. They have no 
children. Mr. Bellows is a stanch Republican 
and has attended many county conventions 
and taken an active part in local and county 
affairs, serving as county clerk during 1894- 
1895. In 1899 he was appointed, and later 
elected county surveyor, and held that office 
up to 1908. 



FRANK J. BELLOWS. 

Frank J. Bellows, now a resident of the 
thriving town of Kimball, Nebraska, is also 
one of the early settlers and prominent pio- 
neers of Kimball county, locating there when 
that county was still a part of "old" Chey- 
enne county. He is the owner of a fine estate, 
and one of the wealthy residents of his sec- 
tion, at present occupying the position of book- 
keeper for Mr. Gus Linn. He has acted in 
that capacity for the past eight years, during 
the same time personally superintending the 
management of his extensive ranching inter- 1 
ests. 

Mr. Bellows was born in Cass county, 
Michigan, on the 4th of January, 1854, and 
grew to manhood in his native state. His 
parents lived there many years, both now 
•being dead, and he has two brothers still 
li\ing, one residing in , Michigan and one in 
Indiana, while a sister is married and lives in 
Kimball county. In 1883 our subject went to 
Indiana, following farming there up to 1886, 
then came to Kimball county, arriving here in 
October, and filed on a homestead on section 
10, township 14, range 55. He began to farm, 
experiencing many discouragements during 
the first few years, meeting with losses due 
to drouths and other causes, but gradually 
improving his claim, and proving up on his place, 
constantly acquiring additional land as he be- 
came able, and built up a good ranch. He is 
now owner of six hundred and forty acres of 
deeded land, also controls one section of school 
land besides other leased land in the vicinity 



HENRY SUDMAN. 

Henry Sudman, well known as a leading 
farmer and ranchman and public-spirited citi- 
zen of Keith county, has been closely identi- 
fied with the development and upbuilding of 
that region for many years. He is highly es- 
teemed by all as a prominent old-timer in 
western Nebraska, and has accumulated a 
valuable property in Paxton precinct by dint 
of honest industry and faithful effort. 

Mr. Sudman was born in Hanover, Ger- 
many, in 1863, and was reared on a farm, re- 
ceiving the rigid training that usually fell to 
the lot of the German lad in the middle classes. 
When he was seventeen years of age he 
started out for himself, coming to the LTnited 
States, and after landing in New York city, 
struck out directly for the west, locating in 
Brule, Nebraska, where he began work as a 
section hand on the railroad. Later he was 
at Ogallala, also in Colorado, following rail- 
roading continually up to the spring of 1883. 
He then began working on the ranch, and for 
five years was employed by one ranchman, at 
the end of that time purchasing his present 
farm, and began a ranch of his own. He had 
but a small start, and his first building was 
a sod house, in which he "batched it" for two 
years, occupying the same shanty for about 
eight years after his marriage. He witnessed 
all the hard times on his farm, and during the 
years 1890-1894 lost every crop. Since then he 
has been very successful in raising good crops, 
and has three hundred and sixty acres of land 
irrigated under the Keith and Lincoln Coun- 
ties Irrigation District Ditch. His ranch con- 



920 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tains twenty-five hundred acres, and he is en- 
gaged principally in the cattle, horse and hay 
business. ^I^. Sudman has erected a hand- 
some residence on his ranch, two stories high, 
twenty-six by twenty-eight feet, with a 
one-story addition of sixteen by twenty-six 
feet, also had good barns and other build- 
ings, wind mills, wells, fences, etc. In 1904 
Mr. Sudman had the misfortune to lose 
his barn b_y fire, also considerable farm ma- 
chinery, which was 'a serious loss to him, but 
he has replaced this property, and is prosper- 
ing remarkably in every way. An excellent 
picture of Mr. Sudman's residence will be 
found on another page of this volume. 

Mr. Sudman was married in the fall of 
1890, to Miss Mary Ambrassat, of German 
descent. Nine children have been born to 
them, named as follows : Henry, Charles. 
Sophia, ]\[innie, Eddie and Emil (twins), Ar- 
thur, Albert and William. They are a happ}' 
and congenial family, and all are well liked in 
their communitv. 



JOSHUA B. LEADER. 

Joshua B. Leader, residing in section 20, 
township 30. range 26. Cherry county, Ne- 
braska, was born at Mount Joy. Lancaster 
county. Pennsylvania. April 21, 1856, and was 
reared on a farm. His father. Joshua Leader, 
was of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and was a 
leading druggist of Mount Joy, while the 
mother, Agnes Gault. was born in Baltimore. 
Our subject was the only son in a family of 
four children and was obliged to make his 
waj- in life at the early age of eight years, his 
father having been killed in an accident while 
trying to catch a team of runaway mules. 
\\'hen old enough to choose an occupation he 
learned the carpenter's trade, and followed 
that trade for several years near his home un- 
til coming west in 1879. Early in May of 
that year he sojourned at Abilene, Kansas, but 
work being scarce for carpenters he came to 
Sterling. Nebraska. He secured employment 
in the bridge and building department of the 
Atchison & Nebr.aska, now the Burlington 
railroad, and was soon advanced to the fore- 
manshi]) of the water supply service, erecting 
tanks, wind mills and water equipment along 
the line, retaining this position until 1882. 
Mrs. Leader having been appointed teacher in 
the Plattsmouth schools. ^Ir. Leader resigned 
his position with the lUirlington railroad water 
service and obtained emi)loyment in the shops 
of that company in Plattsmouth. staying tbere 
six months. After working as brakenian for 



that road for about a month he resigned and 
secured employment with the Union Pacific, 
where, through the help of one of his friends, 
who was a conductor on that road, he was pro- 
moted to a like position in five months. Owing 
to a wreck March 1, 1885, he was let out, 
but a month later secured a position on the 
Elkhorn and Missouri Valley railroad and on 
April 5th was made conductor on a construc- 
tion train west of Chadron. When this work 
was completed he secured a position in the 
operating department and after braking for 
six weeks was made freight conductor and in 
1889 was promoted to passenger conductor, where 
he was employed until October. 1902, at which 
time he resigned to take j^ersonal management of 
his ranch property, which he had purchased in 
March. 189", and had kept in charge of a fore- 
man until he could give it his personal atten- 
tion. 

Here he has engaged in the stock business, 
kee]3ing about four hundred head of cattle and 
twenty-five horses, using eight hundred to a 
thousand tons of hay per annum, all grown 
upon the wide meadows of his si.xteen hundred- 
acre ranch. He has the best improved ranch 
in the sand hills, fitted up with every con- 
venience, having an elevated tank with which 
to water his lawn and supply the bathroom 
and kitchen of his fine ten-room house. Be- 
sides five ordinary wells there is one artesian 
flowing well which is not surpassed in quality 
in all that region. An ice house and cold 
storage chamber are supplied with ice cut 
from an extensive lake near the residence, 
which during the hunting season supplies the 
larder with an abundance of waterfowl. He 
has fine barns and a shed three hundred and fiftx- 
eight feet in extent to accommodate his stock. He 
has spent about five thousand dollars in build- 
ings on his ranch and can shelter every head 
of stock he owns. The ranch consists of six- 
teen hundred and forty acres of land besides - 
a five-year lease on a section of school land 
adjoining. This is all fenced and altogether is 
line of the most valuable estates in the county. 

Mr. Leader was married .April 5, 1880. to 
Miss C)live Moorman, born in Columbus, Ohio, 
being the daughter of Thomas J. and Mary 
(Gates) Moorman, the latter a distant rela- 
tive of the governor of Illinois. The father 
was in early life a planter in \'irginia and 
later was a land owner in Columbus. Ohio. 
Cotuing west he conducted for from twelve to 
fourteen years a chain of stores in Lexington. 
South English and New Sharon. Iowa, in 
which he was very successful. 

Although Mr. Leader has always voted the 
Reiuihlican ticket he has never sought public 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Q2I 



preferment, and does not care for public life, 
preferring to devote his time to the building 
up of his ranch and home place, an estate in 
which he may take just pride. For four years 
he was chief of Division No. 173, Order of 
Railroad Conductors, at Chadron. In the 
Masonic order he has made marked advance- 
ment, holding membership in the Blue Lodge, 
No. 551, founded by his father at Mount Joy, 
Pennsylvania. He has been a prominent mem- 
ber of the Chapter and Commandery at Chad- 
ron and of the Shrine at Omaha. Like most 
railroad men Mr. Leader is a jovial, genial 
companion, and a most hospitable host to any- 
one who may be so fortunate as to be a visitor 
at his ranch. 



AUGUST BERGMAN, 
public. 

August Bergman, a leading farmer and 
stockman of Phelps county, Nebraska, resides 
on his fine estate located in Westmark town- 
ship, and is well known as a successful agri- 
culturist and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Bergman was born in Sweden in 1861, 
and came to America when a youth, his par- 
ents settling in Moline county, Illinois, in 
1878, where he grew up and lived until the 
year 1882, when he came west and landed in 
Nebraska, and with his father, John Berg- 
man, settled in Phelps county, Nebraska, on 
a homestead and remained there until the lat- 
ter's death, which occurred in 1905. He had 
reached the age of seventy years, and had 
spent an honorable and upright life, esteemed 
by all who knew him for his honesty and 
strict integrity. Father and son worked to- 
gether in building up the farm, and now have 
a valuable property, having put up a fine resi- 
dence, and six large farm buildings for shel- 
tering their cattle, horses, hogs and grain. 
They have always acted on the theory that 
one hundred and sixty acres well tilled and 
improved, devoted to mixed farming and stock 
raising, is sufficient for one family to attend 
properly, and have been successful in all their 
undertakings. They have always kept enough 
stock to consume all the hay and grain raised 
on the land, except the wheat, which has 
been for family use, and marketed what they 
did not need. In the hard years their stock 
furnished them with a good living, and dur- 
ing the prosperous times made them far more 
by feeding than had they sold their corn crop. 
Without feeding this year, a wagonload of 
hogs brings about one hundred dollars, and 
it would require a good many trips to town 



with corn to amount to this sum. Mr. Berg- 
man also had the good judgment and fore- 
sight to secure about three hundred and 
twenty acres of pasture land in Union town- 
ship, a few miles from the home farm, which 
furnishes all the hay needed for his stock. 
At this writing he has seventy-five cattle, 
Shorthorns and graded stock, and feeds about 
a carload each winter, which nets him a neat 
sum. His hogs consist of purebred and mixed 
Poland Chinas, and these he disposes of when- 
ever they are ready for market. He is well 
satisfied with the success he has attained, and, 
like thousands of others of his countrymen, he 
has found America a veritable "land of promise." 
and Phelps county the "land of plenty." He 
and his father made a competence here, start- 
ing virtually on nothing. His mother makes 
her home with him at present, and the family 
are all members of the Swedish Free Mission 
church, located at Phelps Centre. 

In 1887 Mr. Bergman married Miss Salma 
Bergquist, daughter of Andrew Bergquist. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bergman have five children, as 
follows : Elmer, who assists his father in the 
farm work; Paul and Joel, Marie and Ruth. 



JOHN LISTER. 

John Lister, one of the sturdy and vigorous 
farmers of township 24, range 48, Box Butte 
county, is a worthy member of the ranks of old 
settlers of this part of Nebraska, and as he 
looks about on the broad acres and the beauti- 
ful little cities and towns that have sprung 
up in the wake of the early settler ; as he 
recalls the past and thinks of the transforma- 
tion that has made a fertile garden out of a 
smiling prairie wilderness, he may well say, 
"All of which I see, and a part of which I 
was," and he and his compeers are no small 
part of this great change. It is with peculiar 
pleasure that the pen of the historian under- 
takes to trace such a career. 

Air. Lister was born in Norfolk, England, 
August, 1862. His father, John Lister, was a 
fish peddler by occupation. He married Char- 
lotte Holmes, who was also born and raised in 
the vicinity of our subject's birthplace. The 
latter grew up there and followed farming 
as a young man, starting to work out and 
earning his own living when he was but seven 
years of age. When he was thirteen years old 
he lost his mother by death, and his father 
only survived her five years, so he was left 
alone in the world at seventeen years of age. 
At that time he left his native land and came 
to the L'nited States, landing in New York 



9^2 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



city in 1884. and from there went direct to 
Cleveland. Ohio, where he spent two years and 
worked at West Cleveland as farmer. In 1886 
he came to Nebraska, at first locating in Holt 
county, remaining for about one year, then 
moved to his present location in Box Butte 
county, taking up a homestead in section 20, 
township 24, range 48. His first building was 
a sod shanty which he built himself, and he 
started to develop his farm, breaking land for 
crops and working out at freighting, and any- 
thing he could find to do in the locality. He 
had nothing to start with, only a few personal 
possessions, and had a hard time in getting 
started. His first team was a pair of mules 
which did all the work on his own place and 
he also used them to haul timber, break up 
land for his neighbors, etc. All his wood for 
fuel was hauled from the Platte river, and 
during the long trips which consumed several 
days, he was obliged to lie on the ground 
under his wagon at night, often in very severe 
weather, and suffered the usual experiences so 
familiar to the pioneers of those times. After 
many hardships and much hard labor Mr. Lis- 
ter became more successful and he has ac- 
cumulated a nice property. As the years grew 
better, the country becoming more thickly set- 
tled and towns being built up in this vicinity, 
he enlarged his farm, kept improving it and 
is now one of the well-to-do men of his com- 
munity. He owns a fine ranch of eleven hun- 
dred and fifty acres, situated six miles south- 
west of Alliance. He has one hundred acres 
in hay land, and farms quite a large portion, 
all of it being well fenced and supplied with 
substantial buildings. He has erected a hand- 
some residence, has many fine trees for shade 
and also fruit trees which he planted him- 
self, including an apple and plum orchard, also 
small fruits. 

In 1893 Mr. Lister was married to Mary 
Coley, daughter of John Coley, of Irish stock. 
Mr. and Mrs. Lister have two children living. 
Mary, aged twelve years, and James, aged 
fourteen years. Two others, George and \\'il- 
liam, died during infancy. The mother died 
in November. 1903, leaving a sorrowing fam- 
ily to mourn her loss. She was a lady of most 
estimable character, beloved by all who knew 
her, and was sincerely mourned by her devoted 
family and many friends. 

During Mr. Lister's early residence in this 
locality lie had all the experiences common 
to the life on the frontier, helping in the build- 
ing up of its resources, aiding the settlers, and 
has been a part and parcel of its growth and 
development. Politically he is an Inde- 
pendent. 



GEORGE M. ELLIOTT. 

George M. Elliott, a prominent farmer and 
stock raiser of Brown county, Nebraska, was 
born in the town of Bovina, Delaware county, 
New York, September 3, 1847. His father, 
Robert Elliott, was a farmer by occupation, of 
Scotch birth, as was also his mother, Jane (Dal- 
ton ) Elliott. There were seven children in his par- 
ents' family, of whom he was the fifth, be- 
ing reared and educated in his native state. In 1866 
the family came west, settling in tirant county, 
Wisconsin, where they lived on a farm for two 
years, then moved to Poweshiek county, Iowa. 
Our subject lived there with his parents up 
to 1879, then moved to Osceola county, taking 
a homestead and proving up on it. He farmed 
there for some years, and during the grass- 
hopper raids suffered the destruction of all 
his crops, also losing much through the wet 
seasons, so becoming discouraged with con- 
ditions he gave up the struggle and sought 
other regions. In 1888 he first came to Brown 
county, and for the first year was employed 
by Hall & Davidson, bankers, working on a 
salary. He then rented land and began on his 
own account with his entire capital comprised 
in a yoke of oxen ; he had a hard time at first, 
however remaining on this place for five years. 
He then traded his stock for a farm on Buf- 
falo Flats, which property he still owns. For 
six years he lived on the Winters farm, east 
of Long pine. In 1903 he purchased his pres- 
ent farm, located in section 5, township 30, 
range 20, through which Long Pine creek runs, 
giving an abundant supply of water. Here he 
has improved the place, putting up good 
buildings, fences, etc., and has a valuable es- 
tate. There are twelve hundred acres in the 
farm and ranch, of which one hundred acres 
are cultivated. He is engaged principally in 
stock raising, of which he has made a pro- 
nounced success with horses, cattle and hogs. 

Mr. Elliott was married March 25, 1872, 
to Miss Mary Jane Cummings, a native ol 
Jefferson township, Poweshiek county, Iowa, 
born of old .\merican stock. Her father, .Alex- 
ander Cummings, was an old settler in Indi- 
ana, from which state he served through the 
Civil war, dying eventuall)' from disease con- 
tracted during the service. Mr. and Mrs. El- 
liott have a family of seven children, named 
as follows: Robert, David. William. Pliilena, 
Erastus, Flossy and Roy. all born in Iowa ex- 
cepting the last named, who was born in 
Brown county. In politics he is independent 
and fraternally a member of the lodge of Royal 
Highlanders at Long Pine. 

Mr. Elliott occupies a foremost place in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



923 



the ranks of the successful and prosperous 
citizens of Brown county, and is held in the 
hie:hest esteem bv his fellowmen. 



CONRAD T. STIRRER. 

Conrad T. Stikker, an old and highly re- 
spected citizen of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, 
is owner of a fine ranch of eleven hundred 
and twenty acres in section 34, township 17, 
range 48. He is a gentleman of exemplary 
character, and has spent the past eighteen 
years in this vicinity, and is one of the leading 
pioneers of the county, having watched the 
growth and taken an active part in its develop- 
ment since locating here. 

Mr. Stikker is a native of the village of 
Arut, Aurich, Hanover. Germany, and was 
born September 29, 1846, and grew to man- 
hood in his native country. He served 
through the Franco-Prussian war, participat- 
ing in the battles of Le Maes, Coulie and Or- 
leans. He came to the United States in 1887, 
having sailed from Bremen Haven March 27, 
and after a nine days' voyage landed in Balti- 
more. His first location was in Dawson 
county, Nebraska, where he spent two years, 
then came on to Cheyenne county, and was 
among the early settlers here. He arrived 
here in the spring of the year, and immediately 
filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres, which is the beginning of his present 
vast estate. He went through the usual ex- 
periences of the old-timers in the vicinity, 
meeting with discouragement and failure at 
different times, but through it all never lost 
hope and stuck to his original intention of 
building up a good home in the wilderness, 
and how well he has succeeded is evidenced 
by his present prosperity. He has one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres under cultivation 
and raises fine crops of small grains and corn, 
also has large tracts of hay land and good 
pasture for his herd of one hundred and thirty 
cattle, besides other stock, including thirty 
horses. His ranch is improved with good 
buildings of all descriptions, fenced in good 
shape, and is one of the best equipped in the 
locality. 

Mr. Stikker was married to Miss Johanna 
Middens, in Germany, on June 23, 1880, and 
together they came to the new world to seek 
a fortune and build up a home for themselves. 
Five children have been born to them, named 
as follows: Tonjes, Henry, Bernhard (born 
in Germany), Grace and John ("natives of Ne- 
braska), all living at home. The parents of 



both our subject and his wife are now de- 
ceased. 

Mr. Stikker is active in local affairs per- 
taining to good government, and is a lead- 
ing citizen in school matters, now serving as 
moderator of district No. 20. In political 
views he is a strong Republican, and is a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran church. 



BENJAMIN J. JONES. 

Benjamin J. Jones, an old settler and 
prominent resident of Garfield county, Ne- 
braska, occupies a nice home on section 21, 
township 12, range 14, owns an extensive 
ranch and is recognized as one of the influ- 
ential and well-to-do citizens of his com- 
munity. 

Mr. Jones was born in county of Cork, 
Ireland, in 1843, grew up there and when he 
was twenty years old left his native land and 
came to the United States. He first settled in 
Boston, where he engaged in the livery busi- 
ness and carried it on for about seventeen 
years. He then struck out for the west and 
landed in Nebraska the 7th of ^March, 1880. 
Here he filed on a homestead and timber claim 
and proved up on all of it. His son Ed. also 
took up land under the Rincaid law adjoining 
his father's land. Our subject later purchase^ 
more land in the vicinity until he is now pro- 
prietor of twelve hundred and sixty deeded 
acres. He has about one hundred and fifty 
acres of this under cultivation, and the balance 
is used for pasture and hay land. He raises 
considerable corn, oats and other small grain, 
keeps a large herd of cattle, and enjoys the 
distinction of owning some of the very best 
stock cattle in the county. He deals almost 
exclusively in Shorthorns, preferring this 
breed to any other for this region. He usually 
markets two or three carloads each year and 
makes a good profit from his feeding. Mr. 
Jones's ranch is well supplied with good build- 
ings, including house, barns, granaries, large 
cattle sheds, fine groves, trees and orchard. 
He has an unlimited w^ater supply, obtained 
from two flowing wells on his ranch, one of 
which reaches a depth of one hundred and 
seventy-five feet, and the other one hundred 
and eighty feet, and the water flows from these 
with considerable force and runs the whole 
year around. There are ' about a dozen or 
more of these wells in this part of the county, 
and they furnish the purest and clearest water 
for all uses. In 1905 Mr. Jones decided to 
try raising clover on his farm, which was a 



924 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



radical departure from the former practices, 
as it was generally believed that the soil was 
not well enough adapted to its growth, and he 
was ridiculed on all sides for this, but he 
stuck to his purpose and seeded down a patch 
of land. He was most successful, and now 
has a fine clover meadow. In 1907 he har- 
vested his second crop of the grass, had a 
splendid yield, and has proved that it is as 
easy to grow clover here as it is all other 
grasses and grains. ^Ir. Jones has made quite 
a success of English blue grass, and says it 
can be grown very successfully here. 

In 1867 Mr. Jones was united in marriage 
to Mary Xoonan, a native of the county in 
which our subject was born, in Ireland. Mr. 
and Mrs. Jones are the parents of four chil- 
dren, three of whom are living, namely: Ed- 
ward B., B. J. and Mary. One son, John, is 
deceased. The family are members of the 
Roman Catholic church, and are very well 
k-nown and highly esteemed in their com- 
munity. In political sentiment Mr. Jones is 
an Independent, and is an admirer of Bryan. 



EMIL SIXDT. 



This gentleman is among the oldest set- 
tlers in western Xebraska. coming to Frank- 
lin county in 1887 and locating in Macon, 
where he lived for eleven years engaged in 
farming and stock raising. He bought land 
ill section 17, Farmers township, and farmed 
a section of land, and owned one hundred and 
sixty acres that lies northwest of the town of 
Franklin. Mr. Sindt is proprietor of eleven 
hundred and twenty acres in all, and raises and 
feeds from one hundred and sixty to two hun- 
flred head of cattle each year, and from two 
to three hundred hogs, which he ships to mar- 
ket. He is one of the progressive and up-to- 
date agriculturists of his section, and has been 
very successful in his farming and stock rais- 
ing enterprises since coming here. Mr. Sindt 
is a native of Holstein. born near Kiel. Ger- 
many, in 1867. His parents were both born 
in tiiat place, and spent their lives there. 
Our subject grew up in Germany, and came 
to the United States in 1885. locating in Scott 
county. Iowa, where he spent several years. 
He much prefers Nebraska to Iowa as a farm- 
ing and stock raising country, and since he 
settled here land which lie could have bought 
inr ten dollars per acre then is now worth 
sixty. 

Mr. Sindt has an elegant farm and has 
made his home one of the attractive places 
in the county by ornamentation, a splendid 



avenue of trees leading from the highway to 
his residence in the midst of a fine grove, 
the whole making a fine approach. So many 
farmers seem too negligent of these inexpen- 
sive but splendid additions to the value and 
beauty of their farms, which really cost so 
little except the time and labor spent. 

Mr. Sindt was united in marriage in 1889 
to Miss Emily Kruse. also a native of Kiel, 
Germany, who came to America in 1889. They 
are the parents of eight children, named as 
follows: Annie, Carl. Henry. John. Benjamin, 
Martha. William and Lena. 

Mr. Sindt is a splendid tj'pe of the robust, 
manly German settler, whose individual suc- 
cess lias added so largely to the success of this 
whole United States, and his wife and chil- 
dren are also of this stamp of German-Ameri- 
cans, industrious, intelligent and progressive, 
making substantial and worthy citizens of any 
community. The family belong to the Lu- 
theran church at St. Paul, Xebraska. 



JOHN A. WALFORD. 

John -A. Walford is one of the well-known 
residents and early settlers of Cheyenne 
county. X'^ebraska. He has given liberally of 
his time and influence in the development of 
the resources of the locality where he has 
passed many years, and takes considerable 
pride in the fact that he has watched the 
growth of the county from the early days of 
its settlement. Mr. Walford has a pleasant 
home and valuable estate in section 24. town- 
ship 17. range 48. a view of which we present 
on another page. 

Mr. Walford was horn in Peoria county, 
Illinois, on February 2.^. 1863. and grew to the 
age of ten years in that vicinity, .^t that 
time his parents moved to Iowa, settling in 
Adams county, where they took a farm, and 
his bovhood days were spent in (hat state, as- 
sisting his father in operating the home farm. 
In the spring of 1887 he came to Cheyenne 
county and filed on the homestead which he 
still occupies, originally proving up on one 
hundred and sixty acres, and has since added 
to this, now owning a whole section. He 
farms one hundred and twenty acres, and uses 
the balance as a ranch, running quite a bunch 
of cattle and sufficient horses for all farming 
and ranching purposes. 

Mr. \\'aiford's father is still living in 
Adams county, Iowa, at the advanced age of 
eighty-one years, but his wife is dead. John 
A. was the second member in a family of three 
children, all of whom are living. 




RESIDENCE OF JOKX A. WALFORD. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF PRANK A. HAND, 

Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



9^5 



'Sir. ^^^alford is one of the leading pub- 
lic-spirited men of his community, always 
lending his best aid for the good of the lo- 
cality. He is at present serving as school 
moderator of district No. 19. In political senti- 
ment he is a Republican. 



FRANK A. HAND. 

The prosperity enjoyed within the borders 
of Cheyenne county is due in a large measure 
to the enterprise and thrift of the agriculturists 
of that region. Their well improved and finely 
tilled farms evidence good management and 
painstaking care, and in no locality is this 
more apparent than in Sidney precinct. 
Among the residents of that locality is the 
gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He 
is a well-to-do and worthy citizen, and has 
gained a valuable estate by his persistent in- 
dustry and honest dealings, enjoying the es- 
teem and universal respect of his fellowmen. 

^Ir. Hand was born in Branch county, 
Michigan, on October 4, 1863. His father, 
Cyrus A. Hand, was a native of Seneca 
county. New York. His mother, who was 
Emma Fetterley, was born in Madison county 
in the same state. The former was a typical 
representative of the New England Yankee, of 
mixed nationality, the mother being of Penn- 
sylvania-German descent. 

Our subject grew up in Michigan to the 
age of twenty-one. In April, 1885, he came 
to Nebraska and located at Sidney, where he 
followed the occupation of contractor and 
builder for a number of years. He acquired 
a tract of land in Cheyenne county, bought a 
pre-emption right, and took up a timber claim, 
also homestead of one hundred and sixty acres 
lying in section 32, township 13, range 49. and 
during this time still worked as a builder in 
the county, doing most of his work in Sidney, 
a distance of six miles from his farm, over 
which he traveled every morning and even- 
ing while proving up on his land. His chores 
and other farm work was done after the long 
drive every night. His first house was a rough 
shanty, and in this hut his first child was 
born, the infant being one of the first white 
children born in that locality. Mr. Hand was 
able to gradually improve his place more 
rapidly as the section became more thickly 
settled, and he put up substantial stone barns 
and other buildings. In 1908 he remodelled 
the dwelling, making it one of the largest and 
handsomest ranch houses in the country. 
Gradually adding more land to his original pos- 



sessions, he is now the owner of sixteen hun- 
dred and ten acres, all situated in sections 
30, 31 and 32, township 13, range 49, all lying 
in one body. He farms two hundred acres 
and is extensively engaged in ranching, run- 
ning as high as two hundred and fifty head of 
cattle some years. We invite attention to the 
view of his handsome residence appearing on 
another page of'our work. 

Mr. Hand was married at Sidney May 30, 
1892, to Miss Alma Palmer, a daughter of 
James E. and Maria J. (Secor) Palmer, now 
living in Colorado. To them have been born 
the following children, all of whom are living 
at home and form a most interesting family 
group: Emma ]., Hazel A., Clara A., Vera 
A., Nora A., Lester A. and Esther Alice. Mrs. 
Hand was born in Wayne county. New York, 
coming to Nebraska with her parents in 1887, 
where he became acquainted with Mr. Hand. 
He and his charming family take a leading 
part in local afifairs, both social and politically, 
and they have a large circle of warm friends 
and good neighbors. Mr. Hand is a stanch 
Republican, active in party politics. He affili- 
ates with the Frank Welch Lodge, Ancient 
Free and Accepted Masons, at Sidney. 



JOHN JOHNSON. 

•John Johnson, for the past twenty years 
and more a resident of Cheyenne county and 
proprietor of a fine farm in Trognitz precinct, 
is a man of wide agricultural pursuits and has 
a thorough knowledge of his calling. In his 
early youth he chose farming as his vocation, 
and has perfected himself in this line, and 
through systematic labors and good judgment 
has acquired a valuable property and a home 
with all the comforts of life. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden, April 
16. 1863, and was reared there, following the 
life of the middle class of that country, re- 
maining with his parents until he was about 
eighteen years of age. He was the youngest 
of the four living children of his parents, an 
equal number having passed to the great be- 
yond. On June 3, 1881, he came to America, 
sailing from Liverpool in the Glasgow, 
landing after sixteen days in Quebec. He 
came directly west to Illinois, locating in War- 
ren county, where he followed farm work for 
six years. He then came to Nebraska, tak- 
ing as a homestead the southwest quarter of 
section 6, township 16, range 52, and has since 
filed on the northwest quarter under the Kin- 
caid law. He started to develop the farm and 
accumulate a competence, and while he had 



926 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



many discouragements at first on account of 
the unsettled condition of the country and met 
with losses in crops and cattle, he gradually 
forged ahead and was able to improve his land 
extensively. He erected good buildings, and 
worked into the stock business, at the present 
time having over eighty head of cattle and 
quite a bunch of horses. He has one hundred 
and sixty acres under cultivation, raising good 
crops of small grain, and has been very suc- 
cessful in both farming and the stock busi- 
ness, owning about eight hundred acres jointly 
with his wife. 

Mr. Johnson was married to Mrs. Bettie 
Nelson, at Sidney, Nebraska, November 24, 
1895. Mrs. Johnson was born in Sweden and 
was a widow with two children, Ernest Al- 
fred and John Oscar, when she was married 
to our subject. Mr. Johnson's parents are 
both dead, having spent their entire lives in 
Sweden. The family have a wide acquaint- 
ance in the locality, and enjoy the esteem and 
respect of all who know them. Mr. Johnson 
is prominent in local affairs and known 
throughout the county as a citizen of sterling 
worth and a farmer of intelligence and enter- 
prise. In political sentiment he is a Republi- 
can. Religiously he was reared in the Lu- 
theran faith. 



HARRY L. BARTLETT. 

The name of Harry L. Hartlett is a fa- 
miliar one to the residents of Dawes county. 
Nebraska, where he has lived for many years, 
locating here when this region was practically 
in its infancy, and has taken a leading part in 
its development and growth from its early 
settlement. He owns a well improved and 
valuable estate in section 6. township 29, range 
47, and enjoys a pleasant and happy home. 

Mr. Bartlett was born in Amherst. Massa- 
chusetts, in 1865. His father, Alfred E., mar- 
ried Rebecca Putnam, also born and raised in 
Massachusetts, and they afterwards came west 
and were among the oldest settlers in Ne- 
braska, where the father engaged in the farm- 
ing and ranching business. The subject of 
our sketch was but three years of age when 
his parents settled in Audubon county, Iowa, 
and he was reared and educated there, attend- 
ing the country .schools during his boyhood. 
At the age of twenty Mr. Bartlett came to 
Nebraska and settled on a homestead in the 
.southeastern corner of Dawes county, "batch- 
ing it" for several years, living near a brother 
who had settled here some years before. He 
proved up on his claim, and was in the cattle 



business from the first, farming a small portion 
of his place, and during the hard times work- 
ing in the Black Hills in the mines. He spent 
a short time at Deadwood. He filed on an- 
other homestead in section 12, township 29, 
range 48. and remained for four years, farm- 
ing during that time, but proved up also and 
located on his present farm in 1893. Here he 
bought land, put up buildings and developed 
a good ranch and has been most successful in 
every venture, the place consisting of thirty- 
two quarter sections, a large part of which lies 
along the Pepper creek. He has it all fenced 
and cross fenced, and devotes his time to the 
sheep raising business principally although he 
has about thirty horses and a few head of 
cattle. One hundred and fifty acres are de- 
voted to farming purposes, raising small 
grain, corn. oats. etc.. for feed for his stock. 

In the early days of Mr. Bartlett's residence 
here he went through many rough experiences, 
in travelling by team through the wild coun- 
try, surrounded by wild beasts and spending 
many a night sleeping on the snow covered 
ground. For some time he was employed as 
stage driver, carrying the mail from Hay 
Springs to Nonpareil, in PjOx Butte county, 
and at that time there were only three dwell- 
ing places on the road between these two towns. 

Mr. Bartlett was united in marriage in 
1893, to Miss Bessie Fenner, daughter of Brad- 
ford Fenner, an old settler in this state. Prior 
to her marriage Mrs. Bartlett was a teacher 
in the schools of Dawes county. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bartlett are the parents of two children, 
name!}' : Arthur, aged fourteen years, and 
Raymond, aged ten years. 

Mr. Bartlett is a Republican in his political 
views and takes a keen interest in party 
affairs. 



CLAUS ROHWER. 

The above named gentleman resides on 
section 3, township 32, range 44, of Sheridan 
county. He was born in Holstein, Germany, 
in 1857, and was raised on a farm there until 
twenty-three years of age. His father. Max 
Rohwer, who was born in 1817 and died in 
1800. and his mother, who was Margaret 
Rolnver, born in 1818, and died in 1900. never 
left the fatherland. There were three boys 
and two daughters in the fatnily, our subject 
being the youngest member of the boys. He 
started working for himself on farms in Ger- 
many when sixteen years old. but spent some 
time at home with his parents, and in 1880 
he came to .\merica, locating in Fremont, Ne- 
braska. Here he worked out on farms for 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



927 



two years, then spent a year in A\'yoming and 
a short time was in eastern Iowa. 

In the spring of 1884 he filed on his present 
pre-emption. He had shipped a car of stock 
from Walcott, Iowa, to V'alentine, and drove 
them from there to his farm. At this time he 
had two other Germans in partnership with 
him. He immediately began building a set of 
farm buildings on his place, and the house he 
put up then is still standing. During the first 
year he worked on the railroad and tli,e follow- 
ing year broke up some land and put in a crop. 
He "batched it" on his claim up to 1886, when 
he was married to Miss Annie Shicowsky, born 
in Holstein, Germany, in 1863, who came to 
America when a young woman, settling in 
Sheridan county. Four children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Rohwer, who are named 
as follows: Emma, Olga, Alinnie and Johnnie, 
all born and raised on the present pre-emp- 
tion. 

For a few years everything went along 
nicely. Mr. Rohwer raised a few good crops 
and was just nicely started when the dry years 
came, and from 1893 up to 1897 he had hard 
work to keep things going. He often felt very 
discouraged and would have left the place if 
he had found a buyer, but now is very thank- 
ful that he stuck to it. Times got better and 
he has succeeded in a marked degree. He now 
owns four hundred and eighty acres of good 
farming land, and cultivates about one hundred 
and thirty acres, keeping about fifty head of cat- 
tle and twelve horses. He has erected a good set 
of farm buildings, and has his land all fenced 
and cross fenced. During 1906 he put up a fine 
house and large barn, costing him about two 
thousand dollars. He is well satisfied with 
what he has done since coming here, and feels 
tliat he could not have done any better in 
either Germany or Iowa, and probably not 
nearly so well. He does not care to sell his 
holdings, and would not care to live any- 
where else, as he likes the location and has 
every convenience of a model rural home, with 
the mail brought to his home every day, and 
pleasant and comfortable surroundings. 

Mr. Rohwer is not a party man in local 
affairs, and never held any ofifice except lo- 
cal, and never sought one. He is a Republi- 
can. 

Mr. Rohwer is an industrious and energetic 
worker, and shows good judgment and marked 
ability in all his business dealings." He is 
much above the average in intelligence and is 
always interested in all that tends to the ad- 
vancement of conditions in his locality. He 
tells of the hard times he passed through 
during the drouth periods, and states that at 



one time he seeded about fifty bushels of 
wheat, and did not raise enough to get the 
seed back. Of late years he has raised as 
high as thirty-three bushels of wheat per acre, 
thirty of corn and about sixty of oats, and 
his potatoes have yielded a banner crop, go- 
ing nearly one hundred bushels to the acre. 



JAMES S. CAMPBELL. 

Among the active workers in local politi- 
cal and educational affairs in Keya Paha 
county, Nebraska, and one who has always 
taken a deep interest in the development of 
the commercial and agricultural interests of 
his locality, the gentleman above mentioned 
takes a prominent place. 

Mr. Campbell was born in Adams county, 
Iowa, March 28, 1858, and reared on his 
father's farm. The latter, Benjamin C. Camp- 
bell, served in Company F, Twenty-first Mis- 
souri Regiment, for three years, and had two 
brothers killed in that war. In 1863, while the 
father was still in the army, the mother, who 
in her youth was Elizabeth Scott, moved 'with 
her family to Adair county, and in 1871 mi- 
grated to Polk county, Nebraska. In a family 
of seven children, our subject was the third 
in order of birth. At twenty years of age 
he began farming for himself in Polk county, 
attending Cornell College, in Iowa, until he 
was twenty-six. He came to Keya Paha 
county in 1884, taking up a homestead on 
section 2, township 33. range 24. his present 
farm. He put up all his buildings himself, 
using the timber from his own land, on which 
there is also plenty of fine running water. 
During the first years he went through hard 
times, and was obliged to haul all provisions 
from Ainsworth, his nearest trading post. He 
had but little money to start with, and worked 
hard to establish his farm and home, but 
has been amply rewarded for his labors. He 
now has four hundred and eighty acres of 
deeded land and two hundred and eighty acres 
under the Kincaid homestead law, cultivating 
one hundred acres of this and using the bal- 
ance for hay and pasture land for his stock, 
of which he keeps from seventy-five to eighty 
head of cattle, part of them registered Short- 
horns, and thirty good horses. He has of late 
taken up the breeding of mules. 

Mr. Campbell was married in Polk county, 
April 13. 1884, to Miss Tennie Arnott, a na- 
tive of Wisconsin, who came to Polk county 
with her parents, David and Jane ( Forsythe) 
.\rnott, in 1882. Five children have been born 



928 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to them, namely: Arthur D., Evan H., Ellen, 
Ida and Flora, all living at home at present 
except Arthur, who is lumbering in Wash- 
ington. 

Mr. Campbell is a man of wide experience 
and superior intellect. He received a good 
education, and for seven 3'ears followed min- 
isterial work in Brown and Cherry counties 
in the Methodist Episcopal church. He has 
also been active in political circles, is a Re- 
publican and elected county treasurer in 1889, 
serving four years. He belongs to the Knights 
(if Pvthias and the ^^'oodmen. 



GEORGE GUNDERSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal re\iew is well known in Kimball county 
as a progressive agriculturist and stock 
grower, having up to 1907 been engaged in 
the sheep raising business, also a prominent 
shipper of his locality. He is now a resident 
of the town of Kimball, connected with the 
blacksmithing department in P. Maginnis' es- 
tablishment. 

George Gunderson was born in Florence. 
Nebraska, January 9, 1875. He is a brother of 
Hans Gunderson, one of the early settlers in 
western Nebraska, and was the second young- 
est child in his father's family, growing up 
on the frontier and is a typical representative 
of the sturdy native born and bred Nebraskan. 
A sketch of this brother appears elsewhere in 
this volume. In 1888 our subject came to Kim- 
l)all county and filed on a homestead on section 
30. township 14. range 53, proved up and lived 
there for several years, going through all the 
early hardships of the pioneers in the section. 
He sold this homestead and now has a Kin- 
kaid claim of four hundred and eighty acres 
in section 26, township 14. range 54, on which 
he raises sheep and horses, also farms about 
forty acres of the place. He has been very 
successful in his different enterprises, and for 
so young a man is the possessor of a tidy for- 
tune, gained through his individual ett'ort. 
thrift and good management. 

Mr. Gunderson was married at Kimball, in 
September. 1898. to Miss Gertrude Frederick- 
son, who was born in Denmark and came to 
the United States about the year 1892. They 
have three children, all bright and interesting 
young ()Cople. and they are named as follows: 
Icla. Helen and George Carl. 

In 1904 Mr. Gunderson was elected coroner 
of Kimball county, and held that office one 
term, proving himself a capable official. He 
is a Republican. 



ISADORE D. WHALEY. 

Isadore D. VVhaley, a prominent business 
man of Hyannis, Nebraska, has built up a 
good home and acquired a leading position in 
the affairs of the community through his in- 
tegrit)^ and honesty in all his dealings. 

Mr. \\'hale\' was born in Simcoe, Lower 
Canada, in 1863. His father. Milton Whaley, 
was a native of Ireland, and his mother, who 
was Loretta Green, was born in America, of 
Irish descent. He was reared in Ohio, the 
family having settled there in his early boy- 
hood, and he attended the common schools, 
and later the high school at Geneva. Ohio, 
from which he was graduated in 1885. He 
also took a course at Payne Avenue Schools, 
Cleveland. Ohio, and acquired a thorough 
schooling, which stood him in good stead dur- 
ing his later career. After leaving school he 
travelled for a time, going all through Michi- 
gan. \\^isconsin and ^linnesota. spending sev- 
eral years at ^linneapolis. engaged in the fur- 
niture business. He next went to Colorado 
and was in Leadville during the early history 
of that region. From there he moved to 
southern Colorado, then to New Mexico, so 
that by the time he was twenty-two years of 
age he had seen more of the United States 
than many men twice that age. and through 
travel had accjuired a wide knowledge of con- 
ditions existing in different parts of the coun- 
try. He returned to Ohio in about 1885, set- 
tling in Ashtabula county, and made that his 
home for about five years, then came west to 
Nebraska, his first location being Grand Is- 
land. After spending three years in that vi- 
cinity he associated himself with the Burling- 
ton railroad with headquarters at Dunning, 
and was in the employ of that company for 
two years. He came to Grant county, still 
working for the Burlington railway, and has 
spent in all thirteen years in the service of that 
road. During his early residence in this vi- 
cinity he had taken uj) a homestead in section 
31, township 24. range 31. Grant county, and 
now owns a tract of six hundred and forty 
acres. 

Mr. Whaley was married in 1885. to Hattie 
Williams, daughter of James H. and Hattie E. 
(Stevens) \\'illiams, the father a prominent 
veteran of the Civil war. and an old settler in 
Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our subject is the 
father irf three children, namely: Milton H., 
Ella and Charles. The family occupy a pleas- 
ant home in Hyannis. Nebraska, and are 
highly esteemed by all, and considered among 
the leading old timers of the region. Mr. 
\\'haley has always been actively engaged in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



929 



helping to build up his community, assisting 
in the development of the agricultural section 
and is a worthy citizen. Personally he is 
broad-minded and liberal in all matters, and 
has had a large and varied experience in the 
affairs of his country for so young a man. 

Special mention should be made to Mr. I. 
D. Whaley's children, and also his son-in-law, 
as they are among the most widely known 
musicians of the west. They have an or- 
chestra of their own and have played in east- 
ern and western Nebraska. Milton H. 
\\'haley is a prominent cornet player; Ella 
\A'haley, now Airs. C. E. Frostic, is a pianist : 
Charles Whaley is a clarionet player and Mr. 
C. E. Frostic, the son-in-law, is a violin player. 



HENRY GROSENBACH. 

Henry Grosenbach, of Emerson township, 
Harlan county, Nebraska, extensive land 
owner and successful farmer, came to this 
county in 1887, purchasing a farm in section 
1, consisting of six hundred and forty acres. 
He was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, and 
his father, Jacob Grosenbach, settled there in 
the pioneer days of that state, farming on 
forty acres, and eventually became a large 
land owner. He came from Germany as did 
also his wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- 
beth Rorebach. Our subject was raised in Illi- 
nois and farmed there up to 1887, then moved 
to Nebraska, engaging in mixed farming and 
stock raising, and from the very, first has been 
most successful. He has kept adding to his 
holdings in this county and is now proprietor 
of over two thousand acres of land, and is one 
of the wealthiest men in his locality. He 
devotes all his time and attention to his farm- 
ing operations, and everything is kept in the 
finest condition possible, with every improve- 
ment for the prompt carrying on of farm and 
domestic work. 

Mr. Grosenbach was married in November, 
1874. to Miss Elenora Ficht, a native of Taze- 
well county, Illinois, also born and raised 
there. They have a family of ten children, 
named as follows: Samuel, living at home 
with his parents ; Henry, Daniel and John, all 
of this county ; Edward, living at Lincoln, 
Nebraska; Lizzie (married), Katie (married), 
and the other three children deceased. 

The family are members of the Evangeli- 
cal church, and highly respected members of 
their community. Our subject and family re- 
moved from the farm to Mascot Village in 
September, 1908. He built a fine residence 
with modern conveniences. He has retired 
from active life. 



WILLIAM TOULSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is one of the foremost citizens of this 
locality. He is one of the early settlers in Ne- 
braska, and has done his full share in the de- 
velopment of the agricultural interests of the 
community where he chose to make his home. 
He lives on a well improved farm in Brown 
county, and is a representative farmer and 
worthy citizen. An interesting picture of his 
place will be found on another page of this 
volume. 

Mr. Toulson was born in the village of 
Caythorp, Lincolnshire, England, July 5, 1837. 
His parents were day laborers in England, 
where they lived and died, never having left 
the mother country. Our subject was reared 
in the locality in which he was born, with 
meager school advantages. He began working 
out at the age of six years, scaring birds and 
picking stones, doing more strenuous labor as 
soon as he grew old enough. He determined 
to strike out for himself, and in 1873 came to 
America, sailing from Liverpool, October 2d 
on the City of Paris, of the Inman line, landing 
in New York October 12th, locating in Craw- 
ford county, Iowa. He secured work, saving 
his wages with which to send for his family, 
which he did in the spring of 1875, they join- 
ing him in June. In 1883 he located in Ne- 
braska, settling on his present farm in sec- 
tion 10, township 31, range 22, where in time 
he acquired four hundred and eighty acres, 
of which he has since given a half section to 
his son. Here he was among the first settlers 
in this locality, there being but one house be- 
tween Ainsworth and Plum creek, the whole 
country being practically a wilderness. The 
place he settled on had no improvements what- 
ever, but he went to work and soon had built 
up a good home, and gradually added the im- 
provements necessary for running a success- 
ful farm. He and his son Tom together now 
own eight hundred acres of land, part of which 
is in a high state of cultivation. He also has 
one of the finest orchards to be found in Brown 
county, containing five hundred fruit trees of 
all kinds, in splendid condition. His garden 
is one of the best kept and most productive 
in the locality in which he resides. 

Mr. Toulson was married in Manham-on- 
Trent, England, November 5, 1860, to Miss 
Jane Hunt. Six children have been born to 
them, four of whom are now living, named 
as follows: George, deceased; Enoch; Mary 
Jane, wife of Oscar Mcintosh, of Washing- 
ton ; Ann Elizabeth, who married George Re- 
mert, of Ainsworth ; Rachel, deceased, and 



930 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Thomas. The two youngest were born in 
America. 

Mr. Toulson has always evinced a lively 
interest in all local and state affairs, and has 
held the office of assessor of his township, 
as well as taking an active part in all educa- 
tional and religious work in his community. 
He is one of those who organized and estab- 
lished the schools in his vicinity, and at dif- 
ferent times has held school offices for many 
years. He was instrumental in 1904 in es- 
tablishing Island Grove Methodist church, of 
which he is a member, and contributes lib- 
erally to its support. He enjoys the confi- 
dence and esteem of his fellowmcn. I^olii- 
ically he is independent in politics, support- 
ing the candidate whose moral character seems 
to him to be the highest. 



PAUL R. BORGQUIST. 

The gentleman above named is so widely 
known that the people of Cheyenne county 
need no introduction to him. He is a pio- 
neer of that region, and by his labors there 
has aided material!}' in the development of. the 
farming, commercial and social interests of 
his locality. He is now one of the extensive 
land owners, farmers, market gardeners and 
stock raisers of Cheyenne county, and has 
gained a fortune through business foresight, 
honesty and good management. He makes his 
home in Sidney precinct. 

Paul R. Borgquist was born in Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania. January 27, 1864. His 
father, who was a hospital steward, removed 
with his family to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1867, 
where the)' lived for about one year, and in 
1868 removed to Fort Preble. Maine, remain- 
ing only six or seven months. He was next 
stationed at the fort at Sidney, Nebraska, re- 
maining one year, then went to army posts in 
Wyoming. In April, 1871, he returned to Sid- 
ney and resided in that vicinity the rest of 
his life. He acquired a tract of land east 
of Sidney on section 34, township 14, range 
49, and accumulated over one thousand acres 
of ranch land. Of this Paul cultivates eighty 
acres and runs about one hundred and fifty 
cattle and thirty head of horses. His ranch 
is well supplied with good buildings and im- 
provements, they being located on Lodgepole 
creek. About two hundred acres is irrigated 
and part of the tract is devoted to market gar- 
dening, a very remunerative branch of farming. 

Mr. Borgquist's father. Cart E., was born 
in the province of Smoland, Sweden, May 18, 
1826, and came to the United States in 1849. 



He enlisted in the Mounted Riflemen, United 
States Army, for frontier service, and con- 
tinued in the armj- until the Civil war, and 
served as hospital steward in the medical de- 
partment until 1871. On his retirement from 
the hospital service in 1871 he entered the 
business world, opening a drug store and hand- 
ling a stock of general merchandise and car- 
ried on the same successfully for twenty years. 
During this time he became largely interested 
in a big herd of stock and many acres of land, 
and retired from the drug business in 1891, 
taking up his residence on his ranch, where 
he lived to the time of his death, August 6, 
1896. He was one of the stanchest gold Re- 
publicans throughout the silver campaign of 
those times, and was prominent in all polit- 
ical matters. He married Mary Kenney, a 
native of Ireland, born about 1838, their mar- 
riage occurring August 19, 1862. She still re- 
sides on the home ranch with her son. The\' 
were among the earliest settlers in western 
Nebraska, and passed through all the hard- 
ships of early Nebraska times. Our subject 
has one sister married, now living in Jackson's 
Hole country in Wyoming. Mr. Borgquist 
is a prominent Republican and chairman of 
the county committee since 1904. He is a 
member of the Knights of Pythias and the An- 
cient Order United Workmen at Sidney. A 
view of the ranch home with its picturesque 
surroundings is shown on another page of 
this work. 



JONATHAN F. YOUNG. 

The above named gentleman is numbered 
among the leading business men of Cody, Ne- 
braska, near where he has resided for the past 
fifteen years, and has become one of the suc- 
cessful and prosperous citizens of the town. 

Mr. Young was born at .\rkadclphia, in 
Clark county, .\rkansas, July 3. 1862. His fa- 
ther, John D. Young, was by trade a car- 
penter and millwright, and of Scotch-Irish 
descent, while the mother. Miss Martha Hum- 
phrey, was a member of an old Georgia fam- 
ily. Our subject's parents died when he was 
thirteen years of age, and he went to Jer- 
sey county, Illinois, where he lived with an 
uncle for .some years, in which locality he 
was educated, remaining until he was twenty- 
one years of age. He was the second in a 
family of five children, and began to make 
his own living when about fourteen. About 
1882 he left Illinois and went to St. Louis, and 
later to Texas, working in machine shops for 
se\en years at different places. He learned tel- 




ki:s.iL)K\CE UK W ILLJA.M TUULSUX, 
Brown Coiintv, Nebraska. 






< ^'^■^'#%^ 



2 #^^' 








"^fi^ljgP 



fi^ dW. 



PIONEER HORSE AND CATTLE RANCH, RESIDENCE OF PAUL R. BORGQUIST, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEXXE AND BIOGRAPH^' 



931 



egraphing and worked at this profession in 
stations along the main line of the Chicago & 
Northwestern in Iowa and South Dakota, and 
branches in Nebraska for a period of eight 
years. He first came to Cherry county in 
1893, and has been here almost constantly ever 
since that time, engaged in telegraphy the suc- 
ceeding five years. In 1897 he resigned and 
went on a ranch located twenty-five miles 
southwest of the town of Cody, and still holds 
a part of this place. He engaged in the lum- 
ber business in Cody during 1904. associat- 
ing himself with his father-in-law, John 
Bishop, and the}- have built up a large trade 
in this and the adjoining counties. He has 
erected one of the finest dwellings in the vil- 
lage, convenient to his place of business. 

Mr. Young was married in 1894 to ]\Iiss 
Laura E. Bishop, born in Monroe county. 
Iowa, daughter of John Bishop, whose sketch 
appears elsewhere in this work. One son has 
been born to this famih'. John Dickey Young, 
namesake of his grandfather. 

In political sentiment our subject is a dyed- 
in-the-wool Democrat, and takes an active in- 
terest in all party affairs, local and state, and 
has served as assessor of his precinct. His 
lodge affiliations are varied, holding member- 
ship in the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of 
Pythias, the Workmen, the ^^'oodmen and the 
hnnbermen's association known as the Con- 
catinated Order of Hoo Hoos. 



ABNER BLACK, Deceased. 

Prior to the demise of the gentleman named 
above he was one of the prominent agricul- 
turists of Deuel county, widely known as a 
successful and prosperous farmer and worthy 
citizen, and his family had the sympathy of 
the entire communitj' in their loss. 

Mr. Black was born in Marion county. 
Iowa, in 1855. and raised in a small town there. 
His father. Absolam Black, was of Irish- 
American stock, and a lawyer by profession, 
having a large and lucrative practice in Knox- 
ville and the surrounding country, and served 
two terms as state's attorney in Marion coun- 
ty, Iowa. Our subject lived with his parents 
up to the time when he was twenty-one years 
of age. excepting for about four years after 
he was fifteen, which was spent in Texas fol- 
lowing the ranching business in that state. 
In 1874 he returned to Iowa and was married 
there two years later and located on a farm, 
where they lived for a number of years, then 
went to Texas and lived on the state line for 
about three years. In 1888 Mr. Black moved 



with his family to Sheridan county, Nebraska, 
locating near Lakeside, and remained in that 
vicinity up to 1900. when they moved to Ells- 
worth. In 1902 he purchased the Ellsworth 
Hotel, and was also interested in land in this 
county, his sons having large ranches near 
his homestead. Mr. Black's death occurred in 
October, 1906. He left a family of two chil- 
dren — Fred, born in Decatur City. Iowa, in 
1877. and Ora. born there in 1878. The former 
was married in 1899 to Miss Alice C. Davis, 
a native of Williamsburg, Iowa, born in 1877. 
Mr. Black's widow, whose maiden name was 
Amelia J. Cox, lives on the old homestead lo- 
cated near Ellsworth. The sons are exten- 
sively engaged in the stock business, and run 
about six hundred head of cattle and fifty head 
of horses. Both own homesteads near their 
mother's farm. Fred having worked for the 
Spade ranch for several years prior to es- 
tablishing his ranch, and at the same time his 
brother Ora was connected in the ranching 
business in Ellsworth. Together they own a 
fine ranch, with plenty of hay land and good 
range, and like this region, as it is not so 
thickly settled here and best suited to their 
purpose in the stock raising business. 

^Irs. Black. Sr., is a daughter of Gabriel 
Cox. born in England, who came to this coun- 
try with his family when Mrs. Rlack was a 
very young girl, locating in Dubuque, Iowa. 
Her parents are now living in Kansas, and she 
paid a visit to them in 1906, finding them both 
hale and hearty at the advanced age of sev- 
enty-eight years. 

The Black family is among the prominent 
residents of Deuel county, and are highly es- 
teemed by all who know them for their in- 
dustr}^ and thrift and their true worth as good 
citizens and neighbors. Ellsworth is their 
postoffice and nearest trading point. 



ANDREW JOHNSON. 

Andrew Johnson, an old settler and enter- 
prising ranchman of Sioux county, Nebraska, 
owns a valuable estate in section 19, town- 
ship 35, range 54. He has always identified 
himself with the public affairs of the com- 
munity in which he made his home, and be- 
came widely known for his thorough apprecia- 
tion of the wants of the community and is 
universally esteemed and respected for his 
many sterling qualities. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Calmer, Sweden, 
June 27 . 1858. He was raised on a farm. His 
narent? were wealthy and he had a beautiful 
home and every advantage of the better class 



932 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in that country, receiving a good education, 
and spent a happy and care free boyhood in 
his native land. He remained in Sweden un- 
til he was thirty-one years of age. then started 
out for the new world, landing in New York 
cit)- in 1889. He came directly west, stopping 
at Leadville, Colorado, where he had a brother 
living, and made that his home for two years, 
engaged in railroading. 

In 1893 he came to Nebraska and settled 
on a ranch two miles southwest of Ardmore, 
and there he was married to Miss Helen John- 
son, who came to this country from Sweden, 
where she was reared on a farm. They built 
a log house on a homestead on which he had 
previously filed, and for about seven years 
worked at railroading. This was during the 
hard times prevailing throughout that part of 
the state, and while they went through many 
hardships and suffered losses from crop fail- 
ures and other causes, ]\Ir. Johnson always had 
plenty of money and managed to find work 
enough to keep them in the necessaries of life 
and did not sufifer the privations that fell to 
the lot of so many of the pioneers of the re- 
gion. He remained on that farm up to 1901, 
then settled on his present ranch, which now 
consists of six hundred acres, all of which 
is fenced and supplied with good improve- 
ments. The ranch is located on Indian creek 
and has a fine water supply, plenty of timber, 
and is one of the best improved places in the 
locality. 

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of 
six children, who are named as follows: Os- 
car, Mary, Alice, Sarah. Albin and a baby not 
named. They are a bright, intelligent group, 
and the family have a pleasant and comfort- 
able home, well liked by all in the community. 



EMILE SCHOEXENBERGER. 

Emile Schoenenherger is the owner of a fine 
farm in Rock county. Nebraska, not far from 
the town of Newport, which invariably attracts 
the attention of the passing traveler, who 
quickly notes that it is in the care of a com- 
petent farmer and good business man. The 
place is under good cultivation, and is im- 
proved with handsome and substantial build- 
ings, including a very comfortable residence. 
He is advancing in years, but still retains 
strength and vigor of body and mind, and is 
one of the most highly respected old settlers 
in all this part of Nebraska. 

Mr. Schoenenherger was born in the vil- 
lage of Waldrcsbach. Canton Schirich, province 
of Loraine, France, April 28, 1842, and during 



his boyhood and early youth found employ- 
ment in a silk factory. In 1865 he crossed the 
ocean, embarking at Havre on the sailing ves- 
sel A\'iller. and after a voyage of forty-two days 
landed in New York, from whence he went 
to Chicago. In making his way to La Salle, 
Illinois, it took him a month to reach his des- 
tination, as he was carried on by mistake to 
Rock Island, and he was three or four days 
returning to the point he desired to reach. At 
Ottawa he found work for a whole year and 
his next move was to New Orleans, where he 
worked till the outbreak of the cholera in 1868. 
From thence he went to St. Louis and thence 
to Highland, Illinois, where he found work for 
nine months. Returning to Ottawa for a year's 
work, he next went to Amboy and for seven 
years was in the employ of the Illinois Cen- 
tral Railway Company, two years in the round 
house and five years on an engine as a fireman. 
Leaving the railroad service he came west, liv- 
ing one year in \\'right county, Nebraska, and 
then, in May, 1884, he took up his residence in 
Rock county, settling on section 24, township 
31, range 17, where he still resides. He has 
passed through many and varied experiences 
and knows what pioneering means. But he 
has worked and endured and waited, and now 
a very large success has crowned his industry 
and persistence. He is the owner of a good 
farm, which he devotes largely to stock rais- 
ing and the shipping of hay, of which he sells 
about ninety tons a year. He has secured a 
thriving grove of about five acres, which he 
planted and cultivated himself, as well as an 
orchard of thrifty growing trees. 

Mr. Schocncnbcrgcr was married in 1892 to 
Mrs. Elizabeth Shilling. Her people were Ger- 
man and never came to this country. She is 
the mother of Henry. Mary. Henry (2), Min- 
nie and Lester Schoenenherger. 

To the subject of this writing, as to others 
I in the frontier, came various trials and trou- 
bles. In 1903 fire destroyed his barns and 
granaries, and his horses and cattle were 
burned in their stalls. During the prolonged 
dry seasons of 1893 and 1894 he lost his crops, 
and it required all his energy to save his stock. 
.\11 that, however, seems like a dream today 
in the midst of comfort and plenty. A Demo- 
crat in political affairs, he is a good citizen 
and seeks the welfare of all in his talk and 
vote. 

Jacob Schoencnberger. the father of Emile, 
was a foreman in a silk factory and a man of 
considerable iirominencc in his day. On his 
death the widow, with uncommon executive 
ability, filled his place for fourteen years, hav- 
ing charge of over a hundred operatives. They 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



933 



spoke both French and German, and reared 
their children with more than the usual care 
and intelligence. His wife was in maidenhood 
Elizabeth Marschall, a descendant of an old 
French family, and late in life came to this 
country, where she died in 1880. 



LEWIS F. FAIRCHILD. 

One of the successful of the younger ranch- 
men of Keith county and one who has done 
his share toward the upbuilding and material 
development of the territory, is Lewis F. Fair- 
child, who resides on section 9, township 15, 
range 40. Our subject was born on a farm 
in Illinois in 1864, his father being Lewis M. 
Fairchild, a prominent farmer in those days. 

Lewis F. Fairchild was reared and received 
his early training in his native state, not leav- 
ing there until he had almost attained his ma- 
jority. In 1884 he came west to Colorado, lo- 
cating near the city of Denver. He was a 
pioneer of the country about Julesburg, where 
he built up a good farm and home. He came 
to his present location and has been engaged 
almost wholly in cattle raising, of which he 
has made a fine success. He has built up a 
good home and business and has attracted 
many warm friends by his many excellent traits 
of character and his progressive methods. 

In September, 1889, was celebrated the 
wedding of Lewis F. Fairchild and Miss Al- 
mira O'Neil, daughter of Michael O'Neil, who 
was one of the pioneers of Colorado. Mr. and 
Mrs. Fairchild have had six children — Fred, 
Florence, Francis, Freeman, Oliver and Eliza- 
beth. 



JOHN FERGUSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this bio- 
graphical sketch occupies an influential posi- 
tion in the business and commercial circles of 
Blaine county, and is at the head of one of the 
leading financial institutions of the county. He 
is president of the International State Bank 
of Brewster and holds an enviable reputation 
as a banker and business man. In addition to 
this, he and his family operate a large ranch 
of about forty-five hundred acres, one of the 
best equipped and most profitable in the ter- 
ritory. 

Mr. Ferguson is a native of Scotland, born 
in 1847 on a farm. His parents, William and 
Jannette (Fleming) Ferguson, were farmers 
and taught their son the habits of thrift and 



industry which have made him such a success 
in life. 

Mr. Ferguson was married June 10, 1868, to 
Miss Jane Robertson, also a native of Scot- 
land. Her father. Robert Robertson, was a 
contractor. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have ten 
children — Bessie W., now dead; Nettie F.; 
Robert ^^"., John R.. George A., Hugh R., Ef- 
fie, Stella, Allen and Lyie S. 

The subject of our sketch was reared in 
bonnie Scotland, where he received his early 
education and training. Coming to America 
when he was a young fellow, he landed in New 
York city, leaving June 28, 1868. and removing 
to northern Ohio, where he worked near the 
city of Cleveland for two months. In Septem- 
ber of that year he came west to Omaha and 
worked in the Union Pacific railway shops of 
that city. He had learned the carpenter's 
trade and followed that line for some time. 
In the spring of 1869 he went to Dodge coun- 
ty,_ Nebraska, and settled on a homestead and 
built up a fine little farm home on a tract 
of one hundred and twenty acres, where he 
lived for twenty-two years. He came to Blaine 
county in 1891, leased considerable land, 
bought a relinquishment for his oldest daugh- 
ter and established a great ranch of forty-five 
hundred acres east of Brewster about ten 
miles on the Loup river. The ranch is finely 
improved with house, barns, fences, etc., and 
bears evidence of many successive years of 
hard and intelligent labor. 

Mr. Ferguson has weathered all the storms 
of adversity of pioneer times, the years of 
drouth and hard times and the financial crises 
of painful memory. And he has steadily in- 
creased his fortune until today he occupies a 
commanding position among his fellows. He 
is widely known as a keen observer of mat- 
ters of a public nature and his advice is sought 
on all questions of importance to the com- 
munity. He is a Democrat in politics and now 
a member of the board of county commission- 
ers, serving his third term. He has held sev- 
eral minor offices. 



DAVID N. BROWER. 

David N. Brower, for nearly twenty-five 
years a worthy member of the farming com- 
munity of Box Butte county, is well known 
throughout this region as a gentleman of en- 
ergetic character and good citizenship. He 
has aided materially in the development of 
that part of the state of Nebraska, and has a 
valuable estate in sections 14, 15. 22. 23 and 



934 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



28. township 24, range 49. The fine appear- 
ance and apparent thrift of his farm bespeaks 
the wisdom of his choice in locating there in 
the early days and remaining to become one 
of the substantial men of his county. 

Mr. Brower was born in Wayne county, 
Iowa, in 1858, and was raised on a farm. His 
father. Carrington Brower, was of American 
blood, and the family lived in Iowa during the 
pioneer days of that state, our subject re- 
ceiving his education at the country schools 
and working at home until he was about nine- 
teen years of age. then started on a farm la- 
boring for himself. He purchased a farm in 
Iowa in 1881 and farmed it for four years, 
when he sold out and came west. In 1885 
Mr. Brower came to Nebraska, locating in Box 
Butte county, at the Point of Rocks, driving 
through from Iowa together with a party of 
three other emigrants looking for a location in 
this region. They were on the road, camping 
out nights on the ground, arriving in this lo- 
cality May 1. 1885. .After staking out a claim 
and filing on his land. Mr. Brower built a sod 
house, stable and other necessarj' buildings, 
and farmed there for about three years, also 
freighted through the country from Valentine 
to other points, which helped considerably in 
making a living. In 1888 he left that place 
and came to his present location, which is sit- 
uated on Snake creek, nine miles from Alli- 
ance. When he took the place the land was 
barren prairie, and he went to work at once 
to improve it. putting up good buildings, fenc- 
ing it well, and has quite a large part of it 
under cultivation at this time. In the spring 
of 1895 a prairie fire swept the section, and 
he lost his barns, a large quantity of hay. wag- 
ons, mowers, plows, harness, etc., and suf- 
fered damage to the extent of many hundreds 
of dollars. Mr. Brower now owns a splen- 
did ranch of nine quarter sections, all in one 
piece, and he engages principally in the stock 
business, raising cattle and horses. He had 
a very small start on coming here, and consid- 
ering this has made a splendid success in build- 
ing up a good home and ranch, and has also 
gained an enviable reputation as a leading set- 
tler and one who has aided materially in the 
success and prosperity of his locality. He is 
a modest, substantial ranchman, who in his 
quiet way has made himself a part of the 
community in which he resides by giving gen- 
erously of his money and influence to every 
movement for the public good. 

In 1882 Mr. Brower was married to Re- 
becca Baggs. of Appanoose county, Iowa. To 
Mr. and !NIrs. Brower ten children have been 
born, named as follows : Susie, Betsy. Char- 



lie. Edith, \\illie. Harley, Elmer, Hazel, Roy 
and Alice, an infant deceased. All were born 
in Nebraska excepting Susie and Roy, who 
were born in Iowa, and all were reared and 
educated in this count}\ 



FRANK II. BARBER. 

Frank H. Barber, one of the most success- 
ful and well-to-do ranchers and farmers of 
Deuel county, Nebraska, lives on a lovely farm 
on section S2, township 16, range 41. He 
has gained prominence by his progressive and 
up-to-date methods and has made a mark in 
the community as a man of strong convictions 
and fearless adherence to the right as he 
sees it. 

Frank H. Barber was born near Detroit, 
Michigan. December 16. 1863. His parents, 
Gabriel and Meribah (Crandle) Barber, were 
natives of Canada, the paternal grandfather 
being French. 

The subject of our sketch was reared on a 
farm in Dunn county. W^isconsin. to which lo- 
cality the family moved about 1870. and where 
Frank received a common school education. 
He came west to Deuel county. Nebraska, in 
1885, taking a homestead in section 32, town- 
ship 16, range 41, on which he put up a sod 
shanty about eight feet square and six 
feet high. He had hauled sufficient lumber 
for a comfortable house, but the cowboys used 
it for fuel. He had only ten dollars in money, 
no horses, harness, nor saddles, he broke bron- 
chos for use as a team, borrowed harness and 
wagon from the cattle company and put in a 
crop. He worked for the Ogallala Cattle Com- 
pany as cowpuncher on the open ranges be- 
tween the North Platte and the Big Horn 
mountains, and trailed cattle from Keystone to 
Little Thunder, Wyoming, sleeping in the 
open all the time. He steadily improved his 
farm and stuck to it with a determination to 
make it a good home, but he witnessed very 
hard times indeed. During his trips to the 
west Mrs. Barber taught school and built a 
comfortable sod house to replace the small one 
in which they had been living. After he had 
been "dried out" by drouth for several years 
Mr. Barber installed irrigation and then for 
three years in succession saw his crops de- 
stroyed by hail. But with the passing of pio- 
neer days times became better, crops have 
yielded larger returns and the later years have 
brought material advancement to the finan- 
cial affairs of our subject. He now has eight 
hundred acres on the bottoms of the North 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



935 



Platte river, liis land being all naturally sub- 
irrigated and not nearly so liable to be in- 
jured by drouth as other lands on the higher 
levels. It is also all under ditch, so it can 
be irrigated from the top as well. He culti- 
vates all but about one hundred and sixty 
acres, with two hundred of it in alfalfa. He 
has a fine stone house, large barn, with sheds, 
together with numerous other outbuildings, 
and has a fine grove of trees. ^Ir. Barber for- 
merly raised cattle, but now he pays more at- 
tention to hog raising and has a small bunch 
of horses. Everything about his fine ranch 
bears witness to the success and prosperity 
attending its owner. 

Mr. Barber was married February 21, 1886, 
to Miss Carrie Clack, a native of Wisconsin, 
and a daughter of Henry and Ann (Blain) 
Clack, a native of Michigan. The father was 
a native of London, England, and immigrated 
to Canada, later settling near Detroit while 
the Indians were still plentiful there. His 
farm is now within the city limits of Detroit 
and divided into city lots. Mr. and Mrs. Bar- 
ber have four children : Burt, a graduate of 
the North Platte high school, class of 1908, 
is now attending the State University; Hazel is 
a student in the Lincoln city schools; Cecil and 
Edna. 

Mr. Barber is a strong Republican and 
stanchly supports the principles of his party. 
He was county commissioner of Deuel county 
for two terms, and has been school treasurer 
for eighteen years, and has always assisted 
in furthering every project that promised for 
the advancement of the local affairs of the 
locality in which he lives. 

Indians were still in the country when Mr. 
Barber settled here, as man}- as three hundred 
having camped on Blue creek. In the fall of 
1886 they killed cattle and made the settlers 
somewhat uneasy, they congregating at one 
time at a stone house for defense. There were 
many dangers in the early day that are easily 
escaped now. At one time while fording the 
river with his wife and her parents Mr. Bar- 
ber and the family had to sit on the backs of 
the seats while the water surged over the seats 
of their vehicle, so deep was the water. Mrs. 
Barber taught the first school of the district 
as mentioned above. 

Mr. Barber is a member of the Modern 
W^oodmen of America and the Alasonic order 
at Ogallala and with his wife has taken the de- 
grees of the Order of the Eastern Star. 

We present for inspection a view of Mr. 
Barber's premises, with its unusually fine 
grove, elsewhere in this work. It is one of 
the best improved farms in the county. 



JACOB B. SMITH, Deceased. 

Jacob B. Smith for many years prior to 
his demise was known as a prosperous farmer 
and worthy citizen throughout the locality in 
which he resided. He was one of the pioneer 
settlers in Sheridan county, Nebraska, and 
owned a valuable estate in section 26, town- 
ship 29, range 44, where his family still re- 
side. 

Mr. Smith was born in Union county, 
Pennsylvania, April 24, 1829, and was raised 
there. He. was of English descent, his father 
and six brothers having crossed the ocean to- 
gether in 1798 and settled in Pennsylvania, 
where they Were among the earliest settlers 
in that state. Our subject was the oldest mem- 
ber in his father's family of ten children, all 
born and raised in Pennsylvania. He remained 
with his parents on their farm until he was 
thirty years of age, and in 1867 left his native 
state and came west, locating near Tipton, 
Iowa, where he farmed for about eight years. 
He then moved to Ames, Iowa, and farmed 
there for eleven years, and in 1888 came to Ne- 
braska and settled on the farm mentioned 
above, located in Sheridan county, and re- 
mained on this place up to the time of his 
death, which occurred in 1902. When he first 
came to this place there was not a stick of 
timber on it, and he broke up some of his 
land, but during the first years he was unable 
to put in very large crops, and about three 
years after he located there the dry years 
came on and for several succeeding years he 
lost every crop. One season he put out eighty 
acres of millet, and could not even cut it to 
get the seed back, and went through all kinds 
of hard times. He experienced all the hard- 
ships and privations which the settlers of those 
times went through with hailstorms, grasshop- 
per raids, etc., and it was a number of years 
before he was able to get ahead at all. He 
gradually improved his farm and added more 
land to it when the good years began, and at 
his death owned eight hundred acres of good 
land, and his sons and daughters also have 
taken up quite a good deal of homestead land 
adjoining his estate. They do not farm very 
heavily now, and had about eighty acres of 
.small grain in 1906 and raised a crop of two 
thousand five hundred and thirty bushels in 
all, and whatever farming they do is very 
profitable. They are engaged to quite an ex- 
tent in stock raising, and keep about three 
hundred and twenty-five head of stock on the 
place and use all the farm produces for keep- 
ing this stock and do not market anything 
which they raise except wheat and potatoes. 



9Z^ 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Smith was married in 1862 to Miss 
Eliza M. Bingaman, a native of Gleniron, Union 
county, Pennsylvania, born in 1838. Her fa- 
ther was Jacob Bingaman. of German descent, 
and he fought in the Revolutionary war, and 
also in the War of 1812, having come to this 
countr}' when a young man. There were nine 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who are 
named as follows: Charles, James and Mary, 
born in Pennsylvania; William, Carson, Luella, 
Sadie, Frank and Susie, born in Iowa. Gray- 
son postofifice is located on this farm and Miss 
Susie is postmistress and has been for six 
years. Five of the children have homesteads 
adjoining the father's estate, a section apiece 
under the Kincaid act. 

Since locating in Nebraska the family have 
all enjoyed the best of health, and are well 
satisfied with what they have accomplished 
here. Mrs. Smith has revisited the old home 
in Pennsylvania, but has no desire to return 
there to live. They sufTered a sad loss in the 
husband and father's death and had the sym- 
pathy of the entire community in their be- 
reavement, as he was highly esteemed by all 
who knew him and a worthy citizen. 



JAMES T. RYAN. 

James T. Ryan was born in Jefferson coun- 
ty, Ohio, October 17, 1853, and was the son of 
Samuel Ryan, a native of the state of Mary- 
land and a farmer by occupation, and whose 
grandfather served in the Revolutionary war. 
Our subject's mother was Elizabeth Taylor, 
a native of Ohio. 

James T. Ryan was reared on a farm in his 
native state, receiving the education afforded 
by the district schools. He learned teleg- 
raphy when a boy and worked for several 
years for the Cleveland, Pittsburg & Wheel- 
ing Railway Company. In 1876 he came west 
to Bureau. Illinois, and engaged with success 
in agricultural pursuits for about five years, 
removing thence to Audubon county, Iowa. 
After three years in the latter state he came 
to Keith county, Nebraska, and in the spring 
of 1884 took a pre-emption claim west of Ogal- 
lala on the South Platte river, and very soon 
thereafter he took a homestead on which he 
proved up, since selling both tracts. He made 
this his home, living in a sod house and un- 
dergoing all the hardships anrl hard times of 
pioneer life. He experienced losses of crops 
from drouth and also by a serious fire that 
destroyed about four hundred dollars' worth 
of improvements; but he maintained his home 
on the farm and worked his way to success 



and a comfortable competency. He came to 
his present farm in sections 20 and 29. town- 
ship 30, range 40, in the spring of 1895, pur- 
chasing at first one hundred and sixty acres, 
and later adding a half section more. He now 
has a splendid ranch of four hundred and 
eighty acres in the South Platte river valley, 
all well improved. His trees are especially 
fine and he has seventy-five acres of alfalfa 
that is the pride of the farm. So far as he 
knows this was the first grown along the south 
river within the limits of the county. Tlie en- 
tire tract is irrigable, and one hundred and 
sixty acres are already under ditch. 

^Ir. Ryan has taken a lively interest in all 
affairs of local importance and has done his 
share in adding to the material growth of his 
community. He has held various local offices 
and is known everywhere as a conscientious 
citizen and a thorough and progressive busi- 
ness man. In politics he is a Republican. He 
is a member of the Congregational church and 
of the Masonic and Pvthian fraternities at 
Ogallala. 



DA\'ID H. BERG. 

David H. Berg, well known as a leading 
farmer of Dawes county, Nebraska, is a res- 
ident of section 30, township 30, range 47, 
where he owns a well improved and valuable 
estate. 

Mr. Berg was horn in Marshalltown. Iowa, 
October 2, 1878, and is a son of John Berg, a 
stonecutter by trade and native of Sweden, 
who came to the United States when a young 
man. David lost both parents when quite 
young, about four or five years old. Both 
died in Iowa. When our subject was five years 
old the family came to Dawes county with the 
grandparents, Charles and Grace Berg, who 
took up government land, driving overland 
from Valentine with a team and wagon, which 
contained their household goods. The grand- 
father, Charles Berg, filed on a homestead 
four miles north of our subject's present lo- 
cation, and their first dwelling was a sod 
shanty. They began to open a farm, planting 
trees and breaking up land for crops with a 
team of oxen which ihey purchased on land- 
ing here and with which most of their work 
was done for a number of years. Our sub- 
ject's grandfather died here in the year 1897. 
The grandmother, Grace Berg, lives in Chad- 
ron and is quite active at the ripe old age of 
seventy-eight years. 

In 1891 Mr. Berg took up a homestead in 
section 30. township 31, range 47, and proved 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



937 



up on it, constantly adding improvements and 
buying more land as he became better able, 
and is now owner of a splendid ranch con- 
sisting of sixteen quarter sections fitted with 
a complete set of good buildings, putting down 
wells and windmills, which supply an abun- 
ance of good water the year round. He en- 
gages principally in cattle raising, also farms 
about one hundred acres, on which he raises 
good crops of small grains, etc. Mr. Berg has 
done exceedingly well since locating here, is 
a thoroughly practical farmer and employs 
modern methods in all his operations. 

In political sentiment I\Ir. Berg follows the 
Republican party and takes an active and com- 
mendable interest in all county and national 
affairs, keeping abreast of the times by con- 
stant and intelligent reading. 



JOHN SIEFER. 

Among the well known and most success- 
ful ranchmen and farmers of Cheyenne county. 
Nebraska, the gentleman above mentioned de- 
serves a prominent place. He is a man of 
active public spirit, and a leading citizen of 
his community, residing in Eagle precinct, 
where he has a pleasant home and valuable es- 
tate. 

John Siefer is a native nf the village of Imb- 
sheim. district of Buchsweiler, province of Al- 
sace, Germany, and was born October 8. 1863. 
He grew up in the mother country, where his 
parents spent their entire lives. The mother, 
who was Katharine Ernst, is still living, but 
his father, Jacob Siefer, died in 1907. John 
came to America when a young man, sailing 
from Havre in the Labrador and after a stormy 
voyage of twenty-one days landed in New 
York December 7, 1881. Locating at first near 
Corydon, Harrison county, Indiana, he spent 
about eight months there, and then went to 
Iowa, remaining for five years engaged in farm 
labor in Boone county and on the railroad at 
Boone. He next came to Nebraska, settling 
in Cheyenne county, where he was among the 
early settlers. In the spring of 1887 he filed 
on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres 
on section 30, township 17, range 47, on which 
he made final proof and secured a patent to 
the land. He has succeeded in accumulating 
a fine tract of land, now being proprietor of 
eleven hundred and twenty acres. He has 
about one hundred and fifty acres under culti- 
vation, raising good crops, and has fine hay 
land and pasture for one hundred head of cat- 
tle and twenty-five horses. His residence is 
now situated on section 32, and he has the 



entire place fitted with good buildings and all 
necessary improvements. 

;Mr. Siefer was united in marriage to Miss 
Pada Frerichs at the latter's home in Chey- 
enne county on May 16, 1897. They have a 
family of seven children, namely : Hannah, 
Harm, Maggie, William, John, Mabel and Ella, 
all living at home, the elder children now at- 
tending school. Our subject is director of 
school district No. 69, and has always taken 
an active part in school and local affairs, help- 
ing in every way in his power in the devel- 
opment of his locality. He is a Republican 
and is a member of the Republican committee 
of Cheyenne county. He is a member of the 
Sidne}^ lodge of the Ancient Order of L^nited 
Workmen. 



WILLIAM S. ROWAN, Sr. 

\\'illiam S. Rowan, Sr., holds a prominent 
place among the prosperous and successful 
agriculturists of Keya Paha county. His home 
is on section 12, township 34, range 18. and 
his well appointed residence, barns and finely 
cultivated fields bespeak the man of progress 
and energy. 

Mr. Rowan was born in the town of New- 
ton Stewart. Scotland, in 1838. his parents re- 
siding there until their demise. They had a 
family of eight children, of whom three were 
sons, and of these our subject was the only 
one to grow to manhood. He remained at 
home until he was twenty, then went to South 
America, spending three years in Dutch Gui- 
ana as overseer for his uncle in large lumber- 
ing interests, and in British Guiana for three 
years as overseer on a large sugar estate. 
From there he came to the L'nited States in 
the fall of 1864. He landed in New York, im- 
mediately sectired work as a carpenter in the 
graphite mines of Ticonderoga, in the northern 
')art of the state, for a year, then went to the 
iron mines at Hammondsville. where he was 
employed at the same work for five years. For 
a time he mined graphite on contract and later 
was employed at Rodgersville or Lynn moun- 
tain as carpenter for the Hudson and Delaware 
Canal Company for three years. Being offered 
the foremanship of a large Virginia plantation 
and a tract of Florida land, he refused both on 
investigation. The family lived eight months 
in Springville. Iowa, prior to coming to Ne- 
braska. In 1884 he came west and located in 
Keya Paha county, Nebraska, settling near 
McLain Mills, on Keya Paha river. He re- 
mained there for seven years, then took up his 
present farm as a homestead. He had a lit- 



938 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tie money, but had to buy all his stock and 
machinery to start farming; he made his first 
garden with a spade and rake, having no team 
at that time. During the early days he had 
a hard time to get along; the family lived 
in a rough sod house for some years, then 
bought a house in the neighborhood and 
moved on to his place. He went through 
all the pioneer hardships and experiences he 
ever cares to. but has been well repaid for 
his perseverance and industry in that he is 
now the owner of a fine farm of eight hundred 
and forty acres and two hundred in the home 
farm, and six hundred and forty acres in sec- 
tions 29 and 30. in township 34. range 17, 
all cleared, mostly all in hay and pasture land. 
He farms about one hundred and fifty acres 
each year, and is engaged extensively in hog 
and cattle raising. 

Mr. Rowan was married in Brooklyn, New 
York. January 6. 1868. to Aliss Agnes Mel- 
bourne, who had waited nine years for him to 
establish a home for her. She was born and 
reared in Dumfries, Scotland, and was the 
sixth daughter of John and Agnes (Bauley) 
Melbourne. The following children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Rowan ^ Thomas. John 
M., Margarett, who died at the age of ten 
years ; William S., Jr., Violet, now Mrs. Don- 
neaud. of Keya Paha county ; and Andrew 
P., all living near their parents' home at this 
writing. 

Mr. Rowan is recognized as one of the 
leading men of his county, and takes an ac- 
tive interest in all matters that tend to the 
advancement of his locality. He is a Republi- 
can in political faith, and served as county 
commissioner for three years. In the old 
country he was a member of the United Pres- 
byterian church, while Mrs. Rowan was of 
the Established church. They are now hold- 
ing communion with the Free Methodists. 



HENRY VICK. 



.-\mong the leading old-timers in western 
Nebraska who have succeeded in accumulat- 
ing a handsome ])roperty by dint of industrx- and 
honest dealings, supplemented by thrift and 
good management, the gentleman whose name 
heads this review deserves special mention. 
Mr. Vick has a handsome home iti Union Val- 
ley precinct and is considered one of the fore- 
most citizens of the section, highly esteemed 
by all. 

Henry Vick is a native of the village of 
Letscliow. near the city of Schwan, Mecklen- 
burg- .'^chwerin, Germany, born January 20, 



1867. His parents, Karl and Dorothy (Schroe- 
der) \'ick. are still living in that country. He 
came to America in 1884, sailing from Ham- 
burg on the Moravia, and after a voyage of 
fourteen days landed in New York. The first 
year was spent at farm labor in Wisconsin. 

After drifting around in Minnesota for a 
time he came to Nebraska, arriving in Chey- 
enne county in the fall of 1887, and filed on a 
homestead in section 32. township 17, range 
48. and started a home and farm. He had a 
hard time to get along during the first few 
years, meeting with many discouragements 
and failures of crops, but gradually improved 
his place and bought additional land, put up 
good buildings, fences and windmills, and is 
now owner of a fine estate of twelve hundred 
and eighty acres. His elegant residence, 
lately erected, is situated on section 29, sur- 
rounded by ever}' necessary building and im- 
provement, with a good water system and fine 
young groves. We call attention to an en- 
graving of the premises on another page of 
this work. He cultivates about two hundred 
acr;;s. raising small grain, and has about one 
hundred head of cattle and thirty-five horses. 
Mr. ^'ick is a wide-awake, prosperous and suc- 
cessful ranchman and farmer, a typical repre- 
sentative of the west. 

Mr. \'ick was married on April 16, 1895, at 
the bride's home in Cheyenne county, to Anna 
Busacker. They were the parents of five chil- 
dren, named as follows: Dora. Lillian, Paul. 
Louis and Ella, who form a very charming and 
interesting group. The wife and mother de- 
parted this life April 16, 1905. and her death 
was a severe loss to her devoted family and 
large circle of friends, as she was a lady of 
most estimable character and lovely disposi- 
tion. 

Mr. \^ick is active in local affairs, at present 
acting as director of schocil district No. 20. 
In political views he is a Republican. 



ROSWEL P. SCOTT. 

Roswel P. Scott, one of the best known 
residents of Morrill (formerly Cheyenne) 
county, is owner of a ranch of seventeen hun- 
dred acres in Camp Clark precinct, and a 
man of influence and wealth. He has the dis- 
tinction of iiaving been the original resident 
of the town of Bridgeport, and the first busi- 
ness man of that place; he has always done 
his utmost to promote the welfare of the re- 
gion where he chose to make his home many 
years ago. For some years he was engaged 
in the real estate and insurance business there 




^[^:^' ^ ^4=^^^ ^=t^4=i^-^^--t— ^- - ^-^^^-i^^l ^'t 



KI:..SlUi-,.\LE Oi- llEXKV \lLl-: 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF PHILIP F. NELSON, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



939 



and to his efiforts are due much of the progress 
and development of the agricultural sections 
in western Nebraska, as he has been the 
means of bringing many settlers to these 
parts. As a young man Mr. Scott followed 
the profession of civil engineer, and has as- 
sisted in railroad building in a number of 
the western states. To him also is due the 
building of the Belmont and Brown Creek 
ditch through Morrill county, an enterprise 
that was instrumental in bringing him into 
this region which to his foreseeing eye was 
promising enough to induce his permanent 
residence. 

Air. Scott was born in Mahoning county, 
Ohio, December 15, 1863, where the first 
twenty-two years of his life were spent. Here 
he attended the common schools and at the 
college at Newton Falls learned surveying. 
Coming west he found employment for his 
talent in Colorado in 1885, and for five years 
traveled through all the western states, sur- 
veving in Colorado, Utah and Montana. He 
finally landed in Cheyenne county in 1890, 
to take charge of the irrigation survey and 
while here filed on a homestead in section 
3, township 19, range 50, proving up on his 
claim, and has since added greatly to his 
ranch. He has erected elegant buildings, and 
put many improvements upon his ranch, 
which is known as one of the most valuable 
in the region, four hundred acres of which are 
irrigable. He has three hundred and twenty 
acres under cultivation, using a large part 
as pasture and hay land for a bunch of cattle 
and horses. 

Mr. Scott was the fourth child in a family 
of eight born to his parents, Alexander and 
Harriet (McKinsey) Scott, natives of Penn- 
sylvania and Ohio respectively, and he has 
two sisters and four brothers now living. One 
brother, Elbert, came into Morrill (formerly 
Cheyenne) county in 1895, becoming a mem- 
ber of the firm of Bearline & Scott, dealers in 
hardware and harness. In 1897 our subject 
married Miss Jessie E. Poole, who is a native 
of Henry county, Illinois, and to them have 
been born the following children: Mabel, 
Esther, Alexander. Florence and John. Mrs. 
Scott is a daughter of Sidney and Dora (Cas- 
sell) Poole, well known as early settlers in 
Cheyenne county. 

Personally Air. Scott is a most clever and 
interesting gentleman, one who has read much 
and spent considerable time in study and 
travel, and is actively interested in everything 
pertaining to the good of the people in his 
locality. He is prominent in Masonic circles, 
having entered that order when but twenty- 



one years of age in Ohio : his membership 
was transferred to the lodge at Glenwood 
Springs, Colorado, in 1887. In politics he is 
Democratic. 



JOHN TRINDEL. 

The subject of this brief biography is of 
old Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, better than 
which it is hard to find. His father, Alex 
Trindel, was one of the early pioneers of 
Indiana and settled in the timbered country 
thirty-four miles from the Ohio river. The 
maiden name of the mother of John Trindel 
was Margarette Caster, and she was a native 
of Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Her par- 
ents were Americans of Dutch descent. 

John Trindel was born in Ripley county, 
Indiana, October 28, 1840, and was reared on 
the farm engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
The terrible war of the rebellion drew him to 
the front in the interests of his country and 
its flag. He enlisted in the One Hundred and 
Twenty-third Indiana Volunteers, Company 
H. Those years were memorable ones and he 
saw much service. He was with his regiment 
when the army started on the Atlanta cam- 
paign, thence back to Nashville where he par- 
ticipated in the battle of Nashville, next he 
was in the battle of Franklin and other minor 
engagements. Thence to Cincinnati and on to 
\\'ashington, from whence he went to More- 
head City, North Carolina, and then marched 
to Goldsborough, where his regiment joined 
Sherman's army. Mr. Trindel was present at 
the surrender of Generals Johnston and Hood. 
At the close of the war Mr. Trindel returned 
to his home in Indiana and followed farm- 
ing for vears until coming west in March, 
1884. 

John Trindel was married in January, 
1884, to Miss Mary E. Carlisle, who was a na- 
tive of Maryland, born in 1862. She was the 
daughter of John Wesley Carlisle, formerly 
a slave holder of the South, and Lucetta 
(Black) Carlisle, who died when Airs. Trindel 
was eleven years old. 

Air. and Mrs. Trindel have seven children : 
^amantha, born February 1, 1885; Ella, born 
December 29, 1887; Benjamin, born Decem- 
ber 22. 1888, died January 22, 1889; George, 
born November 12, 1889; Reuben, born Au- 
gust 1, 1894; Nancv. born Februarv 5, 1892; 
and Delia, born July 25, 1899. 

In Alarch, 1884, soon after their marriage, 
Air. and Airs. Trindel came west, locating in 
C'-ister ci'unty, Nebraska, on a pre-emption 
claim. After living there for one and a half 



940 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



years they proved up on their claim. During 
this time Mr. Trindel labored hard to get 
along as he had nothing to start with, and 
a great deal of the time he worked out by 
the day. .After proving up on his pre-emption 
claim he looked around for more land, and Oc- 
tober 16, 1887, located on his present home- 
stead five miles west of Taylor, on section 
25. township 21, range 19. Here he had a 
team and something to do with, and he met 
with good success for several years up till 
1890. Then the drouth years set in and sev- 
eral crop failures made times very hard. 
Nothing but the best of grit kept Mr. Trin- 
del on the farm, but he hung to it and at last 
things got better. He has succeeded in build- 
ing up a good home and farm and is favorablj- 
known as one of the leading old settlers. 



PHILLIP F. NELSON. 

Phillip F. Nelson, among the well-known 
settlers in western Nebraska, lives on section 
25. township 35. range 35. Cherry county. 
where he has built up a fine ranch and home. 
and is recognized as one of the prosperous and 
successful citizens of this region. 

Mr. Nelson was born in Denmark March 
12. 1865. His parents were farmers, and he 
was reared there until he was ten years of age. 
when the family, of whom he was the fourth 
child, came to America, settling in Clinton 
county. Iowa. living most of the time in the 
city of Clinton : later they went to South Da- 
kota, where they were among the pioneers of 
that section of the country, residing in Doug- 
las county for two years and for six years in 
Turner county. There they went through ox- 
team experience, and lived in a sod shanty 
for several years, and also occupied dugouts 
there during the early days. Mr. Nelson filed 
on a claim in Charles Mix county, where they 
had a hard time at first, and met with many 
discouragements in the loss of crops, hard 
winters, etc.. but gradually built up a home 
and farm. 

Our subject came to Cherry county in the 
spring of 1888, settling on his present home- 
stead on June 16th of that year, comprising 
three hundred and sixty acres of deeded land 
and four hundred and eighty acres homestead 
under the Kincaid law. When he arrived here 
all he had left after filing on his claim was a 
dollar and a half in money. He built a sod 
shanty and went to work at once in breaking 
up his land and raising some crops. For a 
number of years he had a hard time to get 
along, but as the times grew better he began 



to raise good crops and improved his place 
with good buildings-, fences, wells and wind- 
mills, and now has a good ranch, containing 
in all eight hundred acres. He engages in 
stock raising almost exclusively, and has done 
exceedingly well in this line of work. About 
1902 he began the business of drilling wells, 
in which he has become very successful, con- 
tracts coming to him from a wide circuit of 
country. 

Mr. Nelson has taken an active part in lo- 
cal affairs since locating here, and has held 
office of assessor at ditiferent times and has 
served as justice of the peace ten or twelve 
years. He- is thoroughly familiar with con- 
ditions throughout this part of the state, and 
has aided in the development of the resources 
of the region in a marked degree. He is a 
man of energetic habits, sterling character, 
and richly deserves the prosperity which has 
come to him. Politically he is a Republican. 
A view of the residence of Mr. Nelson will 
be found elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. Nelson was married October 10. 1897, 
to Miss Fredericka Svarfvar, a native of Swe- 
den. Mr. and ^Irs. Nelson have a family of 
three children, named as follows: Arthur, Os- 
car and Anna. 

Thomas Nelson, a brother, closely associ- 
ated with Phillip, was born in Denmark April 
15, 1852, and came to America with the 
mother, Phillip and a sister, the father having 
l^receded them the summer before. He has 
eight hundred acres of land in the sections 
west of Phillip's land, and is developing a 
valuable estate. 



JOHN BISHOP. 

The subject of this review is well known 
throughout the locality in which he resides as 
an energetic and industrious business man and 
worthy citizen. He is an old settler in Ne- 
braska, and has done his full share in the ad- 
vancement of the commercial and agricultural 
interests of his community. 

Mr. Bishop is a native of Lawrence county, 
Indiana, born at Bedford. June 17, 1829, 
where he was reared and educated. His father, 
Samuel D. Bishop, was a carpenter of .Ameri- 
can stock, born in Connecticut, and his mother 
was Miss Huldah Daniel, also an American. 
There were seven children in his parents' family, 
of whom he was the fourth member, and at the 
age of fourteen years he left home and started 
out for himself. He served as a soldier in the 
Mexican war, participating in the battle of 
Buena \'ista. After the close of the war he 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE.AIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



941 



came to Monroe county, Iowa, filing on a 
quarter section of land in 1849. After farming 
for fourteen years he next moved to Miles 
county, in western Iowa, and remained there 
for a number of years, shipping the first load 
of cattle from that point over the newly com- 
pleted Northwestern line. In 1887 he came 
to Cherry county, Nebraska, taking up a home- 
stead and living on it until he proved up, add- 
ing to his acreage from time to time until the 
ranch contained four hundred and eighty acres, 
all of which he recently sold. He built up 
his farm and had many interesting experiences 
during his long residence on the frontier. 
W'hen he came west he drove through from 
Indiana to Iowa, a distance of five hundred 
miles, in a wagon, and camped out on the road 
at night. During the Mexican war he served 
in the Second Indiana Regiment for one year, 
and when returning from Mexico, rode all the 
way from that country to Iowa on horseback. 
This was in 1847, and the whole country was 
then a wild place at best. He also spent 
some years flat-boating on the Wabash, Ohio 
and Mississippi rivers in the early forties, 
making a number of trips to New Orleans and 
back. 

In 1904, in partnership with a son-in-law, 
Jonathan F. Young, he engaged in the lumber 
business in Cody, and they have built up a 
large and flourishing trade. Their residence 
is one of the handsomest and best equipped in 
the village of Cody. 

Mr. Bishop was married in Indiana in 
1848, to Miss Mary J. Humston, a native of 
that state. Five children have been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, of whom three are liv- 
ing named: Sarah L.. now Mrs. Weed; Cassie 
B., wife of E. L. Kelley, and Laura B., now 
Mrs. J. F. Young. 

In political sentiment Mr. Bishop is a Re- 
publican. 



SUBSTANCE OF INTERVIEW \MTH MR. 

E. S. HILL. OF INDIANOLA, 

NEBRASKA. 



Taken Tuesda.v 



I came from Tabor. Fremont county, 
Iowa, in company with G. A. Hunter, Wil- 
liam Wygent, Mr. ^^'^'gent'.s son Day, L. B. 
Korns and Henry Madison. We left in the 
spring of 1872, and according to the best of 
my recollection, we arrived at the mouth of 
Red Willow creek on the last day of April, 
1872. I think that is the date. We crossed 
the Missouri river at Nebraska Citv, and came 



by way of Lincoln. Lincoln was a very small 
place at that time. We also came through 
Crete and York, both of which were new 
towns then. Then we came on up to old Fort 
Kearney, on the Platte, and so on up to the 
old Plum creek ranch. There we struck across 
the divide, and struck the Republican at the 
mouth of Turkey creek, where Arapahoe now 
is. We passed very few teams on the road. 

There was a log cabin or two at Arapahoe. 
Captain ^lurphy, of Plattsmouth, and George 
and William Colvin were there. William Col- 
vin had a small log shack with a few goods 
in it in the grocery line. From there we came 
on to Burton's Bend on Elk creek, where we 
found Ben Burton. He was occupying a log 
shanty, I think. He was following trapping 
and hunting. He came on with us a part of 
the way to where Cambridge now is. There 
was no visible wagon track we could follow 
after leaving Arapahoe. At Cambridge we 
found a fellow by the name of Mike Folev, 
who had a brush shanty on the east side of the 
creek. It was late in the afternoon when we 
arrived there. We had to build a bridge 
across the creek to get our wagons over. On 
the west side of the creek we met Mr. Foley 
coming down the Medicine with a saddle of 
elk on his horse. He met us very kindly, and 
told us of a good place to camp for the night 
and divided his meat with us. 

From there we came on, following up the 
river without any wagon tracks to guide us 
at all. We saw plenty of game along the 
stream — elk and deer — but we didn't get any. 
Mr. Korns went out and tried to get an elk, 
but did not make it out. We followed the 
river up to Dry creek, just west of the village 
of Bartley. We did not see anyone until we 
arrived there the next morning. We camped 
at this place over night. We found over on 
the east bank a stake driven into the ground, 
with a shingle or a piece of cracker box nailed 
to it, marked "Billingsville." We looked over 
the ground, and were very well pleased with 
the land and the location, and we all thought 
that some day there would be a town there. 
We learned afterward that this stake had been 
driven by one of a party of government sur- 
veyors. The next morning we met John S. 
King coming down the river on his horse with 
his gun. He had been to the mouth of the 
^^■illow. He was the earliest settler in Red- 
willow county. He had a shanty near where 
the Pat McKillip ranch now is. He had a 
shack down in the timber near the river. He 
tried to induce us to go back with him. prom- 
ised to show us the best land there was on 
the river, but we had started for Redwillow 



942 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



creek, and didn't like to turn back. So he 
concluded to go on with us. He turned 
around and returned with us to Redwillow 
creek, where we arrived that same night. We 
crossed Coon creek near where the bridge now 
is, south of Indianola. We got stalled in the 
creek, and pulled through only after several 
hours of hard work. We went on to the 
mouth of the Willow and camped. Mr. King 
was with us all this time. The next morning 
when we woke up we saw a little smoke jusi 
up the creek from our camp, and concluded 
we had struck a camp of Indians. We sent 
out scouts to investigate, and they came back 
and reported that Charley Moran, a govern- 
ment scout and wagon master from Fort Mc- 
Pherson, was in camp there. They had come 
over from the fort to hold a pow-wow with 
^^'histler. chief. I think, of the Sioux Indians, 
who had agreed to meet them at this point 
to have a talk. We camped there about three 
days with these men, and the next day we 
crossed the river — waded across— and Moran 
shot a very fine deer, which we brought to 
camp and divided among all hands. 

From there we went up the river five or 
six miles to look at the country, and then 
came back to the A\"illow and resumed our old 
camp. We looked around for a while, and 
finally concluded to make settlement on claims. 
\\'e were in the Lowell land district, but the 
ofifice was not open until the 12th of August, 
following this. 

I stayed here with a fcUow by the name of 
Charles Sanders. We camped on the present 
town site of Indianola. ' W'e were really the 
only inhabitants of this county that summer. 
Mr. Hunter and Mr. Korns returned in a short 
time to Fremont county, Iowa. I was wait- 
ing, before going home, to file on my claim at 
Lowell, Nebraska, which I did on the 12th 
day of August, 1872, and from there I went 
back to Iowa and returned in September with 
my wife and child. We had a very hard 
winter, and had a hard time to get along that 
winter. We went through a great many pri- 
vations to hold the country. Before going 
back to Lowell I met D. N. Smith on the 
ground where Indianola now stands. He was 
B. & M. land agent in this country, locating 
land for the Lincoln Land Companj'. and be- 
ing an old acquaintance of mine, wanted to know 
what I was here for. I told him I came out 
to have a good time, and liked the country 
so well I thought I would take a claim, and 
had concluded to wait until I could file on 
the land. He made arrangements with me to 
come back and talk matters over. He said he 
wanted to locate a point here that would be 



as nearly centrally located in Redwillow 
county as possible, and in his conversation 
said that he had a good show here to get the 
county seat when the county was organized. 

The next summer — the summer of 1873 — 
\\'ashington Hinman. Leslie Lawton and my- 
self were appointed by Governor Furnas as 
commissioners to call an election for the pur- 
pose of locating the county seat. The election 
was held on the 23d day of May, 1873, 
in an old log house, near the mouth of 
the Willow. At that election I. J. Star- 
buck was elected county clerk, George A. 
Hunter sheriff, myself county judge, B. B, 

Duckworth treasurer, Lyons county 

superintendent, and William Berger, William 
S. Fitch and B. F. Bradberry county commis- 
sioners. The first meeting of the county com- 
missioners was held in a tent which I oc- 
cupied on the town site of Indianola. After 
this election I went to North Platte to prove 
up on my homestead. I located on section 7, 
township 3, range 17 west, part of the town 
site of Indianola. The town site also included 
a part of section 18. located by Mr. Hunter. 

The same fall the Lincoln Land Company 
built a frame building for a hotel. It stood 
where A. Lord's hardware store now is. They 
also built another frame building sixteen by 
twenty-four feet directly south of where 
Lord's building now stands, which the com- 
pany loaned the use of to the county for 
a court house, until other arrangements could 
be made. They also built another building 
of the same size on the northeast corner of 
block 39, for a store building, which was 
rented to parties by the name of Allison & 
Woods, of Kearney, and occupied as the first 
store in Redwillow county. 

The first term of court in this county was 
held in this court house by me. I think the 
first case was a case arising out of a dispute 
over a load of buffalo meat, or something of 
that sort. Another early case was one that 
arose over an assault and battery. 

A fight took place in the fall of 1873 be- 
tween the Sioux and the Pawnees, near where 
Trenton now is, in Hitchcock county. The 
Pawnees were defeated by the Sioux, and 
those who were able to get away came down 
the river and passed through Indianola in 
charge of a government agent from the Paw- 
nee reservation. Later the government sent 
teams hired in the valley to pick up the plun- 
der and bury the bodies of the dead Indians. 
I think about ninety of the Pawnees were 
killed. While they were passing through here 
I had quite a little .scuffle with three Indians. 
I was sitting in the door of my place. I had 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



943 



pulled one of my boots on, and had the other 
in my hand, when the Indians came up to me. 
I fought them with my boot until the g-overn- 
ment agent saw the fracas and came up and 
drove the Indians off, and told me what the 
trouble was. 

During the summer of 1873 quite a number 
of other settlers came in and located on lands 
adjoining Indianola, and along the Willow. 
Our supplies came from Lowell, between sixty 
and seventy miles away. If we wanted a 
pound of sugar or a sack of flour, we had to 
go there for it. I went to Lowell quite a num- 
ber of times in the winter, sleeping in my 
wagon. Our mail was brought up by parties 
coming up the valley from Arapahoe, and I 
don't know how much farther. The mail for 
Indianola would be left with me. Anyone going 
out or coming up would get the mail and 
bring it in. This applies to the fall of 1872 
and the summer of 1873. 

We had quite an Indian scare during the 
fall of 1873. The Indians threatened to at- 
tack, and we called a meeting of the citizens 
to devise ways and means for protecting our- 
selves, at the Willow. I was elected captain 
of the company. I was instructed to write to 
Governor Furnas for arms and ammunition 
for self defense. I received a letter from him 
in which he said that he regretted that he 
would be unable to furnish arms for us, as 
the state had no arms at its disposal. So we 
didn't get them. But a little later we did 
get fifteen, or maybe thirty stands of arms 
from some source. They were sent to the 
sheriff for distribution among the settlers. We 
felt reasonably safe with the arms, but never 
had any occasion to use them on the Indians. 
Mr. Stenner was killed on the Beaver in 
1873. 

In 1873 the Indians made a raid from Kan- 
sas across the Beaver into Nebraska, and on 
the way killed Anton Stenner. He was shot 
in his wagon, and his family — his wife and 
children — came over to Indianola. where they 
have resided ever since. Some of them live 
here yet. They killed everything they could 
find on the ranches, such as cattle, pigs, chick- 
ens, etc. They ripped open feather beds, and 
gave the feathers to the winds. They crossed 
the Republican at or near Culbertson. 

There was a man who came over from the 
Beaver and said the Indians or a party of 
them were headed this way. We gave the 
alarm here to everybody as far as we could 
give them notice. That was Sunday morning 
the news came to us. We camped that day 
on the Indianola town site. We formed a 
barricade of the wagons, etc., and put every 



team inside. We sent out scouts to look the 
matter up. Ike Starbuck was sick half a mile out 
of town, at James Hatton's. He was brought 
in on a bed and left at the hotel. James Doyle 
had a band of horses up near Culbertson which 
he brought down here. He had a mare in the 
band that had a colt, which he left at home. 
^Vhen \\-e found out this was a false alarm 
with regard to the Indians, we wrote a note 
and tied it on this mare's neck and turned 
her loose, and she went back home, and that 
gave word to the settlers up there. This was 
on Monday. The next day we disbanded and 
dispersed. I was living one mile west of town 
on a pre-emption at that time, and when I 
heard that the Indians were coming I hitched 
up my team and came down here with my 
family and the neighbors. 

Washington Hinman came here in the 
summer of 1872, crossing the Republican river 
at the mouth of the Willow on the fourth dav of 
July with a portable steam saw-mill, which I 
helped put in place and operated during that first 
, summer I was here. I helped to cut the first saw 
log that was ever cut in the county. 

After the fight near Culbertson. one squaw 
got away from the Sioux and crawled out into 
the buffalo brush, and was brought down here 
by a hunter in his wagon, and left, as she was 
not able to go any farther. She had an arrow 
wound in her left breast, and one behind her 
left ear. Her papoose had been killed, so she 
said. We could make that out. She was left 
at the cabin of Mr. Korns on the west side of 
Coon creek. They tried to get her into the 
house, but she wouldn't go in. So he placed 
his wagon cover against the side of the cabin, 
and they put her into it on some straw and 
some blankets. The next morning we found 
her dead, and we took a mowing machine box 
and we wrapped her up in a blanket, put her 
in the box, and buried her on the west side of 
Coon creek, near where the present Indianola 
cemetery now is. This is the first grave we 
have any knowledge of in Redwillow county. 

William Berger was killed by lightning in 
the summer of 1873, I think it was", and just 
one month later Thomas Thomas was killed 
in the same way. He went out to feed a buf- 
falo calf after a shower, and as he set the 
bucket down the lightning killed him and the 
calf. I made twenty-five cofifins here out of 
goods boxes and slabs — cottonwood slabs and 
pine boxes. I presume twenty-five or thirty 
pieces went into this coffin of Berger's. The 
river was up when Berger was killed, and we 
had to build a boat to get over. When 
Thomas was killed, we had to ford the river 
with our teams, and the water would run 



944 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX-CE AXD BIOGRAPHY 



into our wagon boxes. His funeral was held 
one Sunday. 

The survey, when I came here, extended to 
between ranges 28 and 29. There was a gov- 
ernment party here in the summer of 1872, 
going on west with the survey. We held 
our election here in the year 1873, and the 
result was that Indianola was selected as the 
county seat, that is, sections 7 and 18, and 
part of another section. Sixty-three votes were 
cast at that election, which was held on May 
23, 1873. 



JUDGE EDGAR S. HILL. 

Judge Edgar S. Hill, recently retired from 
all active business, is one of the best known 
residents of western Nebraska. He is one of 
the older settlers of this locality, coming to 
Nebraska in 1872 and settling on a pre-emp- 
tion, and this land is the section on which 
the city of Indianola now stands. 

Mr. Hill was born in Wakeman township, 
Huron county, Ohio. His father, Leveritt 
Hill, was born in Bridgewater, Connecticut, 
and his mother, who was Esther Strong, is a 
native of Woodbury, Connecticut. Her an- 
cestor was Lieutenant John Strong, who 
came to America in the next vessel which left 
England after the Mayflower. The Strongs 
took a prominent part in the Revolutionary 
w-ar, and among those who figured in the early 
history of the United States, and Mr. Hill 
is a near relative to the Shermans and the 
Beechers. In 1856 he was a teacher in the 
public schools at Hamburg, Iowa. He cast his 
first vote for Fremont, and this being the only 
Republican vote at that point the Democrats 
refused to accept it. .\ftcr his father's death, 
the family moved to Tabor, Iowa. In those 
days this was the headquarters of John Brown, 
Jim Lane, and the Kansas anti-slavery forces, 
and in 1856 Mr. Hill enlisted in a company 
which was formed there to defend the anti- 
slavery party, with G. B. Gaston as captain, 
and ^iortimer P. Clark first lieutenant and our 
subject second lieutenant, and the latter was 
identified with all of the activities of those 
days. At one time he helped hide Jim Lane, 
afterward United States senator from Kansas, 
under a load of hay in order to convey him to 
a place of safety ; and he was intimately as- 
sociated with John Brown, Jim Lane. C. W. 
Cook, and all cii the men who were interested 
in affairs wiiicli eventually led nj) to the war 
between the north and south. His brother. 
Rev. Edwin S. Hill, was for thirty-nine years 



pastor of the Congregational church at Atlan- 
tic, Iowa, and during the Civil war served as 
first lieutenant in Company A, Fourth Iowa 
Regiment, and took part in many battles. He 
is now located at Redlands, California. Of two 
other brothers, J. C. is living, and J. M. Hill is 
deceased. 

In 1859 our subject crossed the state of 
Nebraska on the Califronia trail, fording the 
Platte rivers, his destination being California. 
When Mr. Hill first came to Nebraska he ar- 
rived here in company with George A. Hunter, 
L: B. Korn and W. Weygint, all of whom 
came from Tama, Iowa. Mr. Hill took a 
homestead and commuted, later settling on 
his pre-emption Mr. Hill farmed on a small 
scale. This place was located one mile west of 
town of Indianola, and he also had taken a 
tree claim of eighty acres adjoining the pre- 
emption, and he worked both these places for 
twelve years, and then the Lincoln Land Com- 
any purchased eighty acres of his homestead 
and laid out the town site of Indianola. This 
was done in 1873, and the Burlington & Mis- 
souri railway was laid through here in 1880. and 
the county was organized, Indianola being 
made the county seat in 1873. Mr. Hill took 
an active part in all these affairs, and he 
has since been one of those who has helped 
make Red willow county one of the most pros- 
perous in western Nebraska. He was ap- 
pointed commissioner by Gov. Furnas to or- 
ganize the county. The first white settler in 
this county, so far as can be learned, was 
John S. King, now deceased. For many years 
our subject was county surveyor, and acted 
as treasurer of the first school board in Red- 
willow county. He served as county judge 
for tw'O terms, being the first to hold that 
ofiice in the county. He enlisted in the Fourth 
California Infantry. Company G, and served 
for three years in lower California, .Arizona 
and New Mexico. All through those states 
the rebels were strong and tried to organize 
and carry the territories into the confederacy, 
hut were kept in check by the jiresencc of the 
Union troops. 

Judge Hill has the distinction of having 
married the first couple in Redwillow county. 

In 1867 Mr. Hill was married to Miss 
Delia Jones, of Dover. Windham county, Ver- 
mont, daughter of Solomon and Marj' ( Esther- 
brook) Jones, who came west and located in 
Tabor, Fremont county, Iowa, in 1857. Mr. 
and Mrs. Hill have three children, who are 
named as follows: George C. located at Crip- 
ple Creek, Colorado, president and general 
manager of the Frees S: Hill Lumber Com- 
pany ; Lena E., of Denver, who for the past 



CUMPENDlUAi OF HISTORY, REMiNlSCENCE AND UiOC^KArHV 



945 



seven years has been a trained nurse in St. 
Luke's Hospital. She was graduated witli 
high honors at the head of her class, and since 
entering the profession has been very suc- 
cessful in her chosen work ; and Frank, who 
died in infancy. 'Sir. Hill was one of the or- 
ganizers of the Congregational church of In- 
dianola, and has served as trustee and chair- 
man of the board ever since. At the first 
county election held in Redwillow county, Ne- 
braska, B. F. Bradbury was elected county 
commissioner. He died in 1905, and was 
buried here. The officers elected at that time 
were as follows: Probate judge, E. S. Hill; 
county clerk, Isaac Starbuck, now of Salt 
Lake ; county treasurer, B. B. Duckworth ; 
sheriff, G. A. Hunter, now of Los Angeles, 
California ; surveyor. Page T. Francis, now of 
Crawford county, Nebraska ; county coroner, 
J. D. Hill; cons'tables, W. Reddick and Wil- 
liam Wilson. 



JOHN FITZGERALD. 

Among the prosperous and successful 
farmers of western Nebraska, the gentleman 
above named occupies a leading place. He 
came to Box Butte county during the earliest 
years of its settlement and has remained to 
see the wild prairie region changed into a 
thriving agricultural and commercial center, 
and has the pleasure of knowing that a goodly 
part of this success has been due to his own 
efforts and good management. 

Mr. Fitzgerald was born in county Limer- 
ick. Ireland, June 29, 1857. His father. Pat 
Fitzgerald, had visited this country as early as 
1840. then returned to his native land. Our 
subject grew up there, and as a young man 
followed the occupation of farming. In 1880 
he came to America, and for four years after 
landing here worked at railroading, and then 
two years were spent in farming in Cass 
county, Nebraska. During his work on the 
railroad he travelled over a large portion of 
the country, going as far south as New Or- 
leans, north to Deadwood, South Dakota, and 
in other parts of the United States. While the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road was be- 
ing put through Alliance Mr. Fitzgerald was 
with that company, and later did considerable 
railroading through this county and also to the 
north, working for a while in a store in Dead- 
wood. 

Mr. Fitzgerald came to his present location 
in 1888, filing on the land as a homestead. 
This is situated in section 35, township 24, 
range 48, and he at once went to work to build 



up a good home, proving up on the farm in 
1894. After coming here his first team was a 
pair of mules which he used to break up his 
land and he still owns one of them, now twen- 
ty-six years old, which has done a great deal 
toward making his place the highly cultivated 
tract it now is. During the first years he 
worked out a great deal 'in the vicinity of his 
home, freighting through the country, as he 
had very little money to start with, being just 
nineteen dollars in debt after getting his farm 
under way. He experienced all the hardships 
and suffered the usual privations met with by 
the pioneers of those times, but gradually be- 
came better able to improve his farm, adding 
to his acreage as he prospered, so that he is 
now proprietor of a ranch of six hundred 
acres, located five and a half miles south from 
Alliance. This place is fitted with good sod 
buildings and every convenience in the way 
of modern machinery, etc., and he is now per- 
fecting plans to build a fine grout dwelling. 
He is engaged principally in stock raising, 
running at present about fifty head of cattle 
and ten horses. 

Mr. Fitzgerald was married in the fall of 
1888, to Mary Hutchinson, who was born and 
raised in Ireland, where her father followed 
the occupation of farmer and fisherman all 
his life. ;\Ir. and Mrs. Fitzgerald are the par- 
ents of six children, namely: Martin, John, 
Mary, Ellen, ]\Iaggie and Katie. 



GEORGE D. ASHWORTH. 

Among the early settlers in this part of 
the country who has aided materially in the 
upbuilding of the community in which he 
chose his home, the gentleman above men- 
tioned holds a prominent place. Mr. Ash- 
worth has resided in this county since 1885, 
and has always been one of the leading citi- 
zens in the developing of the commercial and 
agricultural interests of this region. Mr. Ash- 
worth is a native of Philadelphia, Penn.syl- 
vania, born December 7, 1839. His father, 
James Ashworth, was a plasterer by trade, 
and an early settler in Wheeling, West Vir- 
ginia, coming from Lancashire, England, in 
18S0. His mother, Annie C. Stroup, was of 
Dutch parentage, born in Germantown, Penn- 
sylvania. There was a family of six children, 
and our subject was the second member. He 
was reared in \\'est Virginia and at the age 
of twenty-one years enlisted in Companv K. 
Second West Virginia Infantry, and was 
among the first volunteers to offer their ser- 
vices to their countrv. He was under the. 



946 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



command of General McClellan, and with the 
Army of the Potomac from 1862, participating 
in the battle of Antietam and many other se- 
vere engagements. He remained in tlie army 
until the close of the war, receiving his dis- 
charge May 28, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, 
Kansas. He then returned to \\'est Virginia, 
where he farmed for a year, then came back 
to Kansas, engaging in farming and cattle 
raising until 1875. During the latter year he 
went to Colorado on a hunting -trip, in seach 
of buffalo which roamed the plains in that 
region. In the spring of the following year he 
visited the Centennial at Philadelphia, re- 
maining at that place for six months visiting 
a sister. From there he went to Belmont 
county, Ohio, and lived there until 1885, when 
coming to Nebraska, he settled in Brown 
county on the 20th of March. He at first 
first rented land near Long Pine, living in a 
log cabin for a few years ; part of the time he 
secured work in a flouring mill in Long Pine 
to make a living, having practically no capital 
to start with when coming here. In 1887 he 
settled on a homestead in section 19, township 
29, range 20, and here put up farm buildings, 
and improvements, remaining until he proved 
up on the claim. He now owns a farm of 
one hundred and sixty-two acres, with three 
hundred and thirty acres of Kincaid home- 
stead adjoining, and is engaged in hay and 
stock raising, meeting with great success in 
both enterprises. 

Mr. Ashworth has gone through many 
hard experiences since first settling in this sec- 
tion. He has had many misfortunes and finan- 
cial losses, but by dint of his energy and ^tr- 
severance has conquered conditions, and is 
now in a position to enjoy the fruits of his 
hard labor and take comfort in his old age 
with his competence which is a '—suit of much 
hard work and honest thrift. 

Mr. Ashworth was marriea December 9, 
1877, at Martinsville, Ohio, to Miss Mary L. 
Giles, daughter of Jonathan and Louisa Giles, 
of Yankee-English stock. Two children were 
born of their marriage, namely: Clyde and 
Anna Lilice. Mr. Ashworth has always been 
active in local affairs, and has held numerous 
offices in his community. He is Republican in 
his political views and a member of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, at Ainsworth. 



WILLIAM A. HOPPING. 

William A. Hopping, one of the old settlers 
of Perkins county, now residing on section 3, 
township 9, range 35, is one of the energetic, 



intelligent and worthy citizens of that region, 
and as such has gained a host of friends. He 
is proprietor of a fine farm, has devoted his 
entire career to agriculture, and is thoroughly 
versed in his calling. 

Mr. Hopping was born in Jasper county, 
Iowa, April 12, 1861. His parents were of 
American stock-, the father a farmer by oc- 
cupation, and our subject grew up on a farm, 
receiving a common school education and dur- 
ing boyhood learning to do all kinds of hard 
farm work. When he was a small boy his 
father died, William remaining with his 
mother in Iowa until he was twenty-five years 
of age, then came west to Nebraska, locating 
in Perkins county in 1886, homesteading on 
section 9. township 9, range 35. When he 
first landed in this country he drove from 
North Platte by team, coming by train to that 
point and having with him his family and all 
their goods including horses, cattle, machinery, 
furniture, etc. He built a shanty and went 
through all the pioneer experiences in getting 
his farm started, witnessing drouths and suf- 
fering crop losses, but never became dis- 
couraged even if it was hard work to , get 
along and make a living. He stuck to his 
claim, proved up on it and managed to add 
improvements little by little. 

Two brothers of Mr. Plopping came to the 
region about, the same time he did, and went 
through the same hardships in establishing 
their homes, and both of them, Sidney and 
Timothy, are now we'' -j-do farmers. The 
mother, one sister and another brother now 
own an extensive ranch adjoining our sub- 
ject's place, and all are well-known and highly 
esteemed as progressive citizens. 

Mr. Hopping's ranch is well fenced and 
cross-fenced, and he has a complete set of 
good buildings on it. He is engaged in stock 
raising to quite an extent, but cultivates con- 
siderable land, raising grains, hay, etc. He 
makes a specialty of horse raising, keeping the 
draft horse exclusivel}'. and he has some of 
the finest animals on the market. Every horse 
on his place is raised as a pet and can be 
safely handled by anyone. 

Mr. Hopping lias always taken a commend- 
able interest in local affairs, and has served 
as county commissioner for one year, his 
brother Sidney also holding this office for one 
term. 



JOHN W. TROXEL. 

John \Y . Tro.xel was born on a farm in 
Saunders county, Nebraska, in 1876. His 
father. John Troxel, was a farmer and pioneer 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



947 



settler of Saunders and Loup counties, Ne- 
braska. His mother's maiden name was Mary 
Groves, and she now lives in Taylor, Nebraska, 
the deceased father's biography appearing else- 
where in this volume. 

The family came to Loup county in 1879 
and engaged in farming, the subject of our 
sketch remaining at home working on his 
father's farm until 1894. John W. Troxel was 
a hard working young man and very materi- 
ally assisted in making the old home farm a 
success. 

In the summer of 1894 he carried the mail 
from Burwell to Almeria for four months, and 
then went to Wyoming, where for part of two 
years he was engaged at different jobs. In 
1898 he went into Custer county, working out 
for others at farm work and also did some 
farm work for himself. 

In 1902 John W. Troxel and Miss Hattie 
Gunnarson were united in marriage and one 
child has come to bless this union, Francis. 
i\Irs. Troxel was a native of Sweden, her father 
being Oscar Gunnarson. 

Mr. Troxel purchased the farm where he 
now lives in the fall of 1907, and he now owns 
three hundred and twenty acres in section 23, 
township 24, range 25, and section 25, town- 
ship 21, range 19. This ranch is in a desirable 
condition with good buildings, orchards, 
groves and gardens, making a good home, with 
eighty acres of plowed land now, but this 
amount will be steadily increased. Mr. Troxel 
is one of the leading men of the community 
and he stands well among his neighbors and 
friends. He is industrious and thrifty and is 
on the road to wealth and prosperity. 



D. F. FICKES. 



D. F. Fickes, one of the well-known citi- 
zens of Deuel county, is a prosperous and well- 
to-do farmer of Loss Creek precinct, Deuel 
county. His residence is on section 25, town- 
ship 17, range 44, and he is the owner of half 
a section of valuable land, adjoining the vil- 
lage of Oshkosh. He is a gentleman of in- 
tegrity and good judgment and well merits the 
success and enviable reputation which he en- 
joys. 

Mr. Fickes was born in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, January 11, 1858. There were 
nine children in his father's family, of whom 
he was the youngest. He grew up there and 
his brothers and sisters still make that locality 
their home, although both parents are now 
dead. In 1878 he left home and started for 
himself, going into Ohio where he remained 



for a time, then returned to Pennsylvania and 
followed farming there for several j^ears. In 
1888 he drifted to Tennessee and spent about 
four years there, coming to Deuel county, Ne- 
braska, in the fall of 1892. Here he took a 
homestead on section 25, township 17, range 
44, and still occupies the place, which he has 
built up into a fine farm. The home place 
contains three hundred and twenty acres, and 
he also has a quarter section of upland, culti- 
vating about one hundred and fifty acres and 
using the balance for hay and pasture. Mr. 
Fickes has erected good buildings of all kinds, 
and has every convenience for the proper 
handling of his farming interests. 

In 1884 Mr. Fickes was married to Miss 
Irene Fought, the event occurring in San- 
dusky county, Ohio, she being born and reared 
in that state. Both Mrs. Fickes' parents are 
deceased. Two children were born to our sub- 
ject : Howard, now twenty, and Orvin, seven- 
teen years old, 

Mr. Fickes is prominent in all local affairs 
and is interested in all things pertaining to 
county and state matters. During the fall 
of 1908 he was elected county commissioner, 
and will hold that office for three years. In 
politics he is a Republican and is one of the 
leaders of his party in the county. 

When Mr. Fickes first settled in this 
county he had poor crops : the years 1894- '95 
were almost total failures, making it difficult 
to get along. Since 1896 crops have been very 
favorable and Mr. Fickes is prospering. He 
now has a verv fine orchard on his farm. 



DAVID A. LAWLER. 

Another old settler who has done his full 
share in the upbuilding and development of 
his section is the gentleman whose name heads 
this personal history. Mr. Lawler resides on 
his well-improved estate in section 4, town- 
ship 12, range 3S. Keith county, and is a 
highly esteemed citizen and worthy neighbor 
and friend. 

David A. Lawler was. born in DeKalb 
county, Illinois, November 26, 1856. He is a 
son of Joseph Lawler, a farmer of that sec- 
tion who was born in county Clare, Ireand, 
and emigrated to America in 1849: and his 
mother was Ellen (Halborn), born in Brook- 
lyn, New York, also of Irish parentage. They 
were married in Dekalb county, Illinois. Our 
subject was raised in his native state, attend- 
ing the country schools, and was taught early 
in life to do all kinds of farm work. He lived 
with his parents until he was twentv-five 



948 



CO-MPENDIUW OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



years of age, then came to Keith county in 
1884, locating on his present farm in the spring 
of that year, building a frame shack as a 
dwelling, which he occupied for many years 
and now uses for a barn. His first team was 
a yoke of oxen, and he went through all the 
pioneer experiences, witnessing the drouths 
and grasshopper raids. For a number of years 
he did contracting and building through the 
country, then went into stock raising, all of 
the time holding to his farm and adding im- 
provements as he was able. Often he had a 
hard time to get along, on account of losing 
crops and meeting with failures in different 
enterprises, but he finally was able to get 
ahead and lay by a little, adding to his original 
tract, so that he now has a ranch containing 
four sections, including a section of school 
land, with nine hundred acres cultivated, on 
which he has raised as high as fourteen thou- 
sand bushels of corn and ten thousand bushels 
of small grain in a season. He has a complete 
set of good farm buildings and improvements, 
a large, commodious barn with many other 
outbuildings, and keeps quite a herd of stock, 
some two hundred cattle and thirty-five head 
of horses. He also has a good orchard started, 
and some small fruit. We are pleased to pre- 
sent a view of the home and its pleasant sur- 
roundings on another page of our work. 

Mr. Lawler was married April 28. 1884, to 
Miss Anna Wenner, born near ^lankato, 
Minnesota, a daughter of Peter and Gertrude 
(Tieman) Wenner, both of whom died in Ger- 
many. Mr. and Mrs. Lawler have a family 
of eight children, namely: Marion, Lester, 
Elma, Fern, Robert, Isabel, Lewis and Harvey, 
all bright and interesting young people, and 
they have a pleasant home and a host of 
friends in the community. Our subject has 
held school office for years past, and has 
helped establish and maintain the schools in 
his locality In 1888 he was elected county 
commissioner on the Democratic ticket, and 
takes an active part in local politics. He, with 
his famiF, . is a member of the Catholic church 
and affiliates with the Modern W'oodmen and 
the .-\merican Order of Protection. 



JULES E. TISSOT. 

Jules E. Tissot was born in Renan. P.erne, 
Switzerland, in 1864. He was raised there, 
remaining with his parents until the death of 
hi* father, in 187.^. and came to .America in 
1883, landing in New York March 1st, of that 
year. He was joined here by his mother, in 
1885, who now lives with her son. He is the 



youngest of four sons, three coming to this 
country and settling here. When he arrived 
in this country he had a small amount of 
money, and he went directly to Wisconsin 
where he stayed for a time, then went back to 
Ohio and spent one year. In the spring of 
1884 he started for the west, and stopped in 
Knox county, Nebraska, for a short time, then 
came on to Sheridan county. Here he filed on 
a pre-emption, located in section 9, township 
29. range 45. and proved up on it as a home- 
stead. He also took up a tree claim, and later 
sold his relinquishment and his homestead and 
moved to the sand hills in 1890, locating near 
what is now Luella Postoffice, where he en- 
gaged in the ranching business. 

Mr. Tissot lived on this place for several 
years, and was there during the Indian scare, 
but remained there through the dangerous 
time, and never had any serious trouble with 
the redskins. When he landed in this region 
the road ended at \'alentine, and he filed on a 
pre-emption and started to work for the Hunter 
& Evans outfit, remaining with that firm dur- 
ing the winter of 1884-"85, and continued work- 
ing out on different ranches up to 1887. Dur- 
ing the latter year he was married to Miss 
Jennie \'anCamp, born in Wisconsin in 1870. 
They had two children, namely: Arthur E. 
and Mabel J., and in 1895 the mother died. 
Two years later Mr. Tissot was married to 
Miss Cecile Franc, a native of Switzerland, 
born in 1864. who came to America in 1897. 
Her father. Louis Henry Franc, was engaged 
in the hotel and butcher business in that coun- 
try, and neither parent ever left their native 
land. Three children resulted from this mar- 
riage, named as follows: Jules H.. Cecile and 
Ernest Eugene, all of whom were born and 
raised in this locality. 

Mr. Tissot settled on his homestead in 
1887. putting up his first buildings of sod. 
During the first years he farmed, but during 
the dry years he quit trying to farm any, and 
went into the stock raising business, which 
helped him out to considerable extent. He 
had a hard time to keep in feed, being obliged 
to haul hay for twenty-one miles with which 
to keep his stock. In the spring of 1905 he 
sold thirteen hundred and sixty acres of deeded 
land and three hundred and fifty-seven head 
of cattle and nineteen horses, besides all farm- 
ing tools, and moved to California, where he 
invested in a fruit ranch. He paid ten thou- 
sand dollars for this ranch, and in less than 
a year sold it for fifteen thousand five hundred' 
dollars, which was pretty good interest on his 
money. He went out there principally for his 
health, but did not entirely recover it, and in 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



94i 



1906 returned to Sheridan county. He has not 
as yet purchased any land here, but intends to 
invest in this county. He may buy back his 
old place, as he has it in fine shape, supplied 
with an irrigation plant. He was secretary of 
the Mirage Irrigation Company in his lo- 
cality during all the time he lived in that lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Tissot has done exceedingly well since 
coming to Nebraska, and has accumulated a 
large estate here, and will undoubtedly make 
this his future home, as he states he would 
never go east to live. He was postmaster at 
Mirage for nine years, and has held local oiifice 
at different times, but never taken any active 
part in politics, although he is a straight Re- 
publican. He cast his first vote for a Re- 
publican candidate and has voted that way 
ever since. 



GUST ERICKSON. 

Gust Erickson, a prosperous and successful 
farmer and ranchman of Trognitz precinct, 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, and highly re- 
spected for his many good qualities, was born 
in Sweden on April 22. 1856, and raised and 
educated tliere, following farming in that coun- 
try during his young manhood. Mr. Erick- 
son's parents lived and died in their native 
country. When our subject was about twen- 
ty-five years of age he came to America by 
way of Goettenberg, Hull and Liverpool, 
landing in Quebec in June of 1881. He went 
directly west, locating in Roseville. Warren 
county, Illinois, where he remained for about 
seven years, working about two years on the 
railroad section and for five and a half years 
followed tiling near that place, then went 
further west, -settling in Kansas, but did not 
like the country very well and only spent a 
year there, then came to Cheyenne county, 
arriving here in the spring of 1889, pre-empt- 
ing a quarter section of land. 

\\'hen Mr. Erickson first arrived in this 
section, there were but few white settlers in 
the vicinity where he took up a homestead, 
which was in section 6, township 16. range 
52, and there was but little being done in the 
way of improving the country. He at once 
went to work to build up a home and develop 
a farm, proving up on his homestead and 
gradually adding substantial buildings and im- 
provements. He now has a farm of three hun- 
dred ^nd twenty acres, part of this being a 
Kincaid claim which he took in 1903. He has 
about seventy acres cultivated, and the bal- 
ance in hay land and pasture. He keeps forty 



head of cattle and a small bunch of horses, and 
is on the high road to wealth, devoting all his 
time and attention to his farm, and as one of 
the old settlers he can contemplate the growth 
of the county, the history of which he knows 
by personal experience from a very early day. 

Kir. Erickson was married in Warren 
county, Illinois, in 1884, to Mary Carlson, who 
died in Cheyenne county in July, 1894. Mrs. 
Erickson was a native of Sweden. She left a 
famih- of three children, namely: Edith, Ma- 
bel and Edwin. 

Since coming to western Nebraska Mr. 
Erickson has done his full share toward the 
development of the commercial and farming 
interests of his locality, taking an active part 
in local matters generally. He is Republican 
in politics and a member of the Free Mission 
church. 



JOHN POTMESIL, Jr. 

John Potmesil, Jr.. who is today one of the 
worthy representatives of the best agricultural 
interests of Dawes county, Nebraska, has 
done much toward building up the locality in 
which he resides. 

Mr. Potmesil was born in Bohemia in 1871 
on a farm, and is a son of John Potmesil. Sr., 
also born and raised in that country, who 
served in the army in Italy in 1865, during 
the Austria-Italian war. He married Rose 
Sixta, also born and raised in Bohemia, where 
they married and where they had five children, 
of whom our subject was the second member, 
named as follows: Anna, James, Rose, Sil- 
vine, Frank and then later, Alice, who was 
born in Box Butte county, Nebraska. The 
family came to America in 1882. landing in 
New York city, and immediately struck out 
for the west, locating in Saunders county, Ne- 
braska, where they made their home for three 
years, farming in that vicinity. In May of the 
latter year they came to the western part of 
the state, driving through with a team and 
covered wagon, camping out at night, and 
when they landed here they had just one sack 
of flour and fifty cents in money to start with. 
Our subject and a sister had stopped at Valen- 
tine, where they worked out by the week for 
some time. 

The father selected a tract of land located 
near the Niobrara river, where his first build- 
ing was a sod shanty, and he went to work 
picking up bones and hauling them for thirty 
miles where he sold them to make a living for 
his family. On two difl:'erent occasions he 
was caught in severe snow storms and suf- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REAIJNISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



fered terribly from exposure, and one time 
shortly after settling here he made a trip 
of one hundred and fifty miles from their 
homestead to \'alentine to get a sack of flour 
which he had left there on their way through 
from the east. This trip consumed quite a 
number of days to accomplish, as the roads 
were rough and unbroken, and he camped out 
at night under his wagon, ^^'hile he was away 
the family were left without any protection 
and in danger of wild beasts which roamed 
the region, also from the Indians, and they had 
barely enough to eat to last them until he re- 
titrned ; but this is only one of the many in- 
stances where they suffered bj- the hard ex- 
periences of those early days. Our subject 
and his father bought ox teams after locating 
here, with which they broke up their land and 
put in crops, and they bought their first cow- 
in the fall of 1885, purchasing her from the 
proceeds derived from their bone picking. 
They had just got nicely started when the 
drouths came and then the}' lost considerable 
money through failures of crops, and as they 
could not do much in the way of farming, de- 
cided to go into the cattle business, and this 
was a lucky venture for them, as they have 
built up a good home through their success 
in this line of work. 

John and his brother. James, each took up 
a homestead in section 30, township 29, range 
47, and together they now own a ranch of 
five thousand acres lying along the Niobrara 
river, three hundred acres of which is irri- 
gated, all of it fenced and improved. They 
have good barns and sheds, a fine system of 
water works, stock yards, etc., and farm two 
hundred acres, keeping about fiVe hundred 
head of cattle and one hundred horses. Mr. 
Potmesil is a Republican and a strong party 
man. 



H. E. HART. 



Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community of township, none 

stands on a higher plane as a prosperous and 
energetic citizen than H. E. Hart. He is the 
proprietor of a fine farm and pleasant home, 
and numbered among the leading men in Keya 
Paha county, who is doing all in his power 
to build up and develop its agricultural and 
commercial resources. 

Mr. Hart was born in Green county. Wis- 
consin, in 1876. When he was seven years 
of age his parents moved to .Arkansas, where 
they remained for a year and a half, then 
came to Ord, Nebraska. His father, Philip 



Hart, was a farmer all his life, of German 
descent, and both he and his wife, who was 
Miss Elizabeth Verlie, were born in Wis- 
consin. They had three children, our subject 
being the eldest. At the age of eighteen years 
he started out for himself, following farm 
work in Nebraska, and has stuck to that busi- 
ness ever since. He bought his present home- 
stead located on section 31, township 35, 
range 17, consisting of three hundred and 
twenty acres, and this he has well improved 
with good buildings, fences, etc. He farms 
about two hundred acres, and runs quite a 
number of cattle, leaning mostly towards the 
hog business, and keeps two hundred of these 
animals all the time. He only has horses 
enough for farm use, and finds that raising 
hogs for market is very profitable. 

Mr. Hart was married in 1895 to Miss 
Esther L. Wallace, born in Merrick county, 
Nebraska, in 1879. Her people were of Eng- 
lish descent, born in America, who settled 
in this state about 1877, and still live three- 
quarters of a mile from the place on which 
they settled when first landing here. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hart have one child. Florence E. 

Mr. Hart is a Democrat, and although he 
takes an interest in local affairs, is not in any 
sense of the word a public man, preferring to 
devote his time to the development and im- 
provement of his farm and home. 



JOHN C. STEWARD. 

Mr. Steward was born in Henry county, 
Illinois. September 4, 1859, being the eldest 
of eight children. He lived in Illinois until 
1884 and came to Dawson county, Nebraska, 
in the spring of 1885. In the fall of 1885 he 
came to Deuel county (then Cheyenne coun- 
ty), and took up a homestead on southwest 
quarter, section 34, township 15, range 43, on 
which he put up a house and moved into same 
on March ZS. 1886. In 1905 he sold the farm, 
and now resides on northwest quarter, section 
12, township 12, range 42, Deuel county, 
where he owns one hundred and sixty acres 
of land. He is a farmer and stockraiser and 
formerly had large cattle interests. Mr. 
Steward has passed through the different 
times in Nebraska and is now one of the suc- 
cessful men in Deuel county. 

Mr. Steward was married in lUircau coun- 
ty. Illinois, December 17, 1882. to Sarah Esta- 
brodk. a native of Illinois. They have nine 
children, named as follows: Alice M., Rlanch 
\'., married to Loren D. Root and living in 
Keith county. Nebraska; Archie C, Gertrude 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



951 



Irene, Pearl Y., Clarence L., Ruby M., Ruth 
and Marvin D. 

At the time Mr, Steward settled in Deuel 
county, the country was new and thinly set- 
tled. The hardships the settlers were com- 
pelled to endure, were severe, and Mr. Stew- 
ard has had his full share. In those days, the 
settlers were satisfied if they could secure the 
necessities of life and the luxuries were un- 
known. When Mr. Steward settled in Deuel 
county, he lived in a house partly built of 
sod ; even this was a step forward, for many 
houses were constructed entirely of sod. He 
at first had a pair of ponies to use in his work 
and later, a yoke of oxen. Good water was 
hard to secure, inasmuch as the settlers were 
not equipped with the necessary tools with 
which to dig wells. Water was hauled by 
Mr. Steward a distance of seven miles, and 
when he dug his first well, it was necessary to 
go down two hundred and thirty-six feet ; his 
second well was two hundred and fifty feet 
deep. To add to the troubles of the pioneers, 
crops were uncertain ; so little of the country 
was settled and the soil broken, that drouths 
were frequent, and many crops were almost or 
totally destroyed. At the time Mr. Steward 
lost his .crops by drouth, he was compelled 
to work out and went to Colorado, where he 
secured employment. Later he returned to 
Deuel county and by hard labor and perse- 
verance, has now a well improved place, 
equipped with all that is necessary to carry 
on successful operations. He has good build- 
ings and improvements and today is blessed 
with a goodly share of this world's goods. 

]\Iarvin Steward, the father of our subject, 
was an old settler in Deuel county. He was 
a veteran of the Civil war, and the hardships 
he endured while in the service of his coun- 
try injured his health so seriously that he 
never fully recovered, and in an effort to ob- 
tain relief he went to Chicago, where he sub- 
mitted to a surgical operation, which caused 
his death. 

The mother of Mrs. John C. Steward, 
Mary (Farrell) Estabrook, was a pioneer in 
Deuel county, where she homesteaded a claim 
and later proved up on it. She died in 1904, 
after an active and useful life. 

Politically, Mr. Steward is a Republican, 
taking an active part in affairs, of public in- 
terest. He has served as assessor, road over- 
seer and is at present constable of Big Springs 
precinct. He takes an active part in educa- 
tional matters and helped to organize the first 
schools in the county. The first schoolhonse 
was constructed of sod and this building was 
also used as a church and Sunday-school. 



HENRY R. GRAGG. 

Henry R. Gragg, one among the many who 
came to western Nebraska in 1894, and from 
a start of practically nothing have carved out 
for themselves a good home and comfortable 
competence by dint of perseverance and thrift, 
is proprietor of a fine estate in section 27, 
township 21, range 35, Hooker county. 

Mr. Gragg is a native of Oakland county, 
Michigan, born on a farm there in 1877. James 
T. Gragg, his father, was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and is well known in Nebraska, having 
gone through pioneer experiences in Redwil- 
low and McPherson counties, coming there in 
1881 with his family. Our subject grew up 
in his home locality, assisting his father in the 
farm work until he reached the age of fifteen 
years, then started to work for himself, going 
to Hooker county and securing employment 
as a cowboy, later traveling all over that part 
of the state following ranch work. In 1901 
he settled on the ranch he at present occupies, 
beginning with absolutely nothing excepting a 
team of horses. He took up the land as a 
homestead, and proved up on it in the fall of 
1907. Besides this ranch he also lives on a 
Kincaid homestead of four hundred and 
eighty acres, and has the property well im- 
proved. He has about seventy acres under 
cultivation, and intends breaking up seventy- 
five acres more as soon as possible. 

Mr. Gragg was married in 1900, to Miss 
Gertrude Bassett, whose father, Thomas M. 
Bassett, was a pioneer in McPherson county, 
Nebraska, and a successful farmer and ranch- 
man of that locality. When he first struck 
that region he was a poor man, and in order 
to make a living for his family, began to pick 
up bones from the prairie and sold them for 
nine and ten dollars per ton. Mrs. Gragg's 
mother was Yiola Hay ward, of Iowa. To 
Mr. Gragg and his good wife have been born 
the following children : Robert, aged seven ; 
George, eight, and Hazel, two years. 



I. S. WALIvER. 



I. S. Walker, another of the well and fa- 
vorably known old settlers who has passed 
through all the early Nebraska experiences, 
the good with the bad, is now nicely situated 
in Kimball, Nebraska, and is classed among 
the leading and worthy citizens of his locality. 
Mr. Walker has lived in Kimball county for 
the past twenty-two years, and holds the es- 
teem of all who know him. 



952 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Walker was born in Saratoga county, 
New York, on January 25. 1861. living tliere 
until he was four years old. when the family, 
consisting of himself, father, mother, one full 
brother and three half-brothers, moved to 
Champaign county. Illinois, where he grew to 
manhood. While living in Illinois, the mother 
was taken away from her little family, her 
death occurring November 14. 1871. When 
our subject was twenty-four years of age he 
and his father came to Nebraska. He set- 
tled on a homestead on section 34, township 
16, range 53, in Kimball county, proved up 
on the place, then sold out. His father also 
honiesteaded. proved up and sold out, and 
the latter made Kimball county his home up 
to 189.^. afterwards going to Colorado, dying 
at Julcsburg, that state, on January 19. 1898. 

Mr. \\ alker purchased a ranch on section 
31. township 15. range 56. situated six miles 
west of the town of Kimball, in December, 
1896. He had moved to Kimball in 1892, 
where he secured a position as a clerk in a 
Store and filled the position very acceptably 
for one year. 

He ne.xt went into the Bank of Kimball as 
a bookkeeper, and remained with the institu- 
tion for four years in that capacity, then re- 
turned to his ranch, which comprises one 
whole section of land. Three years were spent 
on the farm, which is devoted to hay and 
stock raising, being admirably situated on 
Lodgepole creek, and he has added many im- 
provements of all kinds on the ranch. In 
1901 Mr. Walker again moved into the village, 
purchasing the Kimball Hotel, and still owns 
this property. In the spring of 1904 he en- 
gaged in the real estate business in partner- 
ship with C. .\. Fnrsling. under the firm name 
of Forsling & \\'alker. which is the pioneer 
real estate establishment of Kimball county. 
The Kimball fraternal hall was built in 1904. 
Mr. ^^^alker being secretary and manager of 
same, and he is also a prominent member of 
the Industrial Club of Kimball, acting as its 
secretary. He has always been in the front 
rank of any movement for the advancement of 
his town and county, and can justly be termed 
one of its leading public-spirited citizens. 

On April 6. 1887. Mr. Walker was married 
in Kimball, to Miss Hattie E. Ainsworth. 
Mrs. Walker was born in Illinois and grew 
up there, coming to Nebraska with her par- 
ents, who were pioneers in Kimball county, in 
1886. Her father is now dead, while her moth- 
er resides in Chicago. Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. 
Walker have two children. Ethel Ethelyn and 
Ruth E., both at home. 

Politically. Mr. \\'alker is a Republican. 



JOEL WICKARD. 

Joel Wickard, one of the most prominent 
early settlers of Cheyenne county, is pro- 
prietor of an extensive farm and ranch in 
Union ^'alle^' precinct, a man of excellent 
qualifications, and in whatever enterprises he 
has embarked, has met with great success. 
He has been an important factor in the devel- 
opment of the financial resources of the region 
which he has made his home for the past 
twenty years, and is widely and favorably 
known throughout Cheyenne and the adjoin- 
ing counties ' 

Mr. Wickard. a son of John T. and Mary 
(Bigelow) \\'ickard. was born in Hancock 
county, Indiana. October 27. 1865. there grow- 
ing to the age of fourteen years, then the fam- 
ily moved to Lawrence county, Tennessee, 
where they lived for about seven years. Sev- 
eral years were spent by our subject in differ- 
ent states, and he finally came to Nebraska, 
settling in Cheyenne county. He took uj) a 
homestead in 1888. filing on a claim on section 
24. township 16. range 49. He went to work 
to build up a good home, proved up on the 
land, then sold out his holdings. He next 
went to W^eld county. Colorado, aiwl farmed 
there for six years, returning to his county 
in 1893. at which time he purchased the north 
half of section 4, township 16. range 48. and 
still occupies this as a homestead. The farm 
contains three hundred and twenty acres, all 
ini|iroved in good shape, having fine buildings, 
etc. There is one hundred acres under culti- 
vation, and he runs about sixty head of stock, 
and is classed among the prosperous and up- 
to-date agriculturists in his locality. He is a 
skillful mechanic, using all kinds of tools, and 
is extensively employed to make the branding 
irons used in this vicinity. 

Mr. \\'ickard was united in marriage Sep- 
tember 6. 1886, in Kentucky, to Miss Edna 
Johnson, who is a native of Kansas and a 
daughter of Benjamin and Phoebe (Howe) 
Johnson : her mother resides in Oregon at 
the present time, but both parents of our sub- 
ject are deceased. Eleven children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. \\ickard.' named as fol- 
lows: Bertha, married to William H. Ferichs, 
owner of a farm in Cheyenne county; Minnie, 
wife of .-Mbert Ferichs. also living in this 
county; W^alter. Effie. Marian. Ernest, Lillian. 
Bessie. Jennie. Luther and Leola. all at home. 
The wi"fe died July 16. 1908. The family 
have a very pleasant home, a new six-room 
residence having been built in 1907. They are 
highly esteemed as worthy citizens and agree- 
able neighbors by all who know them. Mr. 




RESIDENCE OF J. W. SEWELL, 
Garfield County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF JOEL WICKARD, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



953 



W'ickard is a man of broad ideas and has al- 
ways staiichly supported the principles of good 
government regardless of party bias or po- 
litical excitement, although he is a loyal Re- 
publican. At the present time he is serving 
his school district as director. He is a mem- 
ber 'of Dalton Camp, Modern Woodmen of 
America. A view of the ranch buildings is to 
be found elsewhere in this work. 



JOSH. W. SEWELL. 

Josh. W. Sewell, who owns a valuable 
property in section 17, township 22, range 15, 
Garfield county, is a well known pioneer of 
western Nebraska. He settled here when the 
state was in its earliest stages of development, 
and has watched its growth from a barren 
prairie to the highly cultivated region it has 
now become. Incidentally he has aided ma- 
terially in its progress by helping to establish 
schools and giving liberally of his time and 
financial aid in every movement which tended 
to the bettering of conditions in his section 
of the country. iVIr. Sewell farms along pro- 
gressive lines, is a thorough stockman and 
agriculturist, and one of the wealthiest men 
in his county. 

Josh. Sewell was born in Clinton county, 
Iowa, in 1856. He was raised on a farm and 
grew up in his native state, learning to do all 
sorts of hard farm work. Our subject came to 
Nebraska in 1883, landing here in January 
of that year, homesteaded one hundred and 
sixty acres and took a timber claim of one 
hundred and sixty acres more, making three 
hundred and twenty acres of table land lo- 
cated nine miles northeast of Burwell. He 
bought and sold grain during the early years 
here, also raised both on his ranch. During 
the year 1894 he experienced the hardest 
times he ever saw anywhere, and at that time 
many families who had settled here became 
discouraged and gave up trying to make a 
living, finally being forced to abandon their 
farms, but our subject stuck to his place, de- 
termined to "win out." He struggled on 
through that dry spring, and later the hot 
winds swept the section and destroyed crops, 
and he often became disheartened, seeing his 
corn crop, which looked so promising early in 
the season, literally burned out. July 26, 
1894, he thinks was the hottest day ever 
known in this country. However, through all 
his failures and discouragements he came out 
with a strong heart and determined will, and when 
times grew better was able to improve his 
place and lay by a little money. His best year 



was in 1902, when he raised banner crops of 
corn, wheat, oats, barley and rye. That year 
he also fed several carloads of hogs for the 
market which netted him a tidy sum. 'Sir. 
Sewell claims that considering labor, etc., it 
costs less to produce the same crops in Ne- 
braska than it does in the eastern states. 
His ranch is improved with a complete set of 
good farm buildings and every improvement 
in the way of farming machinery to faciliate 
his operations, also owning his own threshing 
rig. 

Mr. Sewell has an excellent supply of water 
on his place, all coming from deep drilled 
wells, which furnish plenty of water pumped 
by windmills into supply tanks, which are 
placed at different points on his farm and this 
water is of the finest quality and clear as a 
crystal. He also has a fine grove and orchard, 
and his place as a whole presents comfort and 
good management. 

In 1890 Mr. Sewell was united in marriage 
to Miss Matilda Mohr, a native of Germany. 
They are the parents of four children, namely: 
Julius, Eva, Clara and Ernest. Mr. Sewell 
takest an active interest in local politics, and 
has served as county commissioner for several 
terms, also as justice of the peace. He has been 
a member of the school board for many years. 
He is a Republican in political views. 

A picture of Mr. Sewell's residence will be 
found on another page of this volume. 



ELVER L. HEATH. 

Prominent among the old-timers of Ne- 
laraska who have spent the greater part of their 
lives in the upbuilding of the commercial in- 
terests of this section, watching its growth 
and development from its early inception, is 
the gentleman above mentioned. Elver L. 
Heath. 

Mr. Heath is a native of Cuyahoga county, 
Ohio, born about twelve miles from Cleve- 
land, March 16, 1853, and at the age of two 
months his parents came to Iowa, settling in 
Delaware county, where he was reared and 
educated. His father. Uri Heath, was a 
blacksmith by trade, who retired from active 
life in 1898. and came to Nebraska, making 
his home with his son the remainder of his 
life. Our subject is the fifth member in a 
family of ten children, and at the age of fifteen 
years he began learning the printer's trade in 
Webster City, Iowa. After thoroughly mas- 
tering this work he went to Essex, Page coun- 
ty. Iowa, and started a paper called the Essex 
Index. He first came to Nebraska in 1880, 



954 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



locating at David Cit.v. where lie bought the 
David City Republican and edited this from 
1880 to 1885, then bought the Rushville Stand- 
ard, which he published up to 1900. In De- 
cember of that year he started the Cody Cow- 
boy, of which he is now the able editor, serv- 
ing at the same time as United States com- 
missioner, by which he is authorized to trans- 
act government land business here in the mat- 
ter of homestead filings, taking first proofs, 
etc. He is doing exceedingly well in all hi^ 
ventures, and building up a wide reputation 
as a successful business man. When he first 
reached Sheridan county he was practically 
"broke," and went to work building log 
houses in order to get enough money to have 
his household goods shipped to Rushville. He 
took a pre-emption in section 31, township 
32. range 43. on which he built a log house, 
and afterward sokl it when he moved to Cody. 
He disposed of six hundred and forty acres of 
land, receiving in all one thousand six hundred 
dollars. He is still owner of a six hundred and 
forty-acre homestead located three miles from 
the town of Cody. 

Mr. Heath was married in 1886 to Ella C. 
Bailey, born at Mt. Carroll, Illinois, in 1858. 
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Heath, namely: Ada B., John M. (deceased), 
F. Kemp, Eva B., Austin W., Eliza (deceased), 
and Esther, all of whom were born and raised 
in this state. 

Mr. Heath has always been active in poli- 
tical circles since young manhood, and was 
state representative from his district for the 
legislative session of 1891. Since that time 
he has never sought public preferment, and 
devotes his entire time to the dififerent enter- 
prises of which he is the- head. Politically he 
is a Republican. During the existence of the 
Order of the Good Templars Mr. Heath was 
a prominent member. He now affiliates with 
the Masonic fraternity, the Odd Fellows, the 
Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen and the 
Hisrhlanders. 



J. HAULER. 



J. Hahkr, (ine of the prosperous business 
men of North Platte, Nebraska, is a man of 
industrious habits and energetic efforts, and 
a citizen of true worth. He is engaged in 
the stock and provision business, and has ati 
extensive trade throughout the county. His 
home is in a good part of the city, and he has 
the welfare of his town at heart and aids 
every industry which tends to the growth and 
advancement of his locality. 



Mr. Hahler first came to western Ne- 
braska in 1878, settling i;i Lincoln county 
on a ranch which he operated for several 
years. He has been engaged to a great extent 
in buying and selling farms and city prop- 
erty, and he has been very successful in these 
investments. He has just recently sold his 
home property in North Platte for the round 
sum of ten thousand dollars, also three frontages 
to the Burlington & Missouri Railway Com- 
])any, and it is stated that the new depot on this 
line will soon be erected on this site, and 
will be located on south Dewey street. He 
had been engaged in business in North Platte 
during the years 1883 and 1884, and afterward 
operated a large ranch in South Dakota, but 
returned to Nebraska, where he has resided 
continuously since. He established the lead- 
ing meat market in this city in 1900, and was 
very successful in this venture, having an ex- 
tensive trade and furnishing the people of the 
city with the finest meats to be had, running 
a strictly first-class market, and he was re- 
garded as a business man of the highest abil- 
ity, honest and fair in all his dealings. This 
business was sold in Ma}-. 1908. and Mr. Hah- 
ler devotes his time to stock shipping. He still 
buys and sells a great deal of stock. All of 
his meats while in the meat market were from 
cattle slaughtered right at home, and this in- 
sures the best and most delicious cuts to be 
found anywhere, as he is most particular in 
inspecting all the stock which is killed for 
his shop. 



ISAAC L. YEARNS. 

.Among the vast acreage that has been 
opened up to cultivation during the paSt few 
years in Dawes county, Nebraska, a tract of 
seven hundred and eighty acres is owned anil 
operated by the gentleman above named. This 
well improved and highly cultivated farm is 
located in section 7, township 31, range 50, 
all of the work of building this place having 
been accomplished during the last seven years, 
and he is recognized as one of the enter- 
prising and progressive citizens of his lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Yearns was born in Marion county, 
Iowa, in 1861. His father, James B. Yearns, 
was of American blood, a farmer in later 
years, and in his younger days was a teacher, 
also ]iracticed law for several years in Iowa. 
He married Miss Nancy Porter, a native of 
Indiana, born of American parents. Our sub- 
ject was reared and educated in Iowa, attend- 
ing the country schools while assisting his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



955 



father in the work of carrying" on the home 
farm, the latter dying in 1882, and after his 
death Isaac was the main support of his 
mother, up to the time of her death which 
occurred in Nebraska May 8, 1907. Our sub- 
ject and his mother cariie to eastern Nebraska 
in the spring of 1879, settling in Burt county, 
where they were among the pioneer settlers, 
remaining there for three years. In 1884 they 
moved to Dawes county, Valentine, one hun- 
dred and thirty-five miles distant from their farm, 
being the nearest railroad point. Mr. Yearns 
took up a timber claim the previous year, 
and located on. it in the spring of 1885, trav- 
eling by team from Valentine, the trip tak- 
ing ten days. He also took up a pre-emption 
and lived on this for fifteen years, having with 
him his brother John, who died in Alontana 
in the fall of 1891, and the mother lived with 
our subject up to her death. In 1900 our sub- 
ject settled on his present farm in section 7, 
township 31, range 50, which was then partly 
improved property. He has kept adding to 
the place and has built it up in good shape, 
owning altogether seven hundred and eighty 
acres, w-ell supplied with timber and with four 
living springs v\-hich furnish plenty of water 
for his stock. He has good buildings and the 
ranch is all fenced, and he is engaged prin- 
cipally in stock raising. He has gone through 
the drouth periods and other discouraging 
times, but has stuck to his farm through 
everything and made a success of his venture. 
In political views he leans toward the Re- 
publican party, but votes the Independent 
ticket. 



OTTO BERGER. 

Otto Berger, an old settler in Long Pine, 
Nebraska, is one of the successful business 
men of that place, where he is engaged in 
the general merchandise business. Mr. Ber- 
ger has a large trade, and is well known all 
through the localit}' as a capable and pros- 
perous merchant, and one of the foremost men 
of the town. Mr. Berger was born in the vil- 
lage of Neufunnuxsil, Ostfriesland, Germanv, 
April 29, 1864. His father, Wilhelm Berger, 
is still living in the fatherland, engaged in 
the insurance business. Our subject was 
reared there and received a good education, 
coming to this country in 1882, sailing from 
Bremen Haven on the steamer Werra and 
landing in New York in February of that year. 
He spent the following year at Brooklyn and 
New York, employed as a grocery clerk, and 
then came west, where he located in Stewart, 



Nebraska, working in a store for a year. He 
next took up a homestead near Hay Springs, 
and remained on it until he had proved up, 
going through the usual pioneer experiences, 
then moved to Cams, Nebraska, entering a 
gFocery store for six or seven months, where 
he was employed by Tom Glover. In the 
spring of 1887 this stock was closed out and 
;\Ir. Berger left Cams and went to Bassett, 
clerking for Glover & Berger, the latter being 
a brother of our subject, who was associated 
with the firm for several years. In May, 
1887, this store was also closed out, and he 
then went to Gordon, working for the same 
firm up to July 4th of that year. In Septem- 
ber he and his brother returned to the father- 
land, visiting the home folks for three months. 
On his return he started in business, buying 
a drove of horses from the Indians in Pine 
Ridge Agency, which he sold at Cams, trad- 
ing a few of them for a clothing stock at Bas- 
sett, he moved the goods to Long Pine, to 
which he added a stock of stationery and 
pianos, for which he had traded his farm, and 
was thus enabled 'to form a partnership with 
his brother, J. A. Berger. This was Mr. Ber- 
ger's start in business in Long Pine, under 
the firm of J. A. Berger & Company, the part- 
nership lasting until the spring of 1889. A 
grocery stock was moved to Hay Springs and 
closed out, Mr. Berger remaining there for a 
year, and in the fall of 1890 finally dissolved 
partnership. He then put in a general line 
of goods at Long Pine, and here he has been 
most successful in building up an extensive 
trade throughout the county. His store is lo- 
cated on the principal corner of the town, and 
he has a floor space of seventy-five by one 
hundred feet, eighteen by thirty-six of this 
cut out to accommodate the Commercial Bank, 
of which he has served as president and vice- 
president. This bank was opened in Decem- 
ber, 1905, and is one of the best equipped 
banks in Brown county. Mr. Berger devotes 
all his time to his business interests, and 
shows remarkable judgment in the manage- 
ment of his large enterprises. He has a branch 
store at Ainsworth, established in 1894, and 
another at Johnstown, established in 1900. 

In the fall of 1888 Mr. Berger was mar- 
ried to Miss Marion Guy, daughter of Wil- 
liam Guy, who w-as an early settler in Keya 
Paha county. They are the parents of one 
child, Edna, a graduate of the Lone Pine 
high school. Mr. Berger is familiar with al- 
most the entire northwest part of the state, 
having at diiiferent times owned stores or 
worked in ten different towns in this vicinity. 
There are only two towns between Bassett 



956 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and Hay Springs in which he has not at some 
time been located, \^'ood Lake and Crooks- 
ton. 

Mr. Berger and liis family paid a ten weeks' 
visit to his native land in the spring of 1908, 
traveling through the Rhine provinces, Hol- 
land, Belgium and England, giving the fam- 
ily a knowledge of life in the countries of 
the old world. 

In politics Mr. Berger is an independent. 
He is serving as worshipful master of the Ma- 
sonic lodge and with his family is enrolled 
in the membership of the Order of the East- 
ern Star. He is also an active member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also 
of the Methodist church. 



BERNARD F. CROL'GHWELL. 

One of the best known old-timers in Loup 
count}-, and one who is universally respected, 
is the gentleman whose name appears at the 
head of this review. He has taken an active 
part in all matters pertaining to the public 
welfare and is considered a wideawake, pub- 
lic-spirited citizen. 

^fr. Croughwell was born in April, 1857, 
in \\'ilmington, Will county, Illinois. His fa- 
ther, Thomas Croughwell. was one of the 
early pioneers of Loup county, Nebraska, was 
a stonemason by trade, and was engaged in 
work of contracting and building. The maiden 
name of the mother of the subject of our 
sketch was Margarette Slowey. The family 
moved to Connecticut when Bernard was quite 
small and he was reared in Jewett City, in 
that state. Until he was past twenty-one 
years of age he worked a great deal in a cot- 
ton factory and learned the spinner's trade. 
In 1880 he came to the far west, to Loup 
county. Nebraska. The country was new and 
and there was work to be done in many differ- 
ent lines, and Mr. Croughwell was ready for 
work at anything. For a time he worked on 
the railroad which was being built from Grand 
Island. Nebraska, to St. Paul, later finding em- 
ployment carrying mail from Ord to Burwell 
and cuntinuing in this for nearly four years. 
Mr. Croughwell then engaged in the agricul- 
tural implement business at Arcadia and later, 
in 1887. r)pened up at Taylor in the same line. 
In 1899 he purchased a partly improved farm 
of three hundred and twenty acres three miles 
west of Taylor and began farming. He has 
worked hard and planned intelligcnth' to make 
his property a marked success, and he has rea- 
son to be proud of what he has accomplished. 
He has a fine home and the buildings for the 



stock are in fine shape ; there is a good orchard, 
growing a number of different kinds of fruits, 
such as apples, cherries and plums, etc., and 
there is also a fine grove of forest trees on the 
ranch. 

In 1889 Mr. Croughwell was united in the 
holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Annie 
Ellathorpe. a daughter of Levi and Hannah 
(Stubbs) Ellathorpe. Mrs. Croughwell was a 
native of Pennsylvania, where her father lived 
and died. Mr. and Mrs. Croughwell have one 
child, a daughter. Alvira Margarette. 

The subject of this sketch has taken a 
prominent part in the affairs of his commu- 
nity, and as one of the oldest settlers he has 
taken pride in watching the splendid improve- 
ments of the country. He was one who helped 
locate the county seat at Taylor, and he is 
widely known as a progressive and earnest 
worker for anything in the way of advance- 
ment in county affairs. His stanch Republic- 
anism is a matter of common knowledge. 

Many peculiar and interesting experiences 
are related by ]\Ir. Croughwell, one being as 
follows: Kid Wade, a notorious horse thief, 
stole three or four horses in Mr. Croughwell's 
neighborhood and about that time stopped a 
whole day and night at the latter's house, but 
Mr. Croughwell was unaware of the character 
of his guest. Mr. Croughwell and John Grim- 
mit tracked the thief above, the Calamus river, 
where the trail was lost. Not long after Kid 
Wade was captured and hung at Bassett, Ne- 



FREDERICK G. BAl'ER. 

The gentleman above mentioned is an en- 
terprising young business man at Weyerts. 
and is well known to all the residents of his 
locality as a worthy citizen and active public- 
s])iritocl man of aft'airs locally. 

Frederick G. Bauer was born at Golden, 
Illinois. ]\Iarch 27, 1882. He was five years 
nf age when the family came into Cheyenne 
county. Nebraska, where he was reared and 
educated. He has since lived in the county 
with the exception of about three years whicli 
were spent in Colorado, where he took up a 
homestead and started a cattle ranch. In Feb- 
ruary. 1907. Mr. Bauer disposed of his ranch 
and moved to Weyerts, where he is now en- 
gaged in the general merchandise business, 
and is rapidly gaining a good patronage 
throughout the vicinity. He is a young man 
of excellent ability, energetic and prosjrcssive. 
and bids fair to be one of the leading citizens 
of his community. 

Mr. Bauer's mother is still living, at pres- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



957 



ent residing on the old family ranch two miles 
west of Weyerts, where the father died Au- 
gust 9, 1898. There were twelve children in 
his father's family, of whom he was the ninth 
in order of birth. He is now married, the 
event occurring November 25, 1902, at Wey- 
erts Lutheran church, when he was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary Folkerts. They 
are the parents of three children, namely: 
Louis, Leona and Alvin. 

Mr. Bauer is at present acting as postmas- 
ter at Weyerts, and is a most popular and ef- 
ficient official, highly esteemed by all. 



JOHN K. IRWIN. 

John K. Irwin is a native of the state of 
Pennsylvania, born in Blair county, December 
20, 1872. His father, Daniel Irwin, was of 
German descent and was a prosperous farmer 
•.n Pennsylvania. His mother was Tamar Em- 
eigh in her youth and was of German parent- 
age. Both parents are now deceased. 

Our subject lived in the state of his na- 
tivit}- until he was eight years old, when the 
family moved to Grand Island, Nebraska, 
where they settled on a homestead. In 1885 
the}^ came to Keith county, settling ten miles 
northwest of Ogallala on a homestead, where 
both parents died that same year. Our sub- 
ject then started out for himself, working on 
several ranches, receiving at times only his 
board for the work he did. He settled on his 
present excellent farm and homesteaded in 
1893. put up buildings- and made a start. His 
farm comprises one hundred and seventy-four 
acres of especially choice soil on the bottoms 
of the North Platte river, where he has built 
up an admirable home and business. He has a 
few head of stock, but gives his attention prin- 
cipall}' to farming and gardening, at which he 
has iriade a fine success, raising twelve hun- 
dred to fifteen hundred bunches of celery per 
acre, four to five hundred bushels of onions 
and thirty tons of cabbage per acre. Our sub- 
ject has had some misfortunes, but his thrift 
and energy have placed him in good circum- 
stances. In the spring of 1891 he was se- 
riously injured, getting his feet caught and 
both badly crushed in a hay press. This acci- 
dent caused our subject to be laid up for an 
entire year, during which time he did practi- 
cally no work. 

John K. Irwin was married July 1, 1901, 
to Miss Hattie M. Shepard, whose father, Wil- 
liam F. Shepard, is one of the prominent farm- 
ers and old settlers of Keith county. The 
mother was Julia A. Joplin in maidenhood. 



Mr. and Mrs. Irwin have three children — May, 
Marie and Delia. 

Mr. Irwin has always been an interested 
participant in matters of a public nature and 
has held various political offices. He is a Re- 
publican in politics. Fraternally he is a mem- 
ber of the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
and of the American Order of Protection. 



ISAAC LARGE. 



The gentleman above named is owner of 
one of the finest farms and ranches in Keith 
county. Nebraska. He resides on section 23, 
township 13, range 35, and is one of the pro- 
gressive and prosperous men of the locality. 

Isaac Large was bom on a farm in Wood- 
ford county, Illinois, July 24, 1860. His fa- 
ther was born in England, as was also his 
mother. They came to Illinois as pioneers, and 
our subject grew up in his native county. He 
left home in 1883, working for a year on farms 
in Gage county, Nebraska, and then moved to 
Buffalo county, locating on a tract of prairie 
land, and for twenty-five years farmed on it. 
This place was situated in the Elm creek val- 
ley, and Mr. Large built up a good home and 
ranch, doing ;much toward developing that 
part of the country. In the spring of 1907 he 
came to Keith county and purchased three hun- 
dred and tv\'enty acres of his present estate, 
with one hundred and sixty acres under culti- 
vation, and has raised two good crops since 
locating here. In 1908 he acquired two addi- 
tional sections devoted to ranching and farm- 
ing purposes. He has all good buildings and 
improvements, with two wells and windmills. 
His residence contains fifteen rooms in the 
two stories and attic, and is one of the hand- 
somest country houses in the county. He has 
a large barn, a double corncrib, large chicken 
house and numerous other outbuildings. An 
elevated reservoir supplies the house with wa- 
ter for bath room and domestic purposes. We 
are pleased to call attention to a view of the 
fine establishment displayed on another page 
of this work. 

Mr. Large is engaged in the business of 
bu3dng and shipping stock, and has carried on 
this work for the past fifteen years. He has 
also dealt considerably in real estate in the re- 
gion, and has been the means of inducing many 
eastern people to invest in property and set- 
tle in western Nebraska. One brother of Mr. 
Large owns a whole section of land seven 
miles south of the town of Paxton, and is also 
a large farmer and stockman. 

On January 6, 1890, Mr. Large was mar- 



958 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ried to Esther McMinn, a native of Noble coun- 
ty, Ohio, and a daughter of Robert McMinn, 
an old soldier and early settler near Overton, 
Dawson county, Nebraska. The mother was 
Miss Elizabeth Brown, a native of Ohio, now 
residing in Overton. The father was born in 
Pennsylvania and died in Nebraska in 1893. 
^^'hen he first settled in Dawson county there 
were but four farmers in the east end of the 
county and Overton was only a box car for 
the operators managing the trains. Indians 
were still plentiful in that region and many 
times Mrs. Large has visited their camps. 
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Large, namely: .Adella, Edna, Elizabeth and 
Wayne, all at home. 

Sir. Large is a Republican in politics and 
a member of the Evangelical church. He af- 
filiates with the Workmen and the Odd Fel- 
lows, and with Mrs. Large has attained the 
Rebekah degree. All his lodge affiliations had 
been in Overton until the institution of an 
Odd Fellows lodge at Paxton in December, 
1908. 



LAWRENCE \\\\LGREEN, Dece.xsed. 

Lawrence \\^algreen was one of the pros- 
perous farmers of Sheridan county, Nebraska, 
who came to this state in the early stages 
of its development and built up a comfortable 
home in section 30, township 31. range 45, 
where he enjoyed an enviable reputation as a 
successful agriculturist and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Walgreen was a native of Sweden, 
born in 1841, and raised on his father's farm 
until he was eighteen years old. He then came 
to America in 1869. having previously worked 
on farms for some time, and spending ten 
years in brick yards in Sweden. After land- 
ing here he located in Michigan and worked in 
a salt factory at Salshurg, Bay county. Mich- 
igan, and afterwards farmed for some years in 
the same state. In 1884 Mr. Walgreen came to 
Sheridan county and filed on his claim as a 
pre-emption, then went back to Michigan, and 
in May, 1885, he returned with his famih'. It 
took ten (lays to drive up from \^Tlentinc. and 
was a rough trip over unbroken roafls through 
a perfect wilderness. Their first house was 
built of sod, and in this they lived for three 
years. The same spring he took up a tree 
claim, located in section 25. and began break- 
ing up his farm, cultivating thirty acres, which 
he put intr) crops the following summer. He 
worked hard and succeeded in raising several 
good crops before the beginning of the dry 
years, and as he had raised some stock they 



helped to support the family. He built up 
his home and added to his farm gradually, 
purchasing before the prices raised in this sec- 
tion, and at the time of his death owned 
twelve hundred and eighty acres of good farm- 
ing land. Of this he cultivated about one hun- 
dred acres, and used most of his produce on 
the farm. He kept over a hundred head of 
stock, and from this source made enough to 
pay for all the land he bought. He had his 
land all fenced, and built twelve miles of fenc- 
ing. 

Mr. Walgreen was married in 1874 to Miss 
Annie Helma. born in Canada in 1854 and 
raised in Michigan, of French-English descent. 
Twelve children have been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Walgreen, who are named as follows: 
Mary Ellen. Katie. Lawrence Philip. W'illiam 
H.. Julia. Annie. Clara. Fred. Edward. Grace, 
Clyde and Leland, all grown except three, and 
nearly all settled near their parents' home. 
Mr. Walgreen was assisted in his farm work 
by his boys, and together they did all the 
work on his large estate. To his family is due 
much credit in helping him in every way to 
build up his home. \Mien they came he only 
had four horses, one cow and sixty dollars in 
money, and a large family to support. They 
had a hard time to get along some times, los- 
ing his first two crops through hailstorms, and 
the first winter he worked as a freighter from 
Chadron to Deadwood, and also to Fort Robin- 
son in order to support his family. The place is 
now well improved, and he considered that he 
had made as much if not more than he could have 
made in Michigan. His health was better here 
and they never had occasion to call a doctor 
for any member of the family until 1906. He 
was contented here and satisfied to spend the 
rest of his davs in this locality. 

Mr. Walgreen died April 13, 1907. Eight 
of the children are still living with their mother 
and assisting her on this valuable estate. The 
others are married or live elsewhere. 



JOHN ROr.lNSON. 

Jiilm Robinsrm. well known as a representa- 
tive farmer of Deuel county, has a home of 
great comfort in Loss Creek precinct. He was 
born in Jo Daviess county. Illinois, November 
25. 1851. and made that his home until he 
was seventeen years of age. 

In 1868 Mr. Robinson left his native state 
and came to Nebraska, locating at first in 
Columbus and later in Platte county, also 
spent five or six years at St. Paul, finally 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



959 



landing in old Cheyenne county in June, 1885, 
and was the first man to build a house in this 
valley. He filed on a homestead and pre-emp- 
ted a claim on section 34, township 17, range 
44, proved up on both and afterwards moved 
to section 36, where he now lives. This is 
a school section and joins the town of Osh- 
kosh, and he is one of the original settlers and 
the first settler to bring his family into the 
valley. Here he went through all the pioneer 
times in getting his farm established, meeting 
with every sort of frontier experience, and 
took an active part in the development of the 
section. 

Mr. Robinson is now one of the large land 
owners in the county, having about eight hun- 
dred and twenty acres of splendidly improved 
land. About two hundred acres are cultivated, 
and the balance is devoted to ranching pur- 
poses, having large hay fields and plenty of 
grazing for a herd of three hundred cattle, and 
he also has quite a bunch of horses. He has 
a handsome residence and nice surroundings, 
substantial barns, etc. 

Mr. Robinson was married in Le Mars, 
Iowa, on February 6, 1882, to ^Nlary Doolittle, 
who was a native of Wisconsin. Both Mr. 
and Mrs. Robinson's parents are dead. Nine 
children have come to bless their home, named 
as follows: John Edwin, single: George L., 
married and living in Deuel county ; Carrie 
Ella, wife of Bird Rogers, they living in Chey- 
enne county ; Mabel Clare, wife of Robert Mil- 
ler, also living in Deuel county; Mary Lillian, 
Floyd, Elizabeth. William C. and Frank, all ' 
at home. One brother of our subject lives in 
Deuel county, while a sister makes her home 
in California. 

Mr. Robinson is a Republican. He was 
elected county commissioner in 1889, holding 
that ofifice up to 1894, also has served this county 
as surveyor, and is prominent in all county 
and state afifairs. He is a leading citizen lo- 
callv, now being a member of the school board. 



JENS C. MENG. 

Jens C. Meng, one of the leading citizens of 
Sioux county, Nebraska, who has by sheer 
force of character and strength of will en- 
joined with native intelligence and a good prac- 
tical education, has won for himself a fine po- 
sition among the men who have made the west 
the prosperous country it has become. 

Mr. Meng was born in Schleswig-Holstein. 
Denmark, in 1856, on a farm. His father, 
George, was a carpenter and followed that oc- 
cupation in connection with his farming oper- 



ations up to the time of his death, which oc- 
curred in his native land in 1865. Our sub- 
ject was reared in Denmark, following farm- 
ing during his boyhood, and up to his six- 
teenth year, then came to America, landing in 
New York city. He came west, locating in 
eastern Nebraska, near Yankton, South Da- 
kota, and spent some time in Cedar county, 
Nebraska. His time was spent on farms, and 
he also attended school, striving to improve 
his education, and finally went on a rented 
farm in that vicinity, spending in all eleven 
years in Cedar c'ounty. From there he moved 
to South Dakota, where he lived for three 
years, and in 1886 came to Sioux county, Ne- 
braska, and filed on a pre-emption. He drove 
into the county from Chadron, camping out 
on the way, encountering hard storms during 
the trip. He located on Hat creek, taking a 
pre-emption, timber claim and later a home- 
stead. He put up a log cabin, and during the 
first summer had no stable for his stock, and 
had a hard time to make a living, trying hard 
to improve his place. On arriving in the coun- 
ty he walked to his claim from Chadron. which 
was his nearest railroad town. Much of his 
time was spent at railroad construction during 
the hard times, in this way being able to add 
a little money for the support of his family, 
and after times grew better he was able to add 
good buildings and other improvements to his 
home and farm. His ranch now consists of ten 
hundred and forty acres, with three hundred 
and twenty acres of leased land, all of it be- 
ing fenced and cross fenced, and he engages 
principally in stock raising. The ranch is ad- 
mirably situated for a stock ranch, having 
lilenty of running water the year around, and 
is one of the valuable estates in his localitv. 

Mr. Meng was married in 1882 to Miss 
Christine Smith, a native of Schleswig-Hol- 
stein. She was reared in Denmark, her father 
and mother both dying there. Mrs. Meng and 
her sister Inger came to .\merica in 1881. set- 
tling in Cedar county. Nebraska. Mr. and Airs. 
Meng have five children, namely: George, 
Mary. Hans, Jim and Lillie, all bright and in- 
telligent, and a great help to their parents. 
They have a pleasant and happy home, and 
are held in high esteem as good neighbors and 
worthy citizens. 

Mr. Aleng is counted among the leading old 
settlers of his section, and one who has taken 
an active part in its development. He is an 
independent voter, ahva3's supporting the best 
man. and his influence is used for good gov- 
ernment. In 1898 he was elected county com- 
missioner and has held that office for two 
terms. 



960 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



JOHN B. SHAW. 

Among the ol4,-timers of Keya Paha county 
who has done his share in developing the re- 
sources of this region and who has always 
taken an active interest in advancing the best 
interests of the county is the above named gen- 
tleman. 

Mr. Shaw was born in Cataragus county, 
New York. May 30. 1848. His father. Ange- 
loah Shaw, was' born of American stock, and 
a farmer by occupation. He was an early 
settler in Nebraska, coming here in 1876 with 
his family, consisting of himself and wife, who 
was Mis's Mary Sapney, of Italian-English 
blood, with their seven children, of whom our 
subject was the eldest. He remained at home 
assisting his parents in carrying on their farm 
until he was twenty-four years of age, then 
started to working on a farm for himself in 
Trempealeau county. Wisconsin, locating there 
in 1864. He lived in that state for ten years 
and then came to York county. Nebraska, tak- 
ing up a homestead of eighty acres, on which 
he" proved up in due time, building a nice house, 
in which he lived for nine years. Moving from 
there to Keya Paha county, he pre-empted one 
hundred and sixty acres in sections 3 and 4, 
township 34. range 18, on which there was a 
large growth of natural timber. This place 
was only slightly improved, so he erected all 
the farm buildings and broke up more land as 
rapidlv as he could. In 1898 he took an addi- 
tional' eighty acres under the homestead act, 
and now possesses six hundred and forty acres, 
all of which lies on Shingle creek. He culti- 
vates sixty acres and keeps about seventy-five 
head of cattle and twenty horses, besides other 
small stock. When he' first arrived in this 
locality he had less than a dollar and was 
forced' to do all kinds of work to make a liv- 
ing during the hard times. He was handi- 
capped by the dry years and many other dis- 
couraging circum'st'ances. but he persevered 
and won success, well satisfied with the result 
of his hard labors and rough pioneer expe- 
riences. 

On December 24. 1872. our subject was 
married in Trempealeau county to Miss Har- 
ried E. Baker, a native of the state of Michi- 
gan, born in 1854. To them have been born 
twelve children, of whom the following sur- 
vive: Estclla. married Frank Patton. living 
in Mills. Nebraska: Maggie, now Mrs. Fred 
Ogden. also of Mills: Albert H.. Elsie and Or- 
ville. The family have a very pleasant and 
comfortable home and enjoy a host of warm 
friends and acquaintances in their community. 
Politicallv Mr. Shaw is a Republican, work- 



ing for the best interests of his locality, al- 
though he has never sought public preferment. 



L. R. BARLOW. 

L. R. Barlow, the popular and genial post- 
master of Lodgepole. Nebraska, is one of the 
influential and prosperous citizens of Cheyenne 
county. He is a large land owner in this 
section and one of the old settlers, having 
passed through all the Nebraska times, and 
only four residents have the distinction of a 
longer residence in Lodgepole than himself. 
He has been active in all affairs pertaining to 
the upbuilding of the community, and has been 
postmaster of Lodgepole for eleven years. He 
is a prominent member of the county commit- 
tee, and is active in county and state politics 
and a strong Republican. 

Mr. Barlow is a native of Duanesburg, 
Schenectady county, New York, born March 
10. 1862. He grew up in that locality, went 
to school and worked at different lines there 
until he was twenty years old. His mother 
died in 1866 in New York state, and the fa- 
ther in 1904 at Burtonville, New York. Our 
subject first landed in Cheyenne county in 
1882, locating at Lodgepole, and at once took 
charge of what is now the old "Coombs Ranch." 
used as a sheep ranch, remained for a year, 
then spent a few months in Chicago visiting, 
but returned to Lodgepole and took up ranch- 
ing permanently, following that work for fif- 
teen years. He then went back east on a visit, 
taking along with him a carload of horses of 
his own raising. 

Mr. Barlow homesteaded a tract during his 
early residence in Cheyenne county, filing on 
section 32. township 14. range 46. and sold the 
place in 1901. At the time of the sale of this 
homestead he owned a section and three-quar- 
ters of land, well stocked and in fine shape, 
all of which he had accumulated by his in- 
dustry and good management. He is now 
owner of a good ranch property situated on 
Cottonwood creek, south of Lodgepole. con- 
sisting of three hundred and twenty acres, on 
which he runs about fifty head of horses. Dur- 
ing his residence here he has owned and sold 
man}- ranch properties, and has been most suc- 
cessful in all his transactions in buying and 
selling horses. 

On October 16. 1888. Mr. Barlow was mar- 
ried to Clara Belle Bates in Lodgepole. Mrs. 
Barlow was born in Wayne county. New York, 
and came to Lodgepole in 1888. She died in 
1900. leaving two children. Floyd D. and 
George W. Mr. Barlow married again in 1902 



COMPENDIUAl OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



961 



Cora Davis at Chappell, Nebraska, the second 
Mrs. Barlow being a native of Red Oak, Iowa, 
born on February 22, 1884, coming to Deuel 
county, Nebraska, with her parents at the age 
of two years. Of this union one child was 
born. Fern Barlow, aged five. 



GEORGE H. DOVE. 

George H. Dove, who has a comfortable 
home and good farm in section 23, township 
21, range 11, is one of the oldest settlers of 
western Nebraska. He has spent the past 
thirty-three years of his career in this coun- 
try, going through the pioneer days and brav- 
ing many hardships and privations in carving 
out a name and fortune for himself, and is 
now one of the foremost men of his section, 
prosperous and a gentleman of firm charac- 
teristics, whose high standing in his commu- 
nity is well merited. He has been quite a bron- 
cho buster and cow puncher since coming to 
this western country, serving much of his time 
on the largest ranches in the west. 

Mr. Dove was born in Henry county, Illi- 
nois, in 1869. His father, Thomas Dove, was 
a native of England, who came to the United 
States in 1848, settling in Illinois as a pioneer, 
and died there in 1872. He married Lucy R. 
Hurlbert, a native of Vermont, of English 
blood also, and they raised a family of two 
children, of whom our subject, George H., 
was the first member and Thomas F. was the 
second child. George Dove came to Nebraska 
in the year 1875, and immediately upon land- 
ing here took up a government claim and 
proved up on it in due time, then bought more 
land, and at the present time is proprietor of 
half a section of good land. He has a good 
home and his farm is well improved with good 
buildings, fences, wells and windmills, etc. He 
also has planted nice groves of trees, has many 
kinds of fruit and raises fine vegetables. He 
engages principally in grain and stock raising, 
and has made a good success in both branches. 
Mr. Dove is of an honest and conscientious 
nature, a hard worker, and has gained the re- 
spect and esteem of all with whom he has had 
to do and he is considered one of the well-to- 
do men of his locality, a public-; pirited citi- 
zen, always ready and willing 10 assist in 
promoting the best interests of his commu- 
nity. 

Mr. Dove is a bachelor. His good old 
mother lives with him and is one of the bright- 
est-minded old ladies to be found. Politic- 
ally he is a Republican, but has never aspired 
to office. 



J. B. REED. 

J. B. Reed, a resident of Emerson town- 
ship, Harlan county, Nebraska, is one of the 
best known stockmen of this part of the state, 
as was also his father, D. J. Reed, now of 
Kansas City, who settled in Emerson town- 
ship in 1884, purchasing an eight hundred-acre 
! ranch on the Republican river bottoms, and 
was the heaviest feeder of cattle and hogs in 
this part of the state of Nebraska. 

Mr. Reed was born in 1876 in Chicago, Illi- 
nois. Our subject is now owner of four hun- 
dred acres of good land, improved with good 
buildings, etc., and feeds all the grain and 
alfalfa he raises to his stock, as well as buying 
large quantities each year. He fits for market 
a great many cattle and hogs annually. In 
1907 he raised about seven hundred young pigs 
and deals altogether in the red hogs. He has 
raised the Poland China in former years, but 
from his experience with both breeds consid- 
ers the red hog best for general stock pur- 
poses, as they are more active ancj get out 
of the way of cattle quicker, while the black 
hogs are slow and liable to injury in being run 
with the cattle. Also, the red hog is much 
more prolific and better rustlers, and can be 
fitted for market just as quickly as other breeds 
and bring just as good prices. 

Mr. Reed is a large breeder of good horses 
and has met with much success in this line of 
work also. He has thirty-five brood mares 
and two stallions, Bergeron being his Perch- 
eron and Forest Chief Jr. his Hambletonian 
horse. He also has a Kentucky mammoth jack 
on hand now and intends to devote his time to 
the raising of horses and mules, as he has 
found that it pays better to handle colts on 
high-priced land than it does to raise calves. 
Mr. Reed has one hundred and sixty acres of 
alfalfa, and raises good crops each season. He 
has sixteen hundred rods of woven wire fenc- 
ing on his ranch set up with the best of posts, 
making it durable and adding wonderfully to 
the beauty of his ranch. He has a good set 
of buildings, with modern conveniences, a wa- 
ter system in the house and an electric light 
plant on the farm. He has built a model ranch 
and home. 



PETER AUGUST PULTZ. 

Peter A. Pultz, who has met with decided 
success along agricultural lines in Brownson 
precinct. Cheyenne countv. is one of the old 
settlers of that locality. He has built up a 
good home and occupies a foremost place 



962 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



among the enterprising and worthy citizens 
of his community. He is a gentleman of good 
business management, and well merits his high 
standing as a citizen and farmer. 

Peter August Pultz was born in Denmark. 
August 1. 1853. He grew to manhood in his 
native land, and at the age of twenty-seven 
years left his home and sailed for America, 
embarking at Esberg early in April. 1880, and 
after a voyage of twenty-seven days he landed 
in Boston. He came directly west to friends 
in Grand Island. Nebraska, and shortly after- 
wards secured work at Dix. in Kimball county, 
on the railroad as a section hand. He worked 
for several years on the railroad and a short 
time on ranches. 

In the spring of 1884 he filed on a home- 
stead in .section 28. township 15, range 51, and 
also a tree claim, on which he has lived ever 
since, building up a good ranch and home. He 
is proprietor of four hundred and eighty acres, 
cultivating a small portion of the land and 
using the balance for hay and pasture, running 
in all about fifty head of stock. 

Mr. Pultz has erected good stone buildings 
of all descriptions. One of the notable im- 
provements is an elevated supply tank, from 
which he can run water to any part of the 
ranch. Prior to his marriage he was engaged 
in well drilling and has put down a number 
of wells in his section of the country. He 
found this work profitable and he met with 
marked success in the business. 

In 1907 Mr. Pultz was united in marriage 
to Miss Serena Frederickson, who was born 
in Denmark and came to America one year 
ago. Mrs. Pultz"s mother is still living in Den- 
mark. Mr. and Mrs. Pultz occupy a pleasant 
home and are favorites with all their neigh- 
bors. A son. Frederick, was born to them July 
7. 1908. 

In political views our subject is an inde- 
pendent, in religious affairs an adherent of the 
Lutheran church. 

\\'e take pleasure in calling attention to a 
view of the substantial stone dwelling and sur- 
rounding farm buildings which will be found 
elsewhere in this work. 



MRS. LYDIA B. DYE. 

The estimable lady whose name heads this 
personal history occupies a pleasant home and 
is one of the well known residents of Chey- 
enne county. Nebraska. Mrs. Dye is now 
serving as postmistress at the Dye postoffice, 
which was named after her family. 

Our subject, whose maiden name was Lydia 



B. Fletcher, was born February 20. 1852. at 
Augusta. Maine, and grew up there. At the age 
of sixteen her parents, Omar and Ruth ( Bartlett ) 
Fletcher, moved to Missouri, and were among 
the pioneers of Pike county, where the father 
died in 1883. The mother made her home in 
Nebraska for a few years and died there in 
1892. Lydia was married in Pike county. Feb- 
ruary 21, 1878. to John F. Dye, a native of 
Pike county. His parents. Kenneth and Mar- 
tha (Burroughs') Dye. natives of Kentucky. 
The younsr couple resided in Missouri four years 
and in 1882 settled at Denton. Lancaster coun- 
ty, Nebraska, where Mr. Dye engaged in farm- 
ing and stock raising. In February, 1887, he 
arrived in Cheyenne county, and filed on a 
homestead in section 2. township 12, range 
53. and filed on a timber claim in the same lo- 
cality. There they built up a good home and 
spent many happy years together, watching 
the rapid growth of the country and accumu- 
lating a comfortable property for their later 
years. In June, 1904. Mrs. Dye took a Kincaid 
claim In the south half of section 2 and will 
prove up on it in Tune. 1909. 

On March 25. 1891. Mr. D\e departed this 
life, deeply mourned by his family and friends. 
Since her husband's death Mrs. Dye has car- 
ried on the farm and every appointment of the 
place bears evidence of her good management 
and thrift. Of three children born to them two 
died in infancy. Earl was born in Denton. Ne- 
braska, on November 12. 1886. and he now 
lives on a homestead in section 12. township 
12, range 33. near his mother's ranch. He 
owns six hundred and forty acres of good land 
and helps his mother in carrying on her place, 
which also contains six hundred and forty 
acres. They are both engaged in stock rais- 
ing and farming, and their herd of one hun- 
dred and sixty high-bred Herefords and Short- 
horn cattle is famous throughout the county. 
The son owns about forty horses at the pres- 
ent time, which he keeps for breeding and mar- 
ket purposes. 

Earl was married at the residence of the 
bride's mother in Sidney. June 8. 1907. to Miss 
Lena Ottemann. One son has been born to 
them. Ralph Jerome. Mr. Dye is a Repub- 
lican, active in local affairs, and is director of 
his school district. No. 31. He is a member 
of the Modern \\'oodmen at Sidney. 

Mrs. Dye was appointed to the position of 
postmistress at Dye. an office established on 
the Dye homestead, in April. 1906. and has 
made a most capable and popular official. 

On another page of this volume will be 
found an interesting picture of Mrs. Dye's res- 
idence and surroundings. 




RESIDENCE OF PETER A. PULTZ, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




"DYE POST OFFICE." RESIDENCE OF MRS. LYDIA B. DYE. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



963 



CAPTAIN E. M. FULLER. 

Captain E. M. Fuller, a prominent business 
man of Merriman, Nebraska, is well known 
throughout the locality in which he resides as 
a prosperous and worthy citizen. He is a son 
of Martin and Phoebe (Cole) Fuller, both de- 
scendants of old colonial families. 

Mr. Fuller is a native of Jefferson county. 
New York, born September 3, 1850. He was 
the only child of his parents, and at the age 
of fifteen started out for himself, securing em- 
ployment on a square-rigged sailing vessel, the 
IMontgomery, on the great lakes, and w-hen he 
was twenty-one years old he was master of the 
John Braden. Our subject followed a sailor's 
life up to 1898, living at times in Bufifalo. 
Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago, the latter place 
being his home for eleven years. In 1880 he 
took up a homestead on Bear creek, in Cherry 
county, on which he proved up in due time, 
sailing eight months of the year and living four 
months on the ranch. This he stocked up well 
and sold to an advantage some years ago. 

In 1900 our subject came to ]\Ierriman, 
where he established the Anchor Bank, and is 
still engaged in operating this institution, 
which is regarded as one of the most solid in 
western Nebraska. 

Mr. Fuller was married in 1874 to Miss 
^lary C. McKee, born in the state of New 
York. She died in 1896, and two years later 
our subject was married to. Miss Doris Lea- 
man, who is the mother of a son, Sidney. 

In political faith Mr. Fuller is a Repub- 
lican and has always voted this ticket. He has 
held local office at various times, and is a 
member of the county central committee. He 
has been a member of the Masonic order since 
the age of twenty-one and now affiliates with 
the lodge at Gordon. He also holds member- 
ship in the Modern Woodmen of America at 
]\Ierriman. 



DAVID GRIFFITHS. 

Among those'^who have contributed to the 
prosperity of Phelps county, Nebraska, and 
whose patient industry and well directed en- 
ergy have brought individual competence may 
be mentioned David Griffiths, of Rock Falls 
township, whose valuable estate lies in sec- 
tion 3. 

Mr. Griffiths was born in 1854 in Wales, 
England. His father was also named David, 
and he lived and died in Wales. Our subject 
left Cefncoed, ^^'ales, in 1879, and moved to 
Grundy county, Illinois, after spending a few 



months in Pennsylvania. He was in the coal 
mines in Illinois until 1890, when he came to 
Phelps county, Nebraska, and purchased two 
hundred and forty acres of farming land. He 
at once went to work breaking it up and erect- 
ed a good set of substantial farm buildings, and 
from the start has been very successful in gen- 
eral farming and stock raising. He uses a 
portion of his farm for pasture, and runs from 
forty to fifty head of catUe and from fifty to 
one hundred hogs. He is progressive in his 
farming operations, and has one of the finest 
equipped farms in this locality. His land is 
well adapted for grain raising, and his wheat 
crop has shown a yield of forty bushels to 
the acre, and corn up to fifty bushels per acre. 

Mr. Griffiths was married in 1878 to Miss 
Margarette Jones, who is a native of Wales, 
England. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths have four 
sons and two daughters, as follows : Winnie, 
Thomas, Maggie, David, Morgan and Willie. 

Mr. Griffiths is a man of active public spirit 
and is a deservedly influential and popular 
citizen, always working for the upbuilding of 
the better interests of the people of his com- 
munity. He has served his township as as- 
sessor during the years 1893, 1894 and 1895, 
and for the past five years has held the office 
of treasurer of Rock Falls township. He also 
served as treasurer of school district No. S7 
for twelve years, and is among the leading 
men in his township. He takes a commendable 
interest in local and state politics, was a mem- 
ber of the county central committee of his 
party for several years, and has been chair- 
man of the township committee for the last 
seven years. He is an independent voter. 



WILLIAM H. BETSON. 

A prominent old settler is found in the per- 
son of the gentleman herein mentioned. Mr. 
Betson has been closely identified with the 
history of the development and growth of 
Dawes county and the surrounding country 
for the past twenty years and during that time 
has built up a good farm and home, and inci- 
dentally gained an enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen and progressive agriculturist. 

Mr. Betson was born in Pennsylvania in 
1858. His father was a farmer and for many 
vears tilled the soil in ^Montgomery county, 
and our subject was reared and educated near 
Philadelphia, getting a good common school 
education and meantime assisting his parents 
in the farm work. At the age of ten years 
he left home and started out for himself, work- 
ing in his native state up to 1881, then he came 



964 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to Kansas, where he was among the pioneers 
in Jackson county. He remained there for 
about eight years, and then moved to Nebras- 
ka, settling in Dawes county, where he took 
up a homestead in section 17, township 31, 
range 50, and started a farm, living in a rude 
shack during the first two years, constantly 
improving his place and building up until he 
has a ranch of nine hundred and sixtj' acres 
altogether. He has over two hundred acres 
of this under cultivation, and runs from sev- 
ent\--five to eighty head of cattle each year. 
This place is all fenced and cross fenced, with 
good farm buildings, barns, sheds, etc. Be- 
sides farming and stock raising he has for the 
past six years been engaged in the threshing 
business, and now owns a fine twelve-horse- 
power steam outfit and threshes all over this 
and adjoining counties. 

Mr. Betson was married in 1886 while liv- 
ing in Jackson county, Kansas, to Miss Anna 
Phillipi. Mrs. Betson"s father was of Penn- 
sylvania Dutch stock, and a pioneer in Kan- 
sas, where he farmed for many years. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Betson five children were born, 
namely: Charles, Alfred and Katie; Earl, a 
baby, and Alice, deceased. 

Mr. Betson has always been active in local 
affairs, and has helped establish schools in his 
locality, and served on the school board for 
many years. In politics he is an independent, 
voting for the man he thinks best fitted for 
the office. 



URIAH CHESTER, Dece.-vsed. 

The gentleni;in named above was for twenty- 
five years one of the leading citizens of Brown 
county, where he has always done his utmost 
in the upbuilding of this region, and he as- 
sisted materially in developing the commer- 
cial interests of the locality in which he re- 
sided. Mr. Chester was born in the village of 
Dudsville, Ontario, Canada, February 12, 1850, 
and came to Wisconsin in 1856 with his par- 
ents, the family being among the pioneer set- 
tlers in that state. His father, William Ches- 
ter, was a mason by trade, a native of Ire- 
land, born of English stock, who were driven 
from their mother country by the Catholics. 
Our subject grew up in Wisconsin, and when 
but a boy went into the lumber woods in 
Michigan, where he took charge of the wood- 
work on twenty miles of logging railway, re- 
maining at this work for twelve years. He 
was engaged in building bridges, cars, etc., 
on this road, and experienced a regular lum- 
berman's existence during this time. In 1883 



Mr. Chester came to western Nebraska, set- 
tling on a homestead in section 27, township 
28, range 21, fifteen miles southwest of Long 
Pine. There he built a frame house, being as- 
sociated with his brother, William Chester, 
whose sketch appears in this work on another 
page. The two worked together engaged ex- 
clusively in stock raising and ranching. They 
proved up on their place and bought more land 
until they owned two thousand acres in 1904, 
then sold out their holdings for a good round 
sum. The ranch was one of the best equipped 
in the vicinity, having plenty of cattle sheds, 
four deep wells and windmills, etc. They had 
five hundred head of cattle and twenty-five 
horses, and every penny of their property was 
made since coming to this part of the coun- 
try out of the sand hills. When they first 
settled on their ranch there was only one house 
between their place and Long Pine, a dis- 
tance of fifteen miles. Mr. Chester was mar- 
ried in Wisconsin January 11, 1873, to Miss 
Evelyn Thomas, a native of that state, daugh- 
ter of William H. Thomas, one of the earliest 
settlers in Wisconsin. He was an attorney 
and a member of the territorial legislature for 
two terms, and later served two terms in the 
state legislature. For eight years he was state's 
attorney in Waukesha county, where his death 
occurred in 1902. He was a well known poli- 
tician and public man, and one of the foremost 
citizens of Wisconsin, and his loss was deep- 
ly mourned by all who knew him. 

One child resulted from the marriage of 
our subject, a daughter, Inez, wife of Charles 
C. Ball, who is an engineer on the Chicago & 
Northwestern railway. 

Mr. Chester's death occurred in Long Pine 
March 29, 1908. He was a prominent Repub- 
lican, and always attended the county conven- 
tions as a delegate, taking an active interest in 
all party affairs. He served one term as county 
assessor and for many years was precinct as- 
sessor. In the fall of 1907 he was elected coun- 
ty commissioner, having served but a short 
part of his term at the time of his demise. 
He was a Mason for twenty-five years and with 
his wife a member of the Long Pine chapter 
of the Order of the Eastern Star, of which 
Mrs. Chester was a charter member and the 
first worthy matron. 



EMANUEL TONGREN. 

Emanuel Tongren, who was born in Wester 
Norlan, Sweden, in 1854, has for many years 
held an important position in the agricultural 
and commercial circles of Perkins county, Xe- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



965 



braska. His parents lived and died in their 
native land, where he was raised and educated, 
receiving a good common school training. 
During his young manhood he worked in the 
lumber woods in Sweden, and led a rugged, 
healthful outdoor life, remaining with his par- 
ents until he was thirty years of age, at which 
time he married Miss Anna Kaser, who was 
also born and raised in Sweden. Immediately 
after their marriage the young couple sailed for 
the new world, landing in New York city, and 
after a short stay there came west, settling in 
York county, Nebraska, but only remained 
there for two weeks, then came on to Perkins 
county. Here Mr. Tongren took up a home- 
stead on section 26, township'12, range 40, and 
they started to build up a home and farm. He 
had but small capital to start with, putting up 
a rude frame shanty, and during the first years 
went through many hardships and privations. 
He witnessed the drouth periods, losing sev- 
eral crops in succession, and often had diffi- 
culty in making both ends meet in the struggle 
for a living, but as times grew better he was 
able to improve his place in good shape, and 
his various enterprises has been c^rowned with 
a very fair measure of success, and he has de- 
come one of the solid and substantial men of 
his locality. 

Mr. Tongren is now the owner of a ranch 
of eight hundred acres, and of this he farms 
about two hundred acres. The entire place is 
well fenced and improved with good buildings, 
etc. He is engaged in stock raising to quite 
an extent, and is up-to-date and progressive 
in all his undertakings. 

During the early part of his residence in 
this section he went through the hardship of 
being without water, and was obliged to haul 
it a distance of four miles, but as he became 
better able, and conditions improved, he had 
wells drilled, and now has a fine supply, 
pumped to different points on his farm by wind 
mills, and has every convenience in the way 
of machinery and farm implements to make his 
work easy. 

Our subject has one son. Peter Tongren, 
who is attending school in Grand Island. Ne- 
braska, and who will graduate from the Grand 
Island Business College in 1909. 



ALBERT METCALF. 

Albert Metcalf, one of the prominent 
young farmers of Grant county, Nebraska, is 
proprietor of a well improved estate in section 
2, township 23, range 39. He is energetic and 
progressive, and well merits his success as a 



modern agriculturist and ranchman and his en- 
viable reputation as a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor. 

Mr. Metcalf was born in Washington coun- 
ty, Maine, in 1865. His father, also named 
Albert, was a tinsmith by trade, and followed 
that occupation nearly all his life. Albert was 
raised in a small town in his native state and 
remained with his parents until he was twenty- 
two years of age, then struck out for himself, 
coming west and settling in Custer county, 
Nebraska, where he followed farm work for 
three years. He came to Grant county and lo- 
cated on a ranch fourteen miles southeast of 
Hyannis. This place was called the "Spring 
Valley Ranch," and he held the position of 
foreman for about three years. He next emi- 
grated to Oregon, but only remained there for 
a short time then returned to Nebraska, and 
took charge of the "old Collins ranch, which he 
operated for three years. From there he went 
to the S. S. Sears ranch and ran that for a 
time, and in 1903 settled on his present ranch 
in section 2, township 23, range 39, filing on the 
land as a homestead. He began making im- 
provements as fast as he was able and built 
up a good ranch and at the present time is 
owner of a fine tract, consisting of six hundred 
and forty acres, all fenced and fitted with good 
buildings, wells and windmills, and is exten- 
sively engaged in the stock business, dealing 
principally in cattle. Although Mr. Metcalf 
is comparatively a young man, he has been 
most successful and has become widely known 
through the region as one of the substantial 
residents of the county, and is up-to-date and 
modern in his methods of operating his ranch. 

Mr. Metcalf was married in 1893, to Miss 
Velma Wright, daughter of Aaron Wright, a 
well-known ranchman of Grant county, and 
early settler in this region. Five children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf, named as 
follows : Charles, Mary, Albert, A^elma and 
Ina, all charming 3^oung people, and theirs is 
one of the most hospitable and congenial fam- 
ilies a weary traveler would care to meet. Our 
subject takes a commendable interest in local 
affairs. 



SWAN P. JOHNSON. 

Swan P. Johnson, one of the leading old- 
time residents of Nebraska, and a man who has 
devoted much of his time to the upbuilding of 
the community where he makes his home, com- 
mands a high station as a citizen and leading 
agriculturist of Deuel county. He resides in 
Swan precinct. Deuel county, and has the dis- 



966 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tinciiiiii. w ith his brother Charles A., of being 
the first settlers on the table land. 

Mr. Johnson is a native of Sweden, born 
July 21. 1857. He was raised and educated 
there, remaining with his parents until he was 
a young man twenty-two years of age, then 
came to America alone to seek his fortune. 
He settled in Henry county, Illinois, and lived in 
that locality for six years, then came to Deuel 
county, arriving in the region in the spring of 
1886. The following spring he filed on a 
homestead on section 14, township 13, range 
44, which adjoined the ranch of his brother, 
Charles A. Johnson, who had come to America 
in 1881, and homesteaded in Deuel county in 
1885. 

Our subject started in with a brave lieart 
to develop a farm and build up a good home, 
and although meeting with many discourage- 
ments in the way of loss of crops during the 
drouth seasons and from other causes, he grad- 
uallv improved his farm and became the pos- 
sessor of additional land in the .section, so that 
he is now owner of six hundred and forty 
acres, all of which is in first-class condition, 
having about two hundred acres under culti- 
vation, on which he raises good crops. He is 
also engaged quite extensively in the stock 
business, having seventy-five head of cattle and 
quite a number of horses. His ranch has a 
fine set of farm buildings of all kinds, and he is 
counted among the progressive and up-to-date 
agriculturists and stockmen of his vicinity. 

Mr. Johnson was married in Henry county, 
Illinois, February 9, 1884. to ^^liss Augusta M. 
Bergman, also a native of Sweden, she coming 
to this country in 1881. Seven children were 
born of this union, namely: Fannie M., born in 
Illinois, now living in California : Amanda, 
married to August Anderson, they living in 
Deuel county. The following arc at home : Ed- 
win, Harry, Annie, Victor and Herman, all of 
whom assist in the work about the ranch. Mr. 
Johnson's father is dead, but his mother is 
still living in the old homestead in Sweden, 
and both the father and mother of his wife re- 
side in that country. C)ur subject is deeply in- 
terested in school affairs in his township, at 
present serving as moderator of district No. 
24. In politics he is a Republican, and firm in 
his convictions. 



JOliX WEIXEL. 

Among the progressive and well-to-do agri- 
culturists of Box Butte county, a prominent 
place is accorded John Weinel, who resides on 
his fine farm of one thousand two hundred 



acres in section 25, township 25, range 49. 
Here he follows mixed farming, and is a man 
of marked business abilit\" and untiring energy. 

Mr. Weinel was bom in Hessel, Germany, 
on a farm, in 1850. His parents were born and 
reared in that country, and spent their entire 
lives there, our subject living at home during 
his boyhood, and was married in his native 
village in 1876 to Margrett Danges. Together 
the young couple came to the new world to 
seek their fortune and build up a home for 
themselves and their posterity. They landed 
in New York city in April, 1884, and went 
directly to Marshalltown, Iowa, making that 
locality their home for two years. At the end 
of that time they came to Nebraska, arriving 
at Hay Springs by railroad in the spring of the 
year 1886, settling at their present location. 
Their almost sole possessions were a team and 
wagon, which they had driven from Iowa. 
They bought two cows after landing here, and 
filed on a homestead, putting up a rough 
shanty, whicli they occupied for a number of 
years. 

During the first year our subject made 
twenty-seven trips to Hay Springs, seventy or 
eighty miles distant, on freighthig expeditions. 
They went through all the hardships and pri- 
vations so well known to the early settlers of 
this state, meeting many disappointments in 
failure of crojis by drouths and hailstorms and 
just as they were beginning to gel along a lit- 
tle better had the misfortune to lose their barn, 
six horses, one thousand bushels of grain, 
granary and stable by fire. This was in 1893, 
and it was a severe setback to Mr. Weinel, and 
it was a long time before he recovered from 
this misfortune in a financial way. The coun- 
try was continually being more thickly settled, 
as when he first landed here there were only 
three shanties occupied by white settlers in his 
part of the township. However, the pioneers 
began to rush in. times grew better, and he 
was able to add many improvements, also pur- 
chased many acres additional, so that he is now 
owner of one thousand three hundred and 
sixty acres of fine land, all fenced, which he 
uses as a stock ranch, also does some farming. 
He leases, besides this large tract, a large piece 
of land adjoining his ranch, devoting quite a 
number of acres to the raising of potatoes, 
which yield a fine crop and nets a considerable 
sum each year. 

Mrs. \\'einel died on the homestead in 1886, 
leaving a family of four children, namely: 
Pete, John P., Fred and Maggie. Mrs. Weinel 
was a lady of most estimable character, greatly 
beloved b_v all who knew her, and she was sin- 
cerely mourned by her family and many 




HOMESTEAD RANCH OF JOHN WEINEL, 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



967 



friends. In 1889 our subject was married the 
second time, to Alinnie Sass. .of Box Butte 
county. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, 
coming to the United States when a young 
girl, and was one of the early settlers in Ne- 
braska. 

Mr. Weinel takes a leading part in every 
movement started for the good of his com- 
munity, and has done his full share in the up- 
building of this section. A picture showing 
the homestead ranch of Mr. \\'einel appears on 
another page. 



G. W. HUNTINGTON. 

G. \\'. Huntington, «-hose pleasant home in 
township 30, range 45, bespeaks painstaking 
care, is a pioneer settler of Sheridan county, 
and otie of the highly esteemed and worthy 
citizens of that region. He has devoted many 
years of his life to agriculture and met with 
pronounced success in his labors. He is now 
proprietor of a fine farm, and enjoys well mer- 
ited prosperity, which has been attained solely 
through his own unaided efforts. 

Mr. Huntington was born in Compton 
county, Canada, November 1, 1845. His father, 
Benjamin Huntington, was born in Vermont 
and went to Canada when a young man, set- 
tling on a farm there, and his wife was also a 
native of \^ermont. Of a family of five children 
our subject was the youngest, and is now the 
only one living. His father died when he was 
fourteen months old. so he has no recollection 
whatever of him, and he was raised on a farm 
where he had to help in the work and from. 
the time he was ten years old helped to sup- 
port his mother, doing hard work on neighbor- 
ing farms for which he received twenty-five 
cents per day. Often after the day's work was 
done he and his mother together would make 
a pair of pants in the evening, for which they 
would receive fifty cents, which helped in mak- 
ing the living for the family. His mother died 
when he was about twenty-one years of age, and 
soon after this the children came to Wisconsin, 
landing there on March 28, and they farmed 
in Sauk county for a year, then moved to 
Minnesota and farmed for three years near 
Plainview. They then returned to Wisconsin 
and remained for twelve years engaged in 
farming, and owned eighty acres of good land 
and was in fairly good circumstances. His 
wife's people had settled in Nebraska, and her 
mother was anxious to have them move there, 
and urged them to come and settle on her land 
in Sheridan county, so he sold off his personal 
property and came on with his family, arriv- 



ing here October 10, 1888. His inother-in-Iaw 
mortgaged his stock and he paid the interest, 
which acknowledged the debt, and he finally 
lost all his property in 1892, leaving him with 
only one horse. He then went on to rented 
land and tried farming during the dry season 
but had to give a third of everything he 
raised. He got small crops every season and 
had a little grain to sell each year so he man- 
aged to get along. In 1891 he had bought a 
threshing machine and during the dry years 
threshed through the country from Pine Ridge 
to the river, often doing three jobs of threshing 
in one day, and in that one season threshed 
for one hundred and six days. During the 
hard times his wife wanted him to leave the 
pla.ce and try it somewhere else, but he had 
nothing to start over with, so stayed on here, 
and since the better years began he has added 
to his farm until he has eight hundred acres, 
besides a farm which he gave to his son, and in 
1904 he cleared up his last debt and put one 
thousand one hundred dollars in the bank. 
He has seen as hard times as any man in Sher- 
idan county, but has come out in good shape, 
and thinks he is worth more today than if he 
had remained in Wisconsin and is satisfied to 
stay here unless he has a good chance to dis- 
pose of his property, in which event he will 
go still further west. He now rents out his 
farm, keeping a small piece of ground for him- 
self and runs a few head of stock and some 
chickens, which more than keeps him, and he 
is also able to lay up a little as he goes along. 
Mr. Huntington was married in 1869 to 
Miss Alma Young, a native of New Hamp- 
shire, born in 1853 and raised there until 
twelve years old, then went to Canada with her 
parents. Her father was of Scotch descent, a 
farmer and blacksmith • by trade, and her 
mother of English blood. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Huntington five children have been born, 
namely : Amos, Edna, Anna, Edith and Ida, 
all living near the old home. ^Ir. Huntington 
has never given much time to politics and has 
never held an office, devoting his attention to 
the building up of his home. He is a Demo- 
crat. 



CHARLES McDonald. 

Charles McDonald, oresident of the Mc- 
Donald State Bank of Nortli Platte, Nebraska, 
is one of the foremost citizens of that city, and 
has been a prominent factor in the upbuilding 
of the commercial and financial interests of 
this locality. 

Mr. McDonald is a native of Tennessee. 



968 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



His father, Alex. McDonald, was a native 
of X'irginia, and lived there until the year 1791, 
when the family came west, settling in Jeffer- 
son county, Tennessee, where the subject of 
this sketch was born October 25, 1826. His great- 
grandfather, .\lex. McDonald, was an old set- 
tler in Mrginia before the Revolutionary war, 
and during that struggle between the nations 
he was staff officer in George \\"ashington's staff. 
Our subject's mother was Miss Mary McClis- 
ter, whose father was also a soldier in that 
war, and was one of the army who crossed the 
Delaware with Washington at the battle of 
Trenton. 

Mr. ^IcDonald came to Nebraska in 1855 
and located in Pawnee county. In 1860 he 
came to Lincoln county, which he helped to 
organize, then called Shorter county, and after- 
wards was properly organized and renamed 
as Lincoln county. At this time he lived at 
Cottonwood Springs, Nebraska, where he 
operated an overland ranch and store where 
Fort McPherson was afterwards built. He 
was the first county official, being elected 
judge of the county immediately at its organi- 
zation. He also held the office of county clerk 
for one term, and lived at Cottonwood Springs 
up to .'\pril 24, 1872. Mr. McDonald then sold 
out his property at Cottonwood Springs and 
moved to North Platte, where he has resided 
ever since. The government purchased his 
ranch and store, where the reservation was es- 
tablished, paying him si.x thousand dollars for 
the property, .\fter moving to North Platte. 
Mr. McDonald was elected county superin- 
tendent of schools and served for two years, 
and afterwards held the office of county com- 
missioner for one term. In 1873 he opened a 
general merchandise establishment in North 
Platte, and continued in this business up to 
1899, meeting with great success, and carried 
on a flourishing trade from all over Lincoln 
and adjoining counties. He has accumulated 
a large fortune and owns valuable property in 
North Platte, also several hundred acres of the 
best laufl in the county located near the city 
in which he now resides. He has a fine home, 
and is one of the wealthiest men in this local- 
ity. In 1878 he purchascfl the bank of which 
he is now president, which was the first bank- 
ing institution in North Platte, and it is one 
of the most reliable and solid in this section, 
and is now incorporated under the name of the 
McDonald State Bank. 

October 14. 1858. Mr. McDonald was mar- 
ried to Miss Orra B. Henry, of Omaha, a na- 
tive of Hamilton, New York, born in 1840, 
She came west in 1856 and was the first white 
woman to locate in this county. One son. 



W. H. McDonald, was the first white child 
born in Lincoln county, and he is now cashier 
of the bank of which his father is president. 
Another son, James Boyd McDonald, is a mer- 
chant in North Platte. He is a member of the 
state Democratic committee, also secretary of 
the county Democratic committee, and widely 
known all over the county as a man of active pub- 
lic spirit. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald also have two 
daughters, Mrs. \\'. C. Reynolds (see sketch in 
this book), and ^Irs. F. S Mooney, both resi- 
dents of this city. The latter's husband is cash- 
ier of the First National Bank of North Platte. 
Mr. McDonald has been a Mason since 
1857. In political faith he is a strong Demo- 
crat, and has always voted that ticket. 



ADOLPH NIKONT. 

Adolph Nikont, brother of Ferdinand Ni- 
kont, whose sketch appears in this volume, is 
also numbered among the old settlers of Box 
Butte county, Nebraska, and has spent the last 
twenty years of his career in farming and 
ranching here. 

Our subject was born in Russia in 1869, of 
German ancestry and grew up there, receiving 
a common school education, remaining in the 
land of his birth up to the age of fifteen years, 
then came to America with his father and 
mother and together they came to Nebraska, 
locating in the eastern part of the state. 
Adolph followed farming, working out by the 
month for two years in Dodge county, and when 
he was seventeen years old came to Box Butte 
county, and worked at railroading for a few 
years. For the first few years after locating 
in this region he went through many hard- 
ships and bitter experiences, but was brave 
and faithful, and with his brothers and parents 
managed to get along very well and built up a 
good home for themselves. The original home- 
stead was taken in section 28, township 27, 
range 51, by our subject's father in 1886. and 
both father and mother died there. ."Xnd our 
subject now occupies the old original home- 
stead that his father and mother did on set- 
tling here in pioneer days. 

After working long and faithfully to build 
up a comfortable home and improve his place, 
and getting along very well, in the spring of 
1907 Mr. Nikont was burned out, losing hay, 
barn, harness and many other things, which 
was a severe loss to him. Mr. Nikont is a 
hard worker, honest and industrious, and 
richly deserves all the success which has come 
to him since locating here. All of his time is 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



969 



devoted to his farming and ranching interests, 
and he is highly esteemed in the neighborhood 
as a worthy citizen. 

WILLIE E. FARR. 

Willie E. Farr is a prosperous and success- 
ful farmer, whose home is not far from New- 
port, Rock county, Nebraska, where he is 
highly esteemed for his manly character and 
the possession of those particular traits that 
mark the good citizen, the kindly neighbor 
and the upright man. In his own career are 
presented the many advantages of a rural life : 
and now, at the prime of his powers, and, com- 
ing from a youth and manhood that have been 
peaceful and orderly, his vital forces are not 
lessened, but rather increased and strengthened. 

Mr. Farr was born on a farm in the town of 
Brandon, Franklin county. New York, March 
15, 1860, and was reared to a life of honest 
industry after the old American fashion. His 
father, Chauncey Farr, was born in Massa- 
chusetts, and came of an ancestry long known 
in New England, as did his mother, Sarah 
Drew. They were the parents of three chil- 
dren, the subject of this writing being the sec- 
ond member of the family. When he was 
twenty years of age it seemed the time had 
come for him to care for himself. In 1872 he 
went to Vernon county, Wisconsin, where he 
was engaged in farming for some ten years, 
acquiring familiarity with western agriculture, 
and becoming ready for the crowning test of 
his ability to make a home on the great prai- 
ries on the far side of the Missouri. This test 
he successfully passed in 1882. when he came 
to Rock, then a part of Brown county, Ne- 
braska, and took up a pre-emption claim in sec- 
tion 2, township 29. range 17, which he pres- 
ently brought into fine farming condition. He 
was married in Rock county. October 10, 1885, 
when Miss Addie Muselman became his wife. 
Her people were early settlers in Iowa, and 
were very highly regarded by all who knew 
them for their excellent character and worth. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Farr have come the following 
children : Gertrude. Clifford, Eugene, Fern and 
Roy. For some two years prior to his mar- 
riage Mr. Farr lived alone, making his home in 
a frame shanty, the material for which he had 
hauled from Stuart. The farm where he is 
found at present writing was bought by him 
in 1900, and to-day he is the proprietor of a 
fine body of land consisting of nine hundred 
and sixty acres peculiarly adapted to the rais- 
ing of hay and a general stock business. In 
stock he aims to keep on hand about one hun- 
dred and seventy-five head, and makes a habit 



cif selling about three hundred and fifty tons 
(if hay a year. Thus it may be justly said that 
Mr. Farr has developed two farms since his 
coming to the state. Good groves are flourish- 
ing on both places, and nearly all the trees on 
both were planted by him. He is a Democrat 
and a strong Bryan man, but takes no very 
active part in party affairs, as he prefers to 
give heart and strength to the home and its 
interests. Socially he is a member of the lodge 
of Odd Fellows and \N'orkmen of Newport. 



w. J. Mcintosh. 

W. J. Mcintosh, one of the leading citizens 
of western Nebraska, is an old settler of Deuel 
county. He is the owner of a well improved 
and valuable farm on section 25, township 17, 
range 42, and is also interested in other enter- 
prises, being president of the telephone com- 
pany of C)shkosh, and occupies a high position 
as a business man and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Mcintosh was born in Trimble coun- 
ty, Kentucky, on October 9, 1851, growing to 
tire age of six years in that county, then remov- 
ing with father and mother to Illinois, where 
they made their home for nine years. The 
family came to Nebraska in 1866, locating on 
Blue creek, in Butler county, and lived there 
for a number of years. Our subject came into 
Deuel county in 1887, homesteading on sec- 
tions 1 and 2, township 16, range 44, proved 
up on the claim, and later removed to his 
present location, where he has a farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres, taken under the 
Kincaid act. He has erected good buildings 
and put many improvements on the place, cul- 
tivating fifty acres, and is also engaged in the 
stock business, running a bunch of cattle and 
horses. During his younger years Mr. Mcin- 
tosh learned the carpenter's and builder's 
trade, and has worked at this off and on dur- 
ing his career. 

Mr. Mcintosh was married in Atchison 
county, Missouri, in 1882, to Miss Nancy I. Peb- 
ley, who is a native of that state. Six children 
have come to bless their union, named as follows: 
J. C, Owen, Emmett. Leonia and Robert, who 
are single and live at home, while William F. 
is married and resides on a ranch in Deuel 
county. The parents of both our subject and 
his wife are deceased. Mr. Mcintosh is classed 
among the leading" old-timers of his county 
and has done much to further the interests of 
the community in which he chose his home. 
He is prosperous and successful and is held in 
the highest esteem as a worthy citizen and 
good neighbor. He is a Republican in political 



970 CO.MPEXDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



JOSEPH O. BARTON. 



Joseph O. Barton is one of the most prom- 
inent and successful of the pioneers of Blaine 
county, Nebraska. He has always had strong 
faith "in himself and in his adopted state and 
by intelligently following up-to-date methods 
has accumulated a competency to bring him 
comfort with advancing years. He rejoices 
in the confidence of his fellows and wields a 
strong influence in his community. 

Mr. Barton's native state is \Visconsin. 
where he was born on a farm on the Sugar 
river, December 15, 1847. His father. Alex- 
ander, was born in Paris and came to America 
when he was a young man. Our subject's 
mother was Angeline Erno in her girlhood days 
and was a native of St. Johns. Canada, being of 
French ancestry. 

Our subject was reared on a Wisconsin 
farm and became inured to hard work, imbib- 
ing the principles of thrift and enterprise which 
have strongly characterized his whole life. 
His father died when Joseph was six years old 
and as soon as he was large enough he helped 
to support the widowed mother. The years of 
toil and self-sacrifice for those who depended 
on him left their inevitable stamp upon him, 
and gave him traits of character that have ma- 
terially aided in his march to success. 

Joseph O. Barton was married January 5, 
1872, to Miss Edna R. Davenport, who, although 
American born, was of French and German 
blood. Her parents were Nora and Louise 
CBuzzle) Davenport, the father being a miller 
by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Barton have had 
three children : Edward T., Laura May, and 
Guy C, now dead. 

In 1874 our subject left Wisconsin in a cov- 
ered wagon and started on a long drive to the 
great new west, coming to Garfield county, Ne- 
braska, settling on land about two miles from 
where Burwell now stands, and living there for 
eight years. His brother George slept .in a 
barn lor a long time after coming here to guard 
the horses frc)ni the Indians. The Indians were 
still in the country and they committed many 
depredations, even going so far as to commit 
two murders in our subject's neighborhood, 
and at times these marauders of the west made 
it extremely dangerous for the pioneers. 
Horses were stolen and many things of useful- 
ness and value were carried away. There 
were twelve families in the neighborhood and 
they took turns about going for supplies to 
Grand Island, the nearest market town, a hun- 
dred miles away, and our subject has slept 
under his wagon many a night on these long 



freighting trips. His experiences of the hard- 
ships of the pioneer days were most severe 
and only a sturdy and worthy nature brought 
him through to success. He lived a long time 
in a sod house and he was not surrounded with 
many of the luxuries of life. It was a hard 
evervdav struggle for maintenance and to im- 
prove his land. He saw the grasshoppers 
come in clouds and overrun the country, eat- 
ing and totally destroying the crops for three 
successive seasons — these fierce little insects 
even ate the clothes on the line and the cur- 
tains at the windows of the houses. They 
were the most terrible pest ever known in the 
country and wherever they went they wrought 
ruin and devastation. Our subject had six 
total failures of crops and had to make a liv- 
ing by hauling posts and railroad ties which 
could be gotten out of the territory in those 
days. 

In 1882, almost broken in fortune, our sub- 
ject determined to move and he came to his 
present location in Blaine county, and started 
anew. He put up a sod house and started at 
the lowest round of the ladder. But times 
were better and he has steadily advanced in 
prosperity in all lines. He has now a splendid 
farm of four hmidred and eighty acres and his 
son has six hundred and forty acres. His fine 
house, bams, granary, corn cribs and groves 
of forest trees (of which he has fifteen acres) 
all emphasize his success. His farm is known 
all over the country as the Riverside Ranch, 
and he is widely known as a successful stock 
raiser and farmer. He has struggled hard for 
a competency and now in his advancing years, 
he views with complacency and satisfaction the 
abundant fruits of his persistent labors. 

Mr. Barton has always exhibited a strong 
interest in political afifairs, — helped to organize 
Blaine county and was one of the first county 
commissioners and has been a member of the 
school board for years. As a progressive citi- 
zen and leader of public sentiment he stands 
in the front ranks. He served his country with 
honor and credit in the Civil war and during 
the days when the Indians were terrorizing 
the west. He joined the Twentieth United States 
Infantrv and saw serv'ice in the south and after 
ninety days he was sent up to Minnesota to help 
quell the Indian outbreak just after the well 
known New I'lm massacre. With his company 
he was after the Indians in Minnesota, Dakota 
and other localities. Throughout his life Mr. 
Barton has been in the forefront of affairs 
and has come to occupy an important place in 
the modern development of the locality in 
which he lives. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE:\IINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



9/1 



G. F. SALTSGABER. 

G. F. Saltsgaber, who enjoys the comforts 
of a rural home in Liberty township, Kearney 
county, Nebraska, is one of the best known 
old settlers in this section of the country, 
and his labors here have become a part of 
the state's history. His life has been one of 
many experiences and he is honored as a pub- 
lic-spirited citizen and prosperous agricultur- 
ist of his county. 

Air. Saltsgaber is a native of Ohio. His 
father, George Saltsgaber, came to Nebraska 
in 1892, and died here in 1897. He was a na- 
tive of Reading county, Pennsylvania, where 
the family had resided for generations, and 
they have an annual reunion in Ohio, which 
is attended by all the relatives. In 1906 this 
was attended by two hundred and seventy peo- 
ple. This association keeps all family records, 
which go back for two hundred years. Our 
subject's mother. Anna Stoutsenbarger, is a 
daughter of Daniel and Rowenski Stoutsen- 
barger. and his paternal grandmother was 
Hannah Keller, of Reading, Pennsylvania. In 
1873 Mr. Saltsgaber began work as an ap- 
prentice, going into the building and contract- 
ing business at Pioneer, Williams county, 
Ohio, when but seventeen years of age, and has 
followed his trade ever since. In this county. 
Adams and Buffalo counties he has, since 1876, 
contracted and built a large number of farm 
houses and barns, and he has put up many of 
the best residences of this section. Most of 
the farm building? in Eaton township have 
been put up b}' him, and he has contributed 
largely for the past many years to the general 
prosperity of this locality and had all the build- 
ing contracts he could handle, often being 
obliged to turn them away. He has a fore- 
man who has worked for him for twenty-one 
years, and he is trusted and liked by every one 
with whom he comes in contact, either in a 
business or social w^ay. Besides his contract- 
ing Mr. Saltsgaber owns a fine farm of three 
hundred and twenty acrfes, one hundred and 
sixty acres being on section 11, of Liberty 
township. The other one hundred and sixty 
acres are on section 2, Liberty township. He 
took up a homestead on Alay 24, 1876, and 
still occupies this home, and the farm is car- 
ried on by his sons, who engage in mixed farm- 
ing and stock raising. 

Mr. Saltsgaber's wife was Miss Ida Kirk- 
patrick, born and reared in Pennsylvania, 
daughter of James K. and Catherine ('\\'right) 
Kirkpatrick, who came here in 1879. Their 
marriage took place in 1880, and to them have 
been born the following children : Rov, Tav, 



Guy, George, Mona and Pearl. Our subject 
has two brothers in Kearney county — Levi, re- 
siding at Kearney, and Dan, of Minden. An- 
other brother, William, died here in 1898, aged 
fifty-two. 

Mr. Saltsgaber is a fine type of the German 
citizen, many of whom were raisecl in Penn- 
sylvania. He is intelligent and broad-minded, 
alive to the best interests of his community 
and always ready to do all in his power to ad- 
vance conditions for the people. He has filled 
all the local township offices and is a leader 
in township aft'airs. In politics he is an in- 
dependent. He is a member, of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows lodge, and also a 
Woodman. 



GEORGE DeGRAW. 

George DeGraw, one of the prominent citi- 
zens of Camp Clark precinct, has for the past 
twenty years made that vicinity his home. 
During that time he has developed a good farm 
by dint of industry and thrift, supplemented 
by honesty and good management. He has 
also been instrumental in helping to bring 
about the prosperity enjoyed in the farming 
community of that part of Morrill (formerly 
Cheyenne) county, and done his full share in 
its upbuilding. 

Air. DeGraw first saw the light of day in 
the city of St. Paul, Alinnesota, where he was 
born November 5, 1863. There he grew to 
the age of eleven years, when his parents 
moved to Nodaway county, Missouri, where 
they resided five years prior to moving to Smith 
county. Kansas. In 1880 Mr. DeGraw left 
home and for seven years made his home in 
Alarsha-ll county, Kansas. That year they 
came to that part of Cheyenne county that was 
in 1908 set off as Alorrill county and filed upon 
and proved up a homestead in section 34, town- 
ship 17, range 50, which later was sold to Air. 
Tom Freeman. In 1901 he purchased one hun- 
dred and sixty acres in section 12, township 
20. range 51. which he is developing into one 
of the finest dairy ranches in western Nebras- 
ka. All of it is irrigable and about one hun- 
dred acres have been seeded to alfalfa. The 
balance will be sowed to that plant for plow- 
ing under frorh time to time to enrich the soil. 
Air. DeGraw is increasing his dairy herd as 
rapidly as he can breed the kind of stock he de- 
sires. Comfortable buildings are on the place 
and shortly larger and more commodious 
structures will replace the primitive ones first 
built on the place. His farm is considered one 
of the best under ditch in the vicinity, on 
which he raises splendid crops of small grain, 



9/2 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



raising as high as forty bushels of excellent 
hard wheat to the acre. 

Mr. DeGraw's parents, Frederick C. and 
Elizabeth (Todd) DeGraw, have since 1889 
been living in the Big Horn basin, Wyoming, 
where they have a fine property. 

Our subject was married to Miss Stella 
\\'vmer, a native of Minnesota, their wedding 
occurring in Sidney, Nebraska, December 7, 
1897. That Mr. DeGraw is a true adherent of 
the Roosevelt idea is evidenced by his inter- 
esting faniih- of seven children, who are named 
as follows: Frederick C, Hannah. Iris, May, 
Nellie, Georgia and Eugene. Their home is 
one of the pleasant spots to be found in that 
region, and they have a host of friends and 
acquaintances by whom they are held in high 
esteem. 

Our subject is a stanch Republican and fra- 
ternally a member of the ]\lasonic lodge at 
Sidney. 

A view of the farm buildings, with a view 
of the hill and valley landscape surrounding, 
is to be found elsewhere in our work. 



WILLIAM NEWTON FOSTER. 

William Newton Foster, of Davison pre- 
cinct, Cheyenne county, is one of the old set- 
tlers of western Nebraska, and since locating 
here has been one of the foremost citizens 
of this section, taking an active part in the 
development of the agricultural and commer- 
cial resources. He has also accumulated a nice 
property- for himself and built up a good home, 
incidentally acquiring an e.xcellent reputation 
as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Foster was born in Charleston, Coles 
county. Illinois, on October 8, 1868, a son of 
Jiisiah and Susan F. (Hayden) Foster. The 
family moved to Douglas county, Illinois, 
about 1876, locating at Tuscola, and it was here 
that Mr. Foster was reared, attending the com- 
mon schools and working on the farm. The 
parents moved to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, 
locating six miles north of Potter, where they 
established a ranch. The father, a minister 
of the Methodist church, became circuit rider, 
holding meetings throughout the region. For 
one year he was in charge of the pulpit at 
Harrisburg. but later he returned to the ranch. 

Newton came to Nebraska in the fall of 
1887, settling in Sidney, and soon afterwards 
he filed on a homestead in section 32, town- 
ship 16, range 50, consisting of one hundred 
and sixty acres, to which he has added another 
quarter section of Kincaid homestead. He has 
a well improved estate, farming about two hun- 



dred and thirty acres, and is a progressive, 
up-to-date agriculturist, having his ranch fit- 
ted with necessar}- buildings, fences, windmills, 
reservoirs, cisterns, etc. He has been through, 
all the old Nebraska pioneer times, and tells 
many interesting experiences occurring while he 
was an old-time "cowpuncher." He was em- 
ployel four years on the TwoBa r ranch andwas 
manager and foreman of the Camp Stool ranch 
in Wyoming for five years. He farmed in Mis- 
souri in 1896 and followed the same occupation 
two years in Kansas. During the winter of 1904 
and 1905 he was projirietor of the Le Grand Ho- 
tel in Sidney. From June, 1902. to 1906, he had 
the contract for carrying the mail between Sid- 
ney and Ickes, on the route to Camp Clark. 
Mr. Foster was united in marriage June 24, 
1896, at Se3'mour, Missouri, to Miss Irene 
Brooks, who was born in Michigan and came 
as a child with her parents, Philo and Laura 
(Marvin) Brooks, to Cheyenne county, where 
she was reared and educated. Two children 
have been born of their union. Crystal and 
Eugene. The}- occupy a prominent place in 
neighborhood affairs, and their home is one 
of the most pleasant and hospitable to be 
found. A view of the premises is to be found 
elsewhere in this work. In political sentiment 
Mr. Foster is a loyal Republican, and active 
in local political matters. He is a member 
of the Knights of Pythias at .Sidney and with 
his wife affiliates with the Knights and La- 
dies of the Fireside. 



JOHN E. HENDRICKS. 

John E. Hendricks, a leading business man 
of Cody. Nebraska, was born in Hocking coun- 
ty, Ohio, January 8, 1864. His father! H. R. 
Hendricks, was a farmer, of German-Ameri- 
can stock, and his mother, who -was Mary 
Clark, was also of .American blood. Our sub- 
ject was reared on tiie farm until he was eiglit- 
een years old, then left home and came to Ne- 
braska, locating at O'Neill, where he did gen- 
eral work in that vicinity for two years, then 
came to Cherry county and has made this his 
home ever since. During the first years he 
worked on ranches, and in 1891 took up a 
homestead, where he engaged in the cattle 
business. In 1900 he started in the saloon 
business, but only ran this a short time, and 
opened a meat market in Cody in 1905, to 
which lie is adding a stock of general merchan- 
dise. He has built u]) a good trade and is 
one of the well-to-do merchants of the place. 
He has a neat and thoroughlj- up-to-date store 
and his goods are of the best. 




RESIDENCE OF GEORGE DE GRAW 

Mornll County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF W. \. F(JSTEK. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska.' 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



973 



When Mr. Hendricks landed here this re- 
gion was all Sioux county, and he was among 
the first settlers to come in west of Valentine. 
He has seen all the ups and downs of west- 
ern Nebraska, and has done his share in build- 
ing up the country. He was the first con- 
stable of this precinct and has always taken 
an active part in local political affairs, vot- 
ing the straight Democratic ticket. During the 
winter of 188-1-1885 he conducted a roadhouse at 
Cody, and this was the first building in the now 
thriving town. 

Mr. Hendricks was married June 5, 1888, 
to j\liss Martha Craig, a native of Blue Earth 
county, Alinnesota. She is the daughter of 
American parents, who were early settlers in 
Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks have a 
family of five children, all born and raised in 
Cherry county, named as follows : Pearl, Fay, 
Myrtle, Ernest and Clifford. 

Mr. Hendricks is a member of the Cody 
lodee of Yeomen. 



PETER PETERSON, Sr. 

Peter Peterson, Sr., a prosperous farmer of 
Union township, Phelps county, Nebraska, is 
one of the leading citizens of his community. 
Mr. Peterson was born in the province of 
Helsingland, Sweden, and came to this coun- 
try in 1868. He located in Knox county, Illi- 
nois, for some time, then came to Phelps coun- 
ty in 1887. He has no recollection of his fa- 
ther, he having been accidentally killed be- 
fore our subject was born. 

After settling in this county in 1887 he 
took a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres, and afterwards bought an adjoining 
one hundred and sixty-acre tract, and on this 
three hundred and twenty acres he now re- 
sides. Our subject's two sons own four hun- 
dred and eighty acres in section 31, this town- 
ship. The lands are mostly pasture, and they 
run from one hundred to one hundred and 
twenty cattle all the time, and do considerable 
hog raising. They also raise grain with good 
success on the level uplands, together with 
plenty of hay, but as yet they have not started 
any alfalfa. Mr. Peterson is assisted in his farm 
work by his sons, Peter Peterson, Jr., and Sam- 
uel, who have always lived at home, and this 
family is a good example of the progressive, 
thrifty and successful Swedish settlers of 
Phelps county. They have built up a fine farm 
and comfortable home, and enjoy the respect 
and esteem of all who know them. 

On May 14, 1865, Mr. Peterson was mar- 
ried to Miss Ellen Samuelson, also a native 



of Sweden. They have a family of seven chil- 
dren living, including the two sons mentioned 
above, and two younger sons and three daugh- 
ters. 

Mr. Peterson takes a commendable interest 
in all commercial affairs in his community, 
is a member of the Lutheran church, in which 
he is a most earnest worker, and lends his in- 
fluence to the upbuilding of the better inter- 
ests of the locality in which he makes his 
home. In politics he is a Republican. 



CHARLES LANGE. 

For nearly forty years the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal history has been as- 
sociated with the agricultural interests of west- 
ern Nebraska, and as one of Dawes county's 
old settlers and worthy citizens he is well 
known and highly esteemed. Mr. Lange is 
proprietor of a fine estate in section 16, town- 
ship 31, range 50, and has accumulated his 
property and gained his good name by his 
persistent labors and honest integrity. 

Mr. Lange was born in Germany in 1856, 
and with his father, Charles Lange, came to 
America in 1868, the family settling in Henry 
county, Illinois. They remained there up to 
1871. then moved to Nebraska, locating near 
Lincoln, settling on a tract of wild prairie 
land, where they began as pioneers, opening 
up a farm and beginning the work of estab- 
lishing a good home and accumulating a com- 
petence. Our subject was but a boy and he 
attended the country schools and during his 
leisure hours assisted the family in carrying 
on the farm, remaining with his parents up 
to 1889, when he came to Dawes county and 
located on his present farm. This was all 
wild prairie land with no improvements what- 
ever, and he had not much to start with, but 
gave his whole time and energy to the devel- 
opment of his farm, and succeeded in a marked 
degree, as he is now owner of four hundred 
and eighty acres of good land, three hundred 
of which are highly cultivated, and the balance 
is in pasture and hay land. He has built a good 
house, substantial barns and other buildings, 
and his land is all fenced. Ash creek runs 
through the place, furnishing plenty of good 
living water the year round, and he has also 
plenty of timber and shade trees on the farm. 
In 1883 Mr. Lange was married to Miss Au- 
gusta Nieman, born in Germany, where her 
father was a merchant, and never left the old 
country until very late in life. He died in Lin- 
coln, Nebraska, soon after coming over to the 
United States. Mr. and Mrs. Langre have a 



974 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



family of seven children, named as follows: 
Fritz, Willie, Adolph, Richard. Otto. Mar- 
tha and Carl. 



the Methodist church and affiliated with the 
Masonic and Woodmen orders. 



FRANK BREWSTER, Deceased. 

Frank Brewster, deceased, was one of the 
prominent citizens and deservedly esteemed 
residents of Springview, Nebraska, a man of 
of exceptional business capacity, who met with 
success in whatever he undertook in a busi- 
ness or professional way. Mr. Brewster 
ser\ed as county clerk of Keya Paha county 
and was a gentleman of integrity and enter- 
prise, who won the entire confidence of his 
fellowmen as an efficient and popular public 
official. 

Mr. Brewster was born in Chicago, Illinois, 
March 4, 1865. and was reared and educated 
there. His father, Charles F. Brewster, was 
of English blood, a printer by trade, following 
that work in Chicago for many years. The 
mother was Matilda D. Willson. Our subject 
was the second child of a family of seven, and 
at the age of eleven years started out to make 
his own way in the world, obtaining employ- 
ment as an errand boy for the Omaha Bee, 
and he continued in the newspaper business. 
working up gradually until he had thoroughly 
mastered every detail of the work. He at- 
tended night schools to obtain his education, 
and has followed newspaper work and the 
printer's trade in nearh^ all of the central 
states. 

In 1887 ^^r. Brewster came to Keya Paha 
county, locating at Norden. and there pub- 
lished the Borealis. He was appointed post- 
master, serving ten years, and he was later 
elected county commissioner, in which he 
served two terms. He was elected to the of- 
fice of county clerk, assuming the duties in 
January, 1906, and died April 12, 1908, while in 
his second term. Ever since settling in this 
section he had been active in political and 
newspaper work, and was counted one of the 
most helpful of the settlers in building up the 
region and looking towards the advancement 
of the interests of the people throughout his 
locality. 

Mr. Brewster was married on February 2. 
1886, to Miss Belle Pulver, a native of Wis- 
consin, whose parents, Oliver and Hannah 
(Bixby) Pulver, were early settlers in south- 
ern Polk county, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. 
Brewster were the parents of two children, 
namely, Earle F. and Aileen E. 

Mr. Brewster always voted the Republican 
ticket, and his newspapers sup])orted the prin- 
ciples of that party. He was a member of 



FRIEND DICKINSON. 

For over thirty years Cheyenne county has 
had a rejjresentative citizen in the person of 
Friend Dickinson. lie has given the best 
years of his life to the development of a 
farm, and incidentally the development of the 
financial interests of the community where he 
chose his home, and in his declining years en- 
joys the esteem and respect of his fellowmen. 
He has a pleasant home in Lodgepole. where 
he also owns a large amount of property, be- 
sides being an extensive land owner in the 
county. 

Mr. Dickinson was born in Trumbul' coun- 
ty, Ohio, September 1, 1844, and lived there 
until seven years old, then the family moved to 
\\'ashington county. Iowa, later went to Col- 
orado, on Boulder creek, and in 1866 he re- 
turned to Iowa, where he spent about seven 
years. In the spring of 1873 our subject came 
to Nebraska, locating in Redwillow county. 
When he first came to this region the country 
abounded in wild game, and he engaged in 
buffalo hunting on Beaver creek for three 
years. He came into Cheyenne county in 1876. 
driving from Redwillow county, and for about 
six years freighted through the country, be- 
tween Sidney and Deadwood. coming in con- 
tact with the usual life of the frontiersman. 
He arrived in Deadwood just before the big 
fire in that place, and witnessed many inci- 
dents of the early days in the west which have 
become a part of the history of that section 
of the country. On his first trip into the Black 
Hills he passed the remains of several emi- 
grant outfits. These outfits had been d-e- 
stroyed and the people who had owned them 
had met death at the hands of the Indians. 

In 1883 Mr. Dickinson took up a timber 
claim on I.odgepole creek and subsequently ac- 
(|uired three tracts of land in that vicinity ag- 
gregating fourteen hundred acres, which he 
still owns. The buildings on this property 
are situated on section 26, township 14, range 
48. lying along the creek. This place is rented 
at the present time, being used iirincipally for 
ranching jiurposes. He has built a fine busi- 
ness block in Lodgepole. and also owns the 
Stone Hotel at that place, besides a town 
dwelling. 

Our subject was united in marriage to Miss 
Margaret Prosser in the fall of 1871. Mrs. 
Dickinson died in Lodgepole in 1886. leaving 
four children, nanielv: Daniel, married and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



975 



now living in Deuel county, Nebraska, on the 
North Platte; Pluma Ella, married to H. R. 
Neumann, of Cheyenne county ; George and 
Charles, also married and settled in comfort- 
able homes of their own in Cheyenne county, 
all filling honorable positions in the world. 
Mr. Dickinson was married again in 1899 
at Chappel, Nebraska, to Mrs. Nettie (Stoutz) 
Allington, and of this union two children have 
been born, Mildred and Patsy. 

Air. Dickinson is a successful and pros- 
perous business man, and a genuine westerner. 
In national issues he is a Democrat. He joined 
the Masonic order while living at Chappel. 



JAMES R. ROMANS. 

James R. Romans came to Nebraska when 
the western part of that state was. as you 
might say, still in its infancy, and has re- 
mained here through all the changes that have 
taken place in the past thirty years, aiding 
materially by his influence and financially in 
the development of its natural resources. Hp 
occupies a high position as a worthy citizen 
and prominent old-timer, and deserves promi- 
nent mention for his patriotism and loyalty 
for the state of his adoption. 

Mr. Romans was born in Wisconsin in 1864 
and is of Scotch-Irish descent. His father 
was a farmer and dairyman in Wisconsin, and 
our subject grew up there, assisting his par- 
ents in the farm work and attending the coun- 
try schools, where he received his early edu- 
cation, and he has supplemented this by con- 
stant study and wide reading, now being a 
well posted man on every topic of general in- 
terest. In 1878 he left Wisconsin and came 
to Nebraska, locating in Colfax county, only 
remaining there one year, then moved to Gar- 
field county and homesteaded one hundred and 
sixty acres of government land. This is sit- 
uated in section 33, township 22, range 16, 
and here he has built up a good home and farm, 
raising principally corn, oats and wheat, which 
show a splendid yield each year, and by which 
he has made considerable money. He also 
engages in stock raising, principally cattle. In 
addition to these enterprises he carries on a 
dairy business, making a specialty of cream, 
and this also nets him nice money. 

In 1894 Air. Romans married Miss Lola 
Hennick, a native of Missouri, raised and edu- 
cated in that state. Mr. and Mrs. Romans 
are the parents of four children, named as 
follows: Harley, Charles, Vernice and Rob- 
ert. The family are active and highly es- 
teemed members of the Christian church, well 



liked throughout their community. Mr. Ro- 
mans has served as road overseer for several 
years, and has also been a member of the 
school board. Politically he is an independent 
voter. 



HENRY LUEKING. 

Henry Lucking, an enterprising and pros- 
perous agriculturist of Harlan county, Ne- 
braska, is a resident of Spring Grove town- 
ship, where he has developed and improved 
a fine farm. He is a man of untiring energy 
and sterling character, esteemed and respect- 
ed by a large circle of acquaintances. 

Air. Lueking is a native of West Phalen, 
Germany. His father, Gotlieb Lueking, came 
from the north of Germany, near Bremen, set- 
tling in Gage county, Nebraska., in 1882, and 
lived there for many years, his death occur- 
ring in Harlan county in 1903. Our subject 
located on his present farm in 1887, coming 
into the county three years before that time. 
He first bought a homestead right and has 
been steadily adding to this until he now owns 
five hundred and sixty acres of good land in 
section 18. He has made every improvement 
on his place, having erected one of the fin- 
est residences in the county, also other com- 
modious and substantial farm buildings. For 
many years he has been engaged in mixed 
farming and stock raising, now running from 
sixty to seventy-five head of cattle and about 
the same number of hogs, besides plenty of 
horses for farm use. He shows a decided pref- 
erence for the Poland China hogs, of which 
he has a fine drove 

Mr. Lueking takes an active interest in 
all local public affairs, serving his commu- 
nity in different capacities. From 1902 to 
1904 he held the ofiice of township assessor, 
and in 1904 was elected county supervisor, 
serving his term and again elected the fol- 
lowing term. He is a strong Republican,- and 
is one of the leading citizens of his section, 
admired by all for his strict integrity and 
honesty of dealings. Prior to settling in this 
county he resided in St. Louis, Missouri, 
where he was engaged as a workman for the 
St. Louis Stamping Company. 

Our subject .was united in marriage in St. 
Louis on October 15, 1882, to Miss Louisa 
Alaschmeyer, a native of Germany, who came 
to America in 1881. Two sons of Air, and 
Airs. Lueking. Frank and Fred, are farmers 
in Harlan county, while three reside at home 
with their parents, namely: Otto. Walter and 
Lawrence. Another son, Henry, is engaged in 
the hardware business at Oxford, Nebraska. 



976 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



His daughters are: .Mary, married to Martin 
Schepker, in eastern Nebraska; Louisa, Ella, 
Minnie, Tillie and Sophia. The family belong 
to the Lutheran church and are devoted mem- 
bers of that church. 



FRANCIS S. UIBLE. 

Francis S. Bible, one of the well known 
men of Keith county, is a substantial and pros- 
perous resident of Paxton precinct. He has 
been in the well business in Perkins and Keith 
counties for many yearsrpast, and has put down 
a large number of wells all over the coun- 
try. This work has taken him to nearly every 
farm home in the region, and he is perhaps 
better known than any other man in the re- 
gion. 4 

Mr. Bible was born in Richland county, 
\Visconsin, June 9, 1865. His father. Enoch 
Bible, was a farmer, a native of Tennessee, 
and settled in Wisconsin when he was a young 
man. About 1868 the family returned to Cocke 
county, Tennessee, and after remaining there 
for nine years they went to Clinton county, 
Indiana, and farmed for a number of years. 
\Vhen Francis was twenty-one years of age 
he came to Keith county, arriving here in 
June, and on the 15th of that month filed 
on a homestead in section 18, township 11, 
range 36, since set of? to Perkins county, and 
worked out in the vicinity for about a year. 
His first building was a sod house, and this 
he occupied all alone for about two years, go- 
ing for his provisions to Paxton, about eigh- 
teen miles distant. He had a team of small 
ponies, with which he did all his work during 
the first summer, and he was obliged to live 
in the most frugal way in order to get along 
and prove up on his claim. Hard times struck 
him in 1894 and he left his homestead and 
traveled in Iowa. Indiana. Missouri. .Arkansas 
and other parts, digging wells part of the time, 
going through the country in a covered wagon, 
and encountered many interesting experiences. 
While in .Arkansas Mrs. Bible was taken sick 
and died, and after this .sad event Mr. Bible 
went to Indiana and remained some time. He 
eventually came back to Keith county and 
worked nut on different ranches up to 1903, 
purchasing his present farm on section 2, town- 
ship 13. range 36, which then was but little 
improved. In a short time he iiad put the 
place in good order, and now has a good ranch 
of eight hundred and eighty acres in the South 
Platte valley, the land bordering on the river 
for tvvr> miles. He has j)ut u|) good buildings, 
plant! (| tri..'<, both shade and frnit. and lia« an 



orchard of three hundred trees, which is pro- 
nounced one of the finest in the section. He 
cultivates about one hundred and eighty acres, 
engaging in diversified farming, and is get- 
ting on to financial itidependence. During 1891 
Mr. Bible was burned out. losing about every- 
thing he had, which was a severe setback for 
him during the hard times that were then al- 
most upon him. 

Sometime after starting in the well busi- 
ness in 1886 he dug a well to the depth of one 
hundred and ninety-seven feet by hand, and 
for this work received no pay, a hardship not 
easily endured during those stringent times. 

In 1896 Mr. Bible was married to Miss 
Clara M. Dougherty, of Tuscarawas, Ohio. 
Her father, George Dougherty, a native of 
\\'illesburg, A\'est A^irginia. was a miner in 
Toronto. Ontario, while her mother was Annie 
Lee, of Oxford, England. One child has been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Bible, named Evaline. 

Air. Bible has always taken an active in- 
terest in local matters tending to improve con- 
ditions. He has served as justice of the peace 
for two terms, and held other minor offices. 
Politically he is a strong Republican. In re- 
ligion he is of the United Brethren denomina- 
tion. He is a Modem W'oodman and a mem- 
ber of the Modern Brotherhood of America. 

We show a fine view of the new residence 
and buildings constructed on Mr. Bible's 
ranch in 1909. 



SYDNEY S. MARCY. 

Among those who came to Nebraska in the 
early days and have here built up a good home 
and farm through thrift and industry is the 
gentleman above named. Mr. Marcy resides 
on section 24. township 30. range 45. Sheridan 
county, and is one of the successful anti pros- 
perous citizens of his community. 

Air. Marcy was born in AIcHenry county, 
Illinois, in 1848, and raised on a farm there. 
His fatlier. Danforth S. Marcy. was of old 
Puritan stock, born in Connecticut, and set- 
tled in Illinois in 1834, where he farmed for 
many years. He married Elizabeth Metcalf, 
born in Steuben county. New A'ork, of Eng- 
lish-Dutch origin, and they had a family of 
six children, of whom our subject is the fifth 
member in order of birth. In 1866 the family 
moved to Iowa, locating in Buchanan county, 
and there engaged in farming, remaining up 
to the death of the husband and father. Our 
subject lived at home until twenty-two years 
of age. then started in farming for himself, 
teaching schottl during the winter months. He 
farmed in Iowa for twenty-two years, during 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



977 



the first few years living on rented land, then 
purchased a place of his own, and only left 
Iowa to get more land, so went to Montana, 
but did not like the country and only stayed 
eleven months. In the fall of 1888 he came 
to Nebraska and located on section 15, town- 
ship 30, range 45, as a pre-emption, and later 
took a homestead and proved up on it. He 
later traded them for town lots in Marengo, 
Illinois, but never went back there to live, 
selling those lots in 1897 or 1898 after buying 
his present home in 1896. Here he has nine 
hundred and sixty acres of mixed land, farm- 
ing and grazing, and farmed some during the 
dry years, but for the first two years he was 
on the place he had a hard time to get along. 
He gathered together some stock and used 
the produce he raised on the place. Most of 
the time he carries about three hundred head 
of stock. When he landed here he had about 
six hundred dollars in money and he went 
to work at once and built a good house and 
other farm buildings, and the following spring 
put in a good crop. The place is all fenced 
and in good shape, and he will spend the bal- 
ance of his days here.- 

In 1870 Mr. Marcy was married to Miss 
Hattie J. Blood, born in Connecticut in 1849. 
Her father, Nathan Blood, was of English 
stock, born in Connecticut, as was also her 
mother, who was Harriet N. Clark. Mr. and 
Mrs. j\Iarcy have a family of four children, 
named as follows: Eugene E., Clarence S., 
George E. and Minnie Ethel. The family are 
well liked in the community and have a pleas- 
ant home. Since living here the health of 
every member has been much better than when 
they lived in Iowa, where four daughters died. 
They have only had to have a doctor a few 
times since coming here, and then only in the 
case of accidents to Mr. Marcy. For a time 
the family have tried living, in town, but did 
not like it and do not know of a place where 
they would rather live than their present home. 
Mr. Marcy has never had any desire to hold 
oftice, although he always takes an interest in 
local aft'airs, voting for the man best suited 
to the office. Politically he is a Populist. 



W. C. REYNOLDS. 

\\'illiam Cannon Reynolds is a well known 
and highly respected resident of North Platte, 
Nebraska, and is one of the prominent railroad 
men in the Union Pacific service. 

Mr. Reynolds is a native of Danville, Illi- 
nois, born in 1857 on a farm. His father 
was James Reynolds, who was a foreman in 
the employ of the Wabash Railway Company 



at Danville up to 1867. After spending some 
years in the west he moved to Indiana, where 
he bought a farm. He died in Danville, Illi- 
nois, November 18, 1903. Our subject's mother 
was Sarah E. Smith, a daughter of Abraham 
Smith, who was an early settler in Danville, 
Illinois, and a soldier in an Illinois regiment 
in the Civil war. He was one of the men who 
went to that state when it was comparatively 
a wilderness, purchasing land for two dollars 
per acre, which is now worth two hundred 
and fifty dollars an acre. His wife was a ^Miss 
Paine, descendant of the famous Paine family 
of England. Mr. Reynolds, our subject's fa- 
ther, came west and located in North Platte 
in 1867. Our subject was reared and educated 
at Danville, Illinois, and came west to North 
Platte in December, 1876. He started to work 
for the Union Pacific railway, being employed 
in the roundhouse six months, afterwards as 
fireman, and fired for one engineer for six 
years, namely, Charles Smith. In 1883 he be- 
gan as an engineer on this road in the freight 
service, continuing in the work up to 1898. 
For the past ten years he has been engineer 
on a passenger train, his run being from North 
Platte to Grand Island, Nebraska. He is proud 
of the fact that he ran the engine on the spe- 
cial which carried President McKinley on his- 
last trip over the Union Pacific road, and has- 
run the engine different times when Mr. Har- 
riman, president of the road, has gone through 
here. He has a splendid record for faithful- 
ness and close attention to duty, and is one 
of the most trusted and well liked men in the 
company's employ. 

Mr. Reynolds is well situated financially., 
has a large interest in town property in North' 
Platte, owning some of the best sites in the 
business portion of the city. 

Mr. Reynolds married ]\Iiss Nettie V. Mc- 
Donald, daughter of Charles McDonald, a 
banker in North Platte. She was born and 
reared in Lincoln county. A sketch of her fa- 
ther's life appears in this volume. Mr. and- 
Mrs. Reynolds have two children — Charles M.,. 
attending school at Ouincy, Illinois, and Wil- 
liam Edward, at home. The family have a 
fine home and a large circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. They are active members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 



PETER HANSEN. 

Peter Hansen, one of the old and honored 
residents of Sioux county, who occupies a 
pleasant home in section 5, township 34, range 
54, presents in his own career an inspiring- 



978 



COMPENDILLM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



illustration of the power of pluck and per- 
sistence against every sort of trial and danger. 
Such are the men who teach us the uses of 
adversity, and to whom we may well turn for 
wisdom in the time of trouble. 

Mr. Hansen was born in 1860 in Sclileswig- 
Holstein, in the province of Hadesleben, for- 
merly Denmark but now belonging to the Ger- 
man government. His father, Christ Hansen, 
was a day laborer in his country, and spent 
his whole career there, his death occurring in 
1864. Our subject grew up in Germany and 
Denmark, and as a boy learned the moulder's 
trade, working for seven years in a foundry, 
and at the age of seventeen years started out 
for himself, coming to America. After land- 
ing in New York city he struck out for the 
west, going to ^lilton. South Dakota. That 
region was then all new country and scarcely 
a settler excepting the Indians who roamed 
the plains, and there were plenty of buffalo, 
antelope and other wild game. He spent about 
a year in that locality, then went to Cedar 
county, Nebraska, and farmed for about five 
years, also did quite a good deal of work as 
a sailor on the steamboats that plied the river. 
In the spring of 1881 he was a witness of 
the terrible havoc wrought by the floods on 
the Missouri river, and during that catastrophe 
managed to rescue many who were in danger 
of drowning, and was the means of saving 
three persons who were in dire distress. He 
filed on a homestead in South Dakota near 
Scotland, in Hutchinson county, proved up 
on the land and then sold out, coming to Sioux 
county, where he filed on a claim and still 
occupies this place, which is situated in sec- 
tion 5, township 34, range 54. He drove from 
his former place in South Dakota, bringing 
with him two ox teams and wagons, twenty- 
four head of cattle and five horses, also a bunch 
of chickens, which furnished them with fresh 
eggs during the whole journey. When they 
camped out along the way the chickens were 
let out of their coop, and at the time of start- 
ing on their travels again they would all come 
at a call and be ready to enter their coop of 
their own accord. On arriving at their des- 
tination Mr. Hansen and his family started to 
make a home, putting up a log house and 
barns, and these buildings are still standing 
on the homestead. Chadron was then the 
nearest railroad town at that time, and that 
was a distance of forty-five or fifty miles. Dur- 
ing the first few years he had a hard time 
to make a living and save money enough to 
put on any improvements. He raised some 
crops, and also bought vegetables and other 
produce, which he sold all over the country, 



even going as far as Deadwood with his goods, 
selling to the railroad contractors and hands. 
He was interested in the horse business and 
made one trip to South Dakota in this con- 
nection, selling horses at Yaokton, \^ermillion 
and Gavil. As he prospered he steadily im- 
proved his ranch, added to his original tract, 
and at the present time is owner of twenty- 
one hundred acres, lying along Hat creek, in- 
cluding his Kincaid homestead and the land 
of his mother and sister, all fenced and in fine 
shape. He farms about sixty acres, and the 
balance is used for ranching purposes. Mr. 
Hansen's mother now lives with him and is 
quite active in spite of the fact that she is 
ninety-one years old. 

Miss Mary C. Hansen, a sister of our sub- 
ject, has been in Nebraska with him ever since 
he first came to this region, witnessing the 
same pioneer experiences, and is also one of 
the well known early settlers. She took up 
a homestead and pre-emption, proving up on 
both, and is now owner of six hundred and 
forty acres in the vicinity of her brother's 
ranch. She is an excellent business woman 
and personally manages her property. Mr. 
Hansen is a Democrat in political views. 



GEORGE \\\ DWINELI.. Deceased. 

George W. Dwinell, one of the early set- 
tlers in western Nebraska, who has done his 
full share in the upbuilding of this part of 
the country, was born in Harvard. Massachu- 
setts, in 1833. and his death occurred in Febru- 
ary. 1907. His father, Benjamin J. Dwinell, was 
a blacksmith by trade, of Yankee stock, born in 
Worcester county, Massachusetts, and his 
mother was a native of New Hampshire, born 
in Londonderry, of American stock, she be- 
ing an aunt of Horace Greeley, and the one 
who first taught him his A, B, Cs. There was 
a family of eight children, four boys and four 
girls, our subject being the fourth member 
in order of birth. About 1845 his parents 
came to Rochester, New York, and he was 
raised there, until he was twenty-two years of 
age. then obtained employment on the New 
York Central railroad, running between Roch- 
ester and Buffalo for nine years, four years 
of this time acting as conductor. At the end 
of this time he resigned his position with the 
company and went south, where he ran a train 
in Tennessese, Alabama and Georgia, em- 
ployed by the government on the Memphis & 
Charleston railway. His headquarters there 
were at Huntsville, Alabama, and he contin- 
ued at this until after the close of the war, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISIORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



979 



up to 1866. He then went back to Michigan, 
locating at Lansing. There he was conductor 
on the Chicago & West Michigan railroad for 
ten years, when the illness of his wife com- 
pelled him to resign and move west, so they 
came to Denver, and he railroaded in Colo- 
rado up to 1883, then came to Long Pine and 
worked as a passenger conductor up to 1885. 
He had a splendid record all through his ca- 
reer as a railroad man, and was a faithful 
and efficient employe, well liked by his supe- 
rior officers and the public. In 1884 he built 
the Dwinell Hotel at Long Pine and acted as 
proprietor for a term of years. This was the 
finest hotel in this part of Nebraska, and was 
a great Sunday stopping place for commercial 
men, who always managed to make the town 
if they were anywhere within reaching dis- 
tance of the place. In 1888 Mr. Dwinell sold 
out this hotel, and the following spring 'made 
a trip to Maine, where he visited with his 
wife's relatives, and after coming back to Ne- 
braska he took charge of the New York Hotel 
in Fremont, remaining in that up to 1891. He 
was a genial, whole-souled man, popular with 
all, and made a great success of the hotel 
business. Mr. Dwinell was prominent in all 
local affairs, and served as a member of the 
town board for five years. He was justice of 
the peace, having held that office for four 
years or more. 

Our subject was married in 1855 to Miss 
Helen Cook, a native of New York state. She 
died at Denver, Colorado, in 1882, leaving one 
son, Charles B. Dwinell. In 1883 Mr. Dwinell 
married Barbara J. Glidden, she being a widow 
with two children, namely, E. F. Weymouth 
and Fannie. 



HOWARD MILES. 

Howard Miles, who is one of the solid and 
successful business men of Paxton, Nebraska, 
is also one of the old settlers of Keith county. 
He is classed among the well-to-do citizens 
and leading men of the section, and has ac- 
quired all his possessions through energetic 
labors and good business management, and is 
now prepared to enjoy his declining years sur- 
rounded by all the comforts and many of the 
luxuries of life. 

Mr. Miles was born September 15. 1854, 
in Muscatine, Iowa. His father. Henry Miles, 
was born in England, coming to America as 
a young man, and was an early settler in Iowa. 
He married Jane Hoag. a native of Vermont. 
The family lived near Springdale, Cedar coun- 
ty, Iowa, during the boyhood of our subject, 
and he received his early education in the pub- 



lic schools, later attending the Quaker college 
at Springdale. After attaining manhood he 
located in Audubon county, Iowa, where he 
lived for a few years, then moved to Defiance, 
in Shelby county, and from 1876 to 1882 was 
engaged in the mercantile business at that 
place. After that he drifted around for a 
time, and in January, 1884, landed in Kear- 
ney, Nebraska, obtained employment in a 
store and worked as a clerk for two years, 
then came to Paxton. Here he was the sec- 
ond man to put up a building, erecting a small 
store, and began the hardware business. He 
gradually enlarged his establishment as his pat- 
ronage increased, and has built up a splendid 
trade. He has a full line of general goods, 
and has the confidence and esteem of the en- 
tire countryside, owing to his honest dealings 
and strict integrity. Mr. Miles has the dis- 
tinction of having been in continuous business 
longer than any other old settler in Keith 
county, and all of the time carrying on the 
same line of work. He has a store built en- 
tirely of native stone, which was hauled from 
within one-half a mile of Paxton. Mr. Miles 
has homesteaded and owns considerable land 
in the vicinity of Paxton, besides several dwell- 
ing houses in the town and other property. 
Since settling in this region he has been 
through various experiences, at one time hav- 
ing his safe blown open and' destroyed. An- 
other instance was when burglars entered his 
store and did considerable damage, although 
they took very few goods. Besides his store, 
Mr. Miles has always been interested in the 
horse business, and still raises a few horses. 

In 1886 Mr. ]\Iiles was married to Miss 
Emma Webster, who was born and reared in 
Iowa, a daughter of ^^■illiam and Jane (Smith) 
Webster. They have .two children. Delight 
and Angie. 

Mr. Miles is a Bryan Democrat and has 
served as precinct committeeman for his 
party. He is a member of the Masonic fra- 
ternity at Defiance. Iowa : the Odd Fellows at 
Sutherland, transferring to the Paxton lodge 
when that was instituted in December, 1908, 
and has served the Paxton camp. Modern 
\\^oodmen of America, as clerk for many years. 



LEWIS F. RUPPEL. Sr. 

Lewi? F. Ruppel, Sr., has been an impor- 
tant factor in the evolution of Loup county, 
Nebraska. He was born in \'\^ellersburg. Som- 
erset county, Pennsylvania, in 1847. His fa- 
ther. Christian Ruppel. was a native of Ger- 
many, and was a shoemaker by trade, becom- 



98o COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ing a pioneer of the great state of Iowa, where 
he died in 1861. The mother's maiden name 
was Maj' Holtseider, and she was also a na- 
tive of Germany; she died in Maryland in 
1849. 

In about 1853 the family moved to Iowa, 
where the subject of our sketch spent his 
early years working on the farm and attend- 
ing the country schools. When he was four- 
teen years old, owing to the death of his fa- 
ther, "he started out for himself. In 1864 he 
enlisted in the Forty-seventh Iowa \'olunteer 
Infantry. Company I, and was sent south along 
the Mississippi river. After the war was over 
he went to Pennsylvania, taught school for a 
while and then took up dentistry and followed 
that profession for several years in Pennsyl- 
vania and West Virginia. 

In 1871 Mr. Ruppel, Sr., was married to 
Miss Katherine Barker, who was born in West 
\'irginia. Her parents, William and Mary 
(Knaval) Barker, were farmers by occupation. 
Mr. and Mrs. Ruppel, Sr., have seven children, 
namely: William A., Grace, Edgar, Lewis F., 
Jr., Mary. Katherine and Lowrie. 

The subject of this biographical sketch 
brought his family west to Nebraska in the 
year 1878, first settling on a farm in Johnson 
county, where he followed the agricultural 
business for four years. In 1882 he moved 
to Loup county, locating in the valley of the 
North Loup river. The country was new, 
without any improvements, wild game was 
abundant and antelope and deer roamed over 
the raw prairie. Mr. Ruppel built a house of 
sod and also put up other buildings of like 
material. The nearest railroad point being at 
North Loup, occasioned many long trips for 
supplies, and the subject of our sketch made 
several such journeys, hauling freight for the 
neighbors. Once the trip required six days 
and his expenses amounted- to ten dollars and 
he only received four dollars for his pay. 

The first county convention was held in 
Mr. Ruppel's yard and he was nominated for 
two offices at that time, and he was elected 
the first county surveyor of Loup county. The 
early days were full of interesting experiences 
for the family. At first tliey had an ox team 
and Mrs. Ruppel rode the plow behind these 
oxen more than once, and they were used to 
carry the family to church and Sunday school. 
When the family came to Loup county they 
drove from Johnson county in a covered wagon 
and were three weeks on the road, camping 
out on the way. They experienced all the 
hardships of the years of drouth and at times 
it was very discouraging. For seven years 
only small returns were received from the farm. 



Lewis Ruppel. .Sr., now has a fine farm of 
four hundred and eighty acres, all fenced and 
improved with a good class of buildings. He 
has a nice modern farm house thirty-two by 
thirty-six feet, two stories high, and has one 
of the finest orchards in this part of the coun- 
try, consisting of two hundred peach trees, 
also cherry, apple and apricot trees. His fruit 
has taken first premium several times in dis- 
trict fairs in competition with the product of 
this and adjoining states, and such has been 
his success that he now devotes a large part 
of his time to fruit raising. He cultivates 
about two hundred acres of his land and his 
sons, Lewis and Lowrie, have done most of 
the farming for the past ten years. 

Lewis Ruppel, Sr., stands today as one of 
the most respected of the old settlers in this 
part of the state. He has always done his part 
in all afifairs anil he has won a high place in 
the history of his community. 



WILLIAM T. JONES. 

In compiling a list of the representative 
farmers of Sioux county, Nebraska, a promi- 
nent place is accorded the name of William T. 
Jones. For many years he has been engaged 
in agricultural pursuits in township 31, range 
.xS, and has done a large part in developing the 
resources of that locality, and enjoys the re- 
spect and esteem of all who know him. He 
has a comfortable home in section 25 and is 
the owner of a good farm. 

Mr. Jones is a native of .Mbany, Green 
county, Wisconsin, born in 1864, and was 
raised in town. His father, George J. Jones, 
came to America from England, where he was 
born and reared, and where he worked as a 
shoemaker for many years. He married Jane 
Gravenor in America, at Albany. Wisconsin, 
and lived there for many years. Mrs. George 
J. Jones was a native of \\^ales. 

When the Civil war broke out the father 
enlisted in the Twelfth Wisconsin Heavy Ar- 
tillery, saw hard service, taking part in many 
battles, and was one of those who never re- 
turned to the waiting family at home. He 
died in the army at Key \\'est, Florida. In 
1876 the mother with her family moved to Min- 
nesota and settled in Martin county, where 
our subject grew to manhood, remaining in 
that country for nine years, then came to Ne- 
braska, locating at first in Seward county, 
where he o])eratcd a farm for seven years, and 
while on that place went through all the pio- 
neer experiences in opening up his farm. He 
helped open up the surrounding country, and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE.AIINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



981 



lived here up to 1894. then moved to Sioux 
county, and had practically nothing to start 
with outside of his strong arms and willing 
hands. He broke up some land for crops the 
first year, and the following year was obliged 
to work out most of the time to make a liv- 
ing, receiving for his labor the munificent sum 
of eighty cents per day, with dinner thrown 
in. and the next year had his wages raised to 
one dollar a day. For about two years he 
lived on a farm four and a half miles south 
of Harrison, then moved north of town and 
worked in a sawmill for some time, receiving 
eighty cents a day as wages. In 1898 Mr. 
Jones took up a homestead near Andrew, Sioux 
county, proved up and improved it in good 
shape, working out a good deal of the time, 
and managed to save up quite a little money 
and make a good living for his family. As 
times grew better he purchased land adjoin- 
ing his original homestead, put up good build- 
ings, and is now owner of six hundred and 
forty acres, all of which is fenced, supplied 
with good buildings, wells, windmills, etc., 
and he controls besides his deeded land about 
fourteen hundred acres of leased land, using 
it as a stock ranch, on which he runs a large 
number of cattle for market each year. He 
is on the high road to success and wealth, 
and his present prosperity is due entirely to 
his own unaided eiiforts and gained by hard 
work and honest and conscientious dealings 
with his fellow men. These qualities never fail 
to bring a rich reward. 

Mr. Jones was married in Seward county 
in 1887 to Miss Sadie E. Harper, who was 
born and reared in Iowa. She is a daughter 
of ^^'illiam Harper, a well known old settler 
of that state, who died when she w"as a child. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of four 
children, namely: Pearla May, married and 
residing in Sioux county, near her father's 
place; William T. Jones. Jr., Sadie E. and 
Panzy M., all at home and bright, helpful chil- 
dren. ]\Irs. Jones was postmistress at An- 
drews part of 1906 and 1907 and she opened 
the first store at Andrews, but sold out in 
1907. Mr. Jones has held school office for a 
number of years and has been one of the fore- 
most men of his locality in helping establish 
schools and building up the communitv. Mr. 
Jones has been in the employ of the Chicago 
& Northwestern railroad ofT and on ever since 
coming here. Special mention should be made 
of W. T. Jones, Jr., who at the age of thirteen 
years was employed by the Chicago & North- 
western railway to run their steam pumps at 
different places — quite a responsible position 
and an honor to a lad of thirteen. 



GEORGE SCHREAR. 

George Schrear, an early settler of Chey- 
enne county, Nebraska, is one of the most 
highly respected and esteemed citizens of his 
community. He has a pleasant and comfort- 
able home and valuable estate in Brownson 
precinct, and has gained his entire property 
through industrious eft'ort and honest dealings, 
supplemented by thrift and good management. 

Mr. Schrear was born in Prussia, December 
25. 1835, and lived in his native land until fif- 
teen vears of age. Wm. Schrear. his father, 
with the family, sailed from Havre, in the fall 
of that year and after a voyage of a month, 
landed in New York. He settled at Beards- 
town, Illinois, and for eight or ten years fol- 
lowed carpentering as a vocation. He then re- 
moved to Logan county, Illinois, and later to 
Macon county, Alissouri. where he and his wife 
died. 

George Schrear lived in Logan county, Illi- 
nois, until 1888. coming at that time to Chey- 
enne county. He at once tiled on a homestead 
and timber claim on section 20, township 15, 
range 51, and started to build a home and de- 
velop a farm. He acquired a three hundred 
and twenty-acre ranch and engages in stock 
raising on quite an extensive scale, also culti- 
vates about seventy-five acres. He has at the 
present time twenty-five to thirty head of cat- 
tle and ten to fifteen horses, and has all good 
improvements necessary for the proper opera- 
tion of his ranch. Wr. Schrear was married in 
Logan countv. Illinois, to Abigail Robinson, a 
daughter of George and Gertrude Robinson. 
Mrs. Schrear was a native of New York state, 
and died on the home farm in 1907, leaving a 
sorrowing family, and many friends to mourn 
her loss. She was a lady of most estimable 
character, and greatly beloved for her kindly 
disposition and generous nature. There were 
three children born to iMr. Schrear and his wife, 
namelv: \Mlliam, holding the position of sec- 
tion foreman on the Union Pacific at North 
Platte, Nebraska : and Henry and Rebecca. 
Henry Schrear was born in Logan county, 
Illinois, October 13. 1875, and is now living on 
the home ranch, assisting his father in carry- 
ing on the place. He is a thorough ranchman 
and is a young man of fine ability, energetic 
and industrious. The daughter also lives at 
home. 

Mr. Schrear is a Democrat in political senti- 
ment, and is an earnest worker for party prin- 
ciples. The family were members of the Chris- 
tian church in Illinois. A view of the home is 
shown on one of the illustrated pages of this 
volume. 



gSz 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENXE AND BIOGRAPHY 



JUSTIN \'. JARDEE. 

Justin \'. Jardee, a successful and highly 
respected member of the farming community 
near Newport, Rock county, Nebraska, who 
has lived a simple and unpretentious life, is 
now enjoying the fruitage of industrious years. 
Such men as he who live honestly and square 
with the world, who pay their debts and make 
their own way are the pride of the imperial 
state in which their lot is cast, and of these, 
Nebraska has her full share. 

Justin V. Jardee was born in Oswego coun- 
ty. New York, September 9, 1849. where his 
father. Joseph Jardee, was engaged as a ma- 
chinist. He died in Buchanan county, Iowa, 
in 1883, and is remembered as a man of high 
character, and genuine worth. Catherine M. 
(Johnee) Jardee. the mother of Justin V., had 
a family of si.xteen children, of whom Justin 
is the eighth, and reared them to honesty, in- 
dustry and frugality. 

When Justin \'. Jardee had reached the age 
of twenty-four years, he left home, and started 
out in life for himself. He was married in 
Iowa to Miss Catherine Menuey. Her father, 
Anton Menuey. came to Rock county in 1891, 
and here he died ten years later. He was a 
man of more than usual parts, and was most 
highly regarded by those who knew him best. 
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jardee were 
born five children. Lewis H., Justin A., .-Mbert 
E., Emma P., now the wife of James Brown, 
Leadville, Colorado, and Edward L. 

After their wedding Mr. and Mrs. Jardee 
remained in Iowa, and engaged in farming on 
rented land for about ten years, but as the 
profits of his labor did not seem to remain with 
him, they finally concluded to seek a home in 
a region where government land could be still 
secured. For that purpose in 1883 the family 
came to Newport, Nebraska, bringing with 
them a team and wagon, three cows, and 
enough money to build with. Mr. Jardee set- 
tled on a homestead claim in section 6. township 
31. range 17. and began farming operations 
after the old frontier fashion with sod corn and 
vegetables. Success has attended his opera- 
tions from the beginning, and though he has 
experienced many trials and tribulations, yet 
his career has. taken altogether, been quite free 
of misfortunes of the more serious cast. By 
availing himself of the provisions of the tree 
claim act. Mr. Jardee was able to secure an ad- 
ditional quarter section, and as a consequence 
owns today a half section of land, which it is to 
his pride and credit compares well with any 
other farm in the county. His buildings are 
modern and convenient. The grove on the farm 



has some very choice forest trees, with many 
fine pines. A view of the home and surround- 
ings is shown on another page of this volume. 
There are many fruit trees doing well under 
his close care, and the Jardee homestead is 
widely known and favorably noted. He is an 
independent Democrat politically and with his 
family is a member of the Catholic church. 



JOHN F. HOOK. 

John F. Hook, a successful farmer of 
Cherry county, resides on his well-improved es- 
tate on section 32, township 33, range 33. 

Mr. Hook was born in Bartholomew coun- 
ty, Indiana. February 2, 1835, of American 
parents. He was reared there on a farm, and 
was the eldest of six children. At the age of 
eighteen years he began working at the car- 
penter's trade in Iowa, following that for a 
time, then started farming, combining the two 
occupations. He came to Cherry county in 
1886 and took up a homestead and after prov- 
ing up on it sold it to his son-in-law, and later 
took an additional four hundred and eighty- 
acre farm, situated on the Niobrara River. 
This is fairly good land altogether, two hun- 
dred and forty acres being farming land and the 
balance hay and pasture. Here he has built a 
good house, fenced the place and has built the 
place up in good shape. In the early days 
after coming here he ran a sawmill on his farm 
and returned to that occupation in the spring 
of 1908, setting u]) a mill on the Niobrara south 
of Cod}'. All of his life has been spent on the 
frontier, and he likes the west. 

Mr. Hook was married in 1860 to Miss 
Martha Hill, born in Illinois in 1838, she died 
in Nebraska in 1880. Her parents were jiio- 
neers of Illinois, and later were among the 
early settlers of Iowa. Nine children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Hook, of which six are 
living: Ellen, wife of Joseph Jackson, Roswell ; 
Ida married to Harris Johnson, deceased : W'il- 
iam, Nettie, wife of Rollin Poland, whose 
sketch appears eleswhere in this volume ; and 
Etta, wife of George Barnes. 

Mr. Hook has always been active in local 
affairs in his community. In 1863 he was 
elected sheriff at Yankton, South Dakota, and 
served for one year. He is a Democrat in po- 
litical affiliations. 



ROBERT M. MORRISON. 

Robert M. Morrison, a prosperous farmer 
of Phelps county, Neliraska, has established a 
fine farm in Union township. His father orig- 
inally came from Antrim count v, Ireland, about 




RESIDENCE OF GEORGE SCHREAR, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF JUS I'lN V. JARDEE, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



983 



the year 1850, settling in McLean county, Il- 
linois, where he lived for fourteen years. Aft- 
er this they lived in Putnam county, Illinois, 
for eight years, and in 1884 our subject came to 
this county with his parents, Richard and 
Elizabeth Getty Morrison, settling in section 
13. They bought the one whole section of 
railroad land, his father breaking the land and 
putting up buildings. The father died in Octo- 
ber, 1887, aged fifty-five years, and after his 
death the management of the farm fell on his 
five sons and three daughters. They are as 
follows : Thomas, who now owns one hundred 
and sixty acres of good farming land in this 
township ; James, postmaster at Wilcox ; John 
M., located at Loomis, owner and manager of 
an elevator and milling business, also dealing 
in grain ; Mary W., wife of R. W. Taylor, of 
this county, both now dead ; Richard, who since 
1884 has owned and lived on one hundred and 
sixty acres in section 13, this township ; Anna, 
residing in Chicago, Illinois; Elizabeth, now 
Mrs. I. O. Redfern, of Holdrege, and Robert 
M., the subject of this sketch. The mother, 
now aged sixty-nine years, lives with her chil- 
dren. A sketch of her brother, Hamilton Getty, 
appears in this volume. 

Mr. Morrison is the owner of a one-hundred- 
and-sixty-acre farm in section 13, township 6, 
range 20, Phelps county, all of this land being 
under cultivation. He is successfully engaged 
■ in mixed farming, and has a good supply of 
farm machinery for carrying on a well con^ 
ducted farm, together with good buildings and 
comfortable home. He was married in 1900 to 
Miss Ethel 'G. McClymont, daughter of James 
McClymont (a sketch of whom is given in this 
book), of Industry township, Phelps county. 
Our subject has three children, as follows : 
Helen Marguerite, Robert Dewitt and Ethel 
Miriam. 

Mr. ^lorrison is a man .of active public spirit, 
and takes a leading part in all educational and 
religious matters in his community. He is 
director of district No.- 60 of his township and 
has served as trustee and Sabbath school su- 
perintendent at Loomis for' several years past. 
In political faith he is a Republican, has served 
his party as treasurer, and been elected clerk 
of Union township several times, but never 
qualified. 

JOHN HAMILTON. 

The subject of this review was one of the 
first men to locate on the upper end of Indian 
creek, Dawes county, Nebraska, and is one of 
the interesting characters one occasionally 
meets in traveling through the western coun- 



try, intelligent, energetic and industrious, who 
by dint of honest endeavor and strict attention 
to duty have accumulated a valuable property 
and gained an enviable reputation as a worthy 
citizen and good neighbor. Mr. Hamilton re- 
sides on section 10, township 31, range 50, and 
occupies a foremost place among the oldest 
settlers of the region. 

Mr. Hamilton was born in Morgan county, 
Illinois, in 1829. His parents were pioneers in 
that state, coming from Kentucky in their 
youth and built up a good home, raising their 
family in Sangamon county on a farm. At 
the age of twenty-two our subject left home 
and started out to make his own way in the 
world, following farming in his native state 
for some time. In 1865 he moved to Living- 
ston county, Missouri, where he farmed for 
nineteen years, then came to Dawes county. 
He traveled from Alissouri to this region by a 
team and covered wagon, and although the 
trip was a rough one he was not daunted by 
any kind of rough experiences, as his entire life 
had been spent on the frontier and he was well 
used to a pioneer's life. After coming here he 
located on a tract of wild prairie land in section 
10, township 31, range 50, where he put up a 
rude log cabin, and still lives on this place. 
Here he has gone through the drouth periods 
when nearly all his crops were destroyed, and 
has often met with discouragements and loss, 
but never gave up courage, and is now well re- 
paid for his perseverance and industry. He 
is owner of a ranch of nine hundred and sixty 
acres, two hundred acres of which is cultivated, 
and is extensively engaged in stock raising, 
running a large number of horses and other 
stock. His ranch is all fenced, and Indian 
creek runs through the farm, making plenty of 
good water all the year around. 

Mr. Hamilton has been closely identified 
with the development and upbuilding of the 
agricultural and commercial resources of this 
section of Nebraska, and his name deserves a 
prominent place in the history of its growth. 



T. CLAY FOX. 



J. Clay Fox. a prosperous farmer of Rock 
county, Nebraska, has a pleasant and attractive 
farm home near the thrifty burg of Newport, 
which his own exertions have won from the 
wilderness, and which ranks among the best 
in the county. He has experienced the hard- 
ships of life in a new country, and, after the 
passage of but a comparatively brief period of 
time, can recount stories that seem all but in- 
credible to the present generation, so changed 



984 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in every way has northern Nebraska become 
since his career began on these vast prairies. 

Mr. Fox was born on a farm, in Green 
county. Pennsylvania, September 3, 1846, and 
was reared to a life of honorable labor. His 
father, Allen Fox. was a farmer, of Irish par- 
entage, and never came west of Ohio. His 
mother, Sarah Hickman, was born of English 
parents, and was the mother of eight children, 
of whom the subject of this sketch was the 
fifth in order of birth. He started out in early 
life for himself, and donned the blue during the 
closing scenes of the great war for the Union, 
enlisting in March. 1864. and serving until .A.u- 
giist. 1865, as a member of the Fourteenlli 
Pennsylvania \'olunteer Cavalry, under the 
command of J. M. Schoonniaker. He made 
a good record as a soldier, and as the 
years advance no scenes in the course of his 
varied career are dearer to him than those that 
recall tented field and battle line when he, a 
youth aflame with martial ardor, followed the 
starry banner until it floated free over a land 
of union and liberty for all. 

The wedding of Mr. Fox and Miss Sarah 
Ann Evans was celebrated December 20. 1866. 
and to them were born. Lawrence V., Forney 
L. G.. Lindsay J., Sherman A., Daisy D., and 
Franklin G., all attaining manhood and woman- 
hood, there having been no death among them 
to the present time. The newly married couple 
spent two years in Pennsylvania, and then re- 
moved to Licking and Franklin counties, Ohio, 
where for fourteen years Mr. Fox was busily 
engaged in farming, and establishing quite a 
large business in digging ditches for tiling 
swamp land and was noted as an expert in this 
line of industry. In the fall of 1884 he made 
his first appearance as a settler in Rock county, 
Nebraska, after having spent two years in Des 
IMoines. Iowa, and took a pre-emption claim on 
Ash creek, on section 10, township 31, range 
17. This not proving an entirely satisfactory 
location, he accepted a good price for it, and 
bought a relinquishment on section 14. town- 
ship 30, range 17. He owns at the iiresent 
time the east half of section 14, and the north- 
west quarter of section 24, of the same town- 
shi]) and range. In all, he owns and operates 
four hundred and eighty acres, and, as noted 
above, has made it one of the most notable 
farms of the entire region. 

When Mr. Fox arrived in Xebraska he had 
sixty-three dollars in money, having chartered 
a car for household goods and stock, which 
consisted of one marc, two cows, two hogs and 
some poultry. He paid fifty-nine dollars for 
lumber with which to build a one-story shanty. 
lined with tar paper. L'pon his place there is 



a flourishing grove, all planted and cultivated, 
by himself. Including the fruit and evergreen 
trees, he has thirty-one varieties, all free and 
vigorous growers on his place, and it is a rev- 
elation of what may be done in the way of tree 
culture on the Nebraska prairies. When he 
began at this work there was not so much as 
a stick or a brush to be found on the place. 

As showing the possibilities of agricultural 
life in Nebraska Mr. Fox made the following 
report of his farming operations to the Chicago 
& Northwestern Railwav. at their request, No- 
vember 14, 1906: 

"T raised thirty acres of corn, cost in labor 
and seed forty dollars. I had one thousand two 
hundred bushels, worth twenty cents per bushel, 
two hundred and forty dollars. I have three hun- 
dred and forty-five tons of hay worth eight 
hundred sixty-two dollars and fifty cents. I 
consider mj^ farming this year for three hun- 
dred and twenty acres has yielded two thous- 
and dollars. Farm land sells here for ten 
dollars per acre. I raised this season on 
thirty-five square rods of land the following 
crops : Sixty-five bushels of onions, one weigh- 
ing two and one-half pounds, receiving from the 
Iowa seed company the sum of ten dollars as a 
prize for the largest onion. From seven hills of 
squashes had two wagon loads, thirteen squashes 
making a load of a double box. the largest weigh- 
ing one hundred and twenty-six and a half 
pounds. Also had fourteen bushels of pota- 
toes, one and a half bushels of onion sets, two 
pounds of onion seeds, one barrel of pop corn, 
and at the market price here, this land netted 
about fifty-two dollars, including ten dollars 
prize money. This land was not irrigated." 
This report was widely published and did 
much to turn home seekers in this direction. 

Two prize winning onions, raised by Mr. 
Fox in successive years, weighed one pound 
thirteen ounces and two pounds nine ounces, 
respectively, each onion securing a prize of ten 
dollars. Ten cows in the dairy branch of his 
farming net $6 per week the year round. 

Air. Fox has on his jilace some two hun- 
dred a])ple trees that are vigorous growers and 
fine bearers of very desirable fruit. In fruit 
as in everything else he has sought the best, 
and will not be satisfied with inferior articles 
in grain, stock or land. In political matters 
he is a Republican, but has steadfastly refused 
to become a candidate for any official position. 
I He has man\- friends, and takes a deep inter- 
est in everything pertaining to the general 
welfare of his town, withholding his support 
from no enterprise calculated to prove of pul^lic 
good. He is a conu-adc of the J^tuart jiost. 
Grand Army of the Republic. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



98; 



BERT J. BATES. 

In reviewing a list of prominent business 
men and agriculturists of Cheyenne county, 
a leading place is accorded the name of Bert 
Bates. This gentleman has been associated 
intimately with the development of that sec- 
tion of the country financially, and his ex- 
tensive interests have been a factor in its 
upbuilding. By his praiseworthy example, 
honest dealings and good business manage- 
ment he has become known throughout Chey- 
enne county as a citizen of true worth. He is en- 
gaged in the real estate business in Lodge- 
pole, under the firm name of The Bates Land 
Company, buying, selling and improving farm 
and ranch property throughout Cheyenne 
and the adjoining counties. 

Bert J. Bates was born in Wayne county. 
New York, December 28, 1866, and grew up 
in that locality. At the age of twenty years 
he canW west, arriving in Cheyenne county 
February 20, 1886, where he fpllowed farming 
and ranching during the early years. He filed 
on a homestead in section 34, township 14, 
range 47, proved up on the land, and is now 
owner of eleven hundred and twenty acres, all 
in one body, besides a tract of one thousand 
acres of tableland, situated about twelve miles 
north of Lodgepole. He has seventy-five 
acres of the original homestead under cultiva- 
tion, and has the balance in hay and range, 
and has been engaged principally in ranch- 
ing during the past sixteen years. He is at 
present devoting his attention exclusively to 
horses, running about fifty head. 

When Mr. Bates landed in Nebraska all 
the money he had in the world was five dol- 
lars, from which small beginning his success 
has been remarkable, as he has accumulated 
every dollar of his property through his in- 
dustry, integrity and strict attention to busi- 
ness, entirely unaided. About 1904 he re- 
moved to Lodgepole from his ranch, and 
started in the livery business, carrying that 
on for about two years, after which he dis- 
continued hiring horses and conducts a feed 
stable. In 1906 he established himself in the 
real estate business, which has grown to large 
proportions in the short time he has been en- 
gaged in the work. 

Mr. Bates was married on June 18. 1889, in 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Miss Belle Scanlan, 
who was born in Niota, Illinois, April 1, 1867. 
The parents of both of them have passed to 
the great beyond. Five children have been 
born to them, named as follows : Verne, 
Ruby, Bertha, Doris and Nellie, all living at 
home, forming a charming and interesting 
family. Mr. Bates is prominent in local, 



county and state affairs. He is a member of 
the town board, and a director in the Peo- 
ple's Bank of Lodgepole. Politicallv he is a 
Republican. He affiliates with the' Masonic 
order at Chappell and the Woodmen at Lodge- 
pole. 



CLARENCE C. COBLE. 

Industry, perseverance and integrity are 
the stepping stones by which the gentleman 
here named has reached success. He is the 
owner of one of the finest farms in Grant 
county, and has acquired the same by faithful 
and untiring labor and good management, sup- 
plemented by honest dealings. He began with 
very little, met with many reverses, went 
through hardships and roughed it during his 
early settlement here, but nothing discouraged 
him and he is now one of the substantial citi- 
zens of his community as a reward for his 
earnest efforts. Mr. Coble is a typical west- 
erner, and genial gentleman. He has accom- 
plished a great deal for a man of his years, and 
richly merits his splendid success in the ac- 
cumulation of a valuable estate of about six 
thousand acres, deeded and leased together. 
He has a fine home and outbuildings, etc., and 
four windmills. He puts up five hundred 
tons of hay each season, carries a herd of 
three hundred to five hundred head of cattle, 
and from fifty to seventy-five horses. 

Clarence C. Coble was born in Darke 
county, Ohio, in 1868. His father, Henry, 
was a leading ranchman and old settler in 
Grant county, and he married Caroline Speel- 
man, of Darke county, Ohio. Our subject was 
reared in the east, receiving a common school 
education, and in 1888 came west, locating in 
Grant county, and was the first of his family 
to emigrate so far west. His first location 
was seven miles south of Hyannis, and there 
he put up a rough shanty, stable and corrals 
for his stock, all being built of sod and the 
roof of his house was made of poles and rushes, 
covered with sod, but of late he has built a 
fine modern residence. His first team were a 
pair of oxen, and he did all the work of break- 
ing land and hauling supplies for the first 
eight years. His start was on a very small 
scale, and during the first four years he lived 
all alone, cooking his own meals and caring 
for all his wants. He often was an eye wit- 
ness to serious fires which burned the sur- 
rounding prairies bare of grass, etc., and many 
times worked entire days and nights helping 
save property in his vicinity. He also spent a 
good deal of his time working on ranches as a 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE^^IINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



cowboy in order to earn money to improve 
his place. He did build up a good ranch, al- 
though he had many hard times and suffered 
much loss on account of the dry years and other 
causes, but stuck to his ranch and after a time 
got into the cattle business and succeeded 
splendidly in his venture in that line. He has 
since devoted his entire time and attention 
to the raising of stock, and has done well. 

Mr. Coble was married in 1891, to Lucy 
Briton. She is a daughter of Washington 
Briton, who was a well-known farmer in 
Ohio, where Mrs. Coble was born and raised. 
Three children were born as a result of this 
union, namely: Goldie, aged sixteen; Crystal, 
aged thirteen ; and Delmar, aged seven. 

Our subject has always done his share as 
an old settler, taking an active part in local 
school and political aft'airs, and is held in high 
esteem in his community as a worthy and pub- 
lic-spirited citizen. He is a Democrat in his 
views, but votes for the best man that he 
thinks is for the masses of the people. 



FRANK BANDERET. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the very earliest set- 
tlers in western Nebraska, and a prominent 
citizen of Woodson precinct, Perkins county, 
where he has a good home and valuable estate. 
He was born in Switzerland in 1857, and 
raised on a farm there. As a boy he learned 
the butcher's trade and worked at that for a 
number of years. He came to America at the 
age of twenty-three years, and after landing 
in New York city went to Winnebago county. 
Wisconsin, where he followed his trade tor 
six years. 

In 1885 Mr. Banderet made a trip through 
Nebraska, and at that time saw many wild 
horses, antelope and other wild animals, and 
while through here he filed on a claim, this 
same land now being in Woodson precinct. 
He located permanently on a homestead in 
Perkins county in 1885. jiut up a rough shanty 
and started to establish a farm. His dwelling 
was a sod house, fourteen by twenty-four feet 
in size. In all he lived in three different sod 
houses. He went through pioneer experiences 
with his family. He finally proved up on his 
land, although he was obliged to work out at 
times to make a living, and at the time the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy railway was be- 
ing put through the region he lielped in the 
construction of the same. He had no well 
on his place and during the first year hauled 
water for household use from Keith county, a 



distance of nine miles, and all supplies were 
hauled from North Platte, forty miles away. 
During the bad years he lost several crops by 
drouth, hail storms, and finally was obliged 
to abandon his homestead. He had a few 
horses ami some other stock and he kept these 
and gradually built up a little stock business, 
which helped him through the hard times. In 
1897 he bought his present ranch, the build- 
ings of which are situated on section 30, town- 
ship 12, range 35, and here he has a good 
home and farm, well improved in every way 
with buildings, etc.. having a barn with a ca- 
pacity for thirty horses, corn cribs, granary, 
house, twent3'-four by twenty-four feet and 
fourteen by twent}' feet. He owns in all four- 
teen hundred and forty-eight acres, and runs 
considerable stock, and does a large farming 
business. He has a fine Percheron stallion, 
registered, Paul, weight sixteen hundretl and 
ten pounds at two years. He also raises the 
Jersey red hogs. 

Mr. Banderet was married in 1884 to Miss 
Sophia Steck, who was born in Wisconsin, 
both her parents being natives of the old coun- 
try, who came to America during their youth. 
Two children blessed the union of our subject 
and his estimable wife, named Dorothy and 
Harry. 

Mr. Banderet has always been actively in- 
terested in all matters which tended to the 
betterment of his community. In 1895, dur- 
ing the hard times in his section, he went to 
Wisconsin and solicited a car load of grain 
which he had shipped to Wallace, Nebraska, 
for the relief of his neighbors. This was 
given free by the people of his old Wisconsin 
home. In his political views he favors the 
Populist party. He has always taken an ac- 
tive part in public affairs and has held various 
local offices. 



FRED CROOK. 



Fred Crook, a prominent farmer and well- 
to-do resident of Paxton precinct, is owner of 
a fine estate on section 6, township 13, range 
35. and an old settler in Keith county, who 
is well and favorably known throughout the 
region. 

Mr. Crook was born in the village of 
Meinche. province of Hanover, Germany, 
January 9. 18(S2, and reared on a farm. His 
father was a carpenter by trade, and spent his 
entire life in his native country, as did the 
mother, Sophia Lauschnior. in maidenhood. 
At the age of nineteen he came to America, 
sailing from Bremen Haven in the .Straus- 
burg, and after a voyage of seventeen days 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE Al^'D BiOGRAPHY 



987 



landed in Baltimore. Coming directly west he 
located first in North Platte, Nebraska, and 
after a short time there, moved to Brule, 
where he remained eighteen months, securing 
employment on the section work of the rail- 
road and then came to Paxton, where he was 
similarly employed. He followed that occupa- 
tion for twenty-two years, and for ten years 
of the time was foreman of the section. Our 
subject filed on his present homestead in 1884, 
and has spent the entire time on the place. 
He first built a sod house, in which he lived 
with his family for many years. He made 
many improvements, and continually added to 
his acreage as he became able, and is now 
owner of four hundred and fifty acres of good 
ranch and farm land, with a complete set 
of good farm buildings. He runs about fif- 
teen horses, fifty cattle and as many hogs. He 
is interested in dairying, selling the product 
of sixteen cows in town. 

In 1893 Mr. Crook was united in marriage 
to Miss Augusta Ambersot, whose parents 
were early settlers in Keith county. Eight 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Crook, named as follows: Fred. Harry, Lena, 
Willie, Allie, Emma, Eddie and Minnie. They 
are all bright, intelligent children, and are be- 
ing taught to be a help and comfort to their 
parents. Their home life is congenial, and the 
family is held in the highest esteem in their 
community. Mr. Crook is a Republican in 
politics, a member of the Lutheran church, 
and of the Paxton lodge of Modern Woodmen. 

We show a view of Mr. Crook's home with 
its many growing trees and orchard on an- 
other page of our work. 



ARNOLD PETERS. 

For the past twenty years the gentleman 
here named has made western Nebraska his 
home, and now resides on section 14, town- 
ship 29, range 45, where he has a pleasant 
home and valuable property. He is a thor- 
ough and systematic farmer, and held in high- 
est esteem by everj^ one in his home com- 
munity. 

Mr. Peters was born in Calumet county, 
Wisconsin, in 1866. His father. Peter Peters, 
was born in Holland, and came to America 
at the age of twenty-six years, settling in 
Wisconsin, where he was among the pioneers 
of that state. He married Mary A. Vander- 
loop. born in Holland, who came to this coun- 
try with her parents when ten years old. and 
they had a family of eleven children, of whom 
Arnold was the fourth member in order of 



birth. He remained with his parents up to 
the time he was twenty-four years of age, 
then left home and worked out one year in 
Butler county, Nebraska. In March. 1890, he 
again came to Nebraska, locating on section 
14, township 29, range 45, as a homestead, also 
took a pre-emption south of this plact, and 
later turned it into a tree claim, buying a 
relinquishment. There was only a sod shanty 
on the place when he took it, and all the 
money he had to his name was seventy dol- 
lars. He borrowed enough to purchase a team 
of oxen and his land, then worked the oxen 
six years before he was able to buy horses. 
In 1891 he built a new sod house, in which 
he lived with his family up to 1903, then built 
a nice frame house in which they now live, 
which is a modern house in every respect and 
fitted up with all conveniences. After taking 
his farm he broke up some of his land and put 
in a crop of sod corn, and after it was nicely 
started and he expected a large crop, it was 
entirely destroyed by a hail storm. Then the 
dry years came on and he was obliged to 
quit farming, so gathered some stock around 
him and started in the stock business. He 
was always able to raise a good crop of corn 
and potatoes, and never had to buy any feed. 
He had a number of cows and some chickens, 
and these about kept the family in provisions, 
and everything he could save went into the 
purchase of more land, at one time trading 
six steers for a quarter section of land. He 
never had any idea of leaving the place, but 
kept on buying land while it was cheap, fenc- 
ing it as he was able, buying most of his 
fencing of his neighbors when they gave up 
their land and moved away. He now owns 
eighteen hundred and forty acres of mixed 
farming and grazing land, most of which lies 
along the river, using all of it as pasture and 
farming land. In 1905 he rented a large piece 
for which he received a dollar per acre cash 
rent. He runs one hundred and twenty-five 
head of stock and uses most of his produce on 
his home farm. He has some alfalfa which is 
doing well, and will put in more later. 

Mr. Peters was married in 1892 to Miss 
Minnie Jahn, a native of Austria, born in 1874. 
Her parents were born and raised in Austria 
and came to this country when young peo- 
ple, settling in Nebraska in the early days, 
now making their home in Texas. Mr. and 
Mrs. Peters have five children, namely: Anna 
M.. Lena M., Josephine A.. Elsie M. and 
Francis Joseph, all born and raised on their 
present homestead. 

Mr. Peters is well satisfied with what he 
has accomplished here and would not care to 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-\PHV 



reuirn east to live. The only drawback is 
the long distance to town, but that is a minor 
consideration. He gets his mail at Hay 
Springs. He is an independent voter in local 
affairs, but in national affairs leans toward 
the Democrats, although he never dabbles in 
politics to any great extent. 



BERTON K. BUSHEE. 

A prominent place among the list of pros- 
perous and energetic business men of Kim- 
ball county is accorded the gentleman's name 
mentioned above. Although comparatively a 
very young man, his influence is keenly felt 
in the financial and political circles of his com- 
munity, and he is recognized as one of the lead- 
ing men of affairs here. 

Berton K. Bushee was born in Dartford, 
Wisconsin, May 3, 1871. His father was a 
native of New York state, born in 1820, and 
died in Kimball county, June 10, 1893, while 
his mother was born, reared and married in 
Wisconsin, and died in Kimball county, Ne- 
braska, in November, 1894. He was the only 
child of his parents, and received his early 
education in the state of his birth, coming to 
Nebraska with his father and mother in 1888, 
the former homesteading on section 20 town- 
ship 16. range 53, and altogether they built 
up a good home and farm here. In 1892 our 
subject filed on a claim for himself, proveil 
up on it and then sold out. He was elected county 
superintendent of schools in 189.^. holding that po- 
sition u]) to 1900, and was again elected in 1904, 
holding the office for one term. During his 
first term he had settled in the town of Kim- 
ball, and made that his home afterward. He 
was elected a member of the village council 
in 1904. and served for two years, then was 
elected mayor of the town. In 1898 he had 
engaged in the general mercantile business in 
partnership with Henry Vogler, and was as- 
sociated with that gentleman for eight years, 
then bought his interest in the concern, and is 
now sole owner and manager of the busmess. 
He has enlarged his stock and has one of the 
best equipped stores of the kind in the county, 
with a steadily increasing patronage. 

Mr. Bushee was married April 4, 1894, to 
Ruth B. Cunningham, who was born in Mis- 
souri, coming to Nebraska with her parents 
in 1881, and locating in Cheyenne county, 
where they still reside. Our subject has one 
child, Helen Bernice, now eleven years of age, 
who is a charming young miss. 

Since locating in this section Mr. Bushee 
has been active in politics and takes a great 



interest in all matters appertaining to na- 
tional, state and local affairs. He is president 
of the Commercial Club of Kimball, which or- 
ganization is an important factor in the busi- 
ness and social affairs of western Nebraska. 
He is also vice-president and director of the 
Bank of Kimball. Politically he is a Republi- 
can. In the fall of 1908 Mr. Bushee was 
elected representative of the fifty-fourth legis- 
lative district on the Repulilican ticket. 



CHARLES E. WILTSEY. 

Charles E. Wiltsey, one of the enterprising 
and energetic citizens of Box Butte county, 
where he takes high rank for his sterling quali- 
ties of heart and mind, was born in Warren 
county, Illinois, in 1859, and comes of an old 
Indiana family. He is justl}- proud of his line- 
age, and retains unsullied the honored name 
that has come down to him from his fathers. 
The father, Henry ^\'iltsey, was born and 
raised in Indiana, and he married Sarah J. 
Thomas, also a native of that state. The 
family carne to Illinois in the early forties, 
and our subject was born and reared in that 
state until he reached the age of nine years, 
then with his parents, settled in Lucas county, 
Iowa, on a farm. There Charles attended the 
country schools where he received a good edu- 
cation, also helped his father carry on the 
work on the home farm until the time of the 
latter's death, which occurred December 28, 
1886. Both mother and father died in Iowa, 
and our subject lived on the farm and carried 
on the work up to the spring of 1890. Be- 
sides operating his father's place, Charles 
bought a farm of his own in 1890, and worked 
that for a number of years before leaving 
Iowa. He built up a good home and made a 
great success there, but decided to try his 
fortune farther west, so in 1901 left that state, 
and came to Nebraska, landing in Box Butte 
county on January 1st, of that year. He 
I>ought land and has added to his original 
holdings until he is now owner of a ranch 
of twenty quarter sections, all deeded land, 
which is considered one of the most valuable 
estates in the county. This is located in sec- 
tion 1, township 27, range 49. He has three 
hundred acres seeded in tame grass, also crops 
four hundred acres, besides running a large 
number of cattle and other stock. The whole 
place is well fenced and improved in fine shape, 
and he is one of Box Butte county's repre- 
sentative farmers, a leading citizen of his com- 
munity. 

Our subject was married in the fall of 18S7 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



989 



to Miss Electa D. Rockey, and to this union 
have been born six children, named: J. L., 
C. C, ^^'alter, Edna May, Tenevieve and 
Glen. 

Mr. ^Viltsey has always voted the Republi- 
can ticket. 



^VILLIAM H. SPRAGUE. 

To the present visitor of the agricultural 
district of Garfield precinct, Keya Paha 
county, a pleasant sight in the well-improved 
farms and highly cultivated tracts greets the 
eye, and it is hard to conceive of the transfor- 
mation that has taken place in this locality 
within the past quarter of a century. When 
the gentleman above named located on his 
present farm on section 9. township 33. range 
22. there was not a building in sight and 
the land was in its wild state, but he foresaw 
the possibilities of the region and remained to 
become owner of one of the well improved 
farms of this thriving district, and is now en- 
joying a competence as a result of his labors. 
He is widely known throughout the country 
as one of the oldest settlers, a prosperous and 
energetic farmer, and commands the respect 
of the entire community. 

Mr. Sprague was born in Ogle county, Illi- 
nois. September 9, 1847. where he was reared 
and educated on a farm, learning to do all 
kinds of hard work while still a mere lad. His 
father. John W. Sprague, was born and reared 
in Providence. Rhode Island, of American stock, 
and when twenty-one years of age he was mar- 
ried in CMiio to Elizabeth Smith, a native of that 
states Although city bred he adopted farm- 
ing as an occupatio'n directly. He was the 
father of thirteen children, our subject being 
the second member. When he was nine years 
of age the family moved to Poweshiek cn-.mt\-. 
Iowa, and thence at eighteen years of age he 
started out for himself as a farm laborer. In 
1880 he moved to Carroll county, Iowa, where 
he started a farm for himself, remaining there 
five years, and then came to Keya Paha 
county, taking up his present farm as a home- 
stead. This was an entirely unimproved prop- 
erty, and did not have a stick of timber on 
it, so he at once began improving it. plant- 
ing a large number of forest treets, and fruit 
trees of different varieties. He built a sod-log 
house, and lived in it for fifteen years, then 
erected a nice frame house. During the dry 
years he had many discouragements and often 
felt like leaving the place, and although manv 
of his neighbors moved away he determined to 
stick to it, and managed to get along some 



way. At that time he lost all his trees and had 
to replant the grove which is now one of the 
thriftiest in the region. He also lost cattle 
from blackleg and pinkeye, and seemed to have 
e\-ery kind of misfortune. He left the place 
in September, 1892, and returned to Iowa, 
where he rented a farm for eleven hundred and 
ten dollars cash rent, but transferred his lease 
there six weeks later to resume his efforts in 
Nebraska, and has stuck to his farm ever since. 
He now has eight hundred and eighty acres 
of good land, one hundred and fifty acres 
under the plow, and keeps as many as ninety 
cattle and from twenty to twenty-five horses, 
besides raising about one htmdred and twenty- 
five hogs each year for market. He has ten 
miles of fence on his place and everything is 
in first-class condition, showing the greatest 
care and good management in its operation. 
His cave, recently constructed, is one of the 
finest in the county. 

Mr. Sprague was married November 12, 
1871. to Miss Helen Helmer, born in Rock 
county. Wisconsin, in 1847, her parents set- 
tling in Iowa in 1851, where she attained 
womanhood. Mr. and Mrs. Sprague have one 
child, George W., besides two adopted chil- 
dren. Clyde Lester and Sarah Lena. During 
the early years there was a hard time to es- 
tablish schools in this region, and Mr. Sprague 
and his neighbors broke land for a settler in 
payment for his services as a teacher. He' has 
always taken an active part in local affairs 
looking to the best interests of his community, 
and is one of the leading men of his locality. 
Politically he is a Populist and in religion is 
a member of the Church of the Latter Day 
Saints. 



W. W. BOWER. 

^^^ ^^'. Bower, for many years a progres- 
sive and successful farmer of Deuel county, 
is a prominent member of his community, and 
well and favorably known throughout the 
region, having first seen Nebraska in 1878, 
and was among the first settlers to begin 
farming. 

Mr. Bower was born in Texas, and first 
saw the light on January 7, 1863. He grew 
np there, and when about fifteen years of age, 
"hit the trail" for himself, accompanied by 
two brothers, going to Julesburg, Colorado, in 
1878. They remained there a short time, 
finally securing employment on the L. F. 
ranch, and worked for the outfit for four 
vears. following the ranee all of that time. 
Our subject returned to Texas in the fall of 
1881, soon returning to Nebraska, trailing a 



990 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



bunch of horses for himself, and going into 
Kansas where he engaged in the ranching 
business in the Cherokee strip. He was in 
partnership with his two brothers, and in the 
spring of 1883 they left him, coming to Chey- 
enne county with a bunch of horses, he re- 
maining there buying and selling horses 
through Kansas and in adjoining states, keep- 
ing this up for several years. After a year 
spent in Etenver. Colorado, he came to Deuel 
county, arriving here in 1890, and at once 
filed on homestead rights on sections 8 and 9, 
township 17. range 45, and engaged in the 
ranching business afresh. He increased his 
herd of cattle and horses constantly, also pur- 
chased additional land, and is now owner of 
eiglit hundred acres, which he has in pasture 
and hay land for his stock, keeping cattle, 
horses and hogs. His ranch is well improved 
with a complete set of substantial buildings, 
and is one of the valuable estates in the 
county. The ranch is located about eleven 
miles northwest of Oshkosh in the North 
Platte valley, and is entirely under irrigation. 

In 1904 Air. Bower established a general 
merchandise store in Oshkosh. putting in a 
complete stock of goods, and has built up a 
large and constantly increasing trade through- 
out the surrounding country. He has one of 
the large store buildings of the town, twenty- 
four by sixty feet, and besides this has a shed 
and store room. 

On August 29, 1883, Mr. Bower was mar- 
ried to Miss Sylva Thomas, the marriage tak- 
ing place in Kansas. Mrs. Bower is a native 
of Pennsylvania. They have two children. 
Zulah. wife of ^\'ill F. Gumaer, they residing 
in Oshkosh. and Beulah. who is living with 
her parents in the same town. Mr. Bower's 
parents are both dead, while his wife's mother 
resides in Kansas. During the years 1900- 
1902 inclusive, Mr. Bower filled the office of 
sheriff of Deuel county, and proved a very 
popular and capable public officer. He is one 
of the leading men of affairs in Oshkosh. and 
is a member of the Commercial Club of that 
town. Politically he is a Democrat, and takes 
an active part in local and county public af- 
fairs. 

JOHN JOCHFM. 

John Jochem was born in W^est Prussia, 
Germany. June 8. 18.'i0. His father. Rhine- 
hold, was a fisherman and sailor by occupa- 
tion and was drowncfl when our subject was 
but three years old. The mother's maiden 
name was Helena Weber. After his father's 
death. John was reared in the family of an 



aunt until he was eleven years of age. when 
his mother was married again and our subject 
went to his mother's new home to live. In 
the meantime he worked out at various occu- 
pations, principally farming, and he served in 
the German army during the German-Franco 
war in 1870 and 1871. After the war he fol- 
lowed farming and for one whole year his 
earnings were only nineteen dollars in excess 
of his board, but after the first year, he was 
able to earn from fifty-one to sixty-one dollars 
and his board per year. 

In 1875 John Jochem was married to Miss 
W'ilhelmina Bomgardt. a daughter of poor but 
honest German parents. Their marriage re- 
sulted in five children: Charles, Gustav, 
Henry. John and Emma. The good wife died 
in Blaine county in 1894. Mr. Jochem was 
married again in 1895, taking for his second 
wife Miss Caroline Xeiman. who was born in 
Germany and came to America to become Mr. 
Jochem's wife. They have one child, eleven 
years old. named Lena. 

On the death of his first wife our subject 
was left with a family of small children for 
whom he had to take the place of both father 
and mother, having to do all the serving, cook- 
ing, washing and all other duties required in 
caring for the little ones. Times were exceed- 
ingly hard, crop failures followed sea.son after 
season for several years and the hardships that 
; our subject had to endure cannot be enumer- 
ated. But he never once thought of breaking 
up his family or his home, and by hard, per- 
sistent work he kept the children together and 
maintained the home. He knew his second 
wife only through friends and by correspond- 
ence, and after they had determined to marry 
each other, between them they managed to 
get enough money together to pay her passage 
over to America. She has been an admirable 
helpmeet and by her work and industry has 
greatly assisted in building their pleasant 
home. Our subject has reared a large and 
interesting family and he has reason to be 
proud of his children. 

Our subject came to .America in 1881, land- 
ing at New York, from whence he went to 
Piano. Illinois, where for several years he was 
on a farm and then for three years he worked 
for the Piano Harvester Company, In 1886 
he came to Omaha, remaining one year. He 
then came to Blaine county. Nebraska, bring- 
ing goods and chattels amounting to about 
eight hundred dollars. He first settled on a 
homestead six miles north of Brewster, re- 
maining there for seven years. But bad luck 
was with him here, the land was not good and 
it was here that his first wife died. In 1895 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



991 



he settled on his present homestead in section 
4, township 24, range 22, and, although he 
started with almost nothing, he and his good 
wife and family have built up a good home 
and ranch of eight hundred and ninety-three 
acres. He has a good house, large barns and 
has the land improved in an up-to-date man- 
ner. He has good groves of forest trees, an 
orchard of apple trees, plums and cherries, 
and an abundance of small fruit. Mr. Jochem 
is enjoying prosperity and is esteemed by his 
associates as a man of sterling worth and hon- 
orable character. 



EDWARD T. GREGG. 

Edward T. Gregg, a popular and capable 
citizen of Dawes county, whose residence is 
located in section 4, township 28, range 51, is 
one of the men of whom the people of the 
surrounding community are justifiably proud. 
He was born in the state of New York in 
1857, a son of William T. and Elizabeth (Mc- 
Gregory) Gregg, natives of Scotland. Our 
subject's father was a railroad contractor, 
and assisted in the construction of the rail- 
roads throughout that part of the country. 
For a short time after the birth of Edward 
the family remained in New York, removing 
later to Vermont and Maine. 

When our subject had attained the age of 
twenty-two years he left his home and came 
west to Marshall county. Iowa. Here he en- 
tered the milling business in the town of 
Quarry. In 1884 he came to Box Butte 
county, Nebraska, locating ten miles south ot 
Marsland, where he took up a claim on pre- 
emption, and for six months lived in a tent. 
He then built a log house, the roof of which 
was blown off during a terrific storm. He 
then built a sod house. He came to Dawes 
county in 1885, driving from Gordon, taking 
up a homestead claim near Marsland. From 
time to time he added adjacent tracts of land 
to his original entry, and now has a large 
ranch of over seventeen hundred and seventy- 
five acres of deeded land extending along the 
Niobrara river, and three quarter-sections 
homesteaded in Dawes and Box Butte coun- 
ties. He has one hundred and sixty acres un- 
der cultivation, and has one ice pond on his 
place that yields annualy about ten hundred to 
twelve hundred car loads of ice. 

Mr. Gregg has provided a nice residence 
for his family, a good well and wind mill, and 
has erected substantial buildings in which to 
house his stock. During the period of drouths 
so well known to early settlers of this section 



of the country, our subject was not discour- 
aged by the many failures of crops which he 
experienced, and the faith which he had in this 
new country has not been misplaced. While 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad 
was in the course of construction through 
Dawes and Box Butte counties, our subject 
assisted in the surveying, and worked on the 
survey to Deadwood, South Dakota, and New 
Castle, Wyoming. 

In 1877 Mr. Gregg and Miss Ida Thompson 
were married in Maine. She was the daugh- 
ter of Joseph and Maria (Earl) Thompson. 
Her father was a shoemaker by trade. Mr. 
and Mrs. Gregg are the happy parents of seven 
living children, viz. : George, Charles, Ina, 
William, Fay, Doris and Earl ; three are de- 
ceased — Ira, Frank and Harry. All the chil- 
dren with the exception of the two oldest were 
born in Nebraska: The first child born to 
them in this state came to them while living 
in the tent in Box Butte county. 

In political ipatters Mr. Gregg is a Re- 
publican. He is a man who takes a promin- 
ent place in local affairs, and has held various 
school offices for years. He served as assessor 
for two or three terms. He has made many 
staunch friends, and is highly respected by all 
who have the pleasure of knowing him. 



OLIVER JACOX. 

In the vicinity of Thurman postofifice. Rock 
county, Nebraska, Oliver Jacox has made him- 
self a good home and name of honor and 
worth. He has made a success of his vocation, 
and is one of the intelligent and enterprising 
men of the community. Here he has gathered 
around him a host of friends, who know him as 
a man of upright character, and through in- 
dustry, honesty and perseverance he has 
gained a comfortable competence. A view of 
his residence and buildings may be found on 
another page of this work. 

Mr. Jacox was born on a farm in Jefiferson 
county, Pennsylvania. April 23, 1867, and from 
his early youth was inured to hard work. His 
father, John Jacox, was a native of the state of 
New York, where he first inhaled the vital 
air in 1836. He was a veteran of the Civil war, 
and for four long years wore his country's uni- 
form as a member of the One Hundred and 
Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The 
mother, Victoria Russell, was also born in New 
York, and came of a Scotch parentage. They 
were people of fine character and noble aspira- 
tions, and reared their children to honest and 
Sfenerous ideals. 



992 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



When Oliver Jacox was ten years old he 
began caring for himself, and for some years 
worked as a farm bo)'. In 1876 he came to 
Madison county, Nebraska, where he made his 
home for seven years. In 1883 we find him in 
Rock county, where his father had secured 
l>re-emption and tree claims in section 31, 
township 29, range 18, and here our subject 
made a homestead entrj- in section 29, and the 
land thus secured has been converted by his 
unwearied industry and modern farming into 
one of the choice places of the count^^ Espe- 
cial prominence is given to the dairy, forty 
cows now furnishing a large supply of excel- 
lent cream which is shipped to the east. This 
is the most profitable branch of industry on 
the farm. 

Mr. Jacox was married in Rock county, 
August 7, 1897, to Miss Laura Miller, whose 
people came to Washington, Nebraska* in 
1880. This has proved a peculiarly happy 
union, and it has been blessed by the coming 
of the following children : Cecil,' Ward, Gar- 
land, Kermet and Irene. In Mrs. Jacox our 
subject found a brave hearted companion, and 
one ready for any privation that might ad- 
vance the family interest. While in Madison 
county, they lived in a sod shanty, and when 
successive crops were taken by grasshoppers 
or died under dry and burning skies, her 
voice and face were always cheery. 

Mr. Jacox is a strong Republican, but has 
never aspired to official position, llis home 
and farm have been a large field for his activi- 
ties. Fraternally he is a member of the Bas- 
sett Lodge of Odd Fellows. As has frequently 
been said of him, he deserves his success — 
he has earned it by his own hands and brain, 
having had no assistance outside of his own 
efforts and that of his estimable helpmeet. 



LORKNZ .^AALI. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is in the front ranks of the 
prosperous and successful ranchmen of Chey- 
enne county. He is also one of the early set- 
tlers of that region, who has seen the many 
changes which have taken place in western 
Nebraska cluring the past twenty years, and 
has taken no small part in the development of 
the agricultural and ranching interests of his 
section. Mr. Saali owns a valuable estate in 
I'nion \^alley precinct and is widely esteemed 
as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Lorenz Saali was born in the village of 
Eberbach. district of Weiscnberg. .Msace. 
that jiart nf France which is now German 



territory, on October 2, 1858. His parents, 
Martin and Mary Ann (Meyer) Saali, are now 
deceased. Our subject grew up in his native 
land, following farming during his boyhood. 
He served two years in the Seventh Infantry 
of the German army. At the age of twenty- 
five he started lor the new world, sailing from 
Bremen Haven on the American, landing in 
Baltimore after a fourteen days' voyage, 
March 8, 1883. He at first went to Winona 
county, Minnesota, where a brother had pre- 
ceeded him, and a year later came to Otoe 
county, Nebraska, farming near Nebraska City 
for three years. In the spring of 1887 he ar- 
rived in Cheyenne county, and immediately 
filed on a homestead in section 24, township 
17, range 48, which is now a part of his 
ranch. He went through hard times during 
his early residence in Nebraska, but worked 
hard to accumulate a little property and build 
up a home, and although he met with many 
failures of crops during the dry years, he was 
in the main successful and has succeeded in 
a marked degree, now owning a fine ranch of 
nine hundred and sixty acres, all well im- 
proved with good substantial buildings, wind- 
mills and fences. He had a quantity of good 
timber on the land, but this is now almost 
exhausted. However, he has planted a fine 
grove, and has an abundant supply of good 
water. There are under cultivation about one 
hundred and twenty-five acres, with good pas- 
ture and hay land. He engages in stock rais- 
ing on quite a large scale, running about one 
hundred and twenty-five head of cattle and 
sixty horses annually. 

Mr. Saali was married in Cheyenne county 
.August 12, 1901, to Miss Susanna Laibe, 
daughter of William and Barbara fWalberg) 
Laibe. both deceased. They have one child, 
Louis Joseph, born August 4, 1906. The 
family occupy a comfortable and pleasant 
home. They have a large circle of friends in 
their community. 

In his political views Mr. Saali is a stanch 
supporter of the Republican party principles. 
He is a consistent member of the Catholic 
church. On another page of this work will be 
found a view df the fainilv home. 



KOWWRl) S.VTTERLEE. 

Edward Satterlee, one of the prominent 
business men of Nenzel, Nebraska, is a com- 
paratively young man who has built up a 
good trade and acquired a pleasant and com- 
fortable home here. 

Mr. Satterlee was born in St. Louis, Mis- 




RESIDENCE OF LORENZ SAALI, 

Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




RESIDEXCH OF OLIVER JACOX, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-Z^PHY 



993 



souri, January 29, 1861. His father, Thomas 
Satterlee, of American stock, ran a ferry boat 
on the Mississippi river for a number of years. 
Our subject's parents moved to Boone county, 
Iowa, with their family of five children, of 
whom he was the second member, when he 
was quite a young lad. He lived at home until 
reaching the age of fifteen years, then started 
out for himself, following different kinds of 
work. For five years he freighted, drove stage 
and railroaded in Texas, then went back to 
Iowa and remained there a few years, driving 
teams for different owners. In 1883 he lo- 
cated in Dakota and proved up on a home- 
stead there, and after three years spent in 
that locality he came on to Nebraska and 
March 17, 1886, reached Cherry county. Here, 
on April 7, 1886, he took a timber claim, near 
Nenzel, which he still holds, and to which he 
has added until the ranch now comprises 
twenty-three hundred acres, improved with 
good buildings, fences, etc., and well stocked 
with cattle. He employs a good man to run 
this place, but still superintends the manage- 
ment of it. In 1896 he opened a store in Nen- 
zel, which is in a flourishing condition, and 
enjoys a wide patronage. 

On February 7, 1895, Air. Satterlee was 
married to Miss Elizabeth Shaughnessy, born 
in Ohio in 1874. She came of Irish stock, 
and moved to Nebraska with her parents in 
1878 : at the present time they are residing in 
the city of Valentine. Air. and Mrs. Satterlee 
have a family of seven children, named as fol- 
lows : Frances, Dennis, Thomas (deceased), 
Margaret, Joseph, Edward and George, all of 
whom were born and reared in Cherry county. 

Mr. Satterlee has always done all in his 
power to assist in the development of his 
county, and although he has met with severe 
losses at different times since coming here, he 
has never experienced the hardships and pri- 
vations that fell to the lot of so many of the 
pioneers of Nebraska. He has accumulated a 
valuable estate and built up a comfortable 
home, and is well satisfied with the fruits of 
his labor and prepared to spend the balance 
of his life enjoying what he has worked so 
hard to attain. In political faith he is a Demo- 
crat and fraternally a member of the Georgia 
Lodge, Modern Woodmen of America. The 
members of the family are all communicants 
of the Catholic church. 



JAMES SNYDER. 

James Snyder, one of the early settlers m 
Nebraska, is well known all over Lincoln 



county as an enterprising and prosperous busi- 
ness man, and highly respected as a citizen. 
He resides in North Platte, where he has a 
comfortable home and he and his family enjoy 
a wide circle of warm friends and acquaint- 
ances. 

He is a son of Anthony Snyder, formerly 
of Crawford county, Ohio, one of the oldest 
settlers in that locality. The family previous 
to this lived in Pickaway county, Ohio, and 
about the year 1840 they moved to Crawford 
county where the country was newer, and 
opportunities better for the pioneer settlers. 
In November, 1869, our subject first came ta 
Nebraska, and in 1873 came to North Platte 
where he at once engaged in his chosen trade 
as a carpenter and builder. He worked at this 
for the following three years, and then ob- 
tained employment on the railroad, beginning 
as fireman with the Northern Pacific railway. 
He worked faithfully at this, attending strictly 
to his duties, and in 1881 was given the posi- 
tion of conductor with the company, and since 
that time has been employed in that capacity, 
being one of the oldest men in that work now 
serving with the Lnion Pacific people, 

Mr. Snyder was married to Aliss Mattie 
Scott, and they have a family of two chil- 
dren, named as follows : Ray, who is a ccn- 
dustor on the same road with his father, re- 
siding at North Platte. He \\^s married to 
Miss Flynn, daughter of Thomas Flynn, of 
North Platte, who is an engineer. They have 
one son, Robert Snyder : Asa Snyder, the sec- 
ond son, is an engineer inspector on the Union 
Pacific jailroad, also residing at North Platte, 
father of two sons, all being railroad men. 

Mr. Snyder is a prominent member of the 
Order of Railroad Conductors, at North Platte, 
also of the Woodmen lodge at that place. 



FREAIONT T. BUCHANAN. 

Fremont T. Buchanan has been a resident 
of Dawes county for many years past, and 
has built up a good home and property 
through strict integrity and good management 
of his different enterprises. Mr. Buchanan is 
counted among the leading citizens and is one 
of the oldest settlers in this part of the coun- 
try, and held in the highest esteem by all who 
know him. 

Mr. Buchanan was born in Hendricks 
county, Indiana, in 1863, on a farm. His 
father, R. M. Buchanan, was a farmer and 
school teacher in that state, and it is be- 
lieved that he was a native of Kentucky. The 
father died when our subject was a small boy. 



994 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMimSCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



leaving his wife, wlio was Miss Christina 
White, to care for their family of children. 
The mother died in Nebraska in the year 1905. 
When Fremont was ten years of age the family 
moved to Gentry county. Missouri, and there 
he grew up and was educated, attending the 
common schools and helping support the 
family. .\t the age of twenty-two he came 
to Dawes county, driving from \^alentine with 
a team, spending the nights camped out along 
the road. Upon landing here he located on 
section 33, township 32. range 50, and at once 
went to work to build up a home and farm. 
He put uj) a log cabin, and started with a very 
small capital. Ilis place was wild prairie land, 
and entirely unimproved, but he stuck to it 
and succeeded in building it up in good shape, 
and made money. He went through the usual 
pioneer experiences, and many times met with 
severe losses and discouragements, but never 
gave up, and is now the proud possessor of a 
fine four hundred and eighty-acre farm, im- 
proved in good shape. This is located on In- 
dian creek, and he cultivates seventy-five acres, 
having the balance in pasture and hay land 
for his stock, running a large number of cattle 
and horses each year. 

Mr. Buchanan is a Republican in politics. 



THOMAS A. McKKOWX. 

The farming community of Rock county 
has an able representative in the gentleman 
above named, who thoroughly understands all 
that is essential to success in Nebraska agri- 
culture, and has won a pronounced success in 
all his grain and stock enterprises in the state. 
It has not been the result of accident with 
him that things go right but because he has 
studied and understood what was required 
and then has never hesitated to work and wait 
tmtil things came right, as they always do to 
tlie man who is willing to pay the price. 

^Ir. McKeown was born January 9. 1852. 
on a farm in Putnam county. Indiana, where 
his youth and early manhood were familiar 
with toil and labor. His father, William Mc- 
Keown, was a farmer, who was born in Scot- 
land, and who came to Canada in 1846, and 
still later removed to Indiana. He married 
^liss Eliza Hall, who was of .American de- 
scent, and a lady of much character. William 
McKeriwn and wife when somewhat advanced 
in years removed to Pottawatn>nie county. 
Iowa, where their lives ended. 

Thomas A. McKeown left the shelter of 
the paternal home when about nineteen years 
of age, and struck out into the great world 



to find for himself the path to honor and 
wealth. He journeyed into the far west, and 
visited Nevada and Utah, but after a wide in- 
spection of the mountain and valley country, 
decided to locate in Rock county, which he 
was sure would presently become the location 
of a very large population. In 1880 he took 
a pre-emption claim in section 11, township 
30, range 17. and this desirable tract of land 
has been his home to the present time. Be- 
ginning under the simple conditions of pio- 
neering days, for two years his only home 
was a sod shanty, which was finally replaced 
by a frame structure, the lumber used in its 
building being hauled from Stuart. Here for 
about seven years the young settler "batched" 
and hoped for better da>'s, which finally came 
when Rliss Mina Kirkland consented to be- 
come his wife, November 28, 1887. Her father, 
Samuel Kirkland. lived in Iowa, where he was 
well known among the old settlers of that 
state. Mr. and Mrs. McKeown are the par- 
ents of three children. Mack. Charles and 
Frank. 

In 1888 their house was destroyed by fire, 
and while the blow was heav}^ they felt that 
they were fortunate to escape uninjured. The 
McKeowns have since built a fine residence 
on the farm, and regard themselves as most 
comfortably situated. The home farm con- 
sists of about eleven hundred and twenty 
acres of Elkhorn valley land, and is largely 
devoted to stock raising and shipping hay. 
In 1905 he wintered a hundred head of stock, 
and sold thirty-seven hundred and fifty dollars' 
worth of hay, and this beside grain and stock 
farming as ordinarily followed. 

Mr. McKeown is a man of more than ordin- 
ary standing. In political relations he is a 
Republican, and in 1902 he was a member of 
the county board. Deeply interested in all 
vital public questions, he is known as a gentleman 
of the most excellent repute. Of the lodges, 
he holds membership in the Masons at Bassett 
and the Odd Fellows and Workmen at New- 
port. 

JOHN II. COX. 

John II. Cox. prominent in Cheyenne 
county. Nebraska, as a progressive farmer and 
successful ranchman, resides on his valuable 
estate in Chambers jirecinct. He is well- 
known to all the residents of that part of the 
county, having charge of the mail route be- 
tween the town of Potter and Dye postoffice. 
being faithful in the performance of this duty, 
never allowing anything to interfere with the 
prompt delivery of the mails. He has a pleas- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



995 



ant home, a new dwelling built in 1907, on the 
table land, the former residence having been 
on the lower elevation of the "draw." 

Mr. Cox, a son of William A. J. and Eliza- 
beth (Burton) Cox, was born in Jennings 
county, Indiana, February 15, 1862, and lived 
there until he was seven years old, at w^hich 
time his parents moved to Lynn county, Kan- 
sas, and remained there for about eight years, 
when they went to Woodson county, living 
until 1899' in Neosho Falls, Kansas. At that 
time our subject came to Cheyenne county, 
where he worked as a stone mason and also 
farmed part of the time. He was for six years 
connected with a general merchandise estab- 
lishment at Sidney, part of the time as pro- 
prietor and part of the time working as a sales- 
man. In 1905 he took a Kincaid claim on sec- 
tion 30, township 13, range 52, which is his 
present home. Here he has about sixty acres 
cultivated, raising good crops of small grain, 
and runs a small bunch of cattle. He has his 
place well improved, and is now making ex- 
tensive improvements as noted above, and for 
the time he has lived here has done remarkably 
well. 

Mr. Cox was married to Miss Bertie Bur- 
ton, at Neosho Falls, Kansas. Jime 20, 1886. 
Mrs. Cox is a native of Indiana, born April 3, 
1871, and with her parents was among the pio- 
neers in Kansas, where the parents still re- 
side. Two children were born to ]\Ir. and 
Mrs. Cox, Viola and Clara, both charming 
young ladies. 

Politically Mr. Cox is a Republican. At 
present he is serving as school treasurer of his 
district. He is a member of the Potter Lodge 
of Maccabees. 



JONATHAN L. COON. 

The gentleman aboVe mentioned is a 
prominent resident of Garfield county, where 
he has been active in all affairs of his locality 
for many years past. He has been financially 
successful since coming to this region, in 1877, 
and is considered one of the leading citizens of 
his county, highly respected by all who. know 
him. Mr. Coon resides in Burwell at the pres- 
ent time, owns a nice home there and is one 
of the good farmers there. 

Mr. Coon was born in New York state, 
February 12, 1840. His father, Charles Coon, 
was a native of that state, of Scotch-English 
descent, who married Phoebe Lamphear, born 
and raised in New York. When our subject 
was an infant the family left New York and 
emigrated to Wisconsin, where the}' took up a 



homestead and remained for seventeen years, 
then removed to Minnesota, locating in Fre- 
born county, and lived there up to May, 1877. 
Jonathan grew up in the northern country, 
following farm work during his young man- 
hood, attending the country schools during the 
winter months and assisting his father at other 
times. At the age of thirty-seven Mr. Coon 
left Minnesota and came to Nebraska, land- 
ing in this state the 1st day of July of 1877. 
He settled in \^alley county and filed on a pre- 
emption, on which he proved up, and later 
bought more land adjoining this. He was pro- 
prietor of two hundred and sixty acres of good 
land, located a few miles northeast of Burwell, 
where he superintended his farming opera- 
tions, although he had retired from active work 
on his farms, and lived in Burwell. Lately 
he traded the above described property for his 
home in Burwell. 

Mr. Coon was married on December 12, 
1863, to Louise R. Maine, a native of New 
York state. Mr. and Mrs. Coon are the par- 
ents of two children, namely: Clara, wife of 
R. B. Miller, now living in Burwell, and Wil- 
liam W. Coon, residing at Grand Island, Ne- 
braska, with his family. Mrs. Coon died April 
1, 1902, deeply mourned by her husband and 
family, and many kind neighbors and friends. 
In 1903 our subject was married the second 
time to Abbie C. Cornell, born and raised in 
Maine, of English-Scotch descent, a most in- 
telligent and cultured lady. Mr. and Mrs. 
Coon are active members of the Baptist 
church, and highly esteemed by the com- 
munity in which they live. Mr. Coon has 
never held office, although he takes a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs, voting the 
Independent ticket as his conscience convicts 
him, for the best man and for the general good 
of the masses. 



C. R. CROFT. 



C. R. Croft, of Farmers township, Franklin 
county, Nebraska, who is one of the progres- 
sive farmers of that locality, is a gentleman 
of firm characteristics whose high standing 
as a true and worthy citizen is well merited. 
Mr. Croft operates a fine farm of seven hun- 
dred and twenty acres, and engages exten- 
sively in stock raising, succeeding in his work 
along these lines to a marked degree. 

Mr. Croft is a native of Iroquois county, 
Illinois, born in 1880, and is a son of Marshall 
Croft, who was born in Marshall county, Illi- 
nois, now residing in Naponee, Franklin 
county, Nebraska retired from the active work 



996 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



of a farm and ranch, on which he has spent 
a long and useful life. The father of Marshall 
Croft, James Croft, came from England in 
1830, h'omesteading in Marshall county, Illi- 
nois, where the family lived for many years. 
Our subject's father was raised there, and 
married there. When our subject was a child 
of three years his parents moved to Nebraska, 
purchasing land in section 29, Farmers town- 
ship. Franklin county, and as he was the only 
son. lived there together until 1900, when he 
took charge of the ranch and started in the 
ranching and stock business on his own ac- 
count. He feeds, buys and ships about two 
thousand cattle and hogs each year, and be- 
sides this raises a large number which he ships 
also. He ships each week from Naponee 
about two car loads of stock, and is one of the 
best judges of his business in the locality. He 
devotes his entire attention to his work, and 
is building up a good farm and home by his 
good business ability and perseverance. He 
farms a large part of his ranch, and raises 
alfalfa exclusively, which is fed on the farm. 

In 1900 Mr. Croft married Miss Lou Ray, 
daughter of John S. Ray, a sketch of whom ap- 
pears in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Croft 
have been born one son. Marshall. 



MORRISON' R. SCRIPTER. 

The gentleman who.se name appears at the 
head of this sketch is one of the acknowledged 
influential and successful ranchers of Keith 
county. Nebraska, and was one of the earliest 
pioneers of the state. He lives on a fine ranch 
in section 32, township 16. range 41, where 
he carries on a large and growing stock busi- 
ness. 

Mr. Scripter is a native of the Empire state. 
being born in St. Lawrence county on a farm 
January 25. 1840. and was from an old family 
of the Knickerbocker state, that had lived in 
in the east for several generations. His par- 
ents. Isaac H. and Jane (Day) Scripter, were 
farmers by occupation and were honored citi- 
zens of their community. When our subject 
was twelve years of age the family came west 
to Sangamon county. Illinois, locating twelve 
miles west of Springfield, where they were 
among the early pioneers. Here Morrison 
Scripter was reared, receiving his education and 
assisting his parents with the labors on the 
farm. In September. 1862. he enlisted in Com- 
pany F. One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and saw service in the 
south with the Army of the Cumberland. He 
served his country for three years, partici- 



pating in many famous engagements of the 
Civil war. He was at the siege of Yicksburg 
and at Jackson, Mississippi, was in Arkansas 
and followed General Price through Missouri. 
He was in the battle of Nashville and par- 
ticipated in eighteen hard-fought battles, but 
he was fortunate in that he received only one 
small wound during his service, .^fter the 
war was over he returned to Illinois, where he 
remained for about four years, going thence 
to Atchison county, Missouri, where his fa- 
ther settled in business. Here our subject 
remained until 1886, when he moved to Ne- 
braska, settling as a pioneer near Red Cloud, 
in Webster county. Beginning with 1872 he 
had from time to time lived for varying pe- 
riods in this state. He saw many discourag- 
ing tim.es during these early days — witnessed 
the terrible grasshopper scourge which dev- 
astated the country for several years and lost 
several successive crops from various causes. 
In 1888 he removed to Deuel .county, remain- 
ing there for about two years on a tree claim. 
In 1890 he moved to his present farm in Keith 
county, where he has resided ever since, build- 
ing up one of the best ranch homes in the ter- 
ritory. There were but few improvements on 
the place when he came to it — a small stone 
house with a frame part, but in spite of the 
drouth and hard times our subject has worked 
his way to success and competenc)\ He has 
four hundred and eighty acres of good land 
and devotes his attention to stock raising and 
farming. His farm contains a fine grove of 
forest trees, nearly all planted by his own hand. 
There are also a large number of plum, crab- 
apple and cherry trees and an abundance of 
smaller fruit. One hundred acres of the tract 
are irrigable from Clear creek, which flows an 
abundant stream through the place, fed by 
never-failing springs in the sand hills to the 
north. His house, built of concrete, is a fine 
one. of pleasing architecture, convenient and 
homelike. .\ view of the home with its mag- 
nificent groves and rugged, picturc.s(|ue rock 
surroundings is presented on another page of 
our work. 

Morrison R. Scripter was married March 
18, 1880. to Miss Henrietta Cliff, who was born 
in Doniphan county, Kansas, and raised in 
Fremont county^Iowa. Her parents, John and 
Nancy ( Dameron) Cliffy, natives of Kentucky, 
were old settlers in the west, living along the 
river in Iowa. Missouri, Nebraska and Kan- 
sas, where the father was engaged in boat- 
ing and rafting on the big muddy stream. Mr. 
and ^Irs. Scripter are the parents of the fol- 
lowing children : Harper C, married and liv- 
ing eighteen miles north of Kearney; Beulah, 




J 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



997 



wife of Frederick Bennett, rancliing in Keith 
county; Leora A., deceased; Irene, teaching in 
the Keystone schools ; Morrison, Earl and 
Leotta. 

During his long residence in the county Mr. 
Scripter has been active in public matters and 
has efficiently held various offices. He has 
been especially interested in educational af- 
fairs, helping to establish the schools of the 
neighborhood and serving as a member of the 
school board. By his conscientious advocacy 
of right principles in both public and private 
business our subject has won a high place in 
the regard of his associates. Since attaining 
his majority Mr. Scripter has steadily support- 
ed the Republican party. 



L. R. SPEER. 



L. R. Speer, residing oh section 6, town- 
ship 29, range 45, is well known throughout 
the community in which he has chosen his 
home as an industrious and energetic farmer 
and worthy citizen of Sheridan county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Speer was born in Amboy, Lee county, 
Illinois, in 1868. His father, Z. C. Speer, 
was born and reared in New Jersey, and was 
a carpenter by trade. He married Miss Mar- 
tha Van Ness, of German descent, and they 
had a family of four children, of whom our 
subject was the third member. At the age 
of sixteen years he came west and located in 
Chicago, workfng in the Pullman car shops 
for two years, and on different farms in that 
vicinity for another couple of years, and in 
1889 came to Cherry county, Nebraska, and 
took up a homestead in section 15, township 
32, range 39, and held it up until the dry 
years came on, then was unable to make things 
go right, so sold out his holdings for five 
hundred and fifty dollars, which he consid- 
ered a very good price. He farmed there for 
several years, his place consisting of a quar- 
ter section, and after selling moved to Hay 
Springs, where he worked for one summer 
on the railroad, then clerked in a store up to 
1906, when he moved to his present place. 
This consists of eight hundred acres, well 
stocked with horses and cattle. He works 
in partnership with Mr. Bray, of Hay Springs, 
who owns the ranch. He is sorry he sold his 
first homestead, as it would have been worth 
a good deal of money by this time, but will 
either buy another farm or take up a home- 
stead in the near future. He likes this coun- 
try better than any place he has yet been, and 
intends to remain as long as he wants to live 
in the country. 



Mr. Speer was married in 1892 to Aliss Ber- 
tha Richardson, born in Butler county, Ne- 
braska, in 1874. Mrs. Speer is a daughter of 
Marcus L. and Clara Spain Richardson, born 
in Ohio, who settled in Butler county in the 
early days of that region. Mr. and Mrs. Speer 
have a family of five children, named as fol- 
lows: Ruth,' born in 1893; Estella, 1895; Ma- 
bel, 1901 : Fred. 1903, and Harold, in 1906. Mr. 
Speer takes a commendable interest in all mat- 
ters of local importance in his community, but 
has never had much time to devote to taking an 
active part in politics. Politically he is a Re- 
publican. 



HAMILTON GETTY. 

Should the reader ask for the name of a 
representative old settler and citizen of Phelps 
county, Nebraska, a man who came in mature 
life to breast the storms of the wilderness and 
hammer a home and fortune out of adversity, 
give him that of Hamilton Getty, the subject 
of this review. 

Mr. Getty is a native of Antrim county, 
Ireland, who came to this country in 1859. He 
came to this state in 1884 and homesteaded one 
hundred and sixty acres in section 26, Union 
township,' and afterwards bought one hundred 
and sixty acres adjoining. This he farmed 
for seventeen years with great success. In 
1891 his wheat crop showed a yield of thirty- 
five bushels to the acre, and in 1892 it was 
forty bushels per acre, and" his corn crop sixty- 
five. He always fed a large number of hogs, 
considering them a good investment, as this 
locality is peculiarly adapted for breeding with 
success. Before coming to this county, shortly 
after landing in New York, he obtained em- 
ployment in training high-class trotting horses. 
He was very fond of caring for these animals, 
was very successful in the management of them 
and enjoyed the work of caring for them. He 
followed this business for some time, then 
came west to McLean county, Illinois, when 
he bought land and farmed for nineteen years, 
and from there he struck out for Nebraska, 
where he has since made his home. 

Mr. Getty cast his first vote in this coun- 
try in New York, voting for Abraham Lincoln, 
who was a candidate for the presidency the 
first time. He was married April 14, 1863, to 
Miss Ellen Powers, of New York city, also a 
native of Ireland. They have a family of six 
children, all of whom have received splendid 
educations and are now filling honorable places 
in life. They are named as follows : Annie 



998 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Jane, now Mrs. D. J. Davis, of Loomis, whose 
husband is engineer of the Loomis flouring 
mills; Josephine, married to Rev. E. M. John- 
son, professor in the college at Bethany, Ne- 
braska: Lillian B., teacher of shorthand and 
typewriting in the Walla Walla Business Col- 
lege, in Washington ; \\'. A. Getty, a traveling 
salesman, residing at Lincoln, Nebraska ; H. 
N. Getty, locomotive engineer on the Union 
Pacific railway, and J. E. Getty, a farmer of 
Union township, living on his father's farm. 
A sister of Mr. Getty, Mrs. Richard Morri- 
son, mother of Robert M. Morrison, of whom 
a sketch appears in this volume, resides in 
Loomis. 

Mr. Getty has retired from active business 
and enjoys a pleasant home surrounded by a 
large circle of friends in Loomis, Nebraska. 
In politics Mr. Getty states he is an Abraham 
Lincoln Republican and a Bryan Democrat. 



PAUL SERRES. 



Paul Serres, one of the earliest settlers of 
Sioux count3\ coming here in 1887, is a pros- 
perous and highly esteemed ranchman located 
on section 5, township 33, range 54. He has 
uccumulated valuable possessions by his own 
work and judicious management, and is one 
of the truly self-made men of that region. 

Mr. Serres was born in Luxemburg, Ger- 
many, in 1842. and was reared on a farm. He 
received a good practical training, and at the 
end of twenty-five years came to America, 
making his first settlement in Wisconsin, 
where he followed farm work. He was mar- 
ried there in 1877 to Miss Mary Friece. a na- 
tive of that state, born in 1857. ]\Irs. Serres 
is the daughter of Peter and Mary Annie (Con- 
rath) Friece, early settlers in W'isconsin, and 
well known farmers of that region. The young 
couple started a home and lived in Wisconsin 
for about ten years, and then came direct to 
Sioux county, Nebraska, where they settled 
on a homestead, building a log house with sod 
roof, and spent man)- years in that dwelling, 
but later put up a good residence, gradually 
improving their place. The first years were 
hard ones to them, as they were unable to 
raise any crops to amount to anything, and 
after trying hard to get along Mr. Serres be- 
came discouraged and had fully made up his 
mind to pull up stakes and try it some other 
place, but as he was on the point of loading 
up their possessions in a covered wagon and 
abandoning their farm, he determined to start 
again and trying stock raising, so he took an 
additional homestead in section 5, township 



32, range 54, and got together a few cattle, 
and this was the beginning of his success. He 
now owns a ranch of over nineteen hundred 
and twenty acres, and besides his homestead, 
two sons are proprietors of six hundred and 
forty acres each in the same locality. The 
ranch is built up and improved in good shape, 
and there is a splendid water supply, two 
creeks running through the land. Every ap- 
pointment of Mr. Serres' ranch shows the 
most careful management and good business 
judgment, and all has been accomplished by 
his own eflforts. from a very small beginning. 

Mr. Serres' family consists of himself, wife 
and nine children, as follows: Joe, Mary A., 
Herman, Theresa, Kate, John. Barbara, Louis 
and Paul. Three sons, John, Herman and 
Louis, died when young children. 

In political sentiment Mr. Serres is a Dem- 
ocrat, but he does not give much attention 
to public affairs, 'nor seek public preferment, 
although he is always ready and willing to 
assist in every way possible any movement 
started for the good of his community. 



EUGENE L. HUTCHISON. 

Eugene L. Hutchison, a successful farmer 
of Keya Paha county. Nebraska, resides on 
section 6. township 33, range 24, and has been 
identified with the history of the development 
of western Nebraska from its beginning. 

Mr. Hutchison was born in Calhoun coun- 
ty. Michigan. October 4, 1856, and in 1858 
went with his parents to Wisconsin, living 
for ten years in W'ahvorth county and in Ju- 
neau county two years, when they removed 
to Carroll county, Illinois, where they re- 
sided for the next decade. His parents came 
from New York, the father being a wagon- 
maker in his early days, and later a farmer. 
Our subject was the seventh in a family of 
twelve children, and when twenty-two years 
old left home and came to Nebraska, settling 
in Buffalo county. There he bought railroad 
land and started a farm, "batching it" for sev- 
eral years. He built up a good place, and did 
fairly well, but in 1884 rented his farm and 
moved to Keya Paha county, where he to<ik a 
pre-emption, which is his present farm. He 
was unable to prove up on it, so took out 
homestead papers and now has a farm of one 
hundred and seventy-one acres, besides some 
leased school land. This is all well improved 
with buildings, fences, etc.. and he runs forty 
cattle, the same number of horses and about 
sixty hogs, cultivating eighty acres, on which 
he raises good crops, having sufficient pasture 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



999 



for his stock, W'lien first coming here he had 
a hard time to make a hving, and in 18y3-'y4 
he lost all his crops and was compelled to 
work out by the day, hauling cordwood to 
Fort Niobrara, fording the river with his load, 
to make enough to support his family; also 
hauled bones from the prairies to Valentine. 

Mr. Hutchison was married in Loup City, 
Nebraska, November 26, 1881, to Miss Rebecca 
Roberts, whose parents were early settlers 
in Sherman county, where she grew up. Her 
father, James Roberts, was a soldier in the 
L'nion army. The mother was Susannah Bal- 
lard. Nine children were born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Hutchison, named as follows: James R., 
.A-lice, Effa, Lee, Blanche, Lawrence, Ballard, 
Joseph and Neva, most of whom are settled 
near their parents' home. 

Mr. Hutchison is a strong Democrat, and 
has always voted that ticket. He has at var- 
ious times held local office, and always has been 
an active worker in school affairs. 



ORLANDO M. GUNNELL. 

Among the very old settlers of western Ne- 
braska we mention the gentleman whose name 
heads this review. Since locating here many 
years ago he has done much in the way of 
helping to develop the country, and is one of 
the successful and prosperous business men 
of Keith county at the present time. He is 
engaged in *he general merchandise business 
at Paxton, and is a leading citizen and active 
in local afifairs. 

Orlando M. Gunnell was born in Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania, August 8. 1849. His 
father, John Gunnell, a native of Westmore- 
land county, Pennsjdvania, was a farmer in 
Illinois, settling in Rock Island in 1852. He 
came to York county, Nebraska, in 1876 and 
moved on to Keith county in 1893. where he 
died twelve years later. He married Clarissa 
Mitchell, a native of Fayette county, Penn- 
sylvania. She lives at present at Benedfct, 
York county, with a daughter, Mrs. Charles 
Wonderly. Our subject was raised on a farm 
in Illinois, following that occupation during 
his boyhood, also learning the plow maker's 
trade, at which he worked in Rock Island 
and later at ^loljne, Illinois. In 1884 he came 
to York county, Nebraska, with his famih-, 
where he farmed for one year, then located at 
Stromsburg, engaging in the livery business 
for five years. In 1890 he moved to Big 
Springs, and established a lumber and grain 
business, remaining at that for about six years, 
but from 1893 to 1896 trade was not very prof- 



itable owing to the hard times in that vicin- 
ity. He disposed of this business and set- 
tled in Paxton, where he opened a store of gen- 
eral merchandise, and has done exceedingly 
well since coming here, having built up a good 
patronage throughout the surrounding coun- 
try. He has a well equipped store, and a full 
line of general goods. 

On May 25, 1881, while living in Rock 
Island, Illinois, Mr. Gunnell was married to 
Miss Catherine Johnston, whose father, Wil- 
liam A. Johnston, a shoemaker, came to Amer- 
ica from Ireland about 1851 or 1852 when a 
young man. He plied his trade in Philadel- 
phia for a time and then came to Rock Island. 
Her mother, Mary Kane in maidenhood, was 
also born in the north of Ireland. Both par- 
ents were Protestant Irish and both died in 
Rock Island. Mr. and Mrs. Gunnell have one 
child, Clarissa, born at Rock Island, Illinois, 
August 27 , 1882. She is now the wife of John 
Clair Cox, holding a responsible position with 
the Colorado Southern railroad, at Fort Col- 
lins, Colorado. 

Mr. Gunnell is a strong Republican in poli- 
tics, a member of the Odd Fellows and the Ma- 
sonic order, holding membership in the blue 
lodge at Stromsburg, the Chapter and the 
Commandery at North Platte and the Shrine 
at Omaha. 



JOHN HENRY FRANK. 

Among the most respected and worthy of 
the old settlers of Loup county is John Henry 
Frank, who came to Nebraska in 1890 and 
has ever since identified himself with the in- 
terests of that grand western state. 

Mr. Frank was born in Jackson county, 
Iowa, April 4, 1861, being the son of George 
W. and Mary S. (Wilcox) Frank. The fa- 
ther was born in Montgomery county, New 
York, where he remained until early manhood 
and then, in 1857, came- to Iowa with the early 
pioneers, serving in the Civil war in Com- 
pany F, Thirty-first Iowa Infantry. The 
mother was a native of Jackson county, Iowa, 

John Henry Frank and Miss Ida M. Bur- 
lison were united in marriage November 12,. 
1887. Mrs. Frank's father, Charles Burlison, 
was a pioneer settler of Iowa, saw active serv- 
ice in the Civil war in the same regiment in 
which Mr. Frank's father served, and thus 
the elder men were old-time chums and com- 
rades. Mrs. Frank's mother's maiden name 
was Mary Little, a native of Canada. Mr. and 
Mrs. Frank have had two children to brightea 
their home — Ralph S. and Viola Pearl. 



looo COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



When Mr. Frank brought his family to i 
Loup countj- he found the most primitive pio- 
neer conditions. The nearest railroad towns 
were Buruell and Broken Bow, but he had 
come to found a home and he went to work 
with a strong will. For six years he rented 
land in both Loup and Custer counties. He 
had almost nothing to start with — no team nor 
household goods, two trunks and six dollars 
and fifty cents in money and a wife and child 
were all his possessions. But these were 
enough when coupled with hard work and a 
strong determination to win. He got along, 
worked all the time, fought prairie fires many 
times to save his property and experienced all 
the rigors of pioneer life until finally he won 
K)nt and now has a fine farm and ranch of six 
Jiundred and eighty acres. In 1897 he located 
a homestead on section 34, township 21, range 
20, on which there were twelve acres plnwed 
and a sod house with no roof. This became 
the start of his fine farm, on which he now 
has a fine house, also barn and sheds, the 
land being fenced and cross fenced. Mr. Frank 
has made a good home and is entitled to the 
competency he has attained as the result of 
constant and intelligent effort. He has done 
his share in developing the country as a pio- 
neer settler. 



HENRY I. DAINTON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is a well known citizen and very 
successful farmer with a pleasant home on sec- 
tion 22, township 24, range 50, in Box Butte 
county. He is a man of untiring energy and 
€njoys an enviable reputation as a public- 
spirited citizen and industrious agriculturist. 
who has placed himself in the front ranks 
of the well-to-do residents of that region, and 
who has acquired a valuable estate by his per- 
severance and good management. 

Mr. Dainton was horn in England. His fa- 
ther. Isaac Dainton, was also born and reared 
in England, following the trade of stonema- 
son all his lifetime. He married Elizabeth 
Langdon. also born and bred in that country. 
When our subject was but one year of age 
the family left England and emigrated to the 
L^nited .States, and on landing in New York 
immediately went west to ^Visconsin, where 
they located on a farm near Milwaukee. In 
1875 they came to Nebraska, at first settling in 
Saline county, and lived there for about three 
years, then moved to York county, where 
Henry grew to manhood and the family saw 
many pioneer experiences while living in that 
region. In 1886 our subject came to Box 



Butte county and filed on a homestead in the 
sand hills, twenty miles from Alliance, and 
worked on the railroad in that vicinity during 
a good part of the time, also worked in the 
silver mines of Colorado. Mr. Dainton kept 
on improving his farm and bought additional 
land as he became able, and got into the ranch- 
ing business on quite an extensive scale, and 
now has a well developed ranch consisting 
of nineteen hundred and twenty acres, all good 
land, and has built all good farm buildings on 
the ranch. Soon after arriving here, after fil- 
ing on his homestead, he had just fifty cents 
in money in his pocket, and from this start 
he has accumulated a nice property by dint 
of hard labor and strict attention to business. 
He has witnessed all the changes that have 
taken place in the vicinity since its early set- 
tlement, and has done his full share in helping 
to develop the region, establish schools, etc. 

Mr. Dainton was married in 1894 to Miss 
Delia Steyer, born in Pennsylvania in 1870. 
Her father, George Steyer, was a farmer all 
his life, son of Absalom Steyer. a well known 
pioneer in the eastern state^who fought with 
General Washington in the Revolutionary war 
and had a brilliant record as a soldier. Our 
subject and his good wife are the parents of 
six children, who are named as follows : Ches- 
ter I., Roy, George, Wayne, Anna and Freder- 
ick .Archie. The family occupy a pleasant home 
and are well liked by all in their community 
as congenial neighbors and worthv citizens. 



JOHN X. SCHERER. 

John N. Scherer, whose biography forms 
an interesting page in the history of the early 
settlement of Nebraska, is a resident of Court 
House Rock precinct, Morrill (formerly Chey- 
enne) county, where he has become widely 
and favorably known. He has developed a 
fine ranch there and is one of the energetic 
and progressive agriculturists of his commu- 
itity, where he enjoys a pleasant home. 

Mr. Scherer was born seven miles north 
of Hillsboro, in Montgomery county, Illinois, 
March 15, 1859. a son of John H. and Xancy 
(Peters) Scherer, grew up there, attending the 
country schools and passing through the usual 
experiences oi the country boy in those days 
and remained in his native vicinity until 1887. 
In 1886 he made a trip to western Xebraska, 
and being favorably impressed with the coun- 
try filed a homestead entry in section 4. town- 
ship 16, range 49, and also on a tree claim. 
The following year, as above noted, he brought 
his familv to the west and has been a citi- 




■.MUD SPRINGS RANCH.' KESIUENCE OF JOHN N. SCHERER, 
Morrill Coiinty, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF ADAM GUNDERSON, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1001 



zen of the country ever since. In 1889 the 
parents came west, and since the death of his 
father in 1896 our subject has secured title to 
the old homestead and in 1907 enlarged and 
greatly improved the dwelling, making a fine- 
ly finished two-story home. A large concrete 
barn adds to the comfort of the stock and to 
the looks of the place. One of the three large 
reservoirs on the ranch is in front of the dwell- 
ing, making a beautiful lake and rural view. 
We present an engraving of the place, known 
as the Mud Springs ranch, on another page. 
The mother has filed on a homestead in the 
same section, but makes her residence most 
of the time in Sidney, where she owns a com- 
modious town house. 

Mr. Scherer is the owner of a fine ranch 
of eight hundred acres, of which he cultivates 
eighty, raising good crops of small grain, corn, 
etc. He uses a part of his ranch for stock, 
having plenty of hay and pasture land. His 
herd consists of one hundred head of cattle 
and thirty horses. He has a good set of 
farm buildings and all improvements. The 
ranch has a number of living springs, which 
furnish a fine supply of good v\'ater for all 
purposes, and from these come the name of 
the place, which is called the Mud Springs 
ranch. Since coming to this ranch Mr. Scher- 
er has done exceedingly well, and although he 
has passed through some hard times in build- 
ing up a valuable estate, he has a fine property 
to show for his efforts, and is counted among 
the successful and prosperous ranchmen and 
farmers of his locality. 

Mr. Scherer was married in Montgomery 
county, Illinois, on January 1, 1884, to Miss 
Etta Lipe, a native of that county, and daugh- 
ter of Noah and Elizabeth (Weller) Lipe. They 
have a family of three children, namely: Pearl, 
wife of M. M. Davis, residing in Sioux county; 
Leitha Fay and Ralph L., both at home. 

In politics Mr. Scherer is a Republican 
and is of active public spirit, a gentleman of 
the strictest integrity of word and deed, who 
has a host of friends in his community. He 
is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen at Sidney. 



ADAM GUNDERSON. 

The well regulated farms of Potter precinct 
contribute largely to the wealth of Cheyenne 
county. The gentleman whose name intro- 
duces this review is proprietor of a fine estate 
in section 12, township 14. range 52, is one 
of the substantial and highly esteemed citi- 
zens of his locality and has aided materially 
in its growth and development. 



Mr. Gunderson was born in the village of 
Eskow, Norway, on October 20, 1847. He 
grew up in his native village and followed 
the occupation of farming and lumbering dur- 
mg his young manhood. In 1869 he left home 
and took passage July 10 from Christiana to 
Leeds, Scotland, proceeding thence to Glas- 
gow, whence he sailed in an Anchor Line 
steamer, and after a stormy passage of nine- 
teen days landed in New York. He came di- 
rectly to Omaha and secured work at Florence, 
where he followed farming and logging on the 
ru-er for about three years. He next came to' 
Cheyenne county, arriving here on August 5, 
1872, and for four years worked in the track 
department of the Union Pacific railroad, be- 
ing promoted to a foremanship within nine 
months. For ten years he lived on section 
2, township 14, range 52, without the formal- 
ity of making a regular entry. In 1886 he 
filed on a homestead located in section 12, 
township 14, range 52, which is his present 
farm. He had a hard time in getting along 
during the first few years, suffering all the 
hardships and privations that fell to the lot 
of the early settlers in this section, but he 
never thought of giving up the struggle, and 
by dint of hard work and sturdy determina- 
tion that marks the courage of the brave Nor- 
wegian emigrant to this country, has succeed- 
ed in accumulating a nice property. He is 
now owner of nine hundred and sixty acres, 
situated on Lodgepole creek, of which he has 
about one hundred acres under cultivation, all 
irrigated and a large portion is used for pas- 
ture and hay meadow. He runs about two 
hundred head of cattle and keeps fifteen horses 
for farming and domestic purposes. He is 
also ovvner and runs a fine flour and feed mill, 
which is located on his premises, the motive 
power being supplied bv water from Lodge- 
pole creek. To this, in' 1908. he added a dy- 
namo, installing 'electric lights in his residence, 
one of the finest and most substantial stone 
ranch houses in the valley. The stables, gran- 
ary and other outbuildings are also of stone 
construction, making one of the best equipped 
establishments in the county. A view of this 
excellent place is to be found in our illustrated 
pages. 

Our subject was married at Potter, Ne- 
braska, November 20, 1873, to Miss Mary 
Rasmussen, who is a native of Denmark, born 
in 1854. She came to the United States in 
1871 and located in Nebraska the same year. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson have a family of 
nine children, named as follows: Robert. Gus- 
tave, Charles, Albena, Elmer, Anna, Emma, 
Walter and Myrtle. The four eldest are set- 



1002 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tied in establishments of their own, and the 
rest live on the home farm with their par- 
ents. In political sentiment Mr. Gunderson 
is a strong Republican and in religion adheres 
to the faith of the Lutheran church. 



REV. JOHN P. GARDINER. 

Through exceptionalh- good management 
and persistent hard labors the gentleman here 
named has acquired a well developed farm 
and is now enabled to enjoy the comforts of a 
modern farm home. He resides on section 2, 
township 33. range 35, and is numbered among 
the successful agriculturists and worthy citizens 
of Cherry county. 

Mr. Gardiner is a native of Canada, born 
July 16. 1849. His father, Robert Gardiner, 
was of English birth, married in Ireland to 
Miss Matilda Becket. of Scotch-English de- 
scent. Our subject was the seventh member 
in a family of eleven children, and came to 
the United States with his parents when a 
young lad. ^^'hen he was nine years old his 
father died, and after this he remained on their 
farm in Dallas county, Iowa, assisting his 
mother up to the time of her remarriage, and 
then he cared for the three younger children 
for three years. At the age of twenty-one 
years he went to Colorado Springs and spent 
one summer, then took up a claim in Greeley 
county, Nebraska. After a time he disposed 
of this and moved into Lincoln, where he lived 
for three years, following ministerial work 
in the pulpit of the Seventh Day Baptist. He 
first struck Cherry county in 1894. locating on 
a homestead, and has remained on this place 
up to the present time. He has added to his 
farm until it now comprises sixteen hundred 
acres, all lying next to the Niobrara river. 
Here he engages in stock oaising and farm- 
ing about six hundred acres of tillable land, 
on a part of which he has a good meadow of 
timothy hay. He keeps about one hundred 
head of cattle, a number of horses and sheep, 
and has at times a drove of two hundred hogs. 
He has a well improved place, where he has 
built up a fine home here. Fronting on the 
Niobrara river, the farm is well supplied with 
good water and a bountiful supply of wild 
fruit, etc. 

On March 8, 1881, Mr. Gardiner was mar- 
ried to Miss Nora \\'eeks, born in St. Clair, 
Michigan, in 1863. With her mother and one 
y)rother she moved to Petersburg, Boone coun- 
ty. Nebraska, in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner 
have a family of ten children, namely: James 
R.. Myrtle M.. Dora. Rosa (deceased), Carl, 



Lulu (deceased), Erma, Ralph, Emogene and 
Bernice, eight born and reared in Nebraska; 
Rosa and Lulu died in infancy. 

Mr. Gardiner takes a deep interest in lo- 
cal and especially school affairs but has never 
held any office. He is a Republican, but is 
not a strict party man. voting for the best 
man every time. 



JOHN W. ABBOTT. 

The subject of this review, J. W. Abbott, is 
well and favorably known through Lincoln 
county. Nebraska, as an enterprising and i)ros- 
perous business man of Hershey, where he 
has resided for the past several years. 

Mr. Abbott is a native of Prince Edward 
Island, Dominion of Canada, and was born in 
1871. His father, Theodore Abbott, came from 
England and his mother, Jessie Farquhars>>n, 
is a native of Prince Edward Island, and sis- 
ter of the Hon. Donald Farquharson, at one 
time premier of that province and a promi- 
nent member of the Dominion parliament. Our 
subject was reared in Canada and in 1889 came 
to the States, where he spent some years in 
traveling over the country, then came to Ne- 
braska and settled in Hershey in 1891, being 
employed as agent and operator for the LTnion 
Pacific Railway. He held this position up to 
1893, making this his headquarters, and then 
went farther west, traveling all over the west- 
ern part of the United States. In 1900 he 
returned to Hershey, and was one of the or- 
ganizers of the Bank of Lincoln County, be- 
ing elected as cashier of that institution, at 
the same time engaging in the real estate and 
insurance business, in which he has been very 
successful. Under his management the bank 
has prospered and is one of the most reliable 
establishments in this part of Nebraska. Mr. 
E. F. Seeberger, of North Platte, is president 
of the institution. The town of Hershey has 
grown wonderfully in the past few years, ow- 
ing to several large ranches in the locality 
having been cut up into small farms and sold 
to men who have gone into the sugar beet 
culture very extensively, this industry having 
made great progress in Lincoln county. Fully 
fifty farmers have located near the town of 
Hershey during the past two years, and this 
has been the means of increasing business of 
all kinds in mostly all lines, the trade having 
quadrupled in that time. There are about two 
thousand acres of sugar beets under cultiva- 
tion near this town at the present time. The 
Burlington & Missouri railway has surveyed 
its lines to within one-half mile north of Iler- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1003 



shey, and real estate values have gone up ac- 
cordingly. All the country north of Hershey 
is well irrigated, and land sells at seventy-five 
dollars per acre. The farmers are able to ob- 
tain five dollars per ton for their beets, and 
fifteen tons per acre is an average yield. 

Mr. Abbott was married to Myrtle A. Caine, 
a native of Kansas, and has one child, Charles 
T. Abbott. 



NELS NORMAN. 

Nels Norman, a prosperous and highly re- 
spected farmer of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
has a valuable estate in section 9, township 
32, range 50. He has gained this property by 
good management and strict attention to the 
work in every detail, and is well known as a 
leading old settler and worthy citizen of his 
community. 

Mr. Norman was 'born in Osterjotland. 
Sweden, in 1847. His parents were born, lived 
and died in Sweden, following farm work all 
their lives, and our subject was raised on a 
farm, where he learned to do all kinds of hard 
work, which fitted him for the struggles of 
later life in a new country. At the age of 
twenty-two he left home and came to Amer- 
ica. After landing in New York city he came 
to Chicago, where he remained for a time, 
then drifted to the lumber woods of Michigan, 
where he worked during onfe winter. He ne.xt 
was employed on the railroad in Missouri 
for a year, and later was one year in Iowa, 
following farm work. In 1871 he returned to 
Chicago, where he was married to Miss Char- 
lotte Boo, also born in Sweden, who came to 
this country in 1869. After his marriage Mr. 
Norman worked in Chicago for about nme 
years, being employed by an ice company, the 
firm of Griffin & Conley. About the year 1880 
Mr. Norman went to Iowa and there worked 
on the railway for one year, then came to 
Wayne county, Nebraska, where he farmed for 
a short time. He moved to Holt county in 
1883, and located in Dawes county two years 
later, in 1885, driving from Holt county, and 
camping out along the road at night during 
the trip. He brought with him two cows and 
a plug team to start with, settling on section 
9, where he built a log house. He went through 
the drouth periods on that place, and met with 
many losses, and in 1901 moved to section 4. 
Here he has good buildings, house, barns, 
sheds, fences, etc., and plenty of good running 
water the year around, Indian creek running 
through his farm. His farm consists of nine 
hundred and sixty acres, and he also owns 



six hundred and forty acres lying two miles 
west of Whitney. He engages in stock rais- 
ing extensively, running three hundred and 
fifty head of cattle and a few horses. His 
place is well supplied with timber, and he 
has a good orchard, and all kinds of wild 
fruit, etc. 

Mr. Norman's family consists of eleven 
children, namely: Charles; Edward and Pete, 
twins; Hilma, Elmer, Ben and Willie, twins; 
Betsey, Tilda, Harry and Cal. 



GEORGE A. SMITH. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is numbered among the old-time 
settlers in western Nebraska, where he has 
spent many years of his life in building up 
a home and an enviable reputation as a suc- 
cessful business man. Mr. Smith, by his faith- 
ful efforts to improve his circumstances and 
advance the growth of his locality, has placed 
himself among the prosperous and worthy citi- 
zens of Long Pine, where he now resides. 

Mr. Smith was born at Yonkers, West- 
chester county. New York, in 1842. His fa- 
ther, Michael Smith, was born in England, a 
marine engineer by trade, who came to Amer- 
ica when a young man of twenty-two years of 
age, and his mother was a native of New Jer- 
sey, born of English parents. In a family of 
nine children our subject was tUe fourth mem- 
ber, and he was obliged to strike out for him- 
self at the age of ten years. WHien he was 
thirteen years old he obtained employment on 
a farm in Wisconsin and worked there for 
five years, then enlisted in Company F, Fifth 
Wisconsin Infantry. 

He was with the Army of the Potomac in 
the Peninsula campaign, which included the 
battle of Fair Oaks and the seven-day fight. 
He received a wound which disabled him so 
that he was discharged in September, 1863. 
He was in the thick of the fight at Shenan- 
doah Valley and was wounded five times. 
After leaving the army service he returned to 
Wisconsin, where he learned the blacksmith 
trade, and for twenty years followed this work, 
remaining in Wisconsin for three years, then 
going to Wyoming, where he worked for dif- 
ferent stage companies at shoeing horses. He 
went back to Wisconsin in 1871 and worked 
as a blacksmith for six years, then came to 
Nebraska as a pioneer, still working at his 
trade. In 1882 lie moved to Long Pine and 
opened up a lumber yard, the first ever start- 
ed in the town, and ran it for a year, then sold 
out and located on a ranch fourteen miles 



1004 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



southwest of Long Pine. He followed the 
ranching business for two years. In 1895 Mr. 
Smith and a son opened a large general store 
in Long Pine, and have run this store ever 
since, building up a good trade and having 
a complete and up-to-date stock of general 
merchandise. Mr. Smith was married in 1874 
to Miss Alicia Chester, born in Canada and 
raised in Wisconsin. Her father, William 
Chester, was a native of the north of Ireland 
and her mother of old American stock, born 
in Vermont, she dying in Long Pine in 1906. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born three 
children, named as follows: L. E., William 
C. and George A.. Jr. 

Mr. Smith has always taken an active and 
leading part in politics and has stumped Brown 
county for President McKinley. He is well 
known all over this section of the country, 
and is prominent in local and county politics, 
attending all the county conventions as a del- 
egate. He is a stanch Republican. 



TAMES M. 



NELSON .\XD VERNON A 

NELSON. 



The gentlemen above mentioned are promi- 
nent citizens of Chambers precinct, Cheyenne 
county, and have made western Nebraska their 
home for many years past, both being well 
known as active public-spirited men and al- 
ways willing and ready to do all in their 
power to aid in the development of that re- 
gion. 

James M. Nelson was born in Lee county, 
Illinois, February 9. 1876, and Vernon A. in 
the same house with his brother, his birth- 
day being February 1st of the following year. 
When small boys their parents came west with 
their family, settling in Dodge county, Ne- 
braska, there taking up a farm, on which they 
lived for eight years. They ne.xt moved to 
Soquel, California, residing there three vears. 
then returned to Nebraska and settled in' Kim- 
ball county. James Nelson filed on a home- 
stead and Kincaid claim, both in section 32, 
township 13, range 52, while Vernon secured 
a like tract in section 14, township 13. range 
53. The former place has been transformed 
from prairie land to a fertile farm with good 
buildings, ample water supply with immense 
tanks for irrigation. He cultivates about two 
hundred acres, raising good crops, and runs 
about one hundred and fifty head of cattle and 
fifteen horses. 

Vernon A. Nelson owns and carries on a 
ranch and farm which he took as a Kincaid 
hrmiestead. containing five hun<lred and twenty 



acres, situated in section 14, township 13, range 
53, Cheyenne county. 

Both parents of our subjects, Lars K. and 
.Anna M. (Dibdale) Nelson, natives of Den- 
mark, are living and still occupy and operate 
a good ranch in Kimball county. 

James M. Nelson was married February 
22, 1905, at his father's ranch in Kimball coun- 
ty to Miss Gertrude Rasmussen, a native of 
Denmark, who came to America as a young 
girl and was reared and educated in Omaha, 
South Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska, where 
her parents from time to time resided. They 
are now living in Cheyenne county, where they 
own a good farm situated thirteen miles south 
of Potter, adjoining the Kimball county line. 
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two children, name- 
ly: Alice Evaline and Freda Shirley. 

Mr. Nelson is active in local political af- 
fairs, and an independent voter, and always 
standing for the best interests of his commu- 
nity, helping to build the schools and taking 
an active part in their welfare. 



VALENTINE HYDE. 

Among the old settlers who are most es- 
teemed for their successful record in the com- 
munity is the gentleman whose name heads 
this biographical review. Valentine Hyde 
claims New York as his native state, having 
been born on a farm near Buffalo, May 30, 
1849. His father was of German nativity, but 
came to America when he was young, follow- 
ing the shoemaker's trade and proving his love 
for his adopted land by becoming a Civil war 
veteran. Valentine Hyde's mother was Susan 
Holl before she was married and she was a 
native of Germany. 

The subject of this history spent his youth- 
ful days in Cattaraugus county. New York, and 
in the village of Allegheny on the banks of the 
.Allegheny river. He learned his father's trade 
and worked at it a considerable portion of the 
time, having a shop of his own in .Allegheny 
up to the year 1884. 

The marriage of Valentine Hyde took place 
in 1871 when he was wedded to Miss Malissa 
A. Holl. This union has resulted in ten chil- 
dren — Henry, Garrison, \'ina (married), Fred, 
Susan (married). Roy, Guy, Stella, Leo and 
Jessie. Mrs. Hyde's parents were David Holl, 
a farmer and lumberman, and Amanda (Gar- 
rison) Holl. of Mohawk German descent. 

In 1884 the lure of the far west fell upon 
Mr. Hyde, and gathering his effects together 
he came with his family and settled in Loup 
county, Nebraska, locating a prairie home- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1005 



stead on section 19, township 21, range 19. 
These were early days and the nearest rail- 
road point was Xorth Loup, sixty miles away. 
Mr. Hyde had but little means to start with, 
but he had pluck and untiring energy and he 
kept adding to his possessions every year. 
He built a sod house, which was usually the 
first home of every pioneer settler, and com- 
menced improving his land. The succeeding 
years brought many hardships, the years of 
drouth being among the hardest to bear, but he 
always raised a little of various crops and 
success crowned his efforts in the end. He 
now owns a fine ranch of six hundred and 
fifty-eight acres, good buildings and a fine 
grove of forest trees and a nice orchard of var- 
ious fruit trees. He cultivates about one hun- 
dred acres, the balance of his farm being de- 
voted to pasture for his cattle and his horses. 
Mr. Hyde has witnessed the country grow 
from a wild expanse of raw praire to a land 
covered with fine homes and widespread evi- 
dences of thrift and prosperity. And in all 
this advance Mr. Hyde has largely contributed. 
It marks a great change from the day when 
deer and antelope were occasionally seen roam- 
ing the almost deserted prairies in the vicinity 
of Mr. Hyde's farm. 



GUSTAV F. MITTELSTADT. 

Gustav F. Mittelstadt, a worthy representa- 
tive of an old and honored pioneer family of 
western Nebraska, is a successful and prosper- 
ous farmer and ranchman of Camp Clarke pre- 
cinct. He is a man of integrity and honest 
principle, and a leading citizen of his commu- 
nity. 

Mr. Mittelstadt was born in Germany De- 
cember 18, 1863. When he was but three 
years of age his family, including father and 
mother, two sons and one daughter, immigrated 
to the United States, settling in Eiifingham, 
Illinois, where the father worked on the rail- 
road and at his trade, that of a blacksmith, re- 
maining there for several years. They went 
to Iron IMountain, ^lissouri, next, where Mr. 
Mittelstadt, Sr., was foreman at the smelting 
works for five years. Returning to Illinois, 
they settled at Altamont, engaged in black- 
smithing until 1886. when they came to Ne- 
braska, becoming residents of Cheyenne coun- 
ty. Here the father filed on a homestead in 
section 10, township 13, range 47, the place 
being situated four miles west and three miles 
south of Lodgepole, still occupied by the old 
folks. Gustav lived at home for a few years 
after coming here, then started out for him- 



self, filing on a tract in the same section with 
the old folks, on which he proved up in due 
time, working in Cheyenne in a wagon shop 
to support himself and help the old folks 
until he could prove up on his claim. Sell- 
ing this he bought in section 10, township 20, 
range 51, in 1897, and now owns two hundred 
and eighty acres of fine land. A large part 
of the place is under irrigation, on which he 
raises grain, hay and alfalfa, of which he has 
forty acres growing. Besides farming he en- 
gages to quite an extent in stock raising, run- 
ning a large bunch of cattle and horses. He 
is developing interest in dairying, shipping 
the cream produced by ten or twelve cows. 
Mr. Mittelstadt has his place all in first-class 
condition, improved with a new residence and 
other good buildings, plenty of good water 
and windmills, fences and groves, and it is one 
of the valuable estates in the locality. 

In 1888 Mr. Mittelstadt was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Freeland Abby at Lodgepole. 
She was a faithful wife and loving mother, 
and in 1902 departed this life, leaving five chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Edith, Elma, 
Albert, Josephine and Edward. Mr. Mittel- 
stadt was married to Miss Emma Ruepke at 
Siegel, Illinois, December 25, 1906. 

Our subject is a man of active public spirit, 
taking a commendable interest in all affairs 
which tend to the benefit of his locality, and 
in political views is a stanch Democrat. He 
was reared in the Lutheran church. 



NELSON A. GREEN. 

Nelson A. Green was born in Janesville, 
Wisconsin, November 8, 1852, his father be- 
ing Lucius Green, a native of Xew York and 
of Irish stock. The mother, Sarah ]\Iiller, was 
born in New York. 

The family came to Iowa in 1855 and be- 
came pioneers of Allamakee county, where they 
remained until after the war. Our subject 
started out for himself when he was sixteen 
years of age, spending eight winters in the big 
woods and for six summers was engaged in 
rafting the logs from the woods to St. Louis, 
and many are the stories he relates of life on 
the river in early days. 

In 1885 he came west to Nebraska, locat- 
ing on his present farm in section 32, town- 
ship 16, range 41, in Keith county. At that 
time provisions had to be hauled from Ogal- 
lala, thirty miles distant, the trip consuming 
two days. There being no bridges, the North 
Platte had to be forded, a dangerous proceed- 
ing at times. He started on wild prairie land 



1006 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



with no improvements. He put up a small 
shack and commenced work in earnest. He 
was fortunate in spite of the years of drouth 
in the country, losing only one crop, while the 
other settlers lost several crops. Mr. Green 
continued improving his land and now has a 
splendid ranch of three hundred and twenty 
acres on the bottoms of the North Platte river, 
two hundred acres of which are irrigated with 
one hundred and sixty acres in highly pro- 
ductive alfalfa. In 1908 the seed from one 
fifteen-acre lot of this netted nearly six hun- 
dred and fifty dollars. He has a grove of fine 
trees and two acres of orchard that are hard 
to equal in the county. We show a view of 
the home and surroundings on another page 
that may give some impression of the luxuri- 
ance and beauty of his orchard and groves. 
Ruthton Station, with section house, stock- 
yards and siding, are on his ranch. 

Nelson A. Green was married in Grand 
Rapids, Wisconsin, September 23, 1873, to Miss 
Mary Burns, whose parents, John and Caro- 
line (Darr) Burns, were natives of Pennsylva- 
nia. This union has been blessed with two 
children : Roy T., who has a ranch of eleven 
hundred acres in Logan county, Colorado, and 
Xornian D.. who is still under the parental 
roof. 

In politics Mr. Green afifiliates with the Re- 
publican party and has held several local of- 
fices, among them assessor and road overseer. 
Mr. Green has won his way by reason of his 
industry and his sterling traits of character 
and has filled a prominent place among the pio- 
neer settlers of the county. 



ERNEST T. BAXIGAX. 

Ernest T. Banigan, well known throughout 
Cherry county, Nebra.ska, as an early settler 
in the western part of the state, lives on sec- 
tion 26, township 33, range 34, where he owns 
a fine farm and is highly esteemed as a worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Banigan was born at Lena. Stephen- 
son county. Illinois, November 25. 1867, and 
came to Hardin county. Iowa, with his par- 
ents in his childhood, where he was reared on 
a farm. His father, Peter Banigan, was born 
in Ireland, and when one week old sailed for 
America with his parents, who settled first in 
Canada, later moving to New York. He mar- 
ried Celestia .'^eaberry, whose ancestors were 
among the first settlers in .America. Our sub- 
ject was the third member of a family of six 
children, and when nineteen years of age start- 
ed out for himself, having prior to that time 



been employed as a jockey on the race tracks. 
He came to Cherry county in 1885, took up a 
homestead, but was unable to prove up, so he 
relinquished it and sought employment on one 
of the many farms of the Boiling Spring flats. 
In 1901 he took up his present farm and owns 
a section of good land, farming part of it and 
keeping a few good horses, but not dealing in 
stock to any great extent. 

Mr. Banigan likes Xcbraska as a place of 
residence and intends to make it his perma- 
nent home. Politically our subject is a Re- 
publican. 

A. J. FALK. 

.■\. J. Falk, an enterprising and successful 
business man of Holdrege, Nebraska, is one 
of the leading carpenters and contractors of 
that city, where he has built up a profitable 
trade and has established a pleasant and com- 
fortable home. 

IMr. Falk was born in Sweden in 1855 and 
came to the United States when a young man, 
settling in Goodhue county, Minnesota, in 1867. 
In 1892 he came west and located in Holdrege, 
where he has lived ever since with a brief excep- 
tion. Previous to this, about 1878, he settled on 
a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres lo- 
cated in section 32, Center township, and farmed 
this land for two years, when he took up his work 
as a builder, and since then has followed this ex- 
clusively. He had learned this trade in Good- 
hue, Minnesota, where he did a good deal of 
carpenter work in the locality where he re- 
sided. During the past twenty-seven years he 
has built residences and taken contracts all 
over Phelps and some in the adjoining coun- 
ties, and his reputation is of the very best and 
his work all first-class. For the past several 
years since residing in Holdrege he has put 
up many of the finest residences. In 1905 he 
built sixteen houses here, many of them large, 
all fitted with modern improvements, both in 
town and the country. 

Mr. Falk was married in 1880 to Miss Ellen 
.'^wanson, born in Sweden. He has two chil- 
dren, a son, Frank Falk, holding the position 
of bookkeeper with the Phelps County Lumber 
Conipanv, located in Holdrege, and a daughter, 
Tillie. 

Mr. Falk is a member of the Swedish Mis- 
sion church here, and has filled the office of 
trustee for some time past. He is an earnest 
worker in all religious matters, and a man of 
active public spirit. He does not seek public 
preferment in political affairs, but gives his 
whole attention to attendirfg strictly to his 
business requirements in contracting. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1007 



ROBERT HARRISON. 

A prominent ranchman and leading citizen 
is found in the person above mentioned, who 
is owner of a valuable estate in Sioux county, 
which he has built up during the past twenty- 
years, going through all the pioneer experi- 
ences when first settling in the region. Mr. 
Harrison has succeeded remarkably well in 
his ventures along ranching and farming lines, 
has done his full share in the development of 
the locality where he chose his home, and is 
known throughout the county and' vicinity as 
a worthy and substantial citizen. 

Robert Harrison was born in Texas, in 
1859. His parents were residents of the town 
of Indianola, Calhoun county, which lies along 
the gulf of Mexico, and his father followed 
the sea as an occupation for many years, be- 
ing captain and pilot on a large ship in south- 
ern waters. He married Margaret Smith, of 
German descent, who died when our subject 
was a lad of four years. He was reared and 
educated in Texas, and when he was but seven 
years of age was obliged to shift for himself, 
living as best he could, and his father died 
when he was ten years old. He lived with dif- 
ferent families, working for his board and keep, 
mostly on the ranches in that section of the 
country, and attended school when he was 
able, at times when he could not work at home, 
during the dull seasons, receiving a limited 
schooling. He began working as a cowboy 
when but a lad and rode all over the Texas 
ranges for years, and v^'hen but about seven- 
teen trailed cattle from that state to Pine 
Ridge Agency, South Dakota. After that he 
worked on the White River range and was ap- 
pointed foreman of Half Diamond E ranch. 
Seven years were spent on Chadron creek, in 
Dawes county, and, in fact, during those years 
he worked all over this country as a cowboy and 
ranchman, traveling from South Platte into 
South Dakota and Wyoming. . leading the 
roughest kind of a life, and passed through 
many thrilling experiences in following his 
work. 

After the region became more thickly set- 
tled Mr. Harrison went to Chadron, where he 
spent one year, and in 1887 came to Hat creek 
valley, locating on a homestead in section 13, 
township 33, range 54, in the foothills of Pine 
Ridge. There he built a log cabin and gath- 
ered together a few head of cattle and start- 
ed in the ranching business. He worked hard 
and gradually accumulated property, added to 
his original ranch, and now has twenty-eight 
hundred acres of his own, besides leasing six 
hundred and forty acres, which he uses as 
pasture for his stock. The place is all fenced 



and in first-class shape, having some timber 
and numerous springs of running water, which 
he uses to good advantage in irrigating many 
acres. He has planted many trees, and has 
one of the finest apple orchards in the section, 
in 1905 having a yield of over two hundred 
bushels of the fruit from his trees. He also 
has many cherry and plum trees in bearing, 
and smaller fruits, such as currants, gooseber- 
ries, etc. Our subject has erected all good 
buildings, including a fine residence, with all 
kinds of barns, sheds and corrals, and alto- 
gether has one of the best improved properties 
in the county. 

In the fall of 1887 Mr. Harrison was united 
in marriage to Sarah Mclntyre, whose father 
was a "well known old settler in Dawes county. 
Mrs. Harrison was born in Illinois and reared 
in Nebraska. To them have been born three 
children, namely: Robert W., Margaret E. 
and Helen. 



JOHN DAUGHERTY. 

John Daugherty is one of the old settlers of 
western Nebraska who well deserves a place 
in a volume of this kind. His home is on sec- 
tion 12, township 15, range 51, and he has long 
been regarded as one of the most substantial 
and highly respected citizens of Cheyenne 
county. 

Mr. Daugherty was born in Sangamon 
county, Illinois, on the 29th of August, 1855. 
He spent his early life and received his early 
schooling in his native county, remaining there 
until 1886. , On reaching early manhood he 
began life on his own account and engaged in 
the grocery business in Dawson, Sangamon 
county, Illinois, following this from 1880 to 
1885. His next move was to Nebraska. He 
reached Cheyenne county in March, 1886, and 
took a homestead on section 24, township 16, 
range 53, which he sold in 1907. His present 
home on section 12, township 15, range 51, 
shows evidence of thrift and prosperity. Pre- 
vious to taking up his present home — during 
1891-1893 — Mr. Daugherty was engaged in the 
grocery business in Sidney, and met with suc- 
cess in that vocation. He was elected sherifF 
of Cheyenne county in 1894, serving one terra, 
and then entered the employ of the Union Pa- 
cific railroad and continued in train service 
and yard work up to 1906. He is at present 
filling the office of county assessor, elected 
in 1908. and will serve up to 1912. He has 
always been active in local affairs, taking an 
active part in politics, is a stanch Democrat, 
and his services are in demand at any impor- 



1008 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tant function pertaining to state or county mat- 
ters of moment. 

Mr. Daugherty was married in Sangamon 
county, Illinois, to Miss Arabella Conway on 
February 13, 1878. She was a native of In- 
diana and a daughter of Reuben Conway. She 
made a brave helpmeet and was greatly be- 
loved by all who knew her for her many wo- 
manly qualities and sweet disposition. She 
departed this life in November, 1897, sincere- 
ly mourned by her family and many friends. 
Two daughters had been born of their union — 
Bertha C, who followed the profession of a 
trained nurse, and who is now the widow of 
J. C. Xewbauer, and Grace C, living at home. 

In September, 1899. our subject was mar- 
ried to Miss Kizzie Gushing, a native of Eng- 
land, who came to America with her parents 
in 1872. She was a child of ten years when the 
family located on the North Platte near the 
edge of the Pawnee reservation. At one time 
they fled to the roundhouse at Sidney, fear- 
ing an uprising of the tribe. Of his second 
marriage ^Ir. Daugherty has three sons, name- 
ly : John Peter, Charles Henry and Arthur 
Harris. 

The family have a pleasant home and are 
among the prominent residents of their ci>m- 
munity. Mr. Daugherty is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, the Workmen and the 
Knights of Pythias at Sidney. 



HEXRY MICHEEL. 

Henry Micheel. known throughout Brown 
county, Nebraska, as a man of good citizen- 
ship and untiring energy, is a resident of 
Johnstown precinct, where he owns and op- 
erates successfully an extensive farm. He has 
been identified with the agricultural and busi- 
ness interests of this locality for many years, 
and while acquiring for himself a valuable 
estate, has also gained an enviable reputation 
as a good citizen and neighbor. 

Mr. Micheel is a native of the village of 
Rellin, Holstein. Germany, born January 13. 
1851. His father. Carl Micheel. was a farmer. 
who lived and died in Germany. In a family 
of seven children our subject was the oldest 
member, and he was reared and educated in 
his native land, at the age of seventeen st.irt- 
ing nut for himself, learning agriculture on a 
large farm, where he remained fipr three years. 
He then worked on another farm as foreman 
for one year and again as foreman and in- 
.spector for two years. Following that he en- 
tered the army and served for six and a half 
years, rising to the rank of sergeant in eigh- 



teen months. After leaving the army service 
he spent a year at home, then came to the 
United States, sailing from Hamburg on the 
steamer Selesia, landing in New York after a 
thirteen days' voyage in November, 1880. He 
came across the states to Nebraska, locating 
in Dixon count)-, and there settled on a farm 
of one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved 
land, renting also two hundred and sixty acres 
adjoining, and there farmed for two years. In 
1883 he sold out his holding there and moved 
to Cherrj- county, where he took up a home- 
stead and timber claim, some five miles south 
from Wood Lake, living in a tent for three 
weeks. He then built a house. The following 
year a tornado swept the vicinity in July, 
which turned his house about half way around 
on its foundation, and a severe hailstorm which 
struck them at the same time greatly injured 
his crops, a misfortune that happened time and 
again while living in Cherry county. In 
1889 he sold that place and moved to Johns- 
town, where he ran a livery barn for three 
years. At the end of that time he sold out and 
went back to farming and worked on rented 
land for five years, then bought his present 
farm in 1897, located in section 8. township 
29, range 24, which was entirely unimproved 
land, except for a fine growth of natural tim- 
ber. Here he put on many improvements, 
building a good house and farm buildings. He 
has a ranch of six hundred and forty acres and 
engages in stock and grain raising. While 
farming in this county he lost seven crops, two 
years from excess of water and the other year 
through dearth of it. He has seen hard times, 
especially during the dry years, but came 
through all to final success and is now well sat- 
isfied with what he has accomplished here. 
He was the first settler in Fisher valley, his 
nearest neighbor being five miles away. While 
living in Johnstown he was active in local af- 
fairs, acting as constable, and also held sev- 
eral school offices. 

Mr. Micheel was married in Dixon county 
in 1882 to Miss Bertha Rcimers, a native of 
Germany, who came to this country in 1881, 
landing in New York in .\ugust of that year. 
To them have been born five children, named 
as follows: Carl, Harry, Nannie. Ella and 
Fritz. 

Mr. Micheel is independent in politics, a 
member of the Lutheran church and affiliates 
with the Odd Fellows. 



GEORGE ENGEL. 

George Engel. of Perkins county, has made 
his way in the world by virtue of hard knocks 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1009 



and much work, and richly deserves the re- 
ward of that substantial success which has 
come to his industry and perseverance. He 
was born in Alsace, Germany, in 1857. His 
father was a carpenter in his native c-untry, 
and there Mr. Engel was raised and educated, 
receiving the training usual to children of the 
middle class, and during his boyhood was ap- 
prentice to his father in the carpenter work, 
following the trade during his residence in 
Germany. He came to America when about 
twenty-seven years of age, landing in New 
York city, and came directly west, locating in 
Cass county, Nebraska. There he followed his 
trade, and in May, 1885, moved to Perkins 
county and filed on a homestead on section 6, 
township 11, range 39. When he landed here 
his start in money was a capital of three hun- 
dred dollars, and while it was not a very large 
sum, it was much more than the pioneer in 
this section usually had. He "batched it" at 
first and tried hard to get a home started, but 
often went through hard times, during the 
drouth periods, and many discouragements 
which fell to the lot of the average early set- 
tler. 

Ill 1886 he married Miss Carrie Schafifner, 
who was born in Germany and came to this 
country in 1885. They have six children, 
namely: Will, Carrie, Herman, Walter, Emma 
and Anna, all bright and intelligent young peo- 
ple, and they form a happy and congenial family. 

Mr. Engel has a ranch of about eight hun- 
dred acres, with two hundred acres devoted to 
farming, and plenty of pasture and range for 
his stock, of which he has quite a herd. He 
has good barns, sheds, windmill, fences and 
a fine residence built of cement blocks, thirty 
by thirty-six feet, and fitted with many modern 
improvements. He has gone through many 
hard experiences in building up this home, but 
is now happy in the thought of his success, 
which has come to him through his own indi- 
vidual efforts. 



C. L. JOHNSON. 

C. L. Johnson, who is classed among the 
intelligent and progressive agriculturists of 
Kimball county, Nebraska, is a resident of sec- 
tion 14, township 14. range 59. He has been 
located there since about 1885, and during the 
years of his residence has become one of the 
important factors in the development of that 
region. He is the owner of a valuable prop- 
erty there, and conducts successfully his ex- 
tensive farming and ranching interests. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden March 
2, 1856, and grew to the age of twenty-six 



years in that country. He was one of a fam- 
ily of eleven children, he being the fifth in 
order of birth, and he received the usual sturdy 
training of the children of that class in his 
native land, beginning at an early age to look 
out for himself and make his own way in the 
world. He came to America in 1882, locating 
in Vermont at first, but remaining but a short 
time, then came west to Omaha, Nebraska. 
There he passed through many different ex- 
periences as a stranger in a strange land, at 
one time having all his money stolen and be- 
ing left without a cent. He worked in east- 
ern Nebraska for over two years, then took a 
pre-emption and later homesteaded in Kimball 
county, settling on sections 6 and 14, township 
14, range 59, which is now his home ranch. 
There he passed through all the early experi- 
ences of the settlers of that time, devoting 
most of his energies to the stock business. He 
has seen many hardships and privations in get- 
ting his start, but has come out victorious in 
the battle for a home and is now successful 
and prosperous, being owner of a fine ranch of 
four hundred acres, besides controlling leased 
land in his vicinity. He runs considerable 
stock, having a nice bunch of high-grade 
horses and cattle, which he sends to market 
and from which he derives a nice income. He 
has considerable of his land under cultivation 
and raises good crops of grain, etc. His place 
is improved with good buildings, the house be- 
ing of a large L shape type, and the barn sixty 
by sixty-two feet, besides many good outbuild- 
ings, sheds, etc. Me has a good water system 
on the premises and in the barn, making in all 
a model farm. 

Mr. Johnson was married in Sweden in 
1877, to Miss Caroline Anderson, and together 
they came to the new world to seek their for- 
tune. They have no children. Politically Mr, 
Johnson is a Republican and he takes a com- 
mendable interest in all local aiifairs, looking to 
the best development of his community and 
the public good. He has served two terms as 
assessor of Kimball county. He has certainly 
done his share as an old settler, building his 
ranch from the wild prairie land. 



GEORGE B. McXAMEE. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view is classed among the prominent farmers 
of Merriman precinct, and is an old settler of 
Cherry county, Nebraska. He has acquired a 
valuable property by his labors and good man- 
agement, and enjoys pleasant surroundino-s 
and an enviable reputation as a citizen. 



1010 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. McNamee was born in Jackson county. 
Ohio, November 7, 1850, and reared there until 
ten years of age when his parents moved to 
Harrison county. Missouri. His father. Hiram 
McNamee. a native of Ohio, of Scotch descent, 
was a member of the Home Guard, in Missouri 
during the Civil war. Our subject is the second 
member in a familj' of nine children, and at 
the age of twelve years went to live with an 
uncle near Mitchelville, Harrison county, with 
whom he remained for twenty-nine years, as- 
sisting him in the work on his farm, then left 
to start for himself. In 1889 he landed in Mer- 
riman, Nebraska, and lived on rented land for 
four years, then he took a homestead in Cherry 
county, twenty-five miles southeast of Gordon. 
During his residence here he was but two 
nights off his claim. He worked his farm and 
also handled cattle for J- C. Jordan during the 
following five years, and then started in the cat- 
tle business for himself. He began with twenty- 
five head of cattle and kept getting more until he 
sold at one time a drove of one thousand head. 
After this he started at farming and cattle raising 
on rented land on the Niobrara river, continuing 
this up to 1903. After living one year on Mis- 
souri Flats he took up his present homestead of 
four hundred and eighty acres on section 2, town- 
ship 32, range 37. in 1904, and it comprises 
about one hundred acres of good hay land, the 
rest being excellent range. He constantly 
keeps about forty head of cattle and some 
horses. He also has a threshing outfit, having 
followed this business for thirty-two consecu- 
tive seasons and still enjoys that work. Dur- 
ing the drouth seasons between 1893 and 1896 
he lost all his crops, and these were his hardest 
times ; to support his family he was obliged to 
haul posts and timber from his farm to town, 
making a bare living: he also did ploughing 
and other farm work for his neighbors in the 
spring, taking as payment for this work meat 
and vegetables to supply his family with pro- 
visions. 

A view of the family residence will be found 
on another page in this work. 

Mr. McNamee was married September 5, 
186 — , to Miss Nancy P)allard, a native of In- 
diana, born in 18.'il. Children have been born 
to them named as follows: Thomp.son G.. de- 
ceased: Mary A., wife of II. A. Glcndenning; 
Lora A., deceased : Lydia C. deceased : War- 
ren P.. deceased : Elma E.. deceased ; Dora M., 
deceased; Goldie E.. wife of C. H. Stratton ; 
George F.. Clay N., Claude H., five of whom 
are living and two having died in infancy, be- 
fore being named. 

Mr. McNamee is an earnest and upright 
citizen, lends his influence and aid for the up- 



building of the better interests of his commun- 
ity, taking an active interest in all public 
affairs. He is a Republican in politics, has been 
justice of the j^eace for twenty-five years, hav- 
ing served in that capacity for eight years in 
Missouri before coming west. The family are 
members of the Methodist church. 



PETER Z. GENTRY. 

Peter Z. Gentry, one of the well-known 
farmers of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is a 
prosperous agriculturist of Colton precinct, 
where he has spent the past twenty years. He 
has followed farming during his entire career, 
and despite many discouragements during his 
early residence in western Nebraska, he has 
thoroughly improved his farm and has become 
one of the well-to-do and substantial men of 
his community. 

Mr. Gentry is a native of Rockingham 
county. Virginia, born November 5, 1863, and 
was raised there. Both parents are now dead, 
the mother dying when he was about two years 
old. He migrated to Keokuk county, Iowa, in 
1881. where he remained for a number of years, 
then came to Nebraska, reaching Cheyenne coun- 
ty in 1886: he at once took u]) a homestead in 
section 24, township 13, range 48. consisting of 
one hundred and sixty acres. This he devel- 
oped into a fine farm of four hundred and 
eighty acres, having secured the entire north 
half of section 34 and the southwest quarter 
of section 26. He has about fifty acres under cul- 
tivation, and runs about seventy-five head oi cat- 
tle and twenty horses. In 1908 he erected a 
fine two-story dwelling of ornamental concrete 
blocks, which is to be followed shortly by a 
large and commodious concrete barn of suffi- 
cient dimensions to shelter all his stock and a 
large supply of hay and grain. 

Mr. Gentry was married in Cheyenne coun- 
ty, on Christmas day. 1892, to Anna Lingen- 
felter. Mrs. Gentry was born in Scioto county. 
Ohio, in 1859; and her parents. Christopher and 
Phoebe (Serans) Lingenfelter, natives of 
Allegheny county. Pennsylvania, have both been 
dead for a number of years. 

Four children were born to Mr. Gentry and 
his estimable wife, all living excepting the eld- 
est, and they are a very happj' family, and en- 
joy a comfortable and peaceful home. They 
are named as follows: Roy (deceased). Mai)el 
Alice, Earl Dewey and Ralph .Schley. 

Mr. Gentry is an active and wide-awake 
citizen, keeps abreast of the times and takes an 
active part in local affairs. He is an independ- 
ent voter, and stands firmlv for reform iirin- 




RESIDENCE OE P. Z. GENTRY, 
Cheyenne Count)-, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OE UliURGE U. .McNAMEE, 
Cherry County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1011 



ciples and the right. A fine view of the family 
residence with its substantial surroundings is 
presented in this work. 



CHARLES ANDERSON. 

Charles Anderson, who occupies a prom- 
inent place among the successful farmers of 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, owns a valuable 
estate in township 13, range 46. Mr. Anderson 
was born in Sweden in 1864, and was raised on 
his father's farm there. His father, Andrew 
Anderson, never left his native country, and 
the mother died when our subject was ten 
years old, he being the youngest of eight chil- 
dren. His father died March 1, 1908. At 
fourteen years of age he began working out, 
following farming for two years, then came to 
this country, locating in Des jMoines, Iowa, 
working at anything he could get to do for 
three years. He then went to Marshalltown, 
where he worked for some time, and in the fall 
of 1885 came to Nebraska and filed on a home- 
stead and timber claim in Dawes county, which 
he still holds. In the winter of 1885-1886 he 
returned to Iowa, and the following spring 
came back and put up some sod buildings on 
his claim. His house and barn were combined, 
as he was very short of money and had to take 
care of the pennies, having but a dollar and a 
half when he struck this vicinity. He at once 
began to build up his farm, putting in twenty- 
two acres the first year. He had only one team 
and one cow. About the time the dry years 
came on he was farming on quite a large scale, 
and he got some crops the first few seasons, 
then gave it up in despair, except raising a few 
potatoes and provisions for five years, during 
which time he was compelled to work out to 
support his family. All this time he saved his 
money and invested every cent he could in cat- 
tle, working on the irrigation ditch all the 
time he could spare. After working hard for 
ten years he was worse ofl^ than when he came, 
and was obliged to borrow money, paying 
seven per cent, per month for small loans. 
However, after a time he got started in the 
stock business and has bought more land, now 
owning seventeen quarter sections in Dawes 
county, and three quarters near Hay Springs. 
He farms eighty acres on the latter place and 
has two hundred head of cattle on his ranch, 
hiring a man to run that place all the time, he 
living on his Hay Springs farm in order to 
give his children the benefit of the better 
schools. 

Mr. Anderson was married in 1887 to Miss 
Laura Stoudt, born and raised in Pennsylvania 



of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, her father Jacob 
Stoudt, having been a school teacher in the 
early days, the family settling in Dawes county 
in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have a fam- 
ily of four children, all born and raised on the 
old homestead, and named as follows : Jennie, 
Wallace, Emma and Francis. Our subject and 
his wife were the first couple ever married in 
the new court house at Rushville, Nebraska. 

Mr. Anderson is well satisfied with what 
he has made here, all of which he has accumu- 
lated within the past ten years. He bought ' 
land because he was unable to sell his own, 
offering at one time to sell four hundred and 
eighty acres for six hundred dollars, and could 
get no bid on his place. He is glad now that 
he did not have a chance to sell, as he is satis- 
fied here and should he make a change would 
go further west rather than east. Politically 
Mr. Anderson is a Populist. He has never 
held any ofifice, as in the early davs he had all 
he could do to make a living, and he has no 
desire for a public life. 



THEODORE JOHNSON. 

Theodore Johnson, who is widely known as 
a progressive tiller of the soil, has done much 
to quicken thought and help western farmers 
to a better understanding of the conditions 
under which the work must be carried on if 
they wish success. He owns a good farm in 
Box Butte county, which he has improved in 
fine shape, and is considered one of the well- 
to-do men of that locality. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Larvig, Norway, 
in 1863, and was reared there. His parents 
came to America in 1887. As a young man 
our subject followed the life of a sailor in his 
native land, making trips to St. Johns, New 
Brunswick, also had visited Denmark twice, 
and in 1882 he came to the United States. He 
landed in Baltimore and immediately struck 
out for the west, locating in Green Bay, Wis- 
consin. He \vas accompanied by a brother, 
and they intended to secure work as sailors on 
the Great Lakes, but at the time they arrived 
here it was winter and the lakes were frozen 
over, so they went to work in the big saw 
mills in that region, and remained in the lum- 
ber woods for about five years. They spent 
some time at Ashland, Wisconsin, working in 
the lumber yards, and made good wages, re- 
ceiving as high as three dollars and a half per 
day for their labor, which was considered very 
high in those days. Theodore was a sawyer in 
the mills, and in order to fill that position was 
obliged to do all the work connectetl with the 



1012 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



lumber business to fit himself properl3\ Mr. 
Johnson came to Nebraska in the spring of 
1886. He filed on a homestead in Box Butte 
county the following fall, locating seven miles 
southeast of Hemingford, and began with very 
little capital. The following spring he bought 
a yoke of oxen and began to improve his claim, 
building a sod shanty and dug-out combined, 
and there "batched it." The first summer he 
broke up some ground and put in a crop of sod 
corn. He also worked out by the day in the 
vicinity of his home to make extra money with 
which to improve his place, proved up on his 
land and lived there for fifteen years, going 
through the drouth periods and seeing his 
crops fail for several successive years. In 1900 
our subject came to his present location in sec- 
tion 17, township 27, range 48. and here he has 
a good home. He has all good buildings, fences, 
WMndmills, etc., having expended in all about 
five thousand dollars in building and improve- 
ments. His ranch consists of about four thou- 
sand acres, and he farms only a small portion 
of it. using the balance as a ranch, engaging 
principally in cattle and horse raising. Mr. 
Johnson has accomplished all of this by his own 
unaided efforts, as when he located in this sec- 
tion there were no buildings of any kind or 
improvements on the place, and he often had 
to hunt out the boundaries of his farm by lo- 
cating the corner stakes which had been set 
by the surveyors in the early days. 

In 1888 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss 
Laura Anderson, born and reared in Sweden. 
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have a family of five 
children, named as follows: Oscar, Lizzie, Al- 
fred, Christine and Olga. 

Mr. Johnson is one of the oldest settlers 
of western Nebraska and has been closely iden- 
tified with the development of the agricultural 
interests of the region since its beginning. 
He is a Republican, and active in local affairs. 
He has helped to build up the schools in the 
section, and is at present serving as school 
director in his district. 



WILLIAM H. KAISER. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
well-known old timers in Dawes county. He 
was born in Evartsville, Pennsylvania, in 1839, 
of German stock. His father, was a cabinet 
maker by trade, born in Germany, who came to 
the United States as a young man. and he 
married Elizabeth Ccssena. and she was born 
in the same house in which our subject was. 
When the latter was five years of age the fam- 
ily moved to Mahoning county, Ohio, and were 



among the pioneers in that vicinity, and there 
he was raised and educated. At the age of 
twenty-one years he went to Indiana and there 
worked as a brickmaker and painter for quite 
a long time. Then he enlisted in the Seventy- 
third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Company £>, 
in August. 1862. He was twice rejected, but per- 
severed and the third time was accepted. He 
saw service in the Army of the Cumberland, 
was at the battle of Perryville. Stone River, 
Tennessee, and on one of Stuart's raids was 
captured at Rome, Georgia. He was held pris- 
oner at Belle Island and Richmond, Va., and 
later saw service in Tennessee, Alabama, and 
Georgia. Mr. Kaiser received his discharge 
from the army in July, 1865, then returned to 
his home and remained in Indiana up to 1871, 
then came to Gage county, Nebraska, where 
he was a pioneer and farmed for two years, 
leasing school land. About 1877 he bought a 
farm and lived on it up to 1887, and while on 
that land made a success of his work. He came 
to Dawes county in 1887 and settled upon a 
homestead located on Indian creek, south of 
Whitney, which at that time was all wild prai- 
rie with no improvements at all. Here he put 
up a board shack and lived in it the first winter 
and has steadily built up the place from that 
time on. He owns a ranch of one thousand and 
forty acres lying along both Indian and Butte 
Trunk creeks, and has spent eighteen years on 
this ranch. He is counted among the old 
timers of the locality and has done his share 
in building up the community. 

Mr. Kaiser was married July 24, 1862, to 
Miss Nancy A. Stallard, daughter of James 
Stallard, a Methodist Episcopal minister, well 
known in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser have 
a family of six children, named as follows: 
Frank, Emma, Nettie, Omar, Grace and Fred. 

Mr. Kaiser was justice of the peace for 
many years, and also was postmaster at Cox- 
ville, and his wife also held the office for about 
eight years, when it was discontinued in about 
1905. 



GEORGh: P. EWING. 

For the past twenty-three years the gentle- 
man here named has been known to the citi- 
zens of Deuel county, and has gained a high 
station as a citizen and farmer. He has brought 
a wild and uncultivated tract under high culti- 
vation and improvement, and is now one of the 
substantial landowners of the county, and 
stands foremost among the old-time residents 
of this locality. 

George P. Ewing was born in New York 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1013 



state, on February 17, 1844, and grew up in his 
native community, receiving a common school- 
ing, following farm work as a boy. He enlisted 
in Company G. One Hundred and Eighth New 
York Volunteers, in 1862. and served for three 
years. During his career as a soldier he partici- 
pated in thirty-two heavy engagements, and was 
at the front all of the time. His father was a 
member of the same regiment with his son. and 
both have brilliant records as soldiers. Mr. Ew- 
ing was mustered out at Bailey's Cross Roads. 
Virginia, in 1865, returned to New York state, 
and about 1870 went to Michigan, where he re- 
mained up to 1885, at that time coming to what 
was Cheyenne county, now known as Deuel 
county. He filed on a homestead on section 6, 
township 15, range 44, and started to establish 
a farm and build up a home. During the first 
few years he had up-hill work, as the country 
was utterly wild and uncultivated, with settlers 
few and far between, and he had the usual ex- 
periences of the pioneers in the region. He 
was one of the very first settlers on the river, 
and started with very small capital, living in 
a rude shanty which he built himself, for a num- 
ber of years, and worked hard to improve his 
place, eventually proving up on it. He took a 
Kincaid claim of four hundred and eighty acres, 
situated on section 10, township 18. range 45, 
and now has his home ranch on this tract, of 
which he farms two hundred acres, and is en- 
gaged in the stock business to quite an extent. 
He has made an ideal ranch out of the place, 
having it improved with good buildings, and 
every sort of modern machinery, etc. 

Mr. Ewing was married in 1875 to Mrs. 
Anna Shove, who was a widow with two chil- 
dren. Six children were born to them, all of 
whom are now dead, and the mother is also de- 
ceased, her death occurring at Chappell, Ne- 
braska, in 1903. 

Mr. Ewing is a gentleman of broad mind and 
active public spirit, and keeps pace with the 
times in all matters of public interest. He is 
a Republican, and lends his influence for the 
best interests of his community. 



JOSEPH LANGER. Dece.\sed. 

Joseph Danger, born in the village of Frei- 
enthal. Austria, in 1863, was reared on his 
father's farm there until nineteen years of age, 
when he came to this country with his parents, 
locating in Polk county, Nebraska, where thev 
found work for a time. He remained with 
them until 1864. then came to Keya Paha coun- 
ty, where he took up a homestead in section 24. 
township 34. range 24. on which he resided up 



to 1903, when he bought the present home of 
the family in section 11, township 33, range 24. 
Here he built up a good home and farm, con- 
sisting of seven hundred acres, about four hun- 
dred of which are under cultivation. He dealt 
extensively in stock, keeping about fifty cattle and 
twenty-five horses. He built a fine house, 
fitted up with many modern improvements, 
making one of the pleasantest homes in his lo- 
cality. There is a fine orchard which he planted 
growing nicely, and everything on the place is 
in excellent order. 

Mr. Danger, besides running his farm, was 
interested in Danger Bros.' general merchan- 
dise store in Norden. They have a large trade 
and as fine a stock of goods as can be found 
anywhere in a town the size of Norden, and 
are doing exceedingly well in the enterprise. 

Mr. Danger was married in 1893, to Mary 
Korallewsky, born in. Germany in 1873, coming 
to this country when ten years of age, with her 
parents, they being pioneers of Cherry county. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Danger were born a family 
of seven children, named as follows: Rosa, 
Joseph, Charles, Martha, Marie, Theodore and 
Agnes, all living at home at this time. The 
family is highly esteemed in their community, 
and popular members of society. Mr. Danger 
died October 12, 1907. He had been active in 
local politics, serving as county commissioner 
from 1903 to 1906, being the only Populist on 
the board. He saw his share of pioneer ex- 
periences, and had hard times since coming 
here, losing two crops by drouths, but never 
an acre through hailstorms. 



RUDOLPH DANGER. 

The gentleman above named, a younger 
brother of Joseph, whose sketch appears in this 
work, was also born in Austria, July 26, 1879. 
The family came to America in 1882, locating 
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where they lived 
for a year, then came to Nebraska, settling in 
Polk county. Two years were spent there, 
then they moved to Keya Paha county, where 
our subject grew up. The father, Dorenz 
Danger, served in the Austrian army for ten 
years ; his death occurred here three miles north 
of Norden, where he had been farming for sev- 
eral years. He was one of the leading citizens 
of his community, and his death was a severe 
loss to his family and friends. The mother, 
whose maiden name was Allouisia English, was 
also born and reared in Austria, and is at pres- 
ent living with our subject in the town of Nor- 
den. She was the mother of nine children, of 
whom Rudolph was the seventh. At the age 



1014 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGIL'\PHY 



of fourteen he began working for himself, giv- 
ing his wages to his mother after his father's 
death. He rented the home place and added 
to it, running the farm until 1904, when, in 
partnership with his brother Joseph, he estab- 
lished the retail general merchandise store men- 
tioned. They carry a five-thousand-dollar st(ick 
of goods, and have the finest store building in 
Xorden, enjoying an extensive trade from the 
surrounding country. When they first started 
this business they began in a rented store, but 
in 1905 erected a fine building, moving in the 
new place in February. 1906. Besides his town 
property, Mr. Langer has three hundred and 
twenty acres of fine land four miles from Nor- 
den. 

Mr. Langer has never married, and lives 
with his mother who keeps house for him. He 
has done his share in developing the commer- 
cial resources of this region, and is one of the 
successful and prosperous business men of his 
locality. He is a Democrat and a communicant 
of the Catholic church. 



FRANK B. CODR. 

Frank B. Codr is a native of Moravia, Ger- 
many, where he was born in the year IS.x^. His 
father. Bartholomew Codr, was a farmer and 
emigrated with his family to America in 1872, 
landing at Baltimore, Maryland, and from 
thence coming to Nebraska, settling on a farm 
in Saunders county. 

P'rank B. Codr was reared on a farm anrl 
learned what the work of farming meant, but 
he was also able to spend considerable time in the 
country schools. At the age of twenty-three 
years he commenced farming for himself in 
Saunders county on rented land. 

In the year 1880 Mr. Frank Codr was united 
in marriage with Miss Barbara Novak, a native 
of Bohemia. Ten children have blessed this 
union : Frank, .-\nnie. Barbara, Joe, John, An- 
ton, Lewis, Ella, Marv and Lillie. 

In the fall of 1855 Frank B. Codr, with his 
familv, moved from .Saunders county to Loup 
county, driving over the country by team and 
wagon, and leading one cow. The family had 
five dollars in money after getting settled on 
their homcstearl on section ZCi. township 21, 
range 20. All the house that they had was a 
sod shanty to live in, and a sod stable, and they 
had to haul water a distance of two miles. For 
three or four years Mr. Codr had to work out 
in order to make a living for the family. A 
year after their arrival a horse was lost and 
thus they were left with only one horse, wh'ch 
was not enough to do the work required. Mr. 



Codr had no money, so he had to buy a horse 
on time, giving his note drawing interest at the 
rate of three per cent, per month. It took five 
years to pay for the horse. Besides this there 
was the loss of several crops owing to dry per- 
iods. All this illustrates the hardships that 
sometimes seem to be a necessary part of the 
life of a pioneer. Mr. Codr fought a good fight, 
however, and at last has succeeded in accumu- 
lating eight hundred and forty acres, all deeded 
land, two hundred acres of which he cultivates, 
while the balance is devoted to the pasturage 
of his stock. 

Mr. Codr"s farm is a fine one, nearly all 
fenced, and there are large forest trees, and also 
a nice orchard of about two acres. Mr. Codr 
has done much toward improving the looks and 
values of his neighborhood and his work is ap- 
preciated by his associates. 



THOMAS DENTLER. 

Thomas Dentler, a representative farmer of 
Thomas county, Nebraska, resides on his well 
kept farm in section 12, township 26, range 26. 
He is classed among the successful agricultur- 
ists and ranchmen of his locality, and person- 
ally is a man of firm characteristics whose high 
standing as a citizen is well merited. 

Mr. Dentler was born in 1850, in Northum- 
berland county, Pennsylvania. He is of Penn- 
sylvania Dutch stock, his father, Henry Dent- 
ler, having been a shoemaker by trade. He 
married Mary Stoughton, who was his second 
cousin, and when the Civil war broke out the 
father answered the call of his country to arms, 
saw hard service and was taken prisoner by the 
enemy, thrown into Andersonville prison, where 
he d:ed in 1863. Thomas was reared in his na- 
tive state, following farming and other occupa- 
tions as a boy, and when he was about nineteen 
years of age came west, locating in Dodge coun- 
ty, Nebraska, where he had relatives, working 
on farms, also clerked in a store for two years, 
and later was employed in a lumber and coal 
yard in Scribner, Nebraska. He finally settled 
on a farm in that vicinity and spent many \'ears 
there, building up two good farms, and in 1884 
he brought his family to Johnstown, Nebraska. 
This was in 1884. and he filed on a pre-emptiorj 
and tree claim and began a farm in Cherry 
county. During the first few years there the 
country abounded in wild game of all kinds, and 
he killed many deer close to his home. He put 
up a good eight-room house, and this was a 
famous stopjiing house for travelers and freight- 
ers for a number of years, his location being 
fifteen miles southwest of the town of fohns- 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN KXOI'^LHORX, 
Box Butte County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1015 



town. In 1888 he sold that place and went to 
Colorado, where he spent one summer, but re- 
turned to Nebraska and started a boarding 
house in Scribner and also ran the hotel at that 
place for one year. The summer of 1891 he spent 
in Colorado, and in the fall of that year drifted 
into the sand hills of Cherry county, Nebraska, 
and for a number of years went from one place 
to another, visiting Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and 
part of the time in Fremont and other towns in 
Nebraska. 

Mr. Dentler first came to Thomas county 
in 1895, rented land which he farmed, also took 
up a homestead on section 12, township 24, range 
26, and has lived there ever since. He now has 
six hundred and forty acres, and has developed 
a fine ranch, planting trees, fruits, etc., and has 
above seventy acres cultivated. 

On July 3, 1871, our subject married Mary 
E. Cummings, daughter of William Cummings, 
a well-to-do farmer in Indiana, who died when 
she was a young girl, her mother having de- 
parted this life when Mrs. Dentler was but nine 
years old. Four children were born to Air. and 
Mrs. Dentler, named as follows: Harry, Birge, 
deceased ; Edith and Guy. They have an adopted 
daughter named Nina Pauline. The family oc- 
cupy a pleasant and comfortable home, sur- 
rounded by all the conveniences of modern rural 
life, and their home is one of the most hospitable 
in the community, all well liked by their asso- 
ciates. During the time Mr. Dentler lived in 
Dodge county he served as justice of the peace 
for several years, and since coming to his pres- 
ent location has been assessor of the precinct 
for a number of terms. 



JOHN ENGLEHORN. 

John Englehorn, who is the possessor of a 
good home and well developed farm in section 
9, townshi]") 24, range 49, Box Butte county, 
is one of the representative members of the 
farming community of that region. He is one 
of the old-timers of western Nebraska, coming 
here in 1888, and has watched the growth and 
development of the region from the days of its 
early settlement, and, incidentally, has taken an 
active part in its upbuilding. 

Mr. Englehorn was born in the village of 
Baden, Germany, in 1843. His father, Jacobj 
was a farmer in the old country, and came to 
the United States with his family in 1849. There 
were seven children in the family group, of 
whom our subject was the third member. Their 
first location after landing on American soil, 
was at Lansing, Iowa, and there the father oc- 
cupied a farm up to the time of his death, which 



occurred in 1881. Our subject was raised and 
educated in Iowa, and was early taught to do 
all kinds of farm work, receiving a common 
school education attending the country schools. 
After growing to manhood he lived at home and 
carried on the home farm for about fifteen years. 

In 1888 Mr. Englehorn came to Nebraska 
settling in Box Butte county, purchasing the 
relinquishment on the tract of land which is 
his present location. This is situated in section 
9, township 24, range 49. He started improv- 
ing his place with a will, rapidly building it up 
and putting in crops, and while he met with 
the usual discouragements which came to every 
pioneer, has done exceedingly well. He spent 
considerable money in building up the place, 
planting trees, etc., and has one of the valuable 
farms in his section. In 1893 he had the mis- 
fortune to lose his barn by fire. This happened 
when his wife was the only person at home, and 
through the hardest work on her part she man- 
aged to save their stock and residence. How- 
ever, a large quantity of hay and grain was 
burned up, and had it not been for Mrs. Engle- 
horn's courage and presence of mind the loss 
would have been much greater, and great credit 
is due her. As it was, this caused a severe loss 
which they keenly felt, as during those times 
crops were poor and they had a hard time to get 
along. Several crops were complete failures 
during the drouths, Ijut after these periods had 
passed they were able to get ahead, and con- 
stantly added improvements and bought more 
land, so that he is now owner of one thousand 
acres lying along the Snake creek, located about 
seven miles from Alliance. This is all fenced, 
and improved with good buildings, and he is 
mostly engaged in stock raising, finding this 
branch of ranching the most profitable in his lo- 
cality. 

Mr. John Englehorn was married in 1874 
while residing in Iowa to Miss Emma Larson, 
who was born and raised in that state. Her 
father, O. C. Larson, was a native of Norway, 
who emigrated to this country in 1849, and set- 
tled in Iowa, where he was among the pioneers, 
and they occupied a farm in Taylor township, 
Allamakee county, for many years, both Mr. 
Larson and his wife dying on the homestead 
there, the former in 1899 and the latter in 1897. 
Mr. and Airs. John Englehorn have three chil- 
dren living, namely: Minnie, now the wife of 
Odie Schofield, living at Salt Lake City, Utah ; 
Hattie, who is a stenographer in Seattle, Wash- 
ington, and Elmer, now a civil engineer in Se- 
attle. Washington. They are all well educated 
and children any parent might be proud of, all 
filling honorable positions in the world. .\11 
were reared and educated in Box Butte county. 



1016 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



and are proud of tlieir home county. Otto W. 
Englehorn,' another son of Mr. and Mrs. Engle- 
horn, was drowned at the age of about twenty- 
five years in the shipwreck of the Valencia, near 
Vancouver Island, January 23, 1906. The re- 
mains were brought back to Box Butte county, 
where they were interred. A large number of 
people were present and paid their last respects 
to the deceased. 

A picture of Mr. John Engleliorn's residence 
will be found on another page of this volume. 



GEORGE H. SEAGER. 

George H. Seager has resided in Cherry 
county for the past twenty-two years, and nearly 
all of that time occupied a homestead, situated 
in section 18, township 31, range 35, where he 
had a pleasant home and valuable estate. This 
he sold in the fall of 1907 and moved to Cody, 
where he has a goodly amount of income prop- 
erty. 

Mr. Seager was born in Orange county. 
New York, May 16, 1836, of American parents, 
his father, John Seager. having taken part in 
the War of 1812, the grandfather Jacob in the 
Revolutionary war and the great-grandfather in 
the French and Indian war. while the great- 
great-grandfather participated in the war under 
the last king of Poland. George H. is the young- 
est in a family of nine cliildren, and at the age 
of thirteen years started out for himself. He 
ran away from home at that age and since that 
time has seen his parents but twice. He was 
obliged to take whatever he could get to do in 
order to make a living, and during the first 
three weeks after he left home worked for sixty 
cents a week. He followed farming for several 
years, and at the age of si.xteen learned tJic 
cigarmaker's trade, and later the carpenter's 
trade. He devoted most of his time to the 
former work, however, and continued at it for 
nearly thirty-two years. In 1862 he enlisted in 
Company C. One Hundred and Thirty-seventh 
New York Regiment, serving as color-bearer 
until the end of the war. He comes of fighting 
stock. After the war he returned to New York, 
where he took charge of the John Kirch Com- 
pany's cigar business, at Flmira, and was man- 
ager of this concern for three years, then en- 
gaged in the cigar trade and livery business. He 
next moved to Tioga county and there took a 
farm of fifty acres, on whicii he lived for nine 
years. When he took this place he was in debt 
three thousand five hundred dollars, and aftiT 
nine years' hard work sold this farm to pay off 
his debt. He came to Nebraska in 1885, land- 
ing here with seventy dollars in his pocket and 



a family of four children. After getting settled 
he bought horse feed, groceries and provisions, 
and had absolutely nothing left. He first lo- 
cated on Boiling Springs flats, and remained 
there for three years, then settled on his above 
mentioned homestead. Here he worked very 
hard and went through many hard times, living 
in a sod house without floors for five years before 
he was able to put up a better dwelling. 

July 4. 1861, Mr. Seager was married to 
Miss Elvira Walker, a native of Tioga county, 
New York, born in 1837, her death occurring in 
Nebraska in 1902. Four children were born of 
this marriage, namely : Clara, now Mrs. George 
Hawvcr : Hattie, wife of Chris Holts ; Adison 
(deceased), and John. 

Mr. Seager has seen this locality grow from 
its early development, and has had an active 
])art in its success. He does not want any more 
frontier or homesteaders' experiences, and is 
glad that those times are past. He has always 
been a Republican, but has never sought public 
preferment, devoting his entire attention to his 
home and familv. 



JOHN A. STRANDBERG. 

John A. Strandberg, who has passed through 
pioneer experiences in Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska, is the owner of a fine farm in Trognitz 
precinct. He has a wide circle of acquaintances 
and is held in the highest respect and esteem 
throughout the community in which he resides. 

Mr. Strandberg was Ixirn in Sweden, Janu- 
ary 5. 1870, and was reared in his native prov- 
ince. He came to America when but fifteen 
\ears of age, the family joining the father in 
Kansas, whither he had preceded them, and in 
1888 they all moved to Cheyenne county, with 
the exception of John, who joined them in 1891, 
having spent two years of the intervening time 
in Colorado. The father filed on a homestead 
of one hundred and sixty acres in section 18, 
township 16, range 52, also took up a Kincaid 
claim of one hundred and sixty acres. The bal- 
ance of the section named is now in the posses- 
sion of John A. Strandberg, the subject of this 
sketch. The country was entirely unimproved 
land, and they had hard work during the first 
few vears to get it into condition to raise crops, 
but worked hard and faithfully to develop a good 
farm, and have succeeded in a marked degree. 
There are now over seventy-five acres under cul- 
tivation, and they run quite a large herd of cat- 
tle and other stix'k, including a number of ranch 
horses, with which all their work is accom- 
plished. 

Mr. Strandbcrg's parents are now dead, the 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1017 



father's death occurring in 1900, and the mother 
following him a year later. There were the fol- 
lowing children left besides our subject: 
Charles E., living on a homestead adjoining his 
brother's farm. Ida C, married to j. J. John- 
son, now residing in Kimball county, Nebraska. 
Annie, married to John Johnson, living in Sheri- 
dan, Wyoming, and Rena, who lives with 
Charles. John A. is the eldest of the family, 
and he was married at Sidney, on October 13, 
1893, to Klara Ternstrand, whose parents are 
deceased. Our subject and his estimable wife 
are the parents of the following children : Clar- 
ence v.. Charles E., Martin T. and Alfred E. 
and Esther. 

Mr. Strandberg is active in local affairs, and 
is a loyal supporter of the Republican party. 
He is of the Lutheran faith. 



HENRY VON BARGEN. 

Henry Von Bargen, whose honest life and 
unflagging industry has been crowned with a 
large measure of success, came of that race and 
blood which has been so prominently identified 
with the affairs of this country. He was born 
in Hanover, Germany, in 1866 on a farm. He 
is a son of Frederick Bargen, who was a farm- 
er, and who worked in the cement factories of 
the old country. His mother's name was Rich- 
ter Bargen. Both parents died in their native 
land. 

Until the age of sixteen years. Mr. Von 
Bargen remained in his native land, where he 
received his education. He then decided to 
seek his fortunes in the new world, and coming 
to America, landed in New York city in June, 
1882. He did not tarry long in that section of 
the countr}', but came west, settling in Sibley 
county, Minnesota, where he remained for seven 
years following the occupation of the farmer. 

In 1889 the subject of this sketch came to 
Box Butte county and located on the farm which 
is his present home in section 1, township 26. 
range 49. Here he built a sod house, and for 
seven or eight 3'ears lived the life of a bachelor. 
The first two years he worked his farm with a 
team of oxen. He did not escape the periods 
of drouth which were so frequent in this section 
of the country. Finding it impossible to make 
a living out of his farm during this period, he 
employed his time at grade work in Wyoming. 
During the seasons of 1891 and 1892 his crops 
were fair, and he began to realize the success 
which his unremitting efforts merited. Mr. Von 
Bargen is now the possessor of a fine ranch of 
one thousand acres of land, one hundred and fifty 
acres of which he has under cultivation, the 



balance being pasture and grass land. He has 
erected a pleasant house and substantial farm 
buildings, and has a good well and wind mill. 

The marriage of Mr. \'on Bargen and Miss 
Annie Donner occurred in 1897. She was born 
in Pomeran, Germany, where her father lived 
and died. Her mother is still living and resides 
in America. Air. and Airs. Von Bargen are the 
parents of three children : \\'illiam, Emil and 
Carl. 

In political matters Mr. A'on Bargen is a 
Republican. Since taking up his residence in 
Box Butte county he has done a great deal 
toward the development and improvement of 
this part of the state, and has always taken a 
keen interest in the affairs of the locality in 
which he resides. His career should be an ex- 
cellent example to the young men of the present 
generation, for in it they can see what thrift 
and economy, honesty and integrity can always 
accomplish. 

A. J. WITHERS. 

A. J. Withers, who is extensively engaged in 
farming, is one of the pioneer settlers of Deuel 
county. He has a wide acquaintance in the 
vicinity, and is universally respected and es- 
teemed. 

Mr. Withers was born in Blair county, Penn- 
sylvania, October 29, 1846. There were eight 
children in his father's family, six lioys and two 
girls, and in 1856 the family came to Ogle coun- 
ty, Illinois, where they settled on a farm and 
made that their home for many years. Our 
subject enlisted at Mt. Morris, Illinois, in 
Company I, Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry, in 
February, 1863. He went through the Knox- 
ville siege, was on the Morgan raid through 
Ohio and Indiana, and was thrown into Ander- 
sonville prison and kept there for nine months, 
suffering terrible privations with others held 
there. He was also in the battle of Atlanta and 
other large engagements. In May. 1865, he 
was mustered out at Springfield. Illinois. His 
father and one brother were privates in the 
Thirty-fourth Illinois, another brother was in 
the Ninety-second Illinois, and still another in 
the Fourth Cavalry. His father had also been 
through the War of 1812, enlisting at the age 
of eleven years, and serving as "powder mon- 
key." When the latter enlisted in the Civil war 
he was sixty years of age, and one brother of 
our subject was but fifteen years old. 

After leaving the army Mr. Withers trav- 
eled through different parts of the country, fin- 
ally coming to western Nebraska in 1885. He 
homesteaded on section 22. township 15, range 
46, and proved up on a quarter section, adding 



1018 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to his original tract afterwards, and now owns 
half a section of good land, using one hundred 
and twenty-five acres as a farm, and the balance 
as a stock ranch, running about eight\ head of 
cattle and quite a number of horses. He has the 
place well improved, all good buildings, etc., and 
is classed among the prosperous and successful 
men of this region. He has been a resident of 
Deuel county during all the good, bad and indif- 
ferent times, and was one of the first home- 
steaders on the table land. 

Mr. Withers was married on September 26, 
1872, at Oregon, Illinois, to Miss Hattie Cog- 
gins, who is a native of that state. They have 
a family of eight children, who are named as 
follows: Thomas W'., married and a ranch 
owner in Deuel county; Edith Olive, wife of 
Oscar Meyer, living in Cheyenne county ; Har- 
vey O., also married and living in Cheyenne 
county; Hattie Ethel, wife of Luther AUington, 
they residing in South Dakota; Myrtle May, 
Logan A., Sarah Locada and Leola Elsie, the 
four last mentioned living at home. All were 
born and raised on the home ranch, and form 
an interesting family group. 

Mr. Withers is prominent in local affairs. 
He is a Republican and firm in his convictions. 



ALBERT M. JACOX. 

Albert M. Jacox, whose home is to be found 
at the postofifice of Thurman, Rock county, Ne- 
braska, is a fair representative of the earnest 
and wide-awake young men whp have come 
into this region and have wrought the revolu- 
tion of settlement, making the wilderness a cul- 
tivated land, and the wild prairie a home of a 
great people. He is a farmer by choice, and 
is an honor to his calling. 

Albert ^I. Jacox was born on a farm in Jef- 
ferson county, Pennsylvania, December 30, 
18.=1.T, and from his early youth was familiar 
with hard work. His parents. Edward H. and 
Margaret (Davis) Jacox. were of German de- 
scent : his father, in addition to farming, fol- 
lowed blacksmithing for a living. When Albert 
reached the age of fourteen years he assumed 
the burden of his own supj^ort. and when he 
was twenty we find him in Madison county, Ne- 
braska, engaged in farm work. In 1882 he es- 
tablished himself on a homestead in .section 19. 
townshiii 29, range 18. Rock county, and there 
he has lived to the i)resenl writing, building up 
a fine estate and becoming one of the solid men 
of the county. At the time of his coming here, 
the country was so thinly settled, and points 
of trade so remote, that he was compelled to go 
•o Long Pine for the lumber needed in the con- 



struction of his first modest home. This was in 
the month of I-'ebruary, and the long drives were 
attended with not a little discomfort. He now 
owns a well appointed ranch of four hundred 
and eighty acres, of which seventy acres are 
under active cultivation, and the balance devoted 
to stock raising and the making of hay, for 
which there is always a brisk demand. There 
is a fine grove upon it, which he planted him- 
self, and watched the growth of the trees with 
a solicitous interest. The flowing wells are of 
inestimable value on the farm, supplying an end- 
less supply of excellent water for stock and irri- 
gation if so needed. The Jacoxes have passed 
through dry seasons, and have shared in the ex- 
periences common to a new country, but they 
iiave never lost courage, and a large success has 
crowned their efforts. 

Mr. Jacox takes a political position in line 
with the doctrines of the Democratic party with 
which he has long been associated. In 1886 
he was appointer postmaster at Thurman, a 
position which he still retains. In 1896 he was 
elected as one of the board of commissioners of 
Rock county, and for three years he rendered 
very acceptable service to the ])eople of the 
county. In strictly local affairs he is promi- 
nent, having served as school director for a 
quarter of a century. He has also been county 
assessor, and is known throughout the county 
as an industrious citizen and a reliable man. 

Mr. Jacox was married March 5, 1883, to 
Miss Amy Dennis, whose people had removed 
from Iowa to make early settlement in Madison 
county. Nebraska. To this union have come the 
following children : Edward G., Charles P., 
Leroy C, James B., Melville Ray, William Guy, 
Minnie E.. deceased. Amy May, Clarence David 
and an infant, unnamed. The husband and fa- 
ther comes himself of a ]irolific family, and was 
the voungest of a family of sixteen children born 
to his ])arents. Three of his brothers and two 
brothers-in-law served in the L'nion army dur- 
ing the Civil war. He is a member of the su- 
bordinate lodge of the (Md Fellows at Bassett 
and of the encampment at O'Neill. 



!.. K. XI'.LSON. 



In the person of the gentleman whose name 
heads this personal history,' we find one of the 
sturdy old-timers who has passed many years on 
the frontier, going through all the dififerent 
])hases of pioneer life in the west, and coming 
out victorious in the struggle for a home and 
competence for his. declining years. Mr. Nel- 
son 's well and favorably known thnnigho'.'t his 
section of Kimball count\'. 



COxMPENDIUJM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.-\PHY 



1019 



Our subject was born in Denmark, August 
13, 1848, and grew up in his native land, follow- 
ing farming there during his boyhood and re- 
mained there up to 1872, when he came to the 
United States, settling in Lee county, Illinois, 
where he was among the pioneer farmers, and 
made that vicinity his home for about six years. 
He then went to Fremont, Nebraska, spent a 
short time there, and his next move was to Cali- 
fornia for three years, returning to Nebraska 
in 1889, and locating in Kimball county. Here 
he filed on a homestead, proved up on the land, 
and has occupied it as a home ranch since that 
time. He has a good farm of four hundred and 
eighty acres, besides other property in the coun- 
ty. Sixty-five acres are devoted to farming, on 
which Mr. Nelson raises good crops of grains, 
etc., and the balance of the farm is used for hay 
and pasture for quite a herd of stock. 

Air. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss 
Annie Gybgall, in February, 1875, in Illinois. 
Mrs. Nelson was born and reared in Germany, 
coming to this country as a young girl. The 
parents of both Mr. Nelson and his wife are 
deceased. They have a family of seven chil- 
dren, who are named as follows : J. M., Jr., 
and Vernon, both married and living in this lo- 
cality. Katie, wife of Delbert Keith, residing 
in Denver, Colorado. Edward, single, Agnes, 
wife of Harry Luckhart ; and Elmer and Gladys, 
also unmarried. 

Mr. Nelson has always been one of the 
prominent public-spirited citizens of his com- 
munity, and has done his full share in its up- 
building since coming to the region. In poli- 
tics he is a stanch Republican. 



CARL E. A. ESTLER. 

Carl E. A. Estler, one of the best known citi- 
zens of Siou.x county, Nebraska, is proprietor 
of a fine farm in section 10. township 31, range 
55, where he has spent the past fourteen years 
of his career. He is numbered among the old 
settlers, and is foremost among those who have 
aided materially in the development of this re- 
gion, and has always been closely identified 
with the growth of its agricultural and com- 
mercial interests. 

Our subject is a native of Germany, born 
in 1871 in the city of Dresden. His father, Ed- 
mond, was a piano maker there, and the family 
were in very comfortable circumstances. ' When 
Carl was a lad of seven years his parents came 
to America with their little family, and after 
landing in New York city, struck out immedi- 
ately for the west, locating in Geary county, 
Kansas, at a f>oint about one hundred and thirty- 



eight miles west of Kansas City, where they 
lived for seven years. In 1885 Carl and the 
whole family went to Baltimore, iSIaryland, re- 
mained there for just one month, then to New 
York city, where part of the family still lives. 
Carl remained in New York up to the year 1894. 
He had served an apprenticeship as a cabinet- 
maker while a boy, and followed that employ- 
ment while in New York city and for several 
years worked in a piano factory in that city. He 
returned to Kansas in 1894, spent two years 
there, and then came to Sioux county, Nebraska, 
where he took up a location near the head of 
Soldier creek, filing on a homestead. Here he 
went through hard times during the first years, 
and after a time went to Harrison and followed 
the carpenter's trade for several years. In 1904 
he filed on a Kincaid homestead in section 10, 
township 31, range 55, which is his present lo- 
cation. He has put up good buildings and im- 
provements, erecting substantial buildings, in- 
cluding a handsome and comfortable modern 
house, commodious barns, etc. The ranch con- 
sists of four hundred and forty acres, and he 
is engaged in mixed farming and stock raising, 
and is making a success of his work. 

During Air. Estler's residence in this part 
of the state he has done a great deal of carpen- 
tering, having built quite a number of houses, 
and is a skillful and conscientious worker, strict- 
ly honest in all his dealings, thereby gaining the 
respect and confidence of all with whom he has 
had to do. He has also taken a commendable 
interest in local affairs, has served as road over- 
seer, also as constable, and in performing the 
duties of otfice has become familiar with the 
people and all the surrounding country, in the 
northern part of Sioux county. He is a loyal 
Republican. 

WILLIAM C. COUCH. 

William C. Couch a prominent resident of 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska, also a veteran of 
the United States army, is one of the leading 
men of his community. He occupies a pleasant 
home in Brownson precinct, where he owns a 
well improved farm and enjoys the respect and 
confidence of everyone in his locality. Air. 
Couch was born in Lincoln county, middle Ten- 
nessee, on July 17, 1840. He is a son of Ben- 
jamin F. and Rebecca (Casey) Couch, who 
died in 1854. aged sixty-three respectively, in 
Aladison county, Alissouri, whither they emi- 
grated in 1850. Air. Couch carried the mail be- 
tween Frederickstown and Iron Alountain from 
the fall of 1863 until the spring of 1864, when 
he secured employment in the quartermaster's 
department of the L'nion army at Iron Aloun- 



1020 



CUMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY. REMIXISCEXCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tain. In September he was captured in one of 
Price's raids, and carried as prisoner through 
De Soto, Potosi, Lexington, and on down into 
the country of the Cherokree and Choctaw na- 
tions. Escaping about November 24th he made 
his way back to Pilot Knob, December 4th, and 
resumed his duties. He enlisted at Alton, Illi- 
nois, in the Fifth United States Volunteer In- 
fantry, and served 'all over the west, being at 
times at Fort Leavenworth. Fort Riley, Fort 
Kearney. Fort Collins. Fort Halleck, Fort Reno, 
Fort C. F. Smith, Fort Laramie. Fort Phil 
Kearney. Fort Saunders. Fort Morgan, Fort 
Sedgwick. Fort McPherson and other parts. 
Much of the time he was wagon master of the 
regimental train. He also made a trip of in- 
spection in the service of the government, in 
company with General Grant and General Sher- 
man and other famous army officers, and had 
intimate acquaintance with many of the noted 
men of those da^v's. On October 11, 1866, he 
received honorable discharge from the army at 
Fort Kearney, Nebraska, and remained at that 
fort up to June of the following year. He next 
went to Fort Fetterman, remained a short time, 
then came to Cheyenne county with the wagon 
train and there turned over the train to Colonel 
E. B. Carter, who was stationed at the mouth 
of Lodgepole creek during the month of July 
of that year. Mr. Couch was in the employ 
of the government up to September. 1868. then 
worked at overland freighting during the time 
there were so many encounters with the Indians 
in western Xcbraska, and he had several serious 
ex])eriences and a numlier of narrow escapes 
from them. He was wounded a number of 
times during skirmishes witli the redskins, and 
was extremely fortunate in getting out of the 
afifrays without severe injury. For several years 
he followed freighting, travelling all over the 
western part of Xebraska, between Sidney and 
the Black Hills, and saw every phase of a 
frontiersman's life. After giving up this work 
in about tlie year 1883. he filed on a homestead 
in section 4, township 13. range 49. on Lodge- 
pole creek, on which he settled permanentlv. He 
purchased additional land in the vicinitv which 
he still owns. His present home is on sec- 
tion 20, township 14, range 50, also situated 
on the creek, and here he has a good home 
and well improved farm and ranch, owning six 
hundred and forty acres, all good land. Until 
retiring in the fall of 1908 he engaged in farm- 
ing and stock raising. He keeps about one hun- 
dred head of cattle and from twenty-five to fifty 
horses the year around. A view of the resi- 
dence and the large stone barn for which the 
place is distinguished is to be foimd on another 
page in our work. 



Mr. Couch was married on June 13, 1875, at 
Chevenne. Wyoming, to Miss Arabella Hutch- 
ings. Mr. and Mrs. Couch have reared several 
adopted children, and they form a happy and 
congenial family, occupying a pleasant and com- 
fortable home, all being popular members of so- 
ciety in their coiumunity. 

In political faith Mr. Couch is a Democrat. 



FRAXK RIHX. 



Frank Rihn. a highly respected citizen and 
old settler of western Nebraska, is among the 
prominent farmers of Union Valley precinct, 
Cheyenne county, where he owns a valuable es- 
tate. He resides on a fine farm and ranch 
of six hundred and forty acres, a large part 
of which is under good cultivation ; he well 
merits the success which has come to him from 
his labors and the high station which he holds 
as an agriculturist and worthy citizen. 

Mr. Rihn was born in the village of West- 
houser. Alsace. Germany, then a part of 
France, November 15, 1853, and lived to the 
age of fourteen years in his native province. 
Then \\ith two older brothers he came to 
America, sailing from Havre, France, in Sep- 
tember, 1868. landing in New York after a 
voyage of nineteen days. Our subject was the 
eighth in a family of nine children, six boys 
and three girls, born to their parents, who lived 
and died in Alsace. The three boys settled first 
near St. Jacobs, in !\Iadison county, Illinois, 
where our subject lived with and worked for 
an uncle for one year ; then he was employed for 
two years by William Faires, a well known 
fanner of that region. Later he spent one year 
in St. Louis, driving a delivery wagon for a 
brother who was engaged in the bakery busi- 
ness. He then returned to Illinois, entering the 
employ of his uncle again. He remained in the 
employ of his uncle for some years, during which 
time he sowed ten acres of wheat on his own 
account, having in the meantime bought a horse. 
For the following five years he worked for 
Nicholas Michaels, in whose employ he remained 
until he came west in 1884. In the fall of 
1884. he came to Xebraska and filed on a home- 
stead and tree claim, near Sidney. He re- 
mained in Xebraska but a short time, however 
returning to Illinois. In the spring of 1885 
he settled with his family permanently in Chev- 
enne county. He was the first settler on the 
Xorth Divide, jiassing through all the pioneer 
experiences of the early period of X'ebraska 
settlement. He saw settlers come into the 
region, strive hard to build up homes, fail and 
abandon their homesteads, while others were 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1021 



more successful and remained through the 
early years and secured a competency. He was 
one of the latter class, and although he had a 
hard time to get along during some years when 
crops were failures, and there seemed to 
be no way to make a living, yet he stuck 
bravely to his farm and is now one of 
the well-to-do men of his locality. He has a 
good farm, with a complete set of substantial 
buildings, located in section 30, township 16, 
range 49. and farms about one hundred and 
sixty acres, running about seventy head of cat- 
tle and fifteen horses. An especially substantial 
stone dwelling has replaced the old sod house in 
which the family at first resided. A large and 
convenient barn was built in 1907. A view of 
the place will be found on another page in this 
work. 

Mr. Rihn was married to Miss Minnie 
Branger, born in Madison county, Illinois, the 
wedding taking place on February 16, 1882. 
Together they went through pioneer times in Ne- 
braska, and raised an interesting family of eight 
children, who are named as follows : Mary, 
Katherine. Lena, William. Edwin, Julia, Emma 
and Joseph, all living at home at the present 
time. Katherine and Lena are successful teach- 
ers in the county. 

Our subject has always been active in lo- 
cal and county affairs, having been the first 
assessor of his precinct, and also served as jus- 
tice of the peace for a number of years, and 
was county commissioner during the years 1903- 
1904 and 1905, proving a faithful and efficient 
public official. For many years past he has been 
a member of the school board in district No. 
138. Politicallv he is a Democrat. In religious 
matters he was reared in the Catholic church 



WILLIAM C0L:MAX. DECEASFn. 

Prior to his demise the gentleman whose 
name heads this personal history resided on his 
valuable estate on section 33. township 31, range 
46, Sheridan county, Nebraska, and was well 
known throughout this locality as a successful 
and prosperous agriculturist and stockman. Mr. 
Coleman was born in county Antrim. Ireland, in 
1837. and raised on a farm there. He re- 
mained at home up to 1859, when he was mar- 
ried to Miss Rachel Gaston, a native of Antrim 
countv also, born in 1840, daughter of John 
Gaston, of French descent. 

The week following their marriage the 
young couple set out for America, landing in 
New York in May, 1859, and their first home 
was at Bristol, Rhode Island, where Mr. Col- 
U'ln worked in the sugar refinery for one year. 



The following year they came to Lenawee 
county. Michigan, where he bought a twenty- 
acre farm and had a very nice little home, re- 
maining there for four years. In 1864 they 
lived near Valparaiso on a farm, where he did 
lumbering and teaming. In April, 1879. they 
moved to Knox county, Nebraska, and took a 
homestead, and there our subject did well for 
seven years. However he was anxious to get 
where his children could take up homesteads, 
so in 1885 the family came to Sheridan county 
and took pre-emption on their present place and 
also took up a timber claim located a short dis- 
tance south of it. The family lived in a tent 
on first coming to the locality until they were 
able to put up a log house, being compelled 
to haul the logs from Pine Ridge. On coming 
here they drove through the country from Knox 
county with a team and wagon, and came across 
the country from Indiana to Knox county in the 
same way, the trip taking four weeks on the 
road. 'Sir. Colman was in poor health, and 
they traveled this way in the hopes of benefit- 
ing him. After settling here they steadily im- 
proved the farm and lived on it up to the 
time of his death which occurred November 18, 
1903, from Bright's disease. He had taken a 
trip to the coast in 1903 in hopes of finding re- 
lief, but it was of no avail, and in his death 
the community suffered the loss of one of its 
most influential and public-spirited citizens. He 
was always first in the offer of aid when there 
was a question of improving the conditions of 
his locality and was generally beloved by all 
who knew him. The family still live on the 
home farm, and continue in stock raising in 
the same manner of the father, not depending 
entirely upon crops, so did not experience such 
heavv losses as many of the settlers in this lo- 
calitv did during the dry years. In 1891 the 
crops were destroyed by hail storms and he be- 
came somewhat discouraged, and did not buy 
anv more land from that time on. The farm 
contains six hundred and forty acres, of which 
two hundred acres are under cultivation, but his 
family only farms a small piece now, running 
a bunch of stock on the balance of the farm. 
His widow and son William live on the home- 
stead and are contented to remain, not caring to 
go back east to live. Mrs. Colman returned to 
Indiana for a visit in 1884. but found a great 
change and everything seemed unfamiliar, so 
was "glad to return to this part of the country 
where they had built up a pleasant home and 
found new friends. They have gone through 
their share of pioneer experiences, and helped 
build uo two counties in this state, and the 
name of ^Ir. Colman will always be a familiar 
one to the earlv settlers in this section of the 



1022 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



country. When he first settled in Knox county 
he had to freight for about sixty miles, and 
during the winter of 1883-'84 freighted to Fort 
Pierre. South Dakota. On one trip he got 
caught in Chamberlain and was compelled to stay 
all winter, as the river was neither frozen or 
open and there was no way in which to cross. 

Mr. Colman's family consists of the following 
children : ^largaret, Elizabeth, Anna, Jennie, 
Hannah, Nancy, John, Myrtle. William. Katie, 
May, Eva and Emma, two of whom died in 
infancy. Mr. John Colman is now serving a 
three-year term as county commissioner. He 
was elected in the fall of 1908. 



CHARLES STEWART. 

Among the highly esteemed citizens of Dawes 
county, a man of sterling character and strictest 
integrity, we mention the name of Mr. Charles 
Stewart, who resides on section 24, township 33, 
range 51, where he has spent many years in 
building up a good home and farm, and inci- 
dentally gained an enviable reputation as a lead- 
ing old settler. 

Mr. Stewart was born in Lee county. Iowa, 
in 1861, on a farm. His father, Erastus Stew- 
art, was of old American blood, from Indiana, and 
followed farming all his life, he having mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Woods, of Iowa. Our sub- 
ject was raised in Iowa, where he received a 
good education, attending the common schools, 
and later the Commercial College at Ft. Madi- 
son, Iowa. After leaving college he taught 
school in his native state for three years, also in 
Nebraska, after he came to this state, following 
the work for twelve years here in the neigh- 
borhood of Whitney and in that town. In 1885 
he left home and came to Dawes county, locating 
on a pre-emption in section 23, township 33, 
range 51. and remained there until he had proved 
up. His first building was a dugout, and he 
later put up a log cabin, and lived there for 
several years. In 1887 he moved to section 24, 
where he took up a homestead and proved up. 
building up the place in good shape, and also has 
taken a Kincaid homestead additional. The log 
cabin in which our subject lived while proving 
up on his pre-em]ition is now being occupied by 
another jiarty who is homesteafling a claim. Mr. 
Stewart lived in a dugout for about ten vcars. 
and while there went through drouths, and 
many discouragements, losing his crops several 
seasons, and that was the hardest times in his 
career, and he would not care to go through 
the same experience again. He now owns a 
ranch of thirty-two hundred acres, located along 
the White river. Big Cottonwood creek and Dry 



creek. Here he has running water the year 
around for his stock, and he has all of his 
ranch fenced. There are comfortable and sub- 
stantial buildings on the ranch, and he has two 
windmills. He is engaged quite extensively in 
stock raising, running a large number of cattle 
and horses for market. 

Mr. Stewart was rnarried in 1885. to Miss 
Belle Anderson, daughter of Salvadore Ander- 
son, a farmer of Pennsylvania. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Stewart the following children have been 
born : Grover C. Claude J. and Clem W. 

Mr. Stewart devotes his whole time and 
attention to the building up of his home and 
ranch, and has met with deserved success. He is 
a loval Democrat. 



CAPT. H. T. SWEET. 

Captain H. T. Sweet, one of the leading 
pioneers of Dawes county. Nebraska, resides in 
his pleasant home in Chadron. where he has al- 
ways been highly esteemed as one of the fore- 
most citizens and public-spirited men of his com- 
munity. He is the owner of valuable property 
in that town, as well as in different parts of 
Dawes county, all of which has been accumulated 
by dint of perseverance and good management. 

Mr. Sweet was born in Vermont in 1833. 
His birthplace was within eight miles of the 
famous Bennington battlefield. His father, John 
Sweet, was of English descent, and his mother 
was Lucy Exford. also of American blood, bom 
in A'ermont. both later settling in Nebraska, 
where they died. The father was a Methodist 
minister, and followed that calling all his life. 

Our subject grew up in Vermont and at 
the breaking out of the war enlisted in the 
Second New York Infantry, and later was with 
the Twelfth New York Cavalry, and followed 
a soldier's fortunes for over four years, building 
up a brilliant record for himself in the army. 
He saw service in ^''ermont. North and South 
Carolina and Tennessee. W'ns. in the Peninsula 
campaign, with Sherman to the sea, also at Ben- 
tonville. On March 8, 1865, he was severely 
wounded at Wise Forks in North Carolina. At 
the close of the war he had won the title of 
captain and quartermaster. At the close of the 
war he returned to \''ermont an<l remained there 
for some little time, then came to Illinois, where 
his wife had moved some time previous, while he 
was still in the war. and there he followed rail- 
roading, being employed on the Chicago. Bur- 
lington & Quincy railway as trainman, also was 
on construction work for eighteen years, and 
was obliged to resign his post on account of ill 
health. He first came to Nebraska in 1880, 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1023 



and came through the western part of the state, 
footing it from Valentine to White river. He 
spent the first few weeks camping out in the 
locaHty, and finally located at Lone Tree creek, 
north of Whitney, and was the first white man 
to settle in that part. He first built a sod 
shanty and lived in it for a few years, and 
started in the stock business. In the fall of 
1886 he was joined by his family, and remained 
on the farm up to 1903, then moved to Chad- 
ron. selling his place, and has since made his 
home in town. 

Mr. Sweet was married in 1853 to Betsey 
A. Camp, of Vermont. To Mr. and Mrs. Sweet 
were born seven children, namely: James 
Henry, John, Eva Estelle, W^illiam, Nancy, 
Frank and Frederick. Airs. Sweet died in Ne- 
braska, while the family still lived on the ranch. 
In 1902 our subject was married again, to Eliza- 
beth O. Griffith, a pioneer on Ash creek, there 
being no children by this marriage. Mrs. Sweet 
is the owner of a fine ranch in that locality 
and built it up in good shape by her own indi- 
vidual efforts and is well known as an old set- 
tler in that vicinity, and pioneer in Dawes county. 
By her first marriage she had four children : 
Isaac, Sherman, John and Maud Griffith. 

Mr. Sweet has always taken an active inter- 
est in local affairs, and has been a delegate to 
numerous conventions, also served on the central 
committee, representing the Republican party. 



LUTHER G. PITTS. 

Luther G. Pitts, one of the very few really 
"old-timers" of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, left 
in that section, resides on his valuable estate in 
Potter precinct. He has watched this region 
grow from a barren prairie to its present fertile 
state, and has been an important factor in that 
growth and development, having taken an active 
and leading part in every movement started to 
advance the public good since locating in west- 
ern Nebraska. 

Mr. Pitts was born in Kalamazoo county, 
Michigan, twelve miles from the city of Kala- 
mazoo, on March 27, 1832. When he was a 
small boy he went with his mother to Branch 
countv, Michigan, where they spent a few years, 
and then went to northern Michigan. At that 
time he was fourteen years of age. and he soon 
afterward began working in the lumber camps . 
in that vicinity, on log drives, etc. He later went , 
from Michigan to Iowa where he spent two | 
years, then came to Cedar county, Nebraska, ! 
lived there for four months, and from there came ■ 
to Cheyenne county, arriving here October 7, ' 
1885. He filed on a homestead on section 34, i 



township 13, range 52, and later took a Kincaid 
homestead on section 6, township 12, proving 
up on one and still lives on the other. He 
passed through all the early Nebraska times, 
starting with very limited means when he landed 
here, his sole capital being a team, wagon and a 
dollar and fifty cents in cash, and from this 
small beginning has accumulated his present 
valuable ranch. He has been engaged in mixed 
farming and stock raising, cultivating about 
fifty acres, and runs over two hundred head of 
stock. The ranch contains nine hundred and 
sixty acres, all fine land, with plenty of pasture 
and hay land, some timber, and a good water 
supply. 

Irf March, 1882, Mr. Pitts was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Ruth Hysell, at Pentwater. Michi- 
gan. Mrs. Pitts died .August 1, 1900, leaving a 
family of seven children, who are named as fol- 
lows: Nettie, wife of Calvin Morfort, living at 
Cheyenne, Wyoming : and the balance at home ; 
Lillie, Elffa, Ray, Eunice, Roland and Oren. They 
are all bright and intelligent, and have been a 
great help to their parents in carrying on the 
home ranch. Mr. Pitts is a loyal Republican, 
deeply interested in cotmty, state and national 
affairs. He is a man of superior ability, up-to- 
date and progressive in every way, and a great 
reader, keeping thoroughly abreast of the times. 
A man of strict integrity, who justly takes a 
pride in his honesty, and the fact that all he 
has was made honestly, he is a splendid type of 
the highest grade of Nebraska's citizenship. He 
stands high in the esteem of all who know him, 
and among the business men and banks of the 
county his word is regarded as good as a 
bond. 



JOHN A. WILSON. 

During the quarter of a century that the 
gentleman here named has resided in Keya Paha 
county, he has been an important factor in the 
development of the agricultural and commercial 
resources of the county, and he stands in a 
foremost place among the old settlers and sub- 
stantial citizens of Garfield precinct, where he 
owns a pleasant home and a very valuable farm 
property. 

Mr. \\'i!son was born in Tipoecanoe, Boone 
county, Indiana, on August 16, 1850. His father, 
^^'illiam \\'ilson, was a miller by trade, of Irish 
stock, and his mother, Alartha Reed, was of Ger- 
man descent. Our subject was the fifth child 
in a family of ten. all of whom came west to 
settle on homes of their own. He was reared 
and educated in his native county, and at the 
age of seventeen years started out for himself, 
working at milling until twenty years of age. 



1024 



COMPEXDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



but was compelled to quit that work because of 
failing eyesight, and took up farming. In 1873 
he went to Iowa, and remained there until 1884. 
then immigrated to Keya Paha county, taking 
a homestead on section 17, township 32, range 
21, which his son occupies while he resides on 
a homestead of two hundred and sixty acres in 
section 25, township 33, range 22, which he 
uses for a horse ranch. He has bouglit more 
land from time to time, and now is proprietor 
of three hundred and twenty acres, all good 
farming land, cultivating about ninety acres, and 
has twelve acres of fine alfalfa, eight under irri- 
gation, and in 1908 cut forty tons from two and 
a half acres of the latter. He has set out an 
orchard of six hundred apple trees, also a great 
deal of small fruit, and from this source re- 
ceives an annual income of six hundred dollars 
each year, and this will increase each year as 
his trees grow larger and bear larger crops. 

He has an irrigation plant in operation with 
which he can irrigate about ten acres of his 
orchard, and without a doubt his is the finest 
orchard in this portion of the state, a fact in 
which he takes much pride. 

Mr. \\'ilson keeps thirty head of horses all 
the time, which he raises for the market, also 
other stock for farm use. He has a fine resi- 
dence and home, and everything that goes to 
make up a comfortable and pleasant rural life. 
■ \\'hen he first landed in this county he had 
a hard enough time to get started. He has 
gone through all the pioneer experiences, begin- 
ning with only seventy-five cents in money, liv- 
ing in a dugout for several years, then a log 
house, and many times not knowing how he 
was going to earn enough to keep his family 
from want. At one time he and his family lived 
for six weeks on nothing but potatoes, and al- 
though those times are long since past and they 
are now surrounded with every comfort their 
thoughts often go back to the time of their 
hardshi])s and privations and have no desire to 
again go through them. 

Mr. Wilson was married in Indiana in 1870 
to Miss Rebecca Trout, of German descent, and 
they are the parents of the following children : 
John Henry, James. Jennie, wife of David Over- 
street, of Keya Paha county ; and Harry, all liv- 
ing near the old homestead. One son. Harvey, 
their first born, was drowned while the family 
lived in Iowa. 

.■\11 of Mr. Wil.wn's time is devoted to caring 
for his farm and orchards, and he has never 
taken an active part in politics, although he has 
always been a strong Democrat. The family 
belong to the Freewill Baptist church of Spring- 
view, and take an active interest in its advance- 
ment and prosperity. 



BERNHARD UHLKEN. 

Bernhard Uhlken, a prominent farmer and 
ranchman of Dawes county, and a man whose 
unremitting efforts toward success have been 
rapidly rewarded, was born in Oldenberg, Ger- 
many, in 1856. a son of a clothing merchant 
of that place. The early years of our subject's 
life were spent in his native land, where he 
worked as a laborer and farmer. He was mar- 
ried in Germany to Miss Minnie Molstad in 
1889. She was born in Germany in 1865. This 
happy union was blessed with four children, 
Bernhard. Johanna, Minnie and Sophia. 

Realizing that the opportunities to be found 
in America were extremely inviting to those will- 
ing to embrace them. Mr. Uhlken accompanied 
by his family immigrated to this country in 1S03. 
He spent two years in Saline county, Illinois, 
where he hired out. He was economical, saved 
his money, and learning of the great opportuni- 
ties which western Nebraska held out to the 
ambitious and thrifty, he came west to Dawes 
county in 1895, where he purchased his present 
farm in section 9, township 30, range 50. There 
was nothing but a log house on the place when 
it came into his possession, but to a man pos- 
sessing the thrift and energy of Mr. I'hlkon this 
was no obstacle. He went to work with a strong 
will, and in a remarkable short space of time 
began to realize the reward of his untiring ef- 
forts. He now has a substantial and commodi- 
ous stone house, a barn, forty by sixty-six feet, 
and good sheds. He has added adjacent lands to 
his original possessions, and is now the proprie- 
tor of a ranch of eight hundred and twenty- 
seven acres of good land. One hundred and 
twenty acres of this he has under cultivation, 
eighty acres are of fine timber land, while the 
balance is pasture and hay land. 

While Mr. Uhlken has worked hard and de- 
voted his time and energy toward making for 
himself and family a comfortable home in 
Dawes county, he has taken a lively interest in 
local affairs, and is a man who enjoys the re- 
spect and esteem of the surrounding commiuiity. 
Since coming to Dawes coimty his success has 
been most remarkable, and his upright and hon- 
orable career should be an encouragement to the 
young men of the present generation, as in it 
they can see what thrift and industry, honesty 
and integrity can always accomplish. 



lOSHl'A H. BROWN. 

Joshua II. Brown, a prominent resident and 
old-timer of Deuel county. Nebraska, makes his 
home in Chapnell precinct, where he has a very 
extensive ranch and pleasant surroundings. Mr. 



COMPENDIUAI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1025 



Brown was born in Mercer county, Illinois, July 
6, 1841. His father was one of the earliest pio- 
neers of that countv, settling: in the region in 
1831. 

Our subject grew up in his native county, 
living there until he was twenty-one, enlisting 
in Company H, Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry, 
on July 22, 1862. He saw hard service as a 
soldier, taking part in the battles of Perryville and 
Stone River, and was through the entire cam- 
paign march from Louisville to Nashville under 
General Buell, following Bragg's army. His 
company went into winter quarters at Nashville 
in December, 1862. At the battle of Stone 
River he received quite a severe wound, but 
was only disabled for a short time, and never 
left his regiment for a day. Afterward he was 
in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Moun- 
tain. Missionary Ridge, through the Atlanta 
campaign and the battles of Franklin and Nash- 
ville, seeing every phase of army life and suffer- 
ing all the hardships of war. He was mustered 
out of service at Springfield, Illinois, in June, 
1865, at that time returning to ]\Iercer county, 
remaining there up to the spring of 1888, fol- 
lowing farming all of the time. While living in 
that locality he was prominent as a public-spir- 
ited citizen, and served as sheriff of his countv. 
holding that office during 1879-1880. 

Mr. Brown first came to Nebraska in the 
fall of 1885, when he took a tree claim, locating 
in Deuel county, afterward spending consider- 
able time away, and then settled permanently on 
a homestead on section 18. township 13, range 
44, in the spring of 1888. This homestead is 
now his home farm, and he is proprietor of 
eleven hundred and twenty acres altogether. He 
has improved his ranch in fine shape, having 
about two hundred acres under culitvation, and 
is engaged extensively in the stock business, 
keeping about one hundred head of cattle and 
a bunch of horses and mules. He is one of 
the wealthy men of his region, and highly es- 
teemed as a friend and neighbor. 

On January 1, 1868, our subject married 
]\Irs. Mary Rodgers, whose maiden name was 
Marv Dilley, born and reared in Mercer county, 
Illinois, their marriage occurring there. They 
have a family of six children living, and had 
the misfortune to lose a little girl in 1881, when 
she was a baby a year old. The living children 
are named as follows: Vinnie R., wife of A. A. 
Bradley, now living in Kansas; Gus B., married, 
and occupying a farm of his own which adjoins 
the ranch of his father; Cyrus D., Joshua Lo- 
gan. ^'ernice and Benjamin P., attending the 
Agricultural College at Lincoln, Nebraska. The 
three older sons all have homesteads of their own 
in the county, on which they have proved up. 



The whole family are exceedingly bright and 
well educated young people, nearly all having 
been teachers in Deuel county at one time. They 
are a most interesting group, of whom their 
parents are justly proud. 

Politically Mr. Brown is a stanch Republi- 
can, and takes a leading part in local affairs. 
He has built up a fine home and ranch from 
the wild prairie land, and has good buildings, 
timber, etc. 



OTTO PERSO. 



Otto Perso, a prosperous and highly re- 
spected farmer of Davison precinct, Cheyenne 
county, has a well kept and comfortable estate 
in sections 1 and 2, where he has spent many 
years of his career. He owns a ranch consisting 
of eight hundred acres, and is one of the well- 
to-do, progressive farmers and ranchmen of his 
locality. 

Mr. Perso was born in Monroe county, Wis- 
consin, May 16, 1865. His father, Ferdinand 
Perso, a native of Brandenberg, married Mrs. 
Minnie Zibbell, whose husband had died on the 
voyage to America. Otto followed farm work 
and attended the country schools until he came 
west, arriving in Cheyenne county in the fall of 
1886. He immediately filed on a homestead of 
one hundred and sixty acres in section 2, town- 
ship 16, range 50, and proved up on the place, 
and later added to it, until his boundaries en- 
close the acreage above mentioned. He culti- 
vates one hundred and thirty acres, growing 
small grains, and raises considerable stock as 
well, having seventy-five head of cattle and 
a small bunch of horses. He makes a specialty 
of the raising of high-grade Hereford cattle, and 
has some fine animals of this breed at the head 
of his herd. A typical westerner, he is a recog- 
nized authority on stock in his section of the 
country, having had a long experience in ranch- 
ing. His buildings are far above the average 
of western country dwellings and his house is 
furnished in keeping with outward appearance. 
A large stone barn shelters his stock and a new 
granary has a capacity for storing large crops 
of grain. The place is the subject of one of 
our finest illustrations, which will be found on 
another page of this work. 

]\Ir. Perso was married December 12, 1893, 
in Monroe county. Wisconsin, to Miss Emma 
Harr. a daughter of John and Caroline (Slaver) 
Harr, natives of Germany. She was horn and 
reared in La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where 
her father died several years ago, her mother 
st'll living in Wisconsin. Four children have 
been born to our subject and his estimable wife. 



1026 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



•who are named as follows: Edith, Vida, Ralph 
and Edwin, all at home. Mr. Perso was one of 
a family of nine children, seven of whom are 
still living, and Mrs. Perso is one of four- 
teen children, all of whom are living at the 
present writing. 

Mr. Perso is actively awake to the interests 
of his community, and aids materially in its ad- 
vancement along commercial and agricultural 
lines, also taking a keen interest in local and 
coimty politics, voting the Democratic ticket. He 
is a member of the Sidney lodge. Modern Wood- 
men of .-\mer:'ca. and with the family, a mem- 
ber of the ^fethodist church. 



HEXRY SCHURMANN. 

Henry Schurmann, one of the younger resi- 
dents of Brown county. Nebraska, is well known 
as a progressive farmer and worthy citizen of 
his locality. He is a native of Kansas, born at 
Yates Center. November 3, 1881. His father. 
Rudolph Schurmann, was a prominent farmer in 
Dodge county, living for many years about a 
mile and a half east of the town of Scribner, 
coming to this state from Indiana, where he 
was born, his father settling there in the early 
days as an emigrant from Germany and a well 
known Lutheran minister, also following that 
calling at times after locating in Indiana. Our 
subject's mother was born in Germany, coming 
to America about 1870. She was a lady of most 
estimable character and charming personality, 
and her death, which occurred on March 3. 1006. 
was deeply deplored by her devoted family and 
a host of friends. Rudolph Schurmann only 
survived his wife by about one year, when he 
was also laid to rest. 

In 1868 the father of Rudolph Schurmann 
settled in Iowa county. Iowa, and there the lat- 
ter grew to manhood, when he was twenty-one 
leaving his parents' home and emigrating to 
Scribner. Nebraska. He traveled the entire dis- 
tance by team with a covered wagon, camping 
out along the way. the trip taking about ten 
days, and upon reaching Dodge county immedi- 
ately homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, 
which he proved up on. and later relinquished 
on eighty acres, retiring from his farming opera- 
tions in 1806. when he purchased a house in 
Scribner and made that his home until the time 
of his death. He was one of the leading citizens 
of that place, serving as postmaster from 1896 
to 1900 under the McKinley regime. .Xftcr lo- 
cating there he bought a half interest in a meat 
market and later secured the entire business, 
running the establishment for two years then 
sold out. His wife's health was poor much of 



the time, and in 1903 they took a trip to Ger- 
many, leaving in May of that year and returning 
in October. 

Our subject lived at home until he was four- 
teen years of age. then worked out on farms in 
the vicinity for three years, at that time going 
to Casper, Wyoming, where he was employed on 
a sheep ranch owned by P. Xicheleyson. remain- 
ing for one year, then returned to Brown county. 
In the spring of 1900 he rented his brother's 
farm, which lies four and a half miles southwest 
of Ainsworth, harvested one crop, which he sold 
to his brother, then came to Scribner on a visit 
and from here went to Washington and obtained 
the position of night watchman in a saw mill, 
and spent about a year there. He returned to 
Nebraska and worked for Tom Seals on the lat- 
ter's farm near Ainsworth for about one year, 
in the spring of 1903 again entering the em- 
ploy of Squire Jones, helping him trail a herd 
of three hundred cattle to Pierre. South Da- 
kota, and on the return trip bringing seventy- 
five head of horses with them. In July of the 
latter year he began working for Joseph Bishop, 
engaged in farming and was with him until 
April 1. 1904. 

In the spring of 1906. Mr. Schurmann came 
to his present location, in section 15, township 
29. range 22. wh ch at that time was owned by 
his wife's mother. The place contained one hun- 
dred and sixty acres, and to this he has since 
added another quarter section, and has made a 
fine farm of it. He is interested to a large 
extent in grain raising and dairying, having a 
fine herd of cattle, and is making a success of 
his undertakings. The place is improved in 
splendid shape with good buildings, having a 
fine liou.se, large barns and all necessary build- 
ings, including a concrete milk house, barn, 
house and other buildings being supplied with 
running water from two good wells and wind- 
mills, supply tanks, etc. There is a nice grove 
surrounding the residence part of the farm, and 
every convenience, such as telephone service, 
mail route, etc. A view of the place will be 
found elsewhere in this work. 

Mr. Schurmann was married on March 14, 
1906, to Miss Floy E. Hutchinson, born at Kas- 
son, Minnesota, daughter of Qiarles M. Hutch- 
inson and Rosalie Dudley Hutchinson, both na- 
tives of Ohio. Mrs. Schurmann's father was 
a car]ienter. and her childhood days were spent 
in her native state, the familv coming to Ne- 
braska in October. 1900. Mr.' and Mrs. Schur- 
mann arc members of the Lutheran church of 
Scribner, and are hi.ghly esteemed in the com- 
munity. He is a Republican and takes an active 
part in party affairs as well as the general 
advancement of his communitv. 




-gi^-ir 



■N«-^^f* "•b. 



Kl'SlDI-.X'CE OF HENRY SCHURMANN. 
Brown Countv, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF OTTO PERSO, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUIM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1027 



C. H. KUHNS. 

C. H. Kuhns, the popular and efficient post- 
master of Maxwell, and one of the most com- 
petent officials who has ever held that office, is 
also a business man of enterprise and capa- 
bility. 

Mr. Kuhns is a native of Missouri, and came 
to Nebraska in 1872 with his father, Jerry 
Kuhns, from Jasper county, Iowa, who took up 
a tract of land in Fillmore county and began 
farming and building up a home. The family 
remained on this farm for some time, and in 1883 
our subject moved to Lincoln county and ob- 
tained employment as a clerk in one of the 
stores of North Platte, holding this position for 
five years. He was industrious and energetic, 
and kept hard at work, saving his money, and 
in 1894 he opened up an establishment of his 
own in Maxwell. His entire capital was three 
hundred dollars in cash, and although this was 
not a very large start he began in a small way 
and gradually increased his stock and by giving 
the people what they desired and strict honesty 
in all his dealings, built up a thriving trade in 
this and neighboring localities. He now has a 
wide patronage, doing a heavy business with 
the farmers all over Lincoln, Logan and ad- 
joining counties. He now owns the store which 
he occupies, a comfortable modern dwelling 
house, and other town property, and is one of 
the prosperous business men of the town, and a 
worthy citizen. In 1899 he was appointed post- 
master at Maxwell under President McKinley, 
and later re-appointed by President Roosevelt, 
and has faithfully performed his duties in the 
discharge of this work. He also takes an ac- 
tive part in all local commerce and has served 
acceptably the people of his community in acting 
as treasurer of the Maxwell schools for two 
terms. He is also a notary public, having held 
this position for two terms, and has represented 
his locality on the county central committee. 

He was married in 1891 to INIiss Minnie 
Brown, daughter of T. \\'. Brown, who is a 
veteran of the Civil war. serving for four years 
and four months in the Second Kansas Volun- 
teer Cavalry. Three children have been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Kuhns. namely : \'ernon. Ray- 
mond and Martha. 

Mr. Kuhns is a stanch Republican. 



JOHN W. BARTLEY. 

John W. Bartley. residing at Old Indian 
Crossing, on the Snake river, is an old settler 
and highly respected citizen of Cherry county. 
Nebraska, with his home on section 5, township 
30, range 25. 



Mr. Bartley was born on a farm in Boone 
county, Iowa, August 24, 1868, and has spent all 
his life in farming. His father, James Bartlev, 
was an American, of Irish descent, and served in 
a Kansas regiment during the Civil war. He 
married Rebecca Case, a native of Ohio, an4 
they had a family of five children, our subject 
being the third member. At the age of fifteen 
he started out for himself, coming to Holt 
county, Nebraska, where he worked out for two 
years. In 1885 he came to Cherry county, work- 
ing on the Hart ranch, and remained for three 
years, then went to Montana where he followed 
ranching for six years. In 1898 he returned to 
Nebraska and the following year took up his 
present ranch as a homestead, engaging in horse 
raising, later adding a herd of cattle. He keeps 
about seventy-five horses, and seventy-five head 
of cattle, and has been very successful from 
the beginning. Mr. Bartley now owns a section 
of good land, and his mother, who keeps house 
for him, has a claim of four hundred and eighty 
acres lying south of his ranch, which he farms 
for her. He is well satisfied with the result of 
his labors since coming here, and intends to make 
this his home for the future. His entire time 
is devoted to the building up of his home and 
ranch, and although he is interested in local 
afifairs which tend to the development and ad- 
vancement of his locality, he does not take any 
active part in public afifairs. In political affairs 
he is a Democrat, and actively interested in 
the welfare of his party. 



FRANK I. AlEYERS. 

Frank I. Mevers, whose fine farm in Sioux 
county is a credit to his locality, is a man of 
untiring energy, and is classed among the sub- 
stantial agriculturists and ranchmen of the com- 
munitv. He has cleared a wild timber and 
prairie tract and has improved it in good shape, 
now being owner of four hundred and eightv 
acres and classed among the prosperous and 
leading citizens. 

]\Tr. Mevers was born in Fayette county, 
Iowa, in 1866, on a farm. His father, John 
Mevers, was born in Pennsylvania and came 
west, where he was an early settler in Sioux 
county, locating here in 1886, before the rail- 
road was laid through the section, and he was 
obliged to freight from Crawford and Chadron. 
His wife's maiden name was Frances Augerner, 
born in Austria. Our subject was raised in 
Iowa, where he was obliged to help in carrying 
on the home farm, and when he was about nine- 
teen vears of age the family came to eastern Ne- 
braska, locating in Dickson county. He learned 



1028 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXISCEX'CE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the blacksmith's trade, and has worked at it al- 
most constantly all his life,- off and on. Three 
years were spent in Montrose, Sioux county, 
Nebraska, where he had a blacksmith shop, and 
he settled on his present homestead in 1S90, still 
working at his trade, having a shop on his farm, 
which he has run for about eighteen years. He 
also worked hard to develop his farm and build 
up a good home, and succeeded splendidly, ac- 
aimulating a fine property, all of which has been 
gained by his own unaided efforts and strict at- 
tention to duty. He has about forty acres under 
cultivation, raising good crops of small grain, 
and he keeps quite a good deal of stock. Besides 
his homestead, Mr. Meyers has a piece of land 
which -he took under the Kincaid act. his home 
being located on section 15, township 33, range 
54. 

Our subject came to this region with but 
eighteen dollars in money and one horse as capi- 
tal, and from this small beginning he has be- 
come one of the well-to-do men of his locality. 
He has met with some failures, and experienced 
different hardships in building up his home, one 
instance of which was in 1894, when he lost his 
blacksmith shop and all its contents by fire, en- 
tailing a loss of several hundred dollars. How- 
ever, he has rebuilt it, and made manv improve- 
ments since that time. Mr. Meyers has alwavs 
taken an active part in the upbuilding of his 
locality, and his business and social standing is 
beyond question. 



PETER LINGWALL. 

Peter Lingwall, an extensive farmer and 
stock raiser of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, 
makes his home on section 2. township 13, range 
52. He is the owner of six hundred and forty 
acres of land, and has forty head of cattle and 
about fifteen horses, besides quite a good deal of 
smaller stock, on his farm. He cuUivates about 
forty-five acres, raising small grain, and has met 
with remarkable success in his agricultural and 
strxrk raising operations. 

Mr. IJngwall was born in Sweden on Mav 
24, 1849, grew up there and came to .America 
,in 1868, at the age of nineteen years. He first 
settled in Illinois, remained there for about eleven 
years, then came to eastern Nebraska in 1879, 
and after farming there for some >-ears struck 
out for the western i)art of the state, landing in 
Cheyenne county finally in 1889. and settling on 
a school section, located in township 14. range 
52. He has since acquired additional land, and 
his home ranch is now situated in section 2, 
township 13. range 52. He has put up all good 
buildings and improvements, and has a fine prop- 



erty and good ranch. His postoffice is Sidney, 
which is also his nearest trading point. 

Mr. Lingwall was married at Columbus. Ne- 
braska. August 26, 1880, to Anna Prince, and 
they have a family of three children, namely; 
Peter Olaf, now married and living in Potter; 
John, living on the home ranch, and Anna still 
with her parents. The family have a very pleas- 
ant home, and enjoy a host of warm friends and 
are prominent in the affairs of their community. 
Mr. Lingwall is a Republican. 



CAPT. JOHN S. RICHMOND. 

Captain John S. Richmond, one of the enter- 
prising and energetic citizens of Brown county, 
Nebraska, is one of the early settlers of this 
region and has spent many years in building 
up a good home and farm for himself, while 
aiding materially in developing the agricultural 
and commercial resources of his locality. 

Mr. Richmond was born in Middletown, 
Butler county, Ohio, November 25, 1838. His 
father, Sheldon Richmond, was a wool carder 
by trade, born in Montpelier, Vermont, and his 
mother, Elizabeth Currick, a Kentuckian, was 
bom near Covington. There was a family of 
five children, our subject being the third member. 
He was reared in his native state, the family 
moving to Indiana, near Valparaiso, in Porter 
county, about 1848. and later to La Porte county, 
where they were among the pioneer settlers. In 
1856 they moved to Sangamon county. Illinois, 
near Old Berlin. .\t the breaking out of the 
Civil war our subject enlisted in Company I, 
Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the first 
company accepted and sent into service from the 
state. He saw service at Chattanooga, Nash- 
ville, \'icksburg. Savannah and through the 
Carolinas. and then went to Washington where 
his company was color company with the flag 
wreathed in flowers at the grand review. He 
was wounded in battle near Atlanta, being hit 
with a twelve-pound shell, rendering him im- 
conscious and kee])iug him in the hospital for a 
month. A comrade throwing the shell out of 
the breastworks before it burst was all that saved 
the lives of many of them. During the time he 
served as a soldier he had risen from a private 
to be captain of the company, and earned the 
reputation of .a brave and faithful loader. He 
was mustered out at Louisville anil discharged at 
Springfield. 

After the war Mr. Richmond went back to 
Illinois, and was married December 20, 1866. to 
Miss Jennie Parker, a native of Sangamon 
county, Illinois. Three children were born of 
this uninn. namely: Lou, wile of George A. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1029 



Fairman, a druggist in Ainsworth ; John F., in 
the drug business at Salt Lake, Utah, and Henri- 
etta, deceased. The mother died July 24, 1894. 
In 1873 the subject came to Nebraska, settling in 
Saline county, where the family was among the 
pioneers. There he farmed until 1884. when he 
came to Brown county for the purpose of en- 
gaging in stock raising. Here he settled on a 
homestead in section 32, township 30, range 24, 
and built the first frame house south of Johns- 
town and dug the first well in that vicinity which 
is kept intact today as it was when first dug, 
including the buckets twenty-four years old. He 
now has a ranch of six hundred and forty acres, 
cultivating one hundred acres of this and the rest 
is in pasture and grass land. He engages prin- 
.cipally in stock raising, and has built up a good 
home and farm. 

Mr. Richmond is prominent in politics, a 
strong Republican, and always attends .the 
county and state conventions as a delegate for 
his party. In 1888 he was elected county com- 
missioner and served one term. He is a member 
of the Grand Army of the Republic, although 
the charter of the post at Johnstown was sur- 
rendered because of lack of membership. 



PETER LEEF. 



Peter Leef, a progressive farmer of Deuel 
county, resides on the northwest quarter, sec- 
tion 26, township 14, range 44. He is the owner 
of a fine tract of land, and is a gentleman of un- 
tiring energy, perseverance and strict integrity, 
who well merits his success and high standing 
as a citizen. 

Our subject was born in Sweden. December 
7, 1843. lived there until he was a young man 
twentv-five years of age, then came to America, 
landing in New York city on July 14, 1868. and 
coming to Knox county, Illinois, where he lived 
for fourteen years, working as a coal miner and 
farmer. Froiti there he moved to Iowa, re- 
mained for five years, then came to Nebraska, 
settling in Deuel county in March, 1887. He 
immediately filed on a homestead on section 30, 
township 14, range 43. proved up and succeeded 
in improving the land in good shape. He later 
took additional land and now lives on section 26, 
township 14, range 44, owning the entire west 
half of the section. He has erected good build- 
ings of all kinds, put up fences, built wells and 
planted a large number of trees on his ranch, 
and has one of the best equipped farms and 
ranches in the vicinity. He has about ninety 
acres cultivated, and runs quite a bunch of cat- 
tle and horses. 

Mr. Leef is an old-timer on the table land, 



being one of the first to settle in the locality, 
and since his arrival here has taken an active 
part in the development of the community, pass- 
ing through all the pioneer experiences and hard- 
ships that fell to the lot of the early settlers. He 
went through the hard years when he was hardly 
able to make a living, but stuck to his farm, 
and is now reaping the reward of his many years 
of perseverance and faithful effort. 

Mr. Leef was married in Sweden in the 
spring of 1868, shortly before striking out for 
the new world, taking as his bride Miss Martie 
Seastrom. Together they crossed the sea to 
seek a competence and build up a home. They 
have had a family of seventeen children, nine 
of whom are now living, named as follows : 
Martie Christina, wife of Otto Amberg, they 
residing on a ranch adjoining our subject's ; 
Amanda, married to \\'illiam Moon, living in 
Denver, Colorado ; Jennie, now Mrs. Pat Mar- 
vin, residing at Julesburg, Colorado; Emma, 
wife of Charles Frogd, of Julesburg, Colorado; 
Annie, wife of Swan Friskopp, living in Deuel 
county ; John, single ; Eric, married, also living 
in this county ; Ida, single, and Albine, the two 
latter living at home. Mr. Leef is a stanch Re- 
publican, and is deeply interested in local and 
national afifairs. 



CHARLES W. WRIGHT. 

One of the best appearing farms in Loup 
county, one that pleases the eye and shows evi- 
dence of the most intelligent care, is that of 
Charles W. Weight. The passer-by never fails 
to note the fine orchard, the forest trees growing 
on this farm, and the comfortable residence. As . 
an old settler Mr. Wright has done his share in 
advancing the interests of the county and he 
is referred to as one of the thrifty old timers. 

Charles W. Wright was born in Miami 
county, Ohio, in 1854, and was the son of 
\\'illiam B. and Samantha (Tutt) Wright, the 
former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of 
()hio. 

Charles W. Wright remained at home assist? 
ing in the work on his father's farm in Miami 
county, Ohio, until 1878. when he came west to 
Nebraska, engaging in farming in Nemaha 
county. In 1883 he came to what is now Loup 
county, before the village of Taylor was started 
and even before the organization of Loup 
county. He located a homestead two miles 
southwest of where Taylor now stands, put up 
a sod house and lived alone and "batched"- for 
the first ten years, the nearest railroad town 
being North Loup, sixty or seventy miles dis- 
tant. Mr. \\Tight experienced all the discour- 
agements of pioneer life, but he fought them all 



1030 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR-APHY 



successfully. When he came he had to drive 
across country from the distant town of Tecum- 
seh, in Johnson county, Nebraska. He well re- 
members the county seat fights that have vexed 
the people of Loup county and his participation 
in the making of that interesting history. The 
drouth years were years of hardship for the pio- 
neers and Mr. Wright had his trouble with the 
rest of his neighbors : one year a total failure 
of crops and several years when the loss was 
only partial. But his pluck and industry brought 
him success, as is evidenced by his finely im- 
proved farm of three hundred and twenty acres 
all thoroughly fenced on all road lines and also 
with cross fences. Mr. Wright sold out his per- 
sonal property a few j'ears ago and went to the 
Pacific coast, but returned to Loup county, 
saying it was good enough for him. 

Charles W. ^\'right was married in the year 
1893 to Miss Lillian Adams, whose father, Henry 
W. Adams, is an old settler of Loup county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wright have three children: 
Henry. Frank and Cecil, all at school and at 
home making an interesting family group. 



ELI E. LEWIS. 



One of the pioneers of Keith county who 
has attained marked success is Eli E. Lewis. 
]Mr. Lewis was born in Springfield, Illinois, 
April 12. 1849, his father being Henry Lewis, 
a farmer by occupation and a native of the east, 
probabh' V'irginia ; he died when Eli was only 
four years old ; his mother, India Slater, was 
a native of Indiana. 

Mr. Lewis received his early training on 
farms in Illinois, going to Fulton about 1866 
where he lived until he was about twenty-six 
years of age. In 1875 he came to Iowa, settling 
in Cass county, in an entirely new country, where 
he was one of the first of the pioneers. He made 
his home in Iowa for about eight years, remov- 
ing thence to Colorado and later to Carbondale, 
Kansas, where he became salesman for a coal 
company: after two years, he moved to Keith 
tounty, Nebraska, in 188.^ and thus became one 
of Nebraska's pioneers. He built a sod shanty 
on his wild prairie farm and commenced opera- 
tions in the primitive way of the pioneer; this 
proved to be across the line on another tract of 
land : he moved his dwelling and found him- 
self after a careful survey within a few feet of 
the line, so he built im a third site before he 
found a permanent abiding place. For six 
months he "batched it" on his homestead, and 
was then married to Miss Ella Graham, whose 
father, James Graham, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, was a farmer and pioneer of Iowa and 



came to Nebraska with the first settlers ; the 
mother was Lovina McCracken, also a native 
of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Lew-is have 
had two children : Mary, now teaching in their 
home district, and Charles, who assists his 
father in the work on the ranch. In December, 
1908, Mr. Lewis bought four hundred and 
eighty acres in the daughter's name, compris- 
ing the east half of section 27 and the south- 
east quarter of section 21, township 16, range 41. 
Mr. Lewis has worked faithfully to achieve 
success and has accomplished things in a mas- 
terful way. He broke forty acres of land in 
1886 and tried farming, but owing to drouth 
and crop failures he concluded that he could do 
better at stock raising. And this has been his 
policy ever since. He has a fine ranch of one 
thousand two hundred and eighty acres along 
Clear creek, but he cultivates only about 
eighty acres of land, devoting the balance to 
pasturage and hay. Mr. Lewis has certainly 
performed well his share in the advancement of 
the community in which he lives. He has held 
the office of assessor and overseer and has 
been school director for twelve years. In po- 
litical sentiment he is Republican. 



EDWARD J. SCHILL. 

Edward J. Schill, a prosperous and much 
respected farmer of Sheridan county, Ne- 
braska, is a man of progressive ideas and good 
business judgment, well known throughout the 
locality in which he resides as a citizen of true 
worth. 

Mr. Schill was born in (Ontario. Canada, in 
1866, and raised on his father's farm there. He 
is a son of Joseph Schill, a native of Germany. 
His mother, who was Miss Margaret Martin, is 
a native of Canada, of German descent. When 
our subject was eighteen years of age he came 
to the United States and struck out for the 
west, stopping in Indiana, where he spent two 
years engaged in farming. He drifted along 
farther west, and in 1886 landed in this county, 
putting in the next few years railroading 
through the western part of the state. During 
one summer he worked on a railroad in Colo- 
rado, and then took a homestead in section 29, 
township 28, range 46, in Sheridan county, liv- 
ing on this through the winter and working out 
on ranches during the summer months. In 
1890 he started in farming for himself, raised 
a fair crop, also got a good crop the following 
year, remained here up to 1896, when he left 
the farm and came to the sand hills. By this 
time he and a brother had gotten together about 
eiglity head of stock, having purchased them in 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1031 



the fall of 1895, and they tried farming and 
stock raising. In this venture he met with fair 
success. He then settled in the sand hills 
permanently, and since locating here has de- 
voted his entire attention to stock raising, keep- 
ing both cattle and horses, running altogether 
about four hundred and fifty head. He does 
most of the work on the ranch himself, but is 
obliged to hire men during haying time to as- 
sist him in putting this up. He is doing well, 
and is satisfied with the locality, intending to 
remain here until he has more money than he 
needs and is not obliged to work. He has 
plenty of hay and grazing land for his stock 
here, and leases a portion of his range land. 

Mr. Schill was married in 1902 to J\Iiss 
Nann Blair, a native of Illinois, born in 1881, 
daughter of David Blair, who came to Illinois 
from Pennsylvania in 1866, and later settled in 
eastern Nebraska, coming to this county in 1892. 
The postoffice in Mr. Schill's locality is named 
after him. He is not a party man and does 
not take any active part in political affairs, but 
votes for the best man. 



PAUL \\'UNDER. 

While the gentleman whose name heads this 
personal history is one of -the early settlers of 
Sioux county, Nebraska, he is a comparatively 
young man, and for the time he has been en- 
gaged in the farming and ranching business he 
has succeeded admirably, and is now one of the 
well-to-do and progressive men of his locality. 
Mr. Wunder has always lived with his father 
and assisted in the operation of the latter's ex- 
•^ensive estate, and has, since the death of Mr. 
Wunder, Sr.. on July 17, 1902, assumed entire 
control of his property, which he has managed to 
the best advantage, and is rapidly coming to 
the front as one of the foremost residents of his 
county. He lives on his Kincaid homestead and 
manages his father's estate on section 11. town- 
ship 33, range 54. 

Paul Wunder was born in Illinois in 1875. 
His father, Andrew, was a native of Germany, 
grew up and was married there in 1865 to Miss 
Barbara Wunder, who is now seventy years of 
age and quite active. They raised a familv of 
six children, as follows :• iVIaggie, Kate, Peter, 
Paul, Frank and Henry, and also Kate and 
Peter, both deceased. After they had been mar- 
ried three years Mr. and Mrs. Wunder came 
to America, settling in Illinois, where the father 
followed farming for about nine years, then 
moved to Iowa and farmed there for eight vears. 
Paul growing up in that state. They next came 
to Platte county, Nebraska, and farmed for two 



years, and in 1888 ianded in Sioux county, set- 
tling on what is now their home ranch. Here 
they built a small log house and occupied it for 
many years, going through all the pioneer ex- 
periences in developing their farm, meeting with 
many discouragements and failures in getting 
started. They saw many hard times, losing 
crops, then gave up trying to farm and began 
m the cattle business, which has proven very 
successful. The ranch now contains twelve 
hundred and forty acres, all fenced and cross- 
fenced, and with good buildings and improve- 
ments. There are about fifty acres under culti- 
vation, on which good crops are raised. 

When Mr. Wunder first located here he 
landed at Harrison, coming over the Chicago 
& Northwestern railroad, and settled here at 
once, where he commenced to improve his claim. 
Mr. Wunder is a strong Democrat in his political 
views. 



ROBERT H. WALTZ. 

Robert H. Waltz, one of the prosperous and 
successful citizens of Chadron, Dawes county. 
Nebraska, has lived in this vicinity for the past 
many years, and is well known as' a good busi- 
ness man and progressive agriculturist, and has- 
done his full share in the development of his 
locality. 

Mr. Waltz is a native of Harrison county, 
Missouri, born in 1857. His father, William 
Waltz, was a farmer and old settler in Dawes 
county, coming here in 1885. He was born in 
Germany, and was married in Ohio to Susan 
Swan, of American blood, born in Ohio. Our 
subject was reared in Missouri, where he helped 
his parents in the farm work and attended the 
country schools during his boyhood, and in 1885 
came to this county by team from Valentine, and 
after he had been here for six months was joined 
by his father. He had camped out at night 
during this time, and many nights slept through 
severe snow storms. He located on section 9, 
township 33. range 48, near Chadron. The 
family lived in a tent at 'first, and put up the 
best log house in his region, of commodious size 
—eighteen by twenty feet and one and a half 
story high. This house is still in good condition 
and it is the intention of Mr. Waltz to pre- 
serve it as a reminder of the early days he 
spent here. He built up a go?i home and 'farm, 
owning twelve hundred and eightv acres in all, 
and has thirty acres of irrigated land. He moved 
to his farm in section 15 in 1900, and has good 
buildings and all improvements, and everythino- 
in good shape. His house is fitted with'every 
modern convenience, with the water piped 
through the place. He has been engaged in the 



103: 



COiMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ice business for some years past, and made a 
great success of it. His farm extends along the 
Bordeaux creek for about a mile, and three- 
quarters of a mile on Pope creek, so he has 
plenty of water front to supply ice for his busi- 
ness. He has built up a nice property, but has 
also been through many hard times, and now 
deserves the success which he has attained. In 
the fall of 1891 he was burned out, losing his 
barn, grain, horses and machinery, which was a 
severe loss to him at that time. On May 26, 
1908, Mr. Waltz had a severe wind storm which 
blew his barn down and also his ice house, but 
he has erected fine ones in their stead. He is 
a hard man to down and never gives up. 

Mr. \\'altz was married in the fall of 1885, 
to Miss Ida Brown, daughter of Austin Brown, 
an old timer in California and Missouri. Air. 
and Mrs. Waltz have three children, namely : 
Renny and Ralph, twins; and Harvey, the for- 
mer being the first pair of twins born in Dawes 
county. Mr. Waltz has given his children 
every advantage and they are all well educated. 

Although Mr. Waltz is a stanch Democrat 
he has never had the time to devote to public 
matters, but lends his influence to the building 
up of his home community and giving his whole 
energy to the work of carrying on his farm and 
home. 



JOHN JENIK. 



John Jenik, a progressive and enterprising 
fanner, is one of tlie early settlers of Cheyenne 
county. He went onto a wild prairie tract, 
and has succeeded in building up one of the valu- 
able estates of the locality, and is considered one 
of the substantial agriculturists of his com- 
munity. He has been intimately identified with 
the development of that region and has gained 
an enviable rej^ntation as a citizen. 

Mr. Jenik was born in Bohemia, May 3, 1865, 
and came to America when ten years of age, 
witii his parents. The family settled in Wash- 
ington county. Kansas, remained for quite a 
number of years, and he helped his father build 
up a good home in that state. In 1887 he came 
to Cheyenne county. Nebraska, locating on a 
homestead in section 6. township 13. range 47, 
and after several years sold out that place and 
purchased his present farm in section 14. con- 
sisting of one hundred and sixty acres. He has 
since added to this, and is now proprietor of 
eight hundred acres in all, of which he cultivates 
about seventy acres, and runs about fifty head of 
cattle and ten horses. He has erected good build- 
ings of all descriptions on his ranch, has it all 
fenced, and is doing splendidly in his grain and 
stock raising oi>erations. 



Mr. Jenik was married to Miss Annie Koles, 
on April 19. 1892, in Cheyenne county. Mrs. 
Jenik was born in Marshall county, Kansas, the 
23d day of August, 1872, and came to Chey- 
enne county the same year she married our 
subject. Her mother is still living in Kansas, 
and the father is dead. Mr. Jenik's father and 
mother still live on the home ranch on section 
12. To Mr. and Mrs. Jenik have been bom 
the following children : Annie, Victoria, John 
and Angeline Odessa, all at home, and they are 
a charming and interesting group. 

Mr. Jenik is a Republican politically, and 
takes an active part in all local public affairs. 
He has served as road overseer in district No. 
2. and is school director of district No. 144. 



OLR'ER J. HYDE. 

Probably one of the best known former resi- 
dents of Keya Paha county is the gentleman 
above named, who has retired and is now living 
in Ainsworth, where he has a comfortable and 
pleasant home, highly esteemed by his fellow- 
men. Mr. Hyde is also a carpenter by trade, 
and has worked in this line all over the county. 
Mr. Hyde was horn in Crawford county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1831. His father, Joseph Hyde, of 
English descent, was born in Connecticut, and 
all his life followed farm work, and he married 
Miss Amanda Jinks, also a native of Connecti- 
cut. They had a family of si.x children, our sub- 
ject being the fifth in order of birth, and at the 
age of mine years he started to make his own 
way in the world, obtaining employment as a 
sailor on the lake boats and continuing at this 
business for six years, then worked on the canal 
for three years. He learned the carpenter's trade 
in Erie, Pennsylvania, when he was eighteen, and 
from that time on almost constantly followed that 
work. He has followed his trade in thirteen 
■States in the Union, and is a thorough master 
of his business. He moved from Pennsylvania 
to Indiana, then to Wisconsin, where he en- 
listed in 1863 in Company F, First W'isconsin 
Cavalry, serving for a year and a half. 

.At the close of the war he located in Iowa 
and worked as a carpenter, next went to Wash- 
ington where he spent a year and a half, then 
returned to Iowa. In 1883 he came to Keya 
Paha county, settling on section 8, township 32, 
range 22. and has made that his hoine ever since. 
The second year he lived on the place he planted 
a fine grove of trees around his home, carrying 
some of them from the river. The place is now 
well timliered with young growing trees. He 
has a few orchard trees, most of which are small 
fruit. He has lived through some of the hardest 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMIXIbCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1033 



times of the country, but has only lost one en- 
tire crop since coming here. He had some fine 
farming land, and his corn crop averaged about 
thirty-fi\e bushels per acre. His farm consisted 
of two hundred and eighty acres, and of this 
he farmed sixty-five acres, using the balance for 
hay and pasture. Besides farming Mr. Hyde 
has built some of the first buildings in Ains- 
worth, and has the distinction of having erected 
the first church ever put up there. 

Mr. Hyde was married in 1857 to Miss Abi- 
gail L. Bowerman, born in the same county our 
subject was, in 1838. To them have been born 
the following" children : Estelle, Abbie, Anna 
and Cleo, the last three named married and set- 
tled near the old home. 

In February Mr. Hyde sold his farm and in 
May he removed to Ainsworth, where he is en- 
joying a well earned rest after years of an active 
and successful life. An interesting event, and 
one enjoyed but by very few in this life of vm- 
certainties, was the celebration by Mr. and Mrs. 
Hyde of their golden wedding anniversary on 
November 19, 1908. Mr. Hyde is one of the 
leading old-timers of this section of the state, 
and has taken an active part in the development 
and growth of his locality. He is a Republican. 



GUSTAV JOCHEM. 

One of the prominent and successful younger 
ranchmen of Blaine county. Nebraska, is the 
gentleman whose name heads this review. He 
was born in West Prussia, Germany, in J879. 
His father, John Jochem, was a native of the 
fatherland and served in the German army. The 
mother's maiden name was Wilhelmina Bom- 
gaardt. In 1881 the family emigrated from 
their native land, coming to America, lived for 
a time in New York city, and from thence they 
went to Kendall county, Illinois, where they re- 
mained for about five years. Tfience they re- 
m.oved to Omaha, whence, after about a year, 
they moved to Blaine county, Nebraska, settling 
on a homestead in what is known as German 
^'allev. This was in the early days of 1887, and 
our subject became one of the pioneers of the 
territory, and with the family he experienced all 
the hardships that usually come to pioneer life. 

Mr. Jochem was married in 1902 to Miss 
Louise Schipporeit. daughter _of Christian Schip- 
poreit, one of the old settlers of Blaine county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jochem have been blessed with 
four children : Edwin. Oscar, Freda and Louise. 

In 1901 our subject started out for himself, 
and by hard work and good management has 
established himself on a fine financial basis and 
he has a splendid ranch home. In 1903 he took 



a homestead on section 9, township 24, range 22, 
and made this the nucleus of the farm he now 
occupies. He owns eight hundred acres and 
leases and operates a school section of six hun- 
dred and forty acres. His ranch is well im- 
proved with good house, barns, fences, well and 
windmill. He has a large grove started and an 
orchard of fruit trees, with a variety of small 
fruits. 

Mr. Jochem has been moderator of his school 
district and has held other positions of trust and 
responsibility in his community, having won the 
high regard of his associates by his public spirit 
and enterprise. He has done his part toward the 
material development of the locality in which he 



EDWARD R. WESTING. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
well known residents of Adams county,' Ne- 
braska, an extensive land owner and promi- 
nent stockman of his locality. He is a man 
of excellent business capacity, broad mind and 
energetic character, and has exerted his in- 
fluence for many years past in the upbuilding 
of the community of Heartwell, where he made 
his home up to 1908, and is held in the high- 
est esteem by his fellowmen. \^^ith his fam- 
ily Mr. Westing occupies a beautiful home in 
Hastings. 

Mr. Wresting was born in Grant county, 
Wisconsin, and raised there. His father, Wil- 
liam Westing, was a farmer and an old set- 
tler in that state, his death occurring there 
in 1874. In 1891 our subject came to Nebraska, 
accompanied by his brothers, Samuel A., now 
of Kenesaw, and Charles, of Grant county, Ne- 
braska, all three brothers now being large land 
owners. All own extensive ranches and en- 
g-age in farming and the stock business. Our 
subject bought a tract of four hundred acres 
()f land in 1890 located just west of the* town 
of Heartwell, section 17. He resided on this 
place for eight years, then left and spent one 
year in California, but returned in 1899 and 
erected a fine residence in Heartwell, where 
he lived until 1908. He has added to his acre- 
age of his farm right along since first com- 
ing here, and is now owner of about three 
thousand acres in Kearney county. He has 
been engaged in raising, buying and shipping 
high-grade cattle and hogs all this time, and 
for a number of years bought at Heartwell 
Station as a shipper. He now feeds from one 
hundred to two hundred cattle each year, be- 
sides from two hundred to four hundred hogs. 
He also farms a large part of his land, and 
feeds his crop all out, besides being obliged 



1034 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



to buy about ten thousand bushels of corn 
each year to run his stock on. In the spring 
of 1907 Mr. Westing had in his herd three 
steers which weighed a total of six thousand 
pounds, also twenty-nine head averaging sev- 
enteen hundred pounds each, and he has the 
distinction of being one of the foremost stock- 
men in this section of the country. He thinks 
Kearney county one of the best farming and 
stock counties in the world, as there is so 
much corn raised right at home and plenty 
to be had at all times, while the market holds 
about steady all the time and never gets wild. 
Tliere is a good deal of hay raised here, too. 
which makes it easy for the large stock feed- 
ers, and Mr. Westing has many acres devoted 
to hay land and raises all he feeds on his 
farm. 

Our subject was married in 1894 to Miss 
Jennie Moon, daughter of George Moon, a well 
known citizen of Easton township, this county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Westing have two children, El- 
mer, aged eleven, and Hazel, eight years of 
age. Mr. Westing's father and mother were 
both natives of Germany, who came to this 
country when quite young and settled in Ohio, 
and later moved to Wisconsin. 

For many years Mr. Westing was justice 
of the peace here, also was a member of the 
town board for a number of years. He has 
served on the school board of Heartwell for 
several years. 

In 1908 Mr. Westing bought property in 
the College addition to Hastings and has erect- 
ed a fine residence, where he makes his home. 



SIMOX P. \MTTERS. 

Simon P. A\'itters, one of the prominent 
ranchmen of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, is 
one of the well known old-timers of that re- 
gion, -having located in western Nebraska dur- 
ing the early part of its development, and be- 
ginning with very little except his strong hands 
and brave heart to build up a home and ac- 
cumulate a competence from a tract of prairie 
land. He has succeeded remarkably well in 
his dififerent enterprises, and is now one of 
the leading citizens of his community. 

Mr. Witters was born in Hancock county. 
Ohio, r)n January 18, 1854. When he was two 
years old his parents moved to Tippecanoe 
county, Indiana, where they lived for about 
thirteen years in ^^■ea township. Our sub- 
ject received the education usual to the youth 
of those times and was of great help to his 
father on the home farm during his boyhood. 

Our subject came to Nebraska in Febru- 



ary, 1885, settling in York county, and lived 
there for about a year, then came on to Chey- 
enne county, filing on a homestead in section 
4. township 14, range 48, which is now the 
home ranch. He has since added considerable 
land to the original homestead, owning in all 
at the present time eleven hundred and twenty 
acres, and has it well improved. He engages 
principally in ranching, although he has about 
one hundred and twenty acres under cultiva- 
tion. The ranch is stocked with a large herd 
of cattle, Mr. Witters being well known as a 
breeder of Hereford stock, of which he has 
some fine specimens on his place. 

A view of the dwelling, together with a 
drawing of the original "soddy," is to be found 
elsewhere in this work. 

On December 27, 1881, Mr. Witters was 
married to Miss Lizzie Whisler, in Tippecanoe 
county, Indiana, she born in Ross county, 
Ohio, November 14, 1858. Our subject's par- 
ents, John and Nancy A. (Kraft) Witters, are 
both dead, but his wife's father and mother, 
Jacob and ]\Iartha (Cummins) Whisler, are 
now living in Cheyenne county, having set- 
tled here in 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Witters are 
the parents of five children, namely: Alva 
O.. who married Viola Clark, is now living in 
Colorado and is the father of one child ; Ger- 
trude, wife of Milo E. Webster, resides in 
Cheyenne county, west of Dalton ; Newton E., 
Harry E. and John L., living on the home 
ranch. The family have a pleasant and com- 
fortable home, and are highly esteemed by 
their associates. 

Many and varied have been the experiences 
of Mr. -Witters since coming to Nebraska. 
As late as the fall of 1890 there was consid- 
erable uneasiness on account of Indian trou- 
bles. This occurred at a time when the men 
were away at work, and the women and chil- 
dren were alone. 

Mr. Witters has been most successful in 
his ranching enterprises since locating here, 
and also has taken an active part in the public 
welfare of his community. He is a Repub- 
lican and prominent in party affairs in the 
county, state and nation. The family are 
members of the Methodist church. Mr. Wit- 
ters affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of 
.\merica at Sidnev. 



ISA.\C NEWTON KNOWLES. 

Isaac Newton Knowles, one of the active 
and hustling citizens of Rock county, Ne- 
braska, has a homestead farm in Harrison pre- 
cinct and is numbered among the prosperous 




RESIDEX'CE OF I. X. KXOWLES, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF S. P. WITTERS, 
Chevenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1035 



agriculturists of this portion of the state. He 
passed through pioneer days and though suf- 
fering much from the drouth, never lost cour- 
age or faith in the future of the country round- 
about him. He was always ready to turn his 
hand to any honorable work that he might 
earn his living, and became quite noted as 
a house mover in the seasons when the earth 
was burning brown and bare under a blazing 
sky and rainless clouds, and farming was not 
to be contemplated. 

Mr. Knowles was born on a farm in Gib- 
son county, Indiana, August 15, 1854, a son 
of William and Cynthia (Kimball) KnowleB, 
both of whom came of old American stock, 
and inherited the best traditions of a Penn- 
sylvania ancestry. He has two full brothers 
and three sisters and one brother of half blood, 
and was the second born in this family. Reared 
and educated in his Indiana home, he had a 
thorough training in such work as was com- 
mon to a wooded country — cut trees, grubbed 
stumps, made rails, split boards and grew up 
into a strong and sturdy manhood. 

Mr. Knowles was married October 1, 1879, 
to Miss Mary Allen, whose parents were born 
in Ireland. Her father, John Allen, was a life- 
long farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Knowles were 
born the following children : Andrew, Charles, 
Cynthia, John, Joe and Newton. While in 
Indiana they lived on a rented farm, though 
Mr. Knowles had bought a small tract of land. 
It was difficult to meet the conditions of suc- 
cess in so old a country, and in 1886 the 
Knowles family is found in Rock county, Ne- 
braska, where they bought a farm one mile 
north of Long Pine. It was a quarter section 
of desirable land and has proved a very re- 
munerative investment. During four years 
Mr. Knowles was overwhelmed by the drouth, 
and lost all his crops. Later on he came to 
his present farm and made a homestead entry on 
section 12, township 30, range 20, on which 
he has put all the improvements — house, barn, 
granaries, trees and other necessities. At this 
writing (1906) he owns four hundred and 
eighty acres, and in addition is cultivating an- 
other half section. He makes horse breeding 
a specialty, and has some seventy or eighty 
horses and mules on the place. He is milking 
about twenty cows, and is widely known as 
one of the best dairy and stockmen of Ne- 
braska. In political matters he has affiliated 
with the Populist party in former years, and 
takes a keen interest in whatever concerns the 
general welfare of his home and country. He 
affiliates with the Modern \\^oodmen and with 
his family is a member of the General Baptist 
church. A view of the familv home and sur- 



roundings is presented in another part of this 
work. 



WILLIAM M. HARNAN. 

\\illiam M. Harnan was born in Peoria 
county, Illinois, October 12, 1868. He is a 
son of William and Mary (Halligan) Harnan, 
both born in Ireland. The former came to 
America in the forties, settling in Illinois, and 
later located near Grand Island, Nebraska, 
where he started farming, but owing to drouths 
and grasshopper raids he lost nearly every- 
thing he had. His wife's death occurred in 
November, 1893, and he survived her only 
five years, leaving a family of eleven chil- 
dren, of whom our subject is the tenth mem- 
ber. 

Mr. Harnan came to Cherry county in 1889, 
locating on Mud Lake, taking a homestead and 
living on this for six years. In 1894 he bought 
his present home and has been engaged in the 
cattle business ever since settling here. When 
he started in he had only twenty-seven dol- 
lars, and for several years he and" his broth- 
ers "batched it" on the ranch, he always act- 
ing in the capacity of cook for the outfit. He 
endured some hard times during the early 
days, losing considerable stock in blizzards 
and from other causes, but he gradually got 
ahead and is now owner of a ranch of four hun- 
dred acres of deeded land and a homestead of 
four hundred and eighty acres. He keeps 
about three hundred head of stock on the 
place and gives them good shelter. He is liv- 
ing in a sod house at present, but by the time 
of the publication of this volume will have a 
commodious residence of concrete blocks. In 
1898 ]\Ir. Harnan moved to property near 
Bassett, Rock county, and remained there, 
farming for about three years, and then re- 
turned to Cherry county. leaving two brothers 
on the Rock county farm. 

Air. Harnan was married December 26, 
1900. to Miss Mary M. Russell, born in Whit- 
ing, Iowa, in 1876. Her parents moved to 
Nebraska in the spring of 1890. the father los- 
ing his life by accident the following Septem- 
ber. The mother has a claim adjoining her 
daughter's home, which comprises some highly 
valuable land. 

Since coming to this locality our subject 
has done exceedingly well, although he has 
had many discouragements and losses at dif- 
ferent times. He now has a fine farm and comfort- 
able home overlooking the beautiful valley of 
Snake river. He takes an active interest in 
all matters of local interest and is always 
readv to do his share toward advancing the 



1036 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



interests of his community. Politically he is 
an independent voter, always casting his vote 
for the best man on the ticket. Fraternally 
he holds membership in the Modern Woodmen 
of America. 



J. V. .AND D. HARRISON. 

The above named gentlemen are among the 
well known residents of Indianola, Nebraska, 
the former being at the head of the live stock 
business of Harrison & Harrison, and full man- 
ager of the same, while the last named is man- 
ager of their merchandise store in this city. 

Messrs. Harrison are natives of County 
Donegal. Ireland, and came to the United 
States when young men. and were raised on 
their father's farm, where they were engaged 
in the breeding of pure bred Shorthorn cat- 
tle. In 1885 they went into the ranching busi- 
ness, also opening a general merchandise es- 
tablishment in Indianola. On their ranch thej' 
handled several hundred grade cattle, but in 
1892 closed these out and went in for a pure 
bred Angus herd, starting without any ex- 
perience in this line, buying a small herd of 
these cattle in Kansas, and soon after bought 
another herd in Iowa, and a few years later 
purchased a herd in eastern Nebraska. This 
made a herd of two hundred registered cat- 
tle, and they now have one hundred fine ani- 
mals, most of them being Blackbirds. Erickes. 
Prides. Queen Mothers and Barbaras, all from 
the very best strains. The first four men- 
tinned are the best Angus strains in the world. 
This firm has raised more good Queen Moth- 
ers and Barbaras than any other breed. Their 
sales have been at best prices, and at the 
first combination sale they topped three out 
of five, receiving two hundred and fifty flol- 
lars for one cow. They sell bulls at their farm, 
receiving one hundred and one hundred and 
fifty dollars for an animal as a yearling or un- 
der, and their cows are sold when about two 
years of age. Every man who comes to their 
place is pleased with the stock and never goes 
away without purchasing. They ask a rea- 
sonable price, and insist on getting it, never 
cutting tlie established figure. They have sold 
stock to parties all over Colorado. Kansas, 
Inwa. Minnesota and the Dakotas. but mostly 
in Iowa and Nebraska. Two years ago they 
sold thirty-eight bulls within a radius of fifty 
miles from their home. They keep in touch 
witii conditions at tlic home and foreign mar- 
kets, take rec(5rds of prices at the Chicago 
market, whicli competes with the world, and 
in this manner know just exactly how things 
are going all over the country. They have 



found that the Angus cattle are the best for 
beef in quality, weight and prices obtained at 
all times, and hence are the best grade for 
the farmer. At the present time their herd 
is headed by an imported Pride bull, which 
was the first selection out of fifty head im- 
ported by Charles Esher, of Irwin. Iowa. He 
was bred in England, and is called Squire of 
Theskston. Their second herd bull, Scotch Eric, 
a Trogan Erico, was bred by the noted breed- 
er, L. McWhorter, of Aledo, Illinois. The get 
of Squire Theskston proves that he is one of 
the best bulls at the head of any herd, and 
has a remarkable record as a sire. On their 
ranch of one thousand acres situated half a 
mile from Indianola they keep their cattle, 
which is called the Alfalfa herd, being one of 
the best herds in Nebraska. Only a short time 
ago Harrison & Harrison refused one hundred 
dollars per acre for the part of this ranch 
which lies near Indianola. On this they have 
eighty acres of alfalfa and are constantly in- 
creasing it. with the aim of raising enough tc 
feed their cattle. They recently made a trip 
to Iowa and purchased five Blackbird cows, 
paying as high as five hundred dollars for 
one animal, which they added to their herd. 
The firm is starting in the horse business now, 
beginning with registered Percheron mares, 
and they recently sold two of these mares for 
eleven hundred dollars. They always have on 
hand some of the best trotting stock of the 
Morgan-A\'ilkes and Electioneer strains, one 
of which sold in Omaha for the round sum of 
one thousand dollars, and also have a num- 
ber of fine ponies. They bred Nebraska Chief 
and sold him to Mat Hedland, of Iloldrege. 
Nebraska, and this horse is a prize winner 
wherever shown. 

The Harrison brothers are the type of men 
who have made the sons of Erin famous the 
world over in all departments of business. They 
carefully study the subject in hand in -all its 
bearings and then aim to produce the best 
the market affords and to produce from this 
start better than the original stock, and are 
honest and fair in all their dealings. 

J. \'. Harrison is married, but has no chil- 
dren. D. Harrison has a son, John T. Harri- 
son, who resides on the ranch and takes an 
active part in the raising and development of 
the splendid stock placed there by his father 
and uncle. Several years since J. V. Harri- 
son xisitcd his native country, and was great- 
ly ini|iressed by the wonderful changes which 
had taken place there. Small tnwns had sprung 
u]) and many improvements added, so that it 
was hard to recognize it as the same place 
where he spent his boyhood years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1037 



LARS E. FODNESS. 

Lars E. Fodness, a popular farmer and lead- 
ing citizen of Box Butte county, presents in 
his own career a striking illustration of the 
field of opportunity this new western coun- 
try offers the ambitious children of the old 
world, as well as the rich results which have 
long waited on industry and inte-grity. He 
was born in Valders, Norway, on a farm, in 
1865. His father, who was a farmer, came 
to America with his family, arriving July 4, 
1872. They settled in Alamakee county, Iowa, 
where his father rented a farm and spent two 
years. They then went to Stanton, Nebraska, 
where they lived for one year, and finally lo- 
cated in Boone county. Here they settled 
on a homestead and are numbered among the 
prominent pioneer citizens of that county. 

The early days of our subject's life were 
spent on his father's farm, where he assisted 
materially with the work, starting in the har- 
vest fields at the early age of ten years. He 
received his education attending the country 
school, which was held at the neighboring 
houses. 

In 1894 Mr. Fodness was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Bertha Johnson, a native of Nor- 
way. Her parents were pioneers of Box Butte 
county, having settled here in 1887. ]\Ir. Fod- 
ness's wife had taken a homestead in section 
6, township 26, range 48, and after their mar- 
riage they settled on this place and started the 
work of making it a comfortable home in which 
to pass their lives. Two children have been 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Fodness : Lewis and 
Ludwick, the latter deceased. They have an 
adopted son named Walter. 

The first building the family lived in was 
made of sod, but Mr. Fodness set himself to 
the task of erecting a more commodious build- 
ing. He has worked with unremitting zeal 
and has met with a great measure of success. 
He is now the possessor of six hundred and 
forty acres of well appointed land, which is 
well fenced, and upon which are good farm 
buildings, wells and windmills. He cultivates 
about ninety acres. His first two years were 
trying ones indeed, his crops being almost total 
failures. He went to Pine Ridge, where he 
chopped wood and hauled it to Alliance in or- 
der to help make a living. 

Mr. Fodness engages in the raising of 
horses and cattle, of which he has over sixty- 
five head. In matters of politics he adheres 
to Republican principles, and takes a lively 
interest in local affairs. Through years of ad- 
versity and prosperity he has held the han- 
dles of the plow, working out for himself a 



comfortable home and giving his energies to 
the upbuilding of the locality in which he re- 
sides. 



EDMOND ROOT. 

Edmond Root is one of the leading old set- 
tlers of Cheyenne county. He is a farmer and 
stockman, thoroughly understands both lines, 
and has gained an enviable reputation through- 
out his community as a man of upright char- 
acter and industrious habits. Air. Root is a 
successful horseman and widely known as a 
dealer and breeder of fine animals. 

Our subject was born in Kalamazoo, Mich- 
igan, August 27, 1862. He was reared and 
educated in Michigan, living in his native lo- 
cality until he reached the age of twenty-five 
and then in 1887 came to Nebraska, locating in 
Potter. He later filed on a homestead in sec- 
tion 14, township 16, range 52, the tract com- 
prising one hundred and sixty acres, on which ' 
he proved up and later sold. He next took 
a Kincaid claim in section 6, township 13, 
range 51, filing on this on the 28th day of June, 
1904, which is his present location. He owns 
four hundred and eighty acres, and has de- 
veloped a good ranch, using most of the land 
as hay land and pasture for quite a herd of 
stock, a few cattle and about seventy-five head 
of horses. 

Mr. Root has gone through both good and 
bad times since coming to Nebraska, and dur- 
ing the early years passed through the usual 
experiences of the pioneers in that region in 
getting his home started, but is now comfort- 
ably situated financially and is a prosperous, 
progressive and successful rancher and horse- 
man. 

Mr. Root takes an independent position 
in politics, although he has strong Democratic 
tendencies. 



ARTHUR SCATTERGOOD. 

Among those who have in a large measure 
contributed to the success of the city of Johns- 
town, Nebraska, the gentleman whose name 
heads this personal history takes a leading 
place. Air. Scattergood was born at Burton- 
on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, May 8, 1841. 
His father, Robert Scattergood, was a brick 
manufacturer, and his mother, who was Mary 
Oakton, was a lineal descendant of the Off- 
lows of Derbyshire, whose ancestors can be 
traced back nine hundred years. The father 
also comes of proud old English stock, the an- 
cestors being known for eight centuries. Our 



1038 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REiMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



subject was reared and educated in his native 
land and married there on June 11, 1865, to 
Miss Caroline Blake, also of pure English 
stock. 

In 1882 Mr. Scattergood came to America, 
sailing from Liverpool July 22 on the steam- 
ship Alaska, and landing in New York city Au- 
gust 1st. He came directly west to Omaha 
and in the winter came to what is now Brown 
county. On February 25th he located on a 
homestead in section 18, township 30, range 
23, where his first house was a shanty twelve 
by fourteen feet, in which he lived alone for 
a time, the family following three years later. 
Here he built up and improved his farm, the 
original piece of land containing one hundred 
and sixty acres, and from this has grown to 
a ranch of four thousand acres. He has loaned 
considerable money on land in the vicinity, 
and as hard times came on the owners, unable 
after ample opportunity to redeem, relin- 
quished their land, and much of his property 
comes from that source. He started here with 
small capital, bringing with him less than two 
thousand dollars, and has made the balance 
through his thrift and good management, now 
being numbered among the largest land hold- 
ers in this part of the state. During the dry 
periods of 1893-'94 he started the town of Fair- 
fax, South Dakota, at one time sending fif- 
teen families there to settle. He owned the 
first hotel and the first four stores put up there 
and still owns much property in that place. 
He organized and opened the first bank in 
Johnstown, established in 1887, and is active 
in the building up of the place. Mr. Scatter- 
good has been justice of the peace for many 
years, and also held the office of school direc- 
tor for a long time, being deeply interested in 
all educational movements in the locality. Po- 
litically he is a Republican and a member of 
the Episcopal church. 

His family consists of one son and four 
daughters, named as follows: Arthur W., an 
attorney, of Ainsworth ; Eva, Clara. Bessie and 
Mabel, all born in England. 



J. E. BURGE. 



.\mong those who have recently come to 
Holdrege and taken up their residence here 
none has met with greater success in a busi- 
ness way or manifested more true public spirit 
and gained the esteem of his associates by his 
honesty and persistent labors than the subject 
of this personal history. 

Mr. Burge is a native of Louisville. Ken- 
tucky, born April 26. 1875. He came to Hold- 



rege in 1899 with the Burlington railway as 
train dispatcher. Previous to this he had been 
connected, with the Rock Island road as dis- 
patcher, and in 1902 he resigned from the rail- 
road service to take up the telephone busi- 
ness. He was one df the organizers of tne 
Phelps County Telephone Company, formed 
in December. 1902. and since that time has 
held the ofiice of vice-president and general 
manager of that company. It is largely owing 
to his business ability and "push." combined 
with his obliging ways in dealing with the 
public, that during the year 1906 the Bell Tel- 
ephone Company capitulated and sold to the 
Phelps County Telephone Company their 
rights here and have withdrawn from the coun- 
ty. In March. 1904. this company began op- 
erations by putting up ten thousand feet of aerial 
cables and providing for four hundred tele- 
phones, and in one and a half years they have 
grown to fifteen miles of aerial cables and have 
in operation seven hundred and fifty city tele- 
phones and twenty-two hundred county tele- 
phones, with exchanges at Holdrege, Funk. 
Loomis, Atlanta and Holcomb. and long dis- 
tance connections nearly all over the state of 
Nebraska and adjoining states. The business 
has grown to immense proportions, and its 
service is of the very best to be found any- 
where. The company has a capitalization of 
sixty thousand dollars, with W. H. Cowgill as 
president, our subject vice-president and gen- 
eral manager and E. P. Dunlop as secretary 
and treasurer, all of whom are prominent and 
successful business men of Holdrege. 



A. I. SCRir.NER. 

.\. I. Scribner, one of the oldest settlers in 
Sheridan county. Nebraska, is a successful 
stock raiser and farmer, who has acquired a 
snug property by dint of faithful efforts and 
honest labor. He has seen all the ups and 
downs of pioneer life in the west, and although 
often meeting discouragements has steadily 
kept onward and richly deserves the success 
he has attained. 

Mr. Scribner was born in Washington 
county. Iowa, in 1847. His father. Abraham 
Scribner. was a farmer, and died when our 
subject was a lad of five years, and in 1857 
the mother moved to Stark county. Illinois, 
with her family of six children, all of whom 
are now dead except himself and brother. The 
family was one of the earliest to settle in 
Washington county, and after the father's 
death his widow gave up her farm and from 
the time he was ten years old he has made his 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1039 



own way in the world. Up to the time he was 
eighteen years old he never received any wages 
for his labor, merely getting his board, and 
attending school during the winter months, 
then only part of the time. He has always 
had a hard time and knows what it is to be 
thrown on his own resources and obliged o 
go out among strangers from the time he 
little more than a baby. In 1865 he wen: to 
Oregon, where he spent six years, working 
out by the month there, and in 1871 returned 
to Washington county, Iowa. The following 
year he took up a homestead in Webster coun- 
ty, Nebraska, and at that time buffalo were 
still running so thickly through that region 
that the settlers were afraid they would ruin 
the crops by roaming through them, but in 
about three years they were almost cleaned 
out. He improved his farm and lived on it 
up to 1884, then his health failed and he de- 
cided to make a change and came to Sheridan 
county, where he liked the looks of the place 
so well that he filed on a tree claim in section 
20, also an pre-emption on section 17, town- 
ship 30, range 45, and still owns these places. 
Here he engaged in farming and continued af 
it until he was unable to buy seed, losing sev- 
eral crops in succession, and one year after 
putting in two hundred and fifty acres of grain 
did not even get back enough for seed. He 
then began to gather stock, and has followed 
that line of work ever since. He rented his 
farm and moved into the sand hills, remaining 
there up to 1900, then came back to his old 
place and went to farming and stock raising, 
now operating six hundred and forty acres of 
land, all fenced and improved with good build- 
ings, etc., one hundred and sixty acres being 
under cultivation, and he raises large crops 
of grain, selling only his wheat and feeding 
out the balance on his farm, running one hun- 
dred head of stock. 

Mr. Scribner has seen his share of the hard 
times in a new country and does not want 
any more frontier life. He is satisfied with 
what he has accomplished and would not care 
to go. east to live. Many times he wanted to 
leave the place and would have sold out had 
he received a good offer, but is now thankful 
he could not get away. When he first came 
here he filed on the first pre-emption in this 
precinct and was one of the first settlers in 
this valley. During the years 1885 and 1886 
he went to Webster county and stayed for 
two and a half years in order to give his chil- 
dren the advantages of better schools, and this 
and the time spent in the sand hills is the 
only time he has left his farm since settling 
on it. 



Mr. Scribner was married in 1876 to Miss 
Ellen Smelser, born in Washington county, 
Iowa, in 1857, a daughter of David Clark Smel- 
ser. Mr. and Mrs. Scribner have a family 
of six children, named as follows : Bertha, 
Omar, Ira, Effie L., Cora and E. Ross, all born 
and reared in Nebraska. Mr. Scribner is a 
Populist in political sentiment, but does not 
take an active part in politics. 



ILUS COUCH. 



Ilus Couch occupies an enviable position 
among the extensive ranchers and prominent 
settlers of the valley of the South Platte 
river, where he operates a very large and grow- 
ing stock business. Ilus Couch was born in 
Tiskilwa, Bureau county, Illinois, October 7, 
1857. His father, Benjamin C. Couch, was a 
native of New Hampshire, born in the village 
of Boscawen. September 19, 1822. His par- 
ents were natives of England. Our subject's 
mother, Martha J. Calf, was also a native of 
Salisbury, New Hampshire, born March 3, 
1825, and died December 31, 1860. when he was 
but three years old. 

The subject of our sketch was reared in 
the state of his nativity and attended the com- 
mon schools. At the age of fourteen he start- 
ed to work out at farm labor and various other 
employments. In the spring of 1882 he mar- 
ried, came west and followed farming for two 
seasons in Carroll county, Iowa, after which 
he came farther west to Clay county, Nebras- 
ka, in the spring of 1884, and remained during 
the summer. In August of that year he lo- 
cated a homestead in Keith county, his pres- 
ent place, and built a house, his family join- 
ing him in the fall. The country was very 
new and when they arrived in Ogallala they 
found it to be a typical wild west town. Pio- 
neer days were full of trying experiences and 
many hardships and losses of crops, but our 
subject kept at his improvements and made a 
grand success. 

The first crop in 1885 was a good one and 
this helped to give the family a start, but in 
in 1890 and 1894 the crops were poor and Mr. 
Couch gradually turned his attention from 
farming to cattle and horse raising. He has 
now a splendid ranch comprising eighteen hun- 
dred and fifty-eight acres along the South 
Platte river and running back into the hills. 
He cultivates only about fifty acres of this, 
devoting the remainder to his extensive cat- 
tle and horse business. He has fine buildings, 
has the farm well fenced and has a fine grove 
of forest trees and some apple, plum and cherry 



1040 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



trees. Our subject has been an interested wit- 
ness of the growth of this region. When he 
first settled here his house was one of the 
onl3' two between Ogallala and Big Springs, 
twenty miles distant, and for three months 
Mrs. Couch never saw a woman in all the 
country. 

The marriage of Ilus Couch with Miss 
Charity Horton occurred in Buda. Illinois. Feb- 
ruary 9. 1882. The bride was a native of Illi- 
nois, a daughter of Eli and Mary (Hamilton) 
Horton. natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Couch 
has done his share toward making the pres- 
ent high material standard of prosperity which 
obtains in Keith county, and he has taken a 
prominent place among the old settlers. His 
interest in political matters has been earnest 
and practical and he has held various offices of 
trust and responsibility. He has served as 
school treasurer for five years and has accept- 
ably filled other minor offices. He is inde- 
pendent in politics and a member of the Ogal- 
lala lodge. Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
A view of Mr. Couch's comfortable residence 
with its fine grove, large barn and pleasing 
landscape surrounding, is presented for inspec- 
tion on another page. 



W ALTER R. KENT. 

The above named gentleman is a leading 
citizen of Sheridan county, residing in town- 
ship 26. range 46, where he has built up a 
comfortable home and valuable estate. 

Mr. Kent is a native of Highland, Wiscon- 
sin, born in 186.5, and is a son of Patrick Kent, 
who came from Ireland in 1844 and settled 
in Wisconsin immediately after striking this 
country, remaining there on a farm all his life, 
and it was there that our subject was raised 
and educated. There was a family of eleven 
children, of whom he was the ninth, and at 
the age of eighteen he started out for him- 
self, securing a position as a teacher in a 
district school, which occupation he followed 
for thre'e years, one year of which he served 
as principal of a high school, then resigned. 
He is a graduate of the Highland high school, 
of Highland, Wisconsin, and later of the State 
Normal School at Plattcvillc. ^^'isconsin. He 
came to Nebraska in 1886 and took a pre-emp- 
tion in section 17. township 25. range 47. and 
established a farm, remaining until proving 
up, and six months later took a homestead 
and still lives adjacent to the latter place. 
While he was holding down this claim he was 
engaged in teaching, and for a year and a half 



was cashier of a bank at Alliance. Nebraska. 
In this way he managed to make a living and 
save a little money, and had just started to 
farming on a larger scale when the dry years 
commenced, and through loss of several crops 
and other misfortunes got in debt and was 
obliged to go back to teaching to make this 
up. He held his land for ten years with- 
out doing much in the way of improving it, and 
would have sold it at different times had he 
received a good olYer. In 1897 he bought some 
calves, and this was his start in the cattle busi- 
ness. He gradually added to his herd until he 
now runs about three hundred head, and also 
is extensively engaged in the horse business, 
keeping about one hundred and fifty head all 
the time. Since he began this line of work he 
has been very successful and steadily increased 
his holdings and improved his farm, but dur- 
ing the early years here he went through hard 
times. He tried hard to farm his land, but 
found that conditions were against him. He 
had a large portion of his land in hay and pas- 
ture, and sold his hay, but could not make 
anything by so doing and was unable to get 
enough ofT it to pay the taxes, and that de- 
cided him on starting in the stock raising busi- 
ness. Most of his land is valley land and he 
cuts about four hundred tons of hay on the 
ranch, all of which is fed out to his stock. 
He has some alfalfa and intends to seed more 
of this, as it makes good fodder for cattle and 
hogs. He has dealt considerably in the lat- 
ter animals, but quit that branch of the work 
in 1906. 

•Mr. Kent was married in 1904 to Miss Laura 
(iibhs, a native of this state, born in 1877. 
.She is of English descent, her father, George 
Gihbs, having come from that country when 
a young man, settling in Nebraska in the early 
stage of its development. Mr. and Mrs. Kent 
have one child, \Villiam Walter, having lost 
twins, Ellen and I-'lizahcth, their death oc- 
curring in lanuary, 1''07. at the age of two 
months. 

Mr. Kent has resided on his present farm 
continuously since 1897, excepting for two 
years, 1901 to 1903. when he was serving his 
county as su]3erintendcnt of schools, although 
he personally superintended the management 
of his ranch at that time. He owns thirteen 
quarter sections of deeded land, and in alli- 
tion to this leases land adjacent to his ranch, 
and has just completed a fine dwelling on this 
place. Mr. Kent is a Republican and always 
takes an active interest in party politics. He 
has held local offices and is at present post- 
master at Long Lake, a position he is \\\\\ 
qualified to fill. 



CnMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1041 



HENRY PILSTER. 

Should the reader ask for a representative 
type of the successful and energetic western 
ranchman, who has spent many years of his 
life in building;' up a home and reputation by 
honest industry and good management, we 
would mention the gentleman above. Mr. Pil- 
ster is a man who embodies all the attributes 
of a careful and capable manager of things, 
and wherever he is put would make a success 
through his sheer determination and perse- 
verance in the object to be attained. He re- 
lived his first year. There were practically 
sides in section 23, township 33, range 51, and 
is one of the well known and worthy citizens 
of Dawes county. 

Mr. Pilster was born in the kingdom of 
Hanover, Germany, in 1833, on a farm. His 
parents lived and died in that country, where 
the father followed the life of a farmer. Our 
subject remained at home until he was fifteen 
years of age, then came to America, landing 
in New York city in 1868, and from there 
went to Boston, where he remained for three 
years, learning the cooper's trade with a man 
named Leopold Charley. He went to Pitts- 
burg in 1879 and there built a house, which he 
afterwards traded for a one hundred and 
twenty-acre farm, soon selling the land for a 
gDod round sum. and in the transaction got a 
house to boot in Pittsburg. 

In 1886 Mr. Pilster came to Nebraska and 
settled in Dawes county, and after a short 
time disposed of his property in Pittsburg 
and put the money in improvements on his 
ranch here, having taken a pre-emption in sec- 
tion 15, township 33, range 51. His first build- 
ing was of frame and he built a large cellar, 
in which he lived during the first winter, re- 
maining there only one year, then moved to 
his present location. Here he has a ranch 
of four hundred and sixty acres, all deeded 
land, and he also leases some land adjoining 
his ranch. He has put up good buildings, cor- 
rals, fences and improvements, and has a fine 
property. Besides this ranch he has four hun- 
dred and eighty acres of Kincaid homestead 
land, on which he now resides. He is engaged 
in the stock business quite extensivel3\ run- 
ning one hundred and fifty cattle, and has 
made a great success of his undertaking in spite 
of manv drawbacks. 

In 1877 I\Ir. Pilster was married to I\Iiss 
Huldah J. Stuebgen, whose father was a well 
known farmer and hotel keeper of Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania, born in Saxony, Ger- 
manv. Mr. and Mrs. Pilster are the parents 
of nine children, named as follows: Edward 
Henry, William August, John Adam, Edith 



Jane, Minnie Maria, Sadie Jane, Emma !M., 
Flora Virginia and Alabel Belle. The family 
are popular in their community and enjoy a 
peaceful and happy home. 



PETE LECHER. 

Pete Lecher, who resides in a comfortable 
home in Dawes county, is one of the old-timers 
of western Nebraska. He owns a nice prop- 
erty, which he has gathered together by dint 
of his industry and good management, and is 
held in high esteem by all with whom he has 
to do. 

Mr. Lecher was born in Ozaukee county, Wis- 
consin, in 1861. His father, John Lecher, was 
born in Germany and married there to Maggie 
Thomas, then came to this, country to carve 
out their fortune in the new world. They set- 
tled in Wisconsin and there our subject was 
raised and educated, brought up on a farm un- 
til he was twenty-three years of age, then left 
home and struck out for himself, coming to east- 
ern Nebraska and locating in Platte county, 
farming there for seven years. He came to 
his present location in Dawes county in 1894, 
purchasing a farm in section 14, township 33, 
range 48, which was partly improved land, 
and at once put up a house, barn and wind- 
mills. The place was well supplied with good 
water, being located on Big Bordeaux creek. 
He now has four hundred acres, farming one 
hundred acres of this, and has plenty of pas- 
ture, lots of natural timber, and altogether a 
fine farm. He plans to devote most of his at- 
tention to the raising of fine grade stock and 
to the dairying business, and is engaged in the 
latter work to quite an extent, making about 
ninety pounds of butter per week. He is also 
engaged in the ice business, putting up large 
quantities every winter to supply the town of 
Chadron and vicinity. During the first years 
in this region he had a hard time to get along 
and for quite a long time was only able to make 
a living bv getting out stovewood from Pine 
Ridge.' 

Mr. Leclier was united in marriage in 1882 
while living in Wisconsin to Miss Maggie 
Schommer, whose father was a prominent 
farmer and old settler in that state, and came 
from Germany to the United States when a 
young man. To Mr. and Mrs. Lecher have 
been born the following children : Casper, An- 
nie, Katie, Barney, John, Jerry and Noah. All 
that are large enough are good workers, assist- 
ing their parents in the dairy, ice and general 
farmine business. 



1042 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



FRANK C. BATES. 

Frank C. Bates, residing near Lodgepole, 
is one of the pioneer settlers of Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska. He has become widely 
known as a prosperous farmer and well-to-do 
ranchman, is a worthy citizen and enjoys the 
comforts of a rural home. He has followed 
the occupation of a farmer all his life, and has 
done his full share toward the development 
of the resources of the county where he chose 
his home in the early years. 

Mr. Bates was born in Wayne county, New 
York, January 30. 1858, and remained in that 
state until he was twenty-nine years of age, 
then came to Cheyenne county, arriving in that 
region in April, 1887, took up a homestead in 
.section 20, township 15, range 47, on which 
lie followed farming for many years. He now 
3ives in section 24, situated one mile north- 
■west of Lodgepole, where he has a fine one 
hundred and sixty-acre farm and engages in 
mixed farming and stock raising. Mr. Bates 
has owned several farms since coming to Ne- 
braska, built them up and then sold out at 
a good profit, and has helped materially in 
the development of the locality. 

Our subject was married in his native coun- 
ty in the state of New York on April 22. 188v3, 
to Miss Carrie .\. Deuel. She is also a native 
of that state, and her mother is now living with 
our subject, the father being dead. Both Mr. 
Bates' parents are now deceased. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bates are the parents of two children, 
Louise and Ruth, both at home. 

Our subject is prominent in local affairs 
and takes an active interest in county and state 
politics. 



E. D. FORD. 



E. D. Ford, who has been identified with 
the agricultural interests of Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, for many years, and is the owner of 
a valuable estate, was born in Harrison county, 
Missouri, in 1877, and when six years of age 
came with his parents to this county. His fa- 
ther, James B. Ford, was of Irish stock, born 
in Ohio, where he followed the carpenter's 
trade during his early life. He was an early 
settler in Iowa, and during the Civil war en- 
listed in an Iowa regiment and served for 
three years under General Grant. After the 
war he returned to Iowa and was there mar- 
ried to Miss Hannah Dennis, a native of Iowa, 
and to the couple two children were born, our 
subject being the only one living. At the age 
of eighteen years he started out for himself, 
going into the Dakotas, where he followed 



farming for some years. He came to Nebras- 
ka in 1883, where he grew up, and in 1903 
bought his present home, located in section 
35, township 33, range 20. Here he has one 
hundred and sixty acres of good land, with 
eighty acres under plow and the balance in hay 
and pasture. He is engaged principally in 
mixed farming, and does not deal in stock to 
an\^ great extent. 

Mr. Ford and his father have done much 
toward the development of this county. They 
lived in a log house for many years and went 
through many hard times during the dry years. 
However, he has succeeded in getting together 
a comfortable property. They had the usual 
pioneer experiences here and in jMissouri, but 
prospered through good management and in- 
dustry. After the father's marriage he lived 
in Missouri for ten years, then came to Keya 
Paha county. In 1902 he sold out his place 
here and moved to Colorado and died there a 
short time afterwards. Our subject was mar- 
ried in 1900 to Miss Gertrude Ewing, of old 
American stock, raised in Nebraska. They are 
the parents of two children, named Bertha, 
aged six years, and Harold, aged three years. 
They enjoy a pleasant and happy home, sur- 
rounded by a host of good friends, and are 
highly esteemed throughout the community 
in which they reside. All of Mr. Ford's time 
is devoted to the care and management of his 
farm and home, and he has never taken an ac- 
tive part in public affairs. In political faith 
he is a Republican. 



C. W. JOHNSON. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the representative citi- 
zens of western Nebraska, being one of the 
organizers of the Potter State Bank, and a 
director in the same institution. He is also 
a prosperous and successful business man, and 
a "booster" for his town, county and state. 
Mr. Johnson is at present engaged in a num- 
ber of different enterprises, carrying on a large 
general merchandise business in Potter, where 
he makes his home, and also has large ranch- 
ing and farming interests, and is among the 
large growers of small grains in the county. 
C. W. Johnson was born in Sweden, February 
21. 1864, where he grew to the age of six 
years, then with his parents came to America, 
settling in Andover, Henrv county. Illinois, 
where the family lived for two years. They 
then emigrated to Montgomery county, Iowa, 
remained for three years, and from there to 
Republic county, Kansas, finally coming into 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



104o 



Cheyenne county, Nebraska, in 1887, where the 
father homesteaded in Banner county in the 
spring of that year. Their location was in 
the southwest quarter of section 30, township 
18, range 53, and they also took up a timber 
claim in section 34, which they later sold, but 
still own the homestead. Mr. Johnson's Ban- 
ner county ranch is considered one of the most 
valuable properties in the west, and on this 
place he runs about three hundred head of cat- 
tle and sixty horses, with plenty of hay and 
pasture land for all his stock. The place con- 
tains twenty-seven hundred and twenty acres, 
and besides this large tract he leases a half 
section in the vicinity. The ranch is supplied 
with a complete set of good buildings and all 
improvements. 

In 1897 our subject engaged in the mercan- 
tile business in Kirk, Banner county, and car- 
ried this on for a number of years. While 
living in that vicinity he was appointed post- 
master of Kirk and held the position for fif- 
teen years, remaining there until 1906, when 
he sold out his store and came to Potter, pur- 
chasing the general merchandise establishment 
of B. F. Thornburg. He is doing a good busi- 
ness and has a large patronage from the sur- 
rounding country. On April 21, 1886, our 
subject was united in marriage at Scandia, 
Kansas, to Ellen Nelson, who was born in 
Denmark and came to America in 1878. Mrs. 
Johnson's parents are both dead, but our sub- 
ject's father and mother are at present living 
on the ranch in Banner county, which is owned 
jointly by father and son. Nine children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, eight of whom 
are now living, named as follows: Joseph G., 
Seola C, Victor, Clarence W., Leonard J., 
Lulu, Fred, Ervin (who died in 1905) and 
Nora, all living at home and making a most 
interesting family group. Mr. Johnson is one 
of the well known and leading citizens of his 
community and has served in numerous local 
offices, including justice of the peace and no- 
tary public. In political views he is a Re- 
publican. He affiliates with the Ancient Order 
United Workmen and is a member of the 
Methodist church. 



HENRY JOCHEM. 

Henry Jochem was born in Piano county, 
Illinois. May 24. 1882. and was reared on a 
farm. His father, John Jochem, was a native 
of West Prussia, Germany, and saw service 
in the army of the fatherland. His mother was 
Wilhelmina Bomgaardt, also a native of Ger- 
many. 



Our subject came west with the family to 
Omaha and thence to Blaine county, Nebras- 
ka, in 1887, where he found his first home in 
a sod shanty with a hay roof, and became con- 
versant with the ways of pioneer life. When 
he was seventeen years old our subject left 
home, going to Grand Island, where he spent 
five years engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
two years of which time he was on rented 
land. In 1904 he returned home, purchasing 
a small farm on which he lived about a year, 
and then sold out, doubling his money. He 
then took a Kincaid homestead in Blaine coun- 
ty, in section 22, township 24. range 22, in the 
German valley. 

Mr. Jochem was married in 1905 to Miss 
]\Iollie Kaiser, whose father, Gottlieb Kaiser, 
was one of the pioneer settlers of the terri- 
tory and whose biography will appear else- 
where in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Jochem 
have been blessed with three children — Ella, 
Vena and Ora. 

Henry Jochem, although still a young man, 
has achieved success and has accomplished it 
all as the result of his own efforts and plan- 
ning. He has a splendid ranch of five hun- 
dred and sixty acres, one hundred and fifty 
acres of which he cultivates, and three him- 
dred and twenty acres are deeded land. He 
has a good house, large barns, well and wind- 
mill, groves of forest trees and a fine orchard. 
He has made an enviable record as a man of 
energy and rare good business judgment and 
is willingly accorded a leading place among 
the old settlers of his localitv. 



JAMES BURNS. 

James Burns, of Morrill (formerly Chey- 
enne) county, Nebraska, is a man whose his- 
tory invites reflection on the secret of success 
in the great western country. There are very 
few men who have come to this section with 
assured financial standing, apd those who have 
gained wealth and affluence are very largely 
those whose native industry, shrewd business 
insight and daring have brought its due re- 
ward. Success means in Nebraska more than 
it does in the older east. Here it means pluck, 
courage and self-reliance. There it may mean 
the bolstering help of friends and favoring cir- 
cumstances, and the subject of this sketch is 
a self-made man in the truest sense of the 
word, as he has been through every phase of 
western life, having at various times followed 
freighting, farming, ranching, etc., and well 
deserves his present prosperity. 

Mr. Burns was born in St. Louis, Missouri, 



1044 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



February 22, 1864. He was left an orphan at 
the age of four years and has no knowledge 
of any living relatives. He was taken into the 
family of Alfred S. Weeks, of Hudson, Mc- 
Lain county, Illinois, and remained with them 
until he was twenty-one years old. During 
boyhood he attended the country schools at 
such times in the year as did not interfere 
with his helping in the farm work of his fos- 
ter parents, and when he became of age en- 
tered the State Normal School at Normal, Illi- 
nois, continuing for a year and a half, his only 
start when he left Mr. Weeks's family being 
the suit of clothes he wore. There was a good 
library in the \\'eeks home and of this the 
orphan boy availed himself. He worked his 
way through school and acquired his learning 
by dint of self-denial and hard work. After 
leaving school he was stricken with typhoid 
fever, and after a severe illness came to Ne- 
braska, locating at Kearney, where he attend- 
ed the institute for a short time and from there 
lived at the home of friends north of the town 
of Kearney, where he taught a three months' 
term of school. In the spring of 1886 he came 
to Sidney, landing there on March 17th, and 
pre-empted a claim just across the state line 
in Colorado. He held this claim and worked 
at difterent points in that section of the coun- 
try, riding range for the Powell & Whitney 
ranching outfit. During the summer of 1888 
he had the misfortune to be bitten by a rattle- 
snake and was laid up for some months, and 
after recovering abandoned his claim, selling 
the deeded land at less than the pre-emption 
value. He next took a homestead on Cedar 
creek, along the North Platte river, improved 
it to quite an extent and after proving up on 
it sold to the Belmont company. • 

Mr. Burns came on his present ranch on 
part of which Mrs. Burns had filed prior to 
her marriage, in 1895. Part of it was the orig- 
inal homestead of M. S. Boyer. There are 
eight hundred acres of land, all in one body, 
with five hundred acres of the tract under 
Chimney Rock ditch. One hundred acres arc 
under cultivation, two hundred in alfalfa, and 
the balance is used for hay land, as Mr. Burns 
runs a large herd of cattle and quite a bunch 
of horses. The ranch is fully improved with 
good buildings and everything necessary for 
the operatirin of a model farm, and is one of 
the most valuable properties in the county. In 
addition to this extensive ranching interests, 
Mr, Burns owns town property in Bayard. A 
view of the ranch residence, with Chimney 
Rock in the distance, is to be found elsewhere 
in this work. 

September 18, 1895, Mr. Burns married 



^Irs. Ora E. Boyer, whose maiden name was 
Ora E. Maylan, daughter of William Maylan, 
a veteran of the Civil war and a prominent 
old frontiersman. The mother was a native 
of U'orth county. ?kIissouri. Our subject has 
a family of four children, namely: Clinton 
W., Alice A., Haldane and Catherine O. They 
are a most congenial family and have a pleas- 
ant home and large circle of acquintances. 

Mr. Burns is a Democrat and has taken 
an active part in local politics since locating 
here, having held the combined offices of coun- 
ty clerk and as clerk of the district court, serv- 
ing from 1900 to 1904. Cheyenne county was 
strongly Republican and the fact that Mr. 
Burns received the office against strong oppo- 
sition goes to prove his worth and popularity 
in the opinion of the people. He is also school 
treasurer of district No. 50. His lodge af- 
filiations are at Sidney, where he is a member 
of the Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen and 
the Knights of Pythias, of which he served as 
chancellor commander two vears. 



QUINTON ROBERT McADAM. 

Among the varied interests of Cheyenne 
county, Nebraska, stock raising and farming 
take a leading place. In fact, it may be said 
truthfully that it is the principal industry of 
that section. Many of the agriculturists have 
engaged successfully in this line, and the gen- 
tleman above named takes a prominent place 
among the number. He is the owner of a well 
improved place consisting of eight hundred 
and eighty-six acres, and is a substantial and 
highly esteemed citizen of his county. 

Quinton I^ Mc.Xdam was born in Argen- 
teuil county, province of Quebec. Canada, Au- 
gust 18, 1865. and grew to manhood there. He 
came to the United States in 1890, direct to 
Potter, Nebraska, and after spending just three 
days there went on to Cheyenne, Wyoming, 
and worked in that vicinity for three years as 
a carpenter. He then went to Denver and 
was in the' employ of a wholesale commission 
house for about four years. Returning to 
Cheyenne for two years, he worked in the 
Union Pacific railroad shops prior to engaging 
in business for himself. He was associated 
with his brother Andrew, contracting and 
building, and about this time they invested 
in ranch and cattle interests. A year after 
engaging in business with his brother, Robert 
came to Cheyenne county to take charge of 
the ranching interests, while Andrew attended 
to the building oi)erations. following later. 
Robert filed on one hundred and sixty acres 




AA 



### m^mt 




RESIDEXCE OF JAMES BIRXS. 
Morrill County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF Q. R. McADAM, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1045 



on section 34, township 15, range 52, which is 
now the home ranch, and together with his 
brother Andrew they own nearly two thou- 
sand acres of land, part of which is situated 
on Lodgepole creek and is mostly hay land. 
The partnership was dissolved in January, 
1907. each taking his share of the cattle, the 
land having been owned severally from the 
beginning. Robert farms about one hundred 
and ten acres, running one hundred /and sixty- 
six head of cattle and twenty horses and is 
prospering in his venture. He has the prop- 
erty well improved, the buildings being con- 
structed of stone. The dwelling, remodeled 
in 1908- '09, is partly constructed of concrete 
and is a commodious and convenient dwelling. 
We are pleased to present a view of the ranch 
buildings on another page of this work. 

On January 7, 1896. ^Ir. JMcAdam married 
Miss Catherine M. Gordon, near La Chute, 
Canada. She was born and reared in that 
country, and both parents are still living there. 
Mr. McAdam's parents are both dead. 

Mr. McAdam has gained a deservedly high 
station as a citizen and has always taken an 
active part in local and county aiTairs. In po- 
litical views he is a Republican, except in local 
issues. ]\Iembers of the Presbyterian church 
in Canada, they, finding no congregation of 
their denomination at Potter, have united with 
the Methodist church. Mr. McAdam is a 
member of the Modern Woodmen order at 
Potter. 



GEORGE E. RUSSELL. 

Among the younger members of the farm- 
ing community of Gillaspie precinct. Cherry 
county, the gentleman above named takes a 
leading place. He has met with marked suc- 
cess as an agriculturist, and enjoys the es- 
teem and respect of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Russell was born in Monona county, 
Iowa, November 13, 1871. His father, Isaac 
N. Russell, was of American stock, a farmer 
and stock raiser, and came to Nebraska in 
1889 with his family, locating in Cherry coun- 
ty, where he died September 14. 1900. and 
where his wife still resides. Our subject is 
the eldest in his father's famih' of four chil- 
dren, and was raised in Iowa until he was 
eighteen years old. and at the age of twenty- 
one started out for himself. He took up a 
homestead in 1894 in section 6, township 29. 
range 34, where he resides and to which he 
has since added four hundred and eighty acres, 
making a ranch of six hundred and forty acres 
of good land, well improved with good build- 
ings and fences. He has about seventy-five 



head of cattle and thirty horses, and devotes 
his time to joint farming and stock raising, 
using besides his own land a section adjoin- 
ing, which belongs to his wife. 

When Mr. Russell came to this region he 
had very little capital to start with, but by 
dint of his industry and perseverance he has 
,built up a fine farm and valuable estate, and 
is satisfied that he has done much better here 
than he could have done in Iowa. He has 
seen much of the ups and downs of an old set- 
tler's life, but late years have been better 
and he has been able to forge ahead at greater 
speed and is now recognized as one of the 
prosperous and successful men of the county. 
He has almost six hundred and forty acres 
of fine hay land, and from this he cuts a splen- 
did crop each year. Much of his farm is under 
lease to tenants, who cultivate the soil. 

Mr. Russell was married September 29, 
1896. to Miss Myrtle Doyle, born in Missouri 
in 1879. whose father, Theodore Doyle, for- 
merly lived in this county, but is at present re- 
siding in Frontier county. Four children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell, named as 
follows: Ruby, Dora, Theodore and Mildred, 
all born and reared in Cherry county. There 
is but one drawback to the location of Mr. 
Russell's farm, which is the distance to the 
nearest school, located four miles from his 
home, an inconvenience prevalent in the 
sparsely settled ranch country. 

Mr, Russell is a Republican in political 
faith and in November. 1907, was elected coun- 
ty commissioner by that party. 



G. A, ANDERSON. 

Among the enterprising and prosperous 
business men of Holdrege, Phelps county, Ne- 
braska, none is better known or more univer- 
sally respected than the subject of this re- 
view. 

Mr. Anderson first learned the carpenter 
and cabinet trade with his father, A. J. An- 
derson, now a farmer and resident of Sheri- 
dan township, Phelps county, where our sub- 
ject's three brothers are also successful farm- 
ers. Few men have enjoyed the mechanical 
and manual training that has fallen to the lot 
of Mr. Anderson. For four and a half years 
Mr. Anderson was carpenter and foreman of 
the house of correction at Chicago. For eleven 
years he was instructor in the carpenter and 
cabinet department of the Illinois state re- 
formatory for boys at Pontiac. Illinois, where 
his class consisted of from sixty to one hun- 
dred and twenty pupils, one-half of each day 



1046 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



being given to manual training. The reports 
of the institution showed that sixty-five to 
eighty per cent, of the boys so trained fol- 
lowed the trade afterwards as a life work. For 
four years he was superintendent of construc- 
tion for the Illinois state reformatory. Three 
and one-hall years was spent with the Boland 
& Gormley Hardware Company, one of the 
most extensive of its kind in Chicago, as ex- 
pert on fancy building hardware. He learned 
the trade of machinist at the McCormick Reap- 
er \\'orks. also in the ^lalleable Iron Works 
as a molder and brass finisher, and for several 
years was in the cabinet department of the 
Kimball organ factory, and while in Chicago 
worked on many of the finest residences be- 
ing built at that time. 

In 1904 Mr. Anderson came to Holdrege, 
Nebraska, and since then has been engaged in 
contracting and building, and has put up some 
of the finest residence buildings here, includ- 
ing the Carnegie library. 

Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Amelia 
Christianson, daughter of C. M. Christianson, 
one of the pioneer settlers of Sheridan town- 
ship, who at his death left over a section of 
land to his children and a reputation as a de- 
vout Christian, having been an active mem- 
ber and official of the Swedish Mission church 
during his life. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have 
no children. 

Since Mr. Anderson's residence here he 
has earned the confidence of all with whom 
he has been associated, and enjoys an envia- 
ble reputation as a citizen. 



SAMUEL KXORI. 

Samuel Knori, residing in section 35, town- 
ship 33, range 56, is one of the old-timers of 
Sioux county, and has watched the develop- 
ment of that region from almost a barren prai- 
rie to a fertile farming community, and has 
given liberally of his time and influence in ef- 
fecting this change. He is a hard-working, 
industrious and worthy citizen and in spite 
of man)' discouragements has managed to ac- 
cumulate a comfortable property, and is one 
of the substantial agriculturists of his locality. 

Mr. Knori was born in Switzerland in 1867 
on a farm. His father. Andrew Knori, lived 
and died in that country, following farming all 
his life. Our subject grew up there, coming 
to America in 1891. landing in New York in 
May, and immediately struck out for the west, 
settling in Wisconsin, where he secured em- 
ployment in a cheese factory and followed that 
work for two vears. He then came to Sioux 



county, Nebraska, locating in Sow Bellie creek, 
where he filed on a homestead and proved up. 
He had nothing to start with, and his first 
dwelling was a dugout, in which he "batched 
it" for eight years. He went through many 
hard times during those years, but gradually 
improved his place, and succeeded in develop- 
ing a good farm. In 1901 he settled on his 
present farm, situated on section 35, township 
33, range 56, which was not altogether unim- 
proved land, and is lying along Big Monroe 
creek. He now owns a ranch of twenty-two 
hundred and fifty acres, and is engaged almost 
wholl}' in stock raising, keeping both beef 
and dairy cattle, and is one of the most prom- 
inent ranchmen of his locality. His ranch is 
all fenced and well supplied with running wa- 
ter the year around. He raises some crops, 
having about one hundred acres cultivated, 
with the balance in hay land and pasture. He 
has considerable irrigated land and raises a 
great deal of alfalfa. When Mr. Knori first 
started farming in this vicinity his only team 
was a pair of oxen, which did all his wbrk for 
two years. He has had severe losses from 
drouths, etc., and in 1894 was burned out. los- 
ing property to the amount of three hundred 
dollars, which was a severe setback for him 
at that time. 

In 1901 Mr. Knori was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Noreisch, a native of Germany, born 
in Germany in 1881, and who came to this 
countr}' with her parents, who were old set- 
tlers in Sioux county and a sketch of whom 
appears in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Knori 
are the parents of four sons, named as fol- 
lows: Samuel, Manuel, Lewis and Gustave. 

Our subject is one of the leading men of 
his community, always active in local affairs, 
and is one of the substantial old-timers of his 
county. Politically he is a Democrat, but al- 
ways votes for the best man. He is promi- 
nent in school matters in his tow^nship. at pres- 
ent servins: as moderator. 



L. H. BORDWELL. 

L. H. Bordwell. of Cheyenne county, re- 
sides in Sidney, Nebraska. He is one of the 
earliest settlers in this locality, and can re- 
count with accuracy many of the pioneer ex- 
periences of the settlers of this region who 
braved the hardships and privations of those 
days, and has gained the confidence and es- 
teem of a large circle of acquaintances. 

Mr. Bordwell was horn in Cazenovia. New- 
York, December 29, 1845. and grew up in that 
state. His father and mother were natives of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1047 



Connecticut and Massachusetts, of English de- 
scent, both now being dead. 

In 1865 Mr. Bordwell came west to Chi- 
cago, where he remained for one year, then 
came to Omaha and spent seven years, engaged 
in real estate business. From Omaha he came 
to Cheyenne county, landing here in 1874, and 
since that time has lived here continuously. 
He homesteaded a tract of land situated in 
section 28, township 14, range 49. After lo- 
cating here he passed through all the various 
changes that struck this region, going through 
the good, bad and indifferent times, but in 
spite of many hardships kept up his courage 
and stuck to his determination to build up a 
good home and fortune by his own efforts. 

In 1869 Mr. Bordwell was married to Mar- 
garet A. James, born in Hannibal, Missouri, 
and at the time of her marriage to our sub- 
ject resided near Blair, Nebraska. Mrs. Bord- 
well died in 1901, leaving a family of three 
children, namely: Harry M.. born in Omaha, 
Nebraska, in 1871, and the other two, Frank 
J. and Vinnie E., born in this county in 1875 
and 1884, respectively. 



VAL ASHBAUGH. 

Yal Ashbaugh, who is widely known as a 
bright and progressive tiller of the soil, has 
done much to aid the farmers of the west to 
a better understanding of the conditions under 
which their work must be carried on if they 
wish to attain success. He has a good farm 
in Brown county, and for many years has de- 
voted his entire time to the building up of 
his home and farm, and is recognized as a 
prosperous and successful agriculturist. Mr. 
Ashbaugh was born in Mercer county, Ohio, 
June 28, 1863, of American stock, his father 
being a farmer by occupation. There were 
nine children in his parents' family, of whom 
he was the eighth member in the order of 
birth. He was reared and educated in his na- 
tive state, and at the age of twenty-one years he 
came west and filed on a homestead in sec- 
tions 14 and 15, township 30, range 23, put- 
ting up a small house built of logs, in which 
he lived for several years. His first team with 
which he broke up land was a yoke of oxen, 
which he used for two years. He saw many 
hard times, witnessing the dry years, having 
two total losses of his crops, besides losing 
his barns by fire in 1901. He worked hard 
and faithfully to overcome all difficulties, and 
now owns a fine farm of four hundred acres, 
one hundred of which are under cultivation, 
and the balance in pasture and hay land, in- 



cluding three acres of thrifty alfalfa. He has 
built up a good home and is well satisfied with 
the result of his labors. Mr. Ashbaugh was 
married in Mercer county, Ohio, October 2, 
1883, to Miss iMartha Fast, a native of Ohio, 
daughter of Daniel and Andora (Kiser) Fast, 
who were farmers and of American stock. Mr. 
and Mrs. Ashbaugh have six children — Nettie, 
the wife of James Crane, foreman of Plum 
creek section 52, Chicago & Northwestern 
railway; James, Mary, Eli, Willis and Lloyd. 
For the past six years Mr. Ashbaugh has been 
moderator of his school district, and has taken 
a deep interest in all school work. He is a 
Democrat politically, a Modern Woodman fra- 
ternally and in religion an adherent of the 
United Brethren church. 



WILLIAM P. THORP. 

Mr. William P. Thorp, of Burwell, Ne- 
braska, is one of that city's substantial citi- 
zens and leading men. He conducts a real 
estate business there and has done his full 
share toward building up the section of the 
country where he chose his home by bringing 
many settlers to the state who have taken 
up land and established farms and homes. Mr. 
Thorp is credited with accomplishing more 
along the line of inducing emigrants to this 
state than any other four men in Nebraska. 

Mr. Thorp was born in Clay county, Mis- 
souri, in 1855. His parents were of English 
descent, natives of Kentucky, who settled in 
Missouri in 1821, and there our subject grew 
up and was educated. His boyhood years were 
spent among the pioneers of the west and he 
grew up a sturdy, independent frontier lad, 
early learning to depend upon his own efforts 
and also to assist his parents in the building 
up of the home farm. In 1890 Mr. Thorp 
settled in Nebraska. He bought three hun- 
dred and si.xty acres of land in Loup county, 
situated ten miles west of Burwell, and there 
followed farming and stock raising until 1897, 
when he moved to Burwell and established 
himself in the real estate business. For some 
time he owned and operated a general store 
here and made considerable money out of that 
enterprise. He is well known all over this 
part of the state and greatly admired for his 
excellent business ability and upright char- 
acter, and is numbered among the well-to-do 
men financially of the county. 

In 1880 Mr. Thorp was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary A. Taylor, a native of Missouri, 
and they are the parents of four children, two 
of whom are living, namely: Clara and Wil- 



1048 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



liam T. The family are members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church of Burwell, and they 
are held in high esteem by every one in their 
community. Mr. Thorp has always taken an 
active interest in politics in his locality, and 
while living in Loup county served as county 
commissioner for seven years. In 1902 he was 
elected a member of the state legislature and 
served one term. He is a Democrat and a 
strong party man. 



JOHX D. OETKEN. Deck.vsed. 

John D. Oetken, who was, in his lifetime, a 
bold and enterprising spirit, and who came to 
Dawes county in 1892, where he did much to- 
ward the development of this section of the 
state, was born in Oldenberg, Germany, in 
1875. His parents were prominent farmers of 
that place. 

The greater part of our subject's life was 
spent in his native country, from which so 
many of our thrifty and enterprising citizens 
came. Here he received his education and 
learned the bricklayer's trade, which occupa- 
tion he followed in several different parts of 
Germany. 

In 1868 Mr. Oetken and Miss Tomma Lott- 
man were married and to this union ten chil- 
dren were born : Henry. George. Sena, Mollie. 
Minnie, Fred. Emma, Marie, John and Jo- 
hanna, the last two dying in the old country. 
Some of Mr. Oetken's older children came to 
the United States in the early days and set- 
tled in Iowa in 1884 and 1887 and some of 
them live in that state now. It was not until 
1892 that our subject, in company with two 
of his children, Fred and Minnie, came to 
America and located in Dawes county, Ne- 
braska. In 1893 the wife and the three chil- 
dren, Mollie, Emma and Marie, came over the 
ocean and joined him in Dawes county, where 
the father had prepared a home for them in 
section 21. township 30, range 50. 

When Mr. Oetken first settled on his farm 
in Dawes county there was nothing but a com- 
mon board shanty on the place, and here he 
no improvements, but to one of his race and 
blood this was no obstacle. He set to work 
with a determination characteristic of the Ger- 
man race and in a wonderfully short space of 
time his place began to show the fruits of his 
untiring labors. He erected a comfortable 
home for his family, a good barn, three wind- 
mills and two good wells. On two occasions 
his crops were destroyed by hail, but with all 
the hardships he experienced in making a new 
home in this western countrv lie was not dis- 



couraged, but struggled on, and met with the 
success which was justly due his efforts. From 
time to time he secured adjoining lands, and 
engaged in the raising of cattle, horses and 
mi.xed farming. 

During his lifetime in Dawes county Mr. 
Oetken took a lively interest in the affairs of 
the locality in which he resided, and did much 
toward the development of the county. In 
1902 he passed away, leaving an estate of seven 
hundred and sixty acres, containing an abun- 
dance of good pine timber, which is now well 
looked after by his son Fred. He left behind 
him a host of loyal friends, who will ever 
lionor his menioiv. 



W. H. RADFORD. 

\\". H. Radford, of Newark township. Kear- 
ney county, is one of the well known stock- 
men and ranch owners of Nebraska. His ranch 
comprises thirteen hundred and sixty acres of 
fine valley land, located nn the Platte river, 
and consists of fine farming and meadow lands, 
all on the military reservation of Fort Kear- 
ney. He is looked upon by the residents of 
his locality as one of the leading and most 
successful ranch owners of this part of Ne- 
braska. Mr. Radford is a genial, kindly iran, 
industrious and obliging, and highlv esteemed 
as a good neighbor and a worthy citizen. 

Mr. Radford was born in 1852 at Somer- 
setshire. England, and came to Canada with 
his parents in 1854. Later they went to New 
York state and thence to Iroquois county, Illi- 
nois, where he was reared. 

In 1876 he came to Nebraska, settling in 
Kearney county on a farm, and one year later 
homesteaded where he now lives, on section 
30, township 8, range 14. He has been en- 
gaged in stock raising and mixed farming ever 
since locating here, and has accumulated a val- 
uable estate, his ranch at first containing one 
hundred and sixty acres, to which he has added 
constantly until he is now proprietor of thir- 
teen hundred and sixty acres, as above stated. 
Of this about three hundred and sixty acres 
are in meadow, seven hundred acres in ]3as- 
ture, and the .balance cultivated. He keeps 
about three hundred head of cattle and leeds 
all the grain and hay he raises, besides being 
compelled to buy more. His cattle are good 
grades, and he has thoroughbred Hereford 
males in his herd. He runs a large nunilier of 
hogs annually, and handles only Berkshires 
crossed. He has dealt in the red hogs but pre- 
fers the Berkshire for all purposes, having at 
the head of his herd a pedigreed boar, and runs 




^ 



^ 





COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1049 



from fifty to three hundred hogs all the time. 
In 1908 Mr. Radford went into the Poland China 
strain and handles only that breed now, be- 
lieving it to be the best of all. Mr. Radford 
raises five hundred tons of hav each year, and 
the place is abundantly supplied with good water, 
this combined with the fine valley land making 
it a splendid stock farm. His corn crop is al- 
ways of the best and he has never had a failure 
in the thirty-one years he has been here, getting 
an average yield of thirty-five to forty bushels 
per acre. He raises some wheat and oats, the 
latter averaging thirty bushels for the past ten 
years, and has had a yield of one hundred and 
fifteen bushels per acre some years. He has 
twenty acres of fine alfalfa and cuts good crops 
each season, while he has so much Al wild hay 
that he does not need to sow alfalfa. There is 
seventy-six acres of red-top grass on his rancli 
which makes splendid fodder for cattle. 

Mr. Radford was married in 1883 to Miss 
Lizzie Shaad, of Crawford county. Ohio, and 
to them have been born the following children : 
Boyd, who married Miss Meluzenia Gormley. 
daughter of William ^V. Gormley, whose sketch 
appears in this book ; Budd, aged twenty-two 
years ; and Nora, aged twenty. Since 1905 our 
subject's sons have been equal partners with their 
father in the stock and ranching business, and 
take a deep interest in the work. In this way 
he has kept them at home, and it would be a 
good plan for more farmers to try this method 
of keeping their sons on tire farm, as it makes 
them ambitious to do the best possible and is 
a very good thing for both parents and chil- 
dren. 

Mr. Radford takes an active interest in local 
public affairs. He has been road overseer for 
nine years, school director and treasurer for 
several terms, also town clerk for two years. Po- 
litically he is an Independent. We present a pic- 
ture of Mr. Radford's residence on another page 
of this volume. 



W. G. WILSON. 

W. G. Wilson, known throughout Sheridan 
county as an energetic and prosperous business 
man and ranchman, resides in section 9, town- 
ship 24, range 45, where he has a pleasant home 
and owns a valuable property. 

Mr. \AMlson was born in Jefl^erson county, 
Iowa, in 1851, and is a son of Joshua Wilson, a 
farmer, and native of Indiana. He married 
Frances Templeton, born in Ohio of Irish-Amer- 
can stock, and they had a family of twelve chil- 
dren, of whom our subject is the second member, 
and all living at this writing. At the age of 



twenty-one he started in to make his own way 
in the world, following farm work for a couple 
of years, then taught school for three vears, 
spending part of his time in different work after 
he quit teaching. He journeyed through Mon- 
tana, Washington and other western states, 
working on railroad grades, etc., for four years, 
and in 1887 came to Sheridan county, taking 
a contract for four miles of Burlington & Mis- 
souri grade, and after he had finished this work 
made up his mind to stay in Nebraska. He had 
here plenty of room, range and water, and 
thought no one else would care to locate in 
the region, so filed on a homestead on section 
9, which he still holds. There was then only 
one house between his own and the town of 
Whitman, and his idea was to build up a big 
cattle ranch. He bought forty-two head of cat- 
tle in 1888, and that was his start in the busi- 
ness. He put up a sod house and lived in it up 
to 1901, then built a fine brick residence, bring- 
ing the brick from Box Butte county, as he 
could not stand the idea of living in a frame or 
sod house. He succeeded in his venture from 
the first, and now has nineteen quarter sections 
of land, besides leasing other land, nearly all of 
which is valley land lying along the railroad, 
and he can load his stock within a mile of his 
ranch. He runs three hundred head of cattle and 
the same number of horses, and thinks this is the 
best stock country he ever saw, and he has had 
w^ide experience all over the western states. Since 
he came here the region has developed consider- 
ably, and he is contented to stay as long as he 
cares to run a ranch, the dry seasons here really 
being better for him than wet ones. 

Mr. Wilson was married in 1904 to Miss 
Mabel Taylor, born in Iowa in 1870. She is a 
daughter of J. C. and Nancy J. (Gray) Taylor, 
natives of Ohio, who settled in Iowa in the early 
days. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had one child, 
Francis, who died in infancy, and one living. 
Alabel Louise, born December 25. 1907. 

When Mr. Wilson located here Alliance was 
not located, but was started during the same 
fall, and has grown to be a thriving town. Anti- 
och is his postofiice and Reno his railroad sta- 
tion, and his nearest trading post is Alliance, 
Nebraska. Mr. Wilson is popular in political 
circles, serving two terms as county surveyor, 
and refusing a third term because he could not 
devote the time necessary to the work. He could 
do considerable in this line of work : but his stock 
and ranch takes up all of his time and he pre- 
fers to attend to that business in preference to 
any other. He is a Populist, having voted that 
ticket ever since coming to this country. He 
has been justice of the peace for a number of 
vears. 



1050 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



L. E. STORY. 

Among the business enterprises which con- 
tribute in a marked degree to the prosperity of 
Maxwell, Lincoln county, as a business point, 
the general merchandise store conducted by L. 
E. Story occupies a leading place. This is one 
of the best equipped establishments of its kind 
in this locality, and its proprietor is well known 
to the people of the county for his honest busi- 
ness methods and careful attention to their 
needs. 

Mr. Story was born in I'ennsylvania in 18/0. 
His father was Charles A. Story, from Delaware 
countj\ Pennsylvania, and during the Civil war 
was a captain in a Pennsylvania regiment. (Jur 
subject came to Nebraska in 1879 and located 
on a farm near Amherst, Buffalo county, remain- 
ing on that place up to 1892, and for a time was 
in the agricultural implement business, and al- 
tliough he was very successful he decided to 
enter into the mercantile line of business, and 
in 1898 came to Maxwell and together with W. 
A. and W. H. Merrick, formed the firm of W. 
H. Merrick & Company, and opened up a fine 
general merchandise store in November of that 
year. The firm does a large business, their 
trade extending for twenty miles south and 
thirty miles north of the place, and they are 
steadily increasing their already complete stock, 
branching out with new lines, and making it 
one of the up-to-date establishments in this 
county. 

In 1897 Mr. Story married Miss Edna Mer- 
rick, daughter of W. H. Merrick, an old settler 
of Kearney county, Nebraska, having located 
there in 1878. He has held the office of county 
commissioner of Kearney county for some years, 
and was also a merchant of Newark, Nebraska, 
carrying on a store there from 1888 until 1901, 
when he sold this out and started in business at 
Amherst. The Merricks are an old family, who 
for generations past have lived in New Jersey, 
and this branch came to Rockford. Illinois, in 
the pioneer days of that state. Mr. and Mrs. 
Story have a family of three children, two sons 
and one daughter, all of whom are at present at- 
tending school. 

Mr. Story takes a commendable interest in 
all affairs which tend toward the advancement of 
conditions in his locality, and is highly respected 
and esteemed by his fellow associates. In po- 
litical faith he is a Democrat. 



came here about 1893, and in the years since 
then has succeeded in building up a good home 
and farm by dint of his industry and persistent 
efforts. He is one of the well-to-do farmers 
in his locality, and enjoys a pleasant home sur- 
rounded by every comfort of rural life, and is held 
in high esteem as a worthy citizen and good 
neighbor. 

Mr. Rosenbaum was born in Washington 
county, Virginia, in 1860, on a farm. His father, 
Joel Rosenbaum. was of American birth, of 
Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, born in Virginia, and 
he married Nancy Ramsey, also of American 
stock. Our subject grew up in \'irginia, as- 
sisting his parents in the work of carrying on 
their home farm, attending the country schools 
where he received his early education. At the 
age of twenty-two years he came west to Wash- 
ington county, Nebraska, and began farming 
near Blair, and spent eleven years in the east- 
ern part of the state. In 1887 he was employed 
on the railroad, and that fall went to work in 
Douglas county, Nebraska. He came to Dawes 
county in 1893, first living on a farm south 
of his present location, remaining on that land 
for about nine years, living there continuously 
with the exception of one summer which he 
spent in Wyoming. Since coming here he has 
been engaged principally in farming, and at 
times has undergone severe losses in dry years, 
when all crops failed utterly. He was often dis- 
couraged and thought of moving away, but man- 
aged to stick to his farm, and gradually im- 
proved it, and is now glad he stayed. He owns 
a valuable tract of land located in section 36, 
townshij) 33. range 48, having under his control 
nearly the whole section. He is engaged mostly 
in stock raising, and the fact of his being on 
Big Bordeaux creek makes it an ideal stock 
ranch, furnishing plenty of good running water 
for his stock and irrigation purposes. 

In political views he is an inde])endent voter, 
and bound by no party lines. 



EMANUEL M. ROSENBAUM. 

Emanuel M. Rosenbaum, who resides on his 
fine farm in section 36. township 33, range 48. 
is one of the old-timers of Dawes countv, who 



WILLIS RECORD. 

Willis Recortl. residing on section 12, town- 
ship 12, range 36, is one of the well-known old- 
timers of Keith county. He settled in the region 
during the pioneer days, and has gone through 
all the "old" Nebraska times, remaining to share 
in the success which has come to those who 
worked hard and faithfully to bring about this 
end. 

Mr. Record was born in Morgan county, 
Indiana, in 1836. His father was a native of 
Kentucky, a farmer by occupation, and he mar- 
ried Margaret Reynolds, they living in Indiana 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1051 



for many years, and our subject was reared in 
that state. When he was twenty-six years of 
age he enlisted in the army, as a private in 
Company H, Seventieth Indiana Regiment, un- 
der Colonel Benjamin Harrison. On August 15. 
1862, he took part in the skirmish at Bowling 
Green, Kentucky, later was in the Army of the 
Cumberland, in the Atlanta campaign. W'liile 
he was on the latter expedition he was stricken 
with fever and afterward was sent to Lookout 
Mountain and Chattanooga. He was promoted 
from private to second lieutenant, but resignetl 
from the post. 

After he returned from the war, in 1865, 
he followed farming in Indiana, and was elected 
sheriff of Morgan county, serving for two terms, 
and later was elected county clerk, acting in that 
capacity for one term. In 1877 he went to Iowa, 
settling in Dallas county, and there farmed for 
five years, next moved to Calhoun county and re- 
mained up to 1886, when he came to Nebraska, 
locating in Keith county. He filed on a home- 
stead south of Paxton, put up a house and other 
buildings and opened a farm. He experi- 
enced hard times during the first few years, 
while the drouths were general throughout that 
region and it was almost impossible to raise a 
crop. Mr. Record did contract work, putting in 
irrigation ditches in different parts of the neigh- 
boring counties. In this way he was able to im- 
prove his place, and gradually built it up in 
good shape, getting into the stock business on a 
large scale, and has done exceedingly well of 
late years. He has a valuable ranch, supplied 
with every improvement, good buildings, and 
plenty of good wells, etc., and he is recognized 
as one of the progressive and prosperous farm- 
ers and stock men of his locality. 

Mr. Record married Melitta Williams, of Mor- 
gan county, Indiana, in 1858. She was a daugh- 
ter of John Williams, a prominent farmer of 
that region. Her mother was Elizabeth Pruitt. 
Mrs. Melitta Record died May 2h, 1903. Our 
subject has one daughter and one son, Laura 
and Charles Lincoln, the latter in partnership 
with his father on the farm and ranch. He was 
born in Indiana in 1860, spending his boyhood 
in Indiana and Iowa, coming to Nebraska in 
1888. He also took a homestead and proved up 
on it, father and son combining the two places, 
and have made a fine ranch out of the two prop- 
erties. Charles Record married Miss Lillie 
Everett in Iowa, in 1883. Mrs. Record is a 
daughter of William Everett, of Perry, Iowa, 
a veteran of the Civil war, who served in the 
Twenty-sixth Indiana Infantry. Six daughters 
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Record, 
namely: Edna Fern, Mary ^I., Harriet L., 
Athel Annie, Lucile and Pearl. 



NEWTON T. WHITE. 

Newton T. White, who occupies a foremost 
place among the intelligent and prosperous farm- 
ers of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, has a fine 
farm and home in Custer precinct. He has de- 
voted all his life to farming, secured a thorough 
knowledge of the busines, and has prospered in 
a marked degree by good management and in- 
dustr)'. 

^Ir. White is a native of Tennessee, born 
on a farm near Athens, February 12, 1858. His 
father, Daniel White, followed farming all his 
life. He was a soldier in his Confederate army, 
and married Miss Susan Pace, whose people 
were among the first in eastern Tennessee. Both 
parents died in Arkansas when our subject was 
three years of age, the father at Little Rock, 
while in the army, the mother prior to the be- 
ginning of the war. Newton was reared by an 
aunt until eight years of age and with her he 
went to Louisville, Kentucky, about 1862, and 
to Washington county, Indiana, about three years 
later. After reaching a mature age he followed 
farming as an occupation, opening up a farm 
for himself in Washington countv, in 1876, where 
he lived up to 1884. At that time he came to 
Keya Paha county, settling on a homestead on 
section 29, township 1,5. range 20. He sold 
this after a short time, purchasing three hundred 
and twenty acres on Burton creek and occupied 
this until it was lost during the dry years. 
Moving to Cherry county in 1896, 'he ' con- 
ducted a hotel and livery stable for three vears 
and then returning to Keya Paha county' pur- 
chased his present farm which consists of three 
hundred and twenty acres, with three hundred 
and sixty acres under lease, of which about one 
hundred and twenty-five acres are under culti- 
vation. The father and one son are engaged in 
raising Shorthorn cattle, having a herd of twen- 
ty-five, all registered. They also keep over 
thirty horses and a large number of hogs. Be- 
side his farming interests Air. White owns prop- 
erty in Springview, and moves in town during 
the winter to give his children the benefit of 
the city schools. 

Mr. White was married at Plattsburg. while 
still living in Indiana. September 17, 1877, to 
Miss Ophelia Hatbaugh. daughter of Robert and 
Mary (Jackson) Hatbaugh, of German-Ameri- 
can stock. Four children have been born to 
them, named as follows: Carl M., lesse L., 
Bruce H. and Edwin D., all living on or near 
the old homestead. 

Our subject is a strong Republican and a 
firm believer in party principles, but he' has 
never taken an active interest in politics, his 
whole time being given up to the management of 



1052 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



his farm. He is a member of the Methodist 
church and the Knights of Pythias, of Spring- 
view. 



NELS LARSON. 



Nels Larson, one of the prominent farmers 
and stockmen of western Nebraska, is a man of 
untiring energy and good business management, 
residing on section 24, township 13, range 53, 
Chambers precinct. Cheyenne county, where he 
occupies a high position as a leading citizen. 

Mr. Larson was born in Denmark. July 2(). 
1863. He grew to the age of nineteen years in 
his native land, following farming as an occupa- 
tion most of the time and then came to the 
United States, sailing April 12th from Copen- 
hagen to New York on the Tingvallia. He came 
direct to Blair, Nebraska (whither a brother had 
preceded him), arriving in that vicinity May 5, 
1882. He resided in Holt county three years and 
two years in Washington county, erf^jaged in 
farm labor, then came to Cheyenne county, ar- 
riving here in March and making homestead 
entry the same month. For about seven years 
he was out of the county following railroad shop 
work, for three years at Missouri Valley, on 
what is now the Northwestern line ; two years in 
Cheyenne, and an equal time on ranches near 
Blair. In the fall of 1904 he filed on a Kincaid 
homestead, and now has four hundred and eighty 
acres, all well improved, and is one of the well- 
to-do residents of the county. The place is 
fitted with good buildings and he farms fifty 
acres, using the balance as a stock ranch, run- 
ning fjuite a herd of cattle and a small bunch 
of horses. 

Mr. Larson was married .May 10. 1907. in 
L'nion precinct, Kimball county, Nebraska, to 
Miss Carrie Nelson, a native of Denmark, whose 
parents are both dead. 

Politically Mr. Larson is a Democrat, and 
while he has always taken a commendable in- 
terest in local affairs, has never sought office 
other than school service, acting at jircsent as 
moderator of school di.strict No. 17. His post- 
office is Potter. He votes independently of partv 
lines and is a member of the Lutheran church. 



SWAN FRISKOPP. 

Swan Friskopp, who is well known in Deuel 
county as a progressive agriculturist, where his 
character and ability command res])ect and re- 
tain confidence, was born on a farm in Sweden, 
and grew up there. 

^Ir. Friskopp is the youngest member of his 
father's familv of three children, and has one 



brother still living in Sweden, while his only 
sister lives in Dawson county, Nebraska. Both 
father and mother spent their entire lives in 
that country, dying there several years past. He 
left home in 1882, striking out at once for 
America, taking passage on an emigrant steamer. 
His first location was at Kearney, Nebraska, 
where he spent several years, and then came 
on to Deuel county, landing here in 1887. He 
had been through the country in 1884 and taken 
a homestead on section 20, township 13, range 
43, and has now made permanent settlement on 
the land. He put up a rough shanty and other 
buildings, and kept "batchclor's hall" for a num- 
ber of years, going through many hardships and 
discouragements in the failure of crops, etc. He 
had little capital, and was obliged to work out 
part of the time in order to lay by a little money 
with which to put improvements on his farm, 
and has seen every phase of the early Nebraska 
times. 

^Ir. Friskopp now owns six hundred and 
forty acres, farming about one hundred and 
forty of this, and the balance is used for pas- 
ture and hay land for his stock, of which he has 
eighty head of cattle and sixty horses. His 
place is well improved with a complete set of 
good buildings, fences, well and windmill, etc.. 
and every appointment evidences thrift and 
painstaking care in its operation. 

On August 30. 1895, Mr. Friskopp was mar- 
ried to Miss Annie Leef, in Cheyenne, Wyomitig. 
Mrs. Friskopp was born and raised in Knox 
county, Illinois, and is a most charming and 
intelligent lady, the mother of five children, 
named as follows: Laura S., Alice G., Anna 
Irene, Velma, Viola and Royal J., all at home, 
and forming an interesting family group. Mr. 
Friskopp has always taken an active interest in 
school affairs, and has served his townshi]) in 
various capacities as a public officer. In politics 
he is a Republican. 



WILSON J. TEETERS. 

Among the jirotuincnt ranchmen of Cherry 
countv, Nebraska, the gentleman above named 
deserves a foremost place. Mr. Teeters is the 
owner of a valuable estate situated in section 
10, township 29. range 34, and has made hi? 
home near here for the past ten years. 

Mr. Teeters was born in Steuben cotmty. In- 
diana. November 26, 1875. a twin brother of 
Willis J- Teeters, whose biogra])hy is to be 
found elsewhere in this work. His father, John 
Teeters, was a farmer and old settler in the 
eastern part nf this state, arriving in Burt 
county about 1879. The mother's maiden nam^ 
was Slarv Russell, who died in Nebraska March 




RKSIDEXCE OF WILSOX J. TEETERS 
Cherry Ccuiity. Nebraska. 




RESIDI-XCl': C)I' UTI.LIS J. T1-. 
Clierrv Countv. Ncliraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1053 



13, 1888, at the age of forty-six. One of a 
family of seven children, Mr. Teeters was reared 
in Nebraska. He attended the country schools, 
and during his spare time assisted his father 
and brothers in the work of carrying on their 
farm. During our subject's young manhood he 
and his brothers worked in partnership in Burt 
county, engaged in farming and they are still to 
some extent interested in cattle in common and 
are to some extent individual owners. In 1898 
he came to Cherry county and settled on a 
homestead in section 2, later on section 10. town- 
sliip 29, range 34, where he now resides. He 
put up a sod shanty for his home, and lived in 
this for some time. His first farm contained 
eighty acres, and he soon took up an additional 
eighty, also another piece in section 2, township 
10, range 11. He farmed part of this land and 
engaged in stock raising to some extent, meet- 
ing with good success in whatever he under- 
took. In 1904 he took four hundred and eighty 
acres of Kincaid homestead land, and he now 
owns a ranch of fourteen hundred and forty 
acres, all good land, and with his father and 
brothers is interested in over fifty-two hundred 
acres. He has a good set of farm buildings on 
his place, good wells and windmills, and all 
fenced. He is now devoting his entire attention 
to stock raising, and runs a herd of a hundred 
head of cattle and about thirtv horses. 

Mr. Teeters and his brothers, Jefferson D. 
and Willis J., of whom sketches appear in this 
work, have invented and secured a patent on a 
rotary cycle mower which gives promise of be- 
ing a very successful invention. This is con- 
structed so that each .section runs on a chain belt, 
thus doing awav with any reciprocal motion, 
which is the principle on which ordinary mow- 
ers run. 

In 1900 ]\Ir. Teeters was married to Miss 
Katie Herron, daughter of Lewis and Ellen E. 
(IMorrain) Herron, the latter having died when 
Mrs. Teeters was a little girl about three years 
of age. Mr. and Mrs. Teeters have a family 
of three children, who are named as follows: 
Wilson J., Jr., born January 19, 1901 ; Benton 
Rav, born December 3. 1902, and INlvrtle Adelia, 
born October 10, 1904. 

The family is highly esteemed throughout 
the community in which they reside, and enjov 
the friendship of a host of neighbors. A view 
of the family residence is one of the interesting 
illustrations in this work. 



able estate, section 2, township 29, range 34, 
where he has a pleasant and comfortable home. 
Mr. Teeters is considered among the early set- 
tlers in this region, and is one of those who 
have contributed largely of their time and in- 
fluence in building up the locality in which they 
chose their home. 

]\lr. Teeters is a native of Steuben county, 
Indiana, born November 26, 1875, and is a twin 
brother to Wilson J. Teeters, whose sketch ap- 
pears on another page in this volume. He came 
to Cherry county when a young man of about 
twenty, and located on the homestead on which 
he now resides, and at once went to work build- 
ing up his farm and home. He has a finelv im- 
proved ranch of seven hundred and twenty 
acres, well stocked, and has been most success- 
ful in accumulating a nice property in the com- 
paratively short time he has lived here. In com- 
mon with his brother he runs about four hun- 
dred cattle and eighty head of horses. A view 
of the residence and surroundings will be found 
on another page in this work. 

Mr. Teeters was married October 26. 1904, 
to Miss Blanche Miller, daughter of Gregory 
Miller, a farmer living at Clearwater, Antelope 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Teeters have two chil- 
dren : Ethel Mary, born November 23, 1905, 
and Norval, born August 14, 1907. 

Mr. Teeters is a man of superior intelligence 
and marked business ability, supplemented by 
industrious habits and a level head. He is of 
an inventive turn of mind, being associated with 
his brothers in the perfecting of a rotary cycle 
mower, which they expect to put upon the 
market. 



WILLIS J. TEETERS. 

\\'illis J. Teeters, a prominent ranchman of 
Cherrv countv. Nebraska, resides on his valu- 



LOUIS H. DEAVER. 

As an industrious farmer and honest and 
worthy citizen, the gentleman herein named is 
known throughout Cherry county. He is the 
owner of a well improved property in section 
4, township 31, range 34. and well deserves the 
success which he has acquired through many 
years of hard work and perseverance. 

Mr. Deaver was born in Madison county, 
Nebraska, February 12, 1873. His father, Henry 
Deaver, was an American, a farmer by occuna- 
tion, and served in an Indiana regiment during 
the Civil war. In a family of eleven children 
our subject was the fifth member, and at tlie 
age of thirteen started out to make his own 
way in the world, obtaining employment on 
farms in this state, where all his life has been 
spent. When he was twenty-four he started in 
farming for himself in Stanton county and re- 
mained there for two vears, and then he made 



1054 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



his home in Antelope county for four years from 
whence he came to Cherry county. Here he took 
up a homestead in section 4. township 31. range 
34. Since tiien he has taken up additional land 
amounting to four hundred and eighty acres, 
also three hundred and sixty acres of section 32, 
township 32. range 34, this being a part of the 
Heyne ranch, of which he was foreman for a 
number of years. The owners of the Hcvne 
ranch, which is now reduced to four hundred and 
eighty acres, located here in 1898, and have run 
the place since that lime. Mr. Deaver has good 
buildings and improvements on his home farm, 
and has also quite an orchard of fruit trees set 
out and growing well. He has prospered from 
the first, and is one of the progressive and 
up-to-date farmers and ranchmen of the count\'. 

In 1897 Mr. Deaver was married to Miss 
Louisa Cleveland, a native of Ohio, but reared 
in \\'isconsin. Thev have one child, Phvliis 
Joy. 

Although Mr. Deaver takes a commendable 
interest in politics he has never had the time to 
devote to active participation in the game, and 
has never held any office. He is a Republican in 
sentiment: in fraternal relations he is a member 
of the Modern Woodmen of America, of Codv. 



E. S. P.YFIELD. 



E. S. Byfield, editor and proprietor of the 
Indianola Reporter, which is recognized as one 
of the most reliable news mediums of this lo- 
cality, is foremost among the younger business 
men of the thriving town of Indianola, Ne- 
braska, 

Mr. Byfield was I)orn in Pueblo. Colorado. 
and is a son of William Byfield. of McConk. who 
is the owner of a large ranch and elevator at 
Redwillow. besides one hundred and sixty acres 
of fine land on which he has built a beautiful 
residence, adjoining the town of McCook. He 
is also a heavy feeder, running from six to seven 
head of cattle every year. He is a large grower 
of grain, but in 1906 his crop consisted of one 
hundred acres of sugar beets, yielding fourteen 
tons to the acre, four thousand bushels of corn, 
and three thousand bushels of wheat. He feeds 
about five hundred hogs and four thousand lambs 
annually. His beet crop realized forty-six dol- 
lars per acre last year, and showed him a nice 
profit. He pays twenty-one dollars per acre for 
labor, seed. etc.. and had the beet tops to feed 
his stock, which make the best kind of fodder 
for them. He states that this crop never has 
failed him, even during the dryest seasons. He 
does not use the land for the same crop every 
year, but raises corn and beets alternatclv on 



the ground, and in this way obtains better results. 
He also has one hundred and twenty acres of 
fine alfalfa which yields him a splendid crop. 
He has farmed in Kansas and in his native land, 
Ontario, Canada, and from this wide experience 
is satisfied that the Republican valley is the best 
place for breeding and raising stock, also feed- 
ing, that he has ever seen. He was one of the 
first settlers of Redwillow county, coming here 
in 1872. Later he moved to Colorado, coming 
back to Redwillow county in 1885 with his 
family, of whom our subject is the eldest mem- 
ber. Lie first located at the junction of the Re- 
publican river and Redwillow creek. \\'ith him 
were J. F. Black and John Lonecker. who settled 
i near his homestead, and both of these gentlemen 
Still live in this county. 

Our subject received his early education in 
the public schools of McCook. attending these 
until he reached the eleventh grade, and then 
entered Franklin Academy, from which he was 
graduated in 1904. and during the time he at- 
tended this academy he was also employed in 
the Free Press office at Franklin, gaining much 
practical knowledge from his connection with 
this paper. He spent one and a half years 
with the Danbury News, a leading news])aper is- 
sued at Danbury. Nebraska. Two years ago he 
purchased the Indianola Reporter, and in this 
short time has built the paper up and made it 
one of the best papers Indianola has had for 
years. He is an earnest advocate for the ad- 
vancement of the best interests of his locality, 
and takes a foremost part in all public matters 
of the times. He is a young man of sterling 
qualities, and promises to become one of the 
prominent members of his chosen profession. 



ERIK RASMUSSEN. 

Erik Rasmussen. a prosperous farmer of 
township 26. range 48. Box Butte county, has 
made his way to success by perseverance and 
diligence, supplemented by honest dealings. He 
is a man of wide experience, his career has 
been a busy one and he still has api>arently 
many years left to enjoy the prosperity which he 
has attained since locating in this section of the 
country. 

Mr. Rasmussen was born near Bergen, in 
the Province of Nordfjord. Norway, his birth- 
place being near the seacoast. where his parents 
owned a farm, the father sjiending his entire life 
in that vicinity. The mother still owns an in- 
terest in this homestead in the old country. Our 
subject grew up there, and at the age of seven- 
teen years left home and started out for himself, 
following the life of a sailor for about seven- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAI'llY 



105; 



teen years, working on ships that took him all 
over the world. He visited nearly all foreign 
countries, including the East Indies, Australia 
and South America. After a trip to New Zea- 
land in 1881 he returned to Norway and re- 
mained at home for about two years, then took 
passage on an emigrant steamer for America, 
arriving in New York in the spring of 1886. He 
struck out across the country for the west, and 
landed in Albion, Nebraska, on Jnly 7th, of the 
last mentioned year, spent one week there, then 
went to Hay Springs, and soon afterward lo- 
cated in Box Butte county. At that time Hem- 
ingford boasted of onh' two stores, one of which 
was a hardware store which was conducted in a 
sod shanty. He filed on a homestead in section 
8, township 26, range 48, and for a time worked 
on the railroad, doing grade work. He began 
to improve his claim, putting up a sod house, 
and "batched it" for nine years, gradually develop- 
ing a good farm and cultivating his ground with 
a team of mules. The drouth seasons came 
on and he suffered the loss of nearly all his 
crops. His first good crop was in the year 
1888, when he had a good yield of sod corn, and 
the following year was also a good one. The 
year of 1890 was a complete failure and he was 
compelled to go out by the day to earn money 
to make a living. He met with many hard- 
ships and discouragements, but stuck to his 
farm, proving up on it, and in 1893 returned 
to Norway to look after some business affairs 
which arose on account of the death of a brother 
there. After being absent a few months he 
came back, continued to improve his place and 
bought more land, and is now the owner of a 
ranch of six hundred and forty acres, cultivating 
one hundred and forty-five acres of this, and 
using the balance as a cattle ranch. He raises 
quite a good many horses, also cattle each year 
for the markets. Mr. Rasmussen has a fine es- 
tate, well supplied with good buildings, having 
a nice story and a half house, large barns, and 
other necessary outbuildings. 

Mr. Rasmussen was married in Iowa in 1895, 
to Miss Jnlia Lewison, who was born in Nor- 
way, coming to this country with her parents 
when a voung girl, the family settling as pio- 
neers in Iowa. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Rasmussen have 
been the parents of five children, who are named 
as follows: Elida, Hilda, Simon, Marion and 
Samuel Lewis, the last named dying at the age 
of twenty-one months. 

Our subject has always lent his best efforts 
to the building up and improving of conditions 
in his locality, helping to establ'sh the schools, 
and taking an active interest in all local school 
and political matters. He is a Republican in 
politics. 



DAVID H. SHULTZ. 

David H. Shultz, a gentleman of superior 
education and splendid characteristics, is widelv 
known and highly respected alike for his genuine 
worth of mind and heart, his upright business 
methods, honesty, and his friendly and courteous 
spirit. He resides in Potter, Nebraska, where 
he is engaged in the real estate business. 

Mr. Shultz was born in Marklesburg. Penn- 
sylvania, on March 9, 1843, and lived in his 
native state for thirty-tliree years. He was edu- 
cated at Juniata University, and after coming 
out of college spent a number of years engaged 
in educational work at the Juniata Theological 
Seminary. He went to- Lena. Illinois, in 1876, 
and served as pastor of a Lutheran church there 
for two years : from there he was transferred to 
Lanark, Illinois, following the same work for 
an equal length of time. He was then called 
to Rising City, Nebraska, and there organized 
the first Lutheran church, also at Surprise, and 
also the Bethel church in York county. He 
afterward organized a church at David City, 
and served as pastor for one year, then re- 
moved to Potter, where he again organized a 
church and became pastor. He was a faithful 
worker and was greatly beloved by his parishion- 
ers, but on account of failing eyesight was com- 
pelled to give up the work. Air.' Shultz is dis- 
tinctly an organizer, building up the waste and 
desolate places. He has shown great strength 
in drawing together weak congregations and 
making them self-sustaining. After retiring 
from the ministry he engaged in ranching in 
1894, taking up a homestead in section 32. town- 
ship 16, range 53. which he has since sold. He 
later purchased a section of table land and a 
hay ranch on Pumpkin Seed creek, containing in 
all ten hundred and forty acres, which is de- 
voted to ranching interests, and while he resides 
in Potter and carries on an extensive real es- 
tate business, he also personally supervises his 
ranch. Mr. Shultz takes an active interest in 
the welfare of the county and state, and is par- 
ticularly interested in its progress along edu- 
cational and religious lines, having been a promi- 
nent educator nearly all his life. When an ef- 
fort was made by another denomination to pur- 
chase the Lutheran church at Potter, during the 
dry period in the early nineties when the con- 
gregation was scattered, Mr. Schultz influenced 
the synod to send out an energetic and active 
minister, and together they rejuvenated the or- 
ganization and they imw have a strong and 
growing congregation. 

Mr. Shultz has been married twice, his first 
wife dying in Potter, March 24, 1907, leaving 
no children. She was a lad\' of most estimable 



1056 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



character and charming personality, and her 
death was sincerely deplored by a large circle 
of friends. 

Mr. Shultz is a Republican in political views, 
and lends his influence for good government. 



GEORGE HAAS. 

Constant industry, careful management and 
miswerving honesty are the secret of the no- 
blest success possible on American soil. He 
who can work hard, plaa and manage well, and 
stand "four-square to all the winds that blow," 
may be rich or poor, but he will be honored and 
respected by all who know him. Such a man is 
George Haas, who has borne his full share in 
the making of western Nebraska, and well mer- 
its an honored place among its pioneer and early 
settlers. Mr. Haas was born in Wurtemburg, 
Germany, August 4, 1847. His father, George 
Haas. Sr., came to American shores with part 
of his family about 1853. settling in Ohio on a 
farm, our subject following his father to this 
country in 1862, sailing from Hamburg in May 
and after a stormy passage of fifty-three days, 
landed in New York. Up to 1878 he made Ross 
county, Ohio, his home, having there a farm 
of forty-four acres, with a comfortable little 
house. 

He came to Nebraska in 1878 and settled on 
a farm near Johnstown and remained there for 
five years, then bought his present homestead 
in section 9. township 30, range 23, where he 
has lived continuously since. He has seen hard 
times since coming here, going through the dry 
years when he lost two crops entirely and ex- 
perienced all the discouragements of those years. 
He has now built up a good home and farm, 
owning one hundred and sixty acres, one hun- 
dred and fifteen acres of which is in a high state 
of cultivation, and all improved with good build- 
ings including comfortable house, large barns, 
granary and other farm buildings, with his land 
all fenced and fitted with an ample supply of 
modern farm machinery. He devotes all his 
time to the building up of his place and well 
deserves the success he has attained. There is 
a grove of over a thousand trees on his place, 
affording shade in the summer and a windbreak 
in the winter. 

Mr. Haas was married in 1870 while living 
in Ohio to Miss Phoebe Lamcnshimer. a native 
of the state of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Haas 
have been born the following children : Effie, 
Lizzie, Fred, Kate, John, Okey, William. 
Charles, .Albert and .Minnie. The family are high- 
ly esteemed in the community in which tliey 
reside, and are popular members of society. 



Politically, Mr. Haas votes with the Demo- 
cratic party. 



HENRY E. GOODALL. 

Henry E. Goodall was born in London. Eng- 
land, September, 1849. His father. Thomas 
Goodall, was an importer of olive oil and re- 
mained in this business all his life. His moth- 
er, Ann Aldrich, was a descendant of Henry 
Aldrich, who was dean of Christ Church Col- 
lege, Oxford, England, in 1636. A great many 
of her people were college professors and cler- 
gymen. Our subject was reared and educated 
at a private school in Leeds, Engfland, and after 
leaving this school he studied law with two dif- 
ferent law firms. He also worked in the John 
Fowler Company steam plow works. 

In 1872 he left Liverpool for America, em- 
barking on the 26th day of March and coming 
direct to Nebraska. Our subject and his part- 
ner told the trainmen that they wanted to go 
as far as the train would take them. The last 
rail was then laid to Harvard, Clay county, and 
here he filed on a homestead on section 14, town- 
ship 7, range 7. He has built up a home, im- 
proved it and proved up on the claim which was 
his home for ten years. Part of this time our 
subject drove an ox team, which was the first 
team he had ever learned to handle. The first 
building on his claim was a sod house, in which 
he lived for many years, and while living here 
he witnessed the grasshopper raids. After losing 
three crops by hail our subject leased his farm 
and moved to Clay Center, where he lived for 
some time. He was deputy clerk for one year, 
and deputy clerk of the district court. 

He was married in 1885 to Miss Carrie .\. 
Boyd, only daughter of Robert W. Boyd, an 
attorney at Eddyville, Iowa. In November, 
1887, he moved to the town of Grant in Perkins 
county, where he opened the first abstract office 
in the county, and went into the real estate 
business. In May, 1889, he was admitted to the 
bar before Judge A. H. Church, and has prac- 
ticed law continuously ever since. He was elect- 
ed county attorney in Perkins county and has 
served as county attorney in both Perkins and 
Keith counties. 

Feeling the need of a change, our subject 
bought a ranch in Keith county, where he has 
resided for several years. This ranch is located 
at Korty, between Ogallala and Paxton, in the 
South Platte river valley. He has all improve- 
ments on this ranch, good buildings and fences. 
Here he docs considerable farming, having one 
hundred and forty acres under cultivation. The 
ranch comprises one thousand nine hundred and 
fifty acres, on which are growing numerous 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1057 



shade and fruit trees. He also has property in 
Ogallala, which town our subject calls his home. 
He moved from Grant to Ogallala in 1897, en- 
gaging in the practice of law. Here his wife, 
who is a woman of remarkable literary attain- 
ments, became owner, editor and publisher of 
the Republican Argus, a weekly paper published 
in the town of Ogallala. Our subject has taken 
an active part in the affairs of his community for 
over thirty-six years and has watched the growth 
and advancement of the region in which he has 
resided and is regarded as one of the most pro- 
gressive of the old settlers of the state. He has 
taken an active part in the development of the 
county and state in which he lives, and is a lead- 
er in all matters of public interest. 

Our subject is an Episcopal churchman, and 
is a member of the Masonic 'fraternity and tie 
State Bar Association. He has one son. Robe- 1 
Aldrich Goodall, who was born October 8, 1891. 
Mr. Goodall is widely known throughout the 
state and is one of the most popular men in the 
state, where he is honored for his honesty of 
purpose and other sterling traits of character. 
He is a Republican in his political affiliations 
and has held many offices, the duties of which 
he has executed with great satisfaction to the 
people. 

PHILIP CONARD. 

.Among those who have settled more recently 
in Garfield county, but nevertheless, during his 
short residence here, accumulated a nice prop- 
erty through his industrious habits and strict 
attention to duty, is the gentleman whose name 
heads this review. Mr. Conard owns a well 
developed farm in section 11, township 22. range 
15, and is well known and highly respected in 
the community. 

Philip Conard was born in Lee county, Illi- 
nois, in 1863. He is of German descent, his 
parents being natives of Pennsylvania, both dy- 
ing when our subject was a small boy. He 
grew up in Iowa and Nebraska. In 1888 Mr. 
Conard came to Nebraska and settled in Rock 
county, where he took up a pre-emption of one 
hundred and sixty acres, remaining there up to 
1892, then moved to Garfield county. Here he 
bought one hundred and sixty acres, also took 
.three hundred and twenty acres under the Kin- 
caid act, and now owns a valuable piece of 
property, engaging principally in the culture of 
small grains, and since locating here he has 
never had a crop failure and has made money. 
]\Ir. Conard much prefers this country to anv in 
the east for the poor man, and says there is 
no excuse for a man not getting along who is 
willing to work and exercise good judgment in 



his line of business, and especially if he follows 
farming. His farm is well improved with good 
buildings, commodious barns and other farm 
necessities. He is a thoroughly practical farm- 
er, employing modern methods in all his opera- 
tions, and is recognized as one of the leading 
agriculturists of his locality. 

Mr. Conard has never married. Politically 
he is a Republican, but has never aspired to of- 
fice. 



JOHN E. HUNT. 

John E. Hunt, who although comparatively 
a newcomer in Morrill county, has been a resi- 
dent of Nebraska for many years past, is owner 
of a valuable property in Bayard precinct. Mr. 
Hunt is a native of Knox county, Ohio, born 
June 9, 1848, a son of George W. and Elizabeth 
R. (Eirp) Hunt, natives of Ohio and the Dis- 
trict of Columbia respectively. 

About 1855 the family, consisting of five sons 
and three daughters, moved to Fayette county, 
Illinois, where they lived for about six years, 
the father engaged in farming. From there 
thev moved to Christian county and remained 
in Illinois near Pana until 1875, when our sub- 
ject left home and emigrated to Nebraska, his 
first location being Fillmore county. Remaining 
there for about fourteen years, he moved to Box 
Butte county, where he took up some land and 
farmed for nine years, improving a good place. 

Mr. Hunt finally settled in Morrill, formerly 
Cheyenne, county, in 1898, purchasing a home in 
section 36, township 21, range 52, and after- 
wards acquired sufficient additional land to make 
a ranch of two hundred and forty acres, of 
which two hundred and twenty acres are irriga- 
ble. Here he has made a success in building 
up a good home and is fast becoming one of 
the wealthy men of his locality. He is progres- 
sive and up-to-date in his methods, industrious 
and thrifty and enjoys the esteem and respect 
of all who know him. Vigorous of mind and 
body, his epigrammatic expressions, short and 
crisp, are of never failing interest to his listen- 
ers. Quite a portion of his farm is devoted to 
grain raising and he also has plenty of hay land, 
with thirty-five acres of alfalfa. Besides his 
farming he raises considerable stock, having at 
present about one hundred and fifty head, in- 
cluding cattle, horses and hogs. He has im- 
proved his estate by erecting a good residence, 
large barns and other buildings and has a fine 
grove of tall trees surrounding the home build- 
ings, with a thrifty orchard of a variety of fruit 
trees in bearing. A view of the dwelling in its 
fine grove and surrounding buildings is to be 
found on another page. 



1058 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Hunt was married in 1872 to Miss Cath- 
erine Secrest. To them were born three chil- 
dren, Eva M.. Lily M. and George H.. but the 
wife and mother died in 1880. On December 
27. 1886. our subject was married the second 
time to Miss Lily M. Gilmore, the first white 
child born in York county, Nebraska, where 
her parents were pioneers. The father, Jacob 
Rush Gilmore was a direct descendant of Ben- 
jamin Rush, of Revolutionary fame. He en- 
listed in the ninety-day service of the L^nion 
army in April, 1861, in Company D, Twentieth 
Illinois A'olunteer Infantry, at Pontiac, Illinois. 
Re-enlisted June 1, 1861, for three years, at 
Joliet, Illinois, and again April 9, 1865, at Black 
Run, Mississippi. He was discharged because 
of disabilities at Goldsboro. North Carolina. He 
participated in the siege of \'icksburg and was 
one of the few who escaped alive from the aw- 
ful explosion at "the crater" at Fort Hill. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Hunt have been born the 
following children : Susa Bell, now the wife 
of Arthur Jones, they living in Aloorfield. Ne- 
braska ; John E., Jr., Omar T. (deceased), Co! 
E. and Nellie Hattie, all at home. 

Both of Mr. Hunt's parents are dead, while 
Mrs. Hunt's father resides in California. 

Mr. Hunt, is a staunch Democrat in politics 
and his opponents know he is not a passive one. 
When he goes into a campaign the opposing 
side knows it has a fight to the finish on hand. 
Together with his wife he is a member of the 
Methodist church and the Loval Mvstic Les:ion. 



JOHN E. SANDERS. 

John E. Sanders, widely known as a gentle- 
man of enterprise and ability, is a prosperous 
farmer and ranchman of Davison precinct. He 
has followed farming since his boyhood, has a 
thorough knowledge of the same, and has met 
with marked success in his endeavors. He is 
one of the prominent old settlers of Cheyenne 
county, having lived there for the past twenty 
years, and since his residence there has done 
his full share toward the development of the 
resources of the county where he chose his 
home in the early days. 

Mr. Sanders was born in Erie county. New 
York, .August 10 1853. and three years later. 
after the death of the father, the mother took 
her little family and emigrated to the state of 
Iowa, locating in \\'ashinq:ton county, where 
John was reared and educated, receiving a good 
training; he followed farm work during his boy- 
hood, remaining in Iowa up to 188,1 .After a 
year in Lancaster county. Nebraska, he returnefl 
to Iowa, where he remained five \'ears. In 1889 



he again turned westward, arriving in Sidney 
April 19. In the fall of that year he filed on 
a homestead in section 8. township 16. range 51. 
He proved up on the land and later took an ad- 
ditional Kincaid homestead of four hundred and 
eightv acres in section 6, which is now the home 
ranch. His first buildings were constructed of 
sod, and his start necessarily slow, owing to his 
limited means, but as he became able to raise 
good crops, he constantly improved his land 
with good buildings, and worked into the stock 
business until he is now one of the successful 
and well-to-do men of his community. At pres- 
ent he farms about two hundred acres, and runs 
from fifty to sixty head of cattle and sixty horses 
and mules. He is proprietor of six hundred and 
forty acres, all good farm and ranch land, with 
a good water supply, and every necessary piece 
of farm machinery. The dwelling was recon- 
structed in the spring of 1909. making a com- 
modious country home. A view of the prem- 
ises is shown on another page, 

Mr. Sanders was married when he reached 
his twenty-first year, to Miss Elizabeth Pfeiffer. 
a native of Iowa, the event taking place in 
Brighton. \\'ashington county. Iowa, on July 23, 
1874. Twelve children were born to them, who 
are named as follows : Emmons H.. married 
and living on section 12. west of his father's 
ranch : Edward C. awner of a good homestead 
on section 18; Frederick and John E.. both de- 
ceased ; Augustus R.. who suffered an injury to 
his foot by a gunshot wound some years ago, is 
at home; Julia .A., wife of George Moore, resid- 
ing in Sidney ; Myra A., married to Dan .-Mdrich. 
also living in Sidney; Grover C. who died in 
1888; Leslie V.. married and living in Chcvenne 
county ; Luthera May. who sustained a severe 
bodily injury from a snake bite when eight years 
of age ; with Sadie E. and Ida E.. are living 
at home. They form a most interesting familv. 
and are upright, energetic young peojile. and a 
credit to their parents, all filling useful places 
in the world. Mr. Sanders' mother is now liv- 
ing in Iowa, our subject and a younger brother 
being her only children by her first marriage. 

In political views Mr. Sanders adheres to 
the Democratic party, is a loyal supporter of his 
political faith and one of the prominent old- 
timers of the region in which he has spent so 
many years. Mrs. !^anders is a member of the 
Methodist church. 



M.\RTIN ROCHFORD. 

The gentleman whose name heads this re- 
view resides in section 13. township 24, range 
43, Sheridan county. Nebraska. Mr. Rochford 
was born in Rochester, New York, in 1869, and 




.1 -:^£jEJEfe^E^^ „:_..J„^^X^_, 






\ I J 



^3- fm 



RESIDENCE OF J. E. HUNT, 
Morrill County. Xebraska. 



;jg.^T FT'-fTr|t, .,„;■„ r 



fea S 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN E. SANDERS, 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1059 



was raised there of English stock, his father, 
Robert Rochford, being a miller by trade, both 
he and his wife having been born in England. 
When onr subject was twelve years of age he 
left home and has made his own way ever since. 
At the age of sixteen years he was in business 
for himself, running a meat market in New 
York state, and followed that work up to 1887 
when he came to Nebraska. Here he worked on 
ranches along the Platte river, a brother having 
located here before he came west. Soon after 
coming here he bought a bunch of horses and 
since that time has been engaged in the cattle 
and horse business, spending two years on the 
Platte river, then moving to the sand hills. In 
the fall of 1889 he went to Wyoming, but only 
stayed two years, returning then to the sand hills, 
remaining for three years, when he went to Cali- 
fornia looking for a new location, but found 
nothing to suit him there. He traveled all over 
the west, and in 1895 came back to Nebraska. 
He was engaged in the meat business in Hill 
City, South Dakota, for a time, but lost consid- 
erable money, and closed out his shop there. 

Mr. Rochford has never used his homestead 
right here, but took a pre-emption and timber 
claim and rents these, but is unable to get a 
homestead with enough hay land to provide 
for his stock. He is now engaged in the horse 
business, has a hundred head around him, and 
is making a success of this line. He has always 
lived in this locality since coming to Nebraska, 
and although he has traveled a great deal through 
different cattle countries, considers that he can 
do better here than anywhere else. He has 
made considerable money at different times, but 
has spent a great deal in different enterprises, 
and when he needed more would return to this 
region and get a start again, but is uqw satisfied 
to remain permanently. 

In 18^8 Mr. Rochford was married to ■Miss 
Bridget Dunn, a native of Queens county, Ire- 
land, whose parents never came to America. 
Mr. and Mrs. Rochford have four children, three 
of whom are now living, namely : Mary, Anna 
and Stella. The other child. Sarah, died at the 
age of six months. Mr. Rochford is serving as 
director in his school, but devotes most of his 
time to the building up of his home and ranch, 
taking no active part in politics, although he al- 
ways votes the Republican ticket. His postoffice 
is Ellsworth. Nebraska. 



JOHN R. LUCAS. 

John R. Lucas, one of the prominent citizens 
of Cottonwood township. Phelps county. Ne- 
braska, is an old settler in this locality and one 



of the pioneers who came here when the coun- 
try was practically a wilderness, and has watched 
the development and growth of the county since 
its organization. 

Mr. Lucas was bom in Illinois in 1861. His 
parents, Thomas and Minerva Lucas, were na- 
tives of Kentucky, and moved from that state 
to Illinois- during the latter's pioneer days. The 
father, Thomas Lucas, died in the fall of 1907 
at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. 

In the fall of 1879 his family came west to 
Nebraska and settled in Phelps county. Our 
subject first saw the county in 1878, his brother 
Manlius having come here as early as 1872, at 
which time there were only a few families in 
the county, and they went through all the pri- 
vations and hardships which every pioneer ex- 
perienced in those days. Buffalo, elk, deer and 
antelope roamed over the country in large num- 
bers, and tribes of Indians still occupied the 
river banks and islands. The California trail 
passes through the lands now owned by our 
subject, along which for ages before Indians and 
probably the prehistoric races traveled to and 
fro from the valley of the Mississippi to the 
Rockies and beyond. Along this trail also went 
all who traveled to Denver, Pike's Peak, Salt 
Lake and California. During the height of the 
mad rush westward in the early days, as 
many as nineteen hundred wagons have 
passed this trail in one day, and many were the 
experiences of both settlers and travelers along 
the way. i\Ir. Lucas often finds relics of these 
days in cultivating his land, in the shape of iron 
tips which were used on oxen hoofs in travel- 
ing long distances, and also other curiosities, 
which vividly recall those primitive times. Dur- 
ing the years when drouth caused the failure of 
all crops he was one of those who worked so 
hard to save at least a part of his products by 
irrigating, and people around his locality still 
tell of his endeavors along this line, and of the 
hard times they saw, when the daily wage paid 
to them each night was obliged to be used for 
keeping their families in bread. 

Mr. Lucas' property now comprises about 
eight hundred acres of the finest river bottom 
land on the south side of the Platte, near Elm 
creek. He engages in both farming and stock 
raising, always keeping the best grades of ani- 
mals, as he iinds it much more profitable than 
those of scrub breeds. His farm is all fenced, 
and improved with fine substantial buildings, and 
all the modern machinery necessary for its op- 
eration. Besides this farm Mr. Lucas, together 
with his father and his brother. M. Lucas, is in- 
terested in about fourteen hundred acres of rich 
farming land in this same locality, which is used 
partly for farming and hay and pasture lands. 



1060 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Lucas was married in 1887 to Miss Eliza 
Waller, of Kentucky, who died in the year 
1892. They had one child, Francis. 

Mr. Lucas is a Democrat politically. Since 
1906 our subject and brother, M. Lucas, have 
bought three sections of land in Lincoln county. 
In the year 1908 our subject raised one thousand 
nine hundred bushels of wheat. 



GEORGE K. COGDILL. 

Prominent among the earliest settlers of 
Dawes county, Nebraska, a gentleman who has 
spent many years in building up a farm and 
home out of wild prairie land and solely through 
his own efforts and persistent labors become 
one of the prosperous citizens of the western 
part of his state, is George K. Cogdill, who re- 
sides in section 27, township 32, range 48. He 
was familiar with this section before there were 
any settlers in the region and no signs of towns 
or railroads, and has watched its development 
and growth from the very first, aiding very ma- 
terially in its progress by his influence and help. 

Mr. Cogdill was born in Gentry county. 
Missouri, in 1866. His father. Miles Cogdill, 
was a farmer and blacksmith, also a carpenter 
by trade, who settled in Missouri in the early 
days, and died there in 1872. Our subject grew 
up in that state.' helping his mother in carrying 
on the home farm, and spent about five years in 
Stanberry, where he worked in different employ- 
ments. When he was eighteen years of age 
he left home and came to Nebraska, being with 
a freighting outfit from Valentine, and in 1885 
came out on another trip, and from here went 
to Wyoming, where he worked as a cowboy for 
six or seven years, and traveled all througli that 
state, also Montana and northwestern Nebraska 
on horseback, camping out wherever he hap- 
pened to be. He trailed three big bunches of 
cattle from Wyoming to Montana in 1889, and 
in 1891 trailed one bunch from Orange Junc- 
tion to Red Water. Montana, for the H. S. out- 
fit. In 1891 he went to Glendive, Montana, and 
from there to Chicago, paying a visit to his old 
home. Mr. Cogdill is a great lover of good 
horses and attributes his success to dealing in 
and training them ; he has a fine lot of draft 
horses and roadstsers on hand all the time. In 
the spring of 1891 he had filed on a homestead 
in section 27. township 32. range 48. and the 
following year took possession of it and started 
in to improve the place, which was nothing but 
a wilderness. His house is built of sonic of the first 
lurtiber ever cut on Dig Bordeaux creek. His ranch 
consists of one thousand two hundred and 



eighty acres, located near the head of Big Bor- 
deaux creek, and it has plenty of good natural 
timber of all kinds, running water the year round 
for his stock and domestic use, and there are 
wild fruits of all kind on the farm. It is one 
of the best farming ranches in the section, and 
he has it well improved, and all this has been 
accumulated from a start of nothing, which 
speaks well for his ability and good manage- 
ment. 

In 1891 Mr. Cogdill was married to Miss 
Eva Clark, daughter of William Clark, who was 
one of the pioneers of Dawes county. Her moth- 
er was Miss Louisa Conick. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Cogdill the following children have been born: 
Denver, Hazel, Edna, Dale and Ravmond. 



J. J. ?*IcCARTHY. 

J. j. McCarthy was born in Cork county, Ire- 
land, in the year 1860. His father, Charles M. 
McCarthy, was a native of Ireland and lived 
and died in that country. His mother, Marga- 
ret Murphy, was also a native of that country 
and still lives there. Mr. McCarthy came to 
America in 1880. coming first to Louisville, 
Kentucky, where he remained one year. From 
there he went to Pottawatomie county, Iowa, 
where he spent two years, leaving there for 
Keith county in 1884. He obtained employment 
with the Ogallala Land & Cattle Company when 
he first came to Keith county and continued with 
said company until they closed up their cattle 
business in Nebraska. When Cleveland ran for 
President in 1884, Mr. McCarthy carried the 
ballot box from White Tail precinct to Ogallala, 
enduring many hardships. At that time there 
was only one bridge across the North Platte river 
from North Platte to the Wyoming line, the tall 
bridge at Camp Clark. .At that time he was 
obliged to swim the North Platte river through 
snow, slush and ice. 

In 1888 he was married to Miss May H. Hol- 
way. daughter of David P. Holway, an early set- 
tler of Keith county, who is now at Spokane 
Washington. Her mother was Susan F. Stanly 
in her youth. Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy have 
four children: Margarettc, Eleanor. Marie and 
Justina. 

In 1888. shortly after his marriage, he settled 
on a homestead sixteen miles from Ogallala, 
close to Keystone postoffice. The first house they 
built was of sod and still stands on the place. 
It was the largest sod building in Keith coun- 
tv when built and in those days It was consid- 
ered a ]>alace. He first went into horse raising 
and was in that business to a great extent until 
1893. when a prairie fire that devastated four- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1061 



teen western Nebraska counties, put him out 
of business. Mr. McCarthy has witnessed very 
hard times. During this great fire of 1893 he 
lost all his stock. At the present time he has 
a ranch of five thousand acres, but spends all his 
time at stock business. 

Mr. McCarthy is a Democrat in his political 
belief and practice. He was elected county treas- 
urer in November, 1907. He was Democratic 
candidate for state senator in 1904 in the thir- 
tieth senatorial district. He has also been on 
the Democratic state central committee and was 
chairman of the county committee for years. 
He is a consistent member of the Catholic 
church. He is a charter member of the Ogallala 
camp, No. 2228, Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica, and holds membership in the North Platte 
council. No. 1211, Knights of Columbus. 



LEANDER L. HAAIILTON. 

The gentleman here named is widely known 
as one of the leading old settlers and influential 
citizens of Keya Paha county, Nebraska. He 
is extensively engaged in farming, his home 
being situated in Holt precinct, and he is a pros- 
perous and progressive farmer. 

Mr. Hamilton was born in Monroe county, 
Ohio, February 8, 1850. His father, James 
Hamilton, was of Irish-American stock, who 
was a farmer all his life : the mother, who was 
Elizabeth Long, bore a family of eight children, 
our subject being the youngest. When he was 
one year old his parents moved to Bureau coun- 
ty, Illinois, where he was reared and educated 
on a farm, and in the spring of 1866 the family 
went to Harrison county, Iowa, whence after 
eighteen months they moved to Pottawatomie 
county, where they lived several years. Lean- 
der remained at home and assisted his father in 
the farming for six years, then started a farm 
for himself in the vicinity of his home. He re- 
mained there until 1884, then came to Washing- 
ton county, Nebraska, and lived there for four 
years, coming thence to Keya Paha county, 
where he took a homestead on section 25, town- 
ship 34, range 21, and still lives on the same 
place. Here he went to work building up a 
farm and home, planted five acres of forest trees, 
besides six hundred apple trees which he set out 
in 1905. He now has one hundred trees in bear- 
ing, including apple and small fruits, and is proud 
of the fact that his is the best orchard in the 
county. During the first years he saw many 
hard pioneer experiences, as he had not much 
capital to start with, but worked hard and stuck 
to it through all the hardships and privations of 
the early days, and has been well repaid for his 



perseverance and industr\-. He is proprietor of 
seven hundred and twenty acres of land, two 
hundred and fifty acres of which are under the 
plow, with the balance in hay and pasture. He 
keeps forty head of cattle, and raises each year 
fifty hogs, and has just enough horses to use in 
carrying on his farm work. He has one of the 
best farms in the county, and has never had an 
entire failure of crops any year. 

Mr. Hamilton was married in 1877 to Miss 
Geneva Lewis, a native of Wisconsin, reared 
in Iowa and Texas, whose people were of Eng- 
lish-Yankee descent. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton 
are the parents of four children, who are named 
as follows : Amelda. wife of Fred Whitney, 
of Carroll, Iowa: Lila M.. who married Fred 
Cherington, of Norfolk; and Charles A., living 
near the old home. 

Mr. Hamilton is a Republican, but has never 
had time to taking an active part in political af- 
fairs. He is a member of the Methodist 
church. 



JOHN BYERLEY. 

John Byerley was born in the city of Dav- 
enport, Iowa, in 1862, and was the son of Jacob 
and Anna (Bracher) Byerley, both natives of 
Germany. The father came to America when 
he was seventeen years of age, and the mother 
when she was but a little girl. Mr. Byerley, Sr., 
was a carpenter by trade, but engaged to some 
extent in farming. 

John Byerley was reared on the farm in 
Iowa, in Jones, Jackson and Clinton counties. 
He came' west in January, 1884, and located his 
present homestead on section 26, township 21, 
range 20. When he came, the nearest railroad 
point was North Loup, about sixty miles distant, 
and the long trips for supplies were tedious and 
discouraging. Part of the way was through 
an extensive Bohemian settlement, and these 
people were unfriendly and inhospitable, and 
several times Mr. Byerley has had to go supper- 
less to bed under his wagon because no one 
would provide him with a meal or bed. On his 
land he built a sod hut, ten by sixteen feet in di- 
mensions, with a small half window for light, 
and a rude home-made door. He had very little 
money to live on. He had started from his home 
in Iowa with one hundred dollars, but this was 
eaten up by railroad fares, filing fees and in 
getting located. His first crop was sod corn, 
and. as Mr. Byerley had to be away working, 
the crop was about destroyed between the deer 
and the antelopes in the spring and the geese 
in the fall. His crops continued poor for a 
number of years and in 1894 there was -a total 
I failure, but in spite of all this, Mr. Byerley has 



1062 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



stuck to it and has paved the way to success. 
The subject of this sketch was first mar- 
ried in 1885. but his wife lived only two years 
thereafter. In 1890 Mr. Byerley was married 
to Miss Anna Meyers, whose father was an old 
settler of Loup county, but returned to Illinois, 
where he died. 'Mr. and Mrs. Byerley have five, 
children, namely: Pearl, Claud, Bessie, Flor- 
ence and Lola. 

The history of any individual pioneer, when 
written in detail, reads like a romance. They 
pass through many trying experiences — experi- 
ences that seem overdrawn to the uninitated. 
And the history of Mr. Byerley's pioneer life is 
no exception. He lived alone and "batched it" 
for months and months, improved his farm with 
very little hired help and worked early and late. 
All these years he was assisting, too, in the 
management of public affairs, helped organize 
and establish the school district, held various 
school offices, was assessor at dift'erent times and 
is now a justice of the peace. He has been pub- 
lic-spirited in every way and is esteemed and 
respected by all who know him. He has three 
hundred and twenty acres in his home farm and 
has land in other localities.. By his thrift and 
industry he has built up a fine home place, has 
a good house, barns, farm implements and all 
necessary improvements. He has several good 
groves of forest trees and a nice orchard. It 
can be truly said that Mr. Byerley is one of 
the leading old settlers of Loup county. 



HENRY E. RANDALL. 

The prosperity enjoyed within the borders 
of Morrill, formerly Cheyenne county, Nebraska, 
is due almost altogether to the enterprise and 
thrift of the agriculturists of that region. Their 
well improved and well tilled farms evidence 
good management and painstaking care, and in 
no locality is this more apparent than in Bay- 
ard precinct, where the gentleman above men- 
tioned resides. He is a substantial farmer and 
ranchman, who has acquired a good home by 
persistent industry and honest dealings, and is 
highly esteemed as a worthy citizen and pro- 
gressive agriculturist. 

Henry L. Randall was born in Trem]jeleau 
county, Wisconsin, April 25, 1869, where he grew 
to the age of nine years, at which time the fam- 
ily moved over the Mississippi into Minnesota, 
after a short time settling in Houston countv. on 
Money creek. The father was James Randall, a na- 
tive of Michigan, while the mother was born 
in Syracuse, New York, and died in Scotts 
Bluff county in 1886. James Randall served in 
the Civil war as a member of Company I, Thir- 



ty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry. He is now living 
at Gering, Nebraska. The entire family left 
Minnesota in the fall of 1885, coming to Butler 
county, Nebraska, and came on to Scotts Bluff 
county, which at that time was a part of Chey- 
enne county, the following spring. Our sub- 
ject took a homestead in section 22, township 20, 
range 52, proved up on it. and has constantly 
added to his original quarter section until he is 
now owner of five hundred and sixty acres, two 
hundred acres of which are under the Chimney 
Rock ditch. He has improved the tract, erecting 
good buildings, built fences and has good wells, 
windmills, etc. About one hundred acres are 
cultivated, with one hundred acres in alfalfa, 
which in time will be doubled. The balance of 
the ranch is in hay and pasture land for about 
one hundred and forty head of cattle and a small 
bunch of horses. 

On December 24. 1891, Mr. Randall mar- 
ried Miss Melissa Belden, who was born in 
Kansas, and came to Nebraska during girlhood. 
Her parents now live near Redington, in Morrill 
county. Three children were born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Randall. Gerald, Gladys and Mack. In po- 
litical faith Mr. Randall is a Republican, taking 
a deep interest in local, county and national poli- 
tics. He is at present serving as director of 
school district No. 50. Fraternally he is a mem- 
ber of the Bayard lodges of Odd Fellows and 
the Modern Woodmen. 



DA\'1U CRLTCKSHAXK. 

Da\-i(l Cruickshank. one of the early settlers 
of Keith county, lives on a fine farm home on 
section 24, township 13, range 41. He has a 
fine large ranch of one thousand two hundred 
and eighty acres, and is one of the most suc- 
cessful stock raisers of western Nebraska. 

Mr. Cruickshank was born in .A.berdeenshire, 
Scotland, in the parish of Oyne, October 4, 
1852, a son of William and .Annie (Law) Cruick- 
shank, natives of Scotland and farmers by 
occupation, who both died in tJieir native land. 
Our subject was reared and educated in his na- 
tive land, remaining there until 1885, when he 
sailed from Liverpool in the Liberia April 27, 
landing in Boston. On this trip he had in his 
charge fourteen fine blooded horses, all Clydes, 
which were consigned to owners in the United 
States. For about three years Mr. Cruickshank 
lived in Blandinsville, McDonough county, Illi- 
nois, whence he went to Fort Collins, Colorado, 
remaining for about four months. Thence, in 
1888. he came to his present location in Keith 
county, joining the little band of pioneers who 
had settled in that territory. He began farm- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1063 



ing in a very primitive style, building a sod 
shanty to live m and breaking his first land 
with a team of oxen. The years passed and al- 
though there were many disappointments in the 
yield of the farm, yet he has prospered and 
has developed a fine home and farm and built 
up a fine stock business. He runs about one 
hundred and forty head of cattle, cultivating 
only one hundred and sixty acres of this one 
thousand two hundred and eighty-acre ranch, 
most of the land being devoted to grazing pur- 
poses. A fine frame dwelling of six rooms was 
built near the old "soddy," so many years the 
family residence, in the fall of 1908, a dwelling 
of which he may well be proud. It is the sub- 
ject of one of our illustrations on another page. 

Mr. Cruickshank was married in Aberdeen, 
Scotland, February 7, 1880, to Miss Maggie 
Keith, a native of Aberdeenshire and daughter 
of William and Christina (Sim) Keith. This 
marriage has been blessed with the following 
named children : David, Jr., married and living 
on a ranch near the home place ; Anna, wife of 
Frank Drake, a farmer of Dawson county, Ne- 
braska ; William (deceased); John, Jessie, wife 
of William Hecht, a meat dealer of Kearney, 
Nebraska : George, P)essie and Walter. 

Mr. Cruickshank has been one of Keith 
county's most prominent and progressive citizens 
and has taken a deep interest in the growth and 
affairs of his community. He has done his share 
toward the material development of the locality 
in which he has lived for so many years. He 
is Republican in political views and religiously 
is a Presbyterian. In his younger days he was 
personally acquainted with George Cruickshank. 
then a very old man, Great Britain's most fa- 
mous cartoonist, though no kinsman unless in 
a very remote degree. 



GARDNER H. FOLSOM. 

Gardner H. Folsom is one of the well-to-do 
farmers of Cherry county. Mr. Folsom was 
born in St. Lawrence cotmty. New York, Janu- 
ary 16, 1857, and reared on a farm. His father 
was Rodney Folsom, of English descent, his 
forefathers having emigrated frorn England in 
1637. His mother was Charlotte Macomber, 
of Scotch-Irish descent, born in Vermont. Dur- 
ing the Civil war Rodney Folsom served in the 
One Hundred and Ninth New York Regiment, 
and died in St. Lawrence county in 1873. Our 
subject is the third in a family of five children. 
He started in life for himself at the age of 
eighteen years, following all kinds of work, in 
1876 going into the pineries of Wisconsin, and 
at the end of ten years was head sawyer at a sal- 
ary of four dollars per day. 



In 1881 he was married to Aliss Jennie Kyen, 
born in Norway in 185S). Her father was 
Siven Kyen, ai/d her mother, Christine Ross, 
they coming to America in 1867 with their fam- 
ily of four children, of whom Jennie was the 
second. Two children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Folsom : Lottie, wife of Newton 
Gates, of Gordon; and Pearl C. 

In 1886 our subject came to Cherry county, 
locating on his present home, taking a pre-emp- 
tion and tree claim, holding the latter until 1904, 
also taking by purchase an additional seven or 
eight hundred acres. His ranch now comprises 
four hundred and eighty acres of deeded land 
and a homestead, situated in section 30, town- 
ship 35, range 2)7 , on which he has erected one 
of the finest ranch houses in the county. He 
controls by lease and otherwise about seventeen 
hundred acres of land, and is constantlv im- 
proving his property, running one hundred head 
of cattle and eighty-five horses. 

^Ir. Folsom has met with reverses at dif- 
ferent times, having been burned out, losing 
even all clothing, so that the family was 
obliged to wrap themselves in blankets until 
clothing could be borrowed from the neigh- 
bors. He was one of the old settlers in this 
locality and in the early days his wife cooked 
the family meals over a fire built in a hole in 
the ground as a substitute for a stove. They 
have had heavy financial losses, experiencing 
all the hard times that the pioneers saw, and 
Mr. Folsom yearns for more of the old-time 
frontier life, although Mrs. Folsom declares 
she has seen enough of it and prefers the com- 
forts they are now able to enjoy. At one time 
in his career, Mr. Folsom went into the hotel 
business at Spencer, Wisconsin, coming out loser, 
having to work two years to pay his indebt- 
edness before he could come west. He after- 
wards 'engaged in the cattle business with a 
partner and there lost considerable money, be- 
ing obliged to dispose of a part of his land 
to get out of company debt and settle the 
estate. 

Mr. Folsom is a Republican. He has been 
justice of the peace and has held other local 
offices. 



CAPTAIN JAMES S. ROBBINS. 

In the person of Capt. James S. Robbins. of 
Wallace, Lincoln countv. Nehrarka, we find the 
genial postmaster of that place, popular as a 
public ofiicial, and highly esteemed as a worthy 
citizen. 

Mr. Robbins was born at Sodus Point, 
Wayne county. New York, April T:^, 1838, go- 
ing to Richland county, Ohio, with his parents 



1064 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in 1839, and afterward to Huron county, that 
state, where they lived for fifteen years. They 
next moved to Hillsdale county, Michigan, when 
he was eighteen years of age, and three years 
later he left home and went to DeKalb county, 
Illinois, following teaching at iMalta for some 
time. On May 7, 1861. he enlisted in the Thir- 
teenth Illinois Infantry, serving for three 
months, then re-enlisted in the Ninety-fifth Illi- 
nois and served up to the close of the war, be- 
ing mustered out August 21, 1865. During all 
of this time he was with the Army of the Tennes- 
see, and took part in the battles at Pittsburg 
Landing, Corinth. Vicksburg. the Atlanta cam- 
paign, at Franklin and Nashville. He was at 
the capture of Fort Blakely. and received severe 
wounds at Vicksburg and Nashville, having the 
almost unparalleled record of his regiment, never 
making a march or fighting a battle in his 
absence. At the storming of Vicksburg the 
Kinety-fifth Regiment lost two hundred and 
sixty-two men killed and wounded in the short 
space of fifteen minutes. Our subject comes of 
a long line of fighting men, his grandfather, 
Serel Robbins, having been a soldier in a New 
York regiment during the war of 1812. in a 
company recruited from Wayne county. His 
father and mother. Lyman and Mary E. ( Por- 
ter) Robbins, were natives of Oneida county, 
New York. He has an uncle. Reverend Samuel 
F. Porter, who is a minister of the Congre- 
gational denomination and lives at Oberlin, 
Ohio, now ninety-four years of age. Mr. Rob- 
bins came to Nebraska after leaving the army, 
in 1865, locating in Nemaha county, and lived 
there up to 1893, then moved to twelve miles 
south of \\'allace. where he settled on a home- 
stead. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster un- 
der McKinley, and moved to Wallace. He was 
the first postmaster at Grant, now Tallmade, Ne- 
braska, appointed in 1867, and acted in this ca- 
pacity for two years. Afterward he served as 
justice of the peace and assessor in Nemaha 
county. In 1880 he went to Tecumseh, John- 
son county, where he was elected city clerk, 
and a member of the city council for several 
years. He was county commissioner for Lincoln 
county, from 1900 to 1903. and also served as 
county assessor, elected to that office in the year 
1903 and his term expired January, 1908. He 
has always voted the Rejjublican ticket, attended 
county and state conventions, and taken an ac- 
tive part in party aflfairs. He has followed 
teaching nearly all his life, and began this work 
while living in Hillsdale. Michigan, in 1838, and 
afterward taught in Lincoln county for many 
years. 

Mr. Robbins was married in 1861 to Miss 
Elizabeth H. Robb, of Warren county, In- 



diana, daughter of Robert Robb. who set- 
tled in Johnson county, Nebraska, in 1868. 
Her oldest brother, Washington, served with 
him in the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Rob- 
bins have one son, Herbert Clay, who owns 
a ranch of twelve hundred and eighty acres situ- 
ated in Lincoln county. This is owned in part- 
nership with his father, and is used for a stock 
ranch, raising cattle, horses and hogs, and is 
located near the Redwillow creek. One daugh- 
ter, Annie B., wife of C. E. Wheaton, lives with 
her husband on a ranch in Hayes county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Robbins only raised two children, but 
have an even dozen grandchildren. Mr. and 
;Mrs. Wheaton have eight children, four boys 
and four girls, and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert C. 
have four, three bovs and one girl. 



GUSTAVE XOREISCH. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
well known old-timers of western Nebraska, 
having come to that region when the country 
was a barren prairie, just beginning to be set- 
tled by those brave pioneers wlio came here pre- 
pared to suffer all kinds of hardships and pri- 
vations in order to carve out for themselves a 
name and acquire a home and fortune for them- 
selves, many of whom have remained to see the 
wilderness develop into a fertile tract and are 
now the owners of fine farms and are leading 
citizens of their locality. 

Gustave Noreisch was born in Germany in 
1850. was brought up on a farm and as a boy 
was taught to do all kinds of hard labor. \Mien 
he was a young man of twenty-two years he en- 
tered the German army and served the regula- 
tion time, also following farming until 1884, 
when he decided to try his fortune in the new 
world, so took passage on an emigrant ship for 
America, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland, in 
1882. He at once struck out for the western 
states, landing in Cuming county, Nebraska, 
and worked out as a farm hand in that vicinity 
for five years. He then came to Sioux county 
and took a pre-emption at head of War Bonnet 
valley, building a dugout, which was his home 
for about two and a half years. He purchased 
a team of horses the first summer and put in a 
few crops, but was completely hailed out. and 
was obliged to secure employment on the rail- 
road to make a living for his family. In 1891 
he settled on his present location, section 9. 
township 32. range 56. lying along Prairie Dog 
creek, and his first dwelling on that farm was 
a log house, which they occupied for a number 
of years. His ranch comprises twelve hundred 
and eighty acres, part of which is leased land. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1065 



and he engages principally in stock raising. 
About ninety acres are under cultivation, on 
which he raises small grains, and receives a good 
vield each year. Mr. Noreisch has a good set 
of farm buildings, the place is well fenced, and 
every improvement has been put on by his own 
hands. He has met with many failures of crops 
and other losses, but has stuck to the place and 
is now one of the successful and prosperous men 
of his community. 

Mr. Noreisch was married in Germany, in 
1878, to ^liss Louisa W'estbrecht, whose parents 
spent their lives in Germany, as did our subject's 
father and mother. Together they came to the 
United States to seek home and fortune, and 
have raised a family of six children, all bright 
and intelligent young people, named as follows : 
Marv, Bertha. Emma, Augusta, IMatilda and 
]\Iartha. 



GEORGE W. POOLE. 

Through exceptionally good management and 
persistent labors the gentleman herein named 
has acquired a well developed estate, and is en- 
abled to enjoy the comforts of modern farming. 
He is of a progressive nature, has had a wide 
experience in his line of work, and every detail 
is looked after and personally supervised. Mr. 
Poole's pleasant home is in Deuel county, and 
he is one of the best known settlers in western 
Nebraska, known throughout the region as one 
of the oldest educators in point of years in this 
part of the country, he having been connected 
with the public schools here for eleven vears. 
and previous to that was a teacher in Colfax 
county for fourteen years. 

George W. Poole first saw the light on Au- 
gust 22, 1858, born in \\'yandotte county, Ohio, 
and lived there until he was twenty-two years 
of age, at that time his father, mother, brother 
and two sisters coming to Nebraska, locating 
about eight miles northwest of Schuyler, where 
the father took a homestead and farmed for 
a number of years. The latter died in Colfax 
county in June. 1900. and his widow still sur- 
vives, she living in Schuyler at the present 
time. Our subject made Colfax county his 
home up to 1894. then came to Deuel cotmtv. 
following farming and school teaching nearly all 
of his years. After four years in this vicinitv he 
filed on a homestead on section 34, township 16, 
range 43, proved up on the land, and now has 
a ranch of three hundred and eighty acres. He 
has two hundred acres of this cultivated and 
raises splendid crops, using the balance as a 
stock ranch, running a bunch of horses and 
cattle. 



Mr. Poole was married in 1894 to Anna 
Bott, born and reared in Colfax county, Ne- 
braska. Her parents are still living in the state. 
Four children have come to bless their union, 
and they are named as follows : Anna Marie, 
Freda, Vera and Julia, who form a most inter- 
esting family group. 

Politically I\Ir. Poole is a Republican, and is 
at present serving as assessor of Deuel county. 
He is a broad-minded man in all respects, and 
one who has won the respect and esteem of all 
with whom he has come in contact by his many 
sterling qualities. 



CLARENCE V. CASSELMAN. 

Among the younger residents of Brown 
county who have met with marked success in 
the agricultural pursuits, we mention the name 
of Clarence V. Casselman, who occupies a finely 
improved estate in section 15, township 30, 
range 23. Air. Casselman was born in Grundy 
county. Illinois, May 8, 1875, and was reared 
and educated there until ten years old, when 
he came to Nebraska with his parents. His 
father, Charles Casselman. of German descent, 
was one of the oldest settlers in Brown county ; 
the mother of our subject, Mary Patterson in 
maidenhood, was of Scotch lineage, her parents 
coming to this country some time prior to her 
birth. There was a family of six children. Clar- 
ence being the second, and he began for him- 
self when he reached the age of twenty-two 
years, following farming as an occupation. He 
tilled rented land for about five years, then 
bought a farm in 1903, settling on the south- 
west quarter of section 15, and here he has a 
farm of three hundred and twenty acres, eighty 
of which lie in section 22, cultivating two hun- 
dred acres of this, with the rest in pasture and 
hay land. He has his place well improved, and 
employs thoroughly up-to-date methods and ma- 
chinery in its operation. 

Mr. Casselman was married December 23. 
1896. to Miss Georgia Curry, born in Wiscon- 
sin, and daughter of James and Mary (Patten) 
Curry, old settlers in Nebraska. To them two 
children have been born, namely : Frank E. and 
\'elma. 

Mr. Casselman is a highly esteemed citizen 
of his community, and is well known as an en- 
ergetic and enterprising young man who richly 
deserves much success in the work in which he is 
engaged. In political sentiment he is a Demo- 
crat ; fraternally, he is a member of the Modern 
AVoodmen of America, his home lodge being 
at .\insworth. 



1066 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



P.. D. IIAYWARD. 

The State Industrial School at Kearney. Ne- 
braska, is an institution of which the people of 
the state are justly proud. They feel that every 
dollar spent in its construction and operation 
.Sfoes directly to the promotion of the public wel- 
fare. It deals with a class of boys who are 
more unfortunate than criminal, changes their 
conditions, and in a great majority of cases 
makes honorable and upright men out of what 
•very largely found themselves as "misfits" in a 
world that seemed to them hard and cold and 
cruel. It is an educational, not a penal institu- 
tion, and the endeavor is to so educate the mind, 
the hand and the heart, that the boys on whom 
its influence falls may be able to go out into the 
world and become honorable members of society. 
It has a magnificent plant consisting of three 
hundred and twenty acres of fine and mostly 
rolling land, two and a half miles west of the 
city of Kearney, on which are erected seven 
large buildings, consisting of five family or 
grade buildings, an administration building and 
an industrial building. In addition are many 
structures for farm purposes, such as horse 
and cow barns, hog houses, chicken house, boiler | 
house, engine room, green house, paint shop and 
pump house. The various buildings are situ- ^ 
ated on elevated land, and the general view of 
the surrounding country is unusually good. This 
great interest was for four years under the man- 
agement of Mr. Hayward. whose name heads 
this article, and who won many laurels for its 
rapid growth and development. 

B. D. Hayward. whose name appears above, 
became superintendent of the State Industrial 
School in April, 1903. During the following 
four years he won a standing for himself in the 
work of industrial education second to no man 
in the work. He had previously been engaged, 
in educational work for fifteen years as superin- 
tendent of schools at St. Paul, Nebraska, where 
he also practiced law for ten years, having 
graduated at the Law College of the University 
of Nebraska. He is a native of Pomeroy, Ohio, 
as is also his wife, who had been a teacher for 
twenty years, and was devoted heart and soul 
to the educational and uplifting processes that 
prevailed in the State Industrial .School under 
her husband's care. 

Mr, and Mrs, Hayward and their enthusias- 
tic co-workers set their faces determinedly 
against the idea so widely ])revalcnt that this was 
a penal school and the boys prisoners. Results 
proved the wisdom of this course : and citizens 
of the state as they visited this school and came 
to know of the good done there, changed their 
ideas and came to know the institution as the 
Haywards made it, an intellectual benefaction 



to the neglected and homeless. The character 
of this work was wonderfully advanced by the 
abandonment of the country school idea, and 
the grading of the students under the public and 
city school system. 

At the close of the fourth year in the service 
of the state, Mr. Hayward moved to Lincoln. 
Nebraska, where on October 16. 1908. he opened 
the Nebraska Military Academy, having a 
magnificent building and campus, and a most 
flattering enrollment of cadets. At the close of 
the first month of school the academy building 
was totally destroyed by fire. Only a few days 
of school were lost, however, a temporary lo- 
cation being secured at once, and plans being 
made promptly for the securing of a permanent 
location. After receiving many most compli- 
mentary offers from other cities for the re- 
moval of the academy, Mr. Hayward has de- 
cided to stay in Lincoln, and will begin shortly 
to rebuild on the original site. By next Sep- 
tember the academy will be housed in three new 
buildings, entirely separate except in front, where 
the appearance will be much the same as before. 
The academy already enjoys a liberal patronage, 
in spite of its misfortunes : and the ])rospects for 
next year are gratifying. 



EDWIN M. SEARLE, Sr. 

Edwin M. Searle. one of the most prominent 
of the early settlers, claims .\llegany county, 
New York, for his birth place, having been 
born there January 1. 1849. The Searle family 
came from England in Colonial days. His 
father. Steadman B. Searle, was a farmer, and 
his mother, Angelina Rice, was from old .Xmeri- 
can families of the state of New York, her 
grandfather having been a quartermaster in 
Washington's army. He came as a ]Moneer from 
\'ermont to Allegany- county in 1800 and 
cleared a farm. Our subject's father came to 
Indiana about 182.^ and married in Logansport, 
where his wife's people had settled in the early 
thirties as pioneers of that state. 

Our subject enlisted in Company K. ( )ne 
Hundred and Thirty-eighth Indiana \^)luntecr 
Infantrv. serving through Tennessee. .-Mabama 
and Kentucky, .\fter leaving the army he went 
to a school at Syracuse. New York, where he 
learned telegraphy, following that and railroad- 
ing in Peru and .Attica. Indiana, and came to 
Nebraska in 1867, where he held a position as 
operator on the I'nion Pacific railroad at North 
Platte. The road was being built to the coast 
with the terminal of that line in Keith county. 
He worked at North Platte for two months and 
then took an office out on the line and worked 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1067 



for the company until 1884: part of this time he 
worked as agent at Paxton. served for a time at 
Ogallala, to which town he came as agent in 
1879. Keith county was organized in 1874 and 
our subject was on the board of county commis- 
sioners. He was elected county treasurer, which 
ofifice he held for four years. He was also 
county clerk four years and served two more 
terms as county commissioner. \Vhen school 
district No. 1 was organized, taking in all of 
Keith county, Mr. Searle was elected first 
school treasurer. He resigned from the operat- 
ing department of the railway in 1884. and was 
appointed agent of their land department for 
Keith county. This department included Lodge- 
pole in Cheyenne county, and all the land in 
Colorado to range 46. about one million acres. 
The head office was at Ogallala. with branch 
offices at Julesburg, Colorado, and Chappell, Ne- 
braska. He has been in the real estate business 
since then. He filed on a homestead, which is 
now a part of the town site of Ogallala. in 1876. 
and proved up on it. He is also interested in 
ranching and stock raising, having a fine ranch 
of two thousand acres, one and one-half miles 
west of Ogallala in the valley of the South 
Platte river, on which he has two hundred and 
fifty acres seeded in alfalfa, ranging nine him- 
dred cattle and one hundred horses. He also 
has a ranch in McPherson county in the forest 
reserves which he uses for a summer range. His 
son, Edwin M. Searle, Jr., is associated with 
him in the real estate business. 

Our subject has made his home in Keith 
county for the past forty-two years and is well 
known and highly respected by all the residents 
of that county. Bulifalo and Indians were the 
only inhabitants when he first came to- Keith 
county, and he has seen herds of one million 
buffalo at one time. Herds of antelope were also 
common sights when he came to the county. 
One spring a herd of buft'alo was to be seen ex- 
tending from Cottonwood Springs on the east to 
Sterling. Colorado, one hundred and sixty miles 
on the west : the herd averaged one mile wide 
by one hundred and sixty miles long, for which 
trainmen who made the run through it can 
vouch. 

Mr. Searle was married in the Wyoming 
hotel, Omaha. December 24. 1868, to Miss Eliza 
Gifford, Reverend Kuhus. a Lutheran minister, 
officiating. Simeon Gifford, the father of Mrs. 
Searle, was a farmer and old settler of Iowa and 
Minnesota, who died while in the United States 
army at Fort Snelling. Minnesota. Her mother 
was Jane Savage before her marriage. ^Ir. and 
Mrs. Searle have three children: Charles F.. 
in the insurance business at Council Bluffs. 
Iowa ; Edwin AI., Jr., associated with his father ; 



and Archie L., who is in business in Omaha. 
While Mr. Searle was living at Paxton. a big 
Indian saw Mrs. Searle and her baby sitting on 
the platform and offered Mr. Searle five ponies 
in trade for his white squaw and papoose. At 
times the Indians made war on the white set- 
tlers, marauding parties throwing trains off the 
track six miles west of Paxton in November, 
1869, and had previously burned a train at Lex- 
ington two years before. 

A trail was opened up from Texas to Ogal- 
lala by the Texas cattlemen in 1874. this being 
the most western station of the railway and the 
nearest place from which to ship cattle. Herds 
of three hundred thousand head were trailed to 
Ogallala every year from 1874 to 1882. which 
made Ogallala the typical western cowboy town 
it was. During the early days of Ogallala from 
two thousand to three thousand cars of cattle 
were shipped east in a season of sixty days. 

]\Ir. Searle is a type of the pioneer who suc- 
ceeded in spite of all discouragements and is 
now prominent in all matters pertaining to the 
welfare and progress of the town of Ogallala. 
He is Republican in politics, a member of the 
Congregational church and a member of the 
Masonic order and the Workmen, and is a Grand 
Armv man. 



FRED BRATZ. 



Among the representative farmers and 
ranchmen of Cheyenne county, who have aided 
materially in its advancement and development 
since its early settlement, a prominent place is 
accorded Fred Bratz, who resides on his well 
improved estate in section 10, township 16. range 
48, L'nion ^'alley precinct. He is a gentleman 
of energetic character and well merits his suc- 
cess and high standing. 

Air. Bratz is a native of the village of Hel- 
gerdhausen, Wurtemberg, Germany, born on the 
14th of January, 1859, and grew to manhood in 
his native land. His parents, Michael and Bar- 
bara Bratz, spent their entire lives in Germany, 
and died there, the mother in 1899 and the 
father in 1907. 

Our subject started out for himself when he 
was a young man of twenty-three years, taking 
passage at Hamburg for America on the emi- 
grant ship Harmonia. and after a voyage of 
twelve days, landed in New York city in Oc- 
tober of 1882. He joined a brother and sister 
in Hancock county. Illinois, where he spent two 
years at farm labor and one year farming for 
himself: he then came further west, settling in 
Chevenne county, pre-empting one hundred and 
sixtv acres, and later took a homestead on sec- 



1068 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



tion 10, township 16, range 48. He has re- 
mained on this place ever since, now owning a 
fine ranch of four hundred and eighty acres, of 
which he cultivates one hundred and twenty-five 
acres, and uses the balance as pasture and 
range for his cattle, keeping one liundred head 
of cattle and quite a number of horses. He has 
built up a good home, and the whole place is 
well improved with a neat concrete cottage, a 
large new barn, and other good buildings. There 
is a fine orchard, groves and an abundant water 
supplv, and altogether he owns one of the valu- 
able properties in the section. We are pleased 
to call attention to an engraving of the home and 
surroundings in the illustrative section of our 
work. 

February 16, 1892, Mr. Bratz was united in 
marriage to Miss Annie Wettrich, in Cheyenne 
county. She was born in Burlington. Iowa. 
Her parents. Fred and Elizabeth M. (Reil) 
Wettrich, were natives of Germany : their deaths 
occurred in Illinois, where they had spent the 
latter \ears of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bratz 
are the parents of one child. Otto, born on the 
24th of March, 1896, a bright, sturdy boy. who 
is making good progress in his school work. 

Mr. Bratz is active in local affairs, and is de- 
voted to the interests of his adopted land. He is 
a Republican politically, and lends his influence 
for good government. At present he is serving 
as treasurer of school district No. 54, and is a 
leading citizen, highly esteemed by his associates. 
He was reared in the Lutheran church. 



ENOS CHASE. 



Among the interesting characters typical of 
a western life, and a man who has had many 
and varied experiences during his career as a pio- 
neer in a new country and tliroughout his 'so- 
journ among the sturdy settlers of the west, the 
gentleman whose name heads this personal his- 
tory occupies a foremost place. Mr. Chase is a 
genial, whole-souled individual, a wonderful 
story teller and enjoyable companion, beside en- 
joying the reputation of a leading old settler 
and one of the prominent citizens of his com- 
munity. He resides on a very valuable estate 
in Dawes county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Chase is a native of Grant county. Wis- 
consin, born in 1850, and raised on a farm. His 
father was Levi R. Chase, a farmer and miner, 
and an early .settler in Wisconsin. He married 
Miss Lucinda Brown, and when our sul)ject was 
but eleven years old the father died, and the 
following year the mother was also called awav, 
leaving him at twelve years of age to fight the 



battle of life alone. Since that time he has 
supported himself unaided, working out on 
farms and at anything he could find to do, and 
remained in Wisconsin up to the time he was 
twenty-one years of age. He then moved to 
Illinois, where he farmed for a time, then to 
Iowa, and there settled in Allemakee county. He 
lived there for several years, also spent seven 
\'ears in N^w Albin. Iowa, and there engaged in 
general work and owned two lots in the town. 

In 1892 Air. Chase came to Dawes county, 
Nebraska, and filed on a homestead of eighty 
acres, on August 15th of that year. This home- 
stead was located in section 31, township 31, 
range 47, and was entirely unimproved prop- 
erty. He at once started to build up a ranch 
and home, but was able to do very little at 
first owing to the fact that he was utterly with- 
out capital. However, he went to work with 
a will, and his first work was to build a sod 
house, fourteen by sixteen feet in size, also sod 
stable and chicken house, the former sixteen by 
twenty, and the latter twelve by fourteen, also a 
cow barn sixteen by fourteen, all of which were 
comfortable and substantial, and were in use 
for a number of years. He "batched it" for 
a year, and in 1893 his family joined him and 
they helped him in his work of improving the 
farm. The time was spent in cutting timber and 
hauling it, breaking up land, and doing all man- 
ner of work to raise crops and make a living 
for himself and family, and he proved up on 
the farm, remaining on it up to 1900, when he 
bought his present home in section 28, township 
31, range 47. Here he has a finely improved, 
well-kept place, with good buildings, windmills, 
etc.. and engages in farming and stock raising, 
both of which has been most successful. He 
has six hundred and forty acres of land in his 
farm, all fenced and all good land. 

While still living in Wisconsin Mr. Chase 
was married to Miss Katherine Stubcnhaver, 
whose parents came to America from Germany 
in their young days, and settled in Illinois, 
where she was born, and later moved to Wi.s- 
consin, where they were among the iiionecrs 
and where she grew to young womanhood. Mr. 
and Mrs. Chase are the parents of four chil- 
dren, namely: Luvina and Lucinda, twins; Wil- 
liam Stewart and Lizetta. The family is highly 
respected and popular among their fellow citi- 
zens. 

Air. Chase is a leader in local affairs, and 
always lends his aid and influence for the benefit 
of his community. He has held different school 
offices for many years. In political sentiment 
Mr. Chase is a Republican. 

On another page will be found a jiicture 
showing scenes on Mr. Chase's ranch. 




SCENES ON RANCH OF ENOS CHASE, 
Dawes County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF FRED BRA TZ, 
Clieyeniie County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1069 



A. A. COLSON. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
prosperous business men and farmers of Sheri- 
dan county, Nebraska. He has lived in this 
part of the country for many years past and has 
watched the development and growth of the re- 
gion from the early days. 

Mr. Colson was born in Newburgh. Elaine, 
in 1859. His father, Ambrose Colson, of Amer- 
ican blood, was also a native of Maine, and 
never left his home county until he was seventy 
years of age, always running a large farm there. 
Of a family of fourteen children our subject 
was the youngest, his father having married 
twice. When he was twenty-one years old he 
started west, coming to Norfolk. Nebraska, in 
1879. The railroad ended there, and he went 
still further on into Pierce county, but the land 
did not look good to him there, although he re- 
mained for several years working rented land. 
then moved into Dawes county. In the spring 
of 1885 he filed on a pre-emption on section 11. 
township 31, range 47, and moved on it. He 
also took up a tree claim in the same section, 
"batching it" there for four years. He was 
obliged to mortgage the place to get the monev 
to prove up on it, and then the dry years came 
on and he lost both places. He tried farming 
but ran out of seed and was unable to buy more, 
so went into the Black Hills. He took twelve 
cows with him and sold them, receiving sixteen 
dollars per head, which just put him out of debt. 
He stayed in the hills for a year, then returned 
to Sheridan county, locating ten miles south of 
Lakeside and filed on a homestead and later 
sold that, in 1901 moving to his present place 
at Bingham, where he bought three acres of land 
in the town site. He afterwards took his ad- 
ditional one hundred and sixty acres of home- 
stead rights, which was all the land he could get 
in the locality, as it was all taken or leased 
around the place. Here he engages in farming 
and also runs a general merchandise store at 
Bingham, carrying a good stock of dry goods, 
groceries, flour and feed. He also has the Bing- 
ham postoffice, and is doing well in his different 
enterprises. Of late he has erected a fine hotel 
at Bingham, where he also conducts his store and 
postofifice in the same building. 

In 1888 Mr. Colson was married to Miss 
Melissa Clark, born in Martin county, Minne- 
sota, in 1871. j\Irs. Colson is a daughter of 
\'\'illiam Clark, an early settler in Iowa, now a 
farmer in Dawes county, Nebraska. To ^Ir. and 
Mrs. Colson the following children have been 
born, all living at home ; Pearl, Lulu and Ida. 
Mr. Colson is a Republican, always interested in 
local and county affairs, but never seeking public 
preferment. 



RICHARD HIBBERD. 

The above named gentleman is among the 
foremost business men of Kearney, Nebraska, 
where he has been engaged in the contracting and 
building trade for the past twenty-five years 
and more. He is a manufacturer of building, 
paving and sidewalk brick, and has an immense 
plant covering twelve acres, fitted with a new 
dryer which works day and night to fill orders 
for his work. He has a complete up-to-date 
outfit, and the yard will turn out from eight to 
ten million brick this year. Mr. Hibberd estab- 
lished this business in 1880. when he came to 
Kearney to erect the first building for the State 
Industrial School, assisting his contractor, W. 
L. Van Alstyne. They put up this building in 
sixty days, but with present facilities and im- 
proved methods, much less than this time would 
have been required. 

Mr. Hibberd is a native of England, and 
learned the builder's trade there with his brother, 
John Hibberd, the family having rented and 
lived on one farm in North Staffordshire for 
over four hundred years, and was in the brick 
manufacturing and contracting business there 
for several generations. The family have al- 
ways been strong Catholics, and one of the old- 
est families in England to adhere to this faith 
through all the struggles against this religion 
for centuries past. 

Mr. Hibberd came to America in 1863, and 
settled in Whiteside county, Illinois. During 
the Civil war he enlisted in Company B, One 
Hundred and Forty-seventh Illinois ; was in the 
secret service also for some time. He was with 
the Army of the Cumberland under General 
George H. Thomas, first brigade, second sepa- 
rate division, and in the Fourth Army Corps. 
During his life as a soldier he did not miss a 
day of service and was at the battle of Lookout 
Mountain, Chattanooga. Chickamauga, Resaca, 
Pullen's Ferry, i Spring Place, Kenesaw and in 
the Atlanta campaign and with the march to the 
sea under General Sherman. After he was mus- 
tered out, he was chief clerk to Colonel Frank 
Clendenin, in the Freedmens' Bureau, located at 
Americus, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia. 
iMr. Hibberd first came to Nebraska in 1871, 
settling at Lincoln and began the manufacture 
of brick and did contracting work at Seward, 
Lincoln and David City. Prior to this he had 
a plant at Atkinson and Geneseo, Illinois. In- 

1883 he put in a plant at Omaha, while he was 
building the State Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In 

1884 he sold this and returned to Kearney, and 
he has since resided here continuously. Since 
coming to this city, he has been building and 
supplying the brick for all the school buildings 
in Kearney, for the five new buildings at the 



1070 



CO.Ml'ENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



State Industrial School, and for all the business 
blocks of any size in the city. He ships his 
product to Grand Island, Hastings, and all parts 
of the state. His son, W. E. Hibberd, now 
manages the brick yard, and two other sons, 
John C. and Charles F., are managers of the 
contracting and building end of the business. 
Another son, Adclbcrt L., works with the com- 
pany, and is first lieutenant in the Second Nebras- 
ka National Guard, Company A, to which he gives 
a great deal of his time and attention. One daugh- 
ter, Elma J\I., is a teacher in the Kearney public 
schools, and another, Lucy, is married to L. B. 
Clark, of Lincoln. Nebraska. Our subject was 
married while still in England to Miss Emma 
INI. Gould, and the family is well and favorably 
known all through this community. 

One fact which speaks volumes for Mr. Hib- 
berd's character is that one foreman of his brick- 
yard. Paul Beyer, has been with him in this 
capacity for twenty-eight years. During the 
panic of 1893 Mr. Hibberd lost heavily, but stuck 
to the town, and has come out all right. He 
has been a man of untiring energy and industri- 
ous habits all through his life, and has given his 
best efforts to whatever he has undertaken, and 
thereby achieved the greatest success, which he 
richlv merits. 



SOLOMON HARTZELL. 

Solomon Hartzell, one of the most substan- 
tial agriculturists of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
lives on his fine farm in section 13. township 33. 
range 48. He is an old soldier, a man of patri- 
otic spirit, untiring energy and active mind, and 
has done his full share toward the development 
of the financial interests of the community where 
he has chosen his home. He has a wide ac- 
quaintance and enjoys an enviable reputation. 

Mr. Hartzell was born in Canton, Ohio, in 
1831. His father. Adam Hartzell, was a brick- 
maker by trade who also followed farming part 
of the time, and was a pioneer in Indiana. He 
married Susanna Ringo, of Pennsylvania Dutch 
descent. When our subject was four vears of 
age the family came to Indiana and settled in 
^^'abash county on a farm, and there he grew 
up and was educated. At the age of eighteen 
he started to learn the carpenter's trade and 
worked at that for many years in different states. 
He was married in ^iichigan to Miss Louisa 
Hammond, his first wife, who died at Mankato, 
Minnesota. They had two children, both dead. 
He was married the second time at Mankato. 
.Minnesota, to Miss Katherine Briton, and thev 
were the parents of ten children. His second 
wife died in Chadron, Nebraska, and his third 



wife was Mrs. Mattie Herron, of Dawes county, 
the marriage being held in his own house. 

During the time ^Ir. Hartzell worked as a 
carpenter he was in different states, including 
Indiana, Michigan. Iowa, Nebraska and Mis- 
souri, and in this manner became familiar with 
many different sections. He also spent some 
time in Colorado, and in 1884 came to Dawes 
county, driving by team from \'alentine. He 
took up his present homestead and built a dug- 
out and "batched it" for a time, until his people 
I could come and join him. His farm is located on 
Little Bordeaux creek, and consists of three 
hundred and twenty acres, of which he farms 
eighty acres, which is irrigated. He has made 
a success of farming as well as at the carpen- 
ter's trade, at which he has worked off and on 
all his life. He furnished the plans for the 
Dawes county school house, and helped build 
that structure. 

When Mr. Hartzell was thirty-one years of 
age he enlisted in the Ninth Minnesota Regiment, 
Company E, and saw hard service tlyough the 
west, fighting the Indians in Minnesota, and has 
a brilliant record as a soldier. 

Mr. Hartzell is a man who keeps abreast of 
the times and he is identified with the Republican 
party politically, although deeply in sympathy 
with the Prohibitionists. 



ALFRED E. \V.\TKINS. 

Alfred E. W'atkins, one of the prominent 
young business men of Perkins county, engaged 
in the mercantile business at Venango, is a gen- 
tleman of intelligence and progressiveness. 

Mr. W'atkins was born in Will county, Illi- 
nois, in 1873. He is a son of Peter and Mary 
Phillips Watkins, both natives of England, who 
came to the L'nited States during their youth, 
the former dying in Illinois in 1882, where he 
had spent many years engaged in farming, and 
there our subject was raised until he was four- 
teen years old. The family then came to Ne- 
braska, settling on a homestead on section 25. 
township 9, range 41. which the mother and 
sons built up in good shape, Alfred remaining 
at home up to 1902. then came to Venango and 
started in the hotel and livery business, which 
he carried on for three years, building up a good 
patronage, then returned to the farm and lived 
on it for three years. In 1906 a brother. Frank 
Watkins. established a general store in WMiango. 
and two years later our subject went in i)art- 
nership with him in the business, and together 
they have increased their trade extensively and 
are doing exceedingly well in the work. 

In 1902 Mr. Watkins was married to Miss 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1071 



Martha W'atkins. who is a daughter of W. J. 
Watkins, of Grant, Nebraska. Two children 
have been born to our subject and his estimable 
wife : Ceroid, who died at the age of fourteen 
months, and Warren, who is now a sturdy lad of 
three years. 

LOUIS E. TIFFANY. 

Enterprise and perseverance, supplemented 
by honest industry, have been the stepping stones 
by which the gentleman above named has reached 
his present station. He is one of the prominent 
agriculturists of Keya Paha county, an old set- 
tler of that region who has aided materially in 
transforming a wilderness into a thriving farm- 
ing district. j\Ir. Tiffany is widely known and 
universally esteemed in his community and en- 
joys a pleasant home and many warm friends. 

Mr. Tiffany was born in Armstrong county, 
Pennsylvania, May 11, 1872, in the midst of the 
oil fields of that state. His father. John N. Tif- 
fany, was of English-German stock, and died in 
Nebraska, August 22, 1895. He married Miss 
Henrietta Foust, who was born and reared in 
Pennsylvania, and they had a family of ten chil- 
dren, our subject being the ninth in order of 
birth. Four sons and one daughter came to 
Nebraska, where they built up good homes. 
When Louis was twenty-one years of age he 
began for himself, starting in the oil business 
at Pittsburg, drilling in western Pennsylvania 
and eastern Ohio. In the fall of 1883 he came 
to Keya Paha county with his father, who took 
up a homestead on section 29, township 35, range 
20, and in the early days they saw wild times 
in this region. Their homestead was about in 
the center of the tract for the horse and cattle 
rustlers of that time and they had a number 
of animals stolen, and as late as 1903 they were 
bothered with thieves, losing eighteen head of 
cattle. They were one of only two families who 
did not leave the neighborhood during the In- 
dian scare of 1891. Mr. Tiffany and his father 
built up a fine farm and home, planted trees and 
built fences, and were among the influential 
citizens of the county. The former now^ has a 
farm of three hundred and twenty acres, mostly 
good farming land, and he keeps one hundred 
and twenty-five head of cattle and one hundred 
and fifty hogs. In 1906 he had eighty-five acres 
of the finest corn in the county, and his croi)s 
are always first-class. He has been successful 
in the stock business, and during the dry years 
that saved him from leaving his place, as he 
lost three crops in succession and had it not been 
for his cattle he would have had to quit the 
business. Their dwelling was the seat of Enter- 
prise postoffice from 1890 to 1897, when his fa- 



ther served as postmaster. This was the third 
office to be established in the countv. 

^Ir. Tiffany was married near Springview 
June 18, 1902. to ;\Iiss Lillie Carnahan, whose 
parents were Jasper and Rutha (Atkinson) Car- 
nahan. For fifteen years ]\lrs. Tiffany was one 
of the successful teachers of the countv. Mr. 
and Mrs. Tiffany have one adopted daughter. 
Alinnie. 

Our subject is and always has been a strong 
Democrat. He has never taken any active part 
in politics, as he has given his entire attention 
to the building up of his farm and home, al- 
though he is classed among the men who have 
had the interests of their community at heart 
and were willing at all times to aid in all matters 
wherein their localitv would be benefited. 



MACK RADCLIFF. 

One of the leading old settlers of Cheyenne 
county, who has spent many years of his life in 
building up a home and fortune for himself, 
and who has incidentally aided materially in the 
development of the region where he chose his 
home, is found in the gentleman above named. 
Mr. Radcliff resides in Sidney, and with his 
family enjoys a comfortable home surrounded 
by many friends and acquaintances, and is held 
in the highest esteem by all. 

Mr. Radcliff is a native of Cleveland. Ohio, 
born in 1854, on a farm. His father, Andrew 
Radcliff, was a farmer and laborer, who came 
to America from Ireland, when a young man, 
and his mother was also born in Ireland. When 
our subject was thirteen years of age he started 
out for himself, settling in Missouri, there fol- 
lowing farm work for one year. He next went 
to Texas, and became a "cow-puncher," but re- 
mained only a short time, driving cattle over the 
line and into Kansas, and working as a "cow- 
puncher," as this vocation was called in early 
days. He gradually worked north, and in 1874 
came into Nebraska, and worked on different 
ranches all over the western part of the state 
for many years, during the summer months sleep- 
ing on the ground and leading a rough cowboy's 
life. He was employed by a number of cattle 
outfits and liked the rough work and the excit- 
ing experiences wdiich came to him. 

About the year 1884 our subject took up a 
homestead situated thirty miles northeast of 
Sidney, and there put up a log house which he 
lived in for several years. He improved his 
ranch and built up the place in good shape, and 
now owns three thousand two hundred acres, 
and engages extensively in the cattle and horse 
business, running about four hundred head of 



1072 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



stock. In 1894 he moved his family to Sidney 
in order to give his children the benefit of the 
better schools, and he has a good residence 
there and owns besides other town property, and 
is one of the prosperous and substantial citizens 
of his section. 

Mr. Radcliff was married in 1884 to Miss 
Bertie Cast, daughter of Sam Gast, wlio is a 
pioneer in this state. Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff 
are the parents of three children, all born in this 
section, named as follows: Harriett, Clayton 
and Anne. 

Mr. Radcliff is an active public spirited citi- 
zen, and takes a commendable interest in local 
affairs, serving his locality in different capacities 
for a number of vears. He is a Democrat. 



WILLIAM H. ROTHWELL. 

William H. Rothwell. one of the leading old- 
time residents of Nebraska, has given liberally 
of his time and money to the upbuilding of the 
community where he makes his home, and he 
commands a high station as a worthy citizen and 
energetic business man. Both he and his estim- 
able wife are descendants of good old Mrginia 
stock, celebrated far and wide for their hospi- 
tality and cordiality to friend and stranger alike. 
Mr. Rothwell has a valuable estate and is pro- 
prietor of a model ranch, and his home and 
family both are w-orthy representatives of the 
good old Virginian stock from which they 
sprung. 

Mr. Rothwell was born in Albemarle county, 
\'irginia, in 1858, of English blood. His father, 
Warren, was a prominent farmer of that locality. 
and a soldier in the Civil war for two years, 
and died during war-time. Our subject's moth- 
er was Lucinda White, of Albemarle county, 
Virginia. He grew up in his native state until 
the age of thirty, engaged in the mercantile 
business at that time at Reunion, and operated 
a store there for over eight years. 

In the year 1888 Mr. Rothwell came tn Grant 
county, Nebraska, and took a ])re-emption. going 
through pioneer ex])eriences in tlie first few 
years. That place was situated twenty-five 
miles southeast of Hyannis, and his first dwell- 
ing was a sod house. He started to break up 
land with a team of oxen and used them for all 
his farm work during the first five years. He 
freighted through the country, making many 
long trips, camping out imder his wagon many 
nights, and recites many interesting tales con- 
nected with those early days. At the first he 
tried to farm, but found it hard to raise good 
crops, so gradually drifted into the cattle busi- 
ness, and has met with splendid success in that 



line of work. He has added to his ranch until 
he now is owner of two thousand acres, consist- 
ing of plenty of range land for his cattle, some 
timber, and the place has a fine supply of good 
clear water. He has erected good buildings, fine 
house and commodious barns and sheds, and the 
entire ranch is fenced. 

On :\Iay 14, 1884, Mr. Rothwell was mar- 
ried to Jennie M. Weed, daughter of George 
Weed, a prominent merchant and educator, and 
son of William Weed, one of the leading mer- 
chants of Richmond, Mrginia, well known 
through the war times. Mrs. Rothwell's mother 
was a descendant of a prominent old American 
family, of Albemarle county, Virginia, her 
maiden name being Blackwell. The follow- 
ing children were born to our subject and his 
wife: Anna W., Carrie (dead), William A., 
George W., Ambler M. and Ethel May. Both 
parents and children are among the popular 
members of society in their community, and all 
are well liked and have hosts of warm friends. 

Mr. Rothwell is a Democrat in his political 
views. He has always taken a leading part m 
local public aft'airs, and served as assessor of 
his township for two years after the county was 
orsranized. 



JOSEPH GEORGE DEXTER. 

One of the best and most extensive ranch 
places in Keith county, Nebraska, is that owned 
by Joseph G. Denter. who is conceded to be one 
of the most successful stock men and farmers 
in the territory. 

Mr. Denter was Ixirn in the small village of 
St. Jan in Bohemia, August 24, 1861, and came 
to America with his parents in 1866. The fam- 
ily sailed from Bremen and landed in New York 
after a voyage of seven weeks on the Atlantic. 
They came west by way of Baltimore and set- 
tled in Johnson county, Iowa, near North Lib- 
erty, where the father, Charles Denter, was a 
prosperous farmer; our subject's mother's name 
before marriage was Josephine Cerny. 

Joseph G. Denter was reared and educated 
in the Hawkeye state and on March 3. 1886, 
he was married to Miss Mary Stirsky. a native 
of Bohemia, and daughter of .Anthony and Dora 
(Cimburck) Stirsky, who came to .America dur- 
ing Mary's infancy and settled in Lynn county, 
Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Denter have four children, 
Max L., Belle and Frances, twins, and Mabel, 
the three girls being successful teachers of the 
county. 

Tlie same year they were married, our sub- 
ject and his wife started overland for a new 
location in western Nebraska. They drove all 
the way from Iowa in a covered wagon drawn 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1073 



by a team of three-year-old colts, camping out, 
the trip lasting five weeks on the road. They 
brought two cows with them, and this was their 
small start when they settled on their present 
homestead in Keith county. They built a small 
frame house, broke some land and commenced 
laying the foundation of the prosperity that is 
now their portion in life. 

They passed through all the trying experi- 
ences so common to the life of the pioneer — the 
years of drouth and crop losses from various 
causes and the hard times beginning in 1893, at 
which time tliey were the only family left in the 
locality of all those who had come from Iowa in 
the same year. Mr. Denter secured a few head 
of cattle and gradually worked into stock rais- 
ing. He has now a grand ranch of one thousand 
four hundred and forty acres in the valley of 
the South Platte river and he cultivates about 
two hundred acres of the land, of which eighty- 
four acres are irrigated, with one hundred and 
ten acres in a tract on the river that can be 
put under ditch. Most of his ranch is devoted 
to grazing and ha\' production. The original 
small claim dwelling was later incorporated into 
a larger house, and both into the fine large ten- 
room dwelling constructed in the summer of 
1908. There are large barns and outbuildings, 
a fine grove of Lombardy poplar and other trees 
and a number of apple and cherry trees, with 
considerable small fruit. We are pleased to call 
attention to a view of the elegant residence with 
its fine location and surroundings depicted on 
another page. 

Mr. Denter is a Democrat in politics. He has 
been assessor, county commissioner for six years 
and has been a member of the school board for 
fifteen years. He is deeply interested in educa- 
tional matters, and, in fact, in all things per- 
taining to the betterment of local conditions. 
He is a man of strong convictions and earnest 
endeavor and is respected by everybody who 
knows him. The family are members of the 
Congregational church. 



ARTHUR E. BOWRING. 

Arthur E. Bowring, a prosperous and en- 
terprising ranchman of Cherry county, is a resi- 
dent of Merriman precinct. He is a gentleman 
of more than ordinary intelligence and good 
business ability, and has gained a valuable es- 
tate by his thrift and industry, and enjoys the 
respect and esteem of his fellowmen. 

Mr. Bowring was born in Crawford county. 
Iowa, of Scotch-English stock, April 20. 1873. 
and reared there until twelve years of age. His 
father, Henry C. Bowring, was a native of Eng- 



land and came to America at the age of twelve, 
settling with his parents in Canada where he 
remained until 1867. He started railroading at 
an early age and followed that occuaption until 
1894, when he moved to Nebraska, and was the 
man who laid the Chicago & Northwestern 
tracks through Woodbine, Iowa. He worked 
as a watchman there when Woodbine was the 
end of the road, and for four years was yard- 
master for that road at Dunlap, Iowa. He also 
laid the foundation for the first roundhouse at 
Iowa Falls, and even after going to Nebraska 
continued at railroad work for some time. He 
laid the tracks east of Yankton as far as Gay- 
ville. South Dakota, and all his life was spent 
in this work almost exclusively up to 1894. Our 
subject was the seventh member of his father's 
family of ten children, and on reaching his 
twenty-first birthday he struck out for himself, 
although for some time previous to this he had 
been engaged in the stock buying business. In 
1894 he took his present homestead, and his 
ranch now consists of one thousand three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, a large portion of it 
being good hay land. He and his father together 
run five hundred and fifty head of cattle and 
a number of horses, and they have over a hun- 
dred head of the finest Shorthorn calves to be 
found in this locality. All of his brothers have 
followed in their father's footsteps and worked 
on railroads since growing up. When Mr. 
Bowring and his father first landed in Cherry 
county it was in an entirely undeveloped state, 
and they have been among those who have 
watched its growth and improvement almost 
from the time of its organization, and have seen 
the ups and downs of a pioneer's lot. Mr. Bow- 
ring takes a commendable interest in all affairs 
of the community where he resides, attending 
the conventions and assisting in all matters which 
tend to the betterment of conditions in his local- 
ity. He served as county commissioner for three 
years from the third commissioner's district. 
Both he and his father are stanch Republicans. 
Mr. Bowring is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen and the 
Roval Neighbors. 



BENDICK DAXIELSON. 

Bendick Danielson. one of the prominent farm- 
ers of Box Butte county, resides on section 9, 
township 26, range 48, where he owns four hun- 
dred and eighty acres of good farm and ranch 
land. He has been a resident of this locality 
for the past twenty years, and has developed 
a good farm and enjoys a comfortable rural 
home, and the esteem of all whom he meets. 



1074 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Danielson was born in Norway, in the 
southeastern part, on a farm, in 1858. His fa- 
ther was a farmer and lived and died in his native 
land, and there our subject grew to manhood, 
following the work of a cabinetmaker by trade. 
He served for two years in the Norwegian army, 
and in 1882 left the land of his birth and came 
to the United States, landing in New York in 
September, 1882. He came directly west to 
Nance county. Nebraska, where he spent a short 
time, then went to Albion, in Boone county, and 
there followed the work of cabinet maker, hav- 
ing learned that trade when a boy in Norway. 
He worked in a furniture store for about four 
years after coming here, and in 1885 moved to 
Bo.K Butte county, driving from Hay Springs 
with a wagon containing all his possessions. On 
this trip only a few houses were seen between 
Hav Springs and the place he located on. He 
had very little to start with and he first put up 
a rude sod shanty, and put in a crop of sod 
corn the first summer, also a few potatoes. He 
worked continually in building up his place and 
breaking up ground, working out in the neigh- 
borhood breaking land for others, digging wells, 
and also did railroading, working on the rail- 
road grades on the roads being put through this 
section at that time. About three years were 
spent in the railroad yards at Alliance. 

After Mr. Danielson had proved up on his 
claim, during the dry seasons he had a hard 
time to get along, and was obliged to work 
with a bridge gang, traveling through Wyoming, 
South Dakota and Nebraska, employed by the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railway Com- 
pany. About 1892 the times began to get better 
and' he devoted his whole attention to building 
up his place, and he gradually added to his 
acreage and is now owner of four hundred and 
eighty acres of deeded land and leases eighty 
acres', engaging in stock raising, and farming on 
a small scale, raising Irish potatoes, small grains, 
etc. 

In 1901 our subject had the misfortune to be 
burned out, losing the finest crop of grain he 
had ever raised (all of which was stacked), a 
good barn and other buildings, which was a 
very severe loss. He has rebuilt, and now has 
everything in first-class shape all over the place. 
He is one of the very foremost potato raisers 
in all Box Butte county. 

In political sentiment Mr. Danielson is a 
strong Republican. 



CHARLES D. GASTON. 

Charles D. Gaston, one of the most highly 
esteemed of the old settlers of Keith county, 



was born May 2. 1859, in Halifax county. Nova 
Scotia. His father. John Gaston, was born in 
Canada, of Irish parents and lived there all his 
life, following the occupation of farming. He 
died about 1902 at the age of ninety. Our sub- 
ject's mother, Marjoria Blackie, was also born 
in Nova Scotia, her people being of Scotch de- 
scent. Her mother was a Miss McKay, a na- 
tive of Aberdeen, Scotland, who died in Nova 
Scotia at the home of Mr. Gaston at the age of 
ninety. Two uncles of Mr. Gaston attained the 
ages of ninety-nine and one hundred and six. 

Our subject lived in Nova Scotia until he 
was twenty years old and received his educa- 
tion there. He came to the states in 1879, so- 
journing first to New Hampshire and Vermont. 
He learned the iron moulder's trade with a 
brother-in-law at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, but 
remained at this trade but a short time, because 
of poor health. In 1884 he came west, working 
at Moline, Illinois, from February to May, and 
then moved on to Keith county, taking a home- 
stead ten miles south of Ogallala, part of the 
time living on his farm and the remaining time 
working in the town. The first building on the 
homestead was a sod house. He proved up on 
his homestead and farmed there for twenty 
years. During this time he lost many crops from 
drouth; in 1890 he planted one hundred acres 
and reaped nothing. For a time after this loss, 
he had to work out by the day in order to make 
a living. 

He was married, November 15, 1887, to Miss 
Fannie Hull, a native of Rolling Prairie, Indi- 
ana, whose father, Adam Hull, was a farmer and 
old settler in Nebraska. Her mother was Cath- 
erine Walt in her youth. Mr. and Mrs. Gaston 
have had seven children: Raymond (deceased), 
Frank, Isaac A,, Kitty M., Charles A., Kenneth 
and Doritt. 

In the early days before Keith county was 
thickly settled, Mr. Gaston witnessed occasional 
shootings at Ogallala, and saw one man killed 
during the wild days when the cowboys some- 
times shot up the town. At that time it was not 
an uncommon occurrence for a man to be shot 
in the street for apparently no reason. 

In 1904 our subject came to Ogallala and 
opened a feed store, with his father-in-law for 
a partner. In 1907 he established a general store, 
the business having been successful from the 
start. 

Mr. Gaston is one of the earliest settlers and 
has watched the growth of the countv for many 
years and has done his part in building it up, 
engaging in numerous enterprises during that 
time. 

He helped to construct some of the first 
Iniildings erected in the town of Ogallala. among 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1075 



them being the Methodist Episcopal church, 
which he assisted in dedicating. 

He was prominent in the social affairs of the 
town in early days, having been one of a com- 
mittee to arrange for the first masque ball ever 
held in Ogallala, a function that has not since 
been excelled. 

Mr. Gaston has held many offices during 
his residence in Ogallala, among them being 
precinct assessor, which position he held in the 
early days, when politics first interested the set- 
tlers. In politics he is a Democrat, and is a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows at Ogallala. 



GEORGE J. DAVIDSON, Deceased. 

The magnificent estate which is known to 
have belonged to the gentleman whose name is 
at the beginning of this article is one of the 
finest and best ordered in the precinct of Brinker- 
hofif. Rock county, and is well worthy of com- 
parison with any to be found in the state of 
Nebraska. It is conspicuous for the manner in 
which it has been cultivated and improved, and 
is especially notable from the fact that it is the 
only tree claim in a long distance that was able 
to meet the requirements that attended its prov- 
ing-up. Mr. Davidson, deceased, had an ample 
tree culture, and he developed a grove that sup- 
plies all the fuel needed for the homes in which 
he and his son dwelt. The two Davidsons owned 
more than three thousand acres of land, out of 
which at least one section may be pronounced 
of the very best character of farm property. 
It all presents opportunities for a diversifiea 
farming that can take in every interest suscept- 
ible to Nebraska agriculture. 

Mr. Davidson was born on a farm in Indi- 
ana in 1851, where his father, Thomas Davidson, 
had been living since he was nineteen years old. 
Born in Ireland, he early felt the inspiration of 
the larger and freer life across the ocean, and 
early came to the United States to make his 
home in the west. His wife, Isabelle Foster, 
was a native of county Durham, England, and 
was brought to this country when only nine 
years of age. George J. was the fourth member 
of a family of seven children that were born to 
his parents. They had their home on the White 
river, in Indiana, and there was much to do 
on a farm in a timbered country, and a full 
share of it came to- him who in after years was 
to become the successful Nebraska agriculturist. 
The parental needs detained our subject at home 
until he was twenty-seven years of age when 
he struck out for himself, marrying, in 1870, 
Miss Amelia Dotty, an American girl of Ger- 



man antecedents. Her people had settled in 
Pennsylvania on their arrival in this country, 
and here Mrs. Davidson was reared and edu- 
cated. She is the mother of three children: 
Arlanda, Amelia and Ruth. 

After his marriage ^Nlr. Davidson bought a 
farm in Pike county, Indiana, on which he ex- 
pected to spend his days. However, he found 
his health failing so badly that removal to a 
more favoring clime became imperative, and 
trial was made of what Nebraska might do for 
him. , When he reached this state he was so 
weak he had to be lifted ofif the train. For a 
time he stopped in the eastern part of the state, 
but in April, 1883, he appeared in Rock county, 
and found himself so much improved that he 
took a pre-emption claim, on which he presentlv 
"proved up," and found himself the proprietor 
of real Nebraska dirt. With gaining health his 
courage increased, and he made a timber tree 
claim, and later still a homestead entry in sec- 
tion 29, township 31, range 20. His first resi- 
dence was but a frame shanty twelve by sixteen 
feet, and perhaps would hardly be thought a pos- 
sible home for a family today ; but then it was 
enough, and the wind-searched structures in 
which dwelt a people winning their homes were 
thought equal to palaces in another land. When 
I\lr. Davidson first located here his nearest 
neighbor was miles away — Bassett was only a 
postoffice, and wild game abounded. The vast- 
ness of the change wrought since his coming 
can not possibly be appreciated by one who has 
not witnesed such a transformation here or else- 
where. 

Mr. Davidson, deceased, was a prominent 
citizen and took an active part in public affairs. 
He affiliated with the Republican party, and 
was an influential worker in both county and 
state politics. He was a delegate to the national 
Republican convention when President Harri- 
son was put in nomination. 



GOTTLIEB KAISER. 

The subject of this sketch, Gottlieb Kaiser, 
lives on a lovely farm and is surrounded by all 
those comforts which tend to make a happy and 
contented old age. He was born in East Prus- 
sia, Germany. February 1, 1845. His father 
died when our subject was but a child and the 
mother died when he was but ten years old. 
When but a small lad he took to a seafaring life 
and was on the water as a sailor for twenty- 
four years. He sailed many seas, visiting Rus- 
sia, England, South America and ports of Africa. 

In 1870 our subject was married to Miss 
Mollie Sulies. also a native of east Prussia, Ger- 



1076 



COMPENDIUJVI OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



many. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser are the parents of 
twelve living children and two dead: Augusta, 
born in 1873; Louis, born in 1875; Adolph, born 
in 1877, now dead ; Edward, born in 1879 : Etta, 
born in 1881 ; Louise, born in 1882 ; Emma, 
born in 1883; Mollie. born in 1885: Lizzie, bom 
in 1886; Franz, born in 1887, now dead; Mary, 
born in 1888: Magdelina, born in 1890; Max, 
born in 1892; and Minnie, born in 1896. 

Mr. Kaiser came to America in 1885. and, 
coming westward located for four years at Co- 
lumbus, Nebraska. In 1885 he came with a 
team of ponies and a covered wagon to his pres- 
ent farm in section 15, township 24, range 22, 
in Blaine county, and located a homestead. He 
had almost nothing to start with and had to live 
in his covered wagon most of the time during 
the first summer. He slept on a straw bed 
under his wagon, and had many a fight with 
bull snakes that sought to sleep in the straw of 
his bed. He had many hardships to undergo 
and one of the hardships was the death of one 
of his ponies, which left him badly crippled to 
do the work of the farm. His first small house 
was built of sods of the prairie and later he 
built a larger one of the same material. But 
now he has a splendid farm home — has four 
hundred and eighty acres of the best land in 
what is known as German valley. He has beau- 
tiful trees and his farm is thoroughly im])roved 
and up-to-date. 

Mr. Kaiser had many hard trials in the 
pioneer days, but his native grit and his hang-on 
qualities and his persistent purpose to make a 
good home and farm have brought him success 
and prosperity. He is a man of sturdy, strong 
character, and merits the good esteem in which 
he is held bv his friends and neighbors. 



HARVEY H. KXIGHT. 

Harvey H. Knight, one of the representative 
ranchmen of Keith county, Nebraska, resides 
in White Tail precinct, where he has a valuable 
estate and is one of the leading men of the 
community. 

Mr. Knight was born near Quincy. Illinois, 
November 17, 1866. His father. James F. 
Knight, was a native of Kentucky, while the 
mother. Columbia .A. (W'right"), w-as born in 
old Virginia. Mr. Knight was a pioneer farm- 
er in CoflFee county. Kansas, settling there with 
his family about 1869, where our subject grew 
to manhood, attending the country schools dur- 
ing his boyhood, and was accustomecl to all 
kinds of hard farm work and life on the fron- 
tier. Remaining in Kansas until 1887 he came 
to Keith county and filed on a homestead in sec- 
tion 12, township 15, range 38, and opened a 



farm. He built a sod house and sod barn, and 
about the only start he had was a pair of old 
mules and one wagon. At first he had a hard 
time to get along and make a living, but he 
worked at whatever he could find to do in the 
vicinity, and proved up on his claim, remaining 
there for about six years. During the dry years 
he was unable to raise crops of any kind, so he 
quit trying to farm and began in the sheep busi- 
ness, and carried that on with good success 
for eleven years. He moved to his present loca- 
tion in 1892. This is now a ranch of four thou- 
sand acres, on section 1 and surrounding sec- 
tions, township 14, range 2>7 , and is devoted to 
cattle raising, principally, at the present time, 
although this is comparatively a new departure 
for Mr. Knight, he having started this branch 
only.in 1901. The ranch is admirably located for 
the purpose, lying in the valley of the North 
Platte river, and is well equipped with good 
buildings, fences, wells and windmills, also has 
a number of natural springs furnishing an 
abundance of good clear water the year round. 
There is a good grove of trees, and Mr. Knight 
has planted different varieties of fruit trees and 
small fruits. 

Since locating here Mr. Knight has met with 
severe losses from different causes, the principal 
one being the burning of a bunch of sheep and 
other property in a prairie fire, this having oc- 
curred in 1893 ; but through all the good, bad 
and indifferent times, Mr. Knight has kept up 
good courage, and is now rewarded for his ef- 
forts in the possession of one of the best im- 
proved and most valuable ranches in the re- 
gion. 

On May 9. 1886. Mr. Knight married Miss 
Rosa Miller, born in Anderson county, Kansas, 
a daughter of Adam and Annie (Guy) Miller, 
natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively. The 
father was a pioneer farmer of Kansas, and set- 
tled in Keith county in 1887. Two children 
have been born to our subject and wife. Herman 
Henry and Annie May. The family have a 
pleasant home, surrounded by every comfort of 
rural life, and all are highly esteemed in the 
community. Mr. Knight is a Republican in 
politics and a member of the Ogallala Lodge, 
Modern Woodmen of .\merica. Associated with 
him in all his cattle and sheep enterprises is a 
brother, William F. Knight, who was born near 
Quincy. November 15, 1861. He came to Keith 
county in 1888 and has since been one of its sub- 
stantial citizens. 



.ANDREW W. ANDERSON. 

One of the pleasant homes in Camp Clarke 
precinct, Morrill (formerly Cheyenne) county, 




residp:nce of .ierome b. haiston, 

Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




UESIDEXCK OP A. \V. ANDERSON, 
Morrill County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1077 



is owned by Andrew W. Anderson, a well and 
favorably known citizen of tbat community, who 
has spent the past twenty years of his career 
there. 

Mr. Anderson was born in the village of Jar- 
sos, province of Skone. Sweden, May 22, 1848, 
coming to the United States with his parents 
at the age of six years. Their first sojourn was 
at Galesburg, Illinois, where they spent one year, 
then moved on a farm at Andover. Here they 
lived for ten years, the father buying first ten 
acres, which he later increased to one hundred. 
They next moved to Iowa, settling in Garden 
township, Boone county, where the father bought 
one hundred and sixty acres, and here he died. 
Andrew Anderson was for twelve years a mer- 
chant in Slater, Iowa: selling his store in 1889, 
he came to Alliance, Nebraska, arriving here on 
April 19 ; he filed on a homestead on section 6, 
township 20. range 51, and proved up on 
a quarter section, later taking a timber 
claim, all of which he improved. He now 
owns over five hundred acres, all under the 
Alliance ditch, and has over one hundred acres 
cultivated, raising good crops of grain. He 
runs quite a bunch of stock, and has about twen- 
ty-five acres of fine alfalfa, with plenty of hay 
land. A large tract of his farm is set apart as 
an orchard, in which he has planted trees as fol- 
lows : One hundred and sixty-five cherry trees, 
one hundred and twenty-five apple trees, one 
hundred and fifty plum trees, one hundred cur- 
rant bushes and one hundred gooseberry bushes, 
all in fine growing condition. 

Mr. Anderson has three brothers and two 
sisters living, both parents being dead. On 
* July 5, 1876, he was married at Madrid, Iowa, 
to Miss Ulrica Cassel, who was born and raised 
in that state. They have no living children. Mrs. 
Anderson's remote ancestor, Baron Von Cassel. 
of Germany, came to Sweden under Johan Baner 
after the close of the thirty years' war and 
remained to become a citizen of that country. 

Mr. Anderson is one of the leading men of 
his locality, taking an active part in all matters 
for the public good. He is treasurer of school 
district No. 44. also treasurer and secretary of 
the Alliance Irrigation Canal Water Power 
Company. 

In politics he is a Republican and stands firm- 
ly for the principles of his party. Both Mr. 
and Mrs. Anderson are members of the Luth- 
eran church. An omniverous reader, Mr. An- 
derson has stored his mind with a wide range 
of knowledge, taking delight in branches of 
scientific learning little sought by the general 
reader. He is ingenious with tools, having built 
part of their neat cottage home. He is a man 
of broad, liberal views and intellectualitv. far 



above the average man of this section of the 
country. A view of his pleasant home, with its 
grove and orchard, is to be found on one of our 
illustrative pages. 



JEROAIE B. HAISTON. 

Jerome B. Haiston, one of the most extensive 
and progressive ranchmen of Davison precinct, 
is an old settler of Cheyenne county. He is a 
man of wide experience, and by his good man- 
agement and industry, supplemented by honest 
dealings, has acquired a valuable property and 
become recognized as one of the substantial and 
worthy citizens of his community. 

Mr. Haiston was born in Henry county. Iowa, 
on March 1, 1853. His mother, Catherine (Dav- 
ison) Haiston, died when he was a small boy, 
and his father, Henry Haiston, was supposed to 
liave died when he was thirteen years of age. 
At the age of three and a half years Jerome was 
taken into the family of J. B. Comerford, in 
Adams county, Illinois, and lived with them un- 
til he was twenty-one years of age, when he 
started out in life for himself. His sole capital 
consisted of a horse and saddle and a good suit 
of clothes : he began to work as a farm hand in 
Adams county, remaining there for several 
years. He was married there on the 8th of 
October, 1874. to Miss Mary D. Huff, who was 
a native of Augusta, Hancock county. Illinois, 
born May 16, 1856. Her parents, Abraham and 
Christina (Eckles) Huff, are now both dead. 
The young couple spent several years in Adams 
county, and in 1885 came west, settling in 
Cheyenne count}-. Nebraska, where they filed on 
a homestead in section 34. township 16. range 
50, on which they have made their home ever 
since. There they went through pioneer expe- 
riences, suffering many hardships and privations 
in getting their home started, but sticking to 
their determination to succeed, and have been 
richly rewarded for their efforts, as one can see 
by glancing at the beautiful fields and broad 
acres surrounding their comfortable home resi- 
dence. Mr. Haiston owns altogether eight hun- 
dred acres. He cultivates one hundred and 
sixty acres, raises small grains with splen- 
did success, having good yields each season and 
a good quality of each variety of grain. He 
keeps about seventy-five head of cattle and 
twenty horses. During the early years he suf- 
fered severely by drouths, but had no losses 
from prairie fires nor from hail. An elegant 
new dwelling was erected in 1907. which was 
destroved August 11 before being fairly com- 
pleted. With true western grit. Mr. Haiston 
rebuilt a seven-room two-storv house in the sum- 



1078 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



mer of 1908, and now has one of the fine.^t 
country residences in the county. 

Mr. and Mrs. Haiston are the parents of the 
following children : John A., William P., Thom- 
as C)., Zilla T. (deceased). Minnie A.. Mary E., 
Frank E., Charlotte M. and Mabel D. J. A., 
W. P., T. O. and Minnie A., the wife of Edward 
A. Mayer, are all married and well settled in 
homes of their own, and all are filling honor- 
able positions in the world. 

Mr. Haiston is a stanch Republican, and 
takes a leading part in party affairs. He is 
chairman of the board of county commissioners 
and was re-elected in November, 1908. He is 
at present serving as postmaster of the Higgins 
postoiifice, which is located on his ranch. He is 
a member of the Frank Welch lodge. Ancient 
Free and Accepted Masons, of Sidney. On an- 
other page of this volume will be found a pic- 
ture of Mr. Haiston's residence. 



WILLIA.M WELCH. 

William Welch, residing on section 17, town- 
ship 24, range 42, Sheridan county, is one of the 
men who settled in the sand hills a number of 
years ago, and through persistent efforts and 
industry has acquired a nice property and en- 
joys a pleasant home. He is a great admirer of 
this section of the country, and is contented to 
make Nebraska his home during the future, as 
he is satisfied with conditions and the opportuni- 
ties which are within the easy grasp of anvone 
of energetic mind and industrious habits. 

Mr. Welch was born in Staffordshire, Eng- 
land, in 1861, coming to America with his par- 
ents when he was nine years of age, the family 
being among the early settlers in Nebraska. 
William was the third member in their familv 
of seven children, and at the age of twenty he 
started out for himself, working on farms in 
Sarpy county, Nebraska, up to 1884, then came 
to Cherry county and took a homestead located 
twelve miles east of Gordon, just in the edge of 
the sand hills, remaining on that place for twelve 
years. He farmed there, keeping a few head of 
stock, and accumulated a ranch of four hundred 
and eighty acres of good land, but the dry 
years hit him. and for two years he had three 
hundred acres in crops and did not raise enough 
to pay for threshing, so he eventually lost his 
land and stock through these failures. He then 
went to work for the Spade ranch outfit, and 
remained with that concern for eight years, and 
in 1901 got started again for himself, buying 
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan 
county. He had some stock and went to work 
in that business, as he has had enough of all 



farming. He had thirty head of cattle when 
he took this place, purchasing them with money 
he earned in working for others in this vicinity, 
and he increased his herd until he now has two 
hundred head or more, and also has taken an 
additional four hundred and eighty acres of 
land. His place is partly fenced, and he raises 
some grain, but h^s to buy part of his hay for 
his stock, although he has a good piece of 
ground seeded to alfalfa and expects to make 
a success of this grass. When Mr. Welch came 
to Cherry county in 1884 he drove through 
from Sarpy county. Nebraska, and at that time 
there was not a broken road in the country. 

Mr. Welch was married in 1883 to Miss 
Katherine Donahue, a native of the state of Ne- 
braska. Her father, John Donahue, was born 
and raised in Ireland, as was also her mother, 
both now living in this state. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Welch have been born the following children, 
both born and raised in this locality : Ellen, aged 
twenty-four, and Patrick, aged twenty. Our 
subject is an independent voter. Democratic in 
national affairs, but does not dabble much in 
politics. His postoffice is Bingham, Nebraska. 



HANS S. HANSEN. 

Hans S. Han.sen. whose pleasant home is lo- 
cated in section 3. township 26. range 49. where 
his genial countenance and friendly spirit have 
made him hosts of well-wishers, which his man- 
ly character and genuine worth have long re- 
tained, was born on a farm in the southeastern 
part of Norway in 186.'i. He spent the earlier 
years of his life in his native land, where he 
received his education and was reared to man- 
hood. 

.\fter the death of his father, which oc- 
curred in the old country, our subject, in the 
companv of his mother, started on the journey 
across the ocean to .America, and while on this 
trip his mother died. He landed in New York 
city in 188.'^. and coming west located in Wis- 
consin, where he spent some time working in 
Oconomowoc and farming. 

In 1888 Mr. Hansen came to P.ox Rutte coun- 
ty, Nebraska, and settled on a homestead about 
five miles from Hemingford. .-\lliance was the 
nearest railroad station. PTere he erected a sod 
.shanty, and for five years lived a liachelor, work- 
ing his place without the assistance of a team. 
He spent ten years at bridge construction work 
for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
Companv. and traveled through parts of Ne- 
braska, f^outh Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. 
In 1889 our subject purchased his nrcsctit farm. 
During the years of drouth he experienced re- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1079 



peated failure of crops, but continued his work 
with a determination which never failed. He 
now has five quarter sections of good land, all 
of which is well fenced. He has a pleasant 
house on his land, good farm buildings, wrells 
and W'indmills, and he has eighty acres under 
cultivation. 

In 1905 Mr. Hansen and Miss Annie Nort- 
ness were married. She was born in Norway, 
a daughter of O. C. Nortness, a prominent old 
settler of Nebraska. 

Mr. Hansen votes the Republican ticket. 
From the beginning he has taken an active in- 
terest in the affairs of the surrounding com- 
munity, and as an old settler has done his share 
of the work toward the development and im- 
provement of the country in which he resides. 
He is a man w-hose career is a striking illustra- 
tion of the persistence, pluck and energy of his 
native blood, and shows what possibilities this 
new western country has opened to men of that 
hardy race, who could see an opportunity and 
had the courage to embrace it. 



PETER KRUSE. 



Peter Kruse, one of the wealthy and influen- 
tial agriculturists of Dawes county, Nebraska, 
resides on one of the fine estates in his town- 
ship. He has accumulated his fortune by his 
push and energy, and his high station as a citi- 
zen and farmer is well deserved. 

Mr. Kruse was born in Schleswig, Germany, 
in 1846, on a farm. His father, Jacob Kruse. 
was a farmer, w-ho lived and died in his native 
land. Our subject was raised there, coming to 
the United States in 1869, and after landing in 
New York city, traveled west to Clinton coun- 
ty, Iowa, and there followed farming for five 
years. He next moved to Goose Lake, Iowa, 
where he run a hotel and saloon for seventeen 
years, building up a good business, and made a 
good deal of money in that place. He was 
obliged to leave the town on account of serious 
sickness in his family, so sold out and came to 
Dawes county in 1889. Here he bought a farm 
in section 17. township 33. range 47, which at 
that time was perfectly unimproved prairie land, 
with scarcely an improvement on the place. He 
at once put up a house and began farming, and 
for a time went through hard times, witnessing 
the drouth years, when some seasons he was 
unable to raise even enough for seed the follow- 
ing year. He made a living by hauling and sell- 
ing wood and hay from his farm, and as the 
times grew better was able to build up his^farm 
and home. His ranch now comprises four hun- 
dred and eighty acres of good land, and he has 



a complete set of substantial farm buildings, and 
cultivates one hundred and twenty-five acres, 
with the balance in hay and pasture for stock, 
of which he runs quite a number. He has been 
unfortunate in many things, having lost his 
barn in 1902 by fire, including two sets of good 
harness, and even this was a very serious set- 
back to him ; but he has built a fine new barn, 
completed in the year 1908. Mr. Kruse makes 
his dairy pay him well, and has regular custom- 
ers who take his output of butter at twenty-five 
cents per pound the year around. 

Mr. Kruse was united in marriage in 1873 
to Miss Anna Berrickson, of German descent, 
who came to this country when a young girl. 
Mrs. Kruse died in 1889, when the children were 
small, leaving a family of five, named as fol- 
lows: John, Emma, Pete, Annie and Minnie. 
The two oldest are married. The other three 
still help the father with his farm work. 

Mr. Kruse has always been prominent in lo- 
cal public affairs, and served on the school board 
as director of his district for ten years. In polit- 
ical sentiment he is a Democrat. 



E. GUS LINN. 



In compiling a list of the prominent business 
men of Kimball, Nebraska, who have been inti- 
mately identified with the upbuilding of the com- 
mercial interests of that locality and are widely 
and favorably known, a foremost place must 
be given E. Gus Linn. This gentleman has been 
engaged in business in Kimball for many years 
past, handling diiTerent enterprises, and enjoys 
the confidence and esteem of a large circle of 
acquaintances. 

Mr. Linn was born in Sweden, December 6, 
1862, and was the third child in his father's 
family of five, the father still living in his na- 
tive land, while the mother is dead. At the age 
of twenty Mr. Linn left Sweden and came to 
America, settling in Pennsylvania in June, 1882, 
where he spent six, months, then went to Michi- 
gan and secured employment in the lumber 
mills. In 1884 he came to Nebraska, locating 
in Omaha, and was connected with a lumber 
company in that city for two years, then moved 
to Kimball to take charge of the Kimball Lum- 
ber Company, which was then managed by the 
W. T. Robinson Company. He remained in the 
employ of the concern up to 1893, then pur- 
chased the business, soon afterward adding hard- 
ware, implements, etc., to the stock. In 1907 he 
sold the lumber branch to the Foster Lumber 
Company, and he now has the largest hardware, 
implement, wagon and buggy establishment in 



1080 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



the west, handling also paints, windmills, 
pumps and fittings to his line. 

In 1892 Mr. Linn was elected county treas- 
urer, and held the office for four years, receiv- 
ing the election as county judge in 1897 and 
serving for two years. He is now county com- 
missioner, elected in 1905. He has also been 
mayor of Kimball, holding office during 1907 
and 1908, and is president of the Bank of Kim- 
ball and a member of the school board. Mr. 
Linn is a representative western "booster,"' pro- 
gressive in his business methods, and possesses 
extraordinarv ability as an organizer and leader 
of men. He is a Republican and strong party 
man. 

On June 18. 1888, our subject was united 
in marriage to Anna C. Willing, at Sidney, Ne- 
braska. Mrs. Linn was born in Sweden, com- 
ing to the L'nited States as a young girl, and 
her parents are both dead. They have a fam- 
ily of seven children, all living at home, who 
are named as follows: Oscar G., Vernon E., Her- 
bert E., Ernest A., John T.. Frank W. and Ken- 
neth. 



HEXRY C. KEXYON. 

The gentleman herein named has i)assed 
many years in western Nebraska, coming to 
Brown county when a young man. and here 
he has resided almost constantly for over thirt\- 
years, becoming thoroughly familiar with this 
section of the country and its opportunities and 
resources. Mr. Kenyon resides in section 4, 
township 30, where he has a good home and 
farm, and is highly esteemed as a citizen and 
fellow townsman. 

Mr. Kenyon was born in ( )neida. New York- 
state, in 1865. Mis father. Milton Kenyon. was 
also a native of that state, born in 1822. and 
his mother, who was Melinda Manchester, was 
born there in 1825. His parents had a fainily 
of three children, he being the youngest, and 
he was reared in his native state until ten years 
old. then came tn Minnesota, where the family 
spent a year in Steele county. From there they 
went to Omaha and remained one year, then on 
a farm near Omaha up to 1882. In the spring 
of 1881 our subject's father came to Brown coun- 
ty and took up a homestead in section 4. town- 
ship .10. range 23. W'itli him was a friend and 
neighbor. Tom Johnson, and they drove 
through tlie country into the county with a 
team and covered wagon, and were almost the 
first settlers in that locality. 

The following year our subject came to 
Brown county with a carload of goods, but did 
not locate, returning to Ainsworth, where he 



worked for the Chicago & Northwestern rail- 
way, running between Johnstown and the for- 
mer place. He continued at this for some years, 
spending part of his time at home and assisting 
his father in building up his home and farm. 
The latter died January 18. 1899. and his death 
was deeply mourned by all who knew him as one 
of the leading citizens of his community and a 
highly esteemed old settler of this locality. Their 
first house on the homestead was a sod shanty, 
in which they lived for two years, then built 
a log house. There were many hard times and 
discouragements to contend with during the 
early years, going through the drouth periods, 
when for several years they were unable to 
raise even a fair crop, but as times grew better 
the farm was graduallv im])roved and added to 
until it now contains three hundred and twenty 
acres of good land, two hundred and fifty acres 
of which are in a high state of cultivation. It 
is all fenced, and has good buildings and is one 
of the well kept and valuable estates in the 
county. 

In September, 1888. Mr. Kenyon was mar- 
ried to ^liss Jennie Freeman, daughter of a 
farmer and old settler in this county, and to 
Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have been born the fol- 
lowing children : Carl. Guy. Blanche and Glenn. 
The family have a pleasant and happy home 
and a host of warm friends in the communitv. 



ISAAC X. WARE. 

Another one of [Morrill (formerly Chey- 
enne) county's old-timers is fouml in the gen- 
tleman whose name heads this personal his- 
tory. Mr. ^^'are is a man of interesting per- 
sonality, genial and whole-souled, and has the 
esteem and confidence of all with whom he 
comes in contact. He is a successful and pros- 
l)erous agriculturist, residing in Camp Clark 
precinct, where he has a pleasant home. 

Isaac N^. \\'are was born in Richland coun- 
ty, Wisconsin, April 5. 1859, the fourth in a 
family of five children. He was reared to 
the age of eighteen in that state, going from 
there to Henry county, near Newcastle, In- 
<liana. where his parents spent one year, then 
moved to Lawrence county. Tennessee. Our 
subject's next move was to Xebraska, locat- 
ing in Xorth Platte, where he was overseer of 
a large ranch for two years, coming thence to 
Cheyenne county in the spring of 1887. He 
filed on a homestead on section 4. township 16, 
range 48. on which he proved up and improved, 
then sold it. Later he bought une hundred 
and sixty acres in section 12. township 20, 
range 51, all of which is under irrigation. Here 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1081 



he engages in general farming and is making 
a success of his work. His place has good 
buildings and improvements and he is a pro- 
gressive, up-to-date agriculturist. 

Mr. Ware's father, John Ware, is dead, 
and the mother, who was Mary Gross in maid- 
enhood, is living in Hershey, Nebraska. He 
was married in Tennessee on January 18, 1879, 
to Miss Ella Wickard, who is a native of In- 
diana and sister of Mr. Joel Wickard, of Chey- 
enne county, a sketch of whom appears else- 
where in this work. They are the parents 
of five children, as follows : Grace, wife of 
C. C. Carrier, a native of eastern Nebraska, 
born May 17, 1884, coming into Cheyenne 
county at the age of four years, where his 
parents were pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Carrier 
were married on June 28, 1905, settling on a 
farm adjoining our subject's homestead. They 
have two children, Clarence and Edwin. The 
remaining children of Mr. Ware are John Le- 
roy, Charles, George and Horace, who are in- 
dustrious, energetic boys, helping their father 
carry on his farm. 

Mr. Ware is a Democrat in political senti- 
ment and affiliates with the Bridgeport camp, 
Modern Woodmen of America. 



ROBERT N. BIGGS. 

Robert N. Biggs, who occupies a prominent 
place among the younger members of the farm- 
ing and ranching community of Chambers pre- 
cinct, is one of the successful men in that line 
in Cheyenne county, Nebraska. There he has 
built up a fine estate and gained an enviable 
reputation as a citizen and has a host of 
friends. 

Mr. Biggs was born in Cloud county, Kan- 
sas, July 17, 1876. When he was four years 
of age his parents left that state, going to 
a farm near St. Joseph, Missouri, where they 
spent two years, and from there moved to 
Boulder, Colorado. After two years' residence 
at that place they returned to Kansas, where 
our subject grew to the age of eleven. Their 
next move was to Kearney county, Nebraska, 
and after living there for four years, removed 
to Kimball county, where they resided until 
1901, at which time they came to Cheyenne 
county and filed on the place which is now 
Mr. Biggs' home ranch. This is situated on 
sections 34 and 27, township 13, range 52, 
consisting of six hundred and forty acres. 
About one hundred acres are cultivated, and 
he is engaged in stock raising on a large scale, 
dealing in both cattle and horses. The ranch 
is fitted with a complete set of substantial 



buildings and every improvement, and is one 
of the valuable tracts in the section. 

Prior to coming to Cheyenne county Mr. 
Biggs traveled for a number of years, being 
engaged on different cattle ranches through- 
out nearly all of the central and western 
states. 

On November 2, 1900, Mr. Biggs was mar- 
ried at Sidney, Nebraska, to Miss Mary Ann 
Fatten, whose parents, John and Mary (Carse) 
Patton, resided on a ranch in Banner county, 
Nebraska, twenty miles north of the town of 
Kimball. Both our subject's parents, John and 
Florence (Rutledge) Biggs, are living, residing 
part of the time on their ranch in Colorado and 
at other times in Kimball, where they have a 
fine residence. Mr. and Mrs. Biggs have two 
children, Francis and John. 

In politics Mr. Biggs is a stanch Democrat 
and takes an active part in local and school 
affairs. He has been a member of the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen since 1896 at 
Kimball. 



ROBERT A. EMANUELSON. 

Robert A. Emanuelson, who enjoys the dis- 
tinction of being one of the old settlers of 
Cheyenne county, is a gentleman of untiring 
perseverance, possessed of a broad mind and 
good business ability, as is evidenced by his 
success in the accumulation of the valuable 
property which he possesses, all gained through 
his own efforts. He has met with many hard- 
ships and disappointments since coming to Ne- 
braska, but has surmounted them all, and is 
now one of the substantial farmers of that re- 
gion. He is interested to quite an extent in 
the dairy business at present, shipping the 
cream from about twenty cows. He devotes 
considerable of his attention to that branch of 
agriculture. 

Mr. Emanuelson was born in Wilmington, 
Will county, Illinois, January 9, 1861. He was 
reared there, attending the common schools, 
where he received a substantial education, and 
followed farming in that vicinity during his 
young manhood. Coming west to Nebraska, he 
located in Cheyenne county in 1886, taking 
up his residence in Lodgepole at first. He se- 
cured work as section hand in the spring of 
1889 and in the fall of 1890 became foreman, 
which position he held until the spring of 1897, 
resigning to give his entire attention to his 
ranch. In 1886 he took up a homestead in sec- 
tion 2, township 16. range 47, which he after- 
wards sold to the Club ranch. He then moved 
onto section 32, township 14, range 46, and ac- 



1082 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



quired additional land, until he is now owner 
of five hundred and sixty acres, two hundred 
and forty in section 32 and three hundred and 
twenty acres in the west half of section 29. 
The ranch is situated within half a mile of 
Lodgepole. on Lodgepole creek, and is a val- 
uable piece of property. He cultivates about 
sixty acres, and uses the balance for hay land 
and pasture for his stock, running about sev- 
enty-five head of cattle and horses. His ranch 
is known as the Locust Grove ranch, taking 
its name from the large number of locust trees 
on^ the place. He has it all well improved with 
good buildings, fences and everything neces- 
sary for its proper operation. 

We call attention to a fine view of the prem- 
ises with late improvements, presented on an- 
other" page. 

On December 13, 1890. in Eagle precinct, 
Cheyenne county, I\Ir. Emanuelson was united 
in marriage to Miss Margaret Bohlken, who 
was born in Germany, coming to America with 
her parents when quite a small girl. Her par- 
ents. George and Katherine (Hemen) Bohlken, 
lived for seventeen years in Adams county, Illi- 
nois, prior to their coming to Nebraska. After 
one year's residence in Clay county they came 
to Cheyenne county in the spring of 1887. 
The father, is now making his home in Bates 
county, Missouri. The mother has been dead 
for some years. Our subject and his estima- 
ble wife are the parents of eight children, who 
are named as follows : Anna. William, Ilene, 
Rosella, Robert. Charles. George and Margaret, 
all living at home. Our subject's parents, 
Charles and ]\Iary (Miller) Emanuelson, still 
occup}' the old homestead in Wilmington. Will 
county, Illinois. 

Mr. Emanuelson is a Republican and is 
serving as village trustee at the present time. 
He was formerly a member of the board of 
county commissioners during the years 1901- 
1907, inclusive. He affiliates with the Odd Fel- 
lows at Sidney and the Modern Woodmen at 
Lodgepole. 

ORRIN E. SMITH. 

Among those who have in a great measure 
contributed to the success of Rock county, Ne- 
braska, the above mentioned gentleman occu- 
pies a foremost place. He has resided in this 
region for many years, and is well known as 
one of the prominent citizens and public-spir- 
ited men. He has held the office of sheriff 
of the county ten years (five terms), and 
proved one of the most efficient officials the 
county ever had, being highly esteemed by all 
of the people. 



Mr. Smith was born in Lake county. Illi- 
nois. August 29. 1851. His father, a native of 
New York, settled in Illinois when a young 
man, while his mother, Fatha Bower, was of 
German parentage. There were nine children 
in his father's family, and he was the third 
member. He was reared and educated in 
Woodbury county, Iowa, where his parents 
settled in 1852. having been among the oldest 
residents of that locality. He was brought 
up to do all kinds of work to be found in op- 
erating a farm, and early learned to depend 
upon his own efforts, and the training thus in- 
stilled into his mind stood him in good stead 
in the later years of his life. At the age of 
sixteen years he left home and began work- 
ing out on farms in Iowa. He remained in 
that region up to 1884, when he came to Ne- 
braska and settled on a farm near Newport, 
Rock county. There he took a homestead and 
remained for about eight years. He built two 
good houses and improved the farm in other 
ways. He also filed on a pre-emption and tim- 
ber claim, planting a large number of trees, 
which grew into a fine grove. He endured hard 
work and suffered many discouragements and 
much loss, but was determined to succeed so 
persevered until at one time he was the owner 
of eight hundred acres of good land. He has 
always been more or less engaged in stock 
raising, and has been very successful in this 
line as well as in grain raising. He took a 
homestead in section 32, township 31, range 
19. in October. 1901. and finally secured the en- 
tire section, of which he cultivates fifty acres, 
keeping the rest as hay and grazing land. 
Dairying is a branch of farming now receiving 
some attention from Mr. Smith, the product 
of about fifteen cows being shipped to the east- 
ern creameries. 

Mr. Smith was married in Iowa on Christ- 
mas day, 1875. to Miss Bridget McGann. who 
bore him two children. Ulla and Maud. Mrs. 
Smith died while the family lived in New- 
port, and in 1897 he married Miss Carrie Court- 
ney, whose father, John Courtney, was an old 
settler in Rock county. Two children resulted 
from this union. De Cleo and Ella. 

Mr. Smith is a Republican politically and 
one of the leading men in all affairs of local 
interest. A view of the home and recent im- 
provements and additions is to be seen on an- 
other page. 



GEORGE JESSEN. 

The alcove named gentleman is an old set- 
tler of Cherry county, and is one of the most 
prosperous ranchmen in that part of the coun- 




-LOCL SI (.K()\'K FARM" RESIDENCE OF ROBERT EMANUELSON, 
At Lodge Pole, Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF O. E. SMEFH, 
Rock County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1083 



try. He was born in Germany, October 10, 
1854, and was reared there, and with his fa- 
ther, Christ Jessen, followed the occupation 
of carpenter upon reaching his fifteenth year. 
His mother, Catherine Detlefson, was also born 
in Germany, and ■ neither his father nor his 
mother ever left Germany. George Jessen is 
the first of a family of seven children, of whom 
four are living. 

Mr. Jessen was married in 1878 to Mary 
Rosine Peterson, who was born in Germany in 
1852. Although her parents never left the old 
country, one brother came to America and lo- 
cated in Rushville, Cherry county, Nebraska. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jessen left their native home in 
1872, sailing from Hamburg July 29th on the 
steamer India, and after a voyage of seventeen 
days they landed in New York. Later he 
settled in Clinton, Iowa, where he was man- 
ager of a large stock farm for four years. Then 
for two years Mr. Jessen worked at his trade 
of carpenter in Iowa and in 1888 he moved to 
Cherry and took a tree claim and later a home- 
stead one and one-half miles east of Merriman. 
This he sold and bought four hundred and 
eighty acres of deeded land and also has an 
equal amount of Kincaid homestead land. Mr. 
Jessen worked as section foreman for three 
years at Merriman and then spent three years 
in Douglas, Wyoming, in the same capacity. 
He then left the employ of the railroad and 
started in as a ranchman. He went to work 
with a will and today owns nine hundred and 
sixty acres in section 7, township 34, range 
36, all of which is fenced and improved, and 
stocked with one hundred and seventy-five 
head of cattle and about thirty horses. Mrs. 
Jessen also owns in her own right one hun- 
dred and seventy-five acres. He takes great 
pride in building up his farm, has a comfort- 
able home, and will be contented to spend the 
balance of his life in Cherry county. 

Mr. Jessen is one of the first settlers in this 
locality and has seen many hardships since 
coming to Nebraska, and says that he has had 
all the frontier life that he wants. However, 
he is well satisfied with what he has accom- 
plished and is now prepared to enjoy the com- 
fortable home which he has built up for him- 
self and family. He has five children, named 
as follows : Catherine, wife of Alf Pruden ; 
Nannie, teacher in Cherry county ; Minnie and 
William (twins) and Bertha. They all have 
musical ability, playing a variety of instru- 
ments in their home concerts. 

Mr. Jessen is a Republican and always votes 
a straight ticket. He is also a member of the 
Modern Woodmen of America and of the Lu- 
theran church. 



JOHN A. ANDERSON. 

The opportunities afforded honest industry 
to gain a footing in America were embraced 
by the gentleman whose name heads this ar- 
ticle, and he is now one of the recognized 
substantial ranchmen of Sioux county, Nebras- 
ka. He owns a valuable estate in section 21, 
township 33, range 56, and has the place im- 
proved so that it is indeed one of the model 
ranches of the region, its every appointment be- 
ing the finest, and every corner showing the 
most painstaking care and splendid manage- 
ment in its operation. He is also one of the 
old settlers of western Nebraska who has done 
his share in developing it into its present pros- 
perity and has watched the growth and suc- 
cess that has come to the region through the 
efiforts of those brave pioneers who have suf- 
fered many hardships in order to gain a home 
and competence in the far west. 

Mr. Anderson was born near Christiana, in 
Norway, in 1866. He grew up in this western 
country in reality, coming, here when a lad of 
fifteen years. His father was a farmer, born 
in Scotland. When John was a lad of fifteen 
years he left his native land and struck out 
for himself, taking passage on an emigrant ship 
bound for the new world, and after landing in 
Americc. traveled across the country to Chey- 
enne, Wyoming, where he secured employment 
with the Brewster & Emmons Cattle Company 
and rode the range for some time, finally going 
into Colorado, where he spent a short while 
in the mountains. In 1884 he came to Sioux 
county and remained through the summer, then 
returned to Colorado, finally coming back to 
Sioux county in 1885, being to and fro between 
the two points for a number of years, being 
constantly in the employ of the War Bonnet 
Live Stock Company as a cowboy. He was 
in the vicinity of Harrison when that town 
was first started, and saw the beginning of the 
first white settlement in Sioux county, also 
being one of those who was present when the 
county was organized. 

In 1887, in partnership with B. E. Brewster 
and P. O. Brewster, also Nels Anderson, a 
brother, Mr. Anderson formed a partnership 
and the syndicate bought out the. \Var Bonnet 
Live Stock Company, the ranch being located 
in War Bonnet creek valley, and they contin- 
ued this company for twenty-one years. Their 
interests extended all over this part of the coun- 
try, and was one of the strongest concerns of 
its kind in the west. Mr. Anderson was fore- 
man and general manager of the company, and 
they were phenomenally successful in their 
operations. He finally bought out his partners 



1084 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



in the fall of 1907, and is at present sole owner 
of the extensive ranching interests. The place 
consists of six thousand acres, located in War 
Bonnet creek valley, lying along Pine Ridge, 
and all of it is fenced and in first-class condi- 
tion, supplied with a complete set of good 
buildings. Our subject has about four hun- 
dred acres irrigated for hay land, and cuts 
large quantities of grass each season. He has 
a large herd of high-grade Hereford cattle on 
the ranch, and ships many carloads to market 
each year. 

Mr. Anderson married Miss Emma Walker 
in 1892. Mrs. Anderson was born at Fort 
Laramie, W'yoming, and is a daughter of 
George Walker, a prominent old settler of that 
region. Our subject and his amiable wife are 
the parents of a charming family, consisting 
of the following children : Mabel, Nellie, Laura, 
Jessie and Grace. They have a pleasant and 
happy home, surrounded by all the comforts 
of rural life and are highly esteemed by all in 
the community as worthy residents and good 
citizens. 



DR. H. J. ARBOGAST. 

The above mentioned gentleman, one of the 
well known citizens of Hartley, Nebraska, is a 
leading physician of Redwillow county, and 
highly esteemed by all who know him. He has 
built up an enviable reputation as a skillful 
and successful practitioner, and is a man of 
exceptional ability in his chosen profession. 

Dr. Arbogast is a native of Tucker county. 
West Virginia, and came to Redwillow county 
with his parents when an infant. The family 
is of German descent, and four generations of 
the Arbogasts lived in Tucker county, West 
Virginia. There were seven brothers, of whom 
our subject's father was the seventh member 
in order of birth of thirteen and fourth on his 
mother's side, two of whom served in the 
southern army, and all are still living, but one 
now dead settled in this locality and he lo- 
cated near Hartley. He was Salem Teter, and 
was a farmer by occupation. There were 
twelve children in his father's family, and of 
these only one has died. In his mother's fam- 
ily (the Teters) there were fourteen children, 
three of whom are deceased, and these facts 
show the great vitality of these pioneer Amer- 
ican-German families. The Teter family are 
also of German descent, but came to America 
and settled in Pennsylvania and Virginia be- 
fore the Revolutionary war. Mrs. (Teter) Ar- 
bogast's grandfather on her mother's side is of 
the same famih' as Hon. Richard P. Bland, and 
bore that name, and served in the Revolution- 



ary war, and all the family were a part of the 
early history of this country. 

Dr. Arbogast was reared on his father's 
farm and educated at the Hartley high school, 
from which he graduated in 1899. He entered 
the University of Nebraska and took up the 
study of medicine, and graduated from this in- 
stitution in 1905, at once beginning the prac- 
tice of his profession in his home town, and 
has been very successful. He was appointed 
county coroner, and is serving his second term 
in that capacity. He is a Republican. 

In 1906 Dr. Arbogast was married to Miss 
Bessie Enlow, of Cambridge, Nebraska, daugh- 
ter of W. E. Enlow and Mary Bird Enlow. 
Mr. Enlow has been one of the leading mer- 
chants of Cambridge since 1886, coming here 
from Illinois in 1884. He is a prominent 
Mason and highly respected in the community. 



ISAAC ROUSH. 



Isaac Roush, one of the leading citizens of 
Kimball county, is known well and favorably as 
the genial postmaster at Kimball, having held 
this position continuously for the past eleven 
years. He has the confidence and esteem of 
everyone with whom he comes in contact in a 
business or social way, and takes a prominent 
part in every movement for the advancement 
or benefit of his locality. 

Mr. Roush was born in Snyder county. Penn- 
sylvania, on August 13, 1863, and was reared 
there to the age of nineteen years. He was the 
sixth member in order of birth in a family of 
nine children, and is the only one who chose 
Nebraska as his permanent residence. In 1882 
he left his native state and settled in Elkhart 
county, Indiana, following farming in that vi- 
cinity for about two years, at the end of that 
time coming to Kearney county, Nebraska, and 
worked on a sheep ranch for three years, later 
was connected with the John Biggs Lumber 
Company for about three years. In the latter 
l^art of April, 1890, Mr. Roush landed in Kim- 
ball county, and was manager of the Biggs 
Lumber Company at Kimball until 1894. The 
following year he went into the L. E. Schaffer 
general mercantile estalilishment, and was with 
that concern until 1898. On January 1 of that 
year he was appointed postmaster at Kimball 
and has since then filled the office continuously 
and exceptionally well and is liked by all. Mr. 
Roush is a thoroughly good business man. self- 
educated and self-made in every sense of the 
word, well read and possessing superior attain- 
ments, keen perception ami sterling qualities of 
heart and mind. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1085 



Politically our subject is a Republican; He 
is a member of the village board of trustees. 
Mr. Roush is unmarried. 



ERNEST L. MYERS. 

The gentleman whose name introduces this 
article is widely known as one of the leading- 
business men of the thrifty little city of New- 
port, Rock county, Nebraska, which owes not 
a little of its present prosperity to the estab- 
lishment of his lumber yard at that time, where 
he developed those peculiar characteristics that 
put him in the very front rank. His congenial 
spirit and friendly ways have made him popu- 
lar wherever he is known, and his unquestioned 
honesty and square dealing have retained the 
friends his habits have won. 

Mr. Myers was born in Union City, Pennsyl- 
vania, January 26, 1863. and was reared on a 
farm. The family belongs to an old American 
stock still represented in Union City. When 
Mr. Myers started in life for himself he was 
twenty-three years of age. For two years he 
was employed in his native town, and in 1888 
he made his first appearance in Newport, Ne- 
braska, where he was later to accomplish such 
substantial results. He made pre-emption entry 
on section 12, township 29, range 17, and de- 
voted himself to the development of his claim. 
For two years he lived in a sod house and 
worked with a tireless energy to bring these 
virgin acres into a profitable cultivation. In 
November. 1885, he was married to Miss May 
A. Tillotson, and to this happy union have come 
two children. Ruth and Raymond. 

In 1890 Mr. Myers opened a lumber yard 
in Newport, which was the second one to be 
established in the place, and from the first it has 
commanded a large and profitable trade. Ten 
years later he established the Bassett Hardware 
and Supplv Company at Bassett, which has be- 
come a widely known and popular Institution. 
In 1902 he opened the E. L. flyers Mercantile 
Company at Cams, with which he operates an 
extensive lumber yard and ^eeks to serve the 
general welfare of tliat prosperous and exten- 
sive region. Mr. Myers has a largely patron- 
ized general store at Newport, of which ^Ir. M. 
Paradise is the local manager, a worthy coad- 
jutor of his resourceful and energetic principal. 
Mr. Myers, in addition to his extensive and com- 
plicated mercantile enterprises, gives much at- 
tention to the real estate business, and handles 
lands in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. He en- 
gaged in the hay business at Bassett in 1900. 
and this, like all his other enterprises, has proved 
successful from its inception. 



It is hardly too much to say that Mr. Myers 
has done more than almost any other man in 
the development of this great section of imperial 
Nebraska, and the history of Newport is much 
in evidence to this effect. In 1890, when Mr. 
Alyers located here his lumber yard, it was al- 
most an abandoned western town, but his com- 
ing to it seemed to be the signal for a new 
awakening that has transformed the place. 

In political matters Mr. Myers has been iden- 
tified with the Republican party, and was elected 
to the general assembly on that ticket in 1895. 
The following year he was a delegate to the St. 
Louis national convention, and has served on 
the state central committee. He is a member 
of the governor's staff, participating in the pre- 
sentation of the silver service to the battleship 
Nebraska, at San Francisco in the spring of 
1908. He takes an active part in local affairs, 
and is an energetic citizen and upright business 
man. He is prominent in JMasonic circles, being 
a member of the blue lodge at Bassett, the chap- 
ter at Long Pine, the commandery at Norfolk 
and the consistory and shrine at Omaha. He 
also holds membership in the Odd Fellows, the 
Woodmen, the Royal Highlanders and the Elks. 



EDWARD R. YEAGLE. 

Among those; who have come to western Ne- 
braska during recent years and through thrift 
and industry have t ^cgui nulated a large amount 
of property and aided iSr^itre-^Juilding up of the 
commercial and financial interests of the local- 
ity where he chose his home, the gentleman above 
named deserves prominent mention. Mr. Yeagle 
resides in Sidney, Cheyenne county, where he is 
engaged in business, and is regarded as a worthy 
citizen and substantial business man. 

Mr. Yeagle was born at Charleston, Virginia, 
in 1866. His father was of Southern blood, en- 
gaged in the general merchandise business in 
Charleston and well known through that section 
of the country. He married Amelia Yeagle. Our 
I subject was raised and educated in the city of 
I his birth, and was a clerk in his father's store 
[ as a boy and young man, and when about eight- 
I een years old started out to make his own way. 
He spent some years as a sailor, during which 
time he made two trips around the globe. He 
afterward learned the cook's trade in Williams- 
port, Pennsylvania, and followed the work in 
that state and later at Grand Rapids and Sagi- 
naw, Michigan. In 1895 he came west to 
Kearney, Nebraska, and there engaged in the 
restaurant business and run it for a year. Next 
he moved to Sidney, where he went into the 
same business, but his place was destroyed by 



1086 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



fire soon after and he lost everything, as there 
was no insurance on the place or contents. How- 
ever, he stuck to it and opened another restau- 
rant there, and is doing well. His place is lo- 
cated on one of the most prominent corners of 
the town, and it is the first and best restaurant 
in Sidney, well patronized by the best class of 
people. Aside from this business he has made 
money in other enterprises, having built a fine 
stone block, and also owns two lots on Main 
street, where he intends to erect a stone hotel 
soon. He is a first-class business man and has 
made a study of his line of work and knows 
the restaurant business from start to finish. 

In 1897 Mr. Yeagle was married to Miss 
Emily Jamison, daughter of James Jamison, an 
old settler and prominent farmer of Amherst, 
Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Yeagle have two chil- 
dren, namely: Harold and Mabel. The family 
are well liked by all, and Mr. Yeagle is active in 
all local affairs in his community. 



I. L. MERCURE. 

I. L. Mercure, known throughout Hooker 
county, Nebraska, as a man of good citizenship 
and untiring energy in the pursuit of duty, is a 
resident of township 24. range 32, where he 
owns and operates an extensive ranch. He has 
been identified with the upbuilding of that lo- 
cality for many years, anel while acquiring his 
valuable estate has also gained for himself an 
enviable reputation as a worthy citizen. He is 
also a leading old settler of that region, and 
from its beginning has taken an active part in 
its development and commercial growth. 

Mr. ]\Iercure was born in New York state 
in 1844, in the town of Ticonderoga. He is a 
son of Joseph L. Mercure, of Canadian birth, 
who was a ship carpenter by trade, working on 
Lake Champlain. He married Charlotte Cossey. 
American born. The father came to the United 
States when a young man. Our subject grew 
up in his native state, and as a young man fol- 
lowed the life of a sailor on different lakes, rivers 
and canals in the east, and continued at that 
for over twenty years. He became a partner 
with his father in the shipyards, and was with 
him in the business for about eight years, build- 
ing in that space of time forty-four canal boats. 
Mr. Mercure next started in the mercantile busi- 
ness, buying ])roduce and shipping it into New 
York city, and carried on a large trade in that 
line for ten years or more. He came to western 
Iowa, settling in Sloan, Woodbury county. 
where he engaged in the furniture business in 
partnership with a brotlier, and remained in that 
vicinity for two vears. then followed railroad 



construction and building for several years, in 
that time helping to build the Chicago & North- 
western railway up the White river into Wyom- 
ing. He has the distinction of putting in thfe 
first mile of grading west of Thedford, Ne- 
braska, on that line. In the spring of 1888 he, 
together with several others, went into Cherry 
county and took up government land, and there 
his daughter was the first teacher in their school 
district. He settled on Loup river, still continu- 
ing in the carpenter trade in Seneca, making 
that place his home for a number of years. 

Mr. Mercure started in the cattle business 
in 1900, locating on his present ranch the fol- 
lowing year, and has developed a fine property. 
He is proprietor of a splendid ranch contain- 
ing three thousand acres, situated four miles 
southeast . of Mullen, and on this place he has 
erected a fine residence, twenty-six by twenty- 
eight, which is One of the show places of the 
locality. He has also put up all good barns and 
outbuildings and has every improvement for op>- 
erating a model ranch. He had the misfortune 
in 1907 to lose his house and entire contents by 
fire, suffering a loss of fifteen hundred dollars. 

In March. 1867, our subject was married at 
Sandy Hill, New York, to Emma Cossey, Ixirn 
and reared in that locality. Five children were 
born of this union, namely: Minnie A., Nelson 
D., Myron O., Clarence P. and Fred R. 

Mr. Mercure has always been one of the 
leading men of h's community, active in public 
affairs, and has served as justice of the peace at 
different times, also has held the ofifice of town- 
ship assessor for se\-eral terms. He is a Re- 
publican in politics. 



L. C. KINNEY. 



L. C. Kinney, numbered among the promi- 
nent pioneers in western Nebraska, has built up 
a good estate in Kimball county, and there re- 
sides, surrounded by the comforts (if life and 
esteemed by his associates. 

Mr. Kinney was born in St. Johnsbury. Ver- 
mont, on July 9. 1843. He grew to manhood 
there, removing to New Hampshire at the age 
of twenty-three, and from there to different 
states in the east for several years, finally land- 
ing in Nebraska about 1882. coming here from 
Wyoming, where he had spent one year. He at 
once settled on the homestead which is now his 
home ranch in section 2, township 14, range 
58. \\"hen he located here tliere was only one 
other settler near him and only five ranches in 
Kimball county (formerly included in Cheyenne 
county). Here he passed through all the early 
Nebraska times so familiar to the old settlers 




L. C. KINXKY 




MRS. L. C. KINNEY. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1087 



that there is little need to review the incidents, 
but managed to prove up on his claim and im- 
prove the same, slowly at first, but as the years 
grew better and conditions were more favorable 
for the development of the agricultural resources 
he was able to accumulate a little money and 
add to his original holdings, and is now proprie- 
tor of fifteen hundred acres, all good range and 
farm land, which he devotes to stock raising 
principally. He is known throughout this part 
of Nebraska as a thorough stockman, dealing 
extensively in high bred horses, handling at the 
present time from three to four hundred head. 
He has some very fine animals in his herd, 
knows every detail of the business, and stands 
high as an authority in breeding and raising 
standard bred trotting and pacing horses. He 
handles many Kentucky bred animals, and has 
produced some fine specimens of this breed. His 
name is familiar to horsemen all over the west- 
ern states, and, in fact, throughout the states. 
His fifteen hundred acres of ranch above men- 
tioned is located on both sides of Lodgepole 
creek, three hundred acres of which is under 
the best kind of irrigating ditches. This insures 
a good crop every year. 

While living in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 
Mr. Kinney was married to Miss Addie Web- 
ster, who is a descendant of the celebrated 
Webster family, the event occurring on March 
20, 1856, and they are the parents of one child, 
Mabel, wife of Samuel E. Rutledge, residing in 
Denver, Colo. Our subject was one of a family 
of si.x children, of whom, beside himself, but 
one sister and a brother are living. 

During his lifetime here in Nebraska l\lr. 
Kinney has built up two distinct ranches, which 
are classed among the best, and he has taken 
a most active part in the development of this 
part of the state. On another page of this 
volume will be found portraits of Air. and Mrs. 
Kinney. 

FRANCIS McDERMOTT. 

Among the prominent old settlers of Cherry 
county none is more widely known or highly 
respected than the man whose name heads this 
article, and who now resides on section 15, town- 
ship 34, range 29. 

Mr. ]\IcDermott was born in Leitrim county. 
Ireland, in 1875. His father, Bernard McDer- 
mott, was a native of Ireland, and worked there 
in the mills. His mother, in maidenhood, was 
Mary Daley. Shortly after the birth of our sub- 
ject the family moved to Liverpool, England. 
where they remained until Mr. McDermott was 
twelve years of age, when the family moved to I 
New York, where thev remained a short time. ' 



then moved to New Jersey, and in 1885 moved 
to Cherry county, Nebraska. 

Mr. AIcDermott's mother settled in Cherry 
county in 1886 and took up a homestead claim, 
which she later proved up on. She lived on this 
place up to her death, which occurred in 1903. 
When the family settled in Cherry county they 
took up farming and stock raising in a small 
way. They were handicapped because of a lack 
of money with which to operate. The first build- 
ings erected were very flimsy, rickety afifairs, 
and the only teams they had were small ponies. 
Then another thing they had to contend with 
was poor crops. The dry years came on and 
the crops were almost totally destroyed. How- 
ever, this did not discourage them : they perse- 
vered, and as a reward for their industry and 
energy they today own one of the finest places 
in western Nebraska. 

The place consists of five hundred and sixty 
acres, most of which is devoted to stock raising, 
which is carried on on a large-scale. One hun- 
dred and sixty acres of the farm is under cultiva- 
tion and produces good crops. The entire place is 
fenced and cross-fenced, and is thoroughly im- 
proved with all modern conveniences, a good 
dwelling house, good barns and outbuildings, 
and the place is well supplied with an abundance 
of good water. 

Mr. McDermott has taken an active part in 
all public affairs in his neighborhood. He is 
highly esteemed in the community in which he 
resides. He has traveled and read extensively 
and is one of the best posted men in Cherry 
countv. 



A. A. GUSTAFSON. 

A. A. Gustafson, residing on section 1, Di- 
vide township, has been a resident of this sec- 
tion since 1882, and is one of the best known 
old-timers in Phelps county. He is a farmer 
and owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres, which is operated by his son Julius. Mr. 
Gustafson is a builder and contractor by trade, 
and one of the best in his line of work, and a 
man of sterling character, held in the ' verv 
highest esteem by all who know him. 

Mr. Gustafson was born in Sweden and 
raised there, in his young manhood learning his 
trade as a builder at Ostergotland, and followed 
the work there for several years, in 1872 com- 
ing to America and settling in Illinois. He first 
located in Nebraska in 1882. coming from Rock 
Island, Illinois, where he had worked as a con- 
tractor for a number of years. He at once 
bought his present farm and has built up a 
splendid place here, having erected a set of the 



1088 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



finest farming buildings to be found in this lo- 
cality. Everything is of the very best, fitted up 
with the most modern conveniences, and even in 
this rich section of the country it is regarded 
as a model farm and home. He has lived in 
many different parts of the United States, and 
has followed his trade in Illinois, California and 
all over Nebraska. He built the Bethany and 
Freedom churches at Axtell, the Axtell school 
house and Presbyterian church, beside the Luth- 
eran church at Shickley and most of the finer 
residences and farm buildings in this section of 
Kearney and Phelps counties. He enjoys the 
reputation of being an Al contractor and build- 
er, of which his excellent work speaks volumes. 
Mr. Gustafson is one of the foremost men in 
his locality and has held numerous positions of 
trust in his community. 

Our subject was married in 1875 to i\liss 
Anna L. Lind, and to them have been born ten 
children, named as follows: John Alfred, Thure 
Albert, Martin Waldemer, Oscar Otto. Herman 
Julius, Anna Margarette, Carl Axel Emanuel. 
Elmer Ewen Aaron, Emil Wilhelm Constantin 
and Hannah Amelia Duzenia. 



THOMAS B. AUGUSTINE. 

Perseverance and integrity are the stepping 
stones by which many men have reached suc- 
cess, but of the early settlers of the west these 
characteristics were required in greater meas- 
ure than usually falls to the men of a more set- 
tled region. The gentleman above mentioned 
possesses these attributes in a marked degree, 
and to this fact is due his present success. He 
resides in section 11, township 33. range 47, 
where he has a finely developed farm, and has 
an enviable name as one of the progressive and 
substantial citizens of Dawes county, Nebraska. 

Mr. Augustine was born in Somerset county, 
.Pennsylvania, in 1863. His father, John H. .\u- 
gustine, is a land loan broker, also farmer, and 
served in the Civil war. He married Emma J. 
Turner, of Somerset county, Pennsylvania. 
The family settled in Marshall county, Iowa, in 
the fall of 1865, on a farm, and there our sub- 
ject grew to manhcKid. assisting his parents in 
the farm work and attending the country schools 
during his boyhood, and later the .Albion Sem- 
inary in his iiome county. In January. 1884, 
Mr. Augustine arrived in Valentine, Nebraska, 
coming by team from there, through a snow- 
bound region. Here he located on a pre-emp- 
tion and tree claim, and during the first few 
months lived on Beaver creek in a rented shack. 
He moved on this place in April, 1884. His 
first building was ten by twelve, built of boards. 



and w-as the first house in Dry creek valley. He 
also built the second house in Dry Creek val- 
ley, fourteen by sixteen feet, and now has a 
fine frame house, a story and a half high, twenty- 
two by twenty-six feet, and an addition twelve 
by twenty-two feet, and up-to-date barns and 
other buildings. He got his first team in the 
spring of 1885, and worked out much of the time 
freighting from Valentine, for which he received 
sufficient to make a living. When he came here 
there was a party of six men with him, and he 
was the only one who stuck to the region. He 
has been engaged in the stock business, raising 
both cattle and horses, and has made a decided 
success of his work. He has a ranch of over 
four thousand acres, and has everything in first- 
class shape, and is one of the largest landowners 
in his section of the country. He has built many 
miles of fence on his ranch, and has plenty of 
running water and springs on the place, which 
is also well supplied with natural timber of all 
kinds. 

Mr. Augustine was married June 3, 1908, to 
Miss Milda A. Kleeman, born in Lancaster coun- 
ty, Nebraska, but has lived here in Dawes coun- 
ty ever since she was a year old. Her parents, 
Frederick and Amelia Kleeman, settled in Dawes 
county in 1885. and were both of German de- 
scent. Mrs. Augustine is a lady of culture and 
has taught considerable in the schools here. 

Mr. Augustine is a strong Republican. He 
has missed only three county conventions since 
Dawes county was organized, and has acted as 
delegate to many state conventions. He has al- 
ways taken an active part in politics, and has 
nominated several men who have served as coun- 
tv officers. 



JOHN C. WEEKLY. 

John C. A\'eckly. who owns and operates a 
ranch of eight hundred and forty acres in town- 
ship 9, range 38. is one of the substantial men 
of his community. He is a pioneer of Perkins 
county, and has devoted his entire life to agri- 
cultural pursuits and made a success of the 
work, and has raised a large family who are 
equally successful in the various occupations 
wliich tiiey have chosen. 

Mr. Weekly was born in West Virginia in 
1861 on a farm. His father and mother 
were both born in Virginia, the former dying 
tliere in 1876. Our subject was raised and 
educated in his native state, following farming 
during his boyhood years, living in that section 
up to 1883, then came to Illinois, and there spent 
three years, afterward settling in Perkins coun- 
ty during the winter of 1886-1887. The Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy railroad was then 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1089 



being put through this part of the state, and 
he secured employment on the construction work 
and also started to build up a home, having filed 
on a claim, which is his location at the present 
time. His first dwelling was a dug-out, and 
later had a sod house, in which he lived for a 
number of years, then put up a new sod shanty. 
During the drouth years he witnessed hard times, 
part of the time being obliged to work out in 
order to make a living, spending some time at 
Kearney, and also at Greeley, Colorado. He was 
unable to raise a good crop on his land during 
the dry years, so gradually worked into the 
cattle business, and gathered together quite a 
bunch of stock and was most successful in this 
venture. He put good buildings and im- 
provements on the farm, which now consists of 
eight hundred and forty acres, and he has four 
hundred acres devoted to mixed farming at the 
present time, the balance being in hay and pas- 
ture land. The ranch is about all fenced and 
every part of it bespeaks the good management 
of our subject. He has a large barn, forty by 
sixty, erected in 1908, and numerous other smal- 
ler buildings. 

Mr. Weekly was married in 1885 to Miss 
Marv Maxwell, born and reared in West Vir- 
ginia. Mrs. Weekly's father died in April, 1907. 
Eleven children have come to bless the union 
of our subject and his esteemed wife, named as 
follows : Goldie, Harry, Winnie, Addie, Mattie, 
Ward, Rose, Edna, Walter, Edith and Raymond, 
forming a happy and congenial family group. 
They enjov a comfortable home, Mr. \\'eekly 
having recently erected a handsome residence, 
twenty-six by twenty-six, two stories in height, 
and their home is one of the most hospitable in 
the community. 

Mr. Weekly votes independent of party poli- 
tics. He has been assessor, and has always taken 
an active part in the upbuilding of his section. 
He is now on the school board, and has been 
an important factor in the establishment of the 
schools in the countv. 



DA\'ID A. CLOPTON. 

David A. Clopton, who is closely identified 
with the farming interests of Keya Paha county, 
Nebraska, is a resident of Custer precinct, where 
he has met with marked success in operating 
his fine estate. Mr. Clopton is one of the old- 
timers in this region, and is widely known as 
an industrious and energetic farmer, universally 
esteemed as a worthy citizen. 

Mr. Clopton was born in Green county, Iowa, 
Mav 15, 1859. His father, Isaac Clopton. a na- 
tive of Illinois, of American stock, was an earlv 



settler in that county, and is living there at the 
present time. The mother was Nancy Salmon. 
Our subject was the fourth child in a family of 
twelve, and during his boyhood years assisted 
in carrying on the home farm, learning to do 
all kinds of hard farm work when a small boy. 
At the age of twenty-one years he began for 
himself, working for his father for four years, 
then took a farm in that vicinity, on which he 
lived for a year. In 1885 he came to Keya Paha 
county, and settled on a homestead on section 
1, township 33, range 21, and still occupies this 
place. He lived with his brother-in-law until he 
had proved up on his place, planting four thou- 
sand trees on his homestead, also assisting his 
neighbors in starting their groves. He broke 
up seventy-five acres, which he farms, and has 
two hundred acres of hay and pasture, owning in 
all three hundred and twenty acres. He keeps 
fifty head of cattle, fifteen horses and quite a 
lot of hogs, and has good buildings and fences. 
He has one of the finest homes in the county and 
has accumulated all this property from a start 
of practically nothing, as all he had when he 
landed here was a team and wagon and two 
cows. He was one of the first settlers in this 
locality, and grew with the region, and is now 
considered among the leading citizens of his 
community. 

Mr. Clopton was married in Springview, Jan- 
uary 1, 1889, to Miss Katie Blakeley, whose par- 
ents, John and Lydia (Sampson) Blakeley, were 
pioneers in this county and still reside here. Mr. 
and Mrs. Clopton are the parents of the follow- 
ing children : Myrtle J., Ira B., Ray W. and 
Genevieve. 

Although our subject has never taken a lead- 
ing part in politics, he has given his aid for the 
best interests of the people of his locality, and 
aided materially in the advancement of the agri- 
cultural and commercial opportunities. He is a 
loyal Republican, having always voted that 
ticket, and a member of the Baptist church. 



MR. AND MRS. OSCAR C. LUTZ. 

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar C. Lutz are numbered 
among the pioneers of eastern Nebraska, set- 
tling in York county in 1872. 

At the time of their settlement much of York 
county was open for homestead settlement. How- 
ever, they preferred to purchase railroad land, 
and secured a tract of four hundred and eighty 
acres in section 13, township 11, range 2 east, 
at a purchase price of five dollars per acre. They 
erected a frame dwelling on the land, hauling 
the lumber from Seward, a distance of thirty- 
five miles, and the same was afterward used as 



1090 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



a public school building, and was the first frame 
school house erected in the school district. 

As there was no homestead land deeded in 
the school district, their taxes on that account 
were very high, being one hundred and eighty- 
five dollars for a year or two. They were among 
the sufferers from the grasshopper plague and 
lost their crops in the drouth years of the early 
nineties. Mr. Lutz first saw the valley of the 
North Loup while buffalo hunting in 1873. Mr. 
and Mrs. Lutz are of genuine pioneer stock, 
their parents having settled in Mercer county. 
Illinois, in 1832, when that portion of Illinois 
was almost wholly unsettled, and wild game in 
abundance. Mr. Lutz and family came to Gar- 
field county in 1898, where they now reside. 
Their first property in the county was the steam 
flouring mills of Burwell. Their present resi- 
dence is on section 21. township 21. range 15 
west, on a tract of eight hundred and forty acres, 
their residence being one of the best in Garfield 
county, situated in a beautiful grove of elm and 
Cottonwood. Mr. Lutz was born in Mercer 
county, Illinois, March 14, 1845, and Mrs. Lutz 
was born in Rock Island county, Illinois, Octo- 
ber 12. 1853. Air. and Mrs. Lutz were married 
November 1, 1870, the fruit of their union be- 
ing five children, viz. : Orley L.. who died in in- 
fancy ; Mrs. lola Lutz, of Custer countv, Nebras- 
ka ; Ora C. who died in childhood ; Stella, of 
Ord, Nebraska, and Marie, who is at home. Mr. 
and Mrs. Lutz are members of the Christian 
Science church, and Mrs. Lutz is a Christian 
Science practitioner, having had more than us- 
ual success in the practice of Christian Science 
healing. To the grand achievements of the earlv 
pioneers of Nebraska we are greatly indebted, 
and among the number we honor the names of 
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Lutz. 



GEORGE G. CLARKE. 

George G. Clarke, one of the successful and 
prosperous farmers of Box Butte county, has 
acquired a fine estate and enjoys all the com- 
forts of rural life. He is a gentleman of good 
business judgment, and has an enviable reputa- 
tion as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. His 
home is in section 27. township 24, range 49. 
and he had to freight all of his lumber fifty-five 
miles from Pine Ridge to construct buildings on 
his farm, and all of his wood for fuel was hauled 
about eighty miles from northwestern Crawford 
county. 

Mr. Clarke, was born at Lockport, New York. 
in 1872. His father, J. W. Clarke, was of Scotch 
descent, a machinist by trade. The father mar- 
ried Christina Kailey, and they settled in Penn- 



sylvania. The family came to Ilhnois durmg 
our subject's boyhood, remaining there up to 
1883. and then came west to Nebraska, locating 
at North Platte, where they lived for seven 
years, when George left his parents" home and 
came to Box Butte county. For some little 
time he worked in Alliance, and later his mother 
moved there, and now lives in Aurora, Ham- 
ilton county. In the fall of 1891 he located on 
a ranch which belonged to his mother, and was 
situated ten miles southwest of Alliance. There 
he has lived ever since, building it up in fine 
shape, and has made money. When he first took 
the place all he had as a start was seven head of 
cattle and a pony, and was obliged to borrow 
money to begin work on the place, and during 
the first years had a hard time to get along, 
"batching it" for the first few years. He man- 
aged to secure some work in the vicinity to make 
a living and put on some improvements in the 
way of buildings, and soon got into the stock 
business. He freighted through the country for 
one year for the railroad, etc. He has been very 
successful in his stock raising ventures, and has 
made plenty of money during the past several 
years, owning a finely improved ranch of four 
hundred acres, and is called one of the well-to- 
do men of his localitv. 

On June 26, 1898, Mr. Clarke was united in 
marriage to Miss Minnie J. Hawkins, daughter 
of J. C. Hawkins, who is a prominent old set- 
tler in this region. Her mother was Rebecca 
Anderson, and they settled in western Nebraska 
about 1887, living for many years in that locality, 
where Mrs. Clarke was reared and educated. Mr. 
and Mrs. Clarke are the parents of two children, 
George H.. aged five years in November, 1908. 
and Stella Minnie, aged four months. 



NICHOLAS JACOBSON. 

Nicholas Jacobson, owner of a valuable es- 
tate in Trognitz precinct. Cheyenne county, was 
born near the little seaport of Rone, in Sweden, 
August 6, 1862. His father was a farmer, and 
raised his family in his native country, where 
our subject assisted in the labor on the home 
farm, and was early taught to do all kinds of 
work, receiving the usual common school edu- 
cation of the children of his station in life. The 
father finally decided to come to America to 
seek a fortune and build up a home for his fam- 
ily, and leaving his family on the homestead, 
left his native land for the new world, and after 
landing in the LInited States he proceeded to 
Chicago, where he labored for two years, secur- 
ing funds to send for his family. Shortly be- 
fore their arrival he went to western Iowa, and 




RESIDENCE OF NICHOLAS JACOBSON, 

Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF A. W. OLSON, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1091 



here they resided some six montlis. Thev then 
moved to Saunders county, Nebraska, living two 
years near Mead before making a permanent resi- 
dence in Cheyenne county. Here the father 
filed on a homestead in section 32, township 16, 
range 52, and still occupies that farm. In the 
fall of 1885 he sent for his family, and the 
mother came with her three children. Proceed- 
ing from Stockholm to Gottenberg, they took 
steamer for Hull, whence they crossed England 
to Liverpool ; thence they sailed for New York 
on the City of Berlin, landing after a voyage 
of eleven days. After a two years' residence with 
his father in Cheyenne county, our subject filed 
on a homestead for himself, in section 32, town- 
ship 16, range 52, and in 1900 secured three 
hundred and twenty acres in section 20, now 
owning a fine ranch of four hundred and eighty 
acres. Here he has gone through all the pioneer 
experiences, suffering losses from failures of 
crops due to the drouths, etc.. but has worked 
hard and is well rewarded for his efforts. H^e 
farms about two hundred acres, and is extensive- 
ly engaged in the stock business, running one 
hundred head of cattle and twenty-five horses. 
Of late years he has developed the dairy inter- 
ests, shipping the cream from a herd of twelve 
to fifteen cows to Cheyenne. His place is well 
fenced, has good buildings of every kind and 
every improvement in the way of farm machin- 
ery, wells, windmills, etc. The barns, with all 
their contents and three fine horses, were lost 
by fire in August, 1907. He has planted or- 
chard trees, besides having different varieties of 
small fruits. His homestead is one of the best 
kept and most prosperous appearing farms of the 
locality, and he enjoys a good competence as a 
result of his many years of hard labor. A view 
of the home is to be found on another page of 
this work. 

Mr. Jacobson was married at the age of 
twenty-four years to Christina Jacobson, the 
wedding taking place at Hastings. Iowa. Mrs. 
Jacobson was born and reared in Sweden, com- 
ing to this country in 1885, her parents still re- 
siding in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson are 
the parents of twelve children, nine of whom are 
living ; the two eldest are married and settled in 
homes of their own. They are named as fol- 
lows : Mary, wife of Oscar Johnson, now living 
in Canada ; Paulina, wife of Leslie Sanders, liv- 
ing on a ranch in Cheyenne county. Annie, who 
married Edward Anderson in July, 1907, died 
two weeks after her wedding day. The follow- 
ing are at home: Elmer, Ellen. Albert, Rose, Lil- 
lie, Roy and Mildred. They are all bright and 
intelligent children, and Mr. Jacobson is justlv 
proud of his interesting family. 

In local affairs he takes a leading part, keep- 



ing in close touch with all matters pertaining 
to the good of the locality. He is a Republican 
and firm in his convictions, keeping well posted 
on state, county and national politics. At pres- 
ent he is serving as director of school district 
No. 47. With his family Mr. Jacobson was 
reared in the Swedish Lutheran church. 



AUGUST W. OLSON. 

August W. Olson, owner of a fine estate in 
Trognitz precinct, has been a resident of Chey- 
enne county for the past twenty years, and dur- 
ing that time has become one of the successful 
ranchmen and substantial citizens of that region. 
Mr. Olson was born in Sweden, three-quarters 
of a mile from the market town of Verserum, 
January 1, 1852, living with his parents until 
he was a lad of si.xteen years. He was reared 
on a farm, and followed the usual life of that 
country as a boy, receiving a common school 
education, and came to America with some 
friends in 1868. His first location was at Gales- 
burg, Illinois, and he spent twenty-two years in 
that section, following the carpenter's trade; 
fourteen years of this time he was employed in 
the car shops of the Burlington railroad. From 
there he came direct to Cheyenne county, arriv- 
ing here in the spring of 1888, and immediately 
filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty 
acres in section 28, township 16, range 52, and 
is now owner of the whole section, besides four 
hundred and eighty acres of land, all but one 
hundred and si.xty acres of it adjoining his home 
ranch. He has gone through all the pioneer ex- 
periences in accumulating this property, and 
since coming here has remained continuously on 
his present farm. As a result of his faithful 
labor, his handsome farm and its well-kept ap- 
pearance, all stocked with one hundred and twen- 
ty-five cattle and twenty-five good horses, is evi- 
dence of his prosperity. He farms about one 
hundred and seventy acres, raising good crops 
of small grains, beside having plenty of pasture. 
We call attention to a view of the home and sur- 
roundings presented elsewhere in this work. 

Both parents of Mr. Olson remained in 
Sweden, dying at the ages of eighty and eighty- 
one. He was married to Miss Emma Erickson, 
at Galesburg, Illinois, March 6, 1884. She was 
also a native of Sweden, coming to this country 
with her parents in 1867: her father is at pres- 
ent living in Peoria, Illinois, with a daughter; 
the mother died soon after reaching America. 

Mr. and Mrs. Olson are the parents of five 
children, named as follows: Minnie, wife of 
Charles Alquist, employed in the hardware busi- 



{092 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ness at Morrell, Nebraska ; Frank, deceased ; 
Frederick, entered for a four years' course in the 
Knox Business College at Galesburg; Ruth Ag- 
nes and Elsie, living at home. The family have 
a pleasant rural home, surrounded by every com- 
fort and many luxuries of modern convenience, 
and are well liked by all in their community. 

Mr. Olson takes an active and leading part 
in neighborhood affairs, is prominent in school 
matters, at present serving as moderator of dis- 
trict Xo. 47. Politically he is a Republican. The 
family was reared in the Swedish Lutheran 
church. 



WILSOX I. CADY. 

Wilson I. Cady, classed among the old set- 
tlers of Cherry county, although he has been in 
the section only since 1898, has since his resi- 
dence here been a potent factor in the develop- 
ment of the agricultural resources of that locali- 
ty. He is known throughout the county as a 
prosperous and energetic farmer and ranchman. 
and is a worthy and highly esteemed citizen. 

Mr. Cady was born in New York state in 
1833, and raised on a farm in Schenectady coun- 
ty. His father, Silas, and his mother, whose 
maiden name was Susanna Coffin, were both na- 
tives of that state, and when Wilson was a 
lad of ten years the whole family emigrated to 
Michigan, where he grew to manhood. He 
helped his parents carry on the home farm and 
in the meantime obtained a somewhat limited 
schooling, learning early to depend upon his 
own labors and resources. In 1868 he came to 
Nebraska, and was among the pioneers near 
Tecumseh, Johnson county, and there he spent 
thirty years, building up a good home from raw 
prairie land, and improved it in good shape, and 
the land is now worth one hundred dollars an 
acre. He left that place and came to Cherry 
county in 1898, settling on section 2, township 
25, range 27, and here he has also developed a 
fine ranch, consisting of eight hundred acres. He 
has seventy-five acres under cultivation and 
raises fine crops, besides running considerable 
stock. The ranch is situated on Calf creek, and 
is beautifully located, having a fine water sup- 
ply, plenty of timber, pasture and liay land, and 
altogether is one of the valuable estates in the 
county. 

Mr. Cady was married in St. Joe county, 
Michigan, in 1855, to Miss Catherine A. Wing, 
daughter of Thomas Wing, a well-known car- 
penter and farmer in that locality. Both her 
father and mother were from Massaciuisetts. 
coming west as pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Cadv 
have two children, namely: William E. and 
Emma. 



SAMUEL J. PALMER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is well known as one of the most 
hospitable and congenial of men, a typical rep- 
resentative of the sturdy ranchman of the west, 
happy and contented with his home life and sur- 
roundings, and one whom it is a pleasure to 
know. He lives on section 35, township 34, range 
50, where he has a comfortable home and every- 
thing in first-class order. 

Mr. Palmer is a native of Butler county, 
Iowa, born on a farm in 1860. His father, John 
Palmer, was born in England, and was a pioneer 
in Iowa, who married ]\Iiss Louisa Jeffrey, also 
born in England. When our subject was a small 
boy his parents moved to Black Hawk county, 
where he grew up. He attended the country 
schools and during his spare time assisted his 
father in carrying on the farm work, remaining 
at home until he reached the age of twenty-two 
years, then located in Wright county, where he 
engaged in the livery and pump business, run- 
ning the business for two years. From there he 
moved to Rock Valley, Iowa, where he run a 
pump business for one year. In 1885 he came 
to Dawes county, landing here in June of that 
year, driving from Rock Valley with a team and 
covered wagon. He had a tent along with him 
and every night pitched the tent and spent the 
nights in sleeping on the ground. With him 
were three other men also coming here to set- 
tle. After arriving here he located near Lone 
Tree creek, situated on a branch of i\Iain creek, 
and there put up a shack and "batched it" for 
five years, and in the winter of 1890 or 1891 was 
married to Miss Nancy A. Sweet. Two years 
later they moved to his present ranch, in sec- 
tion 35, township 34, range 50, moving his 
buildings, and here has built up a good home and 
farm. He has all good substantial farm build- 
ings, the place well fenced, and has good run- 
ning water the year around. There is plenty of 
hay land, and he engages principally in stock 
raising, doing a little farming. He is now run- 
ning one hundred and sixty cattle and twenty- 
five horses, and is doing well in his different en- 
terprises. During the first years in this section 
he went through hard times, witnessing the 
drouths, etc., but stuck to it through all dis- 
couragements, and has made a good thing of it. 

Mrs. Palmer is a daughter of Henry Sweet, 
who settled in Dawes county in March. 1885. He 
is an old soldier. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are the 
parents of the following children : .Arthur, born 
November 27, 1891 : Roy, now deceased ; Ernest, 
born October 15. 1894; Eva, born .\ugust 17, 
1897: Elsie, born December 28, 1899; Ruby, 
born October 4, 1902, and Thomas, lx)rn March 
2, 1907. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1093 



OLE A. DAVIG. 

Ole A. Davig, who is classed among the lead- 
ing citizens of Box Butte county, resides on sec- 
tion 9, township 26, range 48. where he has a 
well improved farm and comfortable home. 

Mr. Davig was born in Norfjord, Norway, 
in 1864. His father was a farmer all his life, 
lived and died in his native land, his death oc- 
curring when our subject was a lad of ten 
years, and at the age of sixteen the latter left 
home and took passage for the United States. 
Immediately after landing on American soil he 
started for the west and came to Albion, Ne- 
braska, locating in Boone county, where he had 
an uncle living on a farm, and he started to 
\vork on his place. One year was spent in 
working in the brick yards in that locality, and 
he remained there for about five years in all. In 
1886 he came farther west and settled in Box 
Butte county, accompanying a party of eleven 
pioneers, and was obliged to pav one dollar for 
the privilege of walking out from Hay Springs 
with these people, marching behind a wagon 
whose driver acted as guide for the rest of the 
party. Mr. Davig selected a location in section 
27, township 26, range 48. and started to im- 
prove his claim, hiring a man to break up a 
piece of ground so that he could put in some 
seed. He began to build a sod house, putting 
up a building eight by ten feet, with half a 
window fitted- in the south side of the shanty, 
and here he "batched it" while getting a start 
by working out for his neighbors, doing anything 
that he found to do. His first team was a good 
pair of oxen, and with these he broke up his land 
and did all the work on his farm. He proved up 
on his claim, constantly improving his place, and 
now has a fine set of farm buildings, including 
good residence, barn, granaries, cattle sheds, etc. 
His house is a commodious frame building, twen- 
ty by thirty-two feet, with a good sod addition. 
sixteen by forty-six feet. His farm is well sup- 
plied with good water, pumped by windmills fit- 
ted with supply tanks at dififerent points on the 
farm. Mr. Davig's ranch consists of six hun- 
dred and forty acres of deeded land, and he 
also owns one hundred and fifty-two acres of 
land in Sherman county, and this is also well 
improved. Also, he has seven hundred and twen- 
ty acres of leased land, which he operates in 
this township, and he is making plenty of monev 
by his difl^erent enterprises. He is counted 
among the well-to-do residents of his locality, 
but has gone through many discouragements and 
hardships during the first years in this region, 
but was never obliged to mortgage his property 
as so many of the pioneers were forced to do. 
At one time he was compelled to travel on foot 
from his farm to Whitman, a distance of eightv 



miles east of Alliance, to seek for work, and on 
the trip he became so exhausted from hunger 
and fatigue that he could scarcely walk. He 
was so thirsty that he nearly died, and all the 
water he could find to drink was out of Duck 
Lake, which was nothing more than a mud hole. 

In 1892 Mr. Davig was married to Hattie 
Robinson, a native of Mercer county, Illinois. 
Her father, E. G. Robinson, was a well-known 
farmer and liveryman, and one of the old set- 
tlers in Sherman county, Nebraska, where Mrs. 
Davig grew up among the pioneers. She came 
to the western part of the state and took up a 
homestead in Box Butte county in 1892 and 
proved up on the claim, and still owns it. She 
was a teacher in the schools in this county for 
some years prior to her marriage. Mr. and 
Airs. Davig are the parents of the following chil- 
dren : Albert, aged fifteen; Margaret, aged thir- 
teen ; Archie, aged five years, and Clarence, one 
month old. 

Mr. Davig is at present serving his township 
as road overseer. Mrs. Davig has held the of- 
fice of school director for six years, and the 
school is situated on his farm. In political sen- 
timents Mr. Davig is a stanch Republican. 

Mr. Davig returned to his native land in 
December, 1904, on account of the death of a 
sister, who left three orphan children, two boys 
and one girl, named Osmes, Alfred and Amanda. 
Mr. Davig returned to America in April, 1905, 
with the children, and is doing an uncle's, and 
indeed a father's, part by them, educating them 
and rearing them along the lines of uprightness 
and that integrity of character that makes hon- 
orable and successful citizens. 



JACOB PEDRETT. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
prominent stockmen of Kimball county, and a 
foremost citizen of his community, having done 
much to build up and improve conditions in his 
county. He has spent many }-ears in Nebraska, 
has prospered financially through good manage- 
ment, and enjoys an enviable reputation as a 
business man and worthy citizen. 

Jacob Pedrett was born in Switzerland, No- 
vember 7, 1856, and grew up there. Both his 
parents are now dead, they having spent their en- 
tire lives in their native country. During his 
boyhood he followed farming, and at the age of 
thirty years came to the United States to seek 
his fortune. After landing in New York city 
he came directly west, locating near Hastings, 
in Adams county, Nebraska, where he engaged 
in the cheese and dairy business, carrying that 
work on for four years, then came to Kimball 



1094 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, where he homesteaded a quarter sec- 
tion and proved up on it. He afterward sold it, 
as sheepmen forced him out, and then purchased 
one hundred and sixty acres on section 30, town- 
ship 15, range 52. He settled on this in 1901. 
and has improved it in splendid shape, now hav- 
ing one hundred acres under cultivation, and 
runs a large herd of cattle and horses. He also 
had a Kincaid claim of four hundred and eighty 
acres in the vicinity of his home ranch. 

]\lr. Pedrett is largely interested in the stock 
business, being in partnership with Air. Clark, 
the latter having a fine ranch adjoining Kimball 
village, and together they own a fine herd of 
registered Hereford cattle, also a bunch of high 
bred horses. Both men are good judges of stock 
and their cattle and horses are pronounced the 
best in that section of the country. Mr. Pedrett 
was among the first to introduce registered stock 
in this region. He has made a success and is 
recognized as one of the prominent old-timers. 

Mr. Pedrett was united in marriage to Marie 
Louise Grothaus, in Hastings, Nebraska, March 
31, 1887. Mrs. Pedrett was a native of Germany, 
born April 10, 1864, and came to America m 
1885. Five children were born to them, four 
of whom are living, named as follows: Ulrich. 
Freda, Willie ( who died at the age of six years), 
Louise and Harry, forming a very interesting 
family. Ulrich attended the State Agricultural 
School at Lincoln and graduated in 1906. Mrs. 
Pedrett"s mother is still living in Germany, at 
the age of seventy-six years. Politically Mr. 
Pedrett is a Republican. He is active in local 
affairs, and has served as school director in his 
district for a number of years, and has also held 
the office of assessor and road overseer. 



CHARLES ALLEN, Deck.\sed. 

Charles Allen was one of the prosperous and 
influential citizens of Brown county, Nebraska, 
where he had a well-improved farm of six hun- 
dred and forty acres, and was numbered among 
the representative farmers of the county. Mr. 
Allen was born in ( )ntario, Canada, in 1852. Plis 
father, Samuel Allen, was also a native of Can- 
ada, of Irish descent, and his mother of Irish 
stock. In a family of si.x children our subject 
was the second member, and he was raised in 
his native country, his father dying there. The 
family came to the United States in 1870, set- 
tling in Saline county, Nebraska, as pioneers in 
the eastern part of the state. When they arrived 
here Mr. Allen walked from .Ashland to Lin- 
coln and thirty-five miles west of the latter [jlace, 
to where he took up a homestead, there putting 
up a log house, which was the only one of its 



kind in sight at that time. For ten years he 
lived there. In 1880 he was married to Miss 
Alay C. Kellison, this event taking place in the 
spring of that year, then came to Atkinson where 
he spent a year. He also took up a timber claim 
in Brown county on which he built a board 
shanty, the lumber for which was hauled from 
Niobrara City, a distance of one hundred and fifty 
miles. He spent his time in freighting from 
Oakdale to Fort Niobrara, making many trips 
which took several days on the road, camping 
out at night and leading a regular frontiersman's 
life. While he was working hard to build up his 
home and farm he met with many discourage- 
ments in the way of drouths, storms, and other 
destructive elements, and for four years lost 
nearly all of his crops, and during this time he 
was compelled to cut posts and wood, which he 
hauled a long distance to sell in order to make a 
living for his family. In 1897 he sold out his 
homestead and bought his last farm and from 
the beginning made a success of this enterprise. 
He built up his place in good shape and had a 
complete set of good farm buildings, fences, etc., 
and owned a valuable property. His crops were 
of the best, and grain of the finest quality, which 
was his chief product. At one time during the 
dry years he had a field of forty acres of corn 
from which he picked four bushels fit to use. 
\\'hen he first settled here, there were only three 
houses between his home and Stuart, and he 
watched the growth and development of this 
part of the state from its earliest beginning. 

Mr. Allen's family consists of himself, wife 
and seven children, named as follows : Ed, Wal- 
ter, Hattie, Loretta, Claude, William and 
Audrey. 

Mr. Allen died July 19, 1906. He was work- 
ing in the harvest field at the time and was at 
work behind the binder, when he was stricken 
without any warning, thus closing a life in the 
very midst of the activities which had made his 
life a success. 



MILTON IIESSELGESSER. 

Milton Hesselgcsser was born in Butler 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1875, his parents being 
Samuel and Alary Alice (Watson) Hesselgcsser, 
whose sketch appears on another page of this 
volume. They were pioneer farmers and old set- 
tlers of Loup county, Nebraska. 

Our subject came to the county with his par- 
ents and grew up on the farm, living on the 
old home place until 1892. He located a home- 
stead on section 22, township 22, range 17, and 
has proved up on his land. He has an excellent 
farm of three hundred and twenty acres, im- 



COMPENDIUiM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1095 



proved in fine shape with good buildings, barns, 
fences, etc. Mr. Hesselgesser has been success- 
ful in his farming operations and has established 
himself firmly on the way to wealth and prosper- 
ity. He has taken an active interest in local af- 
fairs and has won his way to the high esteem 
of his friends and associates. 

Our subject was married in the spring of 
1892 to Miss Lottie Cronk, daughter of Adol- 
phus Cronk, one of the old leading pioneer set- 
tlers of Valley county, Nebraska, now a resident 
of Loup county. Mr. and Mrs. Hesselgesser 
have been blessed with three children : Wayne, 
Earl and Lila, which form a most intelligent 
group. 



WALTON A. KENASTON. 

Walton A. Kenaston is one of the most prom- 
inent old settlers in northwestern Nebraska and 
has taken an active part in the development of 
that region. Walton A. Kenaston is a son of 
Dr. J. A. and Mrs. C. E. Kenaston, born in Mar- 
ion county, Iowa, in 1858 and moved with his 
parents to Nebraska in 1868. His father took 
up a homestead in Cass county, half way be- 
tween Plattsmouth and Lincoln, and lived there 
most of the time for twelve years. In the year 
1880 our subject removed to Long Pine, Ne- 
braska, which was unorganized territory at that 
time. • '' 

In the spring of 1881, Walton A. Kenaston 
was married to Alinnie B. Gordon, who was a 
native of Massachusetts. 

Mr. Kenaston took an active part in the af- 
fairs at Long Pine, and was one of the promot- 
ers of this place before it had a railroad and 
helped to organize the county of Brown. In 
February, 1883, with his wife and one child, Ed- 
ward, and his brother Logan, he again moved 
over into what is now known as Keya Paha 
county, it being at that time a part of Brown 
county. In 1891 he moved with his family to 
Butte, Nebraska, and was one of the promoters 
of that thriving little city, and afterward helped 
to organize the county of Boyd out of a part 
of the Siou-x reservation which extended into 
Nebraska, and which had been opened to settle- 
ment. He put up the second livery barn and 
first implement building in Butte and afterward 
engaged in the real estate business with T. S. 
Armstrong. He helped ^to establish and lay out 
the little town of Bonesteel, South Dakota, and 
built the first livery barn there. 

In 1898 he sold his interests in Boyd county 
and again returned to Keya Paha county, where 
he has since resided, engaged in farming and 
stock raising. 



Mr. and Mrs. Kenaston have a family of 
four boys, Edward, Orrie, Floyd and Willard ; 
and two girls, Gracie and Nellie! 



GEORGE KRETZ. 

Among the representative faimers of Chey- 
enne county, Nebraska, who have aided materi- 
ally in its development and advancement, a 
prominent place is accorded George Kretz, who 
resides on his well improved estate in section 10, 
township 13, range 50, Sidney precinct. He is 
a gentleman of energetic character, and well 
merits his success and high standing. 

Mr. Kretz was born in Germany, in the vil- 
lage of Bruchsal, province of Baden, April 24, 
1866, and grew to the age of thirteen years in his 
native town. In October, 1879, he started alone 
for the United States, sailing from Bremen on 
the Werra, then making her second trip. After 
a passage of eleven days, he landed in New 
York, where he spent four years in the wine 
establishment of Peter Leuk, and in George Ger- 
hard's bottling works. He then went to St. Jo- 
seph, Missouri, and later came to Cheyenne 
county, arriving in April, 1883. He soon after- 
wards filed on a homestead in the southeast quar- 
ter of section 10, township 13. range 50, and 
later took up a Kincaid homestead in the same 
section, and is now owner of four hundred and 
eighty acres in all. He has built up a good home 
and has done well, having been largely engaged 
in stock raising. He has all good stone build- 
ings on the ranch, and every appointment about 
the farm bespeaks careful attention to details in 
every part of the work. The milk house with its 
concrete tank is especially noteworthv, He has 
seen hard times, but is now on the high road to 
wealth, and well deserves his success, as he has 
spent all his time in developing his home. A 
new dwelling constructed in the spring of 1907 
is a great improvement to the place. A view of 
the ranch buildings and rugged scenery sur- 
rounding it, is presented elsewhere in this work. 

Our subject was married on April 25, 1900, 
in Cheyenne county, to Miss Mabel Spicknall, 
daughter of James Spicknall. The latter is a 
native of Dearborn county, Indiana, born April 
19, 1844, and made that locality his home for 
twent3'-five years. He enlisted in Company C, 
Fifty-second Indiana Infantry, on November 28, 
1861, saw hard service for about a year and a 
half, and on account of serious illness was dis- 
charged from the army April 12, 1863. Re- 
turning to his Indiana home, he followed farm- 
ing there some eight years ; coming to Nebraska 
in 1871, settling in Webster county. He remained 
there up to 1888 and then moved to Cheyenne 



1096 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



county, where he filed on a tree claim, which he 
still owns, the place adjoining our subject's in 
the same section. He married Cynthia C. Hoff- 
man, in Bladen, Webster county, on December 
2, 1877, and from this union four children re- 
sulted, of whom Mrs. Kretz is the eldest, fol- 
lowed by Thomas A., Bertha M. and Roy W. 
Spicknall. Mr. Spicknall now resides in Bladen, 
where he is well known and highly respected as 
one of the foremost citizens. He is active in 
local affairs, and an Independent voter. 

Mr. Kretz and his wife are the parents of five 
children, named as follows: Winfield, Fred, 
Clement, George and Andreas Peter. Our sub- 
ject is a Republican, and takes a deep interest 
in party affairs ; he affiliates with the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen of Sidney. 



WILLIAM M. DUGGER. 

Among the pioneers settlers in the western 
part of Nebraska, who has always done his full 
share towards the upbuilding of that region, no 
one has a better claim to distinction than the 
gentleman whose name heads this personal his- 
tory. Mr. Bugger resides in Long Pine pre- 
cinct, Rock county, and is one of the prominent 
citizens of that locality. 

Mr. Dugger was born in Ogle county, Illi- 
nois, November 24, 1853. He is a son of James 
Dugger, a farmer of Scotch-Irish descent, born 
in Kentucky, and his mother was Miss Susan 
Corder, of Kentucky, born of French parents. 
Our subject is the third member in a family of 
six children, and was reared and educated in 
Adams county, Iowa, where the family settled 
in the year 1865. He attended the common 
schools there during his boyhood, and at the 
age of twenty-one years started for himself 
in the world, following farming in that state, 
where he had bought land of the Burlington & 
Missouri railroad. He owned several different 
places there, and gained a great measure of 
success in the work. At this time he was mar- 
ried to Miss Amanda McCance, a native of 
Ohio, then residing in Iowa, Her parents, Man- 
son and Isabella f Field) McCance, were natives 
of Ohio, where the father died. The mother 
moved to Iowa with her family in 1874. Mrs. 
Dugger remembers seeing the troops in pursuit 
of Morgan on one of his daring raids into Ohio. 
In 1883 the family moved to Rock county, Ne- 
braska, and took up a homestead in section 14, 
township 31, range 19, this being without any 
improvements whatever, and the country com- 
paratively new. There were no close neighbors 
to this place, and they were among the first set- 
tlers of that locality. He put up a dugout which 



was covered with tar paper, and they lived in 
this for a few years. He set to work improving 
the farm, planted trees, which have developed 
into a fine grove of many varieties, containing a 
good number of small fruits ; a special feature 
of the place is the profusion of evergreens, some 
of which are neatly trimmed, giving to the 
smoothly cropped lawn a park effect. When he 
came to this place he had not even a team to 
start with. Bassett was so new that there was 
only one store building besides the section house, 
while Newsport lacked even that extra one. His 
farm now contains three hundred and twenty 
acres of land, and he is engaged principally in 
stock raising, which he finds to be a very profit- 
able enterprise. He is now in a position to en- 
joy his possessions and says that he does not 
care to go back to the old days when they had 
to endure so many privations on account of the 
drouth periods, and the many pests which trou- 
bled them. During those days Mr. Dugger sold 
nursery stock for a livelihood, and for a period 
of four years the wife was left at home alone 
much of the time, on one occasion for a whole 
fortnight, which was not agreeable in those 
lonely days. For a number of years he worked 
on the hay flats during the season which kept 
him away from home many days at a time. 

Mr. Dugger is a strong Democrat, and has 
held different offices in his community, being as- 
sessor for several years. A view of the home 
and its beautiful groves and garden is to be 
seen elsewhere in this volume. 



GERALD M. G. COOPER. 

Gerald M. G. Cooper, a prominent citizen 
of Rushville, Nebraska, was born in London, 
England, in 1862. His father, George Army- 
tage Cooper, was educated for the law, but 
drifted into business and later the lecture plat- 
form, becoming a speaker of ability, traveling 
all over the L'nited Kingdom. Of a family of 
eleven children our subject was the youngest 
and received the rudiments of his education in 
Manchester, England, where he lived with his 
two youngest sisters during the time, his par- 
ents were traveling. He was moved from Man- 
chester to Grimsby, Lincolnshire, where he 
was for over a year under a guardian, a Mrs. 
Lincoln, whose memory he treasures with the 
utmost veneration, for she was a woman of 
noble character and bore some of the qualities 
of the great emancipator, of whose deeds he was 
to read in later years. After several years 
traveling with his parents, he was apprenticed 
to Charles Frederick Reynolds on the Barrow 
Herald, published at Barrow-in-Furness, 




RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM M. DUGGER. 
Rock County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF GEORGE KRETZ, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1097 



Northwest Lancashire, where he was for nine 
years on the stafif, the paper being the oldest 
established in that city of fifty thousand in- 
habitants. After severing his connection with 
the Herald he went to London to be with his 
parents, and gravitated to the office of Shep- 
pard & St. John, publishers of The Civilian 
and the Civil Service Competitor. Here he 
extended his knowledge of the business, partic- 
ularly in book work. After being with this 
firm five years, he joined his brother, Godfrey 
C. Cooper, in business in High Holborn, where 
he became manager of a sportsman's outfitting 
establishment. 

In the spring of 1892 Mr. Cooper came to 
the United States, coming direct to Gordon, 
Sheridan county, Nebraska, and filed on a 
homestead just across the line in Cherry coun- 
ty. He remained here five years, and drifted 
into the newspaper business on the Gordon 
Journal, where he ultimately acquired an in- 
terest with* H. G. Lyon, and assisted in the 
work of publishing this paper for some time. 
In September, 1907, he moved to Rushville 
and bought the Recorder from Charles P. Bre- 
see, paying a hundred dollars for the outfit, 
which consisted of an old army press and a 
hatful of type. This paper was first estab- 
lished May 8. 1895, by Dodge Hemming, and 
was afterwards owned by a company until it 
passed into the hands of Mr. Bresee, who sold 
it to our subject. When Mr. Cooper first took 
hold of the paper there was practically little 
or nothing to it. The subscription list was 
small, and everything had run down at the 
elbows. For the first six months it did not 
pay its expenses, but at the end of that time 
our subject threw of? his coat and by dint of 
hard work and careful management he has 
built up the most modern plant in the county, 
doing a large job printing business and in- 
creasing the circulation to a remarkable ex- 
tent. 

Mr. Cooper was married in 1897 to Miss 
Emma Hetzel, whose parents are old settlers 
in Sheridan county, now living at Gordon. 
They moved from New York, where they came 
over from Baden Baden, Germany, to LeMars, 
Iowa, and from thence moved to Sheridan 
county, Nebraska, in 1886. Mr. Cooper now 
owns one of the finest residences in the county, 
besides his own ofifice, and is blessed with two 
children — Vera Grace and Gerald Frederick 
Cooper. 

S. C. McCOMBER. 

The subject of this sketch is an efficient 
railroad man connected with the Union Pa- 
cific railway and well known all over that line 



as a popular and trustworthy employe, and has 
an enviable reputation as a worthy citizen 
in North Platte, where he resides. 

Mr. McComber is a native of Syracuse, New 
York, and was raised and educated in that 
city. His father, William C. McComber, came 
from Vermont, and his mother, who was Miss 
Jerusha Tyler, was a native of the state of 
Massachusetts. When he had finished school 
he started out for himself and struck out west, 
locating in Denver, and began work with the 
L'nion Pacific railway in 1886. He remained 
there for two years, then moved to North 
Platte, Lincoln county, Nebraska, and since 
that time has been a conductor with that road. 
Previous to beginning with the Union Pacific 
he was with the Southern Pacific railway for 
about five years, and knov^'S the work from 
the ground up, and has made a splendid suc- 
cess of his chosen profession. He is one of the 
most active men and earnest workers in the 
railway ranks, in all matters pertaining to that 
business, and for the benefit of railway em- 
ployes. From 1898 to 1904, inclusive, he was 
general chairman of the Order of Railway Con- 
ductors for the entire Union Pacific system, in 
which organization there are about five hun- 
dred conductors, and eleven lodges, and he also 
served on the local committee of this lodge 
for a great many years. He has attended the 
national convention six times, and is always 
one of the committee of insurance appeals in 
that convention. He was appointed a member 
of the legislative committee, which office he 
has held for the past four years. In 1904, wlien 
the Nebraska state legislative committee was 
formed he was made chairman of that body, 
and is at present filling this position. This 
committee meets when the legislature holds its 
session, and the chairman remains at the capi- 
tol during that time. 

Mr. McComber was married to Miss Nellie 
Fraser, a native of Rome, New York, whose 
father, Edwin Fraser, was a soldier in the 
Union army and was killed at the battle of Get- 
tysburg. Mr. and Mrs. McComber have two 
children, Roy and Claude. 

Mr. McComber is a man of active public 
spirit, and takes a commendable interest in 
all affairs relating to the good of his fellow- 
men. He is a prominent member of the Ma- 
sonic lodge, and also of the LTnited Workmen. 



JOHN KURT. 



Persistent industry has placed this gentle- 
man among the prosperous agriculturists of 
Dawes county, Nebraska. He is one of the 
earliest settlers in this section of the state and 



1098 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



has done his full share in aiding in its ad- 
vancement, and his home in section 6. town- 
ship 33, range 47, has been gained through the 
strictest economy and excellent management. 
The hardsliips which have fallen to the lot of 
Mr. Kurt would have greatly discouraged one 
of less persistent nature, but they have only 
tended to make him more determined and 
spurred him to stronger action. With un- 
daunted courage he has faced misfortunes, suf- 
fering and privation incident to the life of a 
pioneer of the west, and has remained to en- 
joy a fitting reward for his labors. He is now 
the owner of a tine property, and has the high- 
est esteem of all with whom he has to do. 

Mr. Kurt was born in Switzerland, in 1858, 
on a farm. His father, Jacob Kurt, was a 
farmer and factory hand in the old country, 
and there our subject grew up, serving in the 
army for several years. He also spent four 
years in a cheese factory, and learned the 
cheese and butter making business. 

In 1880 he came to America, and after land- 
ing in New York city, where he spent a short 
time, came west to Canton. Ohio, and there 
worked in the brick yard and sawmills, spend- 
ing two years in that locality. He next was 
employed by the Canadian Pacific railway in 
Canada, and traveled all tlirough Kansas, Col- 
orado and Iowa, also Illinois. 

In 1884 Mr. Kurt first came to Nebraska, 
freighting from Valentine, hauling powder for 
blasting purposes in railroad building, and 
came to Dawes county, and at that time did 
some work on the grade himself. He came 
back in 1885 and settled on a tract of land 
northeast of Chadron, eight miles from that 
town. His first building was a dugout and 
sod building combined. He had two horses, 
which he purchased on coming here, and both 
of these he lost. 

He started to build up a farm, and in order 
to help eke out a living dug wells all through 
the section. He suffered considerably during 
the dry years, but kept on building up his 
home and farm, constantly adding to his acre- 
age, and is now proprietor of a fine ranch of 
nine hundred and twenty acres of land of his 
own, and besides this leases two thousand 
acres, running large herds of cattle. He has 
plenty of good water, windmills and every im- 
provement necessary to the proper working of 
a model ranch, and farms one hundred acres. 

Mr. Kurt was united in marriage in Octo- 
ber, 1901, to Miss Maggie E. Maika, daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Maika, of German de- 
scent, and old settlers in Dawes county. Mr. 
Maika is deceased, but Mrs. Maika is still liv- 
ing at the ripe old age of seventy years, and is 



as active as a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Kurt 
are the parents of one son (deceased), born 
Tune 10, 1907. and Anna Rose Kurt, born June 
10. 1907. 

Politically Mr. Kurt is a Democrat, but is 
not party bound, and lends his influence and 
aid in bettering conditions in his locality at 
all times. 



HENRY A. SHERMAN. 

Henry A. Sherman was born in Worcester 
county, Massachusetts, in 1853, and was the 
son of John Adam and Katherine (Bigelow) 
Sherman, of English ancestry. 

In 1872 our subject came west, going first 
to Nevada, where he worked on a sheep ranch 
operated by his relatives. He went to Oregon 
in 1874 and lived there for ten years, when 
he spent some time in Idaho. He was occu- 
pied as a cowboy and roughed it in winter and 
summer through the states named, many a 
morning kicking away the snow that during 
the night had covered the blankets in which 
he was sleeping. In his travels he visited near- 
ly all the Pacific coast states and he had many 
thrilling experiences with the Indians, who 
were almost always on the warpath, once dis- 
covering the bod}' of a white man who had 
been shot to death by an Indian bullet. In 1877 
he crossed the Rocky mountains with a drove 
of seven hundred head of cattle. 

In 1889 and 1890 our subject came into Ne- 
braska, locating first in Deuel county, close 
to the Keith county line, where he bought 
school land and went to farming and hog rais- 
ing. One year he lost one hundred and forty 
acres of crops, and becoming disgusted with 
this setback determined to try another loca- 
tion. He settled on a homestead of wild prai- 
rie land in section 4, township 1.3. range 39, 
in Keith county, and started to build up a new 
home. He broke up his land and built a house, 
which was destroyed by fire in 1902. The 
house has been reconstructed and our sub- 
ject has now a fine home. He owns about 
seven hundred and twenty acres, with a Kin- 
caid homestead of four hundred and eighty 
acres back in the hills and he tills about one 
hundred acres. The ranch is finely improved 
with buildings, wells, windmills, etc., and our 
subject is at present engaged in stock raising 
and dairying, at the present time milking about 
twenty cows. 

Mr. Sherman's first wife died in Massachu- 
setts, leaving two daughters, Carrie L. and 
Lettie E., both of whom were born in Oregon 
in a log cabin constructed by our subject. Mr. 
Sherman was married in 1890 to Miss Geor- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1099 



giana Rice, whose parents were old settlers 
and homesteaders of Keith county. The mar- 
riage was celebrated in the city of Ogallala. 

Henry A. Sherman is a Republican in poli- 
tics and takes an active interest in all such 
matters. He has especially aided in the es- 
tablishment of the schools and has done all in 
his power to increase the educational facilities 
of the community. 



JOSEPH C. JOHNSON. 

In the person of this gentleman we have 
one of the oldest settlers of western Nebraska, 
and a man who is well and favorably known to 
all as a worthy and representative pioneer of 
the region. 

Joseph C. Johnson was born in Caldwell 
county, Missouri, in 1842, and reared on a farm. 
His father was of Irish descent, and was a 
farmer and stockman, who settled in Missouri 
as a pioneer. He married Fannie Bryant, also 
of Irish stock. The family lived in Missouri 
until Joseph was sixteen years old ; he then left 
home and went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 
landing at that place May 11. 1885, and began 
work as a teamster for the United States gov- 
ernment, traveling over the plains. He was 
with a train of thirty wagons and a battalion 
of troops, gojng to Fort Laramie, and on this 
trip had a skirmish with the Indians, the en- 
counter taking place at Horse Creek, Wyom- 
ing. He made subsequent trips across the 
plains, and during the winter of 185? had an 
escort of troops to protect them from the herds 
of buffalo which would cross their path, as 
they would attempt to stampede the animals 
with the wagon train. He also crossed the 
plains to California, where he remained for 
three years, working in the mines near Hang- 
town for three months, then went to Santa 
Rosa valley and engaged in the stock business. 
While in that region he organized a company 
of twenty- four citizens, and on May 1, 1860, 
started to recross the plains, made a very suc- 
cessful trip, arriving at St. Joe, Missouri, on 
October 10. In coming through the moun- 
tains they were hindered in their progress to 
some extent by the heavy snows, and were 
obliged to reduce to one-third rations in order 
to make their supply last, and on reaching Salt 
Lake City were on the very last of tlieir pro- 
visions. 

In the fall of 1861 Mr. Johnson first served 
in the "six months state militia." Enlisted in 
Company G, Sixth Missouri Volunteer Cav- 
alry, and served with this regiment one year 



and six months, then veteranized in the Thir- 
teenth ^Missouri Cavalry until the end of the 
war, most of the time on duty in Colorado. 
He received an honorable discharge June 13, 
1866, and during his service was all through 
Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. 

After his retirement from the army Mr. 
Johnson settled in Harrison county, Missouri, 
and engaged in business in Bethany, living in 
that vicinity up to 1884, when he came to Ne- 
braska to what is now Deuel county, and took 
a homestead one mile east of Chappell, also 
bought a section of land from the railroad. 
Chappell was then a mere siding station. He 
built up a good home and ranch, the place ex- 
tending from Lodgepole creek to the South 
Platte river, and devoted himself principally to 
stock raising. He is owner of seventeen hun- 
dred and sixty acres of deeded land, all fenced 
and improved with good buildings, and has one 
hundred acres of irrigated land. He has watched 
the growth and aided in the development of 
this region from its earliest settlement by the 
whites, and when he came here in 1884 was 
the only man to live in a frame house in these 
parts. At that time the section was known as 
Cheyenne county, and he was one of the first 
county commissioners, helping in the organi- 
zation of Deuel county and the location of the 
county seat. 

Our subject was married in 1870 to ]\liss 
Laura Lewellen, who was born and raised in 
Pennsylvania, of American stock. To them 
have been born the following children, all now 
filling honorable positions in life: Thomas, 
Helen, Cloy, Lucy, Mollie and Stella. Polit- 
ically Mr, Johnson is a Repubican. 



ROBERT O. JONES. 

Robert O. Jones, a progressive and enter- 
prising farmer of Keya Paha county, Nebras- 
ka, resides on section 30, township 34, range 
24, where he has a fine farm and home. Mr. 
Jones is among the early settlers in this part 
of the state, and has seen all the changes which 
have taken place in this locality from its be- 
ginning, and aided materially in the develop- 
ment and growth of its agricultural and com- 
mercial resources. 

Mr. Jones was born on his parents' farm 
in Wales in 1856. His father, William Jones, 
followed farming all his career and lived and 
died in his native country, leaving a widow 
and five children, of whom our subject is the 
eldest. He left home at the age of twenty- 
five years and came to America. He spent a 
short time in New York and then came west, 



1100 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



settling in Columbia county, Wisconsin, where 
he remained for six years. From there he went 
to Colorado and worked in the mines and con- 
centrating mills for a time. 

In 1887 Mr. Jones first came to Nebraska, 
locating in Keya Paha county, purchasing his 
present farm. Here he put up a good house 
and has added to his farm until he is proprie- 
tor of four hundred and eighty acres of good 
land, one-third of which is under cultivation, 
and he engages in stock raising, running quite 
a number of cattle all the time. He was here 
during the dry years, and experienced hard 
times, as did so many of the settlers in this 
locality, one year gathering twenty-five bush- 
els of corn from a patch of twenty-five acres. 
He often became discouraged and was tempted 
to leave, but stuck to it, and has made a suc- 
cess, taking a foremost place among the suc- 
cessful and substantial farmers of Keya Paha 
county. 

Mr. Jones has been a member of the school 
board for a number of years, also held the of- 
fice of road overseer for some time. He is a 
Republican in politics. 



F. A. CUSCADEN. 

The gentleman above named is a native of 
Chillicothe, Ohio, born on September 11, 1880. 
His father, John A. Cuscaden, was born in 
New York city in 1838, of Irish parents, soon 
after they landed in America from the old 
country. John A. Cuscaden married Alice 
Jones, a native of Ross county, Ohio, who was 
born in 1855, of Scotch parents, who emigrated 
in the early part of the century from \'irginia 
and died in 1880, shortly after the subject of 
this sketch was born. In his younger years his 
father was a fisherman and an expert oarsman. 
They finally settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 
late fifties, where he learned the trade of me- 
chanical engineer. When the war broke out 
lie answered his country's call by enlisting 
in the One Hundred and Seventy-fourth Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry and saw service during the 
last two years of the struggle, suffering hard- 
ships which impaired his health. Mr. Cus- 
caden was intellectually ambitious, and soon 
after his honorable discharge from the army he 
entered the Lebanon ("Ohio) College, from 
which he was graduated in 1872. He was elect- 
ed principal of the Cochran ("Indiana) schools 
and taught there up to 1878, when he was mar- 
ried to Miss Alice Jones, of Chillicothe, Ohio, 
who flied after one short year of happy married 
life. After sincerely mourning her death Mr. 
Cuscaden was married to Miss Gertrude Jones, 



his deceased wife's sister, who had just com- 
pleted a course in the School of Medicine at 
the University of Michigan, and the couple 
moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in the spring of 
1884. Two children were born of this union — 
Alex, born in 1886. and Thomas S., in 1893. 
The father continued his profession as a teach- 
er in Omaha up to 1890. when he went into 
the Omaha postoffice, where he has since re- 
mained. In business ventures outside of his 
profession he was uniformly successful, owning 
considerable property in Omaha, as well as in 
central Texas. 

Fred A. Cuscaden, the subject of this per- 
sonal history, came to Omaha with his par- 
ents in 1884. He attended the public schools 
and graduated from the Omaha high school 
in 1898. His brother Robert left for Europe 
this year (1898) to complete his studies in 
music, and the chance was oflfered Fred to 
accompany him, but the profession of law 
called him to further study, and he entered the 
University of Nebraska as a law student in 
1898, graduating from there in 1902 with the 
degree of Bachelor of Law. 

In June of the latter year he married Miss 
Maude Macomber, second daughter of Judge 
and Mrs. J. H. Macomber, of Omaha, and to 
this union was born one child, Gertrude, in 
1903. 

It was while in the office of Judge Macom- 
ber that the opportunity was presented to him 
by the latter, who was a director in the Union 
National Bank of Omaha, of learning the bank- 
ing business, and he became actively engaged 
in this business shortly afterward, continuing 
up to 1905, when he organized the Erickson 
State Bank and resigned his position with the 
Union National Bank to take entire charge of 
the new institution. At the opening of this 
bank the business of banking in Wheeler coun- 
ty was looked upon more as a speculation by 
a large number of people, and not a few doubt- 
ed the wisdom of opening up in a country 
where no one had previously ventured. How- 
ever, the new bank was started and prospered 
from the first, more than realizing the fondest 
hopes of the organizer. 

Wheeler county, along with the rest of the 
state, has responded nicely to the call of good 
times, and as a county it has a much larger 
sphere to fill than is generally recognized. Its 
early builders have great faith in its ability, 
and their broad and fertile farms and ranches 
attest the statement that it is the place for 
the farmers of moderate means, which class 
is rapidly filling up the few remaining home- 
steads and buying up the cheap pieces of land. 
Farming and grazing of cattle form two of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1101 



Wheeler county's most important lines of busi- 
ness. The country is especially adapted to 
dairying, and this industry brings a snug in- 
come into many homes yearly. As a county 
it is putting its best foot forward, and its soil 
is awakening to the touch of the practical 
farmer who can make two blades of grass grow 
where his predecessor failed on one. Mr. Cus- 
caden occupies a beautiful home in Erickson 
and is one of the leading citizens of his town. 



JOHN H. MEYER. 

John H. Meyer was born on a farm in the 
village of Oerdinghausen, Kries Hoya, prov- 
ince of Hanover, Germany, June 27, 1866. His 
parents were Frederick and Dora (Klusmann) 
Meyer. Our subject remained in his native 
land until he was about twenty-five years of 
age, serving three years in the German army. 
In 1891 he came to America, sailing October 
22d from Bremen Haven on the Neurenberg 
and after a voyage of seventeen days landed in 
Baltimore. He at once came west and on No- 
vember 10th joined a brother in Brule, Keith 
county, where he was employed in railroad 
work until 1895, when he came to his present 
farm in section 14, township 13, range 38. 

On July 18, 1895, Mr. Meyer was married 
to a widow, Mrs. Holscher. who died in Janu- 
ary, 1897, leaving three children — Frank, Fred 
and Margaretta Holscher. Mr. Meyer was 
again married September 27, 1900, to Miss 
Martha Tuenge. They have four children — 
Mary, Anna, Sophia and Henry. 

Mr. Meyer settled on partly improved land 
and has labored constantly to make his farm 
one of the best in the neighborhood. He has 
done his work in a masterly manner and now 
has a fine ranch of eight hundred and eighty 
acres, with a large house, extensive barns and 
outbuildings, fences, orchards and groves. 
Since coming here ]Mr. Meyer has done his 
share toward the material development of his 
locality. In politics our subject affiliates with 
the Democratic party. He is a member of the 
Lutheran church. 

A fine view of Mr. Meyer's substantial home 
and extensive buildings is to be found on an- 
other page of our work. 



HERMAN A. PETERS. 

Herman A. Peters, formerly one of the 
large ranchmen of Sheridan county, now re- 
sides in his comfortable home in Hay Springs, 



Nebraska, where he is numbered among the 
prominent and worthy citizens of this lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Peters was born in Edwards county, 
Illinois, in 1866. His father, John L. Peters, 
of German birth, was a farmer and his family 
of five children grew up in Illinois. Our sub- 
ject was the fourth in order of birth, and 
was left an orphan at an early age, being 
obliged to get out and hustle for himself when 
he was six years old. When he reached the 
age of eighteen he began working out on farms 
near Hartington, Nebraska, and continued in 
this until the year 1884. During this time he 
had spent nine months attending a business 
college at Burlington, Iowa, then to Harting- 
ton, where he again worked out by the day, 
and the following year came to Hay Springs, 
taking a pre-emption seven miles southwest 
of the town. He proved up on this, having 
lived in a dugout for some time. He after- 
wards moved to the town of Hay Springs, 
where he was marshal of the village for three 
or four years. In 1889 he went into the hard- 
ware business and ran a store a short time, 
then sold out and began shipping horses in 
partnership with H. J. Simpson, under the 
firm name of Simpson & Peters, also loaning 
money, and was in this enterprise for two 
years. During the Indian war of the winter 
of 1890-91 they had a contract on Pine Ridge 
Agency for sixty days. They had forty-four 
teams there, and shod all the government 
horses. In 1901 he returned to Hay Springs 
and formed a partnership with C. D. Byram, 
under the firm name of Byram & Peters, and 
during the spring of 1892 the concern sold 
over thirty thousand dollars' worth of horses 
here. They also ran a livery barn, and in 
1894 Mr. Peters bought out his partner and 
continued the business alone. The main part 
of the barn was sixt3'-four by sixty feet, with 
a shed twenty-si.x by sixty feet, and office six- 
teen by thirty-two, and he did a large busi- 
ness, but became tired of the business and soon 
sold out. In 1896 he built nine miles of irri- 
gation ditch south of the Niobrara river, and 
there purchased land and opened a large ranch. 
Since that time he has been engaged princi- 
pally in sheep, horse and hog raising, using 
his ranch of twenty-three thousand acres for 
this purpose, it being the largest ranch of 
deeded land in the county. He has a fine set 
of buildings on his place, has five hundred acres 
under irrigation, many forest and small fruit 
trees, three hundred acres of alfalfa and raises 
immense crops of grain — this year his yield 
amounted to ten thousand bushels of small 
trrain and twelve thousand bushels of corn. 



1102 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



He runs eight thousand head of sheep, seventy- 
five mules, one hundred and twenty-five Percheron 
horses, eight hundred head of hogs and a few head 
of cattle. Since putting the irrigation ditch in 
he has a lake of one hundred acres, twelve feet 
deep, which is within forty rods from his home 
ranch. He has seventeen miles of running wa- 
ter on the farm, five windmills and five sup- 
ply tanks, cuts one thousand tons of wild hay 
each year, and has the place improved with 
three sets of good buildings, all of frame con- 
struction, one of the new barns just completed 
being sixty by seventy-six feet. The ranch is 
situated in Sheridan, Dawes and Box Butte 
counties, and is owned by the Peters & Wil- 
liams Company. H. A. Peters owns the con- 
trolling interest. Mr. Peters has erected a 
fine residence in Hay Springs, moving here in 
1904. This house is strictly modern through- 
out, fitted up with every convenience, having 
furnace heat, water works, etc., and is one of 
the finest in the town. 

Mr. Peters was married on February 24, 
1897, to Miss Alice R. Rhodes, daughter of 
George H. Rhodes, who was cashier of the 
Bank of Hay Springs, now deceased. Mr. 
Rhodes was the organizer of that bank, es- 
tablished in 1886, and was the first bank in 
town. He died in the year that his daughter 
married our subject. 

Mr. Peters is counted among the earliest 
settlers of this section, and has taken part in 
the history of the region from its beginning. 
During the early days he drove stage from 
Chadron into the Black Hills, and his first 
postoffice was at Bordeaux. He is a strong 
Republican and has attended many county and 
state conventions as delegate. 



PETER N. SUMMERS. 

Among the representative ranchmen and 
farmers of Sioux county who have aided ma- 
terially in its advancement and development, a 
prominent place is accorded Peter \. Summers, 
who resides on his well improved estate in 
section 23, township 33, range 57. He is a 
gentleman of energetic character, and well 
merits his success and high standing. 

Mr. Summers is a native of Illinois, born 
in Cass county in 1859. His father, Charles 
Summers, followed farming in Illinois and is 
now engaged in farming in the southeastern 
part of Nebraska. He married Sarah Alexan- 
der, of Illinois. 

W'hile our subject was a boy his parents 
lived in Iowa, later Missouri, and finally set- 
tled in Nebraska, and when he became twenty- 



two years of age he started out for himself, 
following farming in the southeastern part 
of this state, remaining there up to 1887. He 
then came to western Nebraska, locating near 
the South Dakota line in Fall River county, 
where he spent two years. That place was 
thirty-five miles from Harrison, and sixty-five 
miles from Crawford, and there he engaged in 
the ranching business, working as a cow-boy, 
"punching" cows and horses for about fifteen 
years. He followed the regular frontier life, 
camping out on the plains many nights, scarce- 
ly knowing what it was to sleep in a house, 
and went through all the hard times known 
to the early settler in that region. 

For a number of years Mr. Summers was 
located at Converse, Wyoming, engaged in 
the horse business, and made quite a little 
money in that line of work. He finally re- 
turned to Nebraska, purchasing his present 
ranch, which is situated at the head of Jim 
creek, close to Pine Ridge. The place contains 
fourteen hundred and eighty acres, all fenced, 
and supplied with good buildings. He cultivates 
about fift}- acres and 'has some irrigated land, 
also plenty of hay and pasture land, running 
quite a large herd of cattle. 

In 1884 Mr. Summers was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Mary Easley, of Fremont county, 
Iowa, whose father was an old settler in that 
state. 

jNlr. Summers has always taken an active 
part in affairs of his locality, and is an active 
public-spirited citizen. He is a typical Ne- 
braskan. for while he has lived most of his 
life in the west, spending many years in South 
Dakota and \\'yoming, he was always thor- 
oughly familiar with Nebraska and took an 
interest in her welfare from the earliest years 
of settlement, having traveled over nearly 
ever)' part of the state as a cowboy. 



PRINCE C. G. LAIXG. 

Prince C. G. Laing, an old settler 
of that part of Cheyenne that is now Morrill 
county. Nebraska, has done his full share to- 
ward tlie development and improvement of its 
fertile lands. He is owner of a valuable estate 
in King precinct, and is a prosperous and suc- 
cessful citizen who has the esteem and respect 
of all who know him. 

Mr. Laing was born in Fremont county, 
Iowa, December 25, 1861, and while yet an in- 
fant his parents moved to Nebraska, locat- 
ing south of Omaha, then to Sarpy county, Mr. 
Laing remaining in the latter vicinity until the 
spring of 188", at which time he came to Chey- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1103 



enne county, homesteading in section 1, town- 
ship 19, range 49. He also took a tree claim 
in section 2, and at present has the home 
ranch in the northeast quarter of section 9, 
township 19, range 49, which was acquired by 
purchase, and consists of one hundred and 
sixty acres, about eighty of it being under irri- 
gation. In all he has about four hundred and 
eighty-six acres of fine land. He has passed 
through all the early Nebraska times, meet- 
ing with many discouragements and often fail- 
ure of crops, but stuck to his farm through all 
hardships, and has been well repaid for his en- 
deavors. He has a well improved property, 
cultivating about twenty-five acres, and runs 
twenty cattle and the same number of horses. 
Mr. Laing was married to Miss Alice M. 
Covalt on March 11, 1891. Mrs. Laing is a 
native of Nebraska, her parents, John and Char- 
lotta (Keeler) Covalt, now residing in Chey- 
enne county, while Mr. Laing's parents, Charles 
G. and Louisa (Roberts) Laing, still live in 
Sarpy county. Five children have been born to 
this worthy couple, named as follows : Vic- 
tor K., John A., Charlotte, Lena and Kenneth 
C, all living at home. They have a pleasant 
home, surrounded by a large circle of acquaint- 
ances. Mr. Laing is president of Brown Creek 
Irrigation Canal Company, and is also mod- 
erator of school district No. 3, taking an ac- 
tive part in all local affairs. In political views 
he is a Democrat. 



MICHAEL BUTLER. 

In driving through the country districts 
of Box Butte county, many well kept, highly 
cultivated and well improved farms are in evi- 
dence, and none are more carefully conducted 
or furnish a better opportunity for gaining a 
good livelihood than that owned by the sub- 
ject of this review. Mr. Butler has spent the 
past twenty years of his career on this ranch, 
and has become well versed in all the modern 
methods of operating a model farm, and ac- 
quired a wide knowledge by experience and 
observation, to which his success is in a large 
measure due. 

Mr. Butler was born in Milbury, Massa- 
chusetts, in 1855, and is of Irish-Scotch de- 
scent. His father was born in Ireland, learned 
the blacksmith's trade as a young man and 
followed that occupation in his native land 
for many years, then came to the United 
States, and worked at his trade a number of 
years. He came west in 1878 and farmed in 
Platte county, Nebraska. Our subject was 
reared in Massachusetts, and lived there until 



he was of age, working on the railroad as 
a young man, and after coming west, was a 
trainman in Wyoming, Dakota, Montana, Col- 
orado and Nebraska. In 1885 Mr. Butler came 
to Nebraska, settling on a claim in Box Butte 
county, and was one of the earliest settlers 
in that part of the country. When he landed 
here he had some money which he had saved 
from his railroad work, and had a better start 
than most of the emigrants to this region. His 
first location was in the vicinity of Valentine, 
which was his postoffice and nearest supply 
point, but soon afterwards Chadron and Hay 
Springs were started and grew rapidly into 
thriving towns. He did his share in building 
the railroads through the region, and remem- 
bers well every movement toward the develop- 
ment and growth of the locality in which he 
took an active part. 

Our subject has accumulated a nice prop- 
erty. He has lived on his ranch for the past 
fifteen years, and during that time has built 
it up in good shape, adding every improve- 
ment necessary in the way of buildings, 
fences, machinery, etc. He owns in all one 
thousand nine hundred and sixty acres, all 
deeded land, and, besides this, leases a large 
tract for ranching purposes. He has erected 
a handsome house, forty by twenty, fitted with 
many modern conveniences, and has another 
good frame house on the place. He keeps one 
hundred and fifty head of cattle and twenty 
horses. Mr. Butler raises some crops, and 
during the year 1907 had a crop of oats 
which showed a yield of sixty bushels to the 
acre, corn twenty-five, and potatoes one hun- 
dred bushels per acre. 

In 1883 Mr. Butler was married to Miss 
Elizabeth Weber. Her father was of German 
descent, born in that country, a farmer by oc- 
cupation and who settled in America during 
his youth. Mr. and Mrs. Butler have one 
child, a daughter, named Mary. 

In political sentiment, Mr. Butler is a 
Republican. 

CHARLES COWLEY, Deceased. 

Should the reader of this work ask for the 
name of a man who was a representative old 
citizen and early settler of Brown county, a 
man who came in mature life to breast the 
storms of the wilderness, and beyond the 
dreams of youth, to hammer a home and for- 
tune out of adversity, let him have the name 
that introduces this article. 

Mr. Cowley was born in Gloucestershire, 
England, in 1829. His father. Thomas Cow- 
lev, was a factorv hand in England, and his 



1104 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



mother was Miss Rebecca Hill. There were 
thirteen children in his parents' family, of 
whom he is the seventh member, and the fam- 
ily came to America in 1836, settling in Low- 
ell, ^lassachusetts, where all of the family old 
enough to work were put in the factory there. 
They remained in Lowell only a short time, 
then moved to Pennsylvania, where the father 
worked in a factory for some time, then moved 
to New Jersey and afterwards to Wisconsin 
and were pioneer settlers in Columbia county. 
At this place our subject started in life for 
himself, following farm work, and went 
through a pioneer's life, coming to Minnesota 
in 1860. 

September 22, 1864, he enlisted in Company 
B, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, First Regi- 
ment, walking the entire distance from Blue 
Earth to Rochester, to enlist. He was ordered 
to Tennessee with his regiment, and saw hard 
service at Chattanooga and other places. 
After the close of the war he went back to 
Minnesota, purchasing some land on the Win- 
nebago reservation, and farmed there up to 
1879, when he sold out and came to Nebraska, 
locating in Brown county. He drove through 
from Minnesota by team, accompanied b}^ 
John Brill, bringing his family with him. In 
the spring of 1880 he got out logs and built a 
log cabin, which was the first dwelling ever 
built on the prairie. While putting up this log 
house his eldest son was accidentally killed, 
and this sad accident was a hard blow to the 
little family. His first team were of oxen, 
which he used for farming purposes for several 
years. During the hard winter of 1880-81, the 
family experienced much suffering and hard- 
ship, but they bravely went through all pri- 
vation and after getting started did very well 
on this place. This was no new experience 
for Mr. Cowley, as he had gone through three 
pioneer experiences, in Wisconsin, Minnesota, 
and this state, and did his best in helping to 
develop the country and build up a home for 
himself and family. He was one of those who 
helped to organize and build the first schools 
in this section, and did his share in every en- 
terprise that looked to the advancement of his 
community. 

Mr. Cowley was married in 1868 to Miss 
Eliza Wright and five children were born of 
this union, namely: .\lfrcd, Kate L., Charles, 
now residing in Washington, George I., and 
Roy. In 1901 the family suflfercd the loss of 
wife and mother, and in her death they had 
the sympathy of the entire comnnmity. She 
was a highly estimable lady, and beloved by 
all who knew her. Mr. Cowley departed this 
life a few years after the death of his wife, 



thus closing the career of one who had lived 
a just life and who did much for the better- 
ment of mankind. 



CHARLES S. ANDERSON. 

In compiling a list of the names of those 
who have spent many years of their life in 
western Nebraska, we mention that of Charles 
S. Anderson, who was born and reared in this 
state, and is a typical representative of his 
native soil. He has seen all the changes which 
have taken place here since its earliest settle- 
ment, and has been a part of its growth and 
development. Mr. Anderson is now a prosper- 
ous and successful young farmer, residing on 
section 10, township 14, range 51, in Brownson 
precinct. 

Our subject was born in section 9, town- 
ship 14, range 51, Cheyenne county, on Sep- 
tember 15, 1874, and was reared and educated 
in his native township, attending the country 
schools. He was the second white child born 
in the county. His father and mother reside 
on the old home place, a farm adjoining his 
own. In 1902 Mr. Anderson left home and 
started farming on his own account, and is 
now owner of one hundred and sixty acres, 
which was originally a timber claim belong- 
ing to his father, John Anderson. He farms 
about fifty acres and keeps a small herd of 
cattle and stock for his own use. He is en- 
gaged in the dairy business, shipping the 
cream of a herd of twelve to fifteen cows. 
He is extensively engaged in poultry raising 
and has annually a large drove of hogs. Mr. 
.Anderson's farm is admirably situated on 
Lodgepole creek, which furnishes a splendid 
supply of water for irrigating and farming 
purposes ; twenty-five acres are already supplied 
with ditches and the entire farm, excepting 
a few acres in the southwest corner, may be 
subjected to irrigation. Since coming to this 
])lace he has had some discouragements in the 
way of loss of crops by hail and drouths, but 
has been generally successfully and is well 
satisfied with the result of his efforts, now 
enjoying a pleasant home and in a fair way 
to be the possessor of a competence for his 
declining years. A view of the home and sur- 
rounding buildings is to be found on another 
page of our work. 

Mr. Anderson was united in marriage June 
10. 1903, to Miss Effie Yoakum, the wedding 
taking place at Kimball, Nebraska. Mrs. An- 
derson is a native of Johnson county, Iowa, a 
daughter of David A. and Mary E. (Oldaker) 
Yoakum. Three children have been born as 




UKSIDEXCE OF CHARLES S. AXDERSOX. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 



'»*. <^ «*»-' 




RESIDENCE OF HENRY CHON13ERG. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1105 



a result of this union, namely: Susie Lucile, 
Lowell Rupert and Ella Adelaide. 

In national politics, Mr. Anderson is a 
Democrat, but in local issues entirely inde- 
pendent. He was reared in the Lutheran 
church. Fraternally, he affiliates with the Odd 
Fellows and Royal Highlanders, while Mrs. 
Anderson is a member of the Degree of Honor 
of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 



EMERY H. HIGGINS. 

Emery H. Higgins, representative of one 
of the oldest settlers in Nebraska, is a resident 
of section 12, township 23, range 29, Thomas 
county, Nebraska, and is one of the best 
known of the pioneers in Furnas county, 
where his parents settled in 1884. He has 
been identified with the upbuilding of the 
western part of the state for many years, and 
owns a valuable estate in Thomas county. 

Mr. Higgins was born in Nemaha county, 
Nebraska, October 29, 1868. and his entire life 
has been spent in his native state, with the 
exception of short trips to different states. 
His father, Jonathan, came here in 1857, from 
Grayson county, Virginia. He freighted a 
good deal after coming to this state, from Ne- 
braska City to Denver, Colorado, with ox 
teams, before the Union Pacific railroad was 
built through the country. He first settled in 
Nuckolls county, later removed to Furnas 
county, where he spent many years. He mar- 
ried Mary Good, a native of Indiana, who 
came west with her parents about 1860, and 
she was reared and educated in Nebraska and 
died in Nuckolls county, in 1881. The father 
is seventy-two years old and now resides in 
North Platte city. 

Our subject received his education in the 
country schools in Furnas county, and from 
the time he was eight years of age worked 
on a farm, doing all kinds of hard work as- 
sisting his father in the development of a 
good home and farm. In 1898 he started for 
himself, purchasing land there and did very 
well, succeeded in building up a good home, 
renaaining there up to 1904, when he came to 
Thomas county. Here he has a ranch of three 
hundred and twenty acres of deeded land, be- 
sides controlling six hundred and forty acres 
situated three miles west of Thedford on 
Middle Loup river. He has all of the land well 
improved, engages in stock and grain raising, 
and has made considerable money in his ven- 
tures. 

While living in Furnas county our subject 
opened a place of one hundred and seventy 



acres in the Republican Valley east of Cam- 
bridge, making of it one of the best improved 
in the vicinity, and there he was married in 
1904, to Jennie E. Carr, a widow, and most es- 
timable lady of very charming personality, and 
they have two children, Clinton, aged nine 
years, and Eula, aged seven years. They have 
a pleasant home and are popular in neighbor- 
hood affairs. Mr. Higgins takes an active 
part in local government. 



HENRY CRONBERG. 

Among the prosperous younger members 
of the farming community of Cheyenne coun- 
ty, Nebraska, we mention the name of Henry 
Cronberg, born in Denmark, January 15, 1877, 
and who spent his boyhood years in that coun- 
try, receiving a common school education, and 
early learning to do all kinds of hard labor. 
The whole family came to the United States 
about the year 1885, sailing from Hamburg to 
New York in the Bohemia. Settling in Ne- 
braska, they took up a homestead in Brown- 
son precinct, Cheyenne county, and began to 
develop a farm and build up a home on sec- 
tion 6, township 14, range 52. They, went 
through the usual experiences of the pioneers 
of this region, having a hard time to make a 
living and suffering many discouragements, 
but managed to keep their farm through all 
their hardships. In 1889 occurred the death of 
the father, Hans Cronberg. The mother, who 
was Hannah Rasmussen, resides in Wyoming, 
where she has four sons and one daughter liv- 
ing, all prosperous and contented. 

Our subject remained in Nebraska on the 
old home place, working faithfully, and has 
met with deserved success. He is now the 
owner of a good farm consisting of three hun- 
dred and twenty acres, lying along the banks 
of Lodgepole creek, the whole place being 
well improved with good stone buildings, 
fences and groves, and has about fifty acres 
under cultivation. Mr. Cronberg is quite ex- 
tensively engaged in cattle raising, running 
about two hundred head with quite a number 
of good horses. Mr. Cronberg has an enviable 
reputation as a progressive ranchman, and is 
well-known throughout the county as a capa- 
ble business man possessing superior attain- 
ments as a gentleman and scholar, esteemed 
by all who know him. Though a bachelor, 
he takes a commendable interest in local af- 
fairs, voting an Independent ticket. A view 
of his substantial residence and farm buildings 
is to be found on another page of this work. 



1106 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.\PHY 



R. M. SWINDELL. 

R. M. Swindell, residing in Spring Grove 
township, is one of the prominent citizens and 
successful men of this section of Nebraska, 
and for many years past has been engaged 
in ranching and farming in Harlan county. 
He is a man of integrity and true worth, and 
is highly esteemed by all who know him. 

Mr. Swindell is a native of North Carolina, 
where his family for generations has lived. 
His grandfather, John Swindell, was a sailor 
for many years, originally from England. In 
1859 our subject's father, L. H. Swindell, left 
his native state and came west with his fam- 
ily. His wife was Miss Nancy H. Petty, also 
born in North Carolina, and is now living in 
Henry county, Indiana, active and enjoying 
splendid health at the advanced age of eighty- 
five years. Her family were old settlers in 
North Carolina. Our subject's maternal 
grandmother, Mrs. Polk, lived to be over nine- 
ty years old, and all of her brothers lived to 
a great age. The Polks were relatives of 
James K. Polk, once president of the United 
States. 

In 1870 Mr. Swindell came to Cass county, 
Nebraska, from Henry county, Indiana, where 
he had lived for some years, and farmed in 
Cass county up to 1885. Two brothers also 
came west with him, Frank settling in Kan- 
sas and was killed at Lincoln, Nebraska, in 
1890. The other brother, W. R., lives in Har- 
lan county. On locating in Harlan county, 
Mr. Swindell bought one hundred and sixty 
acres of land and soon after added another 
quarter section to it, and farmed that for a 
time. Since then land has advanced in value 
eight or ten times, and he is now the proprie- 
tor of over four thousand acres, all in this 
county. He raises stock and also does farm- 
ing, feeding all his crop on his ranch. He 
keeps about two hundred head of cattle on 
hand all the time and sells large numbers each 
year. He also breeds horses for the market, 
and sells from one hundred to one hundred 
and fifty each year. He is the owner of Col- 
onel, a thoroughbred stallion, and owns other 
very fine animals. Mr. Swindell has been 
phenomenally successful since locating here, 
and much prefers this as a stock and grain 
raising state to the eastern states, and as he 
has had experience in different sections he 
knows wlierof he speaks. His entire attention 
is given tci his ranching and farming interests, 
and it is no light task to personally manage 
his extensive possessions. He has some of 
his farms rented, and on each one is a comfort- 
able and commodious tenant house and build- 
ings. 



Our subject was married in 1877, to Aliss 
Alary Philby, of Iowa, and they are the par- 
ents of the following children: L. L., M. R., 
Willie, Flora, now Mrs. Baxter, and Ella, wife 
of C. D. Dexter, the two latter residing in 
Spring Grove township near their parents' 
home. 

Mr. Swindell has always taken an active 
part in local affairs and is one of the leading 
men of his section. He is interested in educa- 
tional affairs, and has served on the school 
board for many years, and as town treasurer, 
besides holding numerous local offices. In 
political views he is a Republican. He is a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and Masonic lodges at Oxford. 



G. A. HANSON. 

G. A. Hanson, an old resident of Phelps 
county, Nebraska, who has watched the 
growth of this locality for the past many years, 
is an enthusiastic admirer of the region, con- 
sidering it one of the very best farming coun- 
tries known, with unlimited capacities under 
improved methods and more careful tilling of 
the soil than the pioneers were able to give 
it. Mr. Hanson is a resident of Loomis. where 
he is engaged in the agricultural implement 
business. He is also owner of a fine farm con- 
sisting of four hundred and eighty acres near 
the town of Loomis, most of which he rents 
out. 

Mr. Hanson started in business at Hold- 
rege in 1892, having settled in the county in 
1879, coming to the locality as representative 
of the Chicago Broom Company as buyer for 
that concern, and he shipped about one hun- 
dred cars per year from this territory. He 
continued in the employ of that company up 
to 1888, then started in business on his own 
account, establishing a house in Loomis at 
first and later moving to Holdrege, remaining 
in the latter town up to 1895. then came back 
to Loomis, and has since made this his perma- 
nent residence. Here he has done exceeding- 
ly well, building up a good business, and en- 
joys the confidence of the entire community. 

At different times Mr. Hanson has been a 
large landowner, purchasing his first quarter 
section in 1882, situated near the town of 
Loomis, then scarcely more than a village. 
During later years he has built on this land 
a fine residence, and now occupies it as a 
home. He is a man of energetic habits, of 
genial disposition, greatly admired by all with 
whom .he has to do either in a business or 
social way. He takes a leading part in public 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1107 



matters in his community, has served as jus- 
tice of the peace, and during the past several 
years has been a member of the town school 
board, acting as treasurer for a considerable 
time. 

Mr. Hanson is a native of Sweden, coming 
to America at the age of fourteen years. He 
was married in 1893, to Miss Abbie Barnum, 
who is a daughter of Edwin Barnum, the 
latter well known in this vicinity, having held 
the position of postmaster at Loomis for eight 
years. He is now a resident of St. Paul, 
Minnesota. The Barnum family originally 
came from New York state, and are of the 
same stock as the celebrated P. T. Barnum, 
of world-wide fame as the originator of the 
modern circus. 



C. W. TILTON. 

C. W. Tilton, known throughout Rock 
county as one of the prominent citizens of 
that locality, is a prosperous and energetic 
farmer who has built up a valuable property 
there. He has resided on his present home- 
stead for many years, and during that time 
by good management and industry has become 
one of the substantial agriculturists of his 
locality. z 

Mr. Tilton was born in Illinois in 1852, and 
was raised on a farm. His father, James M. 
Tilton, was of German descent, coming to Ne- 
braska in 1884 and settling in Rock county on 
death occurring on the homestead in 1886. He 
a farm which he improved in good shape, his 
death occurring on the homestead in 1866. He 
married Susan Hardsty, also of German- 
American stock, whose parents were pioneers 
in Ohio. Our subject followed farm work as 
a boy, and after growing to manhood took a 
homestead on section 7, township 29, range 19, 
which is his present home. He is one of the 
few residents of this region who has not 
passed through sod house experience, al- 
though he has seen some prett}' hard times 
and has suffered privations at different times 
during the early years. From 1893 to 1895, 
inclusive, he had the misfortune to lose three 
crops in succession, but he never once had 
any notion of giving up the struggle as he was 
sure that the country offered excellent oppor- 
tunities to those who were willing to work and 
wait. Since better times have come he has 
prospered and is now owner of a fine quarter 
section, all well improved. He cultivates forty 
acres and has the same amount in pasture for 
quite a herd of stock which he keeps each 
year. 



Several years ago Mr. Tilton planted three 
acres of trees, including apples, cherries and 
pears, which are now in fine bearing condition. 
He also has some splendid cedars on the 
ranch. 

Mr. Tilton is unmarried. He devotes his 
entire time to the improvement of his farm, 
and has also taken an active part in local 
affairs doing all in his power to further the 
best interests of his locality. He is a Repub- 
lican, but has never sought office. 



PETE A. BOWER. 

Pete A. Bower, a worthy and highly re- 
spected citizen of Ainsworth, is a pioneer set- 
tler of this section of Nebraska, and has 
done his full share toward the development of 
its commercial resources. Mr. Bower is a 
homesteader in these parts, and while he has 
done but little farming during recent years the 
greater part of his time has been devoted to 
the following of his trade, that of builder and 
contractor, and he has erected a large number 
of the residences in and around the town of 
Ainsworth. 

Mr. Bower was born in Pennsylvania in 
1852, and was reared on a farm there. His 
father, Thomas Bower, was of Pennsylvania 
Dutch descent, and he followed farming in 
that state up to 1884, then came with his en- 
tire family to Brown county, Nebraska. Dur- 
ing his boyhood, Pete spent most of his time 
working in the iron foundries, following it up 
to 1879, when he came west and settled in 
Iowa, working as a farm hand for five years. 
He then came to Ainsworth and took a pre- 
emption, on which he proved up in due time, 
and when times were slack on his farm did 
carpenter work in Ainsworth and the sur- 
rounding country. In this way he was able to 
improve his farm, erected good buildings, and 
managed to make a nice income. He is thrifty 
and a good manager, and by hard labor and 
persistent efforts has gained a comfortable 
property and the respect and esteem of the 
entire community. 

Shortly before leaving Pennsylvania Mr. 
Bower was married to ]\Iiss Leah Hoffman, 
also born and reared in that state. To them 
have been born the following children : Lydia, 
born in Iowa; Fred, Thomas, Pete, Amy and 
Oliver, the last mentioned five having been 
born in Ainsworth, and all educated in the 
public schools here. They are a very con- 
genial family, and enjoy the frienship of a host 
of people. 



1108 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



W. W. AND GEORGE R. WERTZ. 

The above named gentlemen, under the 
firm name of Wertz Brothers, are extensive 
dealers in cattle and hogs in Harlan county, 
Nebraska, and joint owners of a fine ranch 
consistmg of one thousand one hundred and 
twenty acres situated on the Prairie Dog 
river, five miles southwest of Alma. 

The Wertz brothers came from Ogle coun- 
ty, Illinois, where they were reared and where 
the father was a well known farmer. They 
came to this section and began in the stock 
feeding business in 1901, rapidly accumulated 
property and constantly widening their opera- 
tions until at times they had a herd of two 
thousand cattle and the same number of hogs 
on the ranch. All of their cattle were brought 
from the West Slope and from the Sand Hills, 
this state, and nearly every year they had five 
thousand head which they purchased and 
fed, marketing them on the St. Joseph, Omaha 
and Chicago markets, being among the largest 
shippers in the west. The location of their 
ranch is the best in the world for the business, 
as there is no spot known where the climate 
and alfalfa blend as they do here. Also, this 
region has never been swept by the severe 
storms which are so frequent west of McCook 
and east of Superior. 

Prior to locating in Harlan county, Messrs. 
Wertz had been residents of Richardson coun- 
ty for about fifteen years, being in the stock 
raising and feeding business all of that time. 
They have exhibited specimens of their stock 
at dififerent fairs and expositions in the coun- 
try, and on one occasion had a car of fat year- 
ling steers and heifers at the Interstate Stock 
Show at St. Joseph, Missouri, which took six first 
prizes and one second. These cattle were fat- 
tened at Alma and secured sweepstakes over 
the car of cattle that took first prize at the 
Royal Stock Show which was held at Kansas 
City in 1906, two weeks after the St. Joe Ex- 
position. 

Messrs. Wertz claim that this portion of 
Nebraska is far ahead of Illinois as a stock 
country, owing to the splendid climate and the 
freedom from the mud and dampness, which is 
the chief drawback to the proper development 
of the cattle in that state. They arc in a po- 
sition to know whereof they speak regarding 
these matters, as they have had considerable 
experience in both sections, and have been 
successful in a marked degree since locating 
here. They are classed among the wealthy 
and influential residents of their locality, and 
are classed among the largest handlers of cat- 
sle in Nebraska. Both are interesting com- 



panions and genial good fellows, and are well 
liked by all with whom they come in contact. 
Both are members of the Independent Or- 
der of Odd Fellows of Alma. 



JOHN O. BELDEN. 

John O. Belden, an industrious younger 
member of the farming community of Court 
House Rock precinct, Morrill township, for- 
merly of Cheyenne county, has a fine estate on 
section 30. He has been engaged in agricul- 
ture and stock raising but comparatively a few 
years, but in that time has met with decided 
success, and is classed among the successful 
and progressive men of the locality. A view 
of his residence is presented on another page. 

Mr. Belden was born in Cloud county, Kan- 
sas, April 6, 1878, and is a son of W. W. Bel- 
den, whose sketch appears in this volume on 
another page. He came to Cheyenne county 
with his parents in 1886 and grew up on the 
home ranch. After having an interest in ranch 
property on the tableland and elsewhere in 
the county, be bought his present homestead 
in 1907, situated south of the famous Court 
House Rock. One hundred and fifty acres of 
the land are under irrigation, the ditch and 
Pumpkin Seed creek passing through the 
ranch. It contains in all four hundred and 
eighty acres of good land. He has seventy 
acres cultivated, raising corn and other small 
grain, and also is engaged quite extensively 
in the stock business, running one hundred 
and seventy-five head of cattle and fifty horses. 
He has his farm improved with good buildings, 
considerable timber, and plenty of good water 
the year round, and everything bespeaks the 
utmost care and careful management in its 
operation. 

On November 26, 1902, Mr. Belden married 
Miss Lovina Judd, and to them have been born 
four children, namely: Wallace, Mary, Lillie 
and Amanda. They have a pleasant and com- 
fortable home and arc highly esteemed as 
worthy citizens throughout the community in 
which they live. Mr. Belden holds the office 
of treasurer of the Court House Rock Ditch 
Company, and is also moderator of school dis- 
trict No. 7. He is a Republican in politics and 
a charter member of Baird Camp, No. 5141, 
Modern Woodmen of America. 



FREDERICK J. HARR. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
prominent old timers of western Nebraska, 
who has spent the past twenty-five years of 
his career in that region, and during that time 




RESIDENCE OF FRED J. HARR, 
Cheyenne County, Xebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF JOHN O. BELDEN. 
Morrill County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1109 



has become one of the leading citizens, watch- 
ing the growth and development of the locality 
from almost its earliest stages of settlement. 
He has passed through all the good, bad and 
indifferent times so familiar to the pioneers of 
the state, and has come through it all with 
great success, now being proprietor of a fine 
estate in Davison precinct, Cheyenne county, 
where he occupies a handsome residence. He 
and his family are among the well-liked and 
influential residents. 

Fred J. Harr was born in LaCrosse coun- 
ty, Wisconsin, on April 8, 1862. There he was 
reared and educated, his parents living on a 
farm. Here he learned to do all kinds of 
hard farm work, thus fitting himself for his 
later labors in this line. When he was twen- 
ty-two years of age, he left home and came 
to Nebraska, locating near Lincoln, securing 
employment on ranches and spent two years 
in that vicinity as a cowboy, becoming fa- 
miliar with all the surrounding country in 
following that work. 

In the spring of 1886 he came to Cheyenne 
county and filed on a homestead in section 8, 
township 16, range 50, and since then he has 
added to his original one hundred and sixty 
acres until he now owns five . hundred and 
sixty acres of deeded land and controls one 
whole section of school land. He has one 
hundred and twenty-five acres under cultiva- 
tion, on which he raises fine crops, being pro- 
gressive and up-to-date in his farming meth- 
ods. For the past few years Mr. Harr has 
been government crop reporter for this sec- 
tion of the country. He has his ranch fitted 
up with good substantial buildings of all kinds, 
and every necessary improvement for its suc- 
cessful operation, engaging extensively in the 
stock raising business. He runs about seven- 
ty-five head of cattle annually and quite a 
bunch of horses. A view of the remodeled 
dwelling, with the large stone barn and other 
buildings, is to be found on another page in 
this volume. 

Mr. Harr was one of a family of twelve 
children, all of whom are living at the present 
time. The father, John G. Harr, died in Wis- 
consin, in 1904, but the mother. Caroline Slav- 
er, in maidenhood, still resides in that state. 

In April. 1887, our subject was married in 
Cheyenne county to Miss Hattie Hill, a native 
of Nebraska, where her parents, William and 
Arabella (Seman) Hill, were pioneers. The 
mother lives near Seattle, Washington. Mr. 
and Mrs. Harr have a family of five children, 
named as follows: Ruth A.. Florence A., Eva 
M., Mary A. and Vera F. 

Mr. Harr takes a deep interest in state. 



county and local aflfairs, and is treasurer of 
school district No. 61. In politics, he is an 
independent voter. He affiliates with the Mac- 
cabees at Sidney, and, with the family, is a 
member of the Methodist church. 



FRANK A. STEVENSON. 

Frank A. Stevenson, for many years a suc- 
cessful stockman and agriculturist of Brown 
county, is the owner of a splendid estate con- 
sisting of two thousand seven hundred and 
sixty acres, conveniently located near the town 
of Ainsworth. He was one of the earliest set- 
tlers of this locality, is widely known and en- 
joys an enviable reputation as an enterprising 
and public spirited citizen. 

Air. Stevenson was born in Illinois in 1862, 
and was reared on a farm there. His father 
was of Irish descent and his mother a French 
Canadian. There were five children in the 
family, Frank being the second, and all were 
educated in the common schools of Harrison 
county, Iowa, where they settled during the 
early days. At the age of sixteen our subject 
left home and secured employment on the Chi- 
cago and Northwestern Railway, spending five 
years in the shops of that company. In 1883 
he came to Nebraska and filed on a homestead 
on section 31, township 32, range 21, put up 
a shanty and began to build up a farm. He 
met with fair success for several years, but 
during the drouth periods was unable to raise 
any crops, and lost nearly everything he had 
made up to that time. Conditions were very 
disheartening, and he had about decided to 
abandon his farm, but owing to certain cir- 
cumstances delayed moving from time to time. 
Things began to brighten up considerably and 
prospects appeared more favorable, so he took 
a fresh start and determined to remain and 
make another trial. His crops were better 
than they had ever been and he was soon 
able to put up better buildings and also pur- 
chased land adjoining his homestead and in- 
creased his herd of stock constantly. He is 
now owner of eight hundred acres of culti- 
vated land, and the balance of his ranch is 
used for hay and pasture for his stock, having 
at present two hundred and fifty head of high 
grade Hereford cattle on the ranch. He is 
considered one of the largest ranchmen in the 
vicinity, and is a thorough judge of his busi- 
ness, practical and up-to-date in operating his 
extensive ranching interests. He has erected 
a splendid set of buildings and has every 
improvement in the way of wells, windmills, 
fences, corrals, etc. All of this he has ac- 



1110 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



quired by strict attention to duty, as he had 
no capital to start with, and he well merits 
his success and the reputation of being one 
of the leading citizens and one of the wealth- 
iest men of the region. 

Mr. Stevenson was married in 1884, to Miss 
Eliza Taylor, who is a native of Missouri and 
a daughter of Samuel Taylor, whose life his- 
tory may be found in this volume on another 
page. Three children have come to bless our 
subject's home, namely: Pearl, George and 
Taylor, all bright and intelligent young people 
and well liked by all. They have a pleasant 
home and a host of friends in their community. 

During our subject's early residence in this 
section he gave freely many dollars to help 
develop the community, and has been one of 
the foremost citizens in establishing and build- 
ing up the schools and promoting the general 
welfare. He has also taken a leading part in 
local and county politics and has served in 
different capacities, holding the office of pre- 
cinct assessor, besides other offices of trust in 
his township. 

JEFF PATTERSON. 

For nearly a quarter of a century the gen- 
tleman above named has been a resident of 
Keya Paha county, and during that time he 
has closely identified himself with the history 
of the region. He has succeeded in building 
up a fine farm in section 21, township 33. range 
22, and incidentally gained an enviable repu- 
tation as a citizen. Personally he is a man 
of untiring energy, honest principles and good 
business management, and is one of the well- 
to-do men of his locality. 

Mr. Patterson is a native of Tennessee, 
born in 1853. His father, William Patterson, 
was of American stock and one of the pioneer 
settlers of Tennessee and later was an early 
settler in Iowa, enlisting in that state in Com- 
pany C, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, and 
served until the close of the war. He returned 
to Iowa and followed farming after his dis- 
charge from the army, and about 1867 moved 
with his family into Missouri where Jeff was 
educated. About 1888 they came to Keya 
Paha county and lived here up to the time of 
his death, which occurred several years ago. 
Mrs. Patterson's maiden name was Betsy 
Jones, also of American stock, and she died 
when Jeff was a small boy, leaving three chil- 
dren, of whom our subject was the second 
member. He started to make his own way in 
the world at the early age of fourteen years, 
following farm work in Iowa and later in Mis- 
souri, also spent some time^in Ohio, working 



there for one man for six years. In 1883 he 
came into Keya Paha county and filed on a 
homestead, and still occupies this tract as his 
home ranch. There was considerable natural 
timber on the land, and in addition to this 
Mr. Patterson has planted a large number of 
shade and fruit trees and now has one of the 
finest groves and orchards in the vicinity. His 
first dwelling was a building made of sod, logs 
and rough lumber, and he occupied it for 
eighteen years, then erected a fine frame resi- 
dence. 

During his early residence in this region 
Mr. Patterson passed through some hard 
times, suft'ering crop losses, etc., but never 
gave up hoping for better times, and he has 
been well repaid for his efforts in the accumu- 
lating of a nice property consisting of four 
hundred and eighty acres of good land, all 
lying along Cub creek. About one hundred 
and fifty acres are cultivated and the balance 
is used for hay and pasture for his stock, hav- 
ing a small herd of cattle and quite a bunch 
of horses and mules, making a specialty of 
breeding and raising the latter. He also aims 
to feed about a carload of hogs each year, 
which he finds a ready market for at Ains- 
worth. 

In 1887 ^Ir. Patterson was married to 
Miss Geneva Dale, of Xesbit, Nebraska, who 
settled in this state with her parents when 
a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are the 
parents of the following children: Ona F., 
Eva C, Lulu v., June M., William D. and 
Ezra Keith, all of whom are living at home at 
the present time. 

Mr. Patterson is a Populist, and while he 
has never taken an active part in politics or 
held office, he is without doubt one of the lead- 
ing old settlers of the country, and has done 
his share in bringing about the present pros- 
perity enjoyed in the region. 



JOHN STEVENS, Jr. • 

John Stevens, Jr., of Arapahoe, Furnas 
county, Nebraska, is a son of Hon. John Ste- 
vens, who is a prominent resident of the same 
place and a native of Virginia. 

Our subject is a widely known attorney 
with a practice extending over the entire west- 
ern country tributary to Arapahoe, having es- 
tablished his office here in 1896, and in that 
time had become very successful in his pro- 
fession. He is a native of Polk county, Iowa, 
where his father was a pioneer settler, and 
also was one of the first to settle in this 
part of Nebraska, coming here in 1878 and 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



nil 



homesteading in Arapahoe precinct, later re- 
moving to Edison. He was one of the organ- 
izers of the Populist party in this county and 
was elected b}' his party to represent this dis- 
trict in the state legislature, serving during 
the years 1890 and 1892, inclusive, and is still 
active in supporting the principles of his party. 
Prior to his settlement here Mr. Stevens, Sr., 
was also an active worker in Polk county, 
Iowa, for the Greenback party. He is a prom- 
inent veteran of the Civil war, having been 
a member of Company A, Tenth Iowa Infan- 
try, who served his country faithfully and well 
for three years, taking part in many battles, 
in the Army of the Cumberland, at Fort Don- 
elson, Pittsburg Landing, and in the different 
sieges of Vicksburg. He is an interesting ra- 
conteur and relates many interesting adven- 
tures of his life as a soldier. 

John Stevens, Jr.. is a stanch supporter 
of the Republican party, and held the office 
oi reporter for two terms, serving under the 
fourteenth judicial district. In 1896 he was 
elected county attorney and served one term. 
He has been unusually successful in his ca- 
reer as an attorney, gaining a large and lucra- 
tive patronage throughout the country. He 
is a brilliant orator and has been thoroughly 
fitted for his life work by a thorough educa- 
tion derived by years of study. 



LOU WHEELER. 

For the past twenty-five years the gentle- 
man above named has made western Nebras- 
ka his home, and during the greater part of 
that time has been intimately associated with 
the agricultural and commercial interests of 
Brown county, where he has acquired a com- 
fortable prope'rty by dint of industry and hon- 
esty. He has a nice home and owns a well 
cultivated farm of eighty acres located on sec- 
tion 2, township 30, range 21, and is one of 
the substantial and highly esteemed citizens 
of his community. 

Mr. \\"heeler was born in Wisconsin in 
1868 and reared on a farm. He is a son of 
J. T. Wheeler, whose sketch appears elsewhere 
in this book, and is the sixth child in a family 
of thirteen. When he was about one year old 
his parents located in Iowa and the grew up 
there, attending the country schools. In 1880 
the whole family came to Nebraska, settling 
in Hall county. They were practically with- 
out funds when they struck that region, and 
had a hard time to get along, experiencing 
every form of privation and hardship during 
their three years' residence in that vicinity. 



While there they went through the drouth 
years, losing several crops during the dry 
times, and constantly getting worse off, finally 
leaving there without a dollar and worse off 
than when they landed. They then came to 
Brown county, arriving here in the spring of 
1883, The father settled on a homestead, and 
after a short time our subject started for him- 
self, securing employment on neighboring 
farms, and worked out until he was twenty 
years of age, then rented a farm and began 
to build up a home. He worked on rented 
farms for a number of years in different parts 
of the county, mostly on Buffalo flats. In 1889 
he purchased his present farm and has im- 
proved it in good shape, now having a com- 
fortable home and well equipped farm, also 
works quite a good deal of rented land. For 
the past several years Mr. Wheeler has been 
owner of a threshing rig in partnership with 
a brother, and they have operated this all over 
their section of the country, from this source 
deriving a nice income. 

Mr. Wheeler was married in 1888 to Miss 
Stults, who is a daughter of M. D. Stults. one 
of the -old-timers in Brown county. Seven 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
\A'heeler. named as follows : Russell, Maggie, 
Willie, Dewey, Eddie, Hazel and a baby. 

Mr. Wheeler takes a commendable interest 
in local affairs, is industrious and intelligent, and 
keeps well posted on the current events of the 
times. 



GEORGE H. LAW. 

George H. Law, widely known as an up- 
right and industrious citizen, resides on sec- 
tion 4, township 12, range 44. Deuel county, 
where he operates a farm. He is one of the 
pioneers of the table land, and can recount 
many experiences of the early settlers there. 
He is energetic and progressive, has opened up 
a good farm in the locality, and has been an 
important factor in the development of the ag- 
ricultural interests in the region, and well 
merits his success as a farmer and enviable 
reputation as a citizen. 

Our subject was born in Livingston county, 
Illinois, on the 24th day of September, 1870. 
He was reared and educated there, coming to 
Deuel county, Nebraska, v\-ith his parents in 
March, 1886. The father homesteaded on sec- 
tion 10. township 12, range 44. and proved up 
in due time, going through the usual experi- 
ences of the earliest settlers in the section. 
In 1892 our subject filed on a homestead, 
proved up and then sold out. He came to the 
farm he now occupies, and here has made a 



nu 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



success, cultivating about one hundred and 
twenty acres, and runs a small herd of cattle 
and about fifty head of horses. Mr. Law was 
married in Belhvood. Nebraska, December 30, 
1897, to Miss Carrie Hofrichter, who was born 
and reared in Illinois. 

Our subject is a Republican and a stanch 
supporter of the principles of the party. He 
is active in township affairs, and is now serv- 
ing as treasurer of school district No. 34. 



THOMAS MOORE. 

Thomas Moore, of Franklin county. Ne- 
braska, is one of the leading residents of that 
locality. He is a retired merchant, coming to 
this county in 1879, establishing a general 
store at Macon, which he carried on up to 1903. 

Mr. Moore was born in Ontario and grew 
up in his native land. His father, John Moore, 
served for five years in the Grenadier Guards 
and was mustered out at Montreal in 1840, 
locating in Ontario. When Thomas was a 
small boy the family moved to New York state, 
settling near Plattsburg. The father is now 
dead, and one of our subject's most prized pos- 
sessions is the former's discharge papers. He 
grew up in New York state, and in 1862 en- 
listed in the Ninety-sixth Jnfantry and served 
in the Army of the Potomac, taking part in all 
of the big battles, including Gettysburg, Fred- 
ericksburg, Chancellorsville, etc. He saw the 
seamy side of a soldier's career, suffering much 
privation, and while he was fortunate in never 
being severely wounded during the dift'erent 
engagements in which he participated, saw 
much of the horrors of war, and like every one 
else was heartily glad when the struggle was 
over. He left the army with a brilliant rec- 
ord and is now one of the prominent veterans 
in his part of the country. After his dis- 
charge he returned to New York state and en- 
gaged in the lumber business, which he car- 
ried on for eleven years, then came to Nebras- 
ka, making iiis first settlement at Kearney, 
landing here in 1879. Soon afterwards he lo- 
cated permanently in Macon, which at that 
time was a village with a few hundred inhab- 
itants, and established a mercantile business, 
which he continued up to 1903. He was one 
of the first men to put a stock of goods in the 
town, and much of his patronage was drawn 
from the Indians during the earlier years. He 
was appointed postmaster at Macon immediate- 
ly after locating here and held the office for six- 
teen years. He has served as county commis- 
sioner, holding the office one term, and in 1880, 
under the new law. was elected to the first 



board of supervisors, also serving for one term. 
In 1884, during the hard times which prevailed 
in that locality, he was appointed president 
of the state board of relief for the settlers who 
had suffered from loss of crops and were un- 
able to make a living, and he was one of the 
most active in securing this help and assisting 
in their relief. 

Mr. Moore was the leading spirit in estab- 
lishing the IMethodist Episcopal church in Ma- 
con, and was superintendent of the Sabbath 
school for twenty-four years, also acted as 
trustee of the church. For twelve years he 
served on the school board of the town. All 
this time his trade was increasing and he did 
well in a business way, constantly increasing 
his line of goods, and his success was due 
wholly to his energy and honesty of principle 
in dealing with the public, making him one of 
the most influential and highly respected citi- 
zens this region has ever known. 

In 1903 Mr. Moore came to Franklin and 
founded the Moore Mercantile Company in 
Franklin, taking in partnership his two sons- 
in-law. John Garrett, who formerly lived in 
Hexton, Colorado, and E. J. Briggs, of Tren- 
ton. Nebraska, where he owns a fine twelve 
hundred-acre ranch. They carried on this busi- 
ness up to 1906. then sold out to Messrs. Hesse 
& Co., who now operate the store. Mr. Moore 
also is owner of three hundred and twenty 
acres in Trenton, which is well stocked with 
cattle, horses and hogs, and his intention is to 
remove to this property in a short time and 
permanently reside there. 

Mr. Moore has a family of two daughters 
and two sons. He is a member of the Masonic 
lodge. Ancient Order United Workmen and 
a prominent Grand Army of the Republic man. 



JOHN T. WHEELER. 

The gentleman whose name heads this per- 
sonal history is one of the very old settlers 
of western Nebraska, coming here from Iowa 
about 1880 and settling at that time near Hast- 
ings, which then was a very small town with 
many Indian inhabitants. He moved to Brown 
county in 1882 and was among the earliest set- 
tlers in this region, voting at the first election 
ever held in the county. Since his early res- 
idence here he has been an important figure 
in the affairs of his community, and has passed 
through all the old Nebraska times, watch- 
ing its growth from the primitive state into 
the thriving agricultural and commercial dis- 
trict it has now become. 

Mr. Wiicck-r was born in Northhampton- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGR.A.PHY 



1113 



shire, England, in 1831. His father, Benjamin 
Wheeler, was a soap and candle maker in that 
country, bringing his family to America when 
our subject was a lad of ten years. They 
crossed the Atlantic in a sailing vessel, experi- 
encing the usual hardships during the voyage, 
spending several weeks, and sometimes even 
months, on the sea. After landing in New 
York city they came west, settling in Wis- 
consin in the town of Waukesha, which was 
at that time called Prairieville, and there John 
was raised, receiving a common school edu- 
cation and following farm work during most 
of the time, also threshing, teaming, etc., as a 
young man. During wartime he enlisted in 
Company G, First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, 
and with his regiment saw service at Fort Ells- 
worth, Virginia, and other points in the east, 
remaining with his company until the close of 
the war, then returned to his home town. He 
remained in Wisconsin for a short time, then 
moved to Iowa, settling on a farm, and spent 
ten years there, and as many were emigrating 
to Nebraska about this time, he joined a party 
who were traveling overland to that state, land- 
ing near Hastings, where he located on a 
homestead. There he started as the majority 
of the pioneers did, with very little money and 
a few household goods, team, wagon and a few 
tools, going through many hardships and much 
privation. The family witnessed the drouth 
seasons there, living in a sod house for a num- 
ber of years, and many times hardly knew 
where their next meal was coming from, as 
they were unable to raise any crops during the 
dry years excepting a few vegetables and a 
very little grain. However, he remained on 
the place up to 1890, then came to his pres- 
ent location, owning at the present time a 
well improved quarter section, and is doing 
well. The farm is well supplied with good wa- 
ter, some timber and he has erected good build- 
ings, and is succeeeding in building up a very 
productive farm. 

Mr. Wheeler was married November 15, 
1855, to Miss Electa T. Palmer, who is now 
deceased. She left a family of the following 
children, namely: Emma Jane, Joseph L., 
Charles H., Caroline E., Alfred Benoni, Lu- 
cius F., Rosena H., James Franklin, Fred H., 
Ralph Waldo E.. Harry Albert, Harvey U. 
and George C. All are now grown and settled 
in different parts of the country, and all are 
filling honorable vocations in life. Mr. Wheel- 
er was again married on March 6, 1890, to Mrs. 
Elsie DeWitt, who was an early settler in these 
parts, her first husband being a pioneer home- 
steader, he dying during their early residence 
here, leaving his widow with a family of three 



children, as follows: Osa, Ira and Emma, all 
now married and living in homes of their own. 
Of his second marriage one child was born, 
Grace L., who is now a charming young lady. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and family are held in 
high esteem in the community and have a lare'* 
circle of friends. 



J. G. MEYERS. 



Among the leading citizens of Chryeniie 
county none stands higher in the minds of his 
associates than the gentleman here named. 
For many years he has been engaged in farm- 
ing near Dixon, has developed a fine farm and 
enjoys all the comforts of a rural home and 
the esteem of all with whom he comes in con- 
tact. 

Mr. Meyers was born in the kingdom of 
Wittenberg. Germany, January 12. 1868, and 
grew up in that country. W'hen he was sev- 
enteen years of age he came to America with 
his father, mother, three brothers and two sis- 
ters. They located in Sidney, Nebraska, and 
soon afterwards settled on a homestead about 
four miles southwest of the town of Potter, 
in Cheyenne county. There they started in the 
humble way of all the pioneers and rapidly de- 
veloped a good farm, making good headway 
considering the different little discouragements 
they met with in the way of unfavorable 
weather conditions, etc. They saw some hard 
times, and after living on the homestead about 
three years the father was taken ill and his 
death occurred on Christmas day, 1888. The 
mother and children continued working the 
farm and succeeded in building up a comfort- 
able home, and Mrs. Meyers and one daughter 
still occupy the place, which is situated on 
section 14, township 14, range 53. 

Our subject began working for the Union 
Pacific Railroad Company about 1890, and re- 
mained in the employ of that concern for nine 
j'ears. finally settling on a homestead on sec- 
tion 32, township 15, range 54, which origi- 
nally belonged to his wife, and they have added 
to the farm until it now contains twelve hun- 
drtd and eighty acres. Mr. Meyers has put 
about seventy-five acres under the plow, and 
raises considerable grain, also has a herd of 
one hundred cattle and other stock, including 
a nice bunch of horses. The ranch is fully 
ecjuipped with good' buildings of all kinds, and 
everything about the place is in fine shape, 
bespeaking good management and care in its 
operation. 

Mr. Meyers was married to Miss Christina 
Stengel in December, 1905. Mrs. Meyers was 
born and reared in Germany, and came to this 



1114 



COiMPENDIU^l OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



country with her parents when a child of eight 
years, and both father and mother died here 
some few years ago. 

Mr. Meyers is classed among the prosper- 
ous residents of his locality and takes a com- 
mendable interest in local affairs, lending his 
influence to the upbuilding of every enterprise 
which tends to its advancement and the wel- 
fare of those of his community. 



ELMER E. DEUTLER. 

Elmer E. Deutler. the genial manager and 
owner of the Johnstown Hotel, of Johnstown, 
Brown county, is one of the oldest settlers in 
western Nebraska, and a highly esteemed resi- 
dent of his community. 

Mr. Deutler was born in Lewisburg, Union 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1861. His father, 
Henry G., was a shoemaker of German de- 
scent. He enlisted in the United States army 
at the beginning of the Civil war, and served 
in Company D. Fifty-first Pennsylvania Regi- 
ment. During a battle he was taken by the enemy 
and thrown into Andersonville Prison, where 
he died. His widow, who was Mary Stough- 
ton, was also a native of Pennsylvania, of Eng- 
lish and German descent, was left with a fam- 
ily of four boys, of whom our subject was the 
youngest, and when he was nine years of age 
the mother came to Nebraska with her little 
family, locating in Dodge county, where she 
took a homestead, settling on the land in 1871. 
There they went through pioneer experiences 
in getting their home started, witnessing the 
grasshopper raids, drouths, etc.. but managed 
to make a scant living by working out in the 
vicinity at whatever they could find to do, re- 
maining there up to 1884, then left the place 
and came to Cherry county. There they settled 
on a homestead twelve miles southwest of the 
then small village of Johnstown, and began 
to improve their home. They went through 
ox team experience, using oxen for all the work 
on the farm, breaking the land and hauling 
fuel, etc., for about four years. They tried 
hard to raise grain, but found climatic condi- 
tions and soil was not especially adapted to 
the work, so gradually got into the stock busi- 
ness and in that line were most successful, en- 
abling them to accumulate a nice property in 
time. 

Mr. Deutler filed on a homestead and tree 
claim on his own account during this time, 
proving up on both, and in 1889 moved to 
Johnstown. For a number of years he farmed 
on rented land near the town, and later pur- 
chased a farm which he operated up to 1906. 



In the latter year he bought the Johnstown 
Hotel and has run the place since that time, 
being very successful in the venture. He is 
a man of pleasant manners and good business 
ability, and has the faculty of making friends, 
which is a necessary quality in a man who 
successfully carries on a hotel business. 

During his early residence here Mr. Deutler 
traveled all through this country as surveyor, 
having been elected county .surveyor on the 
Republican ticket and serving two terms in 
that capacitv. In this manner he became well 
acquainted with most all of the settlers in the 
region, making him one of the best known 
men in this part of the state. In 1905 he was 
Republican nominee for county treasurer, but 
was beaten by a small majority. He has al- 
ways been active in local and county politics 
and is a staunch supporter of party principles. 

In 1893 Mr. Deutler was married to Miss 
LilHan Beebout, whose father, William Beebout, 
is a well-known old settler of Brown county. 
Four children have been born of this union, 
namely: Jessie, :\Ierle, Ellsworth and Clara, 
all born in Brown county. 



MILO E. WEBSTER. 

Milo E. Webster, one of the early settlers 
and prosperous farmers and ranchers of Davi- 
son precinct, Cheyenne county, lives on his 
finely improved estate of one thousand two 
hundred and eighty acres', where he has spent 
many years of his life. He is one of the pio- 
neers who have gone through all the old-time 
"cow-men" and ranching experiences and come 
out successful in a wordh' and spiritual way, 
gaining the esteem and confidence of all with 
whom he has had to do. and is now one of the 
leading citizens of his community. 

Mr. Webster was born in the town of 
Sandsfield. Berkshire county, Massachusetts, 
September 3, 1860. receiving a common school 
education, helping his parents carry on the 
home farm, and after reaching manhood was 
employed in farm labor in his native county 
some five years. In 1887 he emigrated to the 
western country, arriving in Cheyenne county, 
Nebraska, in the spring. 

He at once filed on a homestead in section 
18, township 16, range 51, to which he secured 
complete title and then sold. He was employed 
for ten years on the Pomeroy ranch before 
starting into cattle raising for himself. In 
1896 he purchased land in section 4, township 
16, range 50. acquiring additional land sur- 
rounding until he now owns one thousand two 
hundred and eighty acres by purchase, and still 




RESIDENCE OF MILO E. WEBSTER. 
Cheyenne County. Nebraska. 




SIXTVSIX U.\.\ril. I'KOI'EHIV OK C. C. NELSON, 
.Morrill County, Nebraska. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1115 



occupies this farm. Here he has built up a 
fine home and ranch, having recently erected 
a large two-story, eight-room residence, which 
is tastefully furnished far beyond the average 
farm or ranch house in any of the western 
states. The barn and outbuildings are partly 
of stone and all are substantial and commodi- 
ous. A view of the home and surroundings is 
to be found on another page. 

Including a timber claim of one hundred 
and sixty acres in section 26, township 15, 
range 51, he is owner of one thousand four 
hundred and forty acres of good farm and 
ranch land, cultivating about a quarter of a 
section, on which he raises mostly small 
grains ; he also deals extensively in stock, run- 
ning one hundred and twenty-five head of cat- 
tle and twenty-five horses. 

He makes a specialty of raising high grade 
Hereford cattle, and has quite a herd of fine 
animals of this breed. 

Mr. Webster's father, Daniel Webster, i> 
now dead, while his mother, who was Orpha 
Northrup in maidenhood, resides in Connecti- 
cut. Four of the five children in the family 
are living and of these Milo is second in order 
of birth. On February 14, 1907, Mr. Webster 
was married in Coulton precinct to Gertrude 
Witters, who was born in Indiana. Her father, 
S. P. Witters, of whom a sketch appears else- 
where in this work, came to Cheyenne county 
with his family in 1886. 

One child, Clifford D., has been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. ^\'ebster They worship with 
the Center congregation of the Methodist 
church in Davison precinct. Mr. Webster is 
active in local affairs, being a leading politician 
in state, county and national matters, voting 
an independent ticket. He affiliates with Sid- 
ney Camp, No. 1091, Modern Woodmen of 
America. 



WM. SHATTUCK, Jr. 

Keya Paha county has no more enterpris- 
ing or worthy citizen within her borders than 
the gentleman whose name appears at the head 
of this sketch. While he is a young man and 
not numbered among the real old-timers in the 
region, Air. .Shattuck has spent quite a number 
of years here, during which time he has ac- 
quired an extensive acquaintance and is es- 
teemed and respected by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Shattuck was born in Illinois, in 1879. 
His father, Wm. Shattuck, Sr., was owner of 
a good farm in that state. He was a native of 
Massachusetts, of American stock, and ' mar- 
ried Lucy P)arney, also of the same birth and 
state, and they reared a family of three chil- 



dren, our subject being the second child. He 
lived at home until he was twentv-one, then 
started out for himself, following 'farm work 
m Boyd county, Nebraska, where he had lo- 
cated in 1895. He spent about seven years in 
that vicinity, then came to Keya Paha county 
and took up a homestead on section 24, town- 
ship 35, range 18, put up a dwelling and proved 
up on the claim. He improved it ii> good 
shape and still makes it his home ranch, hav- 
mg ninety acres under cultivation, and en- 
gages in mixed farming and stock raising. 

Mr. Shattuck is owner of a very fine reg- 
istered French draught horse which is valued 
at one thousand five hundred dollars. He has 
had wide experience in the horse business and 
IS considered a first-class judge of horses, hav- 
nig owned some very good animals since liv- 
ing in the region. 

Mr. Shattuck was married in March, 1900, 
to Plausa Stoss, who is of Belgian stock, born 
in Omaha in 1879. They have two children, 
Ralph and Lucy. They occupy a comfortable 
home and our subject is classed among the 
leading young men of his locality, and con- 
sidering the comparatively short time he has 
occupied his farm, has done exceedingly well. 
He is progressive and up-to-date in his meth- 
ods of farming, and his success speaks well 
for his thrift and good business ability. 

Politically Mr. Shattuck is a Republican 
but he has never taken an active part in poli- 
tics, preferring to devote his entire time to the 
building up of his home and farm. 



CHARLES C. NELSON. 

Charles C. Nelson, classed among the pros- 
perous and leading ranchmen of Morrill, form- 
erly Cheyenne, county, Nebraska, is owner of 
a fine estate comprising one thousand three 
hundred and forty acres, situated on sections 
29 and 30, township 19, range 51, and in addi- 
tion to this property has three hundred and 
twenty acres on Cedar creek, both of which are 
"under ditch." Mr. Nelson is a genuine old- 
time stockman and cattle rancher, during a 
large part of his career following the range and 
becoming familiar with every phase of life on 
the western plains. His pleasant home in 
Camp Clarke precinct bespeaks the most pains- 
taking care and good management in its oper- 
ation. 

Mr. Nelson was born in Windsor, Missouri, 
July 17, 1852, his parents having moved to 
Henry county, that state, in the forties. His 
father, James A. Nelson, was a native of Rich- 
mond, Virginia. The mother, Margarett A. 



1116 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



(Trinnier), was also a native of Virginia and 
died in Nebraska. Both parents were descend- 
ants of Irish stock. Charles Nelson, an only 
child, lived in Missouri until 1870. when he 
went to Texas, where for nine years he was 
engaged in the stock business, riding the range 
on ranches in that state. He then came to 
Nebraska, settling in Cheyenne county and 
was employed by Tussler Bros., on the old 
Merchant & Wheeler ranch, acting as foreman 
for that concern, he finally purchasing the 
property in 1894, and operated it up to 1906, 
when he sold it. The ranch contained eight 
thousand two hundred and forty acres and 
was stocked with three hundred horses and 
six hundred head of cattle. When he first 
came to Nebraska he had no capital, and 
started out one hundred dollars in debt at the 
beginning of his career. He took a homestead 
on Greenwood creek, proved up on it, and 
sold. At one time he was engaged in the 
liquor business at Bridgeport, but soon sold 
out and devotes his entire time to his ranching 
interests. The greater part of his land is de- 
voted to hay. with two hundred acres of al- 
falfa. During his residence in this region lie 
has met with some hard luck, but despite vari- 
ous drawbacks has managed to accumulate a 
nice property, and is now in good circum- 
stances and enjoys a comfortable home with 
peace and plenty. 

Mr. Nelson married Miss Alice Clarke in 
Windsor. Missouri, in 1874. Mrs. Nelson was 
a native of Virginia, and after ten years of 
happy married life she died leaving two daugh- 
ters, Fredonia, wife of J. H. Clauges, mother 
of four children, now living at Bridgeport. 
The second daughter, Margaret, is the wife of 
Albert Cudy. living in Scotts Blufif. Mr. Nel- 
son was married to Miss Lillian B. Franklin, 
of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in April, 1908. 

Mr. Nelson was active in local afTairs, and 
is without question one of the leading ranch- 
men and representative men of Cheyenne 
county. He is a Republican in politics and a 
member of Frank \\'elch Lodge, No. 75, An- 
cient Free and Accepted , Masons, of Sidney. 

We present a view of Mr. Nelson's resi- 
dence on another page. 



F. N. PHILLIPS. 

F. N. Phillips is the fortunate owner of a 
beautifully located farm known throughout 
the region as "Park \'alley." This place is 
situated in the shadow of Lookout Mountain 
in a charming narrow valley covered with 
many lovely trees and supplied with sparkling 



springs of clear water. The farm lands rise 
gradually to the second table and are very fer- 
tile, and altogether this farm is one of the most 
attractive spots it is possible to imagine and 
delights the eye of the chance traveler by its 
beautiful views. 

Mr. Phillips is a native of Illinois. His 
father, E. P. Phillips, was a pioneer in Lake 
county, in this state, and later spent quite a 
number of years in Iowa, following farming 
nearly all of the time. While living in Illinois 
he was active in local affairs, acting for four- 
teen years as justice of the peace and holding 
various local offices. He is a veteran of the Civil 
war, having enlisted and serving until the close of 
the struggle. After returning to Illinois he 
only remained a short time, then moved to Linn 
county, Iowa, where he farmed a few months, 
coming to Nebraska with his family in 1867 
and settling in Tecumseh county, where our 
subject was raised and educated. In 1872 
Mr. Phillips came to Franklin township, in 
Franklin county, settling on a tract of railroad 
land, and engaged in stock raising and farm- 
ing. He afterwards spent some time in the 
eastern part of the state, returning to this sec- 
tion in 1898 and purchased two hundred and 
forty acres, to which he has added many im- 
provements and also bought additional land 
adjoining his original tract. He now has four 
hundred acres under cultivation and has con- 
siderable hay and pasture land. He has a fine 
herd of Shorthorns, having a number of reg- 
istered cows and standard bred bull from 
which he expects to raise some very fine stock. 
The farm is well equipped with good buildings 
and every convenience for the handling of 
his different enterprises, and he is considered 
one of the prosperous and up-to-date agricul- 
turists and stockmen in the county. 

Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Angelina 
Douglas, daughter of Sanford A. Douglas, of 
New York state, the latter a native of Ver- 
mont, and a prominent pioneer in that state. 
Our subject is the father of two sons, Walter 
and Carl, both now grown and living on the 
home farm. 

Politically Mr. Phillips is a Republican. 
He has always been prominent in local affairs, 
serving for a number of years as justice of the 
peace in this county, also as township assessor 
and holding other local ofifices of trust. 



SETIl R. B.\TES. Dece.\sed. 

The gentleman above named, now deceased, 
was for many years a prominent citizen of 
Brown county, where he owned a valuable es- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1117 



tate and was highly esteemed by all who knew 
him. 

Mr. Bates was born in 1845, in New York 
state. He was of Yankee stock, his parents 
being farmers in New England, and he was 
raised and educated on a farm, living at home 
until he was thirteen years of age, then came 
with his parents to Illinois and after a few 
years spent in that state, coming to Nebraska 
and locating in Plattsmouth, arriving here 
shortly after the close of the war. Shortly 
afterwards Seth left home and started for him- 
self, locating in Cass county, remaining there 
but a few months, then moved to Seward 
county. He was married there, in 1872, to 
i\Iiss Martha Rickard, whose parents were of 
American stock, raised in New York state. 
To our subject were born nine children, six 
of whom are now living, named as follows: 
Ada, Bert, Dudley, Leed, May and Lloyd, all 
of whom are now grown and filling honorable 
positions in life. 

Mr. Bates came to Rock county with his 
family in 1880, settling on the Niobrara rive 
on a homestead. They traveled to their new 
home by team in a covered wagon, and upon land- 
ing here built a sod shanty in which they lived for 
several seasons, then built a house of logs and 
used this as a dwelling for many years. All 
household supplies had to be hauled from Oak- 
dale, and during these tedious trips Mr. Bates 
was obliged to camp out by night under his 
wagon. They saw many hard times during 
these years, witnessing the drouths and un- 
able to raise scarcely any crops, one year also 
having their entire season's planting hailed 
out. The country was very thinly settled, 
their nearest neighbor living three miles from 
their homestead. Mr. Bates had very little 
capital when he landed here, but through sheer 
persistence and energy he succeeded in build- 
ing up a good home and accumulated a prop- 
erty consisting of two hundred acres of good 
farming land lying along the Niobrara river, 
on which he put good improvements, including 
a fine orchard and every comfort and conven- 
ience of rural life. He settled on Pine creek 
in 1901, purchasing a tract of one hundred and 
sixty acres. This place he put in first-class 
shape, and was getting along nicely, when the 
father was taken ill and died in December, 
1905. Since his death Mrs. Bates has occu- 
pied the homestead and carried on the farm, 
assisted by her sons. 

Mr. Bates was a man of exemplary habits, 
industrious and a good friend and neighbor, 
and his loss was deeply felt by all who knew 
him. He was always active in promoting the 
general welfare of his community, and he will 



long be remembered in the hearts of the old 
timers of the region. 



F. A. ROWAN. 



Among the successful and well-known citi- 
zens of Cheyenne county, Nebraska, who has 
made that region his home for the past twenty 
years, we mention the name of F. A. Rowan, 
residing on section 30, township 16, range 48. 

Mr. Rowan was born in Butler county, 
Ohio, on September 5, 1862. At the age of 
four years he went to Illinois with his parents, 
settling in Woodford county, and there he 
grew to manhood, receiving a common school 
education, and helping his father carry on the 
home farm. The father still makes Illinois his 
home, now residing at Eureka, while the 
mother died a number of years ago. 

In the spring of 1887 Mr. Rowan came into 
Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He at once filed 
on a homestead, taking the land as a timber 
claim, and now occupies the tract as the home 
ranch. He has succeeded in building up a fine 
farm, has erected good buildings of all kinds, 
and his ranch is one of the best equipped in the 
locality. It is situated on the "table," and 
here he has planted a fine grove of trees and 
has every convenience of modern farming in 
the way of machinery, etc. The place con- 
tains in all about nine hundred acres of deeded 
land, and besides this he has one section of 
leased school land which he operates in con- 
nection with his own ranch. About one hun- 
dred and sixty acres are under cultivation, and 
he has a large portion in pasture and hay land 
for about one hundred and fifty head of cattle 
and a bunch of horses. 

Mr. Rowan was married in Cheyenne 
county, on February 1, 1893, to Miss Lottie J. 
Ravert, who is also a native of Ohio. Her 
parents were early settlers in Cheyenne 
county, coming here in 1887, where the father 
improved a homestead, he dying here some 
sixteen years ago. Mrs. Ravert is still living 
on her fine farm of four hundred and eighty 
acres, which was taken as a Kincaid claim. 
She is the mother of three children, Lottie, 
wife of our subject, William Lee, who is owner of 
a Kincaid homestead of six hundred and forty 
acres in section 7. township 17, range 48, this 
county, and Charles Neal Ravert, also a home- 
steader near Dalton. 

Mr. Rowan has a family of five children, 
named as follows: Harold, Edna, Alarjorie, 
Neal and Arthur, all living at home. 

Mr. Rowan has taken an important part in 
the upbuilding of the region since he has lived 



1118 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY'. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



here, helping establish the schools, and lend- 
ing his influence in every instance to promote 
the welfare of the settlers. During the years 
1897-1902 he held the office of county com- 
missioner in the county, and has always been 
considered one of the foremost old timers of 
the region. He is an Independent in politics. 



BURCH L. HARTUXG. 

Burch L. Hartung. classed among the suc- 
cessful young agriculturists of Rock county, 
Nebraska, has acquired a valuable estate lo- 
cated near the town of Bassett, and is widely 
and favorably known throughout the locality 
as an industrious and thrifty citizen. 

Mr. Hartung was born in Iowa in 1871. and 
is a son of George W. Hartung. the latter of 
German descent, a . native of Pennsylvania, 
who came west when a young man. settling in 
the western part of Nebraska, where he has 
resided for the past thirty years and more. | 
Here he has gone through every form of fron- j 
tier life, witnessing grasshopper raids, drouths | 
and other conditions which made it so hard 
for the pioneers in the vicinity. He traveled 
all through the region long before the railroads 
were put through, making long journeys on 
horseback and in prairie schooners. He mar- 
ried Miss Laura Applegate. who is of good old 
Yankee stock, and their entire married life has 
been spent in Cuming and Rock counties, 
where our subject was raised and educated. 
The Hartungs have made Bassett their home 
for about six years, finally locating on section 
30. township 31. range 19, putting up a set of 
farm buildings, and there went through pioneer 
experiences. 

Burch Hartung started out for himself as 
a boy, working on the ranches in the vicinity 
of his father's homestead and later in Keya 
Paha county, becoming thoroughly familiar 
with the country in this part of the state. He 
has been all through the region on horseback, 
roughing it summer and winter, and is ac- 
quainted with nearly all the old settlers in the 
country. Several years ago he took a home- 
stead on section 25, township 31, range 20. and 
has since added to this, now owning in all three 
hundred and twenty acres, which he has im- 
proved in good shape, having a good set of 
farm buildings, fences, and many conveniences 
of modern farming, engaged in grain raising, 
also keeping quite a bunch of stock. 

Mr. Hartung is a young man of energetic 
habits, endowed with good business ability, and 
is classed among the representative Nebraska 
stockmen and farmers. 



AUGUST NAMUTH. 

The gentleman above named is one of the 
leading farmers and stockmen of Cheyenne 
county, where he has spent the past twenty 
years, and during that time has succeeded in 
accumulating a nice property by dint of hard 
work and faithful attention to details in his 
operations. He is a man of sterling character- 
istics, and has an enviable reputation as a 
worthy citizen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Namuth was born in Brunswick, Ger- 
many. September 3, 1871, and grew up there, 
receiving the education usual to the youths of 
his native land. Both parents died there a few 
years ago. A\'hen August was but sixteen 
years of age he left home and struck out for 
.America, coming directly to Nebraska. He 
worked on farms and ranches in Cheyenne 
county for a number of years, being among the 
early settlers of the region, and has passed 
through all the experiences here, witnessing 
the drouth years, seeing crops and other prop- 
erty destroyed by the severe storms, encounter- 
ing the dangers of Indian wars. etc. During 
those years he filed on homestead rights and 
afterwards relinquished the same when he had 
put them in good condition. About seven 
years he has spent in Colorado, living there at 
different times.- but always returning to Ne- 
braska, finally settling here permanently, tak- 
ing a Kincaid homestead on section 8, town- 
ship 12. range 47, in July, 1907. This was in 
fair condition, and during the short time he has 
lived on the property has added many improve- 
ments, having good buildings, and about one 
hundred and twenty acres under cultivation. 
He has about one hundred head of stock at 
present, and raises considerable grain for 
market, which brings him in altogether a very 
snug income. 

Mr. Namuth was married on 'September 25, 
1900. to Katie Sukovaty, who was born in Bo- 
hemia in 1876 and came to this country with 
her parents when a child of seven, they now 
living in Cheyenne county, also, and own a 
good farm. 

Mr. Namuth is an Independent in politics 
and takes a commendable interest in all local 
matters of interest to his communitv. 



S. P. JAMISON. 

S. P. Jamison, who through his long resi- 
dence in Keya Paha county, and his wide ex- 
perience in farming, having opened up six 
homesteads in this region, all of which were 
utterly unimproved land when he settled on 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1119 



them, has become thoroughly conversant 
with the topography and development of this 
part of Nebraska. He is one of the leading 
citizens of his community, and has acquired a 
nice property by industry and good manage- 
ment, supplemented by honesty and integrity. 
He now resides in the town of Jamison. 

Mr. Jamison was born in Atchison, Mis- 
souri, in 1861. When he was but one year old 
his parents moved to Nebraska City, making 
that their home for ten years, then went into 
Gage county and settled on a homestead, and 
there our subject was raised and educated. 
His father, Thomas B. Jamison, of Scotch ori- 
gin, born in America, followed farming all his 
life, he now residing in Oklahoma. He mar- 
red Sarah E. Hackler, who was of German 
descent, also born in America, died in Okla- 
homa March 6, 1906. There were five children 
in the family, our subject being the second in 
order of birth. One brother is now a practic- 
ing physician in San Francisco and one brother 
lives near his father's home in Oklahoma. 

When our subject was of age he started for 
himself, engaging in farming and stock raising 
in Holt county, and there carried on the work 
successfullly for eight years, then moved to 
Butte, Boyd county, Nebraska. At the time of 
their settlement in Butte, Mrs. Jamison was the 
first white woman in the town, as this was al- 
most entirely an Indian settlement. Mr. Jami- 
son bought a tract of land near the town, but 
devoted most of his time to politics. He was 
one of the organizers of Boyd county, 
drafted the bill which was presented to the 
legislature, and was the first sherifif elected in 
the county. He remained in the county up to 
1903, taking an active part in its growth and 
development, then sold out his interests there 
and came to Keya Paha county, and soon after 
surveyed and located the town which bears his 
name. In partnership with two other men he 
owns the town site consisting of forty acres, 
also owns a homestead in Gregory county, 
South Dakota. At Jamison he is proprietor of 
a general store, carrying a four thousand dollar 
stock of merchandise, and enjoys a good trade 
from the surrounding country. 

During his early residence in Nebraska Mr. 
Jamison saw some very hard times, at one time 
being obliged to burn hay to keep from freez- 
ing, as he was unable to get any other fuel. 
Often he became thorough!}'- discouraged, al- 
though he never felt inclined to give up, the 
difficulties which he passed through making 
him the more determined to succeed, which he 
has certainly done. During his career as a 
farmer and stockman he fed and shipped in 
one year seventy-six head of steers which 



brought his just one hundred dollars per head on 
the market. He has always been classed among 
the leading pioneers of the state, coming here as 
he did when a child and growing up with the 
country, and is now one of the wealthiest men of 
Keya Paha county. Since leaving Boyd county he 
has not taken an active part in politics, de- 
voting all his time and attention to his differ- 
ent business enterprises. He votes a straight 
Democratic ticket and has always been a 
staunch supporter of his party. 

In 1879 our subject married Miss Maggie B. 
Shirk, who was born and raised in Pennsylva- 
nia, and they are the parents of the following 
children: Orville J., Gracie Ellen, Delia M. 
and Sarah, all of whom are married and settled 
in homes of their own excepting the last men- 
tioned, who lives at home. 



HENRY HUMMELS. 

Henry Hummels, of Macon township, 
Franklin county, is a prosperous and widely 
known real estate dealer of that part of Ne- 
braska. He also handles insurance, loans, etc. 
and has a wide reputation as a public auctioneer, 
officiating at nearly every large sale of live 
stock in the region, his services being in de- 
mand at every important sale held. 

Mr. Hummels was born in Illinois. His 
father, Harmon Hummels, was a farmer in 
Menard county there, and came to Petersburg, 
Nebraska, in 1885, settling on a farm in Macon 
township, and on this homestead our subject 
has spent the greater part of his career, al- 
though he started in the real estate business at 
Hildreth in 1899 and has given the past ten 
years almost exclusively to his land deals. He 
advertises extensively in the Chicago and local 
newspapers, and lived in Hildreth for five years . 
doing a nice business, then moved to Macon 
and since locating in the latter place has sold 
more of the land in this and adjoining counties, 
including Furnas, Redwillow and Frontier 
counties, than any agent in this section of the 
state. Besides Nebraska lands Mr. Hummels 
handles farm property in all of the different 
western states from Illinois to Colorado, mak- 
ing a specialty of settling homesteaders, and 
in this manner has been instrumental in bring- 
ing many settlers here from the east who have 
improved many fine farms and helped build 
up the locality. 

In the insurance line I\Ir. Hummels repre- 
sents some of the best old line companies, in- 
suring against fire, lightning and accidents, 
and possibly writes more policies than any 
other aeent in the countv. 



1120 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Hummels is enthusiastic about the fu- 
ture of Nebraska, and declares that people who 
buy land here now will be able to double their 
investments in the next year or two. At the 
present time he has over forty thousand acres 
of picked land on his list for sale in this vicin- 
ity, and also has considerable land in South 
Dakota. He is a thorough business man and 
convincing talker and through honesty of pur- 
pose has gained the confidence of all with 
whom he has any dealings by his straightfor- 
ward principles. Mr. Hummels is a well-to- 
do man, and has accumulated his property 
through his persistence and strict integrity of 
word and deed. 

In political faith our subject is a Republi- 
can. He has taken a leading part in local af- 
fairs tending to promote the best interests 
of his community, and well deserves the suc- 
cess which has come to him as a reward of his 
many years of labor. Mr. Hummels is a mem- 
ber of the local lodge of the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. 



HENRY W. LOGAN. 

For nearly a quarter of a century the gen- 
tleman above named has been identified with 
the history of the growth and development of 
western Nebraska, and his present prosperous 
condition evidences his earnest labors during 
these years. He now resides in the town of 
Norden, Keya Paha county, where he is en- 
gaged in the banking business and is regarded 
as one of the leading citizens and enjoys the 
confidence of all with whom he has to do. 

Mr. Logan was born in Jefferson county, 
Ohio, in 1847. His father, John, was of Irish 
blood, American born, and a farmer by occu- 
pation. He married I\Iaria \Mieeler, who was 
of old American stock. They were the parents 
of twelve children, of whom our subject was 
the fifth member, and all were raised in the 
country, receiving common school education-^ 
Henry started for himself when but a boy, fol- 
lowing farm work, and became owner of a 
seventy-five acre farm, located three miles from 
his parents' home, and engaged in sheep rais- 
ing principally. He was very successful and 
continued on the place up to 1887, then sold 
out and came to Nebraska. Upon arriving in 
this state he located in Springview and estab- 
lished one of the first business enterprises in 
the section, carrying a stock of general goods, 
and operated his store for six years, during 
that time doing a nice business. He sold out 
his store, although he still owns a fine resi- 
dence property there. In 1899 Mr. Logan came 



to Norden and purchased the banking business 
of M. P. Meholin, the latter having established 
the business in 1887, which at that time was 
the first bank in that end of Keya Paha county, 
and during the years 1892 to 1901 inclusive, 
was the only banking institution in the entire 
county. Here our subject has built up a large 
and successful business, doing a general bank- 
ing business, drawing his patronage from 
many miles around the town of Norden. He 
is a thorough business man, conservative and 
conscientious, and stands very high in the esti- 
mation of his fellowmen, and is considered an 
authority on all matters of business and per- 
taining to the good of the community. 

In 1882 Mr. Logan was married to Miss 
Mary L. Wolf, daughter of Thomas Wolf, who 
was a Quaker, and Emily Carter also of 
Quaker stock. Mr. and Mrs. Logan have a 
family of four children, namely: Charles, who 
is employed in his father's bank, Edna, now 
attending school at the Fremont Normal Col- 
lege, Clarence and Ernest, at home. One 
daughter, Emma, is deceased. 

Mr. Logan was elected treasurer of Keya 
Paha county in 1893, serving in that capacity 
for two terms. He has always taken an active 
part in politics, and is an ardent supporter of 
the Democratic party. 



W. I. HIETT. 

W. I. Hiett. a prosperous and well known 
citizen of Sidney, Nebraska, is owner of a val- 
uable estate on section 30. township 13, range 
49, which he has put into fine shape and is now 
line lit the best improved in the locality. He 
is a man of keen business perception, well in- 
formed on every subject of county and state 
importance, and takes a leading part in all mat- 
ters of benefit to his community. 

Mr. Iliett was born in Hampshire, Vir- 
ginia. May 21, 1847. His father, James S. 
Hiett, was of Scotch descent and an old settler 
in that portion of Virginia. Our subject grew 
up in his native state, coming west in 1883 and 
settling in York county, Nebraska, farming 
there up to 1892, then removed to Cheyenne 
county. Here he filed on a homestead, which 
he still occupies, having added considerable to 
his acreage since then, owning in all at the 
present time three hundred and twenty acres. 
During the drouth seasons a number of his close 
neighbors were driven to abandon their homes 
on account of the hard times, and while Mr. 
Hiett also experienced some difflculty, he man- 
aged to stick to his farm and made a living, 
although he had several crop failures. He 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1121 



now cultivates eighty acres and keeps the bal- 
ance for pasture and hay land, although the en- 
tire place is splendid farming land. He en- 
gaged in stock raising to quite an extent, run- 
ning about fifty head all the time. 

Mr. Hiett was married on December 13, 
1874, to Dora Wilson, daughter of D. W. and 
Anna Wilson, old settlers in Illinois, where 
Mrs. Hiett was born and reared. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hiett have a family of four children, who 
are named as follows: Myrtle A., now a 
teacher in the public schools of Sidney, E. E. 
Hiett, who lives on a farm adjoining his 
father's, having a three hundred and twenty- 
acre farm ; Estelle Verne and Herman Logan, 
the two last mentioned living at home and as- 
sisting in carrying on the farm. 

]\Ir. Hiett is a man of superior attainments 
of mind, having a good education and one who 
has wide knowledge of affairs, having been an 
inveterate reader, and has for many years past 
handled numerous publications and standard 
works. He was a soldier in the Civil war, en- 
listing in the Fifteenth West Virginia as a pri- 
vate in 1864, and after seeing service in differ- 
ent states, was discharged from the armv on 
August 16, 1865. 

In political views ]\Ir. Hiett is a staunch 
Republican and takes a deep interest in county 
and national politics. 



SANFORD O. SPAIN. 

Sanford O. Spain, classed among the pros- 
perous and successful business men of Simeon, 
Cherry county, is also one of the very oldest 
settlers in that region. When he first came 
here his nearest neighbor was one and a half 
miles away and the second nearest a distance of 
twelve miles from his homestead. He has passed 
through all the old Nebraska times, and by 
dint of industry and economy has managed to 
acquire a valuable property, and enjoys a com- 
fortable home and pleasant surroundings, be- 
sides an enviable reputation as a worthy citi- 
zen and good neighbor. 

Mr. Spain was born in Ohio in 1850. 
His father was a merchant in a small village 
there, and he raised a family of six children, 
our subject being the third in order of birth. 
\\'hen the latter was a small boy the family 
moved to Iowa, and at the early age of thirteen 
years Sanford left home and enlisted in the army, 
serving in Company I. Ninth Iowa Cavalry. 
He was with his regiment on marches through 
Arkansas, Texas and Missouri, participating 
in diflferent engagements, and saw every side of 
a soldier's life. He remained in the service un- 



til the close of the war, then returned to Iowa 
and made that his home up to the fall of 1881. 
At that time he came to Polk county, Ne- 
braska, settling in Osceola, and there engaged 
in the bakery business, carrying this on for 
five years. He next moved to Cherry county, 
filing homestead rights on a quarter section 
situated on Snake river, starting as most of 
the pioneer settlers did, with very little capital, 
erecting a sod shanty in which he lived with 
his family for a number of years, then built a 
log house. His first team was a pair of oxen 
which he used for all kinds of work, and de- 
spite many hardships and unfavorable condi- 
tions, succeeded in improving his place in good 
shape. He witnessed the drouth periods when 
he had hard work to raise any kind of a crop, 
also suffered from prairie fires which swept the 
region and at different times threatened the de- 
struction of his farm buildings and other prop- 
erty. Many times he was obliged to fight these 
destroying fires night and day in order to save 
himself serious losses. 

In 1890 Mr. Spain moved to Kennedy and' 
there engaged in the stock business, continuing 
in this line of work up to 1905, when he settled 
in Simeon and opened a store, carrying a good 
line of general merchandise. He was also ap- 
pointed postmaster of the town and has held 
this position during the past three years. He 
is considered one of the representative citizens 
of his locality, taking an active part in all matters 
pertaining to the best interests of the town, 
has held various offices of trust and served as 
justice of the peace for a number of years. 
He is now acting as school director. In polit- 
ical circles he stands very high, and has at- 
tended numerous conventions, acting as com- 
mitteeman for several years. He is a Republi- 
can. 

Mr. Spain was married in 1870, to Miss 
Mary Morgan, daughter of U. S. and Harriet 
Fry Morgan, who were for many years promi- 
nent farmers in Iowa, where Mrs. Spain was 
reared. Mr. and Mrs. Spain are the parents 
of the following named children ; Rose, mar- 
ried and living at Spearfish, South Dakota; 
Grant, Nellie and Clement, all living in \^alen- 
tine, Nebraska ; Bessie, married and residing at 
Edgemont, South Dakota, while Nettie, Charles 
and Mary are still at home. 



DAVID M. HUSTON. 

David M. Huston, of Antelope township, 
Harlan county, is owner of a good farm in 
section 17. which consists of a homestead and 
tree claim comprising three hundred and twen- 



1122 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



ty acres of good land. He settled on this land 
in 18/8 and has made this his home ever since. 

Mr. Huston is a native of Ohio, born near 
Bloomfield. His father, Frederick Huston, 
moved from Ohio to Peoria county, Illinois, 
with his family in 1866, and there David grew 
to manhood. The father enlisted in the Civil 
war and served in a great many different en- 
gagements, being with the Army of the Po- 
tomac on its various campaigns, and suffered 
all the hardships and privations of a soldier's 
career. After the close of the war he returned 
to Illinois and remained there up to 1886. then 
came to Nebraska, locating in Harlan county. 
Mr. Huston, Sr., is an intelligent and well- 
read gentleman, still in good health, and is at 
present living with David on the latter's home- 
stead. He is now in his eighty-fifth year. 

Our subject has succeeded in building up a 
good farm and comfortable home here . al- 
though he has passed through some very hard 
times in accumulating his present property. 
During the early years he suffered all the dis- 
couragements incident to the life of the pioneer 
settlers, but states that conditions here are 
much more favorable for farming and stock 
raising than in Illinois, and he is in po- 
sition to know, as he has tried it in both states. 
Mr. Huston says that one man can work as 
much land in Nebraska as would take two men 
to work in Illinois. 

In addition to his farming enterprises Mr. 
Huston owns a threshing rig in partnership 
with his son, J. J. Huston, and they operate 
all over the section and manage to make a nice 
income during the season. 

Mr. Huston was married to Miss Fanny C. 
Herndon, daughter of Joseph Herndon. who 
was an early settler in this county, coming 
here in 1882. He is a large landowner here and 
is well known throughout this part of the 
state. Mr. and Mrs. Huston are the parents 
of two daughters, Ella M. and Carrie E.. also 
three sons. J. J., mentioned 'above, John D. 
and J. AIcKinley, all living at home and assist- 
ing their father in carrying on the farm 

Mr. Huston has been assessor of his pre- 
cinct for a number of years. He is also a mem- 
ber of the school board and active in all local 
affairs tending to the betterment of conditions 
in his locality, at present serving as president 
of the Antelope Fine Stock Company. 



THEODORE SAGERT. 

Theodore Sagert, an early settler and high- 
ly respected citizen of Sioux county, has 
fought his way through many difficulties and 



discouragements to a very substantial success. 
He is a man of keen business perception and 
executive ability, and has proven his good citi- 
zenship in many ways. 

Mr. Sagert was born in Brandenburg, Ger- 
many, in 1862. and his parents still reside on 
the old homestead there. The father followed 
farming all his life, and during his boyhood 
Theodore assisted him in the home work, also 
was taught the bricklayer's trade as a young 
man. At the age of nineteen years he left 
home and came to America to seek his for- 
tune, and was the only one of his family ever 
to leave their native land. He landed in Bal- 
timore, and after spending a short time in the 
east, located in Page county, Illinois, remain- 
ing there for two years, then emigrated to 
Colorado. He lived in Denver for a time and 
later went to Leadville, working in the smelter 
most of the time. From there he went into 
South Dakota, locating in Sanborn county, and 
there followed ranching, remaining in that vi- 
cinity for one year, then went to the Winne- 
bago and Crow reservation, took up a tract 
of land and begun to built it up, but after a 
short time was obliged to abandon it. From 
there he came to Nabraska, driving overland, 
and his first stop was made at Chadron. Dur- 
ing the journey he spent the nights camping 
out, and often came across bands of Indians, 
who were for the most part very friendly, and 
several times shared his meals with them at 
their camp. The trip took him twenty days, 
and after stopping at Chadron a few days he 
went into the Black Hills with three other 
men, including C. H. Hollenbeck, Christ Hoff- 
master, C. E. Eastman and himself. There 
each picked out a location, Mr. Sagert taking 
a homestead on Horsehead creek in South Da- 
kota, and proved up on the land, finally com- 
ing back to Chadron, and in the spring of 
1886 he begun railroading, following that work 
for five years. He was appointed assistant 
roadmaster of the Black Hills division, and 
held that position for two years. In 1S93 he 
received the appointment of division roadmas- 
ter for the West Line into Wyoming, and 
remained as such for six years, then returned 
to the Black Hills division, being roadmaster 
on that line for the same length of time. Dur- 
ing the building of the Deadwood line he act- 
ed as superintendent of the job. He is one of 
the oldest railroad men in this section of the 
country. 

In May, 1904, Mr. Sagert quit the road for 
good and settled in Harrison, where he has 
done much in the way of building up the town, 
one of the most important contracts he has 
undertaken being the building of the Harrison 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1123 



water works system. He has done all in his 
power to promote the best interests of the 
place in a commercial and educational way, 
and at present is serving as alderman of his 
ward. 

Mr. Sagert was married in 1899 to Miss 
Freda D. Tripple, who was born in Hanover, 
Germany. They are the parents of two chil- 
dren, Emma and Freda, the latter now attend- 
ing school away from home. The family have 
a pleasant home and are well liked by all who 
know them either in a business or social way. 



JOHN JACOB GEISERT. 

The subject of this sketch, John Jacob Geis- 
ert, was born in Baden Baden, in Germany, in 
1868. His father, Matthew Geisert, lived' and 
died in Germany, and his mother, Louisa Hor- 
necker, was also a German. Mr. Geisert spent 
his youth in Germany, attending the German 
schools and afterward learning the trade of 
painting and paper hanging. He worked at 
these trades until 1886, and, in that year, he 
and the rest of the family joined an elder broth- 
er, who had emigrated to America at an earlier 
date. W^hen this brother came to America in 
1884, he located in Keith county, where he took 
a homestead on which the family lived after 
arrival. 

Our subject worked as a clerk in a grocery 
store for two years, at the end of which time 
he began work at his trade, traveling through 
the states and visiting the cities of Bufifalo, 
New York, Chicago and Denver. 

In the fall of 1892 he was married in New 
York City to Miss Ernestina Bossert, who 
was a German by birth. Mr. and Mrs. Geisert 
have two children, Louise and Henry Jacob. 

After his marriage Mr. Geisert came to 
Ogallala and followed his trade for a time, aft- 
erward going into business for himself. He 
opened a store in 1896, carrying a large and 
varied line of paints, wallpaper, furniture, car- 
pets and the like. He also does contract work 
in painting and has built up an extensive busi- 
ness in this line. He has ma,de a success of 
everything he has undertaken and has -done 
his share in developing the natural resources 
of this region. 

D. S. BATTERSHELL. 

D. S. Battershell, another of the really old- 
timers of western Nebraska, is now owner and 
manager of the Paxton Hotel, the leading hos- 
telry of the town of Paxton, and is held in 
high esteem as a public-spirited citizen. He 



has passed through every form of pioneer life 
since coming to this state, and during his resi- 
dence here, covering a period of about fifteen 
years, has managed to gather together a com- 
fortable property, and has made his influence 
felt in all matters of interest to the public, 

Mr. Battershell was born in Indiana in 
April, 1863. When he was an infant his par- 
ents removed to Illinois, and he was raised in 
Champaign county. His mother and father 
were both natives of Kentucky, the mother 
now dead, while his father resides in Indiana. 
Our subject came to Clay county, Nebraska, in 
1884 and farmed there for five years, then 
moved into Lincoln county, where he filed on 
homestead rights on section 26. township 11, 
range 33, and still owns this farm. He came 
to Cheyenne county in 1904, purchasing a piece 
of land on section 28, township 14, range 48, 
containing four hundred and eighty acres, and 
succeeded in building up a good home and de- 
veloping a productive farm. This ranch he dis- 
posed of in 1907, and at that time moved into 
Paxton and engaged in the hotel business, 
which he also succeeded in carrying on at a 
profit. 

_ In 1884 Mr. Battershell was married to 
Miss Laura Atkinson, who died in 1904, leav- 
ing a family of five children. In November, 
1906, our subject was married to Clara Homer 
Kluckhuhn, and they have one child, Ada, a 
charming little miss. 

Mr. Battershell is a Republican, and a 
stanch supporter of party principles. 



H. G. GUMAER. 



H. G. Gumaer, one of the early settlers of 
Nebraska, who has passed through all the 
pioneer experiences of the region, is now pros- 
perous and successful as a result of many years 
of labor and persistence. He resides on his 
valuable estate situated on the North Platte 
river adjoining the old town of Oshkosh, 
where he is surrounded by all the comforts of 
rural life. 

Mr. Gumaer was born in W^aupaca county, 
Wisconsin, on October 31, 1856. He was the 
second child in a family of seven, three boys 
and four girls, and both father and mother 
are now dead. The former died while the 
family still lived in Wisconsin, about 1887, 
and the latter's death occurred when our sub- 
ject was about nineteen years of age. Both 
parents originally came from New York state. 

Mr. Gumaer left Wisconsin when he be- 
came of age, locating in St. Paul. Nebraska, in 
the spring of 1879, in company with his brother 



1124 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Alfred \V., and they engaged in the lumber 
business at that place, their's being the first 
venture of its kind in the town. In 1885 our 
subject came to Oshkosh. He trailed a bunch 
of cattle from Howard to Deuel county, and 
launched into the ranching and cattle business, 
which he has followed continuously ever since. 
He selected a tract of land lying on the North 
Platte river, consisting of about one thousand 
acres, and has added every improvement to 
the place, and it is called one of the most val- 
uable ranches in the region. He has it stocked 
with about five hundred cattle and a fine 
bunch of horses, and is rapidly becoming one 
of the wealthiest residents of the county. Mr. 
Gumaer is unmarried. He is a Democrat, and 
was elected the first county commissioner of 
Deuel county, and again in 1903 was elected 
to the same office, and has served continuously 
in that capacity for the past six years. He is 
prominent in all county and state aft'airs. 

Alfred W. Gumaer. brother of our subject, 
who was born in Wisconsin in September, 
1854. is now living in Deuel county. He was 
in tlic United States custom service for six 
years, and is equal!}' well known with G. H. 
Gumaer. He also is unmarried. 

^^^ F. Gumaer, another brother, was born in 
Wisconsin in 1874. He came to Howard coun- 
ty, Nebraska, shortly after his father's death, 
and located at St. Paul, where he attended the 
high school and graduated from that institu- 
tion. He returned to \Visconsin, where he 
spent some years, and in 1906 came to Osh- 
kosh. He was married here in the same year 
to a daughter of W. W. Bowers, and is now 
engaged in the general mercantile business. 

Two sisters of our subject, Mrs. A. L. 
Covey and Mrs. H. B. Vandecar, are living at 
St. Paul, Nebraska, while another sister is the 
wife of II. L. Cook, residing at Lincoln. The 
other sister. Mrs. H. ^\'. Potter, still lives in 
Wisconsin. 



\\" H. PARRIOTT. 

W. H. Parriott, who lias devoted his entire 
career to agricultural pursuits, has met with 
pronounced success in Keya Paha county, Ne- 
ijraska. He is owner of a fine farm there, has 
brought his land to a good state of culti\a- 
tion and has aided in many ways in the dcvtl- 
ripment of the agricultural interests of his lo- 
cality. He is also one of the old-timers of 
the region, and has gained a high station 
through his integrity and industrious habits. 
He has a pleasant home on section 35, town- 
ship 33. range 23, and there enjoys well de- 
served success. 



Mr. Parriott was born in Porter county, 
Indiana, in 1854. He grew up there to the 
age of eleven years, then came with his par- 
ents to Fort Des Moines, Iowa, where he re- 
ceived his later education in the public schools 
of the town. His father, Adam H. Parriott, 
was of American stock, and he followed farm- 
ing all his life. He married Sarah Hall, of 
French descent, a native of Canada, and they 
reared a family of six children, of whom our 
subject was the second member. He started 
to make his way in the world at the age of 
twenty-four years, following farm work in Iowa 
up to the spring of 1883, when he came to 
Keya Paha county and settled on a homestead, 
this being his present location. He was in this 
region during the hard times which swept this 
portion of the state and has passed through 
all the trials of pioneer life, often becoming dis- 
couraged, but never thought of giving up, fight- 
ing bravely every difficulty that came across his 
path, and he has been well repaid for his ef- 
forts. When he landed here he had nothing, 
and from this start, by dint of strictest econ- 
omy, energy and persistence he has succeeded 
in accumulating a nice property, his ranch com- 
prising nine hundred and sixty acres, all good 
land, and about two hundred acres cultivated. 
The balance he uses as hay and pasture land, 
keeping about three hundred head of stock. 
Several years ago Mr. Parriott planted an or- 
chard and now has nearly every kind of do- 
mestic fruit for home use. The ranch has good 
farm buildings, a nice residence, etc., including 
about five and a half mil^s of good fence. 

In 1879 Mr. Parriott made a trip to Indiana, 
and there was married to Miss Nora A. Hug- 
gart. who is also a native of Porter county. 
She is a daughter of a prominent veteran of 
the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Parriott have one 
child, Gordon ^^'.. "now twenty-five years of 
age. He is also a homesteader in this county, 
owning a quarter section, which adjoins his 
father's rancii. 

Mr. Parriott has always been greatly in- 
terested in school aflfairs in his locality and has 
done much toward establishing and helping 
build up the dififerent school districts. Polit- 
ically he is a Republican, and stanch sup- 
porter of party principles, although he has 
never sought public preferment. 



j.AMES SCOTT. Dixe.\sed. 

.-\ history or biographical work relating to 
the early days and the pioneers of western 
Nebraska would not be complete without a 
sketch of the career of James Scott, who de- 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1125 



parted this life in 1894. James Scott spent 
a long and useful life in Keith county and by 
his death the community lost an upright and 
conscientious neighbor and citizen. 

James Scott, deceased, was a native of Gal- 
way, Ireland, where he was born in 1830. He 
was reared and educated and married in his 
native land, taking as his helpmeet Sarah Brit- 
ton, who was also of Irish nativity. This 
union was blessed with five children — Patrick, 
Martin, Delia, Kate and John. 

James Scott came to America in 1880, and 
the balance of the family came the following 
year. For a time they lived in New Jersey, 
then later in Connecticut, from whence they 
came west to Wisconsin, settling on a .farm. 
Here they sustained a severe loss by fire, los- 
ing house, household goods and all of the 
family records. The two sons, Patrick and 
Martin, were the first to try their fortunes far- 
ther west, coming to Keith county, Nebraska, 
in 1885, The next year the father and the rest 
of the family followed, locating on a home- 
stead. 

The boys worked on the section for the 
Union Pacific Railway Company and our sub- 
ject ran the section house to help with the 
finances during the hard times and the drouth 
years. 

Our subject's uncle, Tom Scott, came to 
the territory first in 1876, and November 26th 
located a homestead on the North Platte river. 
He lived there through all the years and was 
one of the prominent and successful old set- 
tlers of the region in which he located. He 
followed railroading a great part of the time. 

James Scott was successfully engaged in 
farming and stock raising and built up a splen- 
did home. The family now has a ranch com- 
prising two thousand and eighty acres and 
one hundred and si.xty acres of leased land, the 
farm being located on both sides of the South 
Platte river and extending back into the hills. 
The ranch is finely improved in every respect 
with good house, barns, spring, windmills, 
fences, trees and everything necessary in the 
conduct of a modern and prosperous stock and 
farm business. 

James Scott passed through all the trying 
experiences common to the lot of the pioneer, 
but his persistent industry and constant en- 
deavor left a good patrimony for his family 
when his death occurred. 



SAMUEL H. OSBORNE. 

Samuel H. Osborne, a very well known and 
highly respected citizen of Morrill (formerly 
Cheyenne) county, Nebraska, has a valuable 



estate in Bayard precinct, besides land in other 
localities near. He is one of the prominent old 
settlers in the region, and has passed through 
all the old Nebraska times, assisting in no small 
degree in the upbuilding and development of 
the vicinity. 

Mr. Osborne was born in Licking county, 
Ohio, February 16, 1841, where he spent the 
first seven years of his life. In 1848 his par- 
ents, Joshua and Harriett (Rigby) Osborne, 
natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respec- 
tively, moved to Steuben county, Indiana, with 
their family of eleven children, seven sons and 
four daughters, and there our subject grew to 
manhood. He enlisted in Company H, Eighty- 
eighth Indiana Infantry, and was with Com- 
pany A, First United States Engineers, for 
three years and three months, in active service 
all of that time in the Army of the Cumberland 
under Buell and later Rosecrans. He was 
discharged from the army at Nashville, Ten- 
nessee, having a brilliant record as a soldier. 
Three brothers were also in the service. One 
met his death in battle at Stone River, Decem- 
ber 31, 1862; another brother was severely 
wounded at Huntsville, Alabama. Our subject 
was in the battles of Stone River and Perry- 
ville, Kentucky, at Chickamauga and Mission- 
ary Ridge, and all the skirmishes between the 
latter place and Atlanta, Georgia. Here he 
turned back to Nashville under Thomas. 

After the war closed Mr. Osborne returned 
to Indiana and remained there up to 1869, 
going at that time to McLean county, Illinois, 
and later to Iowa. In March, 1871, lie came to 
Nebraska, and in October removed to Ottum- 
wa, Iowa, where he worked for three years. 
Returning to McLean county, he followed 
farming until 1887, when he came to Nebras- 
ka, settling in that part of Cheyenne county 
which is now Morrill. Here he filed on a 
homestead on section 25, township 21, range 
52, at that time entirely unimproved land. He 
pre-empted about three hundred acres in sec- 
tion 2, township 20, range 52, ninety acres of 
which were under irrigation ; also acquired a 
Kincaid claim of four hundred and eighty acres 
in section 35, township 23, range 52. He im- 
proved these tracts extensively, having two 
irrigation ditches on the home place and has 
been engaged in grain and stock raising dur- 
ing all of the time he has been in the region. 
At the present time he has about fifty head 
of cattle and a small bunch of horses. He 
has a complete set of good farm and ranch 
buildings and every convenience and improve- 
ment for the proper operation of a model ranch. 
We call attention to a view of the home to be 
found in our illustrative pages. 



1126 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



Mr. Osborne is a Republican politically and 
active in local affairs, having served as justice 
of the peace for twenty-one years. 

Mr. Osborne married Miss Emily \\'. Ben- 
son in Oak Grove, Illinois, December 4. 1873, 
she being a native of McLean county, of that 
state, a daughter of James and Polly Ann 
(Henshaw) Benson. They have a family of 
four children, namely : Dale, married and now 
living in Idaho; Thomas C. Osborne, married 
and living in Wayne, Nebraska, where he has 
charge of the Presbyterian church ; Eva June 
and Dean H., living on the home ranch. 

Mrs. Osborne is a member of the Christian 
church, while Mr. Osborne is a comrade of 
the Bayard Post, No. 350, Grand Army of the 
Republic. 

ANDREW NELSON. 

Andrew Nelson, residing in Potter pre- 
cinct, came to Cheyenne county in 1889, and 
here has become well known as one of the 
leading old settlers of the section. 

Mr. Nelson was born in Sweden, .September 
19, 1848, grew up there, and at the age of 
twenty concluded to try his fortune in the new 
world, so took passage at Goettenberg for Co- 
penhagen and thence in the old side-wheel ves- 
sel Accellera, which was soon afterward lost at 
sea, landing in New York city May 6, 1869. 
He came direct to Mineral Ridge, Iowa, where 
he made his home for one year, and at Glidden 
two and a half years while working in the con- 
struction department of the Illinois railroad be- 
tween Sioux City and Dubuque. From there 
he went to Cheyenne ^^'ells, Colorado, spend- 
ing one winter, and next to Missouri, where 
he remained up to 1876. From there he moved 
to Knox county. Illinois, attending school at 
Knoxville for about a year and a half, striv- 
ing to improve his somewhat neglected educa- 
tion, and afterwards spent four years in Jack- 
sonville. Illinois, half of that time as attendant 
at the insane hospital. During the time he 
was in that state he made a trip back to his 
native land to visit the scenes of his child- 
hood. From 1882 to 1889 he resided in Cass 
county. Illinois, cultivating rented land, and 
next came to Potter, Nebraska. At this time 
he filed on a homestead in section 28. township 
15, range 52. which is now his home ranch. He 
made a success of ranching from the first, al- 
though he passed through all of the pioneer ex- 
periences and saw hard times, but stuck to 
the place through all the good, bad and indif- 
ferent times, finally succeeding in improving it 
with a good stone dwelling and other build- 
ings, fences and windmills, continually adding 



more land to his original homestead, until now 
he owns or controls nineteen hundred and 
twenty acres, which comprises one of the most 
valuable ranches in the county. He has about 
one hundred and twenty acres cultivated, and 
runs sixty head of cattle and ten horses. He has 
plenty of good water, pumped by windmills for 
all farming and domestic purposes, is a prac- 
tical agriculturist and operates a model ranch. 
A view of the substantial ranch buildings may 
be found on one of our illustrative pages. 

Mr. Nelson was married to ^liss Charlotte 
Nelson at Little Indian, Cass county, Illinois. 
February 4. 1882. She died January 2, 1899, 
leaving seven children, of whom four are still 
living, as follows : Fred, of the firm of Nelson 
& Company, engaged in the general merchan- 
dise business at Potter ; Joseph, Annie and 
Emil, living at home, all bright, intelligent and 
industrious. 

On June 8, 1907, Mr. Nelson married Miss 
Gertrude Uncapher at Sidney. She is a native 
of Fairbury, Jefferson county, Nebraska, com- 
ing to Cheyenne county in 1903. Mr. Nelson 
is a Republican, but has never sought office, 
devoting his time to his ranching interests, 
and besides is connected with the mercantile 
business of Nelson & Company at Potter. He 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 



HOPKINS BROS. 

Two brothers. Earl and Bradford Hopkins, 
comprise the above firm, who are prominent 
ranchers of section 35, Industry township, in 
Phelps county. The ranch is situated one and 
a half miles southeast of Atlanta Station, on 
the Burlington & Missouri railway, and con- 
sists of three hundred and twenty acres. It 
was established in 1902 and intended for breed- 
ing and raising of Duroc Jersey pure bred 
hogs, and this has been carried out to the let- 
ter, they being now the owners of a fine herd 
of hogs and considered the leaders in this in- 
dustry in their section of the state. 

Our subject's herd is headed by Kant Be 
Beat No. 10239. The cost of this animal wa.s 
six thousand and fifty dollars, he being bred out 
of King Hustler and dam. He is the highest- 
priced boar in the world of any breed and has 
been shown fifty-eight times in the ring, winning 
fifty-seven first prizes and sweepstakes. He has 
been exhibited at all of the great shows in the 
eastern states, including New York. Ohio, Iowa, 
Illinois and Nebraska, and he stands as the 
most perfect specimen in the world. His 
weight is ten hundred and sixty pounds in the 
show ring. The ownership of this hog places 




RESIDENCE OF S. H. OSBORNE, 
Morrill County, Nebraska. 




RESIDENCE OF ANDREW NELSON, 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska. 



COAIPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1127 



Hopkins Bros, and their partners at the head 
of the red hog business. His get in 1906 won 
seventy-nine premiums at the different exhi- 
bitions out of ninety-two in which he had been 
entered. 

Besides this celebrated animal Hopkins 
Bros, also own Red Prince lam, by old Reo 
Chief lam and dam Garnet, the latter being the 
sow that topped John Briggs & Son's sale held 
at Clay Center, Nebraska, in 1907, this sow- 
bringing the fancy price of six hundred and 
ten dollars, purchased by Henry G. \\'arren, 
of Inland, Nebraska. Another splendid animal 
owned by Hopkins Bros, is Earl's Ohio Chief, 
sired by the si.x thousand-dollar Ohio Chief, 
and while the former is not a show hog, he 
is the sire of first-class stock and appeals 
strongly to breeders on account of qualities 
which make him a very desirable animal for 
market. At tire present time Hopkins Bros, 
have on hand seventyrfive pure bred hogs. 
Each year they hold a large sale at Holdrege, 
the sale taking place on the 17th day of Feb- 
ruary, and as it is advertised widely every 
breeder of note is well aware of the kind of 
stock which they will find. Some very high 
prices are realized for their offerings, and the 
demand is growing each year as breeders rea- 
lize the superiority of pure-bred stock. 

Besides the pure bred red hogs, Messrs. 
Hopkins feed and raise high-grade red Durocs 
for market. They have built up a paying 
business and their ranch is equipped with all 
the necessary buildings and conveniences, in- 
cluding pastures and pens for the accommoda- 
tion of their stock. They have forty acres 
fenced off in three lots, with one ten-acre tim- 
ber tract, also patches of alfalfa and grass land. 
The balance of the place is used for pasture. 
The ranch is elegantly situated, of the best 
soil, and everything is of the very highest 
class, both men .devoting their entire time to 
the hog breeding business, which they declare 
is the best road they know of to success. They 
have the judgment to buy the best animals in 
the first place, and the industry and energy 
to develop from this stock something still bet- 
ter, and together with this ability they pos- 
sess the necessary adjunct of proclaiming the 
merits of their herd in all its excellence from 
the housetops, so to speak, in order that all 
in need of such stock as they produce may 
know where to apply. They are among the 
leading advertisers of pure bred Duroc Jersey 
hogs in the country, and for these energetic 
and enterprising young men one is safe in pre- 
dicting that their career will bring the profit 
and substantial reward which they so richly 
deserve. 



WILLIAM MIKA. 

Among the successful and prosperous farm- 
ers and stockmen of Cheyenne county, we give 
the name of William Mika, who is owner of a 
fine estate in section 18, township 13, range 
47. He has made this region his home for 
the past twenty years and more, and during 
his residence here has built up a good home 
and gained the confidence and esteem of all 
with whom he comes in contact. 

Mr. Mika was born in Fort Aladison, Lee 
county, Iowa, on the 21st day of September, 
1859. The first ten years of his life were spent 
in that vicinity, then his parents gave him into 
the charge of an uncle, who took him to Han- 
over, Washington county, Kansas, and he re- 
mained there for five years, returning to his 
boyhood home in 1874, being called there by 
the serious illness of his father, who died Jan- 
uary 1, 1875. He spent three or four years 
with his mother, then returned to Kansas, and 
was back and forth between Iowa and Kansas 
a number of times during the next several 
years. He was married at Hanover, Kansas, 
August 8, 1882, to Miss Catherine Hlava, and 
together they came to Cheyenne county, Ne- 
braska, in the spring of 1887. Mr. Mika took 
a homestead on section 18 in the fall of the pre- 
vious year, and they located on this land aifd 
began to develop a farm, starting as was usual 
with the pioneers in a sod shanty, and going 
through many privations and meeting many 
discouragements in the shape of failure of 
crops, etc., and it was a number of years be- 
fore he was able to get ahead any, managing, 
however, to make a comfortable living. After 
times grew better he began to improve his 
place by the erection of good buildings, and 
adding land to his original possessions, so that 
he is now owner of about eight hundred acres, 
cultivating about one hundred acres and using 
the balance as a stock ranch, and running a 
large herd of cattle and small bunch of horses. 

Mr. Mik:a has one of the pleasantest homes 
in his locality, and he has a charming family 
of children, two of whom are married and the 
rest living at home, named as follows : Mary, 
wife of Frank Oliverious, and Agnes, wife of 
Frank Stimka, both families living in Cheyenne 
county ; Kate, Willie, Eva, Lillie, Frankie and 
Sophia, who assist their parents in carrying 
on the home farm. Mr. Mika's mother still 
resides' in Fort Madison, Iowa, while both 
parents of Mrs. Mika died in Bohemia some 
years ago. Mr. Mika takes a commendable 
interest in local matters, and has done his full 
share as a good citizen of his community. In 
political sentiment he is a Democrat. 



1128 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



FRANK W. PEACOCK. 

Frank W. Peacock, one of the substantial 
residents of Cherry county, has played an im- 
portant part in the upbuilding of this region. 
He has been engaged in various enterprises 
during the years of his residence in this sec- 
tion and has been an important factor in bring- 
ing abou^ its present prosperity. He is owner 
of a good estate here, and well merits his suc- 
cess and high standing. 

Mr. Peacock was born in Huron county, 
Ohio, in 1861. His father, William, was an 
old settler in Sheridan county. Nebraska, born 
in England, and following ranching in this state 
for many years. He married Ann Dickson, 
who was of Irish descent, born in America. 
They were the parents of six children, our 
subject being the eldest, and all were raised 
in Ohio, receiving a common school educa- 
tion. Frank lived at home until he was twenty- 
four years of age, when he emigrated to Iowa, 
settling on a farm, which he carried on for 
about a year, then came to Sheridan county. 
Nebraska, and homesteaded a tract of land 
lying some distance south of the town of Gor- 
don. His first dwelling was a sod house that 
had dirt floors, and he began as nearly all 
the pioneers were obliged to do in those days — 
handling ox teams, etc. He went through 
every part of pioneer experience, all of which 
were met with a sturdy determination and the 
fortitude that would discourage one of our 
present-day farmers. He succeeded in proving 
up on his farm and worked faithfully to im- 
prove it in every way, meeting with losses 
caused by the drouth seasons, and one year 
lost his entire crop by hailstorms. He passed 
through eight hard years, during which he 
was unable to raise one good crop, then times 
began to get a little better, he was able to 
make a little headway, and continued to live on 
it up to 1898. At that time he undertook the 
management of the Balch ranch and acted as 
foreman of the place for two years. He was 
next employed on Shaddock's ranch in the 
same capacity for one year, both being situated 
in Cherry county. 

In 1901 Mr. Peacock moved to Merriman 
and engaged in the hotel and livery business, 
which he carried on for a time, then sold out 
both and started a grocery and butcher busi- 
ness. This he kept for several months, then 
purchased his present store, into which he put 
a complete line of drugs. He built up a good 
trade and did a thriving business for three 
years, then sold out his drug stock. Mr. Pea- 
cock has met with considerable success in his 
different enterprises, and is classed among the 



prosperous citizens of his community. Per- 
sonally Mr. Peacock is a gentleman of a socia- 
ble manner, a genial companion and has a 
host of good friends, enjoying the esteem and 
confidence of all with whom he comes in con- 
tact. 

In 1885 Mr. Peacock was married to Miss 
Zella M. Dubbs, daughter of Lewis Dubbs, 
who is an American by birth, formerly a farm- 
er, but for the past few years has been travel- 
ing over western Nebraska in the government 
service. Our subject has two daughters, Pearl 
and Julia, both charming and accomplislied 
young women. Mr. Peacock takes a leading 
part in local affairs and lends his influence 
for good government. He is a Republican. 



willia:m j. cooney. 

The birthplace of William J. Cooney is Laur- 
el, forty-five miles nortliwest of Toronto, Can- 
ada, where he first saw the light September 
20, 1853. His long, useful and industrious life 
has brought him many warm friends and won 
the confidence of the community in which he 
now lives. Air. Cooney's father was Anthony 
Cooney, a reputable farmer of Canada, his 
mother was of English birth. 

The subject of our sketch was reared in 
Canada, learning the carpenter's trade. He 
came to the States in 1878. locating for two 
years in Shenandoah, Iowa, where he worked 
at his trade. He commenced railroad work as 
foreman of a construction gang for the Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy Railway Company 
and for four years operated in southwest Iowa 
and northwestern Missouri. For two years he 
was in the contracting business at Shenan- 
doah, from whence, in 1883, he came to Ne- 
braska, locating for about two years in the 
city of Lincoln. December 15. 1884, he built 
a house and prepared for pioneer life. But 
he did not stay. Removing to Denver he en- 
gaged in contracting and building for several 
)-ears and did not return to Keith county until 
1893. At this time he bought land near the 
town of Brule, and during all the years he has 
been most actively engaged in his old business 
of contracting and building and he has con- 
structed many business buildings and resi- 
dences in all parts of the county. He has been 
very successful and his profits have enabled 
him to become owner of lands in all parts of 
the county. No one has been more prominent 
in the construction work of this region. He 
built the Keith county court house and the 
Exchange Bank and numerous other fine res- 
idences and buildings in the countv seat. His 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1129 



operations have also taken him into Ogallala 
county, where he has put up many splendid 
homes and business blocks. He has won a 
name and reputation as one of the most suc- 
cessful and honorable contractors and build- 
ers in western Nebraska. 

William J. Cooney was married in 1881 to 
]\Iiss Laura Radclifi'e, of ]\It. Avr, Iowa, her 
parents being from Ohio. Air. and Mrs. 
Cooney have been blessed with eight children — 
Eva. Lena M.. P,eniamin W., Emerson R., Ber- 
tha Lucile, William ].. Laura C. and Olive 
Eona. 



A. E. WHETSTONE. 

Keya Paha county has no moi-e enterpris- 
ing or worthy citizen within her borders than 
the gentleman whose name appears at the head 
of this review. Mr. ^^'hetstone has been a res- 
ident of this locality for the past nine years, 
and during that time he has acquired an ex- 
tensive acquaintance, by all of whom he is 
highly esteemed and respected for his true 
worth of character. 

Mr. Whetstone was born in Henry county, 
Illinois, in 1860, and reared there on a farm. 
His father, W. J. Whetstone, was born in 
America of German parentage, and followed 
the blacksmith's trade, also farmed much of 
the time. During the war he served in the 
Fifty-fourth Indiana Infantry for about eight- 
een months and saw much hard' service in that 
time. He married Cynthia Barkus, who was a 
native of Indiana, and they reared a family of 
eight children, our subject being the third in 
order of birth. \\'hen the latter was about 
eighteen years of age he left home and began 
on his own account, emigrating to Kansas, 
where he spent one year, then came into Dawes 
county, Nebraska, following farm work in 
Kansas and later in Nebraska. After a short 
time in Dawes county he filed on a homestead 
and pre-emption, proving up on both tracts, 
and during those first years here he passed 
through pioneer experiences, seeing some 
pretty hard times. He lived in a sod shanty for 
a number of years, witnessed the drouths and 
met with many discouragements so common to 
the early settlers in the section, and although 
he often became disheartened he never gave 
up hope, but continued to devote all his efforts 
to improving his propert_v and eventually suc- 
ceeded in building up a good home there. 

In 1901 Mr. ^^'hetstone came to Keya Paha 
county, purchasing a partly improved farm of 
two hundred acres on section 16, township 33, 
range 24. He has been engaged principally 
in the stock business since locating here and 



has done well. At the present time he has 
twenty-five head of cattle and about seventy- 
five horses, besides quite a bunch of hogs. His 
farm is well supplied with substantial buildings 
and improvements of all kinds, and Mr. Whet- 
stone is progressive and up-to-date in his 
methods of operating his ranch. 

In 1883 Mr. Whetstone was married to Miss 
Corinne Crandall, daughter of Leroy and Eliz- 
abeth Golden Crandall, the former dying when 
Mrs. Whetstone was a small girl. Si.x chil- 
dren have been born to our subject and his 
estimable wife, named as follows : Bertha, Jen- 
nie, Harry, William, Mabel and Mildred," all 
living at home except two, who are married. 
Mr. Whetstone is a Democrat and while he 
does not take an active part in politics he 
evinces a great interest in local matters, and 
has been especially helpful in establishing and 
building up the schools of this locality as well 
as in other sections where he has made his 
home. 



REV. M. E. DOLAN. 

Rev. M. E. Dolan, pastor of St. Patrick's 
church in Chadron. Nebraska, who during the 
comparatively short time he has been engaged 
in ecclesiastical work here (about two years) 
has gained a host of friends and made his in- 
fluence felt in many ways throughout the com- 
munity, is highly esteemed by all regardless of 
religious faith, and under his guidance the par- 
ish of which he has charge has prospered in 
a marked degree. 

Rev. Dolan was born in the city of Loc 
Ray, County Galway, Ireland, in 1872. When 
he was a chile of five years his parents came 
to America and settled in Omaha. Nebraska. 
There our Subject grew up, attending the pub- 
lic schools and later entered the Creighton LTni^ 
versity. He spent some time in St. Paul, ]\Iin- 
nesota, where he took a theological course, 
and then went to Harvard University, thus 
preparing himself thoroughly for his church 
work. In 1904 he was ordained a priest of 
the Holy Catholic church, and for one year 
acted as assistant pastor in the church at 
O'Neil, Nebraska, and later in the same ca- 
pacity at the new cathedral in Omaha. 

In 1907 Father Dolan accepted the pastor- 
ate of St. Patrick's church in Chadron, and 
during his brief residence here he has become 
greatly beloved by the people of his congre- 
gation, always ready to lend a helping hand 
to those in need of his services, either as pas- 
tor or friend, and his labors are thoroughly 
appreciated by the entire community. 



1130 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



JAMES CHILDERS, Deceased. 

James Childers, deceased, was for a num- 
ber of years prior to his demise a prominent 
citizen of Che'rry county, Nebraska. He was 
engaged in various enterprises in the locality, 
including the cattle business, ranching and 
restaurant and saloon business. He was a man 
of active public spirit and did much during 
his lifetime to help in building up the region, 
and his loss was deeply felt by the entire com- 
munity. 

^Ir. Childers was born near the town of 
Mystic, Iowa, in 1858, and raised on a farm 
there. His father, James, who was of French 
descent, followed farming during all his life- 
time. He raised a family of three children, our 
subject being the youngest, and he lived at 
home until he was twenty years of age, then 
started for himself, coming to Tilden, Nebras- 
ka, where he engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness and carried it on up to 1885. He moved 
to Cody from Tilden, opened a restaurant and 
built up a good trade, and at the same time 
bought and shipped cattle for market. While 
living in Cody he made a trip to Texas, look- 
ing for a new location, but after looking the 
ground over thoroughly was unable to find 
anything that suited him, so decided to come 
back to Nebraska. He spent about one and a 
half years in the south altogether, then re- 
turned to Nebraska, and spent the following 
years in Cody, Cherry county, until 1901, at 
which time he moved to Merriman and started 
in the saloon business, which he carried on 
up to the time of his death, when his son 
Clyde took charge of the establishment. Dur- 
ing his residence in western Nebraska Mr. 
Childers succeeded in accumulating a comfort- 
able property. He was classed among the old 
settlers of these parts, coming here during the 
very early settlement of the region, having 
practically nothing to start with, went through 
ox team and every other pioneer experience, 
and stayed to see the section grow to be one 
of the good farming countries of the west. He 
was enthusiastic regarding the possibilities here 
and felt satisfied that a man could do as well 
here as any place on earth, provided he was 
willing to work in earnest. 

Mr. Childers was married at Meadow- 
Grove in 1883 to Miss Martha Ames, who is 
a native of Iowa and reared in that state. They 
had two children. Clyde, mentioned above, 
and Cleve. The former is also married, his 
wife's maiden name having been Miss Myrtle 
Stuart. She is a daughter of Ed Stuart, who 
is well known here as one of the earliest set- 
tlers in Cody, coming here in 1882. Clyde 
has one child. 



Both !Mr. Childers and Clyde have always 
been strong Democrats, but while the former 
never took an active part in politics, he was a 
well read man, keeping thoroughly abreast of 
the times, and was well posted on all matters 
of public interest. 



FRANK B. LANCE. 

Frank B. Lance, one of the pioneers of Per- 
kins county, is a man of wide experience in 
agricultural pursuits and has a thorough 
knowledge of his calling. In his early youth 
he chose farming as a career and during later 
years through systematic labors and good judg- 
ment has acquired a valuable property and a 
home amid comforts, and, it may be added, 
many of the luxuries of modern life. 

Mr. Lance was born in McDonough county, 
Illinois, July 20, 1869, on a farm, and raised 
there until he was sixteen years of age. At 
that time he came to Nebraska and spent sev- 
eral years in the eastern part of the state, lo- 
cating in Perkins county in 1890, arriving here 
in the fall of the year. His mother and step- 
father had settled here in 1885, our subject hav- 
ing made his own way from the time he was a 
boy of seventeen. He filed on a homestead, 
having nothing in the way of worldly goods 
excepting fifteen dollars in money and a wife. 
His stepfather helped him get started by tak- 
ing a second mortgage on his homestead, and 
he started in earnest to build up a home, put- 
ting up a sod shanty and beginning as all the 
pioneers of those times were obliged to do, 
with scarcely the necessary household furnish- 
ings. He met with considerable success in his 
farming ventures, never having a failure of 
crops, and was able to improve his place in 
good shajie, remaining on it up to 1901. In that 
year he was elected county clerk, and served 
in that capacity for six years, tlien went back 
to farming, purchasing his present farm, which 
is situated one and a half miles southwest of 
Grant. Here he owns twelve hundred and 
eighty acres. He has two hundred and twenty- 
five acres under cultivation and the balance in 
pasture and hay meadow. The ranch is 
ccpiipped with a complete set of substantial 
buildings, intluding a comfortable residence, 
plenty of barns, sheds, etc., and is engaged 
in stock raising on a large scale. He has one 
nf the best kept and most prosperous appear- 
ing farms in the locality and enjoys a comfort- 
able income through good management and 
strict attention to his work. Besides his farm- 
ing interests Mr. Lance has devoted a good 
deal of his time to school teaching, and dur- 




MR. AND MRS. 1IKR\']':V TORU. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1131 



ing the hard times here taught for three years. 
He became very much discouraged with con- 
ditions at that time and made a trip to Mis- 
souri with the intention of trading his home- 
stead for land there, but on looking the ground 
over was satisfied that this was the better 
place of the two and returned, determined to 
make a success, which he has accomplished in 
a remarkable degree, as is evidenced by his 
present holdings. 

When Mr. Lance first ran for county clerk 
he was elected by a majority of seven votes. 
The second time he won over his competitor 
by a plurality of one hundred and twelve votes, 
and the third time carried every precinct in 
the county. He, is now acting as chairman of 
the Populist committee, and has been secretary 
or chairman of the same ever since coming 
here. He is active in all matters of public in- 
terest, and his influence is felt in every move- 
ment pertaining to the welfare of the people of 
his community. 

Mr. Lance was married in the spring of 
1890 to Miss Carrie Sloan, born and raised 
in Iowa, and they have three children, namely: 
Laura A., Charles J. and Samuel S. 



HERVEY FORD. 

Hervey Ford, a leading citizen of Brown 
county, Nebraska, was one of the first men to 
settle on a homestead and build a house on 
Buffalo Flats. Mr. Ford was born on a farm 
in Coshocton county, Ohio, August 2, 1837. 
His father, Robert Ford, was born in Ireland, 
came to this country with his parents when 
but three years of age, grew up in Coshocton 
county, Ohio, and married Miss Sally Boyd, 
American-born but also of Irish descent. Our 
subject was reared in Ohio, assisting his fa- 
ther in the farm work, and attending school 
during the winter months. At the age of 
twelve years he started out to shift for him- 
self, working on farms near his home until the 
breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in 
Company C, Fifty-first Ohio Infantry, Septem- 
ber 3, 1861. After being thoroughly drilled 
his company was ordered south to Kentucky, 
and was with the Army of the Cumberland 
until 1863, marching all over the state of Ten- 
nessee. Through exposure and hardship he 
became afflicted with rheumatism and other 
diseases and received his discharge on account 
of disability. He recovered fully from this 
and in 1864 enlisted in the one-hundred-day 
service, going to Petersburg and Richmond, 
where he participated in the siege of those 
places, and during the summer of that year was 



almost constantly under fire from the batteries. 
After the war had closed he went back to Ohio 
and lived there until 1869, when he came west 
to Kansas, settling in Wilson, where he lived 
among the Osage Indians, leading a regular 
pioneer's life. He remained there for five years, 
going through all the rough experiences which 
fell to the lot of the sturdy old settlers of those 
days, then went on to Indian Territory, where 
he was engaged in farming on Indian lands for 
the Cherokees in that region for two years, then 
returned to Kansas. He was without money 
and obliged to make his living working at 
whatever he could find to do, for the most part 
hiring out to different farmers and ranchmen. 
He soon became dissatisfied with this, and, 
leaving Chautauqua county the 7th of June, 
came to Nebraska, arriving in Brown county 
August 8, 1880. Here he settled on a home- 
stead in Buffalo Flats, driving through to Buf- 
falo Flats with two yoke of oxen and covered 
wagon, leading a pony. After the rough jour- 
ney of two months in the open he took up a 
homestead and went to work at once, erecting 
a log shanty sixteen by twenty-four feet, after- 
wards adding a sod room to it, making a fairly 
comfortable dwelling. He lived in this for 
some time, and then took up a tree claim, on 
which he now resides. He endured hard times 
while establishing his farm, experiencing much 
suffering during the winter of 1880-81, being 
snowed under in his shanty and unable to get 
out for supplies, which became so low that they 
were in danger of being entirely without food. 
At last he was able to dig his way out and se- 
cure more provisions to alleviate their hunger. 
During the summer of 1880 he had broken 
about ten acres of ground and the next year 
raised his first crop on this homestead. In 
1882 his yield was thirty bushels of wheat to 
the acre, and from that time on he has pro- 
duced good crops and enough provisions to 
supply his family. This place consists of one 
hundred and sixty acres, one hundred of which 
are under cultivation, and the balance in pas- 
ture. He enjoys a comfortable income annu- 
ally as a result of his hard labor in the past 
and with his place well improved and well 
stocked, with a good set of substantial farm 
buildings, he can rest content, knowing he is 
provided for in old age. 

In 1868 Mr. Ford was married to Miss Mar- 
tha A. McMunn, a native of Ohio, of Irish 
descent. They have a family of three chil- 
dren, who are named as follows: Clemmie 
May, wife of Howard C. Lewis ; Theron B. and 
Thadius K. Mr. Ford enjoys the confidence 
and respect of all who know him, and takes 
a warm interest in all religious and educational 



1132 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



matters in his locality. He has served his 
district in different capacities, having been di- 
rector for a number of years past. Politically 
he is independent, voting for men and prin- 
ciples instead of party. He is a comrade of the 
Grand Army of the Republic. Portraits of Mr. 
and Mrs. Ford will be found on another page 
of this volume. 



A. A. SCOUTT. 



A. A. Scoutt. one of the successful young 
business men and stock growers residing near 
Kearney, Nebraska, has made that region his 
home for the past fourteen years, and during 
that time has won for himself an enviable rep- 
utation as a worthy citizen and prosperous ag- 
riculturist, and stands high in the estimation 
of all who have been associated with him either 
in a business or social way. 

Since coming here Mr. Scoutt has made a 
specialty of raising hay during the summer 
months and feeding sheep through the winter, 
and in these dilTerent enterprises has been most 
successful. During the season of 1907 he cut 
and put up twelve hundred acres of hay and 
the previous winter fed one thousand head of 
sheep and got them through in fine shape, they 
making him a nice profit when shipped to mar- 
ket. He is an enthusiastic admirer of this sec- 
tion of Nebraska, considering the crops of alfalfa 
and the feeding facilities of Buffalo county to be 
better than any place he has ever known and fully 
justifies the high price of land prevailing near 
Kearney especially, believing that there is no 
place in the region where the farmer and feed- 
er has a better chance to succeed or obtain 
better results from his operations. 

Mr. Scoutt controls a large tract of land 
known as the Watson ranch, from which place 
he secures his hay crop and also carries on 
his sheep feeding work there. 

A brother of our subject, who lives in Chi- 
cago, Illinois, is a partner with Mr. Watson, 
owner of the Watson ranch, in the cement 
block machinery business, and their general 
ofifices are located in that city, at 510 New York 
Life building. They have succeeded in build- 
ing up a large business and are making money 
in it. 



SIDNEY C. MANNING. 

Sidney C. Manning, prominent among the 
early settlers and prosperous farmers of Grant 
county, has passed through the experiences of 



the pioneer Nebraskan, and has remained there 
through privation and discouragements to be- 
come a substantial and influential citizen. He 
resides on his elegant farm, but has practically 
retired from its active management, devoting 
most of his time to his home, surrounded by 
every comfort, and is prepared to enjoy dur- 
ing the evening of his life the hard won fruits 
of his earlier labors. 

^Ir. Manning was born in Anderson county, 
Missouri, in 1857, and comes of good old Amer- 
ican stock. His father was a merchant and 
farmer, and the family lived in Missouri until 
our subject was nine years old, then moved to 
Denver, Colorado, settling on a ranch a short 
time after going to that city. This ranch was 
situated six hundred miles from a railroad and 
there they lived for a number of years, Sidney 
following the range and roughing it winter and 
summer, and went through all the hardships 
incident to life on the frontier. During these 
years he owned ranches in that vicinity and 
carried on a successful business. In 1886 he 
came to Grant county, Nebraska, locating 
twenty miles south of Whitman, which part of 
the county was at that time very sparsely pop- 
ulated. He began to develop a farm, went 
through sod house experience, and during the 
first few years was obliged to haul all supplies 
from North Platte, which was eighty miles 
distant from his homestead, making the trip 
many times in all kinds of rough weather, 
spending the nights camped out under his 
wagon, often encountering dangers in the way 
of hordes of Indians and wild beasts which 
roamed the prairies. He occupied the ranch 
up to 1904 and succeeded in building up a good 
farm and home, running a large herd orstock 
each year, and was one of the leading ranch- 
men of his locality, his place being one of the 
best equipped in the way of good buildings 
and every modern convenience of a labor-sav- 
ing nature.- 

In 1904 Mr. Manning left his ranch and 
moved to Denver, making that his home for 
four years, when he returned to Grant county, 
and settled on a ranch which lies near his son's 
place, in township 22, range 2)7. Here he has 
six hundred and forty acres of land, with 
every improvement, and is very comfortably 
situated. 

Mr. Manning was married in 1876 to Miss 
IMollie Dodd, of Colorado. They have one son, 
mentioned above. Our subject has been a 
resident of Grant county off and on ever since 
it was organized. He has always taken an 
active part in county affairs, and was the first 
county clerk elected to the office, holding the 
same for four years. 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 1133 



VACLAV VACIK. 

Vaclav Vacik was born February 8, 1851, 
in Strejckovicich, Krajs, Plaen county, Prestic, 
Bohemia, Europe. His father owned a very 
large farm there and was a dealer in horses, 
cattle and grain. They had the handsomest 
house and largest barns in the village of 
Strejckovicich. His mother was of German de- 
scent, a very charming and accomplished wo- 
man. There were four boys in the family and 
four girls, Vaclav being the youngest of the 
sons, and was always the pet of his mother. 
On one occasion several of the children came 
to the house to play, and while the family 
were in the house the youngsters set the barn 
on fire and everything was burned to the 
ground, and the fire even spread to neighboring 
houses. The Vacik family lost house, barns, 
grain, horses and cattle, and were completely 
ruined by the disaster. They started to build 
up their home again, and during the construc- 
tion of some building the father was killed. He 
was at work and in stepping backward over 
a log fell and broke his neck, although he was 
not instantly killed, living about two hours 
after the accident, but not being able to speak 
before he died. He was fifty-four years of age 
at the time of his death. After the father's 
death Mrs. Vacik was obliged to go ahead and 
finish the building, and Vaclav was compelled 
to go out to work, as they were running into 
debt. His first job was working for a cousin 
at seventeen dollars a year and his board, and 
after a while was able to earn twenty-two dol- 
lars a year. 

When our subject grew to manhood he 
more and more disliked the idea of being under 
the Austrian government, also the thought that 
he was compelled to serve as a soldier, so de- 
cided that he would leave home and come to 
America, and when but little more than six- 
teen years of age started out alone on his trip 
into the world, taking passage on an emigrant 
ship for America. His mother begged him not 
to leave his native land, but he told her that 
he could not bear the thought of having to be 
a soldier, which was his only object in leav- 
ing Austria. He left there on October 6. 1867, 
and was on the ocean thirteen weeks, landing 
in Baltimore, and from there came directly to 
Chicago, Illinois, arriving there on January 22, 
1868. He was without money and had a hard 
time to get along, as he was unable to speak 
a word of English, and had been used to every 
comfort and luxury in his own home. For 
twelve weeks he was not able to secure any 
employment and in that time got into debt, 
having: met some Bohemian friends who aided 



him, and he finally secured work from a 
Frenchman, for which he received three dol- 
lars and a half per week for sandpapering 
molding in a lumber yard. He continued in 
the work for one year, then went to Cham- 
paign county, Illinois, and picked corn on a 
farm, for which he received twenty dollars a 
month and board all winter. He returned to 
Chicago in the spring and began working for 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway. 
This was in 1869, and he held his position for 
two years, working in the freight yards, sav- 
ing his money, and at the end of that time 
had considerable laid by. In 1871 he left Chi- 
cago, going to Columbus, Mississippi, but after 
a stay of ten days and not finding it pleasant 
to live where the negroes were so plentiful, he 
decided to try another location. He was told 
that he could do well in Alabama, so went to 
Mobile, where he expected to make a good liv- 
ing, but instead of bettering himseff found 
conditions worse and more negroes than in Co- 
lumbus. He began to think Chicago was not 
so bad a place after all, and got his partner 
to go back there, but their money was all gone 
by this time, and they were obliged to beat 
their way the best they could. They had to 
cross the Mississippi river from Columbus, 
Kentucky, to Cairo, Illinois, and stole aboard 
one of the steamers and got under a bed, being 
unobserved by any of the crew, arriving at their 
destination safely. On trying to leave Cairo 
they watched their chance and tried to board 
a freight train, but after Vaclav had thrown 
his grip in a car he was unable to board it him- 
self and the train rolled away with all his 
clothes and possessions. He went to the sta- 
tion and tried to get the agent to give him a 
ticket, but the latter told him he could not 
do it. so after Vaclav had told him of the loss 
of his grip and described it the agent told him 
that the brakenian had found such a grip and 
gave it back to him, and you may be sure that 
he was a very pleased person on regaining pos- 
session of it. He again started on his journey, 
getting as far as Broadline, Illinois, and there 
hired out as a farm hand on the farm of John 
Alexander, spending a short time there, then 
went to Chicago, where he worked for a black- 
smith on Michigan street, remaining there 
through the winter. He again got a job with 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and con- 
tinued with them up to 1872, and during this 
time he became acquainted with Miss Maria 
Chervenka, and they were married February 
11, 1874. 

Mr. Vacik made his home in Chicago for 
one year, then with his wife came to Wilber, 
Saline county, Nebraska, where Mrs. Vacik's 



1134 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



parents resided. After about three years in 
tliat vicinity they returned to Chicago and 
when they had just gotten located there was 
a big strike started and a man was unable to 
secure hardly any kind of employment. This 
strike is well remembered by most of the old- 
timers, as the state troops were called out to 
suppress the mobs. After walking the streets 
for a whole month Mr. Vacik had the good 
fortune to obtain employment at the munifi- 
cent wage of one dollar per day, but became 
dissatisfied and returned to Wilber, Nebraska, 
where he bought a farm of eighty acres, pay- 
ing six dollars and eighty cents per acre. He 
also bought a team of oxen, cultivator and put 
up a sod shanty, and began to farm. He did 
exceptionally well there at first, and times 
soon changed, when he was able to trade his 
oxen for a team of horses, put up better build- 
ings of frame, and rented land from a neigh- 
bor. He raised as high as twenty-five hun- 
dred bushels of corn one season alone, and all 
crops were good. He finally got into the hog 
business, starting with a herd of two hundred 
and fifty hogs, fed them for two years, then 
when nearly ready for market they began to 
sicken and die. The first he noticed of this 
was one day when he took a load of corn in 
the pens and was throwing it to the hogs, saw 
that they appeared sick, and they began to die 
until he only had three of his entire drove left. 
This was a serious loss to him and set him 
back greatly, so he decided to try some other 
part of the state, and moved west, locating on 
his present homestead. He had come here 
through the advice of an agent named Vaclav 
Kuiera, who had land advertised in the paper. 
The claim was on section 24, township 13. 
range 48, in Cheyenne county, and he landed 
here in 1886. Here he started in full of hope, 
and expected to raise a crop the same as he 
was used to do in Saline county, and he plowed 
and sowed, but never reaped up to 1891-92. 
when he was fortunate enough to raise a small 
crop. At this time the drouths began to devas- 
tate the region and people began leaving their 
claims, there remaining only besides our sub- 
ject. Adam Schimka, who had come here from 
Wilber county at the same time. After a time 
some of the old settlers came bacT< and still 
reside here. 

Mr. Vacik had poor crops for a number of 
years, then times began to improve. During, 
the year 1904 he had a fine crop of grain and 
all ready to harvest when along came a hail- 
storm and destroyed it utterly. Since then he 
has met with better success and has raised a 
very good crop every year. He has nine hun- 
dred and sixty acres of land and believes there 



is- no better farming country than western Ne- 
braska. Mr. Vacik engages in stock raising 
quite extensively, having at the present time 
one hundred and fifty cattle and about fifty 
horses. The ranch is supplied with a complete 
set of good farm buildings, including barns, 
sheds, granary, and handsome residence. He 
is considered among the wealthy men of his 
locality, and states that he is well contented 
and happy, and if any one wants to know about 
his start to come and see him and he will tell 
them, as his life's history is too big to write 
it all. 

Mrs. \^acik was born in Nevezice, Krajs, 
Pisek, July 4, 1854. She lived in a little village 
until twelve years of age and was obliged to 
work very hard as a young girl, as her father 
was an invalid most of the time, afflicted with 
inflammatory rheumatism. She was the inkiest 
in the family and all the work of carrying on 
the home fell upon her shoulders, as they were 
poor and not able to hire a servant. They 
lived in a cottage and about their only pos- 
sessions were two cows and five chickens, and 
had about two acres of ground, on which they 
raised potatoes and other vegetables, also some 
rye, which the mother was obliged to ca"e for, 
cutting the grain with a hand sickle. T.ie fa- 
ther had been a soldier for eight years, and 
was a rough rider in 1848, taking part in dif- 
ferent engagements. Mrs. Vacik had seven 
younger brothers and sisters, only two besides 
herself living beyond childhood. After a long 
time her father recovered from his illness and 
was able to work, receiving wages of twenty- 
four cents a day and obliged to find his own 
meals. They were deeply in debt, having in- 
curred a doctor's bill of over four hundred dol- 
lars, and were compelled to sell their cows, 
chickens, grain and even the home, to pay their 
bills. After settling all obligations they just 
had enough to bring them to America, leaving 
Prague on June 10, 1866. After arriving here 
they settled in Chicago and Maria secured 
work as a servant at one dollar per week. The 
father could not get steady employment, so 
got a handsaw and went from house to house 
and chopped and sawed wood, for which he 
received a few cents a day, and in this man- 
ner they managed to make a scant living. 
When Maria was fifteen years of age she went 
to work in a tobacco factory and at first re- 
ceived three dollars per week, after a time 
making as high as eight dollars, and were soon 
able to buy a home, purcliasing a cottage on 
Burlington street, which was in the district 
afterwards swept by the fire, and the nH=mory 
of the great Chicago fire is still fresh in iier 
memory, as it started in the barn of one of 



COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY 



1135 



•heir neighbors. Every one knows the origin 
■! the fire- — starting as the result of an over- 
turned lantern when milking a cow, so it is 
unnecessary to repeat this story. 

After the fire they were very fortunate in 
every way and saved up considerable money. 
They left Chicago and came to Nebraska, lo- 
cating on a farm of eighty acres, which Mr. 
Chervenka purchased for eight dollars an acre, 
and they still reside on the homestead. He 
is now eighty-five years of age and enjoys 
good health. Mrs. Chervenka died eleven years 
ago at the age of seventy-three years, and one 
daughter lives with the father and cares for 
the home. Maria was married to our subject 
before coming to Nebraska, at the age of 
twenty. 

Mr. Vacix and his family have become 
wealthy during the past few years, and they 



have a pleasant and happy home. Some bad 
luck has attended them, one instance being 
when their house was struck by lightning and 
burned to the ground, this misfortune occur- 
ring in 1891, and for some little time they were 
obliged to live in the cellar until another house 
was built. In the following year, after har- 
vest time, his straw stacks caught fire and quite 
a loss was entailed. This fire was started 
Mr. Vacik's little son, who had crawled in a 
hole in the side of a stack where there were 
some little dogs which he wanted to see, and 
as it was dark he lighted a match, with disas- 
trous results. During the same year he lost 
thirty-six head of cattle and three horses. In 
spite of all these misfortunes he has come out 
victorious and is still full of energy and am- 
bition, and feels well repaid for all his labors 
by his present prosperity and peace. 



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